Seventy-'hird Year EDrrTD AND M4NAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN -_-TUNDEk AUTHORITY OF BOARD DN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS "Where Opinions Are Free STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MICH., PHONE NO 2-3241 Trutb Will Prevail"' Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. Thi nust be noted in all reprints. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8,1962 NIGHT EDITOR: MALINDA BERRY Non-Conformist's Dilemma- Isolation or Acceptance? SIDELINE ON STUDENT GOVERNMENT: SGC Logrolling Disillusions Members r CONTRARY to proverbial wisdom, familiarity does, not always breed contempt. In social inits, from kindergarten to General Motors, ;here are millions of people who never move beyond the familiar, and most of them are ighy .satisfied. We call them conformists. In kindergarten they are pictured as the well-adjusted children who .do not pile the blocks too high, "and who do not picture "two ieads are better than one" as a two-headed nonster. In high school. they are attractive, oopular, and outgoing. In college, many belong o the affiliate system and make "acceptable" grades. In the business world, they wear gray flannel, andline the aisles of the execu- ive flight with identical attach6 cases. Their wives "serve the community" ,in various wifely ways. They have two or three children who, fey hope, will start the pattern all over gain Before unleashing contempt upon these reatures, It is fundamentally necessary to con- ede, (even with-enthusiasm, if one can muster t) 'that they do. make 99 and 44/100 per cent f the world go 'round, and that the .non- ;onformist might find it very difficult indeed o get along without them Somebody has to to the busy work. HE TRAGEDY is not necessarily the nature of conformity itself, but rather the fact hat the conformists too often try to stifle hose who are not of their Ilk, and, too often, hey succeed. From the beginning, the non- onformists are isolated from their fellows. No ne can really say whether the agent of this solaton is th.e conformist or the non-conform- st-most likely it is a mutual exclusion. The xcluson is necessary for the development of , truly creative intelligence, but the great anger is that as often as not, and perhaps pore often, it has just the opposite effect. From the time that exclusion begins, the on-conformists has two choices-he can ca- itulate and join the masses, who always are, ,fter all, attractive in their lives of ease, or he an burrow more and more deeply into, him- elf and his own imagination, and go it alone. £ fhe takes the first alternative, he will win he unconditional approval of all (excepting 3erhaps another non-conformist) and will njoy the unc4eniably desirable fruits of the real" world. All that will trouble him will be n occasional stirring, of, "what might have een," but such stirrings diminish markedly in requency as time goes on. If he'choose to remain "inner-directed," his roblems are just beginning. If he has any espect at all for his fellows, he will constantly e wondering if there really is something rong with him. He will find his desire to ommunicate with others constantly in con- radiction to his inevitable sense of boredom rhenever they accept him. And this very oredom with others is likely to cause strong selings of guilt and traces of self-punishing masochism, as he begins to realize that he eally doesn't, give a damn-while still feeling dorally that he should. &T THIS POINT, a necessary kind of closed- mindedness begins to develop. Carried to be right degree, it will enable him to channel Two Views of E ILL-CONSIDERED and irresponsible remarks of Dixie demagogue Allen J. Ellen- er in Southern Rhodesia last week have un- uestionably set -United States-African rela- ons back at least a decade. Speaking as an elected official of the United tates government, the Louisiana senator de-. nded raial segregation in South Africa and sserted that the average African is incapable f leadership without white help. The slurred Cho of his loathsome rebel drawl has caused amage to state department diplomacy too reat for even the competent hand of Asst. cretary G. Mennen Williams to right. Ellender's thoughtlessly chosen attacks on egro leaders have irreparably damaged much f the trust and respect for American in- Sntions among the sensitive people of Africa. his trust has been built only after long and ireful cultivation by such admired spokesmen >r human rights as 'Williams and United rtions Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, OR CAN the senator's remarks be justified by the rationalization that he was speaking mly for his Southern constituency. Africans ill never accept' this explanation of inconsis- ncy in U.S. policy. Ellender's barely intel- gible babblings did not simply parrot those mi-literate, web-footed denizens of the swamp ho elected him. As an American speaking on nother continent, Ellender was misrepresent- tg the people of the United States. The real tragedy lies in the fact that the 'chaic machinery of Congress gives such en, by virtue of