ght ltirhinn atit
t
Seventy-TAird Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS (w THE UNIVErSITY OF MICHIGAN
- UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUSLICATIONS
"Wherep olons Ae 'F r STUDENT Pu*c1-ATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MIcH., PHONE No 2-3241
'truth WID Premno"
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must brenoted in all reprints.
THE PROPOSED STATE CONSTITUTION:
Education Article Will Produce Morass
UESDAY, MARCH 26, 1963
NIGHT EDITOR: GERALD STORCH
/
oil Presidency,
Demands Strong Leader
STUDENT GOVERMENT Council last week
elected a conservative, Thomas Brown, of
the business administration school, to its presi-
dency.
A former executive vice-president of the .
Council, Brown, who knows the organization
well and who has worked conscientiously to
fulfill his administrative tasks, must undertake
the major responsibility for piloting Council.
through one of the most difficult springs in
student government history.
In electing Brown, the Council turned down
another presidential candidate whose philos-
ophy of the presidency would have seen it
through the difficult spring, ahead, and made
a more effective and powerful force by spring's
end. Kenneth Miller, a liberal student leader
who has aspired to the presidency for the past
year, and who some claim was cheated out of
that position last semester by virtue of the
now infamous "light bulb incident" has been
relegated to the sidelines.
He will still serve as Council member, but
both the prestige and the power of the presi-
dency were denied him last Wednesday by a
close 10-8 vote.
T IS HIGHLY unfortunate that the Council
rejected an excellent opportunity to elect
a student president who would have been
able to lift it out of that rut of inactivity and
ineffectiveness in which it has wallowed for
such a long time. One can only hope that the
new Council president will avoid the muddied
approach to his office that has characterized
SGC since 1954.:.
Up to now, though differing somewhat in
style, Council presidents have all regarded
their responsibility to the Council in much the
way of a doting mother regards her obligation
to her child: the president should guide and
advise its Council, help it out over the rough
spots, and pull it out of the thicket when it
gets tangled there and generally let the fledg-
ling group stumble its own way to maturity and
success.
This view of the presidency has resulted in
a floundering SGC. The continued existence of
Student Government Council will no longer be
justified unless it begins to be productive and
effective. The president of the Council, if he
maintains a namby-pamby, sweet, helpful atti-
tude toward his job will perptuate that campus
view which sees Council as namby-pamby,
sweet, sometimes helpful, but primarily to be
ignored.
Brown would do well to institute the view of
the Council president expounded by the candi-
date he defeated for the office. He would at the
same time be well advised to ponder the fate
of legislation passed by Council over the past
few months, and the implications this has for
the presidency.
rHE PROPOSAL for student -faculty govern-
ment represents one more prong in an at-
tack that was begun, however mildly, by last
year's Reed report, which cited the University's
institutional schizophrenia to the extent that
the university's non-academic actions were not'
in harmony with its academic purposes. Stu-
dent-faculty government, as conceived by the
Council's Committee on the University, is a
major breakthrough in student affairs. and
an important recognition of the capabilities
and responsibilities of the student in the shap-
ing of his own educational experience.
But action on the studeat-faculty govern-
ment motion passed by Council has been slow.
Letters to faculty members, requesting that
students be placed on a number of University
Senate committees, did not go out until half a
month after the passage of the motion. The
Council president mad no observable attempt
at meetings, interviews and person-to-person
cointacts with the faculty members involved.
In brief, there has been on presidential push
on a council passed motion basic to the role
of the student in the University.
A motion for Council participation in Re-
gental elections has fallen flat. It was agreed
that the Council stand on Regental platforms
should be aired before party conventions. Only
a half-hearted attempt was made to carry out
the spirit' of the council declaration. Council
also voted to conduct interviews with regental
candidates. With spring elections only six days
away, no Regental candidate has appeared be-
fore Council. In fact, since the announcement
of passage of the Regenta motion, Council has
shown no more interest in the elections than
in any other year.
