Page 4-Sunday, February 11, 1979-The Michigan Daily
THE WEEK
LKBCIN REVIEW
a Soviets pull out,
of Russian, festival
It was to be an extravaganza, the illustrious result of
more than four years of intensive nurturing and1 planning.
The Russian Arts Festival, which began a week ago Saturday
with a sold-out concert at Hill Auditorium by the Moscow
Philharmonic, was to continue on campus through April 2.
The festival will go on, but due to the intolerance of the
Soviet government and a lack of sensitivity on the part of
University officials, one of the gems of the program, an
exhibit called "The Art of Russia, 1800-1850" won't be in-
cluded.
ON TUESDAY the Soviet Union cancelled the traveling
exhibition because it took offense with a slated poetry
reading by Soviet defector Josef Brodsky, and a quotation in
the festival brochure from the work of exiled author
Alexander Solzhenitsynr
University officials decided to go ahead with the
show-minus the art-and sputtered at the Soviets for
refusing to distinguish between politics and art.
"The Russians objected because they feel Solzhenitsyn
and Brodsky are not adequate representatives of Soviet art,"
said Bret Waller, director of the University Museum of Art,
"but this is not a festival of Soviet art. And while Solzhenitsyn
and Brodsky are not Soviet citizens, they certainly are
Russians. In fact, they are considered by many to be the
finest Russian writers of today."
INTERIM PRESIDENT Allan Smith said the planners had
asked for trouble by planning the objectionable quote and
poetry reading.
Brodsky himself called it a "stupid move."
The next day, the two Soviet curators in charge of the 150
Russian paintings, graphics, and objets dort wanted to find
a new audience. So they flew to Columbus to investigate the
possibility of displaying the exhibit there.
On Thursday, the Ohio State University Provost, Robin
Wilson, still waiting to hear whether OSU would host the
show, strongly supported the University's decision to shrug
off the Soviet move.
"For the University of Michigan to do anything other than
it did," said Wilson, "would have been intolerable." OSU, he
added, would have done the same thing.
So that's where it stands. "As far as we're concerned,"
said Vice President for Academic ,Affairs Harold Shapiro,
"the art exhibit is over."
It raised the point once again, though, of the duties of the
University. The Regents have had occasion in the past to ad-
dress the question of the role of the University as a moral
agent. The decision to continue keeping investments in cor-
porations which do business in South Africa, for example,
was made amid charges that the University was holding it-
self only to its economic, rather than its moral, obligations.
The case of the Soviet art exhibit is one more piece of
evidence that the University cannot hope to isolate itself
from the rest of the political, nonacademic world.. .
The 'U" faces up to
Carter s inflation rules
The nation's breadwinners have been sputtering about
inflation for some time, but now the hallowed halls of
academia are also feeling the economic crunch.
University officials have announced they will probably
comply with President Carter's voluntary wage and price
guidelines.
THIS WEEK the administration will present a resolution
to the Regents calling for a seven per cent limit on salary in-
creases. University Vice-President and Chief Financial Of-
ficer James Brinkerhoff said the University must stay within
the guidelines if it hopes to secure federal grants this year for
over $5 million. The government has already submitted one
such request to the University.
Last year, faculty salaries rose 6.5 per cent and Univer-
sity administrators had originally hoped to budget at least 10
per cent increase in order to keep pace with salaries offered
at other universities.
But that 10 per cent hike was probably shot two weeks ago
when Gov. William Milliken recommended a substantially
smaller alloction of state funds for the University than was
requested.
As for price, which essentially means tuition, the Carter'
guidelines probably will not affect the amount of a possible
tuition hike for next year. Under Carter's stipulations the
University, and any other business, should not hike pricesi
more than one half of one per cent less than the average in-
creases of 1976 and 1977 prices.
According to Brinkerhoff, these limits would allow next
year's tuition to be increased approximately 9.5 per cent over
this year's price. Last year, tuition was raised an average
nine per cent..
Students vote ignorance
in presidential poill
Last Saturday, Daily reporters tapped an often elusive
University news source-the students.
