Seventy-Third Year
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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 al, reprints.
)NESDAY OCTOBER 23, 1963 NIGHT EDITOR: KENNETH WINTER
"Half Step! Half Step! You Keep Marching Too Fast"
Undergraduates Suffer
As Finds Get Tighter
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION - and
specifically in the literary college-has
been forced to carry most of the burden of
substandard state appropriations over the
ast six years. In contrast, graduate work
and research have been assured of rela-
ively safe positions and in fact may have
profited by the squeeze. If undergraduate
education is to be given the importance it
leserves,'the structure of the University
nust be changed to ensure that graduate
eaching and research are not maintained
nly at the expense of undergraduate edu-
cation.
Undergraduate education is vulnerable
o reduced appropriations because when
most faculty reach a certain point
n their careers, they would rather teach
;raduate than undergraduate classes. And
nany would rather do research than teacp
it all. Of course, faculty preference for
)ne type of work over another varies
;reatly from field to field. The sciences
iffer more opportunities for research than
he humanities.
ANY BIAS against undergraduate educa-
tion Is not the fault of the faculty: re-
gards offered for graduate teaching and
esearch at this University are for greater
han those for undergraduate teaching.
First, research is an obvious demonstra-
Ion of the merit considered necessary by
epartments for promotions and salary
ncreases. According to the Regents' Pro-
:eedings:
"An iessential qualification for ap-
pointment or promotion is the ability
to teach, whether at the undergradu-
ate or the graduate level. Some of the
elements to be evaluated are char-
acter, experience, knowledge of sub-
ject matter, skill in presentation, in-
terest In students, ability to stimulate
youthful minds, capacity for coopera-
tion and enthusiastic devotion to
teaching."
However,. these elements cannot be
valuated with any degree of accuracy.
ven using the course evaluation ques-
Lonnaires given to students every two
ears, department chairmen must depend
n indirect, second-hand value judg-,
ients. In contrast, a list of research proj-
tts, with an attached list of publications,
s "concrete evidence" of a faculty mem-
er's merit. The actual value of his publi-
ations may not be investigated beyond
hie sound of the title. Clearly, it is in the
nterests of a faculty member to choose
esearch over teaching, since his merit in
esearch is much more easily demonstrat-
d, The law of "publish or perish" is used
oth by faculty to win promotion and de-
artments to deny it.
kLSO, within a faculty member's disci-
pline, he can expect to receive some
ecognition for his work. The incentive to
chieve this recognition is a significant
actor in a faculty member's career and
ncreases as he advances in his discipline.
xcellence or quantity of teaching at the
undergraduate level has little influence
on a faculty member's standing among
others in his field. So the rewards of rec-
ognition from a source outside the prov-
ince of the University is a determining
factor in how he divides his time.
Finally; teaching undergraduate courses
is just plain boring to many faculty, espe-
cially when they are given the task of in-
stilling information which is elementary
to their field and which they learned by
heart 20 or 30 years ago. Graduate courses
present more of a challenge. they also
provide a chance to work closely with
more competent and educated students
who will soon be going into the teacher's
field.
With adequate financial support, the*
literary college would be in a position to
offer counterbalancing incentives for fac-
ulty to engage in undergraduate teaching.
If it could offer high enough salaries, the
college and its departments could make
advancement contingent upon fulfilling
the University's needs for teaching, which
would be greatest at the undergraduate
level.
However, with the reduced budgets re-
ceived by the University these last few
years, faculty have achieved a bargaining
advantage which enables them to get
what they want. Since 1957, faculty sal-
aries paid by the University have fallen
from fourth in size in the nation to twen-
tieth. To offset the advantage of higher
salaries offered by other institutions, the
University is forced to offer some com-
pensating advantages, and the only one
readily available to it is to allow faculty
to reduce the number of hours taught and
to let them increase the amount of re-
search they do.
A RECENT REPORT on class size pre-
pared by the University's institutional
research office shows that the number of
class hours taught by University faculty
went down last year.
