STUDIES AT FUB:
'U' Student in Berlin Reports
re UNDER AUTHORITY Of BOARD IN CONTKo. O STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
STUDENT PUiLnCATIONs BLDG. * ANN AIWsK, MICH. " Pbone NO 2-3241
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Edward Plater is
a University student currently at-
tending the Free University of Ber-
lin. Reprinted here is a letter he
recently sent to Dr. James Davis,
director of the International Cen-
ter.)
By EDWARD PLATER
Life here in Berlin is fast and
intense, and what -I accomplish in
the course of a day invariably falls
short of that for which I had
hoped. The wonderful opportuni-
ties for speaking with students
from Germany and other coun-
tries, the chance to broaden one's
cultural background and knowl-
edge through the many fine the-
aters, concert halls, operas and
museums in Berlin-it's over-
whelming, and I find myself in a
constant struggle, weighing the
importance of this or that play or
concert or museum visit with my
lectures and seminars and get-to-
gethers with other students in an
attempt to strike a happy me-
dium, which unfortunately still
eludes me. This may well explain
why I have not written you ear-
lier.
Actually, however, in order to
be quite sure of one's impressions,
one must give them time to sink
in and become firmly established.
My impressions of Berlin are con-
stantly changing, constantly
growing, and what to me may
seem true and certain today may
seem uncertain tomorrow. I have,
therefore, decided not to express
myself at the moment concerning
the divided city but rather to uti-
lize this opportunity to write
about the Studentendorf,vin which
I'm now staying and over which I
feel I can give a fairly concrete
presentation.
The "student village" is located
COHEN:
Exhibit
Open
r7 { RACKHAM Grant Exhibi-
tion of Milton Cohen, entitled
"Manifestations: Light and Sound"
opened Wednesday evening at the
Museum of Art. On display was
not the customary painting or
sculpture, but instead mobile
sound and imagery were the
media through, which the artist
chose to express himself.
Film and slide projectors aimed
at a system of rotating prisms
and mirrors moved and mixed
imagery in space. This visual ma-
terial, both abstract and photo-
graphic, played over walls, ceil-
ing, and suspended scrim curtains.
The sound, composed by Robert
Ashley of Ann Arbor and Morton
Feldman of New York, was chan-
neled through a series of loud-
speakers placed around the gal-
lery. The spectators sat on mate
and experienced sound and image
evolving in dynamic and expansive
space.
The implications of this kind of
performance suggest to Cohen a
new concept of theatre. This would
be theatre in which "visaural"
events are organized within a
reference both serial and cyclic.
The drama would be without be-
ginning or end and the spectator
would be free to select significant
events within an unrestricted vis-
aural field.
There will be four more Wed-
nesday evenings performances on
January 18, 25, February 1 and 8.
On permanent display are two
showcases dealing with the visual
and sound aspects of Cohen's re-
search.
-Sam Ashley
off a broad boulevard called Pots-
damer Chaussee in the south-west
corner of Berlin, the Schlachten-
see district. It is a fifteen minute
bus ride from the Free University
of Berlin, which lies north-east-
ward in the Dahlem district. The
neighborhood surrounding the vil-
lage is a clean, pleasant residen-
tial area. Within a few minutes
walking distance are rustic parks,
a nature preserve and popular
lakes, such as Wannsee, which
attracts Berliners by the thou-
sands in the warmer months.
The "village" attracts the eye
immediately as one approaches
by bus along Potsdam Chaussee.
It is on a slightly lower level than
the avenue, and one sees from the
upper deck of the bus only the
tops of the individual buildings,
all done in a coherent modern ar-
chitectural style with black and
white cement exterior.
Going down the main walk into
the village one approaches the
central square. Here stands the
residence and offices of the "may-
or" and his family. The building
also contains a storage room from
which the maids obtain their sup-
plies and bath facilities for those
who tire of showers and feel the
need every once in a while to take
a bath. Before the building is an
artificial pond in which 'until the
first freeze a few weeks ago gold-
fish were kept.
To the right of this building is
the Baser, an adequate grocery
store standing at the disposal of
the 800 odd students who live in
the village.
Surrounding this central plant
are the houses in which the stu-
dents live. There are, I think, at
present sixteen houses, five of
which are for women. I understand
that additional houses, a restau-
rant, and a small auditorium are
also planned for the village,
which, incidentally, opened just
last year.
Each student has his own pri-
vate room, completely furnished,
with broad window area and large
closet space. House 8, in which I'm
staying, has a storage cellar and
three floors of residence. Each
floor has a modern kitchen and
dining area-a great convenience
for the time-and money-consci-
ous students. The 32-man capacity
of our home is made up of stu-
dents from Jordan, Greece, Syria,
India, the German Democratic Re-
public, the Federal Republic of
Germany, the United States,
Ghana and other countries.
