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March 28, 1962 - Image 4

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Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1962-03-28

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Seventy-Second Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
_ UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
"Where Opinions AreFree STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241
Truth Will Prevail"

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ACADEMIC ATMOSPHERE:
Special Housing Idea:
Honors Students Only?

Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1962

NIGHT EDITOR: HARRY PERLSTADT

Council Election Fog
Not Yet Dispelled

ALTHOUGH the Credentials and Rules Com-
mittee did much to dispel the confusion
surrounding the Student Government Council
election, it left several questions unanswered
and posed some real problems.
Since about five days before the election
a fog of rumors spread over the campus con-
cerning the activities of various candidates.
Few candidates escaped the smear brush. The
sudden suspensions of Stan Lubin and Katy
Ford only intensified rumors and clouded the
validity of the election itself by raising com-
plaints of unfair disenfranchisment of voters.
The confusion has many causes. One is the
natural desire of partisans to see their op-
ponents falter. This may have motivated some
of the complaints and certainly intensified
rumors about others.
The Daily's sometimes erroneous and in-
complete coverage of the election added to the
confused atmosphere. The secretive (by re-
quirement) procedures of the Credential and
Rules Committee and its failure to give full
continuing reports within the limits of its
procedures provoked much speculation.
CONSIDERING the intense pressure of the
electorate, the sharply partisan bickering
around them and the 25 hour marathon session
last Thursday night, the committee did a
good, job. Its report did much to dispel charges
of politicking by clearly explaining the reasons
for Lubin's and Miss Ford's disqualifications
and the erroneous exoneration of Monberg. It
also listed all other complaints and their dis-
position.
The report belatedly set criteria for its oper-
ation and for disqualifying candidates on peti-
tioning violations. It rightly emphasized that
the committee "is not charged with securing
the politically satisfactory number or quality
of candidates" and that petitioning violations
are not as important as financial or balloting
violations.
BUT IT LEFT the much discussed topic of
ballot stuffing unanswered. On count night
the ballots of Lawrence Monberg were collected
on the center table and closely scrutinized.
Later, the committee held a special meeting.
Following that, special checking procedures
were used on all the votes.
Rumors immediately arose that ballot stuf-
fing was involved. The committee would neither
acknowledge or refute the rumors. When the
committee met Thursday night it questioned
poll workers and later Monberg.
The Daily attempted to report in Friday's
paper that the committee was considering
ballet stuffing for Monberg, but the committee
vehemently sought and gained the deletion of
this statement five minutes before the paper's
deadline instead of requesting factual changes
in the paragraph to make it accurate.
Yet the minutes of the committee said, "An
Investigation was conducted regarding possible
ballot stuffing for Mr. Monberg at the Under-
graduate Library poll. Two poll workers were

interviewed. No evidence of ballot stuffing was
found." In the deleted paragraph this reporter
said that the committee interviewed four poll
workers and Monberg. Actually, it interviewed
a number of poll workers about a number of
cases.
Why did Nohl insist on the deletion of the
entire statement when only changing the
number of poll workers interviewed and the
scope of the investigation would have made
it accurate? Why did SGC treasurer Steve
Stockmeyer say that the story, after these
facts had been deleted, was the only election
story that contained the "entire truth" when,
in fact, it didn't?
THE COMMITTEE REPORT brought up
broader questions about election rules and
procedures. No rationale for the petitioning
regulation was discussed during the contro-
versy and the Council only examined the issue
in debate about the report.
Is petitioning a vital part of democratic
electoral process? Why did Council not make a
thorough check of petitions for all violations
and certify candidates before the campaign
began? Most important, does a petitioning
rule violation merit disqualification? None
of those complex questions were answered and
all deserve serious study by the new Council.
As the controversy developed it became quite
clear that the committee had a very limited
number of penalties it could mete out. As Nohl
explained, the committee had the power only
to disqualify a candidate, refer him to Joint
Judiciary Council for action, or exonerate him.
This, as Roger Seasonwein painfully pointed
out, leaves the committee little leeway in deal-
ing with minor but important violations. A rule
that a candidate can have a number of first
place votes docked was removed several years
ago and no better intermediate substitute has
been devised to replace it. Such substitutes
should be created by the new Council.
The relationship between Joint Judic and
Council should be clarified. Several students
submitted election protests to Joint Judic
thinking it could nullify the election. The
Judiciary Council gave the complaints back
to Council to be buried, and never defined its
role in the election. The extent of Joint Judic
jurisdiction in an election should be reviewed
by Council.
THE FACTS and conclusions reached in the
report demand a closer Council study of the
election. Due to the press of other important
business, the Council should delegate this task
to a committee of Council members, Joint Judic
members and interested students.
It should be required to restudy the election
rules and the Hare System. The Council should
set a definite reporting date soon enough to
allow for deliberative Council action before
the next election. Only in such a manner can
the fog created by the' last election be dis-
pelled.
-PHILIP SUTIN

