Seventy-Second Year 4 EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Where Opinions Are Free STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241 Truth Will Prevail" Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. NEW APPROACHES: Languages: U.S. Education Gap Y. FEBRUARY 16, 1962 NIGHT EDITOR: MICHAML HARRAH Community Center Fight: Gradualists vs. Activists, )BODY KNOWS why Walter Hill was fired as executive director of the Ann Arbor imunity Center. The board of directors stuck to its refusal to make public any :ific reasons for his dismissal. But it sme clear at the center's annual meeting inesday night that Hill's firing has crys- zed a long-standing controversy in the Arbor Negro community over the proper oach to civil rights. he community center is, and has been, the al focal point of the Negro community. n though the center is a social organization, views of its directors , on race relations of great importance. The center is one he most important contacts between the ;e and Negro communities. he executive director co'ies into direct .act with Ann Arbor's community leaders. many white Ann Arbor citizens, the com- dty center represents the city's Negro ilation, and the director symbolizes the rations of the Negro community. EIAT ANN ARBOR Negroes want is quite simple: full status in the community. For s, the center has represented a gradualist oach to race relations. The late Douglas iams, who ran the center for over 20 s, was a moderate. Although he favored housing legislation and fair employment rams, he moved slowly to avoid animosi- He believed in a program of "education," rg steps only after a long process of pre- ng the white community for change. hen Hill came into office barely six months community leaders realized that he rep- nted a much. more militant approach to problem. He backed the National Asso- on for the Advancement of Colored People's rams for legal action. He also planned to expand the center's activities, including a program to aid Negro youths to prepare for better jobs. C LEARLY the NAACP has the backing of the Negro community. Three "protest" candi- dates were nominated from the floor and elected overwhelmingly through the influencN of tle NAACP. Clearly, this also indicates that, Ann Arbor Negroes are sick of "Uncle-Tomism" and are asserting that they intend to run their own affairs instead of existing by the paternalistic grace of the white community. Negroes are becoming more and more aware of this. Gradualism and education have failed to produce action. The NAACP is a compara- tively conservative group when one considers the actions being taken in the South today by groups like CORE. But the Ann Arbor NAACP does realize; at least tacitly, that equality can- not be achieved without creating animosity., WHITE ANN ARBORITES, and especially their politicians, take great pleasure in mouthing equalitarian ideals; but objectively they have done very little to live up to them. Ann Arbor housing is still segregated. Fair employment practices among businessmen are, practically non-existent. Negroes want these rights, they want equal status. How can gradualism give them equal status when it depends on the good will of those who are exploiting them? The, newboard of directors will probably, retain Hill. This will serve notice to the white community that a new era in race rela- tions has come to Ann Arbor. The Negroes' goal is no longer to placate the whites in hope of being granted' concessions. Instead, it will be a more militant approach, an 'ap- proach of asserting rather than begging. -DAVID MARCUS By JUDITH OPPENHEIM Daily Staff Writer THE IMPORTANCE of language study is not simply a fact, but a well-recognized fact which has been the subject of great concern to American educators for several years. While students of other coun- tries, notably the Soviet Union, are often fluent in two or three languages other thandtheir own by the time they graduate from high school, American students as a rule are not required to have more than a two-year proficiency, in another language before they graduate from college. Non col- lege-bound students may go through life without ever learn- ing a word of any language but English. OPTIMUM FACILITIES for, foreign language instruction are seldom found in high schools' out- side large cities or districts with consolidated schools and sizeable enrollments. Big city schools near- ly always offer instruction in French, Latin, Spanish and some- times German or Russian begin- ning with the ninth grade or sometimes a year or two earlier. But in smaller districts where there is a shortage of funds, a small student body and a lack of qualified teachers, students are forced either to forego language instruction altogether or to study a mere smattering of grammar and elementary conversation taught by a person who has neither the formal credit nor the knowledge to conduct a language class. In some of the Southern states, fewer than