'A typical day for a student liv-
ing in the Studentendorf might go
somewhat as follows. At 7:30 a.m.
he is awakened, through prear-
ranged agreement, by the maid.
Shortly after 8 he finds himself
in the Basan, purchasing milk,
bread, perhaps eggs and a few
sliees of bacon, or rolls for break-
fast. After a quick breakfast he
hurries out to the bus stop on
Potsdamer Chaussee, where a con-
siderable group of students has
already assembled and is waiting
impatiently or sleepily for the
Achtzehner, the double decker bus
numbered 18. Twenty minutes
later the student has reached his
early morning destination, per-
haps Auditorium Maximum in the
Henry Ford building where he
will hear a lecture on German Ex-
pressionism. The rumble produc-
ed by the students' rapping their
hands against the backs of the
seats indicates that the profes-
sor has entered the room. The
same traditional expression of ap-
proval ends the lecture. The stu-
dent has by chance only one class
this morning and returns to the
dorf where he checks the mail,
reads the newspaper or chats with
the maid. In the afternoon and
often in the evening his classes
call him again to the university.
On this particular evening he
has a ticket to attend a concert
by the Berlin Philharmonics in
the Hochschule fur Musik locat-
ed in the center of West Berlin.
By bus and transfer to subway he
reaches this business and shop-
ping district, and if time allows
e may have a cup of coffee in
the small restaurant adjoining
the Theater am Steinplatz, a small
movie theater with special stu-
dent rates directly across from
concert hall. The concert over the
student may go window shopping
along the Kurfurstendamm, the
5th Avenue of Berlin, or stop for
a snack in one of the many side-
walk cafes. In any event he even-
tually returns to the Stu-
dentendorf and perhaps talks for
a while in the kitchen with some
of the other students.
The German students I've met
enjoy discussing, among other
things, politics, music, literature
and the theater. These fields are
a completely integrated part of
their mental awareness. Whether
It be a student of medicine, law
or literal arts, conversations over
such topics as the presidential
election -In America, the Niholun-
genring performance in-the State
Opera House on Unter den Linden
in the east sector, the merits of
the recent presentations of Mo-
liere's Des Juan in the Schiller
Theater, or Brecht's Three Penny
Opera in the Berlin Ensemble are
not uncommon. In general their
interests seem to me a little more
sophisticated than those of the
American students.
Between such activities as these
the student must of course find
time to study. This is often quite
difficult, for there are so many
interesting things to do and see
in both the east and west sectors
of Berlin.
The days comes to an end, then,
and the student retires with the,
hope that tomorrow he will see
and accomplish what Time de-
nied him today. And so go the
days and weeks in the Studenten-
dorf, unbelievably fast but in-
tensely interesting.
I shall write again later when
I have another chance to pull my'
thoughts and impressions togeth-
er. Until then I remain
Limited
-Daily-David Gltrow
Combined Concert
Strong Throuhout
JT WOULD BE mere pettishness to find fault with last night's com-
bined concert. From beginning to end, performance was on a level
seldom equalled by the best of the non-professional groups, and even
by some of the professional symphonies and choruses.
To the University Symphony Band belonged the, first part, of the
program, in which they performed "Procession of the Nobles" from
"Mlada," by Rimsky-Korsakov; an obscure Verdi overture (to "Na-
buco"); and a lengthier work, Morton Gould's "Symphony for Band."
The brasps were brilliant, the reeds and winds and percussion only
slightly less so, and the whole blended into one exceptionally fine
ensemble. The University and the United States have just cause to be
proud of this organization as the State Department's selection of a
touring musical unit. As an encore, Prof. William D. Revelli conducted
Op. 99 by Prokoflev, which the band will play during its Russian visit.
* * * *
THE SECOND, and major, portion of the program was devoted to
the University Choir, Midhigan Singers, and Tudor Singers, all under
the direction of Prof. Maynard 'Klein. Their program was exclusively
Bach and pre-Bach: "Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light;" "Sin-
get Dem Herrn"; "Allon, gay bergeres," by- Michael Costeley; "The
Quempas Carol," by Michael Praetorius (the latter two performed
solely by the Tudor singflers)
The Michigan Singers performed "0 salutaris Hostia," by Pierre de
la Rue, and "Magnificat primi Toni," a motet for double choir by
Palestrina. With the University Choir, soprano Elizabeth Bowman
sang an old French carol, "Le Sommeil d l'Enfant Jesus."
The concluding work was "Canticum trium puerorum," by Prae-
torius. The choir, due to the size of the orchestra which occupied
the stage, was stationed in the second balcony and this may have
added to the effect. In any case, the diction was highly, intelligible;
the harmonies and dynamics, even of the very small Tudor group,
were clearly audible.
