The
Trimester
Experiment:
Student
Reactions
(Third of four articles)
By H. NEIL BERKSON and KENNETH WINTER
Though it occasionally proved hectic, students like the new
calendar.
After one term under the trimester system, almost nine out
of 10 sophomores, juniors and seniors responding to a Daily sur-
vey say they prefer it to the old semester plan. And over half of
the approximately 200 respondents "strongly prefer the trimester."
Questionnaires, including both multiple-choice questions and
space for written commentaries, were mailed to a random sample
of University students, most of whom have been here under the
old semester system as well. From the responses, several other
generalizations seem reasonable:
Student Conclusions
-By far the most popular feature of the new calendar is
the elimination of the January "lame duck" session of the fall
term. Students don't seem dismayed over the loss of Christmas
vacation as a period for writing papers and studying for finals.
Students had expected the new calendar to create greater
academic pressures. It did, but not as much as expected.
-Increased pressures were most apparent near the end of
the term, especially during the shortened final-exam period.
-Aside from the last-minute rush, students' major complaint
is that instructors failed to adjust their courses to the stepped-up
trimester pace.
-Students don't mind the curtailed exam period, but would
like a few free days before finals to use as a "reading period."
-They feel they mastered their courses as well as usual last
fall, and their grades remained about the same.
Numerous students applauded the long Christmas vacation
similar observation, Martin E. Obed, '66M, said the nearly month-
long break lets students "look forward to returning to school
with a new semester and a fresh outlook on studies."
Added Frederick Brown, '65, "if anyone is really interested
in education, he could accomplish much over those three weeks. If
he is not willing to self-study, he is free to do what he wants to."
Not having the Christmas break for catching up on fall
semester studies should not be a disaster, "since in the spring
there never has been the long break we had at Christmas," Robert
C. Abbott, '66E, observed.
And "the long break around Christmas provides the student
an opportunity to work if he chooses to do so," James M. Oakley,
'65E, noted.
Some, however, found the Christmas break actually too
leisurely. William MacBeth, '66E, declared it "a full week too
long," and others noted that social life stagnated after friends
from other colleges returned to school early in January.
Obed asserted approvingly that "school ends earlier in the
spring, which is the most difficult time to study, due to 'mating
fever'."
Some students did have a tough time under the new
calendar.
Inauspicious Effects
'I saw a couple of students faint away from drugs and lack
of sleep, Peter Jensen, '64, reported. "The tension was almost
too much following Thanksgiving vacation," a sophomore com-
plained, while another said that "many students found them-
selves losing sleep before exams even began."
Contributing to tensions was one event unrelated to tri-
George C. Miller, '66E, feels "it is easier to endure a fast pace
with the end so much nearer than it used to be, and a reasonably
long and completely free break to look forward to."
Fooled by Short Calendar
Others sheepishly admitted the shortened calendar had fooled
them. "The change caught me somewhat unprepared. However,
this was only because of habits formed during my previous four
semesters," Charles E. Thomas, Jr., '65, explained. "The early
start and the Indian summer are lame excuses, but I, unfortun-
ately, was among those who were duped by them," Harvey M.
Kabaker, '64, confessed.
A slightly larger group of respondents blamed their teachers
rather than themselves. Typical of many comments was that of
Nancy Quaife, '66: "All my teachers got way behind in their lec-
tures, and in the last week piled on a huge amount of extra read-
ing that we were responsible for on the final." Another sophomore
estimated that instructors "crammed three weeks of material into
the last week of classes."
"The instructors should learn to feel that they themselves
must cut some of their precious material and stop assuming that
it is up to 'those other instructors' to drop some of theirs,"
Thomas F. Obee, '65, declared. "I hope instructors review their
courses so this doesn't happen again," added Bonnie Venook, '66.
Faculty To Comply
(In The Daily's faculty survey, reported yesterday, five out
of six faculty members said they either have heeded or will soon
heed Miss Venook's plea.)
Though they disagree on whom to blame, the students agreed
on which part of the semester was worst: final examination time.
"My greatest problem was not in keeping up with my courses
through the semester but rather in finding enough time to study
for my finals at the end of the semester," J. K. Nielson, '64,
recalled.
"I got the feeling that just because the exams were shorter
it meant that the exams would be easier to study for, less nerve
See STUDENTS, Page 2
MARTIN OBED, PETER JENSEN, CHARLES THOMAS, BONNIE VENOOK,
ROBERT ABBOTT E. DAN STEVENS NANCY QUAIFE EVELYN FALKENSTEIN
More generally, several respondents praised the calendar for
giving students more time off throughout the year. Thomas Jen-
sent, '66E, said "the longer summer vacation is very beneficial
to the student who has to work his way through college."
