Se'tnty-Thid Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
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Truth Will Prevail"'
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
L'URDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1963
NIGHT EDITOR: GERALD STORCH
Effort To Abolish SGC
A Pragmatic Debacle
THE RECENT EFFORT to abolish Stu-
dent Government Council is an intel-
lectual and pragmatic debacle.
A group of students are currently cir-
culating a petition to abolish SGC. They
rest their case on the slogan "end Mickey
Mouse student government, i.e., SGC."
Unfortunately, they have not specified
areas in which they are dissatisfied with
Council nor constructive ways to strength-
en the body-both as it exists now or un-
der any altered structure which they
think would permit an effective student
government.
Thus they are proposing to destroy the
only all-campus student government at
the University without clearly stating the
functions of the body as it is now, or the
functions they wish to ascribe to it. For
all the strength of their view, they calm-
ly disassociate themselves from any ra-
tional defense of it.
THESE STUDENTS' lack of cogent in-
formation is linked to the fact that
their plan would be a pragmatic disaster.
It is true that, from a practical stand-
point, the power of the Office of Student
Affairs veto severely limits actions Coun-
cil can take. But the recent Regental dele-
gation of power to the body on member-
ship statements is evidence that measures
of power may be achieved on important
issues, providing that persistence and
pressure point to the necessity for action
by SGC.
HERE ARE AREAS, in addition, where
SGC can exercise initiative, and work
for the benefit of students without hav-
ing to haggle with harassed administra-
tors.
For example, the possibility for stu-
dent-faculty government may be vague,
but students are being given the oppor-
tunity, for the first time, to work formally
with professors. These are the people,
rather than administrators, whom "Uni-
versity community" advocates claimed
they wanted more' contact and communi-
cation with. Despite the "advisory" role of
the faculty body, students have been pre-
sented with a new and potentially influ-
ential responsibility.
Further, the concept of the new resi-
dential college is amenable to initiative
and serious study by Council members.
In this area it is doubtful administrators
or professors will seek opinions of SGC.
But, if the issue is responsibly dealt with
by Council and properly presented, stu-
dent influence can be felt.
ANOTHER AREA where concrete action
is needed is in the creation of a course
outline booklet. The idea has been kicked
around by various groups for the past few
years, but there is reported faculty oppo-
sition to it. Nobody has determined the
exact extent of this opposition, or taken
definite steps toward putting out the
booklet. But this service would be im-
mensely valuable to the majority of stu-
dents at the University.
There has been some fear that when
the membership practices issue is over,
Council will fold. But even if this should
unfortunately and unnecessarily come
true, existence of its related boards and
committees, all of which serve the campus
in one way or another, justify Council's
existence as a body of overview for all
campus activities.
OF COURSE SGC is a weak voice-and is
perhaps doomed to be a weak voice for
many years due to the University's state
support and resultant political pressures.
But it is hardly practical to prefer no
voice.
The administration has granted stu-
dents power due to expediency, with pub-
lic opinion and student pressure being the
two variables most considered. If students
are dissatisfied with the degree of self-
government they have been granted, and
care to complain about it, they must ac-
cept the responsibility of making their
views known to administrators.
If SGC were destroyed, through what
channels could a stronger Council or stu-
dent voice be established? SGC is osten-
sibly the most powerful representative
student lobbying group at the University.
If any group is going to convince the ad-
ministrators that students deserve a
stronger self-governing role, it is this
body.
IF IT WERE ABOLISHED, not the an-
archy the anti-SGC group might hope
for, but, practically speaking, an even
more totalitarian situation would prevail.
One does not make a weak leg walk by
cutting it off. If the weak-leg SGC is ever
to walk, it needs care through enthusiasm
and creative work.
By seeking its abolition, the group,
ironically, is displaying irresponsibility in
the name of "protecting" the very respon-
sibility which they are arguing so strong-
ly they deserve.
-MARILYN KORAL
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1
AT HILL AUD:
Bulgarian Ensemble
Fresh and Lively
ESSENCE of ethnic folk entertainment, vitality and life was
aptly demonstrated as the Koutev Bulgarian National Dancers,
performing at Hill Aud. last night, deftly whirled through a pattern
of dance, color and music.