We can only hope that the Harris report,
which recommends solutions to the problems of
discriminatory membership practices, and
withdrawal of recognition from student organi-
zations, is not doomed to the same failure as
these other Council motions, in the passage look
like significant steps toward a more competent
SGC, but which in their lack of implementation
have shown SGC to be as incompetent as ever.
Council considered the Harris report in order
to meet a deadline for its consideration by the
Regents at their March meeting. The regents
did not consider the Harris report last Friday.
They are, however, considering a letter from
the lawyers of five sororities which condemn
the Harris recommendations. None of the Re-
gents has ever received a copy of the Harris
report they were supposed to have discussed on
Friday. If any of the Regents are cognizant
of the proposals embodied in the report, it is
because the Daily, or individual Daily reporters
have made them aware of it.
COUNCIL MEMBERS are obviously wasting
their time-five hours of it every Wednes-
day night and many more in preparation dur-
ing the week-if the president of their body
is not an active, concerned president. With the
president of Student Government Council lies
the major responsibility for the success or
failure of the Council, for no other member or
officer is as fully committed to its work.
It s a responsibility which past SGC presi-
dents have preferred to abdicate. Council presi-
dents. like to hide behind the desk in the ob-
scurity of their office in the SAB, and behind
the safe assertion that "I am just another
Council member."
Too many Council presidents see as their
major task a mastery of Robert's Rules of
Order; those very presidents could spend their
time more wisely in a study of the power and
prestige inherent in the presidential office and
of the possibilities for political effectiveness of-
fered to a man who holds the highest position
in the only body on campus recognized as the
official representative of students of the Uni-
versity.
OM BROWN'S orientation is administrative,
his political convictions conservative. His
view of the presidency, as expressed until now,
is narrow. He says he will guide the Council
and carry out its orders with efficiency and not
show favoritism to one proposal over another.
Brown, according to the philosophies he has
thus far articulated, will be a reflector and not
a leader. He will be hesitant to put all the
weight and force of his office behind a Council
passed motion to which he is especially com-
mitted and he will not harness the forces of
all-campus opinion behind those motions
passed by Council which are particularly basic
to increasing the role of the student in the
University complex.
In Brown, Council has elected a president
who is knowledgeable, experienced and consci-
entious but who lacks prowess in public rela-
tions and politics. It is highly likely that a
Council which needs a forceful driving presi-
dent this spring has elected an administrator.
It would be unfair to predict Brown's perform
ance on the basis of the failures of his prede-
cessor; we Dgave only the views as already ex-
pounded by the newly elected president to go
on. However, tomorrow night Brown will slam
down the gavel in his first meeting as presi-
dent: perhaps by then he will have recon-
sidered his philosophy of presidency-a narrow
view which has been perpetuated by other
council presidents, and which has fostered a
Student Government Council that has also
taken a narrow view of its power and its re-
sponsibilities.
-GLORIA BOWLES
By GERALD STORCH
CONTRARY to mhost of the
propaganda you hear, the edu-
cation section of the proposed
State Constitution is definitely
not a "great advance" for univer-
sities in Michigan.
It has become increasingly ap-
parent, instead, that the words
so appealing on paper would in
actuality plunge higher educatior
in this state into a morass of con-
fusion.
The most highly-touted part of
the article establishes an eight-
member state board of education
which would "serve as the general
planning and coordinating body
for- all public education and ad-
vise the Legislature as to the fi-
nancial requirements" of the re-
spective institutions.
GREAT, Republicans say. Just
what we need to end duplication
of servicesamong state universi-
ties and harmful in-fighting for
higher appropriations. This new
board, they believe, would be able
to draw up an orderly plan for
state-wide development of educa-
tion to ease Michigan through the
impending "baby boom" crop of
college applicants.
Unfortunately, the con-con
framers were eminently unclear in
their phrasing. Since the new
document also would guarantee'
the 10 state universities sole power,
"to supervise their respective in-
stitutions and control and direct
the expenditure of the institutions'
funds," no one really knows, for
example, whether the authority to'
set up university 'branches - a
non-internal expenditure - rests
with the education board or the
individual institution.