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By GAIL EVANS
Daily Staff Writer
T HE PLIGHT of the intellectual
honors student stranded in the
unenlightened dormitory situation
has once again caused the Honors
Council to reopen discussion on
honors housing.
"Graduating seniors were asked,
in review of their years at the
University, what aspect could have
been improved to strengthen their
educational experience," Prof. Otto
G. Graf, chairman of the Honors
Council, says. The consensus was
that students lost sight of the
educational aspect of University
life in the living units. They sug-
gested honors housing as an an-
swer.
These students represent the
same group of honors students
who two years ago voted against
an honors housing proposal three
to one.
BUT NOW there is a change of
heart. Prof. Graf said that par-
ticularly. in the freshman year
there is a "tug-of-war between
class, campus and the housing
unit." It is his opinion that the
ideal function of the honors dor-
mitory would be to get the stu-
dents interested in academics in
a non-academic atmosphere.
Prof. William Palmer of the
economics department, a counselor
for the Honors program, said that
*many think that honors housing
will isolate the students from the
"contaminating influence" of ex-
tra-curricular activities.
Honors housing might be a co-
ed living unit with a minimum of
restrictions such as hours and
dress regulations. It would be staf-
fed by faculty members under
present proposals. Ideally, it would
stimulate creativity and academic
interests.
One suggestion has been to build
a wing for men onto Martha Cook
and convert this unit into an
honors residence hall. Any housing,
if set up, would be optional, Prof.
Graf said.
HOWEVER, Prof. Graf and
others who favor the experiment
because it would protect the stu-
dent from "getting lost in too
many activities," seem to be in
direct conflict with the aims of
a university-to develop individual
responsibility.
Certainly if paternalism is on
its way out at the University, as
a whole, there is no excuse for
taking the honors student by the
hand. Why should he be shielded
from extra-curricular activities by
the over-protective Honors pro-
gram?
It is totally un-realistic to think
that a better -individual will be
developed by isolating him from
outside interests. The product
would be a studious bore.
* *
HONORS HOUSING, according
to Prof. Robert C. Angell; past
chairman of the Honors Council,
has long and short-run Implica-
tions. If the purpose of the honors
program is to produce the student
best able to cope with the wrob-

lems of society, then a separate
dorm with a strong emphasis on
academics directing the individual
towards his life's work may be
advantageous.
But if the purpose of the coun-
cil is to develop intellectual leader-
ship on campus then it may be
better not to isolate the honors
student from scholastically inte-
grated housing and extra-curricu-
lar activities. "The honors student
is not so different from other stu-
dents," Prof. Palmer asserted.
* *, *
THERE IS no doubt that the
University dormitory system needs
revision. The residence halls should
be a place outside the classroom
where classroom subjects are en-
thusiastically discussed. "Univer-
sity housing is all unimaginative,
all the same with no individual-
ity," Prof. Marvin Felheim la-
ments.
This atmosphere does not en-
courage creativity. A dormitory
free of restrictions like hours.
pink slips, dress regulations and
interested staff members would
certainly be more stimulating to
the intellectual student.
Direct participation of faculty
members in the residence halls to
replace house mothers, residence
advisors and non-academic coun-
selors would produce an intellec-
tual atmosphere.
Honors housing would be a
chance for experimentation along
these lines and "might start .some-
thing for all of the camlpus; it
might do something to make the
dormitories interesting and ex-
citing," Prof. Felheim concludes.
* * *
BUT THE FALLACY of the
whole honors housing idea is that
there is no reason to make a dis-
tinction in housing opportunities
for honors or non-honors stu-
dents.
Mere membership in the Honors
College is not synonomous with
maturity, which should be a pre-
requisite for such housing. And
all students should be encouraged
to pursue academic interests in
non-academic spheres.
If the University does not have
sufficient funds to permit honors
housing on a large scale, then why
not open such a dorm for honors
or non-honors students on an
application basis?
* * *
THE UNIVERSITY prides itself
because it only accepts the cream
of in- and out-of-state students.
All of the student body' should
have academic interests and should
be equally stimulated. In fact, the
emphasis of academics in the
dormitory might be better for the
less intellectually inclined student
w"h, might not seek out intellec-
tual companionship on his own.
The world of the future is not
going to be run exclusively by the
so-called "Honors Student." A
great many students not in the
program are going to hold posi-
tions of major responsibility. The
University cannot afford to give
all its special attention to honors
students at the expense of the
non-honors student.

