SMO t-Fif tb Year' Em. m~h~Acz -BY Sruwm oi r m Uwimmsor m UWIWEK U1.HOIXT Y of BOA"~ IN CONTROL OF STTYD!T PUIMUC&TIah "On Ending violence In The Streets-I Think I'd Cut Out That Part About Small Tactical Nuclear Bombs" STUDENT OPPOSITION: NUSAS and Apartheid In South Africa SI '.4 - QOPilitons A Pe*,420 MAYNARD Si., ANN Aa&aostMICH. mfth will Pail NEWs PIxoN-: 744-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1964 NIGHT EDITOR: KENNETH WINTER Pledging Fraternities: Do It First Semester... i 1 1 ----771 Q ONE OF THE MOST enduring pieces o conventional campus wisdom is th thesis that pledging a fraternity during one's first semester of college is a foolis] act that is bound to result in disaster fo anyone so unwise as to attempt it. "The entering student is new to th University," the thesis runs. "He know little about how to, study, little, about th activities available to him on campus and little about the fraternity system Therefore, he should use his first semes ter to orient himself to'the campus, wait ing until his second semester or later, when he has his feet on the ground, tc do anything so decisive as pledging a fra ternity." That this illogic should ever have been uttered is amazing enough. That is ha acquired the trappings of an accepted truth is unbelievable. ^ . ONSIDER FOR EXAMPLE the conten 'fon that a freshman ought to "learn how to study and get his grades up be fore pledging a fraternity." The study situation in the men's residence halls i far from perfect. The , entering studen living there will be living with a horde o other students, many of whom will be concerned about their grades, but some of whom will be unable to adjust t their new-found freedom and won't worry very much about letting their neighbors adjust either. In addition, the overwhelming major. ity of the entering student's compatriots in the residence halls will be freshmen all of whom will be trying to "adjust" and none of whom will be able to give any worthwhile study advice to each other As a first semester fraternity pledge the student is still required to live in the residence hal. However, by pledging, he has linked himself to a group of older students whose academi abilities have been proven by the fact that they are still in school. , Moreover, a fraternity pledge is un- der pressure from the active chapter to maintain his grades and pledge study sessions in conjunction with other actives are a fixture in the fraternity system. THE SAME REASONING can be applied to a man's finding out about the many facets of campus life. Fraternities are notorious for encouraging their pledges to become active in campus activities of any kind. The pledge is sure to find men ahead of him who have had a wide range of experiences and can give him some in- sight into the many activities available. In the residence hall again, it is doubt- ful that this experience will be present or readily available. ' Te most preposterous part of the myth, however, is the contention that a man will "know more about fraternities" in his second semester than in his first. Most fraternity men really know little "about fraternities" until they have be-' come active members. Even then, a man's understanding of his fraternity and the fraternity system is continually growing and changing as long as he remains in contact with fraternity affairs. To think that a man is going to find out any worthwhile information about fraternities from a group of non-fraternity men in the residence halls is entirely unreason- able. AT BEST, the freshman who fails to pledge during the first semester will meet a half-dozen men who did pledge, all of whom will still be in the early stages of learning about their houses themselves. Their understanding of fra- ternities will be nil compared with ac- tive members. Thee only sure: way to "learn about fra- ternities" is to pledge one. Rush gives the student an impression of the house; pledging lets him see the house in its day-to-day operation and the active mem- bers in their normal surroundings. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, the pledge will find that his impressions of a house from rush will be correct and he will continue on to become an active. However, should a man be dissatisfied, he may depledge at any time. For a first semester pledge, this is not a serious problem, as he has another semester to decide on his housing for the ing back into the residence hall for a sec- ond year. TffUS THE "PLEDGE LATER" thesis is entirely without foundation. A first semester pledge will be in a superior situ- ation academically, in a better position to learn about the campus, and more able to make his pledging decision without the spectre of living problems haunting him. A man interested in fraternities should pledge