Seventy-Sixth Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDP. LAUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 2 POWER The University: Operettas, Power and Reality SPOERY by MARK R. KILLINGSWORTH 4 here Opinlionis Are Free, 42_ANR TANABR IH Truth Will 'Prevail 42 ANRSTx RBMI. NEws PHONE: 764-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the inidividual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1966 NIGHT EDITOR: JOHN MEREDITH SGC Endorsements: President .. . THE DAILY SENIOR EDITORS endorse Edward Robinson, '67, for Student Gov- ernment Council president and Cindy Sampson, '68, for vice-president. Since both presidential candidates have shown notable talents as well as flaws, the choice was not easy to make. But we teel that the Robinson ticket will be in the long run better for SGC and the com- munity. LOOKING AT the Robinson-Sampson ticket we note the following factors: 4 The vast majority of people who are most familiar with Robinson's and Bodkin's comparative performance on SOC have endorsed Robinson. These peo- ple include the present president of SGC, Gary Cunningham, '66, the rest of SGC's executive board, most of the ex-officio members, and even some menmbers of REACH-Bodkin's own political party. * Robinson seems- to be able to work with people from all ends of the political spectrum. Conservatives like John D. Evans of WCBN and activist liberals such as Mickey Eisenberg have all endorsed Robinson. * Robinson seems to be able to bridge the gap between the campus independents and the fraternity-sorority set. If SGC is to move it must have the support of both these campus elements. Robinson's con- cept of a broad-based constituency is the only practical way to give SGC the grass- roots support it sorely lacks. " Robinson seems to be able to funnel the ideas of other student leaders into SOC. One of the major problems of stu- dent government was that talented stu- dent workers in such areas as academic reform have deliberately avoided any con- nection with student government, and we feel Bodkin would not improve this situa- tion. Many key people such as Robert Gold- en, chairman of the literary college steer- ing committee, have indicated that they find Robinson receptive to their ideas and that they could work with him-but not with Bodkin. * Robinson is knowledgeable about the overall workings of the University. His in- terests and knowledge range from student economic welfare to academic reform. * He has, it is true, only been on Coun- cil for one semester and his concrete accomplishments there are limited. His motions to Council-most notably those dealing with the 18-year-old vote and the draft-have been well thought-out and well-researched, however. His excellent work as contemporary discussions chairman for UAC-he orga- nized both last year's Symposium on Pov- erty and this year's Symposium on Indi- vidualism, two highly successful and well- attended large-scale programs - show that he is an able administrator and or- ganizer, and, above all, quite willing to work. * His vice-presidential running-mate is not very knowledgeable about the work- ings of the University, but has shown as sesquicentennial chairman a willingness to work and an ability to help revamp the committee structure of SGC. This chairmanship has also offered her much valuable experience. LOOKING AT the Robert Bodkin, '67E, and Neill Hollenshead, '67, ticket, we note the following characteristics: * Bodkin has done a good job with the Student Housing +Association. Although we do not agree with all of his tactics, his voter registration drive must be con- sidered a concrete accomplishment. 0 Vice-presidential candidate Hollens- head has shown himself extremely cap- able in working with the committee struc- ture of SGC. * Unfortunately, however, Bodkin seems unable to get along with the vast majority of student leaders who have ob- served the two candidates in action. Some of this hostility is more personal rivalry, but most is rather an antagonism to Bod- kin's method of getting his way. Perhaps the best example can be found at last week's SGC meeting. Bodkin wish- ed SGC to approve a large sum of money for the printing of a pamphlet describing student rights in apartments. No one ob- jected to the idea of such a pamphlet, but Bodkin advocated that the council mem- bers approve a good deal of money for the pamphlet sight unseen. As one REACH party candidate has said, "Bodkin was in- sulting the intelligence of the Council members." Such an attitude on SGC will only frag- ment that body and alienate students- and the rest of the community-from working with it, something which SGC can ill afford. * Bodkin has a spotty record in SGC. Although we reiterate that his record in SHA is fine, his performance in other areas is lacking. His attendance record in Cutler's Student Housing Advisory Board was quite irregular. * When Bodkin was supposed to be working on the Academic Conference, a major item in his campaign pitch, he in fact let the lead slide to the other work- ers on the project. Moreover, his motion on student participation at the depart- mental level in academics seems to have come more from patient explanation of University administrators rather than from an understanding of academics, which he views in shallow and unreal- istic "power play" terms. Bodkin's thoughts seem largely concen- trated on the area of housing. He seems to lack the broad overview an SGC presi- dent must have on all campus