seniority rather than of .erit, powers to -control the destiny of the :atin ' his various blocked energies into a single-, minded devotion to whatever work he has chosen. But the danger is that it will go too far, shutting him off from-the dialogue and the drama which must be the material of his. creation. If the closing of the mind does not go so far that it destroys him, the creative non- conformist can make use of his masochism--he will discover how to punish himself in his: work. A recent article in "'The Saturday Even- ing Post" ;considered .this topic in part, and described a psychological theory whereby the: publication of, a book is, for its author, a form of suicide. James Joyce and Franz Kafka both refused psychoanalysis for fear it would destroy the precious dark demons that drove them. It is a process older than Prometheus. Contrary to the well-meaning opinions of the conformists, this is not at all tragic. It is, in many ways, the highest and best achieve- ment to which man can aspire-the, achieve-, ment of choosing torment and making it work. THE TRAGIC FIGURE is rather the non- conformist who succumbs tin his youth to' the siren song of fellowship. He has abrogated, the best in his nature. The problem, of the non-conformist is em- phatically not .to be solved by asking that his society accept him on an individual basis. Acceptance too often destroys him. Content- ment .too often destroys him. The need to shape his life to mass values destroys him. The solution is rather to recognize his creative potential as early in his life as possible (tests are now being designed to do just that) and then offer him the opportunity for the kind of work he needs, before he decides to capitu- late to the norm. The decision, of course, is his. If he prefers personal acceptance,*that is his business. But it may well be that many of our very young creative . geniuses go over to the masses not because the masses are really so attractive, but because they are never given the opportun- ity to channel their minds into some kind of work that challenges them-and are too young to know how to .make that opportunity for themselves. I AM ACQUAINTED with, a family of seven, of varying degrees of brilliance, who live in an affectionate state of chaos. I remember one night when most of the family was gathered in the kitchen (completely disorganized) as the mother was ignoring everything and pre- paring dinner. The youngest child, then about six, was leafing absently through some esoteric scientific publication, when lie came across a mathematical puzzle in diagrams. In the midst of all the noise and confusion, his mother's' occupationally deafened ear picked out the only significant sound in the room-his ques- tion. She stopped cooking, sat down beside him, and proceeded to explain the puzzle until he understood. How many teachers could do the same, break the routine of the average day in im- mediate response to that individual question that reaches beyond the daily program? However many there may be,; the non- conformist needs them desperately. -MARTHA'MacNEAL By DENISE WACKER WHEN Michael Olinick nominat- ed Ken Miller for the Student. Government Council presidency Wednesday, about 50 constituents were present. Half of these left after Steve Stockmeyer won the presidential post. By the time How- ard Abrams was defeated in the race for treasurer, 10 or a dozen students remained. And, at 12:20 a.m., when Council held its mem- bers' time, only six people-half df these Daily reporters-were left to listen. Those who didn't stay to the end missed an epic presentation of everything which is wrong with SGC, including a certain amount of double-dealing, lying, hypocrisy, partisanship, and a rather half- hearted and only partially serious attitude about the obligations of SGC to the people whose half-dol- lars support whatever action the Council takes. THE CONSERVATIVE Council members hold strategy meetings on Sunday and the liberals meet on Monday. This, in effect, is the way certain activities carried out by SGC (including, officer elec- tions) take place. A week ago Monday, the liberal faction-Bob Ross, Miller, Olinick, Mary Beth Norton, Abrams, Marg Skiles, Gary Gilbar and Michael Kass-met to plan their strategy for the coming election of the executive committee. They had three major aims to plan for: First, to prevent Stockmeyer' from being re-elected student gov- ernment president; second, to keep Russ Epker off the executive com- mittee, thus making it somewhat difficult for him to be elected Council president in the spring elections; and third of course, to augment liberal representation on the executive committee. TO ACCOMPLISH this, they had several alternative moves. The lib- eral faction holds a total of eight votes. This is of course less than a majority and not enough to elect anyone if the remaining 10 Coun- cil members voted together against the liberals' candidate. However, Charles Barnell, who ran for Council on a moderate- conservative ticket (although he reportedly is a liberal at heart;, had, prior to the Monday meeting, approached two liberal