Summer Job
But John E. Platt, '67E, dissented on this point: "The tri-
mester is very annoying in the fall for students who must return
from summer jobs a month earlier than other students. Since
most student-oriented summer jobs don't start until mid-June
the trimester system is a great cut."
mester: the Kennedy assassination. "A few students have told me
that while they didn't have any emotional problems over the
incident, they found it hard to study due to the general environ-
ment in the dorm," John Jack, '66E, recalled; a senior claimed
the event "in destroying three or four study days, tipped the scales
and caused a panicked rush to finish up papers."
E. Dan Stevens, '65E, dismissed such complaints. "Let these
people spend less time at the P-Bell and other extracurricular
and spend more time studying like a student should . . . When
one doesn't have time to waste, one does not waste time." And
GUERRILLA WARFARE
OVER MED SCHOOL
See Editorial Page
C, r
d~ir iOa
:4l aitA9
COLDER
High-32
Low-23
Fair and colder
with little change Friday
Seventy-Three Years of Editorial Freedom
VOL. LXXIV, No. 112 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1964 SEVEN CENTS
SIX PAGES
Expose Cuban Plot in Caracas
WASHINGTON (A) - An inter-
American commission has found
Cuba guilty of acts aimed at over-
throwing the Venezuelan govern-
ment of President Romulo Betan-
court, a qualified sources reported
yesterday.
The Council of the Organization
of American States was summoned
for next Monday to receive the
commission's report.
To Establish
Study Group
By MARY LOU BUTCHER
Student Government Council
last night mandated that an ad
hoc committee to study non-aca-
demic rules and regulations be set
up next week, and also extended
temporary recognition to two re-
cently-organized campus political
parties.
Following a committee of the
whole discussion of possible op-
erating procedures to be used in
implementing Council's proposed
expanded rule-making initiative,
members agreed to establish a
committee to study the problem
more carefully.
Council President Russell Ep-
ker, '64 BAd, pointed out that be-
fore SGC can come before the ad-
ministration with a request for
greater authority in formulating
non-academic rules it must con-
sider:
Considerations
-Whether SGC believes that it
should have such authority;
-Whether in seeking such
authority, SGC should give the
power it is requesting a broad or
a specific definition;
-The operating procedures that
would accompany a request for
additional power.
Howard Schechter, '66, noted
that it is important that Council
decide on a definition of non-aca-
demic rules and regulations in or-
der to "have a solid basis to stand
on" when submitting its proposal
to the Office of Student Affairs.
Broad Definition
He suggested that a broad defi-
nition should be formulated, cov-
ering other areas than those list-
ed in the University's rule book-
let "Standards for Students."
Council waived all regulations
to recognize the newly-formed po-
litical parties, the Student Gov-
erment Reform Union and Stu-
dents United for Responsible Gov-
ernment.
Council members also agreed to
allow party endorsements to be
placed on the ballot after candi-
dates' names in the forthcoming
SGC elections March 4.
Offers Threat
r - ID -I4L D 11]
According to the source, the
commission found Prime Minister
Fidel Castro's Cuban regime:
1) Carried on a systematic cam-
paign over Havana radio stations
to discredit Betancourt's adminis-
tration while urging the Venezue-
lan population to engage in sub-
versive activities:
2) Supplied the money for these
subversive activities in Venezuela;
3) Trained Venezuelans for ter-
rorist activities in Caracas and
guerrilla warfare in the country-
side;
Arms Cache
4) Smuggled into Venezuela a
three-ton cache of arms;
5) Bought from a Toronto, Can-
ada, firm on Oct. 1, 1963, an out-
board motor - its serial number
the same as that on the motor of
a boat used to smuggle the arms
into Venezuela and found aban-
doned on a nearby beach;
6) Drew up a plan to take over
Caracas through a popular upris-
ing.
The commission, headed by Am-
bassador Rodolfo A. Weidmann of
Argentina, found the arms sup-
posed to be used to take over Ca-
racas were of the type found in
the three-ton cache.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Raul
Roa was quoted by Havana radio
Dec. 3 as saying the arms found
in Venezuela came from the
United States Central Intelligence
Agency.
But the commission has found,
the source added, that the arms
were in Cuban hands before
reaching Venezuela.
Some of them were specially or-
dered by Castro's army and deliv-
ered to it by a Belgium arms
factory in 1959 and other were
sold by an Italian factory to Cuba
in 1960. United States arms in
the cache were provided to Cuba
by the United States before Cas-
tro's take-over.
Plot Fails
The plot to take over Caracas
was described as aimed at pre-
venting the election of a new
'Venezuelan president. It failed
and the Venezuelan election was
completed Dec. 1 without major
trouble. Raul Leoni, candidate of
President Betancourt's Democratic
Action Party, was declared victor.