first semester. -JOHN BRYANT ... '<. But Consider @00" S HREE DAYS FROM NOW about 700 s rushees will begin an excursion which d will take them into the trophy rooms, basements, bathrooms, and broomclosets of some 44 fraternities. In less than three days about 2500 fraternity men will have n shined their cordovans and started to - practice their conversation pieces. s But these ostensible matters are not important in themselves-they are means to an end. The real thrust of men's r sh f must be the search for men who, be- e cause of their interests and talents, can e compatibly contribute to and benefit o from the fraternal organization. THE FEW DAYS of rush offer only a surface understanding of a fraternity; and on the basis of this brief period there s is no guarantee that the rushee will find ' the house that is best for him, or vice versa. There is no guarantee, but there is a strong possibility; and it is upon . this possibility that rush is wagered twice , each year. . The chance that the choice will be correct is augumented by two factors. r First, the fraternity system at Michigan is large and diversified. In terms of size, interests and physical plant, all houses differ. In a simple-minded way, there is a house to meet each rushee's needs. Second, each house has its own diversifi- cation. Each fraternity will have its aca- demic-minded, its socially-oriented and its athletically gifted-although propor- tions differ from house to house. ALL ANGLES considered, the final ' choice is crucial in terms of time, energy, happiness and money. The com- mitments to which a pledge subjects him- self will never regress. They will grow vigorously for the balance of his college career. It is probably with this thought in mind that each house tries to draw the kind of pledge who can shoulder his academic challenges and carry his share of the fraternity duties without qualm., And this demand is perhaps one of the most exigent factors for the rushee to measure. If he does not fully appreciate the obligations he is accepting, he is de- ceiving both himself and the fraternity. WHEN A RUSHEE is a person who can divide his talents and energies, he is in demand, and he can afford to be selec- tive. However, each rushee is hopefully searching for friends who will in time become closer to him, and in this sense he is vulnerable. Friendship is prob- ably the single most important element . in the fraternity because it can serve as a tie which a large university can sel- dom offer. In the smaller group the in- dividual may find self-expression, and lasting, meaningful relationships. But the quality of friendliness can be prostituted to serve as a bait for the desirable rushee. The most well-meant council and the most profound axioms will be worth noth- ing if the rushee fails to measure friend- liness. During the few days of rush he will have the one appropriate and perhaps last chance to divide the sincere from the; pretentious; and it is largely from this division that the pledge's future satisfac-, tion with the fraternity will stem. Al-; though this distinction has always been easy, in rush i tbecomes increasingly dif- ficult, and in many wys hazardous. RUSH IS A CONTEST between accur- ate, cool estimation on the one hand, and a sincere exhibition of personality, talents and energies on the other. It has' no easy answer, but it must have a quick solution., T t .A M/#( '.. ..* ^"a n THE DIRKSEN RIDER:.:. Rral Rip at eappotionment By HAROLD WOLMAN OBSCURED in the polemics; coming from Congress in the reapportionment battle has been the peculiar nature of the forces supporting and opposing Senator Dirksen's amendment. The Dirksen proposal in effect is designed temporarily to pre- vent the Supreme Court from re- quiring states to reapportion un- til the Senate has had time to consider a constitutional amend- ment which would give states the right to apportion their legisla- tures as they themselves see fit. Many Democratic senators are opposed to Senate passage of such a constitutional amendment, since, in deciding whether to ratify it, malapportioned state legislatures would really be deciding whether they should vote themselves out of office. The. results of - such a vote would not be difficult to pre- dict. BUT THE EFFORTS of the senator from Illinois to attach this as a rider to the foreign aid bill (an. adroit legislative maneu- ver since President Johnson would then have to veto the entire foreign aid bill in order to veto the rider) are being applauded by nearly all the Republicans in the Senate. Yet, what is remarkable about this is that it is the Republican Party which would be expected to benefit from the court's contro- versial one-man, one-vote decision earlier this year. IN THAT DECISION the court ruled that both