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SIDELINE ON SGC:
An Ominous Crossroads
Y, OCTOBER 18, 1963
NIGHT EDITOR: MARILYN KORAL
Conference on U' Group
Needs Thorough Shakeup
"ULMINATING a long series of blunders,
'the Conference on the University Steer-
g Committee postponed the conference,
t for next weekend, to next February.
hile the conference is suspended to re-
ver from multiple errors, it is time to
organize the steering committee, start-
g with its chairman, and get this all-
iportant conference on the right track.
The gathering is one of the most signifi-
.nt events in the University year. It is
1e of those rare times when students,
culty and administrators can sit down
i calmly discuss the direction, goals and
eds of the University.
'HE UTTER FAILURE of the steering
committee to do its work well has both
ndered this important concept and has
wered respect for student responsibility.
ie errors in planning, timing and pro-
dures, call for a virtually new start in
eparing the conference so that the
thering itself will be successful and
inions of student responsibility can be
ised.
The, major error was not using last
ring and summer adequately. The steer-
Wasteland
'HE REGENTS hold their public meeting
at 2 p.m. today, and if it is anything
ke last month's farce, people who have
ogo might as well start bringing portable
adios.
These conclaves have never been noted
or their amount or seriousness of debate.
hey abound in trivia and totally vapid
iscussion, where there is discussion.
T IS A BAD SITUATION for both sides.
The Regents feel silly going through the
otions; the few members of the audience
ecome very disillusioned with the quality
f the people who govern the University.
Something should be done as soon as
ossible about this state of affairs. One
2medy would be a simple one: the Re-
ents should announce in public all deci-,
ons they have made in their private
leeting the night before. Many= times,
heir action have become known to the
utside world several months later.
N ADDITION, University President Har-
lan Hatcher, who chairs the public ses-.
on, spould summarize the, various con-
derations which went into each decision.
the Regents revise the Union-League
ierger proposal or institute a specific
rogram to further Negro education, the
easons why should be given.
Only through complete and meaningful
iscussion instead of play-acting will Re-
ents meetings become something more
han a waste of 90 minutes for everybody.
-GERALD STORCH
City Editor
ing committee did some preliminary plan-
ning, drew up working paper outlines and
obtained most student discussion group
leaders by fall. But that was not enough.
The summer should have been used to ob-
tain a keynote speaker and to determine
whom the faculty and administration par-
ticipants should be.
These efforts should have been under-
taken last summer as steering committee
chairman Diane Lebedeff was in summer
school and faculty and administration
members were in Ann Arbor. However,
only feeble attempts were made to attract
speakers, especially in calling them after
they failed to respond to letters, and no
work was done on delegate selection.
Thus, by the start of the semester, eight
weeks before the conference was to be-
gin, the steering committee was without
a keynote speaker or delegates.
WORKING ON GETTING faculty and
administration delegates began only
this fall. By this time last week, the let-
ters were mailed out to faculty and ad-
ministrators but these crucial people had
made other commitments. Most of the
administrators had out-of-town duties
that weekend and about 70 per cent of the
faculty who replied rejected these short-
notice invitations. The failure to attract
faculty, and administrators caused the
steering committee to suspend the confer-
ence.
UT OTHER ERRORS, traceable to the
committee's apathy and the failures of
Miss Lebedeff, had put the conference in
serious difficulty. When the then Student
Government Council Executive Vice-Pres-
ident Edwin Sasaki asked Miss Lebedeff
to plan the conference, she chose her ac-
quaintances as student members rather
than those committed to the conference
concept or knowledgable about the Uni-
versity. These people did little and she was
forced to lean on the then Daily repre-
sentative Richard Simon and on Stanley
Levy of the literary college.
Further, Miss Lebedeff tended to be
disorganized, misunderstanding, for ex-
ample, Richard Hofstadter's request for a
written invitation as an acceptance and
announcing his acceptance as keynote
speaker when he actually had turned the
committee down. Other examples include
the temporary loss of two working papers
and the generally illogical working paper
outlines.