SGC mem- bers and volunteered his vote for Miller-the member the liberals had decided to run for the office-- if in 'turn the liberals would sup- port him for administrative vice- president. Naturally the liberals accepted this proposition which upped their total vote to nine-now equalling the conservative ranks. In a pres- idential vote, this nine-nine dead- lock could have continued for quite a while,and. since certain conserv- atives might be more" likely to change their votes than the liber- als, it looked as if Miller could win. * * * THE PRINCIPAL target for lib- eral pressure was Dick G'sell, then executive vice-president. Although G'sell had supported Stockmeyer's suggestipns for Council right down the line, he had succeeded in an- tagonizing the conservatives so thoroughly that they refused to back him for any office. To have any chance at election, G'sell would need liberal support. However, there were some lib- erals who, despite their desire. to have one of their crew hold the presidency, would not prostitute their positions to this extent.. Abrams balked at having any deal- ings whatsoever with G'sell. Miller, who had qualms about entering into the agreement with G'sell, was at the time hesitant over run- ning for the presidency. - During the next few days, though, Miller reconsidered his ini- tial feelings and decided he would offer G'sell liberal votes in ex- change for G'sell's support in this election. When approached, G'sell said he wasn't sure, and needed. time to consider the whole prob- lem., Miller later indicated that at that time, he felt "it would be bet- ter to have a vice-president whose ability was questionable than a president who could not do as good a job as I felt I could." * * * IN THE MEANTIME, Barnell, who was unable to attend the ac- tual Council session because of a prior academic commitment, turn- ed in his absentee ballot- to Stock- meyer who, as president was to hold the vote without looking at it. But, in a particularly brilliant move, Stockmeyer held the enve- lope containing Barnell's votes (Miller for president and Barnell for everything else) up to, a light bulb and knew, the truth. Stockmeyer peeked on Monday. Tuesday night, he. had a long chat with Miller about the presidency. Stockmeyer said Miller's chief problem was lack of experience: he added that the five sororities who- have not yet turned in their membership statements were just about ready to explode, and that it was apparent that Miller was less qualified to handle this situ- ation than Stockmeyer. He also noted that if Miller, won, it would represent a break in "continuity," especially since Miller didn't plan to seek presi- dential reelection next spring. Miller also considered the detri- mental effects of a lengthy dead- lock in a presidential election on Council's future influence on cam- pus.- * , , - ALL THIS considered, Miller de- cided he would withdraw, in effect, ,"Shut Mali Mouth" -1/ - S4s Y l t~ r ? -- r + v FIT FOR A BARD: Henry V Production Excellent from the presidential race. How- ever, he decided this after he had left Stockmeyer so that when they next spoke, later that same eve- ning, Stockmeyer was concerned over the fact that he just might lose the election. This put Miller in a delightfully strong bargaining position.' And what he asked for, in return for transferring his vote to Stock- meyer, was Stockmeyer's support for Abrams for treasurer. Miller made the deal on faith, believing in Stockmeyer's good will. Stock- meyer made the deal knowing that the presidential election preceded the treasurer's race. Stockmeyer made Miller prom- ise that the terms of the deal would be kept secret and that he (Stockmeyer) would be kept out of any future descriptions of what occurred, or what was to occur, the following day. CAME THE COUNCIL meeting and things looked pretty promis- ing. An executive committee com- posed of Stockmeyer Brown, Bar- nell, and Abrams would hardly be idyllic, but was probably the best possible at this time. It would also,' perhaps, open the door to increased liberal representation on the executive committee in the spring. Olinick nominated Miller, and during his speech said that: "Student Government Council's quality depends on its president's quality: and yet there is no more weak spot historically than the presidency .. . The president serves as a symbol and gauge across the campus. The way in which he acts goes a long way in influencing re- forms .:' Bob Finke matched Olinick's eloquence with an impassioned plea of his own in fayor of Stock- meyer. He advised the Council that what was needed was experience, and added that:-. "It is necessary that the person who'll be interpreting. (the. SGC president's) role must be well vers- ed and have a fine b eklog: the faculty, the administration, and the student body all respect Steve for his ability . . , s .