houses of state legislatures must be apportioned on a population basis. Currently most states are dominated by rural elements far out of propor- tion to their numerical strength in one or both branches of the legis- latures. The court's decision would transfer political power to urban and suburban areas. In the North, Democrats initial- ly would be expected to pick up seats in the great cities proper. But Republicans could be expect- ed to gain at least as many seats in the suburban areas which suf- fer even more than the cities from underrepresentation. Furthermore, most Northern cities.are gradually losing population to the expand- ing suburban areas, and, if these areas continue to be Republican, the GOP stands to do well in the future. In the South, Republican strength is centered in the pros- perous urban areas, and the Court's decision can do nothing but help the GOP. Consequently, many Southern Republicans (who are non-existent in the Senate) are not happy with Dirksen's maneuvering. * * * WHY ARE the Senate Republi- cans opposing a court decision which promises to be quite favor- able to the party? Perhaps they are not able to recognize where their own interest lies. Perhaps, but there is a much better expla- nation for this seemingly irra- tional behaviour.- For the reapportionment fight we are now watching is not pri- marily a battle between Demo- crats and Republicans. Instead, it is a reflection of a fierce struggle between rural and urban elements occurring within each state for political control of the state legis- lature. Rural Republicans in ur- ban states are understandably re- luctant to selflessly abrogate their control, even if the 'party or an organization may be helped. THE DEPTHS of this urban- rural split within each state can be measured to some degree by looking at the recent vote in the House of Representatives on the Tuck bill. This bill,-introduced by Rep.. William Tuck, a rural Vir- ginia Democrat, would take away the power of the Supreme Court to hear cases on reapportionment. Although it is given no chance at all to pass the Senate and become lsw, the Tuck bill passed the House in late August, 218-175. In the California delegation, for example, only, three of the 15 Re- publican members did not favor the bill, the effect of which would be to ensure rural control of the state legislature. Two of these represented districts in San Fran- cisco County and Los Angeles County. The third, Craig Hosmer, whose district also lies in Los Angeles County, is one of the staunchest Republican conserva- tives in the House. He simply vot-' ed present during the roll call. At the same time, three California Democrats from rural areas voted in favor of the Tuck Bill. . THE SAME situation exists in state after state. In Florida, rep- resentatives from Miami, Tampa, and St. Petersburg areas, includ- ing conservative Republican Wil- liam Cramer, opposed Tuck's as- sault on the court, while northern Florida rural representatives sup- ported the measure. In Penn- sylvania, GOP members from the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas voted against Tuck, while Republi- cans from predominantly rural areas took the opposite stand. In Texas, both representatives. from the Houston area opposed the bill as did the representative from San Antonio and one of the representatives -from Dallas. The other Dallas congressman, con- servative Republican Bruca Alger,, did not cast a vote. The remain- der of the delegation-mostly. rural Democrats--favored the re- strictions on the court. In state after state this pattern held true. WHAT DOES all this have to do with the Dirksen amendment? Senators, too, are not. divorced from state politics. Their personal organizations, their prestige, and, indeed, their vote-getting ability. may be bound up with a certain faction within the state party, and it is in their interest to keep that faction strong. It is safe to say that those, who, like Senator Dirksen, depend upon the rural elements in the state for aid and succor, will be stronglyapposed to transferring the balance of political power from rural con- trol, even if their party may gain a few seats on balance in the process. It is ironic that many of these same Republicans are also the most vocal in extolling the virtues of states rights and a limited fed- eral government. For rural dom- ination of state legislatures due to malapportionment is generally considered to be one.of the major causesrfor the decline of state governments and the growth of functions performed by the- fed- eral government. These rural legis- latures are unable or unwilling to cope with the pressing problems facing urban areas. As a result. {-lnniia "oYn ont nr a - to o~ EDITOR'S NOTE: Mary Beth Uor- ton has. been a delegate to he last