The potential dangers of this
particular section were clearly
demonstrated last week. Northern
Michigan University President Ed-
gar L. Harden charged that the
failure of the University and the
other state colleges to agree on
the best plan for expansion of
Delta College left the state's high-
er education system in "near an-
archy."
He noted "with . great reluc-
tance" that, if the proposed con-'
stitution passes, the state board
would have to do the "overall
planning" since voluntary cooper-
ation among the state colleges ob-
viously hadn't worked.
A scorching reply was then
delivered by Regent Eugene B.
Power, who warned that compul-
sory coordination would merely
shift the arena of inter-university
competition from the Legislature.
to the state board.
* * *
POWER IS right. The educa-
tional needs of the State of Mich-
igan are best determined by its
educators, not its "citizens" or its
politicians. Educators are men
who are hired and paid to deal
with problems of education, and,
there are few things more infuri-
ating than seeing newly self-
styled layman "experts" rush in
with The Solution.
This highly-praised provision is
also sadly lacking in another as-
pect: the board's power to "advise
the Legislature as to the financial
requirements" of each institution
-in more blunt terms, who should
get cut and how much.
Each university, probably, would
have to submit its budgetary fig-
ures to the state board as well as
to the state controller's office.
Each university would have to
scrap with every other institution
in two places now; instead of min-
imizing institutional rivalry, the
proposed constitution would mag-
nify it.
The con-con brainstorm gets
worse: the Legislature thus would
,get "expert" advice from two
sources, and even the most doltish
of individuals can perceive that
all the legislators would do would
be to accept cheerfully whichever
recommendation is lower and be
done with it.
* 0 *
IT THEREFORE seems clear
that voluntary c o o p e r a t i o n
through the Michigan Coordinat-
ing, Council for Public Higher
Education, however Imperfect, is
still the best means of coordinat-
ing the plans and wishes of dif-
ferent universities, and that the
education section of the new docu-
ment takes a gross step backward
in providing for a compulsory,
rigid, formalized system of layman
coordination.
The provision, if enforced by
the state board, would probably
be bitterly contested in court.
Nevertheless; this particular
clause enjoys bipartisan support,
attracted mainly by its alluring
promise for less institutional ri-
valry.
Four other significant innova-
tions in the education article have
been greeted with party disagree-
ment.
* * *
STATE SUPERINTENDENCY-
The con-con framers removed
this office from the statewide bal-
lot and placed it under the
authority of the state board of
education. The superintendent
would carry out its policies and
act as its chairman, without the
right to vote. He would be ap-
pointed by the board for a term
of office to be determined by the
board. The board itself would
wield the authority previously
held by the superintendent.
Republicans assert this revision
would remove the superintendency
from partisan politics and thus
would enhance "professionalism,"
attracting more qualified people to
the position.
Democrats believe the move is
an unwarranted demotion of the
superintendent, who has enjoyed
a good amount of discretion and
authority in working with 2,000
individual school districts. Furth-
ermore, they argue, awarding
power to an eight-man, statewide
elected commission merely serves
to diffuse and muddle lines of re-
sponsibility.
* * *
THE DEMOCRATS on this
point seem to have the better
stand. Since the superintendent
is a state official, he should be
appointed by and responsible to
the governor, not to the board or
directly to the electorate.
The creation of a policy-making
board on the state level was
meant to provide greater public
participation in the governing of
educational institutions and to
give the superintendent expert
citizen advice and consultation.
But these goals could have been
satisfied by setting up some sort
of advisory body rather than the
more clumsy and inefficient "gov-
ernment by committee" over
which the popularly-elected gov-
ernor would have no control.
EX - OFFICIO GOVERNOR -
"The governor shall be an ex-
officio member of thestate board
of education without the right to
vote."
Republicans claim this would
provide the necessary close rela-
tionship between the executive
branch and public education.