five per cent of all high school students are ever ex- posed to a language and literature other than their own. STUDENTS are not always an- xious to study a foreign language even if instruction is available. Language practice is often pictured as tedious and useless, .particularly by novelists and' cartoonists por- traying students laboring in stuffy classrooms to decline impossible French verbs or follow, in Latin, the fortunes of Caesar. A prevalent attitude that it is a waste of time to study foreign languages is part of the general complacency complex from which the United States was jolted by the launching of the first Sputnik, and from which the country has since been slowly and painfully emerging. * * * IF THERE IS ever to be a recovery, it must include the field of language study, because is is no longer true that everyone in the world feels a need to learn English. Many foreign students are now turning to Russian and Chinese for a second language. Americans who must communicate with foreign visitors through an 'interpreter are at an increasing disadvantage. There is no substitute for a face- to-face conyersation or for read- ing an artile or book in the original language. Translation is a very poor second and, in a world which is to be kept intact or destroyed by some instance of understanding or misunderstand- ing at any one of hundreds of vital spots, there is no room fr second best understanding. * *.* DIRECT COMMUNICATION is necessary not only at high diplo- matic levels, but also on the simplest every day level of con- versation between students, rela- tives and friends and even small children. Steadily increasing enrollment of both high' school and college language departments even after students have completed require- ments is proof recognition of the Tribunal IT WAS Conservatism that con- demned McCarthy at last, in the Senate and then in the coun-, try. The well-meant exertions of Liberalism in the end did more harm than good. For in their un- derstandable zeal, the Liberals, wanted to convict McCarthy in the Senate without a hearing. The Conservatives were only barely able to avoid this unfair action; instead they caused the appointment of a select commit- tee which, in full due process, brought about the censure. William S. White in Harper's need for increased foreign lan- guage study. The shift in teaching methods from the tiresome and distaste- ful memorization of grammatical rules to early and continuing prac- tice of conversation is equally en- couraging. * * * STUDENTS beginning German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian or any of the romance languages ot the University spend hours repeating phrases to learn conversational' patterns before they are given any formal instruction in gram- mar. Heads of all these departments report that students seem to gain a r great deal more from this method of instruction than from the "old-fashioned" method and that their active command of the language is tremendously increas- ed by the end of the first year.' Nevertheless, students who have gone through the public high schools and are used to an analy- tical approach to all studies, in- cluding English, find it very un- settling to spend too much time repeating sounds without a very clear idea of the formal rules be- hind the sentences they are prac- ticing. During the first semester it becomes difficult to keep them from becoming uneasy- and frus- trated or simply bored. ** * THE ADVANTAGE to this new "oral-aural" approach to lan- guage is that it allows a student to pick up a language just as a baby picks it up: by imitation and repetition until he becomes famil- iar with speech patterns and can use them unconsciously. But college freshmen are not babies and it is not fair to expect themto be content with this ap- proach to learning since it con- tradicts everything they $vere taught in high school and leaves them with games where they ex- pected academic studies. - This discomfort is certainly worth enduring if the student eventually emerges with a greater grasp of a foreign language. But, if he were taught a foreign language by this method early in elementary school, beginning with the third or fourth grade or pos- sibly even earlier, he would find it an enjoyable, natural and easy way to learn. * *, * IF THIS METHOD were em- ployed, a student could have up to ten years of study in one or more foreign languages before he graduates from high school, and there would be no need for colleges to struggle with elementary courses except for students who wishedgto begin a second or third language. The University could then re- quire an eight-semester proficiency of its students, offer more ad- vanced and specialized courses and turn out students really able to converse and read in their sec- ond languages. As the situation stands, a two-year proficiency is. of little practical value and -is quickly forgotten unless the stu- dent makes a deliberate effort to keep up his