Also, senior faculty members have the
power to require that the courses they
teach be at the graduate level independ-
ent of the undergraduate needs of the
University.
Thus the present tightwad salary situa-
tion has shifted faculty time away from
undergraduate education to graduate ed-
ucation and research.
UNFORTUNATELY, individual depart-
ments tend to reinforce this shift.\ A
department may handle both graduate
and undergraduate students, but if it is
a part of the literary college, then all its
appolitments, promotions and salary in-
creases are handled through the literary
college. Like a faculty member, a depart-
ment must also compete with other de-
partments for a larger share of the ap-
propriation. In turning in recommenda-
tions, department chairmen submit "suc-
cinct" statements supporting their choic-
es. The better the statement, the more
likely the faculty member considered will
be given more money. It follows that de-
partments would fall back on research
and publications in the short statements
to sell their needs to the literary college.
And it follows that they would then have
to emphasize these same factors in draw-
ing up their priority lists.
Bias in departmental decisions tends to
conform to faculty bias in other ways. A
department is not known for its under-
graduate teaching, but for its graduate
work and research. It would thus'tend to
be more sensitive to graduate than under-
graduate needs. It would, in fact, let its
excellence in educating undergraduates
deteriorate to maintain its graduate ex-
cellence by downgrading those who en-
gage in undergraduate teaching. The de-
partment, wishing to keep strong those
courses taken by its own majors, would
economize first on the service courses it
offers to students majoring in other fields.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY unfortunate since
it encourages early professionalism and
strikes at the distributional basis of a lib-
eral education.
The autonomous nature of departments
within the University encourages such
violations of educational responsibility.
This autonomy further makes it difficult
for the administration to ensure that the
needs of the University as a whole are
met, especially if departments are allow-
ed to be oriented toward their own indi-
vidual needs. "Strong" departments do not
necessarily make a strong University.
t jOp(JFco :7
A MO,
GENERATION.
Magazine Shows
r
Genuine Diversity.
THE CURRENT ISSUE of "Generation," less the "inter-arts mag-
azine" than most other issues in recent years, is commendably full.
The editor has assembled a fairly large selection of stories and poems
in an attractive and readable format, avoiding the pretentious and
cliquish artiness that has marred some past issues.
Five photographs by Stuart Klipper focus delicately on details
such as leaves; my favorite is a heavy-textured contrast of light and
masses that I cannot objectively identify. And, if the drawings that
illustrate several of the stories repeat the motif of frightened, staring
eyes a little too often, they are inoffensive and relevant to the
stories they accompany. The rest of the magazine is devoted entirely
to literature.
* * * *
THE POETRY is generally more professional 'than the prose.
None of the prose writers match the sheer skill and the control of
emotion by apparently flat, undemonstrative narrative in Donald
Hall's "The Old Pilot's Death" (although comparison of Donald Hall's
work with that of undergraduates is hardly fair) or the ability to
combine general statement with specific image so effectively dramatized
in Patricia Hooper's "Let Five Years Go."
J. V. Parbrake demonstrates a powerful and bizarre imagination,
particularly in the last five lines of "Summer Evening." Rosemarie
Keith contributes a pair of sharply contained, dramatic poems. All
four of these poets, each in his own way, have managed to convey
genuine emotion and response within coherent form. I am less
attracted to the long six-part "Spartaric" by Konstantinos Lardas.
Scenes of vineyards, seas and mountains contain some fine images,
but I find them made less effective by excessive alliteration and by
the technique that combines a stress displacement reminiscent of
Hopkins with a Whitmanesque soaring soul.
THE PROSE, on the whole, is less well contained, more unfinished.
Trim Bissell, who writes extremely well (several of the early paragraphs
of "Confessions of St. B." are models of sharp, clear prose), dissipates
the effect of a story about the plague of a man who would convert
others by having his narrator slide into a rather self-pitying tale
of childhood. The emotion and the preservation of personality are,
toward the end of the story, no longer tempered by wit.