A fresh and candid quality elicted a quick, warm response from
the audience, so that by the end of the evening, feet were in motion
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and constant bursts of applause
couldn't be constrained.
THE COMPANY gives an over-
all impression of light and deft
movement and sparkling color.
The costumes were of such beauty
that at one point the audience
gave a collective gasp of appre-
ciation.
The program was an artful mix-
ture of folk song, dance and musi-
cal solos"The women carried the
singing with a string nasal voice
quality. The melodies were sung
in unison, without accompaniment
in most cases. A basically simple
melody was woven into an intri-
cate pattern of harmonics. The
main melody is often sung by a
small group and is echoed in three
of four parts by the remaining
chorus. The effect is that of a
fugue with the subtle quality of
a string instrument.
THE MUSIC is a hybrid, whose
origins are difficult to perceive.
Nonetheless, a definite middle-
eastern flavor was found. Flute-
like wind instruments, stringed in-
struments, both bowed and picked,
and bagpipes gave the small or-
chestra a delicate quality.
To the amazement of all, the
bagpipes, unlike those we are used
to, were capable of producing the
most subtle and minor melodic
tones.
Outstanding was, the syncopa-
tion and irregularity of rhythm.
The unusual use of rhythm was
underlined by a 'drum, stamping
and shouting. The dances with
this high syncopated quality won
the greatest reception of the even-
ing.
By using a smooth melody with
voice and wind instrument, over
a set rhythm, a continual, excite-
ment was created.
* * *
THE Bulgarian dances stress in-
tricate footwork with a' small
amount of body movement. Most
of the ldancing was done in chains
which wove and twisted among'
themselves. The arms were used
in an interesting manner which
gave an impression of great mo-
tion and speed. A dancer would
hook his fingers into the belt of
of the dancer on either side of
him. This gave him complete free-
dom to move his arms in a quick,
flapping manner.
The horns, dances of intricate
rhythm and movement, were the
highlights of the performance,
rivaled only by an amazing ren-
dition of "Oh Susanna!" This sur-
prise insertion was sung in Eng-
lish, to the' delight of the audience.
THE COMPANY, relaxed and
natural, seemed to thoroughly en-
joy the evening.
This was so infectious that the
audience itself was moved to join
the company, in a, final' curtain
call in the Slavic tradition, clap-
ping hands in rhythm. I
-Gail Blumberg
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, Francois
Truffaut decided to stop re-
viewing movies and start making
them. With just three films, he
proceeded to establish himself as
one of the most talented and orig-
inal directors alive.
Truffaut's most recent work,
"Shoot thetPiano Player,"com-
bines beautifully the highly ef-
fective photographic technique
which was an important element
in "Jules and Jim" with the artis-
tic handling of tragicomic ele-
ments already present in his first
film, "The 400 Blows." The result
of this combination is one of the
best movies ever made.
IN "JULES AND JIM," and to
a lesser extent in "Shoot the
Piano Player," Truffaut depends
heavily on such technical devices
as the split screen, scenes which
consist entirely of small splicings,
double exposure and divorcing the
sound from the source.
Judging from his last two films,
Truffaut seems to be interested in
a special sort of character: one
who, in his search for something
(not necessarily someone) he
loves, becomes caught in an end-
less interchaining of the beautiful
with the ugly, the comic with the
tragic and the sacred with the
commonplace.
IN "Shoot the Piano Player,"
he is dealing with a man (Edouard
Saroyan) who has plunged from
happiness and success as a con-
cert pianist to "just breaking
even" as a honky-tonk player on
a cafe tub. He falls in love (for
the second time-his wife, Teresa,
killed herself out of shame) with
a girl, Lena, who sweeps up in
the cafe. Aware of his former
success, she persuades him to quit
his job to regain what was once
his.
Quitting isn't that easy, how-.
ever, and a childish argument re-
sults in Edouard somewhat acci-
dentally killing his boss. He and
Lena flee and just when they learn
that Edouard is not being accused
of murder, Lena, by chance, is
shot.
