The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, November 14, 1978-Page 9
Prof tells how to curb
political repression
By RICHARD BERKE
Bertell Olman, a Marxist political theorist and
associate political science professor at New York
University, last night told a crowd of nearly 200 packed in
Schorling Auditorium that the way to curb political
repression at universities is to build on the successes
radicals have achieved.
Ollman, speaking as part of the ".Great American
Dream Freeze" lecture series, gained national attention
last spring when he was rejected as chairman of the
University of Maryland's Government and Politics
department. After his selection by a faculty committee,
his appointment was dropped by the college's provost,
chancellor, and president on the grounds that he was not
qualified.
OLLMAN'S REJECTION came after several state
officials - including Maryland's acting governor -
objected to the idea of placing a Marxist in a high position
at the college. Now Oliman is suing the school to gain the
position, charging that he was denied the position because
of his political beliefs,
The conservative critics of radicals are in "bad odor"
nowadays, according to Ollman. He said one reason is that
McCarthyism went too far in the 1950s.
"Also, there was a backlash against those who
defended the Vietnam War," the professor said. "Most of
the radicals today aren't members of any communist
party."
IN THE PAST, he said, communist connections
prevented radicals from having independent ideas and
free thoughts.
Olman said universities need to "legitimize"
themselves through the presence of radicals.
'The university serves multiple functions for the
populist class," he said. "It is important to keep people's
eyes on the university as a place where knowledge is
exchanged and wisdom is sought."
OLLMAN SAID universities have space to make room
for a few radicals, but "a few quickly becomes too much."
He cited the University of Maryland as an example of
a school which initially hired him as a department
chairman, but then cautioned him "not to make the
department full of Marxists."
Oilman, author of Alienation and the inventor of the
"Class Struggle" board game, said the economic crunch
is used by many universities as an excuse for not hiring
Marxists. In addition, he said university officials look for
other reasons rather than openly dismissing radicals for
their political beliefs.
EARLIER YESTERDAY, Oilman spoke informally
about tenure and academic freedom in East Quad's
Greene Lounge. He told some 20 students and staff
members that though radicals "have problems with
academic freedom . . . it is our best defense."
Oilman said one problem radicals face is that
academic freedom makes a claim for individuals at the
university level, but not for the general population. He
also said that people don't distinguish between radical
theories and practices.
People who argue for academic freedom generally
count on due process, Olman said. But, he said, due
process is not always practiced in situations involving
radicals.
OLLNMAN SAID to deal with those and other
difficulties related to academic freedom, radicals must
defend their ideas and emphasize what contribution their
beliefs can add to a university community and society as a
whole.
In discussing the tenure case of University Political
Science Assistant Prof. Joel Samoff, a Marxist political
economist who has twice been denied tenure, Oilman said
two objectives come into play for individuals trying to
overturn tenure denials.
The first objective, Oilman said, is to convince people
to support the professor under consideration, an action
which "slightly alters the balance of forces."
OLLMAN SAID the other objective is to "shame
people on to the other side to speak with you or remain
neutral."
Oilman said to help gain support for Samoff, the
professor's- sympathizers should hold a "why are they
afraid of Joel Samoff contest."j
Glistening brass Daily Photo by WAYNE CABLE
An upside down photographer, as well as other instrumentalists, can be seen in the reflection off these tubes, which made
up part of Michigan State's musical delegation to the recent football duel.
Wheelchair ramp built in Rackham
'U' prof
says women
need more
self -h elp
(Continued from Page 1)
problems cOJiSLILULe iLS primary ob-
stacles. The department is forced to
reject many applicants for teaching
positions due to lack of funds, she ex-
plained.
But she said she is "confident of the
future" and believes the department
will not be significantly reduced.
Varner said the lowest number of
women in graduate school are enrolled
in the life sciences and physical scien-
ces, 48 and 14, respectively.
The highest enrollment in grad school
for women is in education, followed by
humanities and social sciences, accor-
ding t( 978 Rackham figures.
PRESENTING:
CA REER ALI TERNA I YES
FOR
FOREIGN LANGUAGE MAJORS'
November 16, 1978-Thursday-4:00-5 15
A Panel Featuring Former Foreign Language Majors:
CELESTE DYKAS, Retail Management
MARY ERWIN, Publishing
JANIS SYROVY, Mechanic
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE-ROOM 126
(Use the South Entrance on South University)
CO-SPONSORED BY:
CAREER PLANNING AND PLACEMENT
(A Unite of the Office of Student Services)
LSA ACADEMIC ADVISING OFFICE
(RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE HAS A BARRIER
FREE ENTRANCE ON EAST UNIVERSITY)
(Continued from Page 1)
flight of stairs separated that
area of the building from the
auditorium.
AS OF LAST night, however, the
auditorium is accessible to Weir and
dther handicapped people. A lecture
being held in the auditorium prompted
lie construction of a temporary ramp
over the stairs, allowing the handicap-
ped to enter the hall. 1
The lecture, on the subject of
disability and sexuality, was given by
Saul Gordon of Syracuse University.
The speaker was to be introduced by
Prof. Matt Trippe of the School of
Education, but Trippe, who is also con-
fined to a wheelchair, notified the Af-
firmative Action office that neither he
nor any other. handicapped person
could enter the auditorium.
The problem was directed to the
proper offices, and while an alternate
site for the speech was sought to ac-
commodate the disabled, no other
places were available.
"BECAUSE OF the size of the crowd
expected, we had no other choice but
Rackham," said Robert Pangburn,
assistant to the director of the Plant
Extension. "We started working Friday
on a temporary ramp to get over the
immediate problem." By yesterday
morning, the ramp was complete.
"The University responded very
fast," said Barbara Murphy, program
associate for the handicapped and
veterans in the Affirmative Action of-
fice. "The University has been good in
helping solve these problems, and I'm
really happy about the immediate ac-
tion taken."
J. P. Weidenbach, director of
business operations, explained that the.
University tries to respond to the
specific needs of the handicapped as
quickly as possible. "As soon as we
learned of it (the accessibility
problem), we built the temporary ramp
so they could carry out the program,"
he said. He also nted that a similar
structure was built about a month ago
at the Physical Properties Building to
accommodate a disabled staff person
hired there.
HE ADDED THAT as soon as funds
become available, a permanent ramp
will be put in place in the building.
"Rackham is one of the oldest buildings
that is not accessible, and it will take
some time and money to renovate it,"
Weidenbach said.
As for John Weir, he was very
pleased and impressed as he entered
the auditorium. "It's a beautiful,
building. It's really beautiful."
k ,
CHIGAN
rQ -'
'U' hosts
'Class
&truggle'
(Continued from . Page 1)
game.
Once again, the capitalist player
rolled the dice and moved his piece in
the wrong direction. But this time
he moved it to the left, a sharp turn
from typical capitalist tendencies.
Oh well, its only a game. Or is it?
In 1976, approximately 7,191,713
passengers enplaned at Kennedy Air-
port in New York. Aircraft departures
totaled 107,278, says the Air Transport
Association.
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