issues. Thus a Bodkin administration would have an effective vice-president, but would probably split student government internally and would also alienate SGC from the rest of the campus. The scope of SGC would be far narrower as well, with respect to both its personnel and its policies. On the other hand, the Robinson ad- ministration, if elected, would be able to fuse diverse elements on campus into a broad movement which would give SGC new vitality. As president, Robinson would both mediate interest groups and work with them to lead SGC in support of con- structive ideas; as vice-president, we as- sume Miss Sampson will bring the talents she has shown elsewhere to bear on SGC problems. WE THEREFORE ENDORSE Robinson- Sampson. THE UNIVERSITY community last week finally had a chance to laugh and get a rest from reality. "I think we all were grateful for that operetta," one top ad- ministrator told a visitor recently. "Some of us haven't really laughed in months. We almost forgot what it was like. It was good to find put again." The operetta, "Rosalinda," an adaptation of Strauss' concoction of mirth and music set in Old Vienna, was indeed a relief. The past several weeks-for that mat- ter, the past year or so-have in- deed been hard ones for the Uni- versity community. It was indeed a relief to laugh. THE DAILY, the resignation of Roger Heyns, the campups Viet Nam demonstrations, the legisla- tive snooping, the University's dif- ficulties with the legislature, the tuition hike, the slow pace of the residential college, the University theatre controversy, the bookstore issue, the residence halls' financial chaos, and-just last week-Re- gent Powers' resignation have giv- en the community little cause for mirth. The upcoming selection of the University's next president, the possible resignation of at least one present vice-president, the fate of the residential college and Novem- ber's elections-the Regents,, the Board of Education and the legis- lature-don't either. SOME OF THE community does does not yet seem to have grasped what a newspaper is, or how it re- lates to the questions it ought to fact, and that is its first problem. The rabid anti-Daily letters this writer has received, most of them anonymous, are startling in their lack of understanding of journal- ism. "The Daily is a pretty de- structive influence in this Univer- sity's embattled efforts to sur- vive?!" one such modest writer claimed. To go through what has appar- ently escaped these anonymous worthies once more: The Daily is a newspaper, not a bulletin-board or a public-relations handout. It must ask the embarrassing ques- tions and print the hard truths about the University as well as the happy ones, or it ceases to be a newspaper. The Power story is a case in point. The Daily's story and edi- torial suggested a possible tech- nical conflict - of - interest, and, while adding emphatically that Power's integrity and character were unquestionable, urged that his dual role as a businessman-re- gent be re-examined. Despite all the claims most of them unfair or inaccurate, that The Daily misstated the facts, the report of the Attorney General of the State of Michigan supported each of the four instances cited in The Daily's story. That may not be revealed truth, but it is at the very least a fairly important item of substantiation. Such criticisms of The Daily, despite such obvious facts, are the first element of the community's unreality. It is hard to discuss matters with those who do not know what a newspaper must. be. It is harder to do so when they cannot or will not read what The Daily and the Attorney General have said. It is harder still when their reaction to The Daily is that of the king who, when a mes- senger brought him bad news, be- headed him. Such an inability to accept or even understand The Daily's role in the University suggests a se- vere lack of realism in the com- munity's understanding of the University itself. That is its sec- ond difficulty. THERE WERE three possible alternatives open after the Attor- ney General declared there was indeed a technical conflict-of-in- terest in Power's dual role as regent and businessman: an end to his role as Regent, a change in his relationship with University Microfilms, Inc., or a change in UMI's relationship with the Uni- versity. Power, it is fairly clear, did not want to resign, but felt that he had to-that he could return to the board only if the community and his colleagues on the board urged him to and gave him an opportunity to try a combination of the latter two approaches to the conflict-of-interest problem. Some in the University, despite= their noble sentiments of respect for Power and regret at his resig- nation, quite clearly did not hope for such an opportunity. One reader, in a private communica- tion, indicated he and others have at least an inkling of ugly reality lurking under the noble facade when he wrote: "Do you know personally if there is any truth to the rumor that The Daily was used by certain administration enemies of Power to lever him into an un- tenable position?" THE DETAILED answers to that question-whether, once the story was printed, it was used as a ve- hicle to pry Power from the Board of Regents-cannot possibly be given in the short space one has here. Yet in broad outline they seem to be much. the same as those about the resignation of Roger Heyns.. For despite very clear and strong expressions of concern from students and faculty-who are rarely