*; , THE VOTE came, and on the first ballot, as had been pre-ar- ranged, it was a tie. On the sec- ond ballot, Stockmeyer won. It was planned; no one was surprised. Brown easily won the executive vice-presidency on the first ballot. After that, as expected, Barnell won the administrative vice-presi- dency on the third ballot. AH, BUT then came the con- test for treasurer. Abrams and Epker were nomi- nated. This surprised no one. How- ever, when the results from the first balloting were in, president Stockmeyer, with a sort of foxy smile, announced that Epker was the new treasurer. Abrams looked very dejected. Miller looked disillusioned. Epker looked disgustingly giddy. Stock- meyer looked like a very gentle, omnipotent and occidental Bud- dha. Olinick called for recess. s* ~ DURING THIS TIME, Miller went to each of the liberals to make sure - they had voted for Abrams: they all had. Miller went to see, Stockmeyer. Stockmeyer said he knew he had done something morally wrong, and added "I realize I can go to hell for this." 'There was nothing more to be said between them; both returned to the meet- ing and student government pro- ceeded to the businessof the day. This part of the meeting passed quickly. Abrams continued to look dejected; Ross looked very very peeved; Miller looked not so much disillusioned now as ready oslit someone's chubby neck; Epker was continually smiling, and Stockmeyer looked ever so foxy indeed. . .' * CAME THE TIME to adjourn and Miller interrupted. He noted that a member's time had been scheduled on the agenda, and asked that it be held. Bob Ross sent the Daily reporter a little look which advised her to start listening. During member's time, the Council representatives each have the privilege of saying whatever they wish. The first to speak Wed- nesday was the member on the president's left, and the second, the man on his left. Last to speak was Stockmeyer. Miller was the seventh Council member to speak-most of those who had gone before him had, either passed orssaid nothing of particular interest. Looking at Stockmeyer, Miller said "It has been an educational week for me, too; It exposed some- thing about presidential politics., As of last night, I had nine votes. I knew this because Barnell had told me, and Stockmeyer knew ,because he held the envelope up to a light . ." and Miller -spilled the whole story to the Council, and to the six constituents who were left. **E * n HE CONCLUDED by saying he sense-I've grown resigned to this sort of thing. Maybe it's human nature. It stinks," he said, disil- lusioned like the best of 'em. Finally, Stockmeyer spoke. H"ad he been a really clever SC presi- dent, he would have mentioned nothingabout thehelection. But he isn't and he didn't. * t "ON THE TOPIC of ethics and morality-I perhaps have engaged in elections and conventions more than the rest of you, and have learned a lot about it... "I have no true justification for my action--part of the agreement was not to expose this, but I have. no desire to hide this now. . "There is not justification but partisanship, and this was the su- preme justification for my re- election to this position. A lot of Council members have failed to take into account the work I have put in-I feel insulted (by every- thing 'which has happened this evening) and I still do... "I feel unethical and' immoral, but I' feel I have established some sort of equilibrium in my own mind over what transgressed tonight. *'It is impossible for someone to label , . . one action worse than another when one person is play- ing on the interests of another.. To try and assign any labels as to which is worse can't be done," Stockmeyer said. The meeting ended. * * A AS STOCKMEYER said, no one is more at fault over the Wednes- day night interlude than anyone, else. This is in no way justifica- tion: the members of SGC were .playing politics in an organization which ought to, be basically non- partisan, and Which should repre- sent the students of this Univer- sity rather than student pressure groups or student . political ex- 'tremes.4 The liberals knew what they were getting into when they first thought of making a deal with someone like Richard G'sell. Mi ler knew what the consequences could haye been in his pact with Stock- meyer. Miller 'had faith in a man who in recent weeks has lost the respect of many members of the academic community. The liberals in fact were not in the least concerned about the mor-, als of the various contemplated or executed deals they took part in, until they were crossed by Stock- meyer. Certainly, until his members' time speech, Stockmeyer played a much shrewder game than Miller had. But that, of course, is the ad- vantage of being a Stockmeyer. * *' * THEREUhAS BEEN some talk of a campus-wide petition to recall Stockmeyer, Miller, and the whole Inane g r o u p. This probably wouldn't come off, and even if it did, students would only get the same caliber representatives on SGC, or whatever group you'd care to call student government, next year. The fault is only partially with the individuals, The structure and organization of SGC is per- feet for weak leadership and par- tisan action. The fault is with constituents who voted without thinking, and who, even if they had really put in some consideration, had a ridicu- lously narrow field of competent candidates .for whom