IF THE CONFERENCE is to succeed, more
than the contemplated reorganization
of the steering committee is needed. New,
competent leadership is needed as well as
willing workers. Miss Lebedeff has not
provided this leadership and should step
aside or be replaced. Thoroughgoing
housecleaning, not a facelifting, is neces-
sary. ,
-PHILIP SUTIN
National Concerns Editor
COMMENTARY:
Two Old Gentlemen
Take Political Leave
By LOUISE LIND
T HE ELECTION of Russell Ep-.
ker to the presidency of Stu-
dent Government Council coin-
cides with the arrival of SGC at
an ominous crossroads: one way
lies dynamism and power; the oth-
er, degeneracy and impending
death.
Unfortunately, unlike the pro-
verbial crossroads of a morality
play, the way is not clearly mark-
ed. The SGC pilgrims will find
no convenient signpost reading,
"This Way Salvation" or "This
Way Eternal Damnation." They
must seek the way alone and must
do so with the utmost expediency
if SGC is to maintain a responsi-
ble image on this campus and
slay the fire-breathing dragon,
student apathy.
METAPHORS ASIDE, the arriv-
al of SGC at the crossroads may
be attributed to three very con-
crete problems: creeping student
apathy, lack of real bipartisan de-
bate at the Council table, and
indecisiveness on the part of some
Council members about what is-
sues should be taken up now that
the major legislation on member-
ship selection has been completed.
The first of these problems, in-
creased student apathy, was clear-
ly, demonstrated at the last SGC
election: Not only was there a
dearth of qualified candidates and
meaningful issues in the election,
but also there was an equal lack
of voters at the polls. Obviously,
these two "lacks" are directly re-
lated. Only a little over 4000 stu-
dents, from a campus of 28,000,
cast votes in the election.
In addition, student apathy to-
ward Council has been registered
by the current circulating petition
which calls for the total abolition
of SGC. Only a few students have
thus far signed the document, but
it is significant that their apathy
has leaped its bounds into hostile
action.
THE SECOND problem facing
Council-lack of true bipartisan
debate-is obvious to anyone visit-
ing Council chambers for Wednes-
day night meetings. Council no
longer has two diametrically op-
posed factions. Campus liberals,
some of whom, incidentally, are
circulating the petition to abolish
SGC, have not provided one new
Council member.
The last stronghold of liberalism
on Council is Daily Editor Ronald
Wilton, and he sits alone. Council,
as it now exists, is a mixture of
conservatives and moderates. It
may best be described as a moder-
ate body.
THE THIRD problem-indeci-
siveness about future Council leg-
islation-was underscored in the
last SGC election. The candidates
were remarkably nebulous about
what issues they would, if elected,
bring to the Council table. One
proposed that Council begin to
draw up a student bill of rights
but was unable to list one item he
thought such a bill might contain.
Others made offhand remarks
about seeking out areas of direct
student concern. What these might
be, most were unwilling or unable
to specify. As a result, the elec-
tion was useless, and voter partici-
pation low.
THE PROBLEM of indecisive-
ness stems from the fact that
Council has just recentlycomplet-
ed all major legislation on a mo-
tion to regulate membership selec-
tion practices in student groups.
The completion of this work mark-
ed the end of a long fight to gain
for students the power to regulate
discrimination in student groups.
Gaining this power from the Re-
gents, SGC did its best to imple-
ment its confirmed authority. It
now finds itself looking around for
other student causes to champion.
THESE PROBLEMS have grown
into a crossroads or crisis situa-
tion because Council, still a young
and incompletely developed stu-
dent government, has not yet prov-
ed itself on this campus. It has
yet to show that students can
take on even the meager responsi-
bility given them and meet the
challenge maturely and effective-
ly.
Many were hopeful that the
Council motion "Membership Se-
lection in Student Organizations"
would prove the ability of students
to govern themselves in the areas
allotted by the SGC Plan.
However, the motion has run
into the mire of University bu-
reaucracy and has not yet been de-
clared valid by the administration.
This will not occur until Vice-
President for Student Affairs
James A. wis approves the mo-
tion: he may choose to veto it.
Council may not yet reckon this
legislation as the incontestible-
proof of students' ability to govern
themselves.
* * *
NO ONE is more aware of the
Council's crossroads position than
Epker. In his acceptance speech at
last Wednesday's Council meeting,
Epker spoke of a "new role for
Council." He explained that such
a role entails training new leaders,
achieving better communications
with SGC committees and with the
rest of the University community,
following up legislation passed at
the Council table and, most of all,
"recognizing our own limitations."