either clear or strong-- some administrators and Regents were obviously undismayed by either man's impending resigna- tion and scarcely disposed--or un- unable--to do anything about it. able--to do anything about it. In both cases, various adminis- trators, some of them extremely important, made obvious their distaste for the man in question and their reluctance to retain him. And, in both cases, nothing suc- cessful was done; in Power's case, nothing at all. Of all the University's adminis- trators, the 'only one who made any public statement urging.Pow- er be given the chance to stay was Dean Haber of the literary col- lege--the noble twaddle of other administrators, high and low, not- withstanding; and some of them didn't bother to say anything at all, even privately. , Despite all the memorials, con- dolences and sugary regrets the Regents had to offer, none of them seemed overly concerned about losing the talents they were supposedly lamenting save Regent Murphy. IN SHORT, it is fairly clear that Power could indeed still be a Re- gent and Heyns a vice-president had enough of those in positions of power and influence cared enough to do something about it. It is simple delusion to suggest that The Daily is responsible in some way for the reluctance of such individuals to provide the opportunity for an acceptable an- swer to important questions The Daily raised. And it is sheer folly to ignore what they did. This, in turn, suggests the final, and by far the most important ele- ment of unreality in the com- munity's view of. itselfl' its mis- understanding of power and its reluctance to accept it; its re- luctance to use power to change its lot. For as all the crises descend on the University, from the resigna- tion of a vice-president and a Regent to the possible loss of an- other executive officer, from rela- tions with the legislature to the chaos in academics, the commun- ity, bewildered, makes a few in- effectual efforts at groping with the problems and then seeks refuge in operettas and unreality. But it is not eloquence of opera or poetry which, in the last an- ;alysis, will seize the day and change the University. Not by at- tacking its newspaper but by at- tacking the problems it discusses will the University solve its prob- lems, which are arrayed before it in frightening profusion and dif- ficulty. ; Not by avoiding reality but by confronting it will the Uni- versity change it. It is a hard and bewildering time, but the way out lies in an understanding of power and the willingness to use it--wisely and often. "Poetry and power is the formula for the new Augustan age," Robert Frost wrote John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy sent back to Frost a reply which has some significance for the Uni- versity: "Power all the way." A 0 Dear Counselor, Would You Believe... WHEN ONE FINDS oneself in an academic morass, especial- ly if one is a Daily senior editor and prone to such difficulties, it is customary to turn to that Good Samaritan of the multiversity wasteland, your counselor. He is the one who will replace, any number of institutions (the computer, the teacher, your moth- er) and to circumvent every ob- stacle and knot of red tape on the path to success. But when someone is supposed to help you, you assume that he's on your side. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We both stepped in to see our counselor the other day--to drop something, of course-and he ex- plained that, while the atmosphere at The Daily was unique and val- uable, our views on academic achievement were a little off-base. The conversation on the edduca- tional system began to get inter- esting. * * * THE FIRST major fault of this system is not obvious: it's com- partmentalized areas of study with little relevance and a great deal of animosity toward one another. It is easy to assign people' and ideas to these various areas, but it is neither valid nor valuable for the student today. No wonder, then, that the stu- dent is angered or bored by the limiting choices offered by this university. Who cares, really, about "the demands of a techno- logical society" - specialization, educational efficiency, profes- sional manpower-when one feels that he has something unique to offer, something that cuts across conventional lines to look at a problem in a different light, some- thing that may refute his profes- sor's pet theory, something of his own creation? The second fault of this system is far more serious. Within this os- sified structure, the student's al- ready limited creativity is fur- ther smothered by an essentially, numerical system of evaluation: grades. It is the greatest paradox that the means for measuring a student's performance determines the material and the areas in which he must achieve. Just the necessity that a grade be reported for his work in a cer- tain time period seriously limits the material that may be taught, the teacher's means of communi- cating to the sutdent, and the teacher's methods for evaluating the student. One of the sorriest examples of this is the recent elimination of the informal College Honors 149 seminars. Here, groups of stu- dents, interested in studying a The Associates by carney and Wolter particular problem, met with a teacher familiar with and equally interested in this area. Because one teacher considered the work of the group unfinished at the end of the semester, and gave incompletes to the whole class for a limited time, the whole concept of