* * * *
THE CONCLUDING PORTION of the program was a single work
performed by the University Symphony Orchestra, Prof. Josef Blatt
conducting. He chose Berlioz' "Rdman Carnival" overture, a neat
change of pace from the Baroque mood set by the choir. It was gay
lyrical, and spirited in turn, and the audience (of whom a number
were music educators, here for a conference) was highly impressed.
-SELMA SAWAYA
TODAY AND TOMORROW:
Sa
The French Decision
Oin Referenrldum
Whar
THE REASON IT was possible to
limit the Korean War was be-
cause small tactical nuclear wea-
pons had not bee developed. Since
Korea, the family of nuclear wea-
pons has grown so rapidly it is
difficult to distinguish between
a large conventional weapon and
a small nuclear one. As armed
forces come to be equipped with a
variety of small tactical nuclear
weapons, the temptation for each
belligerent to use a slightly larger
weapon will be hard to resist.
Among nuclear powers, limited
war has its weakness even as an
instrument of policy because, to
quote Paul Keeskemeti, "In deal-
ing with the political problem of
securing a settlement on the basis
of partial nuclear operations, the
winner must take into account the
losers ability to unleash a last
orgy of destruction. When it comes
to setting terms, the possibility of
a last explosion of despair must
be . counted as part of the losers
bargaining strength . . . This
implies that in nontotal war the
final political payoffs must be
moderate."
-Oliver Knauth
-NPA
"Some Of These Days You're Gonna Miss Me Honey -"'
By WALTER LIPPMANN
THE REFERENDUM on Algeria
is, it seems to me, more deci-
sive than the gross figures seem
to show. Thus, it is true that if we
count the abstainers as having
voted no, then Gen. de Gaulle- re-
ceived 58 per cent of the vote in
France itself and only 39 per cent
in Algeria. But these figures do
not tell correctly the story of what
happened.
What was the issue on which all
these votes were cast? It was
whether de Gaulle should have a
mandate to make an Algerian set-
tlement on the basis, if necessary,
of independence for Algeria. On
this issue France itself voted over-
whelmingly to give de Gaulle a
mandate to make an Algerian
peace. ;Only about 18 per cent of
the registered voters sought to
deny him the mandate. But who
were they? They were the Right-
ists who want to retain Algeria
as a part of France and they were
the Communists who, while they
do not care about Algeria, are op-
posed for other reasons to de
Gaulle.
Most of the non-voters, more-
over, are to be counted as silent
assenters to de Gaulle's policies,
for in France the politically pas-
sive are, for the most part, will-
ing to go along with his leader-
ship.
WE MAY conclude that France
Itself, metropolitan France, has
now said decisively that it wants
peace, that it does not support any
longer the resistance of the Euro-
peans in Algeria, and that, while
it hopes for an association' with'
Algeria, it is prepared to accept an
independent Algeria. This is a de-
cisive result.
The voting in Algeria itself was
much less significant. The Euro-
peans voted no, as of course they
would. The Moslems abstained in
the cities, following the instruc-
tions of the rebel leaders, and in
the .country they voted when the
French Army took them to the
polls. One cannot take these votes,
seriously: What the voting does
show is that the Europeans are a
small minority, no longer support-
ed nolitically by their comnatriots
sure of the huge Moslem majori-
ty, In withdrawing their support
of the European settlers, the peo-
ple of metropolitan France have
assumed the obligation of protect-
ing the lives of the settlers and of
indlemnifying them for the pos-
sible loss of their property.
BY THIS REFERENDUM Gen.
de Gaulle has won a vote of confi-
dence in himself, he has won a
mandate to proceed to 'the surgi-
cal operation which peace almost
certainly requires, and he has re-
ceived notice that the people of
France want to finish with the Al-
gerian business. No one who looks
at this vote can imagine the
French people supporting an Al-
gerian civil war for years to come.
There can be no doubt that
American opinion will be strongly
in favor of Gen, de Gaulle, and
whatever influence we have in
North Africa, in the United Na-
tions, in other world capitals, is
sure to be exerted to help him.
He must succeed. For there is
no tolerable' alternative. Were he
to fail, the Algerian war would be-
come terrible in its desperation,
and almost certainly it would be-
come, at least by proxy, an inter-;
national war. In that event France
would be sucked out of any genu-
ine alliance with the West and the
whole structure of the Western
system would be shaken.
IF WE ARE ENTERING a pe-
riod of quiet diplomacy, we should
make it quite clear that a convul-
sion in Western Europe and in the
Western Mediterranean would
make make the international situ-
ation unmanageable. Therefore,
those who want to relax the ten-
sions will find it important to
keep them relaxed in North Af-
rica.
(c) 1961 New York Herald Tribune, Ine.
FFICIAL
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