Seventy-Fifth Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Defense of OFFSET Policy Where Opinions Are free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MicH. Truth Will Prevail NEWS PHONE: 764-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This ,must be noted in all reprints. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1964 NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT HIPPLER The First Convocation: Students and the President AT HIS FIRST student convocation on Thursday evening, President Harlan Hatcher was everything that a Univer- sity leader should be. By its poor attendance, the student body was everything that it should not be, a group that insulted its President (who was discussing student affairs) and shortchanged itself by filling less than 150 of the more than 1200 seats. But the students who did come found President Hatcher willing to exchange ideas on the future of undergraduate education,, an attitude which made the forum successful and set a valuable pre- cedent for futher student-administration dialogue. PRESIDENT HATCHER was eloquent, reminding undergraduates that at the core of the University "is still the con- cept of a liberal education in the great tradition usually profiled by Oxford and Cambridge." He was humorous, recalling a cartoon in a national magazine which shows a blase salesman telling a bewildered cus- tomer: "This toy is designed to hasten the child's adjustment to the world around him. No matter how carefully he puts it together, it won't work." But most important, President Hatch- er's words showed he was unmistakably concerned about the role of the under- graduate here, a point of view which administrators rarely express in public. THE PRESIDENT has been under fire from faculty and student quarters for his lack of communication with students. Although he addresses the freshman class annually and holds several open houses for students, more intellectually- minded members of the academic com- munity have called for a less frothy means of communication. With the aid of student leaders, the President devised the format for Thurs- day's night convocation, the first meet- ing to discuss student problems in four decades. To provide a give-and-take, Hatcher was to deliver a brief prepared speech and then answer questions posed by the audience. The President has long been concerned that the undergraduate is floating with- out a post to cling to in the complex tide of today's University. BUT IT WAS NOT until Thursday that he made this concern so vivid and so public. Lower echelon administrators double-talked on the "so-called" housing and classroom crisis in recent months, but the President was not afraid to lock horns with these issues. He promised to appoint a "blue rib- bon" citizens' board which can probe the problems of non-University residences. He predicted the new residential college and other attempts to establish integrat- ed living and learning environments will set the pattern for the entire University. The President devoted his longest an- swer to the complex problem of in-state and out-of-state students. He regretted no solutions were readily available, but advocated the formulation of a policy statement on this subject. DESPITE a rather meaty session, some students were skeptical afterwards of President Hatcher's performance. They thought he had talked around the ques- tions of housing and education and con- tinued to question "whether he really understands the issues." That he does was obvious, not from the prepared speech or his formal ex- pressions of concern, but in those little unprepared moments and gestures which to those familiar with the President are signs of great sincerity. It was a rather touching performance, the President proceeding almost as if he weren't facing bank after bank of empty chairs. He may have even felt a moment of disgust, the leader who has seen student grievers interrupting an open house but failing to appear at a forum where they could more properly air grievances. NONETHELESS, the hours with the President were well-spent. The stu- dents who were there heard the Univer- sity's highest administrator tell them that he too thinks about the threat of growth, the danger of complexity, the over-reliance on symbols of learning, the impersonality of the educational process. It is unfortunate that the students could not tear themselves away from their studying to spend a few moments learning why they are here. --LAURENCE KIRSHBAUM To the Editor: WELL, The Daily's "Letter to the Editor" column seems to be rapidly becoming Ann Arbor's answer to Central Park after dark-a good place to work out agressions. For instance, Mr. John Ward made excellent use of Thursday's column by getting in a great number of cutting slash- es. . . although I'm not sure