College Honors 199 met with "official disapproval." What did our sympathetic coun- selor have to say about all this? It was a refreshing view. One can get used to saying that grades are meaningless, that attendance means nothing, or that the courses have little relevance. He offered, instead, the views that knowledge itself was a good reason to work in these courses, that knowledge was, after all, in- directly related to grades, and ef- ficiency was a means to excellence. But maybe it was just refresh- ing. If knowledge is indirectly re- lated to grades, then one should not have to re-state all the facts and exams that one could remem- ber in an hour on an exam. But the counselor would not accept that. Knowledge, he thought, was more. It was the ability to synth- size and relate these facts and events, as they were only tools in a more complicated process. Did the mark on the paper or final really count, then, apart from the process of thinking? Does a hurriedly-written "C" paper rep- resent anything less, if it was preceded by what the student con- sidered a satisfactory period of thought and reflection (if he didn't think the extra effort and time of writing and re-writing was; worth one grade point, or, if he didn't have the time)? Knowledge, the counselor for- gets, is much more than that pro- cess of synthesis. Thought must be motivated by more than just a test or a paper. There must also be periods of recollection and ex- amination on the professor, his teaching methods, his viewpoint on the subject matter, and his process of evaluating students. These thoughts will never be measured for a grade and they might never be written. Neverthe- less, they are the only means the student has for relating his four years here to himself. The counselor's remarks seem favorable to-and in fact stimu- lated - much of the above thoughts. But the supposed corre- lation of grades and knowledge, we're' afraid, statistically-based or not, is not for him to establish. It is up to the individual student's judgments, and the student who does the sort of thinking described above may often be the exception. Excellence is somehow related to respect by others, the counselor thinks. Respect, however, is too often based on one's grade-point, his mark on the last test, his ability to' beat the system and do well on the final rather than the thought or evaluation that went before. The question is, of course, why should one value this kind of re- spect if one does not accept the relationship between grades and learning. One is left, then, only with his own ability to evaluate his per- formance.?The i n t r o sp e ti v e thought about his work and that of the professor is not a constant state of mind, not a process that one automatically goes through. The -student may forget most of the facts he has acquired shortly after the test, forget the course entirely or even the university that decided it was relevant. Yet the process of evaluation must con- tinue. If that is abandoned, then the student himself has failed. 4. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Cunningham Endorses Robinson * 1 ... and Councilmen THE FOLLOWING, in order of prefer- ence, are our evaluations of candidates for the six (possibly seven) SGC seats: GOOD Fred Smith, '67 (REACH)-Has already demonstrated his ability to work during his term with the University Activities Center. He is a logical, independent think- er, and regardless of his affiliation with REACH, it is clear that he is not a party hack. He seems to be quite assertive, rela- tively knowledgeable and quite promising. Mike Dean,'67 (REACH)-Has had con- siderable experience in working with SGC both as a member of various council com- mittees and as a Daily reporter covering student government. He is independent in thought, personable and promising. Ruth Baumann,-'68 (SCOPE)-Is an in- cumbent who has already shown her in- terest and ability on Council. Interested in student economic-welfare and academic has been one of the prime driving forces behind REACH's campaign. ACCEPTABLE Bob Smith, '67 (Independent) - Since the last time he ran for SGC, Smith has expanded his knowledge of the Univer- sity considerably. He is also a hard work- er, but there is still some doubt whether he might not be better off heading com- mittees rather than being a Council mem- ber. Dan Okrent,, '67 (SCOPE)-Although Okrent is only a freshman and lacks ex- perience, he shows considerable promise. If he does not win this time, he should be a prime candidate next fall. Marg Asman, '69 (REACH)-Although Miss Asman seems rather naive about the workings of the University and SGC, she has potential as a hard worker and a good thinker. The areas in which she can particularly contribute are in developing To the Editor: AS THE PRESIDENT of Student Government Council, I have felt it to be to the benefit of the; smooth operation of the or- ganization to maintain a position of neutrality regarding the pres- ent campaign, that we might con- tinue to operate effectively as an organization in spite of the ten- sions and pressures of the election. Further, I have worked at length with both candidates and have seen both operate effectively as council members. I had, therefore, until this time no intention of publicly endorsing one or the other of the eandidates. However, events over -the past weeks have convinced me that Ed Robinson ought to be the next President of Student Government Council, and I urge you to examine with me his