to vote. THE FAULT is with ex-officios who, in some cases were the only ones to run for their organizations ' highest office, and who do not give one ounce of energy or moment of thought to the Council; who do not think but are told how to vote by the leaders of their respective factions. The same repulsive and unprin- cipled actions perhaps occurred during last year's officer elections. They vwil probably happen again next year. It would be good-if it were not the case. But if it is, and if it must be, let it at least be handled with some discretion and just a little honesty, if only to keep disillusionment on Counci at a minimum. it, isfrightful to see Council members looking so terribly ab- ject. I ; Ellender Junket ONE OF the major threats to United States foreign policy is the loud-mouthed Senator or Congressman, junketing abroad at govern- ment expense, niaking remarks offensive to the local populace. Sen. Allen J. Ellender of Louisiana is an excellent example. Late last week he told a Southern Rhodesian audience that he has yet to see any part of Africa ready for self-government; that the' average African is incapable of- leadership without white assistance and that the Union of South Africa's apartheid program was too late, but a step in the right direction. To the newly-independent Africans, regain- ing dignity after 200 years of colonial rule, this was a particularly galling remark. Uganda and Tanyanika, proposed stops on Ellender's tour, barred him. Ethiopia told him to stay away. MANY . AFRICANS, not understanding the subtleties of the American-political system,. will take his remarks as official policy. Even the -=stinging rebuke by Rep. Barratt O'Hare of Illinois, chairman of the House sub- committee on Africa, will not go very far in convincing Africans that this is not United States policy. One remark like Ellender's thus can undo the work of all peace corpsmen in Africa. Its racial slur creates bitterness and distrust of American motives that months of careful foreign policy planning and action has sought to eliminate. However, the administration is powerless to stop such disasters. Only Congress can do this by policing its foreign travel policies. Al- though not as loose as it once was, congress- men and snntors still have and exercise their ONE OF the most fascinating movies to come along in a long while, "Henry V," is playing at the Cinema Guild tonight and tomorrow night. Just the name William Shakespeare guarantees that a film will be above the usual theatre fare. But this movie has some strokes of genius in it, not supplied by Shakespeare that would make him envious. Carried back to the Elizabethan days, the viewer first sees the Globe theatre, as through a time machine, about to begin a per- formance of "Henry V." The play starts as the chorus comes out and delivers his prologue. The actors deliver their lines and the audiences reacts much unlike today's. Someone will mimic an actor's line, an actor will seem to go right into the audience surrounding three sides HERE THE FUSION of the arts by Olivier is fascinating beyond expression. William Walton's mu- sic, not bombastic, but fresh and invigorating, is perfect. The sets are works of art in themselves. The technicolor camera catches. scenes that smell of the theatre but are of all the arts. The color- ful background or rather back- drops are sligtly out of perspective. The sets; are very airy, especially the French palace. They look as if they had just been constructed by carpenters on the stage-an extension of the idea that imagi- nation was all that was needed to watch a play on the barren Shake- spearean stage. But they are more than imagination come to life, they are works of art. Even the great battle scene at Agincourt isn't ferocious and brutal like some battle scenes in recent spectacu- ing scene is one-of exquisite beauty -a fusion of Shakespeare's mag- nifiscent poetry, the airy delicate architecture of the palace, the dazzling costumes, the flowing music and the touching acting. Never has a play been transferred from the stage to the screen so beautifully. HOWEVER, with all these su- perlatives there are some drastic faults early in the film that may send some viewers scurrying to the exists through sheer boredom. The Globe theatre scene is car- ried out too long before the switch is made from the stage. The dia- logue is very hard to pick up at this point. The audio isQunclear and it is hard to concentrate on Shakespeare, since every word is important and shouldn't be al- lowed to pass without notice. If I nsurane IF. INSTEAD of paying the Ad- ministration-proposed maximum health insurance tax of $27.50 a year, "a worker from age, 20 to age 65 deposited $27.50 each year for 45 years at 4 per cent interest compounded quarterly, he would wind up with a nice nest egg of $4,093.78, If he continued to invest the $4,093.78 at 4 per cent, he could pay for an excellent medical care insurance policy not only for him- self, but his family too, with the $194 in interest on his savings each year. He could buy far better rn,.,r ..p than ,. +1a A rmn i y.I,t irn