whether he was aiming at me (as he originally said) or at the "Off- set" publication or at undergrad- uate writers in general. Despite the fact that Mr. Ward sprinkles his letter with "wild" quotations from my letter, he really disputes only two state- ments-that Mike Handelman should have been given as much freedom to express himself as was given the editor of Generation, and that the "Offset" magazine will not be in direct competition with Generation. Mr. Ward feels that The Daily's profusion of statements made by George White, Generation editor, was quite proper because "George White was present; Michael Han- delman was not." As far as this goes, it is true. However, it is al- so is the function of a new arti- cle to present the reactions of the central figures to new develop- ments. Handelman was contact- ed after White had made his ob- jections, but The Daily said noth- ing about Handelman's reactions to White. * * Mr. Ward insists that the "Off- set" magazine will be in compe- tition with Generation in the areas of circulation and advertis- ing. I suppose that there may be a sizeable block of students who would refuse to part with a quar- er on Wednesday because they had spent forty cents a week ago last Thursday, and vice-versa. However, it is my "naive" conten- tion that unless the two maga- zines went on sale at approxi- mately the same time, the exis- tence of one magazine would not seriously affect the circulation of the other. I will certainly concede that Mr. Ward is correct in asserting that all magazines are automatic- ally in competition for advertis- ing. However, my statements per- taining to the lack of competition between Generation and t h e "Offset" magazine were based on George White's published fears, and nowhere in the article did he mention any qualms about adver- tising (probably because this form of competition, as Mr. Ward well knows, is simply taken for grant- ed). Yet one can't help wondering, in view of Generation's alarm at any potential financial competi- tion, why the magazine's editorial board doesn't just turn its back on all the rest of the capitalistic system and dispense its publica- tion for nothing. If Generation is above challenge from other student magazines, then it should adopt a system whereby it never need fear competition. Mr. Ward's other criticism of my statements are not so much criticisms of me as they are of the "Offset" magazine and of un- dergraduate writers. Mr. Ward complains that the "Offset" maga- zine has not yet crystallized into any clearly-defined form. He is doubtlessly correct, but so what? The shape of a magazine is de- termined by its contents, which the "Offset" group is now just be- ginning to collect. Until these have been solicited and a prece- dent established, a magazine real- ly stands in need of nothing more than a vague and general outline of policy and form. Since Mr. Ward himself is an indergraduate, I suppose we should applaud his nobility in fearlessly doubting the value of undergraduate writing. However, most of these doubts seem to be based on the fact that Generation prefers the work of graduate stu- dents (one of the most important reasons for undergrad "apathy"). A second editorial policy on un- dergrad work in any field of writ- ing might well have some effect on these doubts-but that will be up to the "Offset" contributors. Let me state that, as a student, I am not against Generation. I am opposed to Generation's op- position to the "Offset" magazine. I wish Generation all the luck in the world, and if the senior mag- azine runs into any advertising difficulties, I am sure the "Off- set" publicity campaign manager will be glad to talk to Generation ad solicitors. -John Knox, '68 Book Policy To the Editor: A FUNNY thing happened to me on the way to a liberal educa- tion . . I am referring to the UGLI's policy on overnight books. Many times, after a grueling session of sweet silent thought, I have wandered lonely through the stacks of social science books, searching for anything, anything to relieve the parched feeling occa- sioned by required philosophy readings. Lo! here are 20 or 25 copies of "Principles of Something or Other," Second edition, spank- ing new. But oh sorrow! they are all marked 'Overnight." How in- finitely jealous I am of those lucky students who have the opportunity to justify checking out and read- ing such a book (for who has ever checked out an overnight book unnecessarily?). * * * NOW COMES a momentous dis- covery: copy No. 22 of this desir- a6le work, although marked "over- night," has not been checked out since April 14. Research proves that neither have 70 per cent of the remaining copies. Thus, by being marked "overnight," these books have simply been relegated to a forced retirement immediately after purchase: nobody checks them