reading and won- versation. * * *x LANGUAGE STUDY beginning in grade school sounds like a pipe dream when American educators speak of it wistfully. But in for- eign countries it is taken for granted. Preventing institution of such a program are insufficient funds and the unwillingness of certain suspicious politicians to let the government control the cur- riculum.j If funds were available, every elementary school could offer language instruction beginning with the early grades. Schools should be equipped with language laboratories, which younger child- ren consider fun and not an or- deal as University students do. *. * * . WHERE the individual school district or state cannot afford such equipment, it should be fur- nished by the federal government along with salaries for language teachers in areas where there is a shortage. ' The government should offer a substantial inducement in the form of scholarships or grants to students willing to study language teaching in college and after- wards teach in areas where they are needed. The plan is expensive but not impossible.. All its execution really demands is the determination that something must be done quickly to keep American students from be- ing inclosed in an ever-narrowing vacuum in a world where national and linguistic ' boundaries are gradually dissolving and the need for communication is becoming greater and greater every day. Me lodraina A deqrate EVERY SO OFTEN a reader ex- presses his opinion that re- viewing has again fallen to an all-time low in immaturity, inanity and lack of perception. The problem is complex, and certainly cannot be solved in one or two articles devoted to the subject. Perhaps we do need to consider one or two points, though -namely the matter of criteria and subjective judgment. Take, for example, the Ann Arbor Civic Theater's current production: "Night Must Fall." FIRST OF ALL, what can we reasonably expect from a group of this nature? They are ama- teurs who produce plays for the love of it, hoping at the same time to provide others in the community with an enjoyable and entertaining evening. If they pro- duce plays o literary merit, so much the better, but do we hiave' a right to expect this of them? Taking the play itself first, it is described as a "classic modern mystery - melodrama." Classic, maybe, but melodrama without a doubt. It has all the tricks of the melodrama: the stunning curtain lines, the sting of music, the startling discovery, the quick cur- tain and so on. In the suspense and melodrama lies the strength of the play-and also its weakness. There is a thin line between the breath-taking and the corny, and this is danger- ous theatrical ground. Sometimes the cast managed these moments with ocnsiderable skill, but other times they just didn't come off. After a rather frantic first act, with most of the characters at- tempting devious routes arounda poorly situated sofa, the actors settled down to build the play piece by piece-rather than trying to establish mystery and melo- drama in 15 minutes. S . * * FRANCIS SHIPSTEAD as Mrs. Bramson began to grasp more of the dimensions of the role, and as soon as Ellen O'Brien could be heard, she too began to fill in a well-conceived character. The role of Dan is a difficult one but Steve Friedman took the wisest' path, choosing to underplay many scenes which could easily have become ludicrous. Most important, however, there were a good many gasps from the audience (in the right places) and after all, that's what really counts in this play. --Richard Burke ,' S " , ", .. + 1 J 1 : , ; . Tulp Pulpit By RICHARD OSTLING, Associate Editorial: Director KU) ,a ( E ALL KNOW politics is a funny business. The new trend is for politics to be the iness of the funnies. The comic strips in newspapers are becoming subtle editorial Ims. [ilitary strips are reading more and more manuals on anti-Communism. "Terry and Pirates" may soon be re-christened "Terry the Pinkos." Buz Sawyer, Smilin' Jack, . even Winnie Winkle have had their ,pes with various Red menaces in the last. months. he most famous forum is "Little Orphan ie" Ben Bagdiklan commented recently "The New Republic." The main political thpiece in Harold Gray's 37-year-old nar- ve is Daddy Warbucks, a vague character, > appears at the depth of Annie's perils dinner jacket, diamond stickpin and hom- r, delivers a lecture against high taxes and welfare state, and then again abandons .ie while she enters another cycle of star- on and torture, and he goes off to pur- se Africa." ri the liberal bandwagon are Walt Kelly, Jules Feiffer.'Al Capp and Litchy parody worst in both wings with Sen. Jack S. gbound and Sen. Snort. ne of the more interesting publications als kind is "We the People," a tricolor tome states' rights put out last month by the isiana State ,Sovereignty Commission. 