THE OBSERVER February 2, 1968 Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan Vol. IX No. 16 Proposed Budget ilP Problems Deepen Concerning the controversy over Oakland's proposed 196 budget, the following developments took place during the last w( • A group of students met last Friday to discuss whether act on the budget should be taken by the student body. The gr( by Dennis Ferkany and Ken Meldrum, decided to hold off nr,4 the iddues become clearer. • Governor George Romney met with Chancellor Varner, InCIrr)k-rb of the executive committee of the Oakland University Foundation, and three members of the administrative staff this Monday. The Gov- ernor expressed concern over Oakland's financial problems and indi- cated he would reconsider our appropriation. • Chancellor Varner addressed over 300 students Wednesday in the Gold Room. Varner outlined the 1968-69 budget, both our request and the Bureau of the Budget's proposal, and commented on the meeting with Governor Romney. The Chancellor stressed that the real issue is a policy decision on the future of Oakland University, not a simple budgetary consideration. • Groups outside the university community have shown concern Hundreds Hear Chancellor's Speech. over Oakland's appropriation and the Pontiac Press and Royal Oak Tribune have both run articles dealing with the budget controversy. The central fact which the past week's events have shown is that Athletic Fields the cut in Oakland's per student level of support is not based on bud- getary considerations. The reduced appropriation is intended as the first step in a policy that will change what has been the educational To Be Built philosophy at Oakland during the last eight years. Chancellor Varner underlining this fact in his speech Wednes- day. "If this decision (to permanently lower the level of per student A $250,000 project to develop appropriations) is made now, it will be eight years late in coming." 75 acres of athletic fields at Oak- The Bureau of the Budget, which drew up the appropriation for land University was approved Oakland, does not agree that the lowered per student support is a January 18, by the Michigan State change in policy. They argue that Oakland was never planned to University Board of Trustees. receive differential support and funds allocated in the past we based The board approved letting the purely on Oakland's growth rate. construction contract to the Ster- Whatever the outcome of the policy debate, it is clear that if the ling Garrett Co. of Walled Lake, proposed budget is approved it will necessitate radical changes in whose bid of $183,973 was the Oakland's educational program. Projects such as Charter College, lowest of six received on the pro- the wide range of Freshman Exploratories, and Meadow Brook Thea- ject. The work will include in- tre will have to be drastically reduced, if not altogether cut. stallation of large drains needed More important, it is probably that a large number of professors to keep the low-lying area dry in will resign. "Seventy five per cent of our faculty will leave," said the spring, grading of playing Chancellor Varner. "They won't stay if the university is starved, and fields, courts and tracks, con- they can leave." At the meeting with Governor Romney, Varner also struction of one road and eli- commented, "It must be made clear that if this budget recommenda- mination of another which now tion is adopted and with it the message that seems so apparent, then goes from Kresge Library to the the Oakland University which we have all been building for almost Howard C. Baldwin Memorial ten years will be dead. There will continue to be an Oakland Uni- Chancellor Varner and Ken Meldrum, co-chairman Pavilion. of Budget Crisis Committee versity, but it will not be this one; it cannot be." A baseball diamond will be seeded and sodded for immediate Hamlin Hall use. Other areas, most of which will be put into use later, will Josh White include a running track, courts for Opens in Fall tennis, handball, basketball, and Oakland University's newest ice hockey, and fields for football, and largest dormitory will be field hockey, soccer, and soft- Next named Hamlin Hall in honor of Friday • ball. Delos Hamlin, who has served By David Carr The project is being financed Oakland County governmental Josh White, Jr. will appear in concert, cabaret- through the purchase of bonds with units for more than 35 years. style, on Friday, February 9, at 8 p.m. in the Van- funds taken from tuition reve- The nine-story dormitory to denberg Cafeteria. White has given concerts in Car- nues. According to Robert Swan- be named in Hamlin's honor cost negie Hall and for over 500 college audiences. Director son, of Business Af- $3.7 million to build and will be He has also performed in such night clubs as The fairs, the