Democrats contend the board
would become embroiled in "par-
tisan politics."
The GOP has a better stand'
here. The governor is a member
of many boards, and rarely has
time to attend any of their meet-
ings. In addition, lifting his right
to vote would seem to forestall
the possibilities of his interjecting
partisan considerations into edu-
cational questions. At any rate,
this provision wouldn't do any
harm.
* *,*
ADVISE AND CONSENT--The
proposed constitution decrees that
members of governing boards of
state universities outside the "Big
Three" (the University, Michigan
State University and Wayne State
University) be "appointed by the
governor by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate."
Republicans generally avoid
discussing this point.
Democrats blast away, charging
that letting the GOP "veto bloc"
in the Senate put its hands on
education board nominations is an
incredible risk, in view of the
19th century orientation of the
outstate Republicans.
THE DEMOCRATS are right,
for the wrong reason. A constitu-
tion, is a basic, long-term draft
whose content is based on funda-
mental rather than transitory
situations such as political align-
ment. The old-guard is being
crowded out in the Senate by the
GOP moderates anyway.
But it is difficultto understand
why the Senate should have the
power to veto gubernatorial ap-
pointments in this area. The board
terms last for eight years. Since
there would be eight members of.
each institution's board, two
would be appointed every other
year to establish overlapping
membership.
Governors would appoint mem-
bers of their own party to the
governing boards, just as they
have always done in the past.
Therefore, when the electorate
makes its choice for governor, it
exercise its indirect control over
education boards, and the Senate
check becomes unnecessary and
dilatorious.
The only result would be an ad-
ditional and unwelcome injection
of direct partisan considerations
in college board selection.
* * *
THE TWO other major changes
in the section which deal with
higher eduaction have been ap-
plauded by all.
One is the granting of consti-
tutional autonomy to the other
seven state universities (the Uni-
versity, Michigan State University
and Wayne State University al-
ready have it.)
Henceforth,\ the 'little seven'---
and any colleges created in the
future-would be free to formulate
their own practices, unshackled
(in theory) by structures outside
the particular institution.
Secondly, the proposed charter
would require legislative support
and supervision of community and
junior colleges, which aren't even
mentioned in the present constitu-
tipn.
To aid in policy planning, a
special advisory committee would
be set up for the state board.
(Democrats contended that this
abrogates what the board itself
is charged to do, but proponents
pointed to the heavy load of work
involved in handling the fast-
growing two-year colleges.)
. .
TAKEN IN sum, the education
section is disappointing. Its ad-
vocates are more inclined to speak
in glittering generalities and ad-
hominem recitals of the distin-
guished citizens education organ-
izations (PTA's, and so forth)
which have endorsed the docu-
ment, than in concrete, meaning-
ful specifics.
Democrats, on the other hand,
have failed miserably to give ade-
quate thought to the important
compulsory coordination clause-
the worst part of the whole sec-
tion.
As for non-party stances, it is
extremely difficult to see why so
many respected educators have
come out in favor of the section
(perhaps the granting of auton-
omy to the seven other colleges
overshadows the detriment they
may or may not detect in the rest
of the article.)
Furthermore, it is difficult to
understand how a con-con com-
mittee, composed of distinguished
leaders such as MSU President
John Hannah and former Regent
Roscoe Bonisteel, could contrive a
plan which ultimately would work
to the harm of state universities.
At this juncture, the only rea-
sonable conclusion from the diffi-
cult situation to be drawn is this:
if the document passes, hopefully
the "coordination" clause will
either be amended.or not strictly
enforced by the state board: ifcit
fails, let us then work to put into
our present constitution the good
things done by the men at con-
con.
CONTEMPORARY FESTIVAL:
Haunting Freshness'
THE THIRD CONCERT of this
year's Contemporary Music
Festival opened with the oldest
work on the festival, Alban Berg's
"Four Pieces for Clarinet and
Piano (1913)." It is remarkable to
observe the freshness and vitality
of this music. It's haunting slow
sections contrast with the energe-
tic, wonderful rhythms.