" PERSON&kLY}J IFW~INDITA )RATHER UNgEWA~bIN& 7oB."

DETROIT SCHOOLS:
The Feeble Steps Forward

By RICHARD KRAUT
Daily Staff Writer
(Second in a Three-Part Series)
DETROIT'S DE FACTO segrega-
tion problem has not been
solved.
The Citizens' Advisory Commit-
tee on Equal Educational Oppor-
tunity could have dealt with the
high concentration of Negroes in
certain school districts in two
ways; by attacking segregation in
housing or by attempting to "bus"
students.
But the. committee has recom-
mended neither. Its report does
not even mention the root of the
de facto segregation problem-dis-
crimination in housing. There is
no discussion of the effect or the
wisdom of the State Realty.
Board's Rule 9, which prohibits
licensed realtors from discrimi-
nating on the basis of race.
Only feeble efforts were made
to alter school district boundaries
and to liberalize the student trans-
fer policy.
TO PREVENT any impression
of "boundary line gerrymander-
ing," the committee advised that
the schools follow the proposals
of the earlier Citizens' Advisory
Committee report. These proposals
call for an analysis of school boun-
daries for the purpose of estab-
lishing districts based on "safety
of the child, distance involved, ef-
ficient use of school plant and
the inclusion of all ethnic, racial
and religious groups residing in
each school area."
The equal intention given to
"distance involved" and "the in-
clusion of all ... racial ... groups"
shows the equivocal nature of the
report. Although the committee
recognized the problem and sug-
gested solutions, it made sure that
its suggestions were modest enough
to have only minor effects.
The report also called for "the
equalizing of districts by equaliz-
ing the number of children in

each." A large district, the coin-
mittee said, is too great a burden
for the administrators and "helps
create a negative community im-
age."
ONE OF the districts which the
committee considers too large is
Center district. This section of
Detroit contains only five schools
having an enrollment of more
than 10 per cent whites. In ad-
dition, there have been repeated
charges that its boundary lines
have been gerrymandered to main-
tain segregation.
By recommending the equaliza-
tion of districts, the committee
hopes to accomplish more than re-
lieving the great burden of in-
nocent administrators. It hopes
to answer the charges of gerry-
mandering without admitting to
any such act. If Centei district is
made smaller, for example, Ne-
groes will attend predominantly
white schools and presently Ne-
gro schools will be placed in 'ore-
dominantly white districts.
S * *
SINCE the committee realized
that such measures would not by
themselves solve the de facto seg-
regation problem, it decided to
liberalize the student transfer
policy.
Under the present system, a lst
of schools with vacancies is issued
at the beginning of each semester.
Any student can apply for a trans-
fer to such a school but his par-
ents must pay for his transporta-
tion.
The proposed policy would "per-
mit any child, at any grade level
to transfer to any school in
the system"-under certain con-
ditions.
THE MOST IMPORTANT con-
dition is one which shows the
relatively ineffectual nature of
transfer liberalization. Transfers
could be made only to schools with

SGC Needs Moderate Leadership

WHEN STUDENT Government Council elects
its President tonight, it will be voting for
a conception of how the Council should operate,
not for a person.
Although both prospective candidates-Bob
Ross and Steve Stockmeyer-are highly cap-
able as individuals, the first 'consideration
makes election of Stockmeyer the Council's
wisest course of action. At this juncture in its
history, it is more important than ever that
a sensible choice be made.
The Council President is an administrator, a
politican and a leader within the body itself.
Stockmeyer has demonstrated considerable
ability in the first two areas,'and has much
potential to be a real leader of the Council as
well.
HIS ADMINISTRATIVE ability can be seen
right in the Council's affairs. SGC ob-
servers agree he has been an outstanding
treasurer during the last semester, bringing
energy and interest to a job which is often
sloppily done. His reports, both written and
at the Council table, have been thorough. He
has implemented SGC's new account system
and conducted a full audit of SGC dealings for
the year before he took over. Such ambition
would be a great asset in running Council
affairs.'
Political ability is also important. The Pres-
ident must have the respect and support of
a diverse group of individuals within the body
itself as well as outside. Situation like the
upcoming Sigma Nu hearings will call for
judicious handling of sensitive situations.
Among the members of the new Council, Stock-
meyer is outstanding in these traits. He also
has a good working knowledge of procedure.
If the SGC President should be spokesman
for the Council, and for the campus as a
whole, then Stockmeyer is the most appropriate
choice. While he is as embroiled in political ac-
tion outside Council as is his opponent, Stock-
meyer is a more moderate voice on campus

