r4e Mir4igan antl
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I FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1969
NIGHT EDITOR: STEVE NISSEN
Scientists' protest:
A conscience in the lab
ON MARCH 4, many scientists will re-
fuse to do research for one day in
protest of the government's misuse of
science and technology.
Researchers at Cornell and Yale are
joining the protest being planned by a
group of M.I.T. professors! It is hoped
that scientists at the University will join
the many distinguished scholars support-
ing the M.I.T. protest.
Much of the scientists' dissatisfac-
tion centers around the proposed "thin"
'antiballistic missile system for defense
against China, which the President has
just announced will be shelved pending
high-level review. Critics of the system
argue that the ABM system would drain
funds from pressing social problems, that
it would intensify the arms race, and
that it was chosen ptimarily out of poli-
tical expediency despite what appears to
be strong technical evidence' of its im-
practicality. Protests such as these from
scientists and others were probably in-
strumental in Nixon's decision to recon-
sider whether the system should be built.
It is encouraging that many of the na-
tion's top scientists-including two Nobel
laureates, Dr. Hans A. Bethe of Cornell
and Dr. George Wald of Harvard-are
not content to ignore the consequences
and social implications of their search to
expand knowledge.
FOR TOO LONG, scientists have re-
mained placidly unconcerned over the
sinister uses of the products of their re-
search. Many of them have argued that
responsibility for misuse of such things as
nuclear weapons lies with political and
military leaders-and not with the scien-
tists themselves.
And while most of the blame for the
abuse of science does indeed rest with
political and military officials, concern-
ed researchers should' make their revul-
sion for the prostitution of their search
for knowledge known.
Protest over misuse of scientific con-
tributions can serve as a stern warning to
Washington that scientists are becom-
ing increasingly troubled over the course
that the government is taking, and will
be hesitant to accept new research pro-
jects designed to advance military ends
alone.
It is particularly important that the
research establishment at the Univer-
sity, which ranks third in the nation in
defense department research spending,
add its voice to the March 4 protest.
-JENNY STILLER
-STEVE ANZALONE
-JIM HECK
I
Letters to the Editor
ROTC revisited
THE SLOW-MOVING swell of the anti-
war movement has worked its way in-
to academia and brought about the re-
consideration of the academic status of
ROTC.
Harvard- and Yale recently joined the
ranks of major institutions that h a v e
seen fit to withdraw academic recogni-
tion from the programs. It is time for the
University to do the same.
The ROTC programs were accepted by
the University at a time when citizen at-
titudes were mobilized for war and were
quite sympathetic toward the military.
But the times have changed, and ROTC
programs are not faring well under fire.
The literary college has been consider-
ing altering or abolishing assignment of
academic credit for ROTC s i n c e last
spring, and the curriculum committee of
the college finally recommended last se-
mester that a maximum of 4 credit hours
be permitted for corps courses. But the
LSA executive committee returned the
report to the committee because they felt
it was incomplete.
THE CRITICISM was well-founded. The
curriculum committee did ,not probe
ldi/orial Saft
MARK LEVIN, Editor
STEPHEN WILDSTROM URBAN LEHNER
Managing Editor Editorial Director
DAVID KNOKE, Executive Editor
WALLACE IMMEN ... ...... News Editor
CAROLYN MIEGEL ..... Associate Managing Editor
DANIEL OKRENT .. ... . Feature Editor
PAT O'DONOtiUE............... ......News Editor
WALTER SHAPIRO.......Associate Editorial Director
HOWARD KOHN.......Associate Editorial Director
NEAL BRUSS......... .........Magazine Editor
ALISON SYMROSKI-...Associate Magazine Editor
deeply into the program because of the
urgency of other issues - especially the
language requirement.
Alter the executive committee action,
the curriculum committee appointed a
subcommittee to 1 o o k at the program
much more closely, with special attention
given to the textbooks. Hopefully, t h e
subcommittee will a 1 s o observe classes
and make a total review of the program.
Their conclusion can only be that ROTC
offers "cake" courses.
But ROTC should be examined from
a larger perspective. Considering the
University's current shortage of class-
room and office space, perhaps ROTC
is a luxury the University cannot afford.
North Hall, ROTC's present quarters, is
no architectural gem, but it does contain
office space and is no worse than the
Economics Bldg., the Perry Bldg., or
Tappan Hall.
THE LITERARY COLLEGE and other
academic units definitely need and
deserve the space more than ROTC. Even
the probability that North Hall will be
replaced in the 1970's by new buildings
does not outweigh the service it can still
give by being turned over to the colleges.
If the defense department wishes to
textbook train officers it should be able
to find space at places other than t h e
academic camp. And if the University is
seriouslydevoted to developing and
maintaining quality education, it should
immediately resolve to end the allot-
ment of credit for the intellectually ir-
relevant courses offered by the armed
services.
-RON LANDSMAN
Rent strike
To the Editor:
HE FOLLOWING is the text of
a letter I have sent to the Ann
Arbor Tenants Union:
Enclosed you will find the text
of a statement endorsing the rent
strike. It was adopted by the
Northwood/Terriace Association, at
its last meeting, on Wednesday
night, January 15.