Leoni will be inaugurated March
11.
Asks State
ToEstablish
Student Aid
By THOMAS COPI
A plan to set up a $300,000
state scholarship fund to send 500
Michigan high school graduates
to college each year was intro-
duced yesterday in the House by
Rep. Gilbert Bursley (R-Ann
Arbor).
The program would allocate
tuition money for students proved
qualified through competitive ex-
aminations to attend public and
private colleges in the state. The
chief factor in the awarding of
financial assistance would be prov-
en need on the part of the stu-
dent.
The scholarships would be ad
ministered by the Higher Educa-
tion A sistance Authority, which
presently handles student loans
Encourage Private Schooling
Bursley said that "the scholar-
ships would encourage students to
go to private colleges which they
might otherwise not be able to
afford, thus taking some of the
increasing enrollment pressures off
of the state's public colleges.
Presently, according to Bursley,
about 85 per cent of the state's
college enrollment is concentrated
in public schools. Bursley said
that the scholarship fund might
provide a partial solution to the
problem of enabling private col-
leges in the state to carry a larger
percentage of the students.,
Under Bursley's plan, 400 of the
scholarships would go to high
school graduates, the other 100 go-
ing to transfer students. Distribut-
ing 300 of the high school gradu-
ates' scholarships at two per cent
per House District, and the other
100 on an at-large basis, would
insure equal distribution of the
grants throughout the state, Burs-
ley added.
$600 or Tuition
The plan sets a limit of $600 or
full tuition to a college, whichever
is less, on each scholarship award-
ed.
Bursley noted that the Legisla-
ture would have to appropriate
the funds necessary for the schol-
arship program, and that for this
reason the bill might have some
trouble passing this year.
Senate, House Committee
Reaches
Tax Bill Accord
6-YEAR PROGRAM:
To Alter Architecture Studiesj
<i'
Political Science at 'U'
Ranks Seventh in U.S.r
By PETER MATTILA
The University political science department ranks among
the ten "best" in the nation, according to a survey in the cur-
rent issue of the American Political Science Review.
Ratings by more than 400 political scientists throughout the"
country gave the department seventh place on the list of most
highly regarded departments.
The survey showed the following prestige ranking of politi-
cal science departments: Harvard, Yale, California (Berkeley),
Chicago, Princeton, Columbia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Stanford,
UCLA and Cornell.
The Somit-Tanenhaus analysis reported a big increase in
the' number of those holding doctorates. However, they also
found that historically larger and more highly regarded de-
partments are producing a decreasing percentage of doctorates,
while those smaller and less highly rated are graduating an in.
creasing percentage.
The University has been one of the ten largest producers of
political science doctorates since 1950, according to the survey.
.**. ..*S"*r."*. ..5.55 S :"S' iv.i . . . . ..am :. .m s
By JOHN KENNY
Th faculty of the architecture
department of the Architecture
and Design college has approved
"in principle" plans to extend the
current five-year program to a
six-year one, with more profes-
sional emphasis, Acting Chairman
Edward V. Olencki said yesterday.
The six-year plan calls for two
years of pre-architecture, with
emphasis on a broad base in hu-
manities, two years of general ar-
chitectural studies and two addi-
tional years of professional spe-
cialization, offering more exten-
sive course programs than are cur-
rently available.
The details of the program
change are currently under exten-
sive committee study,
Minimum 2-4 Years
Program implementation will
require "at a minimum two years
and probably four years," Prof.
Olencki said.
The pre-architecture program
will contain eight hours of draw-
ing and drafting. Prof. Olencki
said the program will de-empha-
size freshmen enrollment in the
department, relying on juniorcol-
leges to handle this program.
Freshmen students at the Univer-
sity might enroll in the literary
college instead of the A & D col-
lege, but plans are not definite.
The general architecture pro-
gram would emphasize practical
courses, such as material and
methods of construction, building
planning theory, visual funda-
mentals and environment condi-
tioning. At the end of the third
semester of this general program,
students would decide whether to
terminate their study or to con-
tinue into advanced professional
work.
Kind of Degree
Prof. Olencki said attempts were
being made to determine the kind;
of degree to be granted after four+
years of study. This would be ad-
vantageous for those students who+
do not wish to pursue further
study. No such degree is currently+
granted after four years by the
department.
MSU Denies
''Charges
LANSING UP) - Opponents of a
four-year medical school at Michi-
gan State University are tilting at
"something that does not exist
and is not in contemplation," says
MSU President John A. Hannah.
Hannah filed his answer Tues-
day to a barrage of criticism
against the non-existent school in
a letter to Sen. Paul C. Younger,
(R-Lansing) and Rep. Charles J.
Davis, (R-Onondaga).