'It he aim of the state to distribute the comic rs to high school seniors and juniors, and each the adult audience in public libraries. he book attempts to show, in 22 panels, why egation is Louisiana's business and nobody ,. EN AN ARDENT FAN of "Peanuts" would lave to admit that comics are simple. This hy politidal references in newspaper comic is don't amount to anything. The comics >lify ideas; they are simple to read. These also two reasons why this Southern comic is interesting. the first place, anybody who thinks stitutional law can be, summarized in a LI comic book obviously doesn't understand whole business, or is watering it down to 'ort a lame idea. The Southern view on e independence is certainly reasonable, it can't be' substatiated quite so con- ently. (Not that Constitutional issues can't implified to some extend. Heaven help us e must read Supreme Court briefs to know s going on.) ien there's the other side of it: What Editorial Staff JOHN ROBERTS, Editor ILIP SHERMAN N FAITH WEINSTEIN City Editor Editorial Director' sort of education are students getting if the state uses such methods of propadanda? This comic books hints that it's the South and North that are separate but notfequal as far as education is concerned. It isn't quite on the Shazam! Zap! "Aaargh" Blam! Zowie! level, but three-quarters of the words are of one syllable. If this is what Louisiana considers proper reading for high school seniors, we can only guess what the seventh grade Civics classes are being fed! THE STORY in the comic book deals with a boy starting a neighborhood club and chatting with Pop about it. At first, the talk is about what the Constitution says about reserving powers to the states, but the plot soon thickens: Pop: "There are some people who think even our state owned schools, and a lot of other things, all ought to be run out of Washington. Some would even like to control membership of private groups.." Bub: "Aw, Pop, Y'mean they could make us put 01 girls in our club? Not girls!" Pop: "So far, son, you can pick your own friends. But some federal judges have ordered races mixed in schools, whether either wanted it or not." This dialogue isn't too misleading (except that the Southern white is a bit more scared of Negroes than boys are scared of girls). BJT SOME' of the statements are downright inaccurate. Some try to refute the argu- ment that as long as Negro schools have been kept separate, they have not been equal: "But colored people have nice schools. Lots of them are better than ours ..." Asked by his son if we haven't got along pretty well up till now, Pop replies "You bet we have." But the "we" in mind must be "we whites," not "we Louisianans." Then there's Dad's analysis of who's trying to rock the boat on this integration thing: "Some of them are, well, just not very practical. Some are Just trying to get votes, to get more power. Some, like the Communists, just want to stir up trouble, to weaken us." The first statement has some truth in it, if explained, but the second and third charges' show the "authors" of this little number don't know what's going on under their very noses, who is doing it, or why. WITH THEIR DISCOURSE completed, Hylas and Philonous take off to do some fish- ing. In the last panel, Pop turns to the reader with forthright eyes and says "if the federal grabbers for power will just let us work out our own problems, race relations and a lot of other things will be happier again." There's no doubt in my mind that the race problem has to be solved by Southerners, and that a lot of Northern activity just causes resentment and muddies the water. I also "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Fraternities' Future in Supporting Values .# =s , {. - ,. To the Editor: FRATERNAL LIFE lacks much that should be desired. This is evident from mere existence of the murmur that fraternities are on the way out. It is true that Communists would promote such a murmur.: This is because fra- ternity, like a family, isua close knit group which promote nigh ideals. Besides this, fraternities provide a medium for the under-" standing of human behavior. This understanding is essential to free- dom and peace. Fraternities are needed more than ever to show men that at the core of every human being there lies a humble self. Frater- nities are needed to prove to men, that they can live together honor- ably as brothers. With brother helpingsbrother, fraternitiesprove that it is worth our time and effort to understand one another. This understanding comes from the actual practice of fraternal life. If fraternities offer these values how can a murmur of their fad- ing out even exist? Fraternities offer many young men their first freedom. They are, on the 'whole, responsible only to the norms of the fraternity which they choose themselves. However, new members naturally find the re- sponsibility in the hands of the older members. They also some- times find older members with enthusiastic roudiness. These two factors can sometimes produce a yelling wild hyena type of in- dividual who has no :sense of social responsibility. THEREFORE, men