Certainly Epker has struck at
the heart of the matter. It is pre-
cisely a new role that Council
needs. But the question arises, can
Epker and the new officers provide
Council with the guidance to move
into a new role? To achieve a new
end, one must either revamp the
old means or devise new ones.
THE NEW MEANS Epker has
suggested are neither very new nor
very inventive. He suggested that
each Council member take indi-
vidual initiative in the ensuing
term. This approach is rather
idealistic for a Council whose own
executive vice-president, Thomas
Smithson, admits he is "a little
disillusioned."
Epker said that he would be
meeting personally with SGC com-
mittees once a week in an attempt
to gain better inner-communica-
tions for Council ai to remind
the committees that .they are
"not autonomous groups but com-
mittees of SGC."
However, more committee meet-
ings and bureaucratic red tape
may, in the long run, do little to
pull Council out of its current
lethargy and place it on the road
to a totally "new role."
* * *
IT SEEMS that the new Coun-
cil president-and his fellow offi-
cers-must think more seriously
about which road of those at the
crossroads Council will choose this
term. They must re-direct student
government on this campus before
it flounders and is lost as an ef-
fective means for partial govern-
ment.
Student government is a fragile
vessel; once it is shattered it may
never be re-assembled. Indeed, all
the pieces may never be found
again.
Fry* Over Bubbles;
Moir:Comic Gusto
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first
of a series of commentaries on
European affairs by Eric Keller.
Keller, the son of Hans E. Keller,
visiting professor in the romance
languages department last year, has
returned to Switzerland and will
soon be in Holland.)
By ERIC KELLER
Daily Correspondent
BASEL-Two nice old gentlemen
are leaving the European poli-
tical scene these days. Ominously,
their public applause is now stron-
ger than at any time in recent
months.
English newspapers started
praising British Prime{ Minister
Harold Macmillan as soon as he
was hospitalized, and even the op-
position papers joined in the sym-
pathy move for Mac when he an-
nounced his political retreat.
Former West German Chancellor
Konrad Adenauer received the
honorary citizenship of the city
of Berlin, and when he drove
through that city, the public ap-
plause which he received was over-
whelming.
SOMEHOW no one can overlook
anymore what publicity barome-
ters have been indicating through-
out these last few months: Mac-
millan and Adenauer received
much more sympathy when out of
office. It was too clear that both
gentlemen started showing recog-
nizable feeble spots in their other-
wise spotless careers.
Ironically, the crises of both
gentlemen were started by scan-
dals. In Germany the Der Spiegel
affair provoked more and more
pressure on Adenauer until he de-
clared his intentions to leave of-
fice. Macmillan, although not at-
tacked directly because of the
Profumo affair, was hard hit in
his iron position as English pre-
mier. In his case, the retreat is
]ess a personal favor as it is in
Germany. It is more of a relief to
his party which has been trying
to get a yes or no answer from
Macmillan about his intention to
run as a Conservative candidate
next year for quite some time.
* * *
THE EXIT of the two states-
men may indicate the end of an
era in European politics. During
the last decade there have been
virtually no major changes in the
policies of the two countries. Ger-
many has been trying to win world
disfavor against -EasthGermany,
has been promoting the Common
Market and Great Britain's in-
clusion. England has been concen-
trating on her new duties as fi-
nancial center for both the Com-
monwealth and the European Free
Trade Association countries. She
has slowly prepared herself for the
rapprochment with the Continent.
But in the present political sit-
uation, the socialist parties of
both countries count on success
relatively soon. If they do' suc-
ceed bne can expect a rearrange-
ment of positions on the Euro-
pean scene. Germany may agree
to a new "peaceful coexistence"
with the "Socialist brethren to
the East." Great Britain may de-
velop away from the Continent as
the Labor leaders and German
Socialist leaders have quite dif-
ferent views about Europe's eco-
nomic integration.
4* *
FOR SUCH REASONS it will be
hard for Mac and Konrad to keep
completely out of future party
politics. Clearly the younger gen-
eration of politicians in both coun-
tries wish they would. The public
also would like to see them' as
honorable, private citizens, rather
than as behind-the-stage agita-
tors.
Both statesmen have had ample
and great merit in their loni,
careers. An honored exit will keep
good memories awake throughout
the world.