She -slides down a long hill of
snow, in what can be taken as a
grotesque mockery of childhood
fun, and is found dead. Edouard
returns to the cafe.
THIS MAY all sound like non-
sense, but it is nonsense of the
most beautiful sort--and tragedy
of the most comic sort. All of
which 'means that if you haven't
already seen "Shoot the Piano
Player," you should this weekend.
-Richard Kraut
c.
CINEMA GUILD:
comic
'
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Conference Group Defended
Sweetness
IF THERE EVER was a holiday based on
an entirely fallacial premise, it is to-
day, which has officially (if candy com-
panies and florists can be considered "of-
ficial") been designated as Sweetest Day.
Apparently one day of each year has to
be set aside for otherwise cranky people
to suddenly don a beatific smile and trip
gaily next door to give the equally cranky
neighbors a bowl of hot gruel or some-
thing.
OF COURSE, the whole idea is utterly
ridiculous. Humanity is in a pretty sad
state of affairs if it takes a "holiday" for
someone to show kindness and courtesy
to his fellow man.
Sweetest Day is such a sickeningly ob-
vious attempt on the part of merchants to
line their pockets with the long green that
it makes even Christmas look religious by
comparison.
Sweetest Day is not a joyous occasion-
on the contrary, under the circumstances
it is a total farce.
-S. HALLER
To the Editor:
AS A MEMBER of the Confer-
ence on the University Steer-
ing Committee and as one of the
acquaintances with whom Diane
Lebedeff allegedly filled the com-
mittee, I feel compelled to reply to
what I consider an unjust and
unnecessarily vicious attack by
Philip Sutin on the Steering Com-
mittee and Miss Lebedeff.
While it must be admitted that
some of Mr. Sutin's accusations
contain an element of truth, much
of his information is either in-
complete or intentionally biased.
As a long-time admirer of The
Daily, I hope it is the former,
since such a blatant distortion of
the facts would drastically shake
my faith in the ethics of The
Daily editors.
* *
FOR EXAMPLE, Mr. Sutin er-
roneously traced the release of
Richard Hofstadtpr's name as key-
note speaker to Miss Lebedeff. To
my knowledge the incident occur-
red as follows.
On the night preceding the an-
nouncement of Hofstadter's name
I received a phone call from Stan-
ley Levy. Mr. Levy informed me
that Mr. Hofstadter had been con-
tacted by Richard Simon and that
he had tentatively accepted the
invitation to keynote the Confer-
ence and awaited a written in-
vitation. Mr. Levy and I agreed
that such an invitation should be.
sent immediately, and I notified
Miss Lebedeff to that effect. This
notification was by means of a
note dictated to a receptionist at
Health Service, where Miss Lebed-
eff was recovering from exhaus-
tion due primarily to her intensive
work on the Conference.
It is possible that this and other
communications which Miss Le-
bedeff received in Health Service
may have become confused, and
it is certainly true that she was
subject to a dearth of direct com-
munication during this period. Im-
mediately after her release from
Health Service Miss Lebedeff was
called and asked if it were true
that Hofstadter would keynote.
She said that to her knowledge he
had tentatively accepted. Shortly
thereafter it was announced in
The Daily that this was so. Miss
Lebedeff, however, had neither
notified The Daily personally nor
said that it was definite.
FURTHERMORE, Mr. Sutin
implied that the Steering Commit-
tee is composed almost entirely of
Miss Lebedeff's friends. In truth
there are only two personal
friends of hers on the committee,
and as one, I resent being called
uncommitted to the Conference
and unknowledgeable about the
University, especially since I con-
sider myself more active in cam-
pus affairs than 90 per cent of
the student body.
Neither is it true that "these
people" did nothing. Sharon Al-
brecht and I were among the few
committee members who regular-
ly attended meetings, and I am
sure any of the other members
who did so would vouch for this.
had responded. Three of these
people are now serving on the
committee.
It is true that some of the com-
mittee members have done little
work, but if Mr. Sutin insists on
labeling the committee apathetic,
I would like to. hear some. con-
structive suggestions for enlisting
the aid of students who are will-
ing to work.