to become embroiled in off-campus issues when
there is so much to be done locally.
THE OPINION of the campus as a whole on
the candidates is clear. In last fall's election,
Stockmeyer rolled up ,1,186 first place ballots,
outpacing both incumbent President Dick Nohl
and Ross, who had 762 first place votes. Such
popularity among the electorate is very im-
portant at a time when the opinion of SGC
among many students is so low.
Stockmeyer has admittedly been disappoint-
ing in some respects. He has introduced little
legislation and has not been an active debater.
However, it should be noted that much of his
energy went not into such pyrotechnics, but
into his job as a Council officer. His behind-
the-scenes work with Brian Glick in writing up
the SGC reaction to the Reed Report shows he
has not been a "bland" or inactive Council
member.
SINCE STOCKMEYER has not been con-
spicuous to the public eye during his terni,
his conception of the Council Presidency should
be given a close look to see if he will be a
good leader for the Council, as well as a
politician and administrator.
His theory is that the SGC President should
be more active in the stages before legislation
is enacted-politicking for his views with other
members, occasionally introducing his own bills,
and handing the gavel over to his vice-
president to participate in debate. He also
thinks the President's job as an administrator
should be more active in the functioning of
the Council itself, in directing the Executive
Committee, keeping committees active and
making Council members do something besides
just attend meetings.
Stockmeyer will not be a public lobbyist, but
this does not mean he will be devoid of leader-
ship in his role as Council President. In fact,
with its present divisive tendency, SGC needs
a moderate leader Who will not exaggerate the
split on Council, and will be more comfortable

available space. A minor exception
to this condition would be the
child who wants to enroll in a
program not offered in his neigh-
borhood school. He would be ac-
cepted "without reference to exist-
ing pupil load at the intended
school," the report said.
In addition, the committee gave
several examples of students that
would be permitted to transfer.
One is the gifted child who would
do better with others of his in-
telligence. Another is the student
who has developed a "chronic
social maladjustment" because of
his classmates or the local school'
staff.
Also, "a pupil who, with his
family, is in a state of serious
tension because of intergroup
problems in the neighborhood"
would be permitted to transfer to
another district. Although this
clause could be beneficial, it might
be exploited by white families who
want to take their children out
of predominantly Negro schools.
For all these transfers, the
schools would provide transporta-
tion if the student could not af-
ford the cost. But ability to pay
is nowheredefined in the report.
If the purpose of the proposed
transfer policy is to help excep-
tional students, it will be adequate;
if its purpose is to contribute to
the solution of the de facto seg-
regationtproblem by making pos-
sible frequent transfers, it will
be a failure.
THE DE FACTO segregation
problem has therefore not been
solved. Although the committee
has pointed its finger at existing
discrimination in the selection of
high administrators and in the
assignment of personnel to pre-
dominantly Negro school districts,
it has done little to insure the
discontinuation of such policies.
It has dealt with the districting
problem only in vague terms and
with measures that do not get at
the heart of the problem. It has
not mentioned discrimination in
housing.
The committee expressed its
willingness to correct the situa-
tion, but did not want to take the
bold steps that are the only real
solution.
EXTREME CHANGES will have
to be made. Strong proposals that
specify the means of implementa-
tion must replace weak recom-
mendations.
And while this goes on, discrim-
ination in housing will have to be
attacked. Rule 9 must be rigidly
enforced. Slums should be de-
stroyed and low cost housing pro-
vided in their stead.
But the committee has not asked
for this. And as a result the de
facto segregation problem will con-
tinue to plague Detroit.
TOMORROW: The Social
Problem
Danger
WE DO NOT want in a univer-
sity, professors of special ideas

