By March, Todd, myself and Ken Greenstein (who had replaced
Hickman) were convinced that Huttenback should resign, but we
talked ourselves into waiting until April before we confronted
him with it. In his office, we asked him flat out to resign.
We told him the biggest student issues were:
#1. Overenrollment
#2. His unwillingness to keep his word
Several times he had kept his word with us only as long as it
was convenient for him. We felt the University couldn't operate
like this. He, of course, laughed off our recommendation.
We had acted on our own, relating what we felt was in the best
interests of students. But, on the way out of his office, we
noticed that there was a committee of faculty waiting to see
him. It turned out that this was the famous meeting in which
they asked him to resign.
Shortly after that, I concluded that Huttenback would resign,
the only question was when. I felt that dropping out of the
race for (A.S.) president while throwing my support to Yates
was the quickest way to accomplish this.
Free Press: What are the major issues in campus/community relations
in your opinion?
Laine: Overenrollment, unquestionably. Huttenback felt that
the University was an island unto itself, and that he didn't
have to cooperate with any of the surrounding communities. But,
Huttenback wasn't the only one! There are too many old bones
around here and before things will change, they're going to
have to shift some people out. They need some new personalities.
Huttenback was a bad leader with some possibly bad followers,
and it's possible that he corrupted the rest of his leadership.
Free Press: Is Isla Vista a community?
Laine: In a sense. It certainly has a personality of its own.
Unfortunately, it's rapidly becoming a slum and students don't
see the access ways to improve it.
Free Press: What about Isla Vista cityhood? I know you started
out quite skeptical about it.
Laine: I'd like to think it is the best way. Self-government
would help and it would give the community a better bargaining
position with the University. Because even with a city, there
still would be need to be a lot of cooperation and negotiating
with the U.
I was offended by the Administration's machinations about I.V.
cityhood (in 1984) at the UC Regents. It was all so unethical.
The Administration was telling them in a sense that I.V. was
the University's own little fiefdom, to do with it what they
want. The Regents don't really know what's going on in Isla
Vista. Gardner might, or at least he knows what the Chancellor
says. But none of them really know. And I think it is a shame
because it's impossible to separate I.V. from UCSB--there are
just too many links.
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