In a story even more vitiated by the central character's self pity,
"Between Heaven and the Horseshoe Crab" by Leslie Fish, the laudable
emotions of a very contrived adolescent girl, objecting to her parents'
snobbish indifference and her brother's cruelty, overwhelm what might
have been some sharp social satire.
Nancy Willaid's crisply written story about the wonderful adven-
tures of a professor who finds that he can fly is skillful comedy, but
I confess that I am not really attracted by this kind of precious
fantasy or by the aura of Victorian illustrations for the work' of Lewis
Carroll and Edward Lear that seems to pervade the story.
Far less well handled is Robert Millea Hunt's "What Fine
Pranksters We Are," a rather conventional monologue delivered by a
boxer, marked by some ponderous writing and portentous symbols.
Yet, even this, if only echoes of Kirk Douglas in the ring and some
of the misty Orient could be cleared away, shows some genuine
ingenuity.
AMONG THE less consciously artful stories, Lee Carl Bromberg's
"Train Ride" is clear and straight forward, but relies too heavily on
a trick ending that substitutes for an adequate depiction, of the
central issues. Only toward the end of the story does he begin to suggest
the compulsive nature of his psychotic character. Ralph Humphriss,
in "Jared," is, unfortunately, too careless: careless about dates (my
own academically compulsive nature forces me to notice dates that
don't work out consistently), about words, and generally too slow
in a story that intelligently understates the issues concerning an aging
man who works in a warehouse. Humphriss avoids several possible
cliches by two conscientiously developed comparisons.
My favorite among the writers of fiction is Douglas Sprig,
represented by two stories. His "One of the Boys," is a short story about
boys' brutality, distinguished by a hard and intelligent handling of
point of view; his "Aspirations," although it includes too many repitious
details especially at the beginning, is a perceptive and thoroughly
controlled study of adolescent callousness.
* * * *
DESPITE ALL the reservations I have listed, I am pleased to
see so many genuine and diverse stories. Campus writing today, if this
collection is representative, is alive; it cannot be summarized by easy
generalizations or simply explained by rigid and sterile fashions.
--James Gindin
HARNWELL-
Individual Education
'r
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0.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
YAF Chairman Hits Analysis
#.a
To the Editor:
ON WHAT AUTHORITY does
Robert Selwa conduct a state
by state rundown, on the 1964
election and come up with the
conclusion that Gov. Rockefeller
would run a better race against
President Kennedy in '64 than
Sen. Barry Goldwater in "Rocke-
feller vs. Kennedy" in The Michi-
gan Daily Magazine?
Has he ever taken a poll in any
of the states to ascertain whether
his opinions about those states are
correct? Does he have intimate
contacts with the forces within
any of these states to help him
reach this conclusion? Or are
the conclusions, as is more prob-
able, based on the hopes and
prejudices of the author? For in-
stances, he completely disregards
Sen. Russell's statement to the
effect that Goldwater could carry
Georgia, and he hands the state
to Kennedy.
THAT the author is prejudiced
is not readily apparent, but if
one looks closely enough, it can
be established. It comes out in the
author's use of the Kennedy popu-
larity factor. By this, the author
means that because of Kennedy's
increased popularity outside the
South, the changeover among
Nixon voters to Kennedy will be
at least one per cent greater than
the change in the opposite direc-
tion. Using this factor, he claims
Goldwater could not take Illinois
or New Mexico from the Ken-
nedy camp. But it will not prevent
Rockefeller from taking New York
and New Jersey from Kennedy, al-
though they were carried by a
larger margin by Kennedy. Thus
the only states which this factor
effects are states that might go
to Goldwater.
The author conveniently forgets
to mention the possible effect of
Rockefeller's remarriage and the
tremendous enthusiasm that has
developed for Goldwater on the
results of the election. He just as-
sumes all Republicans who vote
will vote for either Goldwater or
Rockefeller. But he does not men-
tion that married women over 40
may not vote for Rockefeller.