The performance by John Moh-
ler, clarinet, and Charles Fisher,
piano, was excellent.'
"Chansons Innocentes" by Sal-
vatore Martirano are three witty
songs with texts by e.e. cummings.
They were delightfully performed
by Karen Lovejoy, soprano, and
Lawrence Crawford, pianist. Mrs.
Lovejoyndeserves special praise for
her wonderful projection of the
text.
* *, *
THE THIRD WORK, Togni's
Sonata for Flute and Piano, is a
problematic work. Despite lIts
rhythmic vitality, I found only
the rondo last movement satis-
fying. The performance was sn-
purb. Mr. Hauenstein's command
of the flute is well-known and
his ivork in this piece was beyond
reproach. Mr. Berry again reveal-
ed his fine gifts as a pianist and
his extraordinary ability to coem-
prehend and communicate music
in the contemporary styles.
Castiglioni's "Tropi" concluded
the first part of the program. The
work consists of short, choppy
ideas which appear largely discon-
nected. It is one of those com-
positions which cause me to won-
der who is trying to fool whom.
"Tropi" is an extremely difficult
piece to put together in perform-
ance. The ensemble, conducted by
David Sutherland, made a valiant
attempt and for all I could tell,
they succeeded.
* * *
AFTER THE intermission, Ger-
ald Humel's Trio for Horn, Viola,
and Piano receivedi ts first per-
formance. The Trio is a large-
scale work which dares to be ro-
mantic and richly sonorous. Each
of the instruments is given dis-
tinct, idiomatic music, and yet the
total ensemble fits well together.
It is not a totally successful work,
because it tends to be tedious at
times.
The dedicated, excellent artists
were Marian Owen, pianists, Rob-
ert Courte, violist, and Louis Stout,
horn.
-Robert Jobe
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Political Disgust
To the Editor:
AM RATHER disgusted with an apparent apathy on the part of
the young political party clubs. As far as I can discern, they are no
more politically oriented than the Women's Afternoon Coffee Clutch.
I receive an impression that they are willing to distribute literature.
on important - but rather far-removed - issues; but are hesitant
to take an active part in a more
immediate event.
Presently, there is a rather BAG OF TRICKS:
unique political race going on in
the Ann Arbor area. Its unique-
ness lies in the fact that the Dem- A iroe1
ocrats have finally come uo with
a competent candidate, in the
person of Dr. Albert F. Schneider, TE ADVENT of Norman Mailer
to oppose the incumbent Republi- in Ann Arbor yesterday was
can Mayor Creal. This race would not quite the jubilee that the
seem to afford an excellent oppor- Union (which lost some $300. on
tunity for these "politicsl clubs" th venture) had hoped for.
to get untried hands into some Whether it was a mysterious pre-
real politics., science or just apathy which kept
From what I have been able to people away, the result still was
ascertain, Dr. Schneider is an en- that one missed very little by not
ergetic, seiious, and able contend- experiencing Mailer in the flesh.
er, and the Young Democrats He is, in short, a terribly suc-
would profit by a closer associa- cessful dilettante, he knows his
tion with him, Meanwhile, the success, and the knowledge makes.
Young Republicans are offered an him weak. Encouraged by the pop-
opportunity to see a political ma- ular magazines, Mailer has begun
chine (on a minor scale) in ac- to believe that any of his instant
tion. There is no doubt in my thoughts are fit to print.
mind that the conscientious can- Bertrand Russell is one of the
didate will be grateful for support few men who can get away with
and ideas from a club - and will uncensored mental broadcast be-
be willing to work with them for cause his unreflected thoughts are
mutual profit. I am relatively cer- usually brilliant. Norman Mailer
tain of this acceptance because of does not belong to that club, al-
these words by Dr. Schneider, in though it is only fair to recognize
his speech of February 16: that he addresses himself to a
* * * different slice of culture and a
"DESPITE ITS years, Ann Ar- different audience.