Results-of a random telephone survey of 200 students
revealed there is a general lack of awareness about the
current search for a new University president. Fifty five per
cent of those polled said they could not name the current
University president (LaW Prof. Allan Smith is filling in for
now) and 38 per cent said they were unaware a search is un-
derway. Former President Robben Fleming, who left the
University in December, still hauled in 13 per cent.
WHEN ASKED about international issues, the top respon-
ses were concern over the Iranian crisis (20.5 per cent), U.S.
relations with China (16 per cent) and world-wide economic
problems (15.5).
And what's the most important University issue? "I don't
know" was the most common answer from 33 per cent of
those polled.
.The scientific method of the survey was, at best, informal,
but you get the idea...
Iranian students struggle
to keep touch with home
Even if they're from nearby Livonia or Pinckney, Mich-
igan, that phone call or check from home means a lot to
students.
But when home is tottering near civil war, Ann Arbor only
seems all that much further away. And for over 200 Iranian
University students, infrequent telephone calls are the only
communication between - the students and their families.
There is no mail in or out of the country and there's no check
from Dad because the banks are on strike. Chances are Dad's
on strike too.
"EVEN IF something happened, they wouldn't tell me
because they don't want to worry me," said one Iranian
student of his family.
Perhaps the worst part of the crisis is not knowing what
has happened, much less what will happen. Iranian students
are forced to rely on sketchy media reports which often con-
flict, or are outdated before they appear. But it's all-they.have,
and as one Iranian student asked a reporter: "Please be
quiet, there's something about Iran on the radio."
The Week in Review was compiled and written by
Editor-in-Chief Sue Warner.
The University Art Museum, where a scheduled exhibit was cancelled, in part because of poet Josef Brodsky (inset).
GIhi 31rb43gan ?BUIIQ
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Eigh ify-Nine Years of Editorial Freedom
LETTERS:
Hospital should use student nurses
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 111
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
U
can't ignore children
W HEN THE UNIVERSITY assisted
in the development of the two
campus day care centers, Pound
House and the Child Care Action Cen-
ter (CCAC), it recognized a respon-
sibility to help provide child care for
students and faculty who could other-
wise not afford full-time babysitters.
But in its decision this week not to help
the CCAC-which must leave its home
in the School of Education due to fire
code violations-relocate, the Univer-
sity seems to be turning its back on
that responsibility.
The result is dozens of families who
must add their names to long waiting
lists elsewhere and who must somehow
find daycare for their children. For
some, the only alternative may be to
leave the University.
There is no way to dispute the fact
that CCAC cannot stay where it is. Fire
codes are far more stringent for
facilities which must care for small
children, and they should be. Fire
escapes which are in easy reach of
adults may be totally useless to one
who is only two or three feet tall.
This, however, should not let the
University off the hook when it comes
to finding a suitable facility.
CCAC officials have pleaded to the
University for much needed assistan-
ce. But early this week, the Univer-
sity's Executive Officers (the six vice-
presidents and Interim President
Smith) announced that the child care
need "fell very low" on their list of
priorities.
student interns receiving psychology
credit) will have to disband.
We feel that this is unfortunate and
unfair, especially in light of past
University support and an implied
commitment to provide child care. To
leave the CCAC empty handed now
would make the efforts of the past ten
years seem futile.
Obviously the University cannot take
on an obligation to provide every child
of every student or faculty member
with daycare. But the University does
need to recognize that for some, at
least, this is more than just a salient
issue. It can mean the difference bet-
ween getting an education or not get-
ting one. The University has come a
long way with child care, but letting
the CCAC die would be an injustice to
everyone concerned, and a slap in the
face to those who depend on it.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Sue Warner..........................EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Richard Berke .......................... MANAGING EDITOR
Michael Arkush, Julie Rovner ....... EDITORIAL DIRECTORS
Brian Blanchard ........... ...UNIvERSITY EDITOR
Keith Richburg ................................. CITY EDITOR
Shelley Wolson..................... PESONNEL EDITOR
Elizabeth Slowik ........................ FEATURES EDITOR
Dennis Sabo............................. SPECIAL PROJECTS
R.J. Smith, Eric Zorn.....................ARTS EDITORS
Judy Rakowsky. Owen Gleiberman ..... MAGAZINE EDITO1S
STAFF WRITERS: Sara Anspach, Ronald"Benschoter, Leonard
Bernstein, Tony Bloenck, Mitch Cantor, Marianne Egri, Julie
Engebrecht, Mary Faranski, Ron Gifford, Marion Halberg,
Vicki Henderson, Steve Hook, Elisa Isaacson, Tom Kettler,
Carol Koletsky, Paula Lashinsky, Adrienne Lyons, C.J. Maleski,.