* *
ALSO his assumption that all
of the enthusiasm built up for
Goldwater will be translated into
enthusiasm for Rockefeller is most
certainly untrue as any Gold-
water backer will tell you. We
may support Rockefeller over
Goldwater but our hearts won't
be in it. Without any really en-
thusiastic supporters, Rockefeller
cannot possibly win the nomina-
tion let alone the election.
-James W. Russell, '66
Chairman, Young Americans
for Freedom
'Mondo Cane'...
To the Editor:
I FEEL I must lodge a protest
against your critic's evaluation
of "Mondo Cane." Mr. Walker dis-
misses one of the most powerful
and most outspoken films I have
had the privilege of seeing thus
far this year-or any year for that
matter-with surprising alacrity
and amazingly 1ittle iustification
gagging dog being dragged by
what is most likely a "servant of
society" past a cellblock of im-
prisoned animals finally to be bru-
tally kicked into the cage to join
what we may understand to be
his "fellow men"; the later scene
in which the "enlightened" Amer-
icans shed tears of grief over the
graces of their house pets; the
scene in which the "enlightened"
Easterners savor their favorite del-
icacy-dogs.
"THERE IS absolutely no pur-
pose to this random collection,"
Mr. Walker comments. Alas! Early
in the film we see the Italian
Brazzi mauled by a lovely tribe of
"modern," "civilized," "enlighten-
ed" American women. And what is
the next sequence? Why, the same
essential scene-but in another
country, in another age. Mere
tautology? Not if one considers
that the first scene finds its rai-
son d'etre in false ideals-"imag-
inary love" Stekel would label it
-whereas the second scene is
abundant in the joy and splendor
of man and woman playfully en-
gaged in that ritual which ensures
the earthly immortality of the
human species.
The narrator has informed us
that "Mondo Cane" is a "chroni-
cle," and "chronicle" with a small
"c" means "history." With a capi-
tal "C" it means something else,
and refers us to another history of
the world.
IF THIS IS SO, then there is
more than a hint of the timeless
in the film, unless (and Mr. Walk-
er is dead right here) man wishes
to perpetuate the barbarity of Bi-
kini. Thus far, "Mondo Cane"
suggests, he has not transcended
his animal instincts: if the "en-
lightened" "cult of the carrier"
is childish in our eyes, is not that
"cult" which produced the Bikini
experiment and the resultant hor-
rors equally as childish? Or more
so?
Man refines himself extraordi-
narily, discovers his soul-but he
is still very much an animal:
Americans pay $20 to display their
self-control over a plate of in-
sects; Easterners munch (guess
what)' and snakes; soldiers decapi-
tate bulls in honor of their similar-
ly - decapitated - by -fellow - war-
dead; Africans gorge themselves
like pigs on pigs (think of, in a
related context, "Animal Farm").
S * * *
I ADMIT that the film is slant-
ed: it does present, in many senses
(as Mr. Walker correctly points
out), the "bizarre." But I fear that
I must deviate radically from Mr.
Walker's critical adjudications
here by saying that all that is
"bizarre" in the film has a point:
the difficulty is that the point is
rather a hard pill to swallow.
Truth undergoes the most diffi-
cult process of birth known. The
'really tragic thing about the "bi-
zarre" elements in "Mondo Cane"
is the fact that the "bizarre" is
needed to underline the basic is-
sues of the film.
As to the film's "criminal han-
dling" of religious sequences I
must grant Mr. Walker his bias,
and do so gladly. But I respect-
fully submit that the important
job of the critic is not dissemina-
tion of his own point of view, but
rather the honest explication of
his subject in terms of its artistic
failure or success: the prejudices
of all of us will fend for themselves
without guidance.
* * *
"MONDO CANE" says that cer-
tain "religious" practices in certain
areas of this world (the film is,
incidentally, Italian) are mon-
strosities-not that all religion is
hopelessly depraved and riddled
with superstition, ignorance, and
brutality. And certainly this is
"food for thought"-even if "Mon-
do Cane" must stuff it down our
throats with a mechanized grinder
to fatten us for the kill.
