University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

Page 30 text:

arship and provides for the health and safety of resident students it sometimes is necessary for University personnel to enter or search a University-owned room or appartment. As the Student Governments changed, so did Students ' Rights. In 1970, under the leadership of SBC President Mark Krasnow, the prerequisite for a room entry changed from Yasser ' s A clear in- dication ... of violations or an emer- gency situation to, ... more than mere suspicion but something substan- tially less than proof. The following year, 1971-72, students voted former football player Ray Bellamy into office as their representative to the Administration, during which Search and Seizure policies remained the same. 1972 will probably be remembered by students as the year Student Govern- ment totally lost any policy-making input that it may once have had. Pres- ident Henry King Stanford staged a coup that stunned Student Government, neutralizing any input it might otherwise have had. The following reveals chronologically how the students lost their rights this year: (a) In January 1972, Dr. Stanford asked Associate Dean of Students William Sandier to chair a committee to revise the Search and Seizure policy. There had been no change in two years.

Page 32 text:

(b) The committee, consisting of ad- ministrators, faculty and Student Gov- ernment held many long, closed-door meetings throughout the spring. (c) A majority-decision report was sub- mitted to the President proposing a more liberal policy along with a minority-decision report. (d) Committee members received thank- you letters from the President for their time and efforts - but no decision on policy. (e) Summer recess arrived and still no decision had been revealed. (f) President Stanford, totally disre- garding both Committee proposals and without notifying Student Government, printed his own Search and Seizure poli- cy to welcome returning students. SBG President, Sami Burstyn, cried out- rage that such a flagrant action could be taken in total disregard for the Com- mittees work and for the total disrepect for the Student Body Government. To make matters worse, students who were busted did not take advantage of what little help SBG could offer. We had two freshmen students in here (SBG office) just last week who were busted for dope during an illegal search, Burstyn said, they went before the Dean and pleaded guilty from fear of being expelled, BY AN ILLEGAL SEARCH! I told them to plead not guilty, that it would then go before a student board and we could have gotten them off easily. But they were scared into it.