In addition, when Miss Lebedeff
took the job of chairman of the
Steering Committee, there were
no records from the past com-
mittee with which to work. These
had been inadvertently lost. Neith-
er were any participants in the
past conference, with the excep-
tion of Pat Golden and Caroline
Dow, willing to advise the com-
mittee in any way. Miss Lebedeff
was forced to start from scratch.
THERE ARE many reasons for
the delay of the Conference. Some-
of these are included in the ar-
ticle on page one of the Oct. 18
Daily, and include lack of co-
operation on the part of the ad-
ministration and the last minute
reneging of certain key partici-
pants.
Another reason, not included,
was the failure of many working
paper writers to submit their
papers by the Sept. 18 deadline.
Several of these papers have just
been turned in, and Mr. Sutin's
own paper arrived well after the
deadline, in spite of the fact that
he himself was forced to admit
that most of the student discus-
sion leaders (who also wrote the
working papers for their groups)
were contacted last summer.
* * *
I BELIEVE the postponement
is in the best interests of all con-
cerned and that it will result in
a much more productive Con-
ference. In contrast to Mr. Sutin,
I would like to applaud Miss
Lebedeff's courage in delaying the
Conference in the face of criti-
cism, rather than sacrificing its
ideals by holding it under adverse
circumstances.
-Beth Bower, '65
HRB Letter...
To the Editor:
IS LETTER was sent to Jacob
Fahrner, city attorney, from
the Human Relations Board with
a request to read it at the next
city council meeting:
The University Human Rela-
tions Board has long been inter-
ested in attempts to achieve equal
opportunities in Ann Arbor hous-
ing for people of all races. The
Fair Housing Ordinance passed by
the city council last month was
a feeble beginning at correcting
the injustices of discrimination
against minority groups which
exist in our city.
We had hoped the council would
pass an ordinance which would at
least protect University students
as well as Ann Arbor residents.
The present ordinance, however,
gives little help to either.
SINCE IT IS our hope that
Fair Housing Law. After consulting
with several attornies we are in-
clined to accept Mr. Kelley's de-
cision only as his opinion as to
how the court might rule on an
actual test case. We are advised
further that the Ann Arbor law
is still valid and will become
operative on Jan. 1, 1964.
IF THE ABOVE is true, we ex-
pect the city to enforce the law
until' such time as either the
courts rule against such local or-
dinances or until a state law
actually supercedes local authority.,
We also feel that it is your re-
sponsibility to clarify the status
of our local ordinance.
We hope that in the near future.
you will publicly state the inten-
tion of your office regardingthe
enforcement of Ann Arbor's Fair
Housing Ordinance.
-David C. Aroner,
Chairman
Human Relations Board
Ultracivilization? ...
To the Editor:
SAM WALKER'S REVIEW of
Mondo Cane" completely
missesthe point of the film and
its value. In essence, all he tells
us is that he could not discern
the form of the picture because
dogs were urinating too often and
episodes followed one another
without "purpose."
"Mondo Cane" is not "a cat-
alogue of bizarre customs from
around the world." It is hard to
believe that Mr. Walker was too
upset with the dogs, and too con-
cerned with the 'possibility that
the producer might have. touches
of voyeurism, to perceive the con-
trast (evident in each change of,
episode) between- primitive bar-
barism and 20th century barbar-
ism.
This is hardly what Mr. Walker
calls "thoughtless juxaposition."
And the episodes are not that
"bizarre." Mr. Walker has evi-
dently never had the privilege of
witnessing the spring rites on
this ultracivilized campus: men's
honorary tapping and initiation,
particularly that of the distin-
guished Tribe of Michigamua.
* * *
IT IS REALLY TRAGIC that
the producer did not include an
episode of graduating campus
leaders gleefully and barbarically
treating the next year's cream of
the student crop to sexually aber-
rant animal-like rituals. What
makes Michigamua the perfect
example for "Mondo Cane" is its
high University approval. The
president of this university is the
honorary president of the tribe.