Or perhaps we, and Mr. Walker,
find "Mondo Cane" as difficult to
ingest as those sharks, conditioned
to human blood by human beings,
found their deserved(?) mean of
sea urchins.
-Clayton L. Travis, Grad
SGC,/ No?
DWIN SASAKI, Grad, will ask his fel-
low Student Government Council mem-
bers tonight to put the Conference on the
University Steering Committee, presently
independent, under SGC.
To pass this motion would be a serious
blow to the Conference, for several rea-
sons.
First, the Conference has received as-
sistance from many campus sources, in-
cluding the Regents and the Office of
Academic Affairs. Vice-President for Stu-
dent Affairs James A. Lewis has been,
especially helpful in providing, funds and
elerical assistance. As an SGC committee
organ, the steering committee would
hardly be justified in going elsewhere for
this aid.
Second, the steering committee is much
less likely to attract brilliant leadership-
such as that which ran the first Confer-
ence-if it must work with SGC people
constantly leaning over their shoulders.
Third, there is considerable doubt that
SGC has the power to bring the commit-
tee under its wing anyway. Though SGC
appointed the chairman, the steering
committee is an autonomous body. Thus,
even if the motion were passed tonight,
the chairmen would be justified - and
probably Wise-in ignoring Council's fiat
altogether.
"And So's My Old Man!"
\ w
r 5
THE SUBSTANCE of the uni-
versity can be readily compar-
ed to the character of the in-
dividual, for its chief property is
the mind and the uses to which
it is put. In some circles, it is
popular to speak of the mind as
an article or commodity, if you,
will, which can be molded, and
one of the most often used meta-
phors refers to it as clay which
can be worked, hopefully under
the guidance of a competent
teacher or artist. It is only in"
fable, however, that a pygmalion-
like creature can ingeniously im-
part wished-for qualities to the
individual, and in reality it is
the individual himself who must
be the sculptor.
The student is his own sculptor
and his creation is the measure of
the significance and the vividness
of the experience he has enjoyed;
and in this institution, particularly
at present, the possibilities will
place no bounds to his attain-
ments. The campus itself is chang-
ing with some rapidity; new build-
ings are being erected and others
are being planned, a new house
plan system for the undergradu-
ates on which construction will
soon start is being readied, and
new adjacent areas are being
added to our campus.
* * *
MORE PROFOUND and more
significant is the growth of know-
ledge and the extension of the
purview of our intellectual effort.
Your generation will see more
clearly than any preceeding the
nature of the elemental compon-
ent of our universe, the features
of extra-terrestial space; you can
see more deeply into the structure
of the matter that composes your-
self and your world; and you will
have at your disposal devices and
techniques for achieving mastery
of your environment that has
image of the students reflpcts that
of the university; they are mirrors
to eachr other.
Thomas Huxley, tie great Eng-
lish biologists, critic and later de-
fender of Charles Darwin, describ-
ed education as "The instruction
of the intellect in the laws of
Nature under which name I in-
clude not merely things and their
forces, but men and their ways;
and the fashioning of the affec-
tions and of the will to move in
- harmony with those laws." Great
educational institutions are en-
gaged not only in preserving and
refining what we believe we know
and handing it on to each succes-
sive class .that enters their portals
but also in the discovery of what
has not yet been perceived.
* * *
THEY ARE concerned with the
nurturing of inspiration and con-
fidence in the limitless possibili-
ties of men who aspire to com-
prehend and who are to put that
comprehension at the service of
their fellows. Science is an im-
portant component in your world
and you tmust understand it. Its
effect upon men and their ways
is a challenge to you, for preceed-
ing generations have not under-
stood it. The vagaries of human
behavior in general*have tran-
scended all insight of the past,
but their description in the human
record that we call the human-
ities is worthy of your deepest
thought. You will live in this world
of men and I urge you to partici-
'pate fully in it, to welcome it
sympathetically, and to view it
sceptically.
--Gaylord P. Barnwel
President, University of
Pennsylvania, at his
institution's opening
exercises.
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