bor is a young town in its people * * *
and its ideas. Even in the most
aged citizen may be found the HIS STYLE is inordinately ac-
youthful ideas generated by the robatic and cunningly enough dis-
intellectual atmosphere enjoyed guised to keep At least Ann Ar-
in our city. And youth must be bor audiences off his trail. He read
served by youth." some of his Esquire articles and
I do not feel that the issue can other things he had written. Then,
be stated any more clearly than pretending to "discuss" existential-
this. I feel that if the clubs are ism with the audience, he went
at all serious about politics, and into his act. His stunt consists of
are willing to contribute some doing a sort of extemporaneous
time and effort to better their un- term paper on the diversity of
derstanding of its workings, they topics which his writings cover.
should consider taking an active Now the'consolidation of diverse
part in this interesting campaign. observations into a single system
-Don C. DiLella, '65 is a fine academic tool. But in the
ae
hands of a man eager to show how
much ground he can cover and
still 'come out looking whole, it
loses its integrity, at least, and
probably its attractiveness as well.
At best it is some high form of
vaudeville, but never is it justifi-
able as an intellectual endeavor,
* * *
I AM UNHAPPY to say that
the audience (or at least those
who asked questions) kept trying
to pump more "meaning" out of
his simple premises (e.g. what fol-
lows if there is life after death
and a soul) instead of sitting back
and enjoying the spectacle of a
man trying to construct a card
house out of his own jokers.
Like the infinite girl on the
cornflakes box (who herself holds
a cornflakes box, which in turn,
etc.), Mailer pulls his act out of
his own bag of tricks. One favorite
trick .Is to list things (people on
a letterhead, topics of conversa-
tion), forcing the listener to stake
out new boundaries with each en-
try if he ever hopes to include
them all within one category. The,
hopelessness of the task ap-
proaches at an expontential speed,
and it is a fine joke. The same
result, however, obtains when
Mailer does it with his topics.
Norman Mailer, then, is a trav-
eling circus It is his style' of life,
transmitted through his comments
which must be reviewed tonight;
matters of form and content are
mere vehicles. If you liked the
Hardy Boys, you'll love Norman
Mailer.
-
Red Robin Hood'
FEIFFER
ACCORDING to the "Christian Science Mon-
itor," a woman in Indiana objects to the
teaching of the Robin Hood legend because
he was a follower of "the straight Communist
line
The Hoosier lady who is convinced that
Robin was a Red is typical of the growing pres-
sure, on all sides of the political fence, from
people who want to censor school textbooks.
In Detroit, there was a case where Negroes
objected to the use of a textbook which they
felt slighted the achievements of Negroes. In
Pontiac, there was protest against the use of
Editorial Staff
MICHAEL OLINICK, Editor
JUDITH OPPENHEIM MICHAEL HARRAH
some of the established classics because of
their supposedly obscene nature. In Texas,
groups have asked schools, to delete favorable
references on everything from the United
Nations to the progressive income taxes.
These protests raise important, questions.
How much freedom are public schools being
given to teach the controversial subjects and
what role can the citizen play in selecting the
material to be taught in the classroom.
THE SELECTION of texts is not a duty of
the general public. The public is no more
entitled to select a history text for a high
school than it is to erase the decisions of his-
tory. The South has lost the Civil War and, if
the South does not like to admit this unplea-
sant fact in its text books, that's too bad.
Furthermore, every ethnic, religious and ra-
cial group has unpleasant images and experi-
ences in its hackground that it wnuld like to
AT~
roouo ilrte M. W.
T~q Ill 1
LAIIA . wfi
&o 10 W061 t{rin
R IT r
A"EI? Rt Ae eet~A £rrlt6041
coloWca6l m Opp WC Caq 09RAG
a
1tlg ais ;
T 6I&Y PFASJr LA
V1AVR4t.05L~U
(f~ m A r ThetA M 5a4L6 WIC
TARM RARJ