Education gets so far. There is
not very much difference to the
bull-beheading rite in Southeast
Asia with British approval, and
the imbecilic activities of men's
honoraries with official University
sanction.
Perhaps if Mr. Walker had con-
centrated less on the lack of a
black and white plot, he would
have seen more. "Mondo Cane" is
not a sideshow for the misguided
and curious, and is the farthest
WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST:
Washboard Williemails
,V
By DICK POLLINGER
Operation Foil: Laneelots?
N THE PRE-DAWN HOURS on the day of
the Michigan State game, the campus
Lancelots heed the call of University pa-
triotism: They flock en masse to guard the
sacred landmarks about from the expect-
ed hordes of invading vandals from East
Lansing.
Operation Foil, as this honorable mo-
bilization is called, more often than not
becomes a fiasco, a shameful display of
the immaturity of its participants.
Granted, its purposes are worthy, and if
executed as prescribed, this operation
would serve a constructive function for
the University community. If its noble
goals were carried out with a minimum of
violence, the endeavor could be justified.
UNFORTUNATELY, this is rarely the
case. At the most, a handful of MSU
crusaders shows up to challenge the ef-
fectiveness of the stalwart defenders.
Thus frustrated, the student vigilantes
look around for someone to thwart, and 11-
logically convince themselves that every
passing car is driven by a potential enemy.
If the hapless soul, driving by the cam-
pus and noticing, what appears to be a
hostile mob entrenched upon the curb,
happens to accelerate slightly to more
rapidly pass the danger zone, he is
doomed.
The ever alert Foilers quickly size up
the situation; ascertaining the speeding
vehicle to be a violator of University sov-
ereignty, they dutifully release a volley of
stones in the general direction of the
enemy, unmindful of the fact that the
police car around the corner could more
safely and efficiently apprehend the sus-
pected car.
INCIDENTS such as this have been the
rule ratherthan the exception in the
past few years. It is justified to assume
that Operation Foil will- perform similarly
in the future. At present the University
tolerates the movement; if the flagrancies
persist, the administration must with-
draw its benevolent attitude. As long as
the defenders continue to wreak more
havoc and be potentially more dangerous
than the expected invaders, it must be
judged an unwarranted operation.
It can be argued that the students need
Operation Foil as an outlet for the emo-
tions that school spirit develops within
them before the State weekend. However,
there must be some other game they can
play which will channel off some of this
HOWEVER FABULOUS campus night spots are, there is one down-
town club, at least, which never wants for patrons. I stopped down
last Thursday to talk with its feature attraction, Washboard Willie,
and trace his checkered career.
Outside, the street teemed with impatient fans of all sexes. Inside,
the population density increased to extremes, not unlike the black
hole of Calcutta, except that the room was a little larger and beer
was served.
At the front tables sat girls and women of every description,
most of them escorted, all transfixed, in high Euterpic communion
broken only by an occasional gasp or responsive spasm.
Willie himself, casually attired in Hawaiian shades, was singing a
number known to his fans as "The Thrill on the Hill." He accompanied
himself on drums and washboard, supplemented by two electric guitar-
ists. When he was done, he took a break and we talked.
* * * *
"I'VE BEEN beatin' the drums ever since I knew myself, but
about 30 years ago I got the mere thought-it came to mel-tha t could
get the same beat out of a washboard. Here," he said and fished a
card out of his wallet:
Yes! Yes! Yes!
The Fantabulous
WASH BOARD WILLIE
WM. PADEN HENSLEY
and his
"SUPER SUDS OF RHYTHM"
"When did you start saying 'Yes, yes, yes'," I asked.
* * * *
"WELL, IT CAME ABOUT quite by accident. See, I usually end
my sentences sayin' 'Mmmmmm,' but that sounded bad out of a
microphone, so I tried sayin' 'yes'. Then one night I was playin' in
Mt. Clements and when I walked into the room, everyone said 'Yes,
yes, yes'. I said 'What do you mean' and they said 'that's what you
always say'. So ever since then I've been sort of emphasizing it. So
it was the crowd that started me sayin' it.
i
, .