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
SGC Election Hassle:
History Repeats Itself

DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN

The Daily Official Bulletin is an
official publication of The Univer-
sity of Michigan for which The
Michigan Daily assumes no editorial
responsibility. Notices should be',
sent in TYPEWRITTEN form to
Room 3564 Administration Building
before 2 p.m., two days precedig
publication.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28
General Notices
Seniors: College of L.S&A., and
Schools of Business Administration,
Education, Music, and Public Health:
Tentative lists of seniors for June
graduation have been posted on the
bulletin board in the first floor lobby,
Administration Bldg. Any changes
therefrom should be requested of the
Recorder, Office of Registration and
Records, window Number A, 1513 Admin.
Bldg.
Meeting on the teacher's certificate
in English will be held next Wed.,
March 28, at 4 p.m. in 2402 Mason Hall.
Freshmen and sophomores interested
in teaching English in the junior and
senior high school are urged to attend.

applications and supporting statements
by the Honors Council: Wed., April 18.
Sports and Dance--Womien: Women
students who have completed the physi-
cal education requirement who wish to
register electively may do so in Barbour
Gym (Main0?loor) on Thurs. and Fri.,
March 29 and 30. Registration hours are
8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
"Pay As You Go" Theatre plan for
all students: The new U-M Professional
Theatre Program will accept pledges of
$5 from students who wish to become
APA Season Members for 1962-63. The
balance of their membership payment
may be made at registration time next
fall. Some tickets are still available for
Dame Judith Anderson's appearance
in "Medea 62" (Thurs., March 29, 8:30
p.m., Hill Aud.); APS Season Members
will receive 401c off and student non-
members receive 20% discount. For full
details call ext. 3518, or come to the
office of the U-M Professional Theatre
Program at the Lydia Mendelssohn The-
atre Monday-Friday, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Hill
Aud. box office is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
daily.
Approval for the following student-
sponsored activities becomes effective
24 hours after the publication of this
notice All publicity for these events

To the Editor:
A GLANCE at recent Daily front
pages (now kept by the USIS
here) reveals that all is not well
with recent campus elections,
again. Oddly enough, four years
ago, a Daily editor characterized
an SGC election as "stuff and
nonsense." Now, "nonsense" might
have referred wither to the can-
didates, their platforms, or the
election result, but unquestion-
ably "stuff" meant the ballot
boxes.
At the time, various groups sug-
gested holding new elections un-
der some supervision, but few SGC
mnembers were anxious to try
again. So a committee was set up
consisting of members not run-
ning for re-election; this commit-
tee would listen carefully for word
of violations and would decide
what, if anything, to do.
Various penalties were discussed.
One candidate was sent out to
clean the Delta Gamma fireplace
for passing out petitions during
an illegal East Quad bingo game.
Another was fined five dollars and
costs for circulating literature
through the League air condition-
ing system. And the next few
elections were fairly decent.
But not it seems that problems
have come up.
I have always suspected that
SGC contributes, at least in part,-
to the situation by insisting on a
heedlessly complex set of election
rules. All of my attempts to clear
up this situation while I was on
the Council were met by a wet
blanketfull of other members wno
apparently thought that it was
necessary to make candidates do
the maximum amount of work

ger around .looking for signatures
over a period of several days is
ridiculous.
Enforcement by SGC of rules
designed by other organizations is
also questionable. If South Quad
decides that no petitions should
be circulated in the Turkish Bath
because the ink runs onto the
towels, let them enforce it. If Sig-
ma Nu doesn't want any cani-
paigning literature circulated by
candidates whose ancestors came
over on the Mayflower (but in the
hold), let them worry.
SGC worries too much about
people getting elected who won't
carry on with the grand traditions
of student government, etc. But in
the past, the number of outright
goons who have been elected has
been fairly small. I suspect that
a good bit of the situation would
be cleared up if election rules
were re-written to expedite the
election, rather than to provide
excuses for elimination of un-
desirables. Besides, as anyone
knows, there are far more un-
desirables than excuses.
-David Kessel, '59
Mauldin.
To the Editor:
DON'T YOU THINK it's about
time every good and true lib-
eral steeled himself and recognized
the fact that although Bill Maul-
din's heart is unquestionably in the
right place, he's no' great hakes
as a cartoonist? Or are we ap-
proaching the point where the
ideological content outweighs skill
and technique in our consideration
of art?
--David A. Ward, Grad

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