They asked Hannah for the
statement after a week of criti-
cism - including an attack by
University President Harlan
Hatcher. Hatcher had urged the
Legislature not to undertake a new
medical school before medical
schools at the University and
Wayne State University are de-
veloped fully.
"For some reason best known to
them, certain individuals at the
University have persisted in the
development and circulation of ru-
mors to the effect thataMichigan
State University is in fact imme-
diately embarking on a program
. with teaching hospitals and
other facilities estimated by them
to cost eventually in the neigh-
borhood of $100 million," Hannah
said.
Hannah criticized much that
has been said as "biased, incom-
plete and misleading."
See HANNAH, Page 2
House Passes
Fund Release
By The Associated Press
The expanded two-year profes-
sional program would allow stu-
dents to specialize in five areas.
Currently design, with options in
structure and city planning, are
offered.
Besides course programs in the
design, structure and city plan-
ning, programs in environmental
conditioning and administrationl
are also in the offing.-
Second Class Citizens
"In the past, curricula were too
design-oriented and students inr
other areas were thought of as
second class citizens," Prof. Olen-a
cki said.
This trend, he noted, has been
present at architecture schools.
throughout the country.
Some of the extra time acquired
by the sixth year will be devotedl
to increased humanities coursesI
spread throughout the entire pro-'
gram, Prof. Olencki said.
Increase Enrollment'
Enrollment in the department,
now at about 330, could "conceiv-
ably" be increased under the new.
program, Prof. Olencki noted.
No official University commit-'
ment has been made, Prof. Olen-
cki said, but administrators will
be approached after specific pro-
gram revisions have been ap-
proved by the faculty of the de-
partment and the A & D school.
Urge Congress
To Consider
Neutralization
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Senate Ma-
jority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-
Mont.), urged yesterday an ex-
ploration of French President
Charles de Gaulle's proposals for
a neutralization of war-torn Viet
Nam.
Mansfield told the Senate the
possibility of a neutralization may
be extremely difficult to realize
but "ought not to be dismissed.
out of hand."
Meanwhile in Saigon, United
States officials expressed belief
that a secret national congress of
150 Viet Coig leaders triggered
the terrorist bombings which have
killed six Americans and wounded
87 since Feb. 1.
See Passage
In Congress
Next Week
Measure Effects Cut
In Withholding Rate
Personal Tax Rates
WASHINGTON ()- Most tax-
payers were assured more take-
home pay starting early next
month when Senate and House
conferees wrapped up yesterday a
compromise agreement on the big-
gest tax cut bill in the nation's
history.
The reduction, expected to climb
to $11.5 billion a year, will ease
the treasury's bite on businesses
as well as individuals. However,
there will be some tightening of
present regulations which will
mean higher taxes in some areas.
Ironing 'out of differences be-
tween Senate and House versions
of the bill put the long-awaited
measure over its last big hurdle.
It took the conferees only three
days of voting to whiz through
their handful of major differences
and nearly .200 minor and tech-
nical ones.
A Better Bill'
Sen. Russell B. Long CD-La).
floor manager of the bill in thf
Senate and a conferee, told news-
men "I believe we have come up
with a better bill than either the
House or Senate passed.
"In other words, we discarded
the worst things from both bills,"
Long said.
Rep. Hale Boggs of Louisiana,
the House Democratic whip, said
he expects the House to pass the
bill next Tuesday with no trouble.
Long said he expects the Senate
to act the same day or on
Wednesday, without "any consid-
erable opposition," sending the bill
to the White House.
First Effects in March
President Lyndon B. Johnson
will probably sign the bill shortly
after March 1, Long said, and
taxpayers will feel the first effects
in their paychecks received after
about March 12. This will come in
reducing the withholding rate
from 18 per cent to 14 per cent
of income; this rate is based on
listing no personal exemptions
with the employer and varies with
the number listed.
The heart of the bill is the cut
in individual tax rates, which the
treasury estimates will range from
ISRAELI REFUGEES:
Bashir Protests Persecution of Arabs
By BRIAN BEACH
"If it was a sin to persecute the
Jews, it is a sin for the Jews to
persecute the Arabs in Israel,"
Thashim Bashir, San Francisco
consul of the United Arab Repub-
lic told the Arabic Club last night.
Commenting first on economic
inequalities Bashir noted that
He continued that the refugee
solution should be consistent with
the belief that "every man has the
right to leave his home and return
at will."
Bashir revealed Arab desires for
unity and self-determination were
first thwarted at the end of
World War II when France and
oppose what has become upilat-
eral acquisition of what is 77 per
cent an Arab resource, Bashir
pointed out.
"Although Arabs have the right
to vote in Israel, their freedom of
movement is restricted, and they
suffer inequities under the appli-
cation of the miiltary law.
w.. ...