CHRISTOPHER FRY'S "A Phoe-
nix Too Frequent" was the first
of a bill of two plays offered by
the Association of Producing Ar-
tists last evening. The play receiv-
ed a very effective interpretation.
It was unfortunate that the cham-
pagne bubbles of Fry's verse should
be released for the most part in a
rather slow but steady stream.
Whereas one felt that the ex-
plosive quality of the poetry should
be somewhat intoxicating, rarely
was this true. Jan Farrand gave
an able and at times exciting per-
formance as Dynamene, but there
was some trouble with the clear
projection of the lines. It seemed
on occasion as if Mr. Fry's verse
controlled Miss Farrand rather
than the converse.
JOANNA ROOS' Doto was won-
derfully comic. Her strength lay,
in the timing of her lines and a
good sense of inflection. Perhaps
Miss Roos was trying too hard to
be funny at times, or maybe even
just expecting to" be, which can
be equally as dangerous. Certainly
her, stage, movements were some-
times unconvincing and her hic-
cups need more rehearsal.
Paul Sparer gave an excellent
interpretation of Tegeus. He had.
full control over the poetry and
his timing was commendable.
There was a simple conviction to
his acting combined with a pleas-
ing mobility of face which allowed
him to bring out the humor of his
part.,
** *
STEPHEN PORTER'S direction
deserves commendation; he pre-
sented an interesting stage pic-
ture in terms of movement and
situation.
He made his actors aware of the
full value of the rise and fall of
the emotional tlde of the play. He
r tried too hard to make every
"bubble" count. This was a mis-
take. In his eagerness that we
should miss not a single part of
the sparkle, he was forgetting that
we should have liked to have been
a little more intoxicated by the
verse and its control of the play.
* * *
MOLIERE'S "Scapin," the sec-
ond play presented, is one of the
most vital farces of its time. There
are no pretensions to social criti-
cisms or satire; this is full-blood-
ed comedy in the tradition of the
Commedia dell 'Arte. Mr. Porter's
direction gave full rein to this con-
ception and for most of the play
we had the tremendous gusto in-
dispensible to such playing.
From the first agonized cry of
George Pentecost as Octave until
the last make-believe groans of
Keene Curtis's Scapin, the play
ran the full gamut of theatrical
inventiveness.
* * *
IF ANYONE doubted the versa-
tility of Mr. Rabb let them see his
Geronte. He faltered in only a
minimum of instances. His mas-
tery of expression, timing, and
above all the complete sense of be-
lievability, are an object lesson of
acting at its best.
Mr. Pentecost's Octave delighted
us for most of the time. His stage
movement is excellent and he did
much to set the play in atmosphere
with his studied characterization
of the effeminate Octave. He was
a good counterpart to Clayton Cor-
zatte's Leandre, who took the stage
magnificently in one wildly mem-
orable piece of stage business.
Not so successful was the at-
tempt to bring Barbara Knight's
Hyacinthe and Kate Geer's Zer-
binette into contrast. Whereas
Miss Knight had a successful eve-
ning and contributed much to the
comic eccentricity of the play, Miss
Geer seemed strangely out of
place.
KEENE CURTIS'S Scapin came
off well. He did not begin con-
vincingly and he needs to find an
empathy in his acting (at least in
such part as these) which will al-
low his audience to identify them-
selves with him.
The costumes were wonderful.
Nancy Potts deserves consideable
credit. Not only were they stag-
inatively designed and able to set
the atmosphere of the play, but in
most cases they contributed sig-
nificantly to each actor's interpre-
tation of his part.
The bill is a must for any dis-
criminatiig theatregoer.
-Leslie Whittaker
STATE:
Bizarre
Catalogue
" HE DUTY of the chronicler is
not to sweeten the truth, but
to report it objectively." Thus,
Gualtiero Jacopetti warns us to
expect the shocking in his docu-
mentary, "Mondo Cane," a cata-
logue of bizarre customs from
around the world.
Jacopetti's error lies in his fail-
ure to recognize that it is also the
duty of the chronicler to give form
and substance to his work. "Mondo
Cane" has neither. Beyond the
presentation of a number of things
"never before photographed," it is
pointless.
