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October 26, 1978 - Image 3

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Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1978-10-26

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,F'YOU SE ESM)E ALL DALY

The Michigan Daily-Thursday, October 26 1978-Page 3A
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION DUE SOON:
ournalism-Speech merger eyed

Eastern speed-up
That lengthy faculty strike at Eastern Michigan University (EMU)
next door in Ypsilanti left that school's semester short by a few weeks
of class-time. Faced with that problem, the EMU administration.
decided not to run through Christmas break or meet on Saturdays.
Rather, the school opted to lengthen each class period five minutes,
leaving students with half the normal ten minute break between
meetings. "Some of my professors do it and some don't," said one
EMU student. "It all depends on the amount of material we have to get
through." We haven't yet heard any reports of increased sales in
running shoes in Ypsi, but if they're sure hustling over there.
Wrong side of the bed
Most meetings don't start until those present have opened at least
one eye. Still it is really quite understandable that the ,7:45 a.m.
Chamber of Commerce meeting yesterday morning caught some city
officials in a state of moderate confusion. City Administrator
Sylvester Murray addressed the breakfast bunch on the state of the
city. He was almost forced to ad lib the entire spiel, because his
assistant left Murray's speech on his own breakfast table in Ypsilanti.
But Murray's remarks-were quickly compiled and his talk proceeded
without a ruffle until the middle of the slide show. A slide displaying a
bulldozer and some dirt was shown and the usually calm and
organized administrator asked, "What's that? Where was this
taken?" It turned out to be a 'before' picture of the new runway at the
city airport. Murray regained his composure and finished the address,
without further incident.
Take ten
If historical precedent counts for anything, the Wolverines should
keep in mind the day after tomorrow a homecoming victory over the
Minnesota Gophers, 33-20, on Oct. 26, 1968. Bill Cosby showed up for
the festivities that night. Also that day in the presidential game, the
latest Gallup presidential polls showed Hubert Humphrey up 5
percentage points to 36, Richard Nixon holding at 44,. and George
Wallace dowrn 5 points to 15, leaving 5 per cent of those polled
undecided.
Happenings. . .
roll out of bed at the ungodly hour of 10:30 this morning for a
seminar with economist Robert Lekachman on "The Carter
Administration's Non-Policy on Inflation" in Room B-115 Modern
Language Building . .. at noon you can enjoy some big band jazz
during lunch with the 2-5-1 Orchestra at.Ypsilanti's McKenny Union
snack bar .. . also at noon you can take in a preview of the Musket's
play "Man of La Mancha" in the Pendleton Arts Information Center,
2nd floor of our Union .. , at 12:00 Harold Stevenson will ask if "There
Are No Reading Disabilities in Japan (?)" in the Commons room at
Lane Hall . . . also at 12:00 Professor Andrew Ehrenkreutz will speak
on "A Pope from Behind the Iron Curtain: Reflections on the
Implications of John Paul's Election" in Rm. 5028 Angell Hall . .. at
12:10 Michael Blake will speak on "Ethoarchaeological Investigation
in Highland Chiapas" in Room 2009 of the Museum of Anthropology
... also at 12:10 a film, on veneral disease and teenagers will
presented in the School of Public Health II's Auditorium . . . at 4:00
Professor Leon Steinberg will speak on his "Personal Reflections on a
Humanistic Discipline: Art History" in Aud. 3, MLB . . . or if
linguistics is more your style at 4:00 you can hear Visiting Professor
Vitalij Shevoroshkin speak on "Russian Literary Language and its
Relationship to Russian Colloquaial Speech" in Room 35 Angell
Hall . . . also at 4:00 the Musket cast will perform songs from "Man of
La Mancha" in Canterbury Loft next to Nickels Arcade . .. at 4:00
John Broomfield will lecture on "South Asian Complexities" of the
European 'Take-off' and the Non-Western World in Aud. B Angell
Hall...: the Collegium Musicum will present Renaissance winds and
viols at 4 in the Residential College Auditorium . . . at 4:10 Studio
Theatre Productions will perform Act II of Thornton Wilder's play Our
Town ... at 5 the Michigan Economics Society will meet in Room 301
of the Economics Building . . . at 6:oo Public Access Channel 9 will air'
a taped debate between the four candidates for the Board of
Regents . .. at 6:45 a special program honoring President and Mrs.
Fleming will be given the residents of Rumsey House in West Quad in
the Pendleton Room of the Union . .. at 7, Children of Holocaust
Survivors will meet at Hillel, 1429 Hill St. . . . also at 7, AIESEC, a
student Economics and Business organization will get together at the
Payton Accounting Center ... at 7:30 guzzlers can indulge in the
Theta Delta Chi Beer Olympics at 700 S. state St. . . . also at 7:30
candidates for Congressional seats, County Commissioner and other
offices have been invited to speak and answer questions at American
Legion Post No. 46, 1035 S. Main Street . .. the Guild House poetry
and prose readings series will continue at 7:30 at the Guild House, 802
Monroe. .. also at 7:30, B. H. Ames and R. H. Roberts will talk on the
"Development of the Submarine Trident as a Habitat" in Room 229
West Engineering. . . at 8:00 a Chemistry lecture will be given by
UCLA professor J. Gladsz in Room 1300 of the Chemistry
Building . .. the Concert Band and Chamber Winds will else out the
day on a musical note at 8:00 in Hill Auditorium.
0
On the outside . .
Look for a repeat performange of yesterday's skies. It'll be mostly
cloudy with a chance of showers, a high of 55 and a low of 45.