qualifications. AN EFFECTIVE SGC President must, above all, have specific knowledge of this campus and University. He ought to have a concept of what goes on here : the major problems faced by this University in terms of its relations with the Legislature, the people of the State, and the people of Ann Arbor. He needs to recognize and have some ideas for coping with the major internal problems which must also be faced: growth, curriculum revision, effective in- teraction between faculty, students and administrators. He must have an intimate knowledge' of where decisions are made. This is funda- and his sensitivity to the sources of power is far superior to that of Bob Bodkin's. Mr. Bodkin knows housing inside and out. This is certainly a vital area of concern to SGC, and I will be the first to acknowledge a fine job with his initiation of the Student Hous- ing Association. However, in the two hours I spent with him last week discussing just those things I have just mentioned, we talked about almost nothing but housing. We discussed the SGC committee system briefly and at some length student involvement in North Campus planning and the develop- ment of recreational facilities there. Nevertheless, such major items as the Residential College, the public image of the University, the implementation of a revised and strengthened academic counseling program, the examination of the policy of the University regarding the release of student records to the Selective Service and other persons, the need for an examina- tion of our student activities and students' participation in activities were left unmentioned. If Mr. Bodkin failed to recognize these even as areas of concern, you know little thought has been given to developing an organiza- tion which could effectively oper- ate in these areas. I spent a sim- ilar two hours with Ed and was impressed with his perspective and his approach to the pressing issues of our campus. It is unfortunate for Mr. Bodkin, that experience SGC a cohesive body which can work effectively as a unit recon- ciling differences rather than em- phasizing them and combining ideas rather than cherishing them in isolation for the possible in- dividual credit which they may bring. Here I would only point on Ed's behalf to the overwhelming ma- jority of Council members who support him in this election and to the entire Executive Committee of SGC-all members of which will vote for Ed Robinson tomor- row. All these are people with various political views who know both candidates well. As for Ed's rapport with faculty and administrators, this can hard- ly be questioned. As chairman for the past year as UAC's Contem- porary Discussion Committee and as a member of SGC, Ed has taken it upon himself to meet not only the Vice Presidents, as may, I think; be a valid criticism of Mr. Bodkin, but also to consult actively with all members of the office of Student Affairs (neces- sarily a vital area of concern to SGC) and with several members of the Board of Regents. Consul- tation with the Regents was done as part of a follow-up on a co- sponsored motion regarding Presi- dential selection. Consultation with other groups was done out of interest and concern and re- sulted in other of Ed's motions which will be summarized when the candidates platforms are trators, and students in the role of coordinator. This kind of work parallels the two main functions of the Executive Vice President working with individual Council' members to develop their ap- proaches to problems; and serving as liason with the Presidents of various student organizations to keep them informed of the work of SGC and its'releyance to them. * IN BRIEF, I can conclude by saying that we need a concept and a practical approach to spe- cifically defined goals. We need a creative leader with the ability to inspire a free flow of dialogue at the Council table. We need Ed Robinson! -Gary Cunningham President, Student Government Council Comment on Housing To the Editor: TrHERE IS little question that, of the progress made by the University in housing, the Ad- visory Committee to Vice Presi- dent Cutled and Pierpont is a potential central driving and working force. This rare channel to the administration is a chance to directly express the viewpoint and impliment the ideas of the students in the area of University participation in housing. one of the seven meetings. He was appointed to one subcommittee dealing with a proposal for a con- tinuous research facility. He had no part in the writing of that preliminary proposal, and attend- ed no subcommittee meetings. LET US SUPPOSE, as has been suggested, that attendance is "ir- relevant" or,not a valid indication of performance. We must then consider the work of the commit- tee, which has most recently dealt with * a project statement of need for more low-rent housing; * a project statement for mar- ried student housing on north campus, and 0 a proposal for financing such housing. Bodkin had no part ,in the formulation of any of these proposals. We feel that a severely mis- placed emphasis is evident here. If Bodkin's major interest is hous- ing, then he seems to have ne- glected one channel through which concrete progress can be made. AS STUDENTS who have work- ed with, and unfortunately without, Bob Bodkin in the area of hous- ing, we would like to express our deep concern over his perform- ance on the Vice Presidents' Ad- visory Committee. -Georgia Berland, '67 -John Bishop, Grid Q+turat ..w _ 'agll 0 0 0