rushing fra- ternities should seek those fra- ternities which have codes of gentlemanly conduct, not neces- sarily written but followed. In this way rushees will create a greater demand for men of humble conduct and soon lagging fraterni- ties will retaliate with an added supply. .A second deficient area is scholastic honesty. Many frater- nities provide valuable study dis- cussion groups and supplimentary materials. These greatly aid under- standing and retention. However, other acquirement of University materials and exams which are the moral standards of the stu- dents. We live in a world groping for solutions to the complex problems of non-combatibility and war. The understanding of people's good intentions cannot be obtained through any other means than close asociation. This understand- ing can provide the truth; it can provide the 'basis that would be the beginning of a worldly solu- tion. Michigan fraternities, this is the challenge! -Robert S. Bristol,'63 Dribble . . To the Editor: To THE TUNE of "The Victors" and the coach's "we'll improve with every game," it seems as if each year 'is. merely a going through the motionsby a;handful of "representatives" who decor- ate the Yost Field House basket- ball court. It seems most unusual that after a volley of losses during the span of the last three campaigns, that the "Champions of the West" have only been able to claim, "we'll be better." TheiUniversityrsages found a solution two years ago. They imported a new coach to revitalize the lackluster proficien- cy of the basketball team. To date, Coach Strack's record reads eight victories in thirty-two games. Any school which professes to stress scholastic achievement and good representation in athletic competition, and has no pride whatsoever, in its' delegates, cer- tainly seems to have compromised with its principles. Granted, only one can be best but to accept the role of "patsy," "habitual loser" and "basement dweller" is beneath the dignity of any genuinely proud person, group or institution. This year's quintet features an unusual brand of basketball-in- adequate shooting, poor rebound- ing, and inept ball handling. When one man can outrebound a team, and when errant passes and er- rors in the fundamentals of bask- etball are the rule rather than the exception, something is wrong. Loyal rooters might say one is a poor fan if he can only support a winner. However, credit is only given where credit is due and as "r "'i ""3r 4 rx :.. .. . : .s m s ." 3 ..., . .;:X ;.. ': ... . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . ..:i v " : 1 ." S . s 3 r . . .ti ; s s . . s . +s ..% 'e z''r 4..'.:i~~e..::va6..a.:i.:"1'...:,':":..............'........'......,,,........ DAI LY OFFI !CIAL BULLETIN ...r********,* . '''--.. : .,.*.... ~'.. (Continued from Page 2) constitution of the Student Govern- ment Council-Wolverine Club. Approved: Proposed amendments to the constitution of Assembly Dormi- tory Council, with the qualification that in Articles I, II, and II wherever the phrase 'independent women" ap- pears it shall be followed by "of or- ganized living units of the University." Approved: That permanent recogni- tion be granted to Young Americans for Freedom. Approved: That student Government Council extend the temporary recogni- tion of the Committee for Improved Cuban-American Relations until Sep- tember 30, 1962. Accepted: Resignation of John vos Adopted: Amendment to Student Government Council plan reading as follows: 9. Initiative and Referendum A. Any member of the student body may initiate legislation to be adopted by Student Government Council or to be brought before the student body for its approval at the next regularly sched- uled election. A petition specifying the provision (s) of the Council plan un- der which the initiation of legislation arises, with not less than one thousand student signatures, shall be required for the initiation of legislation. Once the petition has been submitted, the Coun- cil must eitller adopt the legislation or submit it to the student body for their approval a the next regularly scheduled election. A majority of those voting on' the issue will constitute and H of the Council Plan, or to changes in the Council Plan. B. Student Government Council may, by a 2/3 vote of those present and voting, remand legislation arising un- der provisions D, F, G or H of the Council Plan (Section 4) or under Section 8, over to the student body. Any member of the student body may petition to have legislation already passed by Student Government Coun- cil brought before the student for its approval at the next regularly sched- uled election. The petition shall con- tain not less than one thousand stu- dent signatures, and shall specify the provision (s) of the Council Plan un- der which the referendum arises. A majority of those voting on the issue will constitute 'adoption except in cases of changes in the Council Plan, when a 2/3 vote of those voting on the