CONSIDER a random sampling
of the sequences: New York so-
cialites partake of a meal of in-
sects; Malayan patriots perform a
calf-beheading rite; a painter uses
naked women covered with paint
as brushes; Japanese men take the
cure at a hang-over salon; dogs
urinate; a New Guinean woman
suckles a pig; more dogs urinate;
and so on ..
There is absolutely no purpose
to this random collection. Conse-
quently, it is recommended only to
those who take delight in contem-
plating the bizarre. These people,
however, will be disappointed
along with the serious-minded, for
many of the episodes are boring
and the film is ultimately a rather
soporific sde-show.
Occasionaly the film borders on
the voyeuristic. There is an obses-
sion with female breasts, legs and
fannies. The ruling cinemato-
graphic principle is that the cam-
era can never zoom in too close.
* * *
ONE PARTICULARLY criminal
aspect of the film is its handling
of religious practices. Pious Ital-
ian Christians slash their bodies in
an act of martyrdom foraGood
Friday pilgrimage, but the episode
is rudely spliced between two in-
ane sequences and the simple yet
movimg expression of faith be-
comes just one more "unusual"
custom. The dimension of faith
which transforms the act is alto-
gether crushed by this- thoughtless
juxtaposition.
In two episodes the film rises
above the banal and actually has
something to say. The gradual de-
struction of animal life on Bikini
THE LIAISON:
Invitation to Hatcher
A
eq, a YY V
lot
Gail Evans, Associate City Editor
WOULD LIKE to extend an invitation
to University President Harlan Hitcher
o discuss his concept of the aims of the
rniversity.
As sort of a self-appointed committee
f one,-I think that it would be very stim-
lating for the campus to have the chief
xecutive of the University give his per-
anal views on where the University
hould be going in terms of specific proj-
cts and long range goals.
Certainly, strong leadership from the
'resident is imperative in the face of the
resent educational crisis. The proposed
11-campus talk would be a meaningful
tep in defining the direction of the Uni-
ersity.
UCH A PROSPECTUS would not simply
parallel the State of the University
aessage, delivered annually to the Uni-
ersity Senate, but would complement it.
'he "State of the University" report im-
lies that this is a picture of the Univer-
ity as it stands, not as it should be. It
resents the "is," not the "ought."
The State of the University message
rust capsulize progress made by the vari-
us administrative offices, schools, faculty
ommittees and institutes, thereby mini-
aazing the chances for the President to
valuate the significance of each and to
laborate on his own ideas for new hori-
ons.
AM NOT SUGGESTING that the Presi-
dent dictate University objectives. I al-
o recognize the difficulty of divorcing
rivate oninion from official nolicy. How-
ment, the Regents, educational associa-
tions and the faculty to define goals and
enumerate objectives, but he rarely at-
tempts to articulate the problems of the
University to the student body. Monthly
teas and occasional talks to groups such
as the International Student Association
are not enough. The proposed annual re-
port on the status of the University and a
statement of President Hatcher's personal
aspirations for the University would fill
the void..
IN ADDITION to the prospectus, many
students would- probably like to know
why President Hatcher f$vors the tri-
mester program, the proposed central
campus plan and the proposed residential
college.
Students would like to know more about
what he means by developing the "Uni-
versity as an instrument of public serv-
ice" and the University's role in the "de-
velopment of responsible citizens and
leaders"--state aims of the University's
Sesquicentennial celebration.
People want to know why it is neces-
sary for the University to exert special
interest in attracting Negro faculty and
students; that is, why Negroes haven't al-
ready flocked to the University as a su-
perior educational institution.
STUDENTS ARE CONCERNED with the
type of education they are getting and
with the prospects of education in the fu-
ture. Yet they have little opportunity to
learn the rationale behind most academic
a n -a a e~n4 mio. gvy, rai mAn i ri '
1
LETTERS
to the
EDITOR
I
iff
. r .
7 1 a 4IM r-
A
To the Editor:
WHILE SITTING in section 25
during the University-Michi-
gan State game, I was disgusted
with the childish conduct dis-
played during the half time show.
As the visiting band took the
field and faced the Michigan side,
University fans became engrossed
with hoisting a man up to the
top-not one but four men in
total. This project made it impos-
sible to hear the State band, be-
sides endangering bystanders.
When the University band march-
f