two Un$ted statesStudent Asso- ciation Congresses. She graduated from the University in June and is now attending Harvard University on a Woodrow Wilson fellowship. By MARY BETH NORTON Daily Guest Writer I N.THE REPUBLIC of South Africa today, few organizatios dare to challenge the ruling Na- tionalist Party's delogy of "Christian-nationalism"*and its primary nanifestation, apartheid. The United Party, nominal opposi- tion to the Africaaner-controlled government, actually supports its racial policies. And the two strong- est ,Negro parties (the African National Congress and the Pan- African Congress) have been ban- ned as subversive. The remaining parties are bothaweak and small; only the Liberals, .led by Alan Paton, express much opposition to the government. ' Thus, with even legitimate poli- tical dissent stifled, there are few organizations in South Africa con- istently willing to oppose publicly Prime Minister Verwoerd's policies. One of these is the National Union of South African Students (NU- SAS). The United States National Student Association (USNSA) has long had a close relationship with NUAS, and is one of its firmest supporters, besides being its major source of funds. NUSAS has always been a prime target of the govern- ment, but as the number of open dissenters in South Africa has de- creased through imprisonment and intimidation, it has become more and more the central focus of government attacks. In addition, NUSAS must now contend with the hostility of other African na- tional unions. ** * VERWOERD'S FORCES have attempted to harass NUSAS in many ways. One of their first moves was Ito force NUSAS to abandon its system of member- ship by school affiliation and to adopt one of individual choice, thus requiring that each prospec- tive member specifically join the national union. But this tactic had little effect: the great majority of NUSAS's membership rejoined, even ,though they realized the risk involved. More recently, police have conducted periodic raids on the NUSAS office, ostensibly searching for "subversive" litera- ture, but actually trying to un- cover any evidence that might give the government some slight grounds for banning the organi- zation. But in addition to these attacks, which were predictable from the moment that NUSAS decided it could not remain mute on the question of apartheid, the union has had to face a challenge from a different and entirely unexpect- ed quarter: other African student unions. At a pan-African student meeting in Dar-es-Salaam about a year ago, the student unions from newly-independent nations contended that NUSAS, although integrated, could not truly repre- sent the students of South Africa. LEHAR LIGHTNESS: Rene Clair Comrader At the Cinema Guild THIS SUMMER, my English teacher frequently referred to Ralph Waldo Emerson's "felici- tous turns of phrase." I suppose he meant Emerson's style, which. I found more ponderous than in- gratiating. In another sense, I must sit back and admire Rene Clair's "felicitous turns of phrase." His style is light and breezy and often stimulating and entertain- ing. His early sound film - I would prefer to call them "sing- les"-are in the musical comedy genre of Lehar and Lerner and Loewe, CLAIR'S "Sous Les Toits de Par- is" (1929) touched very slightly on social themes, played up more strongly the "amour" triangle be- tween the leads, but most strong- ly dwelt on the comraderie of the two maler protagonists. ;"A Nous La Liberte" (1931) from its title is obviously more concerned with freedom, in this case with that of inmates of a prison and in- mates of an assembly-line. Clair. stressesthe similarities of these two institutions of the technical society that was growing up in the twenties and thirties. With this leitmotif darting in and out of the foreground of the film, with Clair's impetuous ballet of running, jumping, singing, swooning characters fiiling in and" emphasizing this theme, the leit- motifs of love and friendship take their place in the dash. of things. The rush of events is strongly reminiscent of Sennet's heroic and breathless comedies-showing that the addition of sound did not mean the death of the char- acterizing chase and melodrama. They reasoned that Negroes should control the union, since they con- stituted the vast majority of the South African population. Even though they admitted that few Negroes were alowed to attend institutions of higher learning in South Africa, they argued that NUSAS had little claim to legti- macy. And they cntinuied this tack at the recent International Student Conference in Christ- church, New Zealand, where they unsuccessfully challenged NUSAS' credentials. t * * * WHAT MAY BE the final chap- ter In the history of NUSAS as an open, °viable organization was begun earlier