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

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abuses by residence hall staffs, the one sided compromises of countless ad hoc committee, and finally administrative fiats have changed student rights into a joke All college students smoke dope. They all ride motorcycles, listen to acid rock, go on strike, build bombs during chem- istry class, and the only time they ' re not making trouble is when they ' re making love. This highly distorted picture of UM student life is one that is apparently held by the present administration. For the University ' s Search and Seizure policy has been geared to such a lifestyle this year, although it hasn ' t always been. Since their inception in 1969, the Search and Seizure policies have gone through one drastic change after another. In short, the University ' s Search and Seizure policies are about as consistent as a Miami snowfall is probable. The fairest of all policies, ironically, was the first one. Written in 1969 under the direction of Student Body President Jim Yasser, this policy gave more protection and fairness to students than any policy since. Although the University ' s attitudes have changed greatly over the years, it did recognize the student ' s rights to privacy and property. The first sentence of UM ' s first Search and Seizure policy read: The University sympathizes with the student ' s natural desire for privacy and that desire will be honored. This year ' s preamble to the Search and Seizure policy reads a bit dif- ferently: In the interest of maintaining an environment which facilitates schol-

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Z4 THE VANISHING RIGHT TO PRIVACY T by Mark Targe

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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.