The Association, through its
Executive Board, represents the
students who live in married-stu-
dents housing owned by the Uni-
versity. As such, it is deeply con-
cerned with the overall issues of
housing for students in Ann Ar-
bor, and maintains an interest in,
and supports, the rent strike.
-Alan K. Cline
Chairman, Executive Board
Northwood/Terrace
Association
Feb. 5
Slogans
To the Editor:
JIM HECK'S editorial in Wed-
nesday's Daily attacks Secre-
tary of HEW Finch's advocacy of
Federal standards for welfare pay-
ments. Mr. Heck says that this
substitutes foreneeded effortstto
provide jobs for the poor, and will
only hide the unemployed.
I doubt that jobs are a real
choice for most welfare recipients.
In April 1968, 8,381000 recipients
of Federal public assistance pro-
grams, 2,028,000 were aged, 81,000
were blind, 660,000 were perma-
nently and totally disabled, and
5.6 12,000 were families with de-
pendent children (of whom 4,203.-
000 were children). While I don't
have recent data at hand, in June
1965, when there were 4,332,000
recipients of aid to families with
dependent children, 861,000 were
there because of an incapacitated
father, 230,000 by death of a
father, 2,863,000 by absence or
estrangement of a father, and
388,000 because of the unenploy-
ment of the father. At that time.
of the slightly more than 1 mil-
lion adults who were parents of
the covered children, 900,000 were
mothers, 100,000 were disabled
fathers, and there were only 50,000
unemployed fathers.
These figures should illustrate
the inadequacy of any job pro-
gram as a significant aid for cur-
rent welfare recipients. It is true,
and legislation so provides, that
job training and work incentives
can be given some of the reci-
pients. But for the most part these
people are not now in and prob-
ably ought never to be in our labor
force.
We need job programs, certain-
ly, but theyare2an additional tool
for the other 20 million poor, not
a substitute for cash payments
to the disabled and fatherless.
Slogans about getting people off
the welfare rolls and and -onto
payrolls seem to ignore just who
the people are that are Federal
public assistance beneficiaries.
-Prof. Robert N. Grosse
School of Public Health
Feb. 5
Tourist's view
To the Editor:
IT IS HARD to believe,- unless
you have read the article about
Spain signed by Stuart Gannes'
which appeared on your paper on
the Sunday edition of Feb. 2, 1969
-how the real situation of Spain
can be completely unknown and
at the same time presented with
such superficial certainty and
partiality.
It is not the purpose of my let-
ter to tell your readers what is the
truth about Spain, but I would
not be very honest if I would not
warn them that the value of the
article amounts only to a tourist's
opinion.
Any American having only read
a normaly good book about Spain,,,
could disagree, with much more
knowledge, with the opinion of
Gannes about the people, their ac-
ceptance of everything, the gov-
ernment. the improvement he
talks about, the jobs available and
the situation going on today.
After reading the article I was
surprised not to see a picture of
bullfighting saying that this is
their national sport, because such
an affirmation is at the same level
of the whole article and of itsh
pictures.
I hope that most of the readers,
in case they are interested in the
politics, economy and, people of
Spain, will look for deepest, higher
level and more accurate informa-
tion.
-Pilar Gonzalez
Feb. 4
By DAVID DUBOFF
IF YOU REALLY want to make a living changing society, it's em-
barrassingly difficult to decide how-and for how much- to do it.
Disillusioned members of the SDS generation need jobs too.
But George Brosi has come up with an answer. Brosi is director of
Vocations for Social Change-sort of a placement service for radicals
and students committed to social movements. Each month, VSC pub-
lishes a brochure-Vocations for Social Change-available without
charge to students, which lists current opportunities to help society.
Brosi, who was in Ann Arbor last week, insists his eight month old
agency espouses no specific ideology. His brochure reflects this, listing
occupations varying from artist, cooks and farmers to city planners,
draft counselors and "peace and freedom organizers."
. Brosi is convinced that many young Americans are in search of
more meaningful occupations, and predicts that "the population as a
whole will begin to see anew career pattern emerge. The result could be
an eventual shift in the allocation of manpower which can insure us a
future determined by the people in quest of humane and democratic
forms of cooperation, rather than manipulations by a few experts.' "
BROSI CAME TO HIS PRESENT occupation by a circuitous route.
His first social involvement came in 1961 when he picketed a segregated
laundromat in his hometown of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
As a student at Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota, he con-
tinued work in civil rights and began to get involved in editing The
Midwestern Activist, a publication on student activism circulated
throughout the Midwest.
In the middle sixties, he spent his time roaming Kentucky, Indiana,
Ohio and North Carolina trying to stimulate peace activities. He even
went to Czechoslovakia to meet with members of the National Libera-
tion Front and the Democratic Republic of North Vietnam.
In 1968, Brosi is his own employment service, working from head-
quarters in Hayward, California with a staff of 11.
Through a network of over 400 "local contacts," Brosi propagates
his philosophy. The.contacts spread the message of social change jobs
and garner publicity by teaching free university courses, working in
community organizing and discovering occupations for the group to list.