out. I would like to suggest this: that whenever the UGLI has more than a half-dozen copies of any given book, and if, after that book has been on some form of reserve for a month, it has proved to be very unpopular, then the library ought to transmogrify a few of its copies from "overnight" to two-week status. By allowing dilettantes to learn from the required reading of courses they are not taking, with- out having to compress this read- ing into the short period of time one can legally possess an over- night book, the library would be encouraging. more liberal educa- tions. -Fred T. Bookstein, '66 King Latex To the Editor: TODAY, against my better judg- ments, I chanced to be read- ing past issues of The Daily. Among the letters to the editor in the Sept. 18 issue, I found one from an East Quad student com- plaining that his room was being painted unnecessarily. It was evi- dent, even without mentioning, that he was not from the West Quad. I would like to supplement his complaint, being one of the many in a room which could not have been painted since the Quad was built, somewhere around 1776. LET ME assure you that I have often begged to have the room re- painted. I was told by certain authorities that the rooms are painted on a regular yearly sched- ule. However, my room still openly displays scars inflicted by former occupants; these include a large, crude patch where some poor quadie missed his bed and went through t h e wall, footprints marching proudly across the ceil- ing, and literally hundreds of smaller patches and beauty spots. Although my roommate has gal- lantly tried to cover these with large maps and murals, this is no improvement, and only adds to my frustration. Be it heretofore known that I would happily have my desk moved intothe hall and, further- more, would even sleep there a few days, were it only possible to persuade the ominous "King Latex and his men in white" to invade these dear portals. -Jon Tilburt '69 Featherbedding To the Editor: IN REPLY to John Varriano's Letter to the Editor of The Daily which was published Sep- tember, 1964. Subject: Feather- bedding. I do not dispute the article as written, but I feel that this was and still is a very narrow, pes- simistic outlook and unqualified judgement of the situation. First of all, was this "unusually brawny looking employe" as stat- ed in thenarticle a supervisor or not? Second, was the hourly rate $4.50 an hour or was this too an assumption? I PERSONALLY feel that to look at only one department of the University, which is plant, and label it as a stronghold of feather- bedding, without taking a good look at the other departments is an injustice to all concerned in that department and is a person- al insult. You, as an observer in this sit- uation, can evidently see only one side of the coin in this game. Did you ever take a close look at the employes of the University that wear street clothes daily on their jobs? What about the time they spend on coffee breaks. Is it fif- teen minutes two times a day or is it nearly one hour two times a day? Are they always back on time after lunch? I, AS A taxpayer and supporter of the University do not feel that the above mentioned employes are bad, nor do I feel that these em- ployes sit idly by and let their work go undone. Because at the University it is much different than in private industry where the whistle blows and the assembly line starts, so they work and live under a different situation. Under the present policy of merit increases where the boss can either give you a pay increase or he may deny the same by the stroke of his pen without legal reasons. Why shouldn't the em- ployes become acrimonious and rebellious? You may call it feath- erbedding or what have you, but people have a way of striking back at injustices. -Reginald Harrison IMARIAGE DE FIGARO': Cinema Form Ditorts La Cornedie Francaise At the Cinema Guild PERSONALLY, I think the theatre is fine, the cinema is finer. Logically, they are two distant and different performing arts. The theatre relies on sound and the spoken word to communicate with the mind of the audience; the cinema uses light and the moving image to communicate with the sensuous feelings of the audience. I prefer the latter, as most people do. "In the theatre, I am always I," a French- woman once said, "but in the cinema I dissolve into all things and beings." Movie producers have always tried and will keep trying to make motion pictures out of plays. They have never succeeded completely and usually have failed miserably, because they do not realize the innate differences that exist between the theatre and the cinema. For several- years, La Comedie Francaise has been making films of their classic productions. The producers, for once, have realized, I think, what can and cannot be done in putting