PC SGA President Campaign Speech, 1974

 My speech is divided into two parts.  The first will be my qualifications, and the second will be my Position.
 I'm from Columbia, S. C., majoring in Drama.  In the eighth grade, I was the student council representative from my homeroom.  I went to A. C. Flora High School in Columbia and ran for president of the Student Body, but hardly anybody knew about it.  I ran twice and got 9 votes the first time and 7 votes the second time, out of about 2000 possible votes.  While at Flora, I was a member of the National Forensic League.  I received "Best Speaker" awards in area high school tournaments, in which mock Congresses were held.  I have been nominated for "Best Speaker" at two district tournaments, one in Columbia and one in High Point, N. C., where I was competing against speakers from 5 states.  Following high school, I went to Anderson College in Anderson, S. C. for two years.  I ran for Sophomore Class President and Secretary-Treasurer, but I never got past the nomination stage.  At Anderson College, I received the college Drama Award for 1972, "Who's Who in American Junior Colleges", "The Denmark Society"--which is a group of students at Anderson elected by the faculty on the basis of leadership and accomplishments, Delta Psi Omega honorary drama fraternity for junior colleges, and other honors.  I was on the debate team at Anderson College, and we beat a team from Harvard Univ. in Cambridge, Mass.  I was the Public Relations Coordinator for the Anderson College chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ.  During the last Presidential election, I was third-in-command of the McGovern for President campaign in Anderson County.
 Briefly, I'll try to summarize my position.
 I believe that PC, as it stands now, shows absolutely no form of Christian commitment to the students.  I believe that the administration sits in their Ivey (Ivory) Towers and do not see the REAL happenings at this school.  I believe that the people in the administration collect money for building programs, but do not REALLY know what happens in those buildings.  I believe in one set of rules for everybody and not two sets of rules in discrimination of sex.  I believe in trusting individuals, before placing guilt, without any type of individual defense.  I believe that this school is plagued by something more horrible than the food in the cafeteria.  It is a disease that you may not find lurking around the cafeteria.  It's called APATHY.  When I first came to PC, Bill Nichols told me that Apathy was very strong on this campus.  He was right.  The students at the Univ. of S. C. are more concerned about the problems at that school than the students at PC are concerned with the problems here.  USC has 22,000 students.  A student can go there for 4 years and never see all 22,000 students.  A student at PC can see all of us, or about 900 students, within a week.  I contend that the problems at PC are more serious than the problems at USC.
 You say, "Well, I don't care what that guys says.  All I want is to pass my subjects".  You, who say that, are the ones I'm talking to.
 The Student Govt. Association is supposed to REPRESENT the students, and that's exactly what I would do.  I will not bow to the wishes of the administration over the wishes of the students.  The students WILL come first.
 I believe we must settle the problems at PC, before we start to reach out and settle the problems in others areas of Clinton.  Would you want a little kid to see you as you live at PC?  Then, I suggest we solve our differences, before making an attempt to solve their problems.
 If you vote for me, you will be working for justice.  You will be fighting to cut the "puppet" strings controlled by the administration.  You will be fighting for the RIGHT to have a balance between the administration and the students, instead of the administration casting a giant shadow over the students.  You will be calling for a permanent stand to be taken between the administration and students in regard to justice and human rights on this campus.
 The reason I'm running for this job is quite simple--I CARE.  I just want to get you people to understand that you've got to get concerned, or else people will walk right over you.
 Let's make the phrase "Power TO the People" into "Power FOR the People".  Now more than ever, as a Nixon slogan said in 1972, and look where it got him.
 I'd like to close with a quote from a friend of mine, who a few of you know.  His name is Verner Landreth, and he used to be a counselor at Anderson College.  "I say what I mean, and I mean what I say."
 Thank you very much.