this month as gov- , ernment interference in its af- fairs suddenly increased. Magnus Ghunther, a former NUSS officer Who has been studying in the " United States, Went back tq South Africa bn a visit and was con- tinually harassed during his stay. Paradoxically, he was allowed to leave the country, but he will never be able to return agan. Other former NUSAS leaders, in- cluding many who have at one timestudied or visited in the U.S., have been arrested. As a final blow, during the second week in August Jonty Driver, the curreat president of NUSAS, was taken into custody under the terms of the 90 Day Detention Act (which allows the police to detain a prisoner in- definitely without entering charges against him or letting him have any visitors). Never :before had the government dared to attack the current NUSAS leadership. * * * LAST SUMMER at the 16th Na-, tional Student Congress, Jonty Driver was an honored and wel- come guest. He returned to South Africa after his visit knowing full well that ;he would probably be arrested and perhaps executed for his opposition *to apartheid. He returned knowing that he had no future, that he would never be able to get a job, that he would never be allowed to leave the " country .again. But he returned because he also knew that he had to continue the fight against Ver- woerd's government. It was ap- parent from his attitude as he siioke to the congress that he had little hope for himself, but that he did believe there was some hope for his ountry! if the voices of dissent were not completely muzzled. !Jonty said just one thing last summer to the students of the United States: no matter how fu- tile your protests may seem, raise your voices in anger against apartheid. Let NUSAS know that somewhere there are people who understand what we are doing and s pport the effeorts, let us know that students outside of South Africa sympathize with our struggle, and most of all, simply let us know that there is a free world where men can say and think what they please without fear of government intimidation. 's 'Sin gies:' ie overA l But beware. "A Nous La Liberte" may flow uneasily through your humors. Many of the characters are stereotypes and the exempli- fied fraternite seems, unrealistic today. Here, this male companionship is more important than the female kind. Personal problems must often be subjugated to the solving of a friend's own problems. Wealth is unimportant unless comraderie is strong. Society waits in the wings while friendship plays its lead role. THIS RESTS like an itch on our contemporary minds. We scratch it off and turn to Dr. Strangelove as the epitome of our era, as the symbol of our society, and as the Faustus to whom our souls are now temporarily sold., Ifeel thi way about "A Nous La Liberte" and I have no doubts that the rest of the contemporary audience also does. _ Itdis incongruous to our times to associate light and prancing cinematic fun a la mode Rene Claire with conforming, automat-; ing, regimenting and technical so- ciety. This fantasy, enveloping a very real and realistic problem, seems to skirt the issues and sa- tire and concentrate on human beings. Yes ... That's what it does, and thank God it does. Chaplain's "Modern Times" (1936) deals with the same theme but the effect is entirely different. Here is a one man- against all that technology represents. Chaplain is as much the antagonist as automation is. He dives in to the gears and grease literally, and pulls out the poppy- cock and illusions that these in- fernal machines produce for all of 1,. ( I 4 TRIPLE TREAT: *Brilliantly Imaginative Wednesday Free Fare At the Cinema Guild OVERFLOW CROWDS responded last night as the Cinema Guild put together a brilliantly imaginitive program for the first of three Wednesday night free shows. It was an evening of spoof, shock, sultry sex with two wholly un- conventional shorts and the wildest feature ever to .emanate from. Hollywood. The opening short, Rene Clair's "Entr 'Acte," was pure confection, a Dada exercise that appeared to be as much fun for them as it was for us. It was all just a Sophomoric lark, made by a group of serious artists having fun on their day off, as it were. * * * * "UN CHIEN ANDALOU," a collaboration between Salvador Dali and Louis Bunuel, was a giant booby trap for those who seek to find meaningsthat do not exist. The purpose of the film was simply to shock, disturb and confuse, and I take Dali and Bunuel at their word when they claim to have purged all deeper meaning from the episodes.. In its own perverse way, "Un Chien Andalou" was as funny as "Entr 'Acte." Even the opening episode, the slitting of an eyeball, was,' in its juxtaposition to a shot of clouds cutting across the moon, a wickedly funny exercise. * I 1$ ; 4 ( {;. i