By SHELLEY SEEGER
The possible merging of the Speech
and Journalism Departments at the
University is a touchy subject,
especially when nobody can come up
with an unbiased name to call the
committee which is analyzing the
possible merger.
"It doesn't have a name," said
English Prof. Eric Rabkin, chairman of
the untitled committee. "If we call it
the Speech-Journalism Committee,
then the Journalism Department feels
left out. If we call it the Merger Com-
mittee, it sounds like we are
predisposed to make one department,"
said Rabkin.
"If we call it the Reorganization
Committee, it sounds like we are
predisposed to tinker no matter what
we discover," continued Rabkin. "If we
call it the Oversight or Examination
Committee, it sounds like we're doing
an outside review.
"THERE IS just no name that anyone
could come up with, so whenever I talk
to the Speech Department I call it the
Speech-Journalism Committee, and
vice-versa when I talk to the Jour-
nalism Department," concluded
Rabkin.
Rabkin predicted that the committee
studying the two departments is within
two weeks of a plan which is satisfac-
tory to all concerned. He also said he
thinks the University will be able tofact
on the matter by Christmas. If the
changes are to be published in next
year's catalog, they must be decided
upon by December 15, he pointed out.
ANY DECISION is subject to the ap-
proval of the Regents.
Rabkin said each department gave
plans for potential reorganization to the
committee, but said he could not
disclose any committee decisions
regarding the plans.
He did say, however, that the

creation of a Theatre Department
separate from the Speech Department
is a "pretty firm commitment."
Rabkin noted that the most
prestigious schools such as the School
of Communication at Northwestern
University and the School of Jour-
nalism at the University of Missouri
"have very strong -onnections between
communications, speech, and jour-
nalism
"'IF HE difference between what
our Speech Department does and what
our Journalism Department does has
kept them from doing the kind of work
that would make them as nationally
known as these other places, I think, in
the abstract, the committee would have
just wanted to put them together," said
Rabkin. "But wanting to put two things
together and being able to put two
things together are not always the same
thing.
"The Speech Department is strongly
committed to a humanistic approach,"
said Rabkin. "The Journalism Depar-
tment is committed to a social science,
quantitative approach. In the abstract,
it is true that the two approaches com-
plement each other, but in fact, getting
the two departments to construct a
single curriculum may be more trouble
than it's worth," Rabkin speculated.
Rabkin's committee, comprised of

people outside the Speech and Jour-
nalism Departments, convened at the
beginning of the summer. But Jour-
nalism Department Chairman Prof.
Peter Clarke said merger rumors have
been circulating for the past ten years.
RABKIN SAID if the committee
recommendation is not accepted,
"somebody who thought he was in for a
good deal is going to feel shafted and
someone who thought he was going to
get shafted is going to feel cocky."
Rabkin said the committee has
"moral obligations" to make sure that
department personnel "continue to do
the work for which they were hired."
If the two departments were com-

bined into one Communications Depar-
tment, "What you would have would be'
two chairmen, and you can't wind "f
with two chairmen. So somebody i-
going to have to feel uncomfortable"
said Rabkin.
ONE OF the two chairmen is Prof,
Edgar Willis of the Speech Department.
"I can't give idle talk to discuss
something that hasn't been decided.
yet," said Willis.
"It depends a great deal on how the
merger takes place," said Clarke. "It's
like putting a Ford and Chevy together.,
It all depends on which car you get the,
enginefrom," said Clarke.

POETRY READING
with AMY RONNER and ELLEN ZWEIG
reading from their works
THURSDAY, OCT. 26
7:30 at GUILD HOUSE, 802 Monroe
No Admission

1' ....III

Songs from their upcoming play, MAN OF LA
MANCHA, performed by the Musket cast Thursday,
October 26th at 4 p.m. at

You win nave the opportunity to oruer
fromnyourJosten's College Ring Specialist:

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