a play on film, and have decided the best thing to do is to record the actors and actresses going through their paces without cinematic embellishment. Thus there is only a little incongruity and distortion of the play, "La Mar- iage de Figaro." * * * * BEAUMARCHAIS' COMEDY of the inter-plottings that are one day weaved in the house of a Spanish nobleman, is precisely and colorfully presented by La Comedie Francaise in front of a static camera. Many people around the world and for years to come will thus get a chance to see this fine troupe in action, by watching the play in two dimensions instead of in-the-flesh three dimensions. Unfortunately, the Eastman Color is of poor quality. Because the subtitles are short and incomplete and because the lines are delivered with shot-gun rapidity, the play is only mildly amusing. * * * * A FEW YEARS agog the Cinema Guild showed the first play La Comedie Francaise put on film, Moliere's "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme." It was a much better production than this one, the color was out- standing and the Moliere play was indefatigably fascinating. And it was much more obviously a filmed play than Beaumarchais', because all the action took place in a single room. That motion picture oddly succeeded in statically filming a play without diminishing its .enter- tainment value. The theatre-cinema alloy is almost always very brittle and weak because of the unharmonious reactions of our minds and our senses to what is happening on the screen. Producers must learn that they cannot have things both ways. They must make a choice. The pro- ducers of La Comedie Francaise have chosen to record a theatrical performance without any extraneous interference from the camera. -Michael Juliar 'KITTEN WITH A WHIP': 4 4 11 ,4 4 4 4 4 4 I A Ludicrous Film with The Residential College DEAN TRUMA asked in yesterday's let- ters column for more discussion on the residential college. More discussion certainly is necessary. Unless present' thinking is drastically altered, the resi- dential college will become a four-year institutiop-and just that. College goals and college life can gen- erally be divided into two part: the aca- demic and the nonacademic. Some people. come to college so they can get a job; be it as an engineer or an academician. They find what they want from college in the classroom. Some people come for the social life; they find what they want outside of their classes. Some people come for intellectual stimulation; they may find it either place, neither, or both. ALL THREE TYPES belong at college. Those of the first type can't get the degree society says they need anywhere else. Those of the second have nowhere- else to go; they may be able to retire at 40, but they had darn well better be busy at 21, and college is about the only place to save-by spending-their youth before it fades away. Those of the third need the time, resources and stimula- tion a college community can provide. Who is to say which type is getting the most out of college, regardless of grade- points and class attendance? A state- supported college is supported because of its value to the people of the state. This value can and should manifest itself in many ways. FURTHERMORE, there is no reliable way to distinguish between the three types of people, nor are many people overwhelmingly one type alone: the en- gineer plays I-M football; the football player attends Union-sponsored lectures. To exclude in large measuree opportuni- ties for any of the tvDes would be harm- further objection. The United States is a democracy, in which every citizen is a participant. The better the citizens, the better the nation. And what makes a citizen better? Knowledge of how the country is run, of the likely consequences of various policies it might pursue, of how policies and personages can be in- fluenced and changed, of how to tell when someone is lying or being insincere, of how to cooperate with fellow men, To the extent that these things can- not -or are not-being taught in the classroom, it is necessary that there be time to learn them elsewhere. Lounges, tennis courts, card tables,, stages, all offer more opportunity to learn some of these things than does what is between the covers of a textbook. THE NEW OBJECTION this argument makes to present residential college plans concerns the proposed curriculum. Maybe one cannot be taught in the class- room to perceive lying or understand cooperation, but he can be taught how governmental policies are made and the implications of deficit spending and regulation of big business. In a larger sense much that is wrong with the University can be attributed to its emphasis on the academic rather than on real problems in the real world -and to its lack of concern about what could be done to solve them. SOME PEOPLE claim that the residen- tial college will not promote an aca- demic atmosphere; they are saying that it will fail. They may be right, and at present that kind of failure would be a good thing. On the other hand, the college may not, in this sense, fail; it may create an academic atmosphere. In this case, I would regret that there was a residential college at all. =i: j t; i ; t 4 Y R 4 ?