The response to VSC's work has
been impressive. Over 300 people
have used the agency during the
past eight months. The first six- - . -
issues of his booklet contained
listings of over 1000 jobs from---
about 200 employers in more than
35 states.
AT THIS POINT it is very dif-
ficult to evaluate just how well
we are doing," a recent VSC
pamphlet says. "Since many of
those who get in touch with us
are planning long-term commit-
ments rather than immediate
changes, it is likely that most of
th eimpact of our present work
won't be felt for some time.
"It seems that our major effect
is catalytic-encouraging people
to realize that they can create
a job which is personally mean-
ingful and giving them a reference
point for getting in touch with the
people who can help them out."
In addition to compiling con- ..
crete job openings, the VSC staff
tries to keep abreast of job precedents-ways that individuals have
carved out new roles which can serve as models for others. Each issue
contains articles on job precedents, job ideas, and criteria on which
to base vocational decisions. Also included is a special section on
educational opportunities designed to prepare people for full-time
social action work.
Through speaking and consultations with local groups, VSC staff
members stimulate dialogue on the problems involved in becoming a
full-time worker for social change after college, when professional
interests and the need to support a family become important con-
siderations
BROSI TALKS ABOUT an "income sharing" plan as a means of
developing "good interpersonal relations." Groups of people with
similar interests in stimulating social change would pool their resources,
making living and travelling expenses cheaper while helping each in-
dividual rid himself of his "hang-up" toward money. Such a plan
is already being tried by at least one individual in Washington, D.C.
"People will never be able to understand their relationship to other
people until they understand their relationship toward money," Brosi
says.
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VSC has been criticized for the content of its job listings. This only
serves to bring into focus the problem that the organization is designed
to confront. As de-centralized co-ordinating body, it relies on the
initiative and ingenuity of each interested individual. If a student feels
that the jobs it offers are "too radical" or "too narrowly political,"
VSC can provide him with materials on how to create a more meaning-
ful occupation for himself.
"We don't want to set ourselves up as expert counselors or to
channel manpower at our whim," the introduction to the publication
says. "So we have created an impartial clearing-house . . . That way it
is clear that all we have to offer is a collection of what others refer to
us. The Beatles would say that we are "gonna try with, a little help
from our friends."
"Iraq: Entirely an internal affair."
-U N's U Thant
Transcending the
T-group
in search of a true education
0
FOR THE BETTERMENT of mankind,
the love of all men, the realization of
wordly peace and to escape the draft I
came to college.
I suppose I did hope at one time to gain
a few tiny insights into life, but this as-
piration was quickly quelched in the reality
of the mass lecture and the stoic counselor
who looked at me only through the top
half of'his bifocals.
I am now trying to understand why a
large number of people here are spending
a tremendous Samount of energy trying to
accomplish what has become a well-fitting
button slogan: "Academic Reform." I hail
you gentle liberals of the left and the dark-
ness.
* * *
The most important education to each
person is the learning process, not the
memory process. Arbitrarily, I'll call this
true education. It is half-emotion and pas-
sion and sometimes irrational, but always
beautiful. As Hemmingway once said, it
is the art that makes sounds of sights and
is known as the T-group. Like Academic
Reform, it is a neat aphorism whose high-
ly complex titular explanation no one
seems to hazard.
T-groups are supposed to be the "let-it-
all-hang-out" type courses that seek un-
derstanding in the spontaneous.
But by the simple fact that the courses
are accredited and in the docket, the beau-
ty of natural simplicity and spontaneity is
gone.
The T-groups that are m o s t loosely
structured - and thus most "reformed" -
usually hold an initial three-hour affair
of glib doused in w i n e and song and
revolution.
heck
requested to avoid doing here. The feeling
that rebellion against the "system" must
dominate activities is no longer prevalent.
And it is during these more reserved yet
highly electric sessions' that the partici-
pants reap their awards.
If T-groud passes folly, the group may
accomplish something greater than any
other type of course can accomplish here.
But nothing more than two roommates
sitting up the night talking. Nothing more
than two lovers walking through the arb.
The T-group act is most beautiful only
when it is not the end result of a tangled
process of reform and sanctioned by a
bureacratic filing system.
BOSTON IS the only city I like and
while traveling through there for the first
time I met a six-foot five, modly outfitted
Boston-type teen-age jet-setter. He carried
me through the maze of MTA scuttle bug-
gies and we drew others into our party in
the hope of a free meal. Finally he de-
posited me safely in the hands of a friend.
The next morning was the first one I
looked at since I came to college. I felt I
had gained more insight into the world
during the night than I had for a very long
time.
.* * *
The T-group act was probably mechan-
ically the same in that incident as it is
here in the modern attempts to academ-
ically reform. But the context is different
and the implications aroused by a course
frightening.
The beauty of the T-group act is its
natural simplicity, spontaneity and sin-
cerity. Groups marred by schedule, plan-
ning and such formality with their envir-
onment t h e y consider themselves "stu-
dents" can't experience these things.
THUS, THERE IS something ominous
about the T-groups. Something dangerous
in that they approach the natural true ed-
ucation enough, perhaps, to make the par-
ticipants believe they are engaged in this
true education.
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