to cost the University opened for the first time next Village Gate and Bitter End in New York, The will be about $35 thousand per fall. It will house 676 students in Troubadour in Los Angeles and The Playboy Club year. twin wings for co-eds and men in Chicago. In addition, he has appeared in dra- The new fields are part of a students. Although the highest matic roles on Broadway and on network television larger plan which is estimated to structure on campus in number of as both an actor and singer. His career has spanned cost $550 thousand, and was ap- floors, Hamlin Hall is built onthe 20 years. Locally, he has performed to extremely proved by the Michigan State side of a ravine in such a manner enthusiastic audiences at the Raven Gallery in South- Board of Trustees last st.Immer. that its fourth floor is at street field. This plan includes massive im- level in front of the building. Though generally labeled a folk singer, his per- provements the in basement of Chancellor D. B. Varner an- formances have an excellent balance of folk, pop the Sports and Recreation Build- nounced the naming of the dormi- and country-western. His voice, and sensitivity to ing as the athletic well as fields tory last Friday. Hamlin,former mood and lyric, together with an agile wit and sense program. Commenting on this councilman and mayor of Far- of stage presence make for .an enchanted audience. Josh White, Jr. plan, Thomas Dutton, Dean of mington, has been a member of the White's concert is jointly sponsored by the Off Students, said, "This project is County Board of Supervisors Campus and A.W'.S. as part of Women's Week. Tic- part since of the long range program 1942 and its chair man since kets may be purchased at $1 for students, $1.50 to develop the physical facilities 1956. He also is a trustee of the for faculty and staff and $2.50 for the general pub- of Oakland." Oakland University Foundation. lic. Page Two The Oakland Observer THE OBSERVER Personal The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions Comments of the paper. They are not necessarily the views of the Editorials trary way. university, faculty or other students. Signed columns To the Editor: Dave Carr are the personal opinions of the authors. In his essay on the issue of military recruiters on campus, Mike Honey most fundamentally Ambiguous Petition I misses the point. He fails to see all the implications of an ingre- dient most people assume to be To The Editor: Crisis Demands Extended Concern essential to a good university. En- When Ingo Dutzmann handed couragement and nurturance of out a petition one Friday during originality of thought can Social Psychology asking The Chancellor's talk Wednesday on the budget This issue concerns everyone connected with only stu- be attained when freedom of dents agree that crisis was impressive. So was the tremendous stu- Oakland University. Anyone who doesn't realize this to "recruiters" thought and expression is also be allowed to come on dent turnout to hear him. The problem is an impor- won't care one damn if this school is drastically campus, encouraged and nurtured for each doubts in my mind tant one, more of policy than money, and it will changed. If this happens, those non-carers may be I had whether individual of the university. A to sign. It is unfortunate decide the future structure of Oakland. the only people left on campus. But, as the Chan- there university should be "an open is only word used In the next few months, the picture will become cellor stressed, to avoidpommitting suicide at Oak- one for re- market for ideas" which is both cruiters in general. The clear. As the picture sharpens, we will be able land, we must approach this problem responsibly. meaning nutrient to and nurtured from, that I always connected to distinguish whether Oakland will continue in This is the time to show restraint. To react now with the originality of thought. Thus a un- word recruiter was the same manner or if we will be recognizable as is to kill all chances of success. We must act, but ARMY, but iversity should tolerate and when issue started Oakland only by name. This issue cannot be de- it must be done with consideration and foresight of res- this appear- pect all points of view irregard- ing Observer my cided in a week, and storming Lansing tomorrow the possible consequences. The Chancellor re- in the con- less of their expression. Thus, of the word changed won't help. Our concern and support must last at ceived a standing ovation after his speech, not ception and I the university as an entity should realized that recruiters least a month until the budget comes before the only out of respect, but because of his frankness, meant, be amoral and apolitical as Armed Legislature and may have to last until April for and his trust in student intelligence.