}; t - . '. ! 3 S r r: w 4 i <. ...;. t + t ,,. . ', ;, t S - ' t4 r.. 9v K. .,' , ^ fit. 'il, 'r . y. t; v - - .t ; ; ; 1 ,, ' S Ir; y'. , 11 p {. k Y{l1 S xl:,. i.ti y t f t.., { j, , - ' M f , i f Lt: ! fl. fi ;, r 's r fI i 1 ,,. ' I , +: d is r , t" , 1 t' r }i o i _ t 't . {;' 3 y. ! x' 5 t! rti Y f f - I tp t t { I x, h fi_ lit } ,A t t j: ~ t itt;Y; } 4 r d.''r/ f ! % i Jrg 'f ''at ' t 1' .,. t Ct : 11'41 y It 1 t : t t1(y 3 ,}t ? ( 1 ait t 7 Y i , , t rl ': S + i a . r ' } ' Y 7. i kk i .1. kS L ' 1 r .. A Preposterous Plot At the State Theatre WHEN I WAS entering the Architecture Auditorium the other night to see "Birth of a Nation," a friend suggested that I clobber any- body near me who laughed during the picture. After seeing Universal's latest attempt to set up Ann-Margret as an actress in "Kitten With a Whip," I can only say that if anybody near you laughs during this film you should go right ahead and Join in. I don't wish to imply that it is Ann-Margret's thespian ability per se that makes "Kitten With a Whip" ludicrous, although that certainly doesn't help matters any. Nevertheless, since her reputation seems to be built purely around her Vogue-model figure and her talent for belting out a song, it is surprising that neither of these phenomena is exploited in the film. (In fact, the picture of Miss Ann-Margret used in the advertisements has nothing whatsoever to do with the picture.) EVEN IF ALL members of the cast were actors of the first order, this movie still would be ludicrous, by virtue of the preposterous plot foisted upon one and all. At the outset, a senator (played by John Forsythe; certainly a far cry from his "Bachelor Father" role) returns home to find an escaped delinquent (played by guess who?) in his house. The average man probably would have either seduced her or called the police; but since this senator is a "loser" all the way, he instead believes the sob story she tells him and gives her some new duds (including the dress she wears for the duration of the picture) and some money to leave town. Naturally, she returns, with the police* on her tail (seems she stabbed a juvenile-home matron) and decides to stick around awhile. The rest of the film is nothing but a series of alternations between her attempts to act sexy and to be docile, his thoughts of turning her in and of helping her out further, etc., etc., etc. Every time he has a chance to wash his hands of her, the scriptwriter thinks up some new angle to prolong the picture another 15 minutes. I won't reveal how the whole mess reaches its denouement, if for no other reason than that it really isn't worth revealing. Frankly, I think only Ann-Margret's true-blue fans will consider the admisson price to this film well spent. --Steven Halle 'SEND ME NO FLOWERS': Hints, Winks, Nudges And Lots of Doubletalk At the Michigan Theatre FIRST THERE WAS "Station Six Sahara" and we all thought they'd done it. But then along came "Kitten With A Whip" and Ann-Margret outdid even Carole Lynley. But leave it up to good o' Hollywood, they still can surprise you even when you're sure they've done their best before. For now we have "Send Me No Flowers" and Doris Day, the New American Sex Symbol proves once again that she holds exclusive rights to the title. No one, but no one makes worse movies more often than Doris Day. * * .* * "SEND ME NO FLOWERS" is another in the long and seemingly infinite series of soft core pornography/psuedo sexy situation comedies. Sex is hinted at with winks and nudges and knowing doubletalk but never, oh bless our puritan hearts, never actually talked about, or heavens . . . shown. Consequently "Send Me No Flowers" is a "clean" comedy. It also is dull, embarrassing, hypocritical, trite, false, and in this case very-sick. Rock Hudson, who always seems like a misplaced Fuller Brush Man-slick, slimy and a little too smooth-plays a healthy hypo- chondriac. He is incredibly inept at even this. Doris, sweet Doris, who is beginning to look like a middle aged Bessie the Borden Cow -all peaches and cream . . . only now a little curdled-is his loving middle-class wife. AT ANY RATE Rock cracks and mistakingly thinks he has only two weeks to-live. Enter complications. Complication one: Tony Randall, playing the next door neighbor who is always drunk. Typecasting perhaps? Complication two: Hal March, as obnoxious now as he used to be on the old Heartline show. I