Tom Mirga, Mark Parrent, Kevin Roseborough, Beth Rosenberg,
Amy Saltzman, Steve Shaer, John Sinkevics, Bill Thompson,
t - 1 - --~.... v..... u wari itt.ffr,.. UWolff.Tmothv
To the Daily:
Re the 'U' Hospital's dilemna,
my solution is so simple and
doubly practical that probably it
will be rejected immediately.
Put the student nurses to work.
This not only will relieve the
staff shortage (there must be
over a thousand of them), but
also will give the students valuble
needed experience. As it is now,
they are x graduated as
theoreticians. They would work
free while gaining commensurate
practical experience, as my class
did during the forties.
I had a son in 'U' Hospital a few
years ago with Hodgkins disease
and I was appalled at that time
with the overload on R.N.s while
students on the floor were scarce
or absent. The only thing is, the
U. of M. Medical Center as a
whole, cured him.
-Nancy Maynard
Graffitti
To the Daily:
Having dug Saturday, January
27 the Daily out of the garbage to
read in the stall, I was more than
delighted to find Roger Pen-
sman's article "Nuke the
Whiles." His treatment of the
graffiti was of special interest to
me; however, I seriously doubt
that he has toured the Dennison
(P and A) building in the past
year and a half. While "Pete
Bogues People Out" may have
been popular in years past, I
think there are other "art forms"
which have drawn more atten-
tion. Having taken classes in the
building for three of the past four
semesters, I have, due in part to
my own personal interest, kept
track of the various scrawls in
the staircase. Through rumor
and late night phone calls, I have
heard that some of the choice
declarations have become topics
of questions for trivia contests
throughout campus.
Pensman promises us with
another article on "more current
samples." I think my background
would enable him, to procure
some primary source infor-
mation, especially regarding the
development of the graffiti writ-
ten since the painting of the
stairwell in Fall, '77, and will
avail myself as such. I am
looking forward to reading his
views on current graffiti in his
future article.
-James P. Hughes
'U' Hospital
To the Daily:
There is an old story about the
panhandler, who, upon being
asked as to why he needed $5.00
for a cup of coffee, replied, "I like
to put all my begs in one ask-it."
This is what the University of
Michigan is doing with respect to
the proposed $250 million
hospital. And it is unsupportable.
The "University has so many
other needs that it is ludicrous to
tie up much of the available funds
in one grandiose project., The
physical plant is declining in
quality as the old buildings grow
older. Anyone with classes in the
Natural Sciences and Chemistry
buildings can tell you of the
renovations that are needed.
What about the plans for the site
of the old gym? Hopes of making
the University into the in'stitution
of world renown that it deserves
to be do not depend upon prestige
projects, but upon high quality
faculty and students-who are
attracted by high quality
facilities in all fields.
What is the rationale of the new
hospital? Granted, high quality
medical care is a desired goal,
but the University is not a
medical school only. The Univer-
sity of Wisconsin just opened its
new medical center. It opened'
several years late and was
several millions over budget. I
hope that the Big Ten rivalry
does not exceed into the
academic world. To spend $250
million to impress alumni or play
political games is to waste those
funds.
Instead of using state and
federal funds, why not raise
private donations? There exist,
undoubtedly, some person or per-
sons of wealth and prestige, e.g
medical school alumni, who
would want a first-rate medical
center named for them. That
way, those state and federal fun-
ds could be used for the whole
University. The Union could be
made more useful to students,
improvements and renovations
could be made in the Nat. Sci. and
Chemistry buildings, increased ,
dormitory space could be
provided, and, scholarships and
increased salaries could be of-
fered to maintain the highest
level of people at Michigan.
-Jeffrey Shearier
China hypocricy?
To the Daily:
With regards to your Feb. 1
editorial on China ("The New
Order"), I would like to bring a
few points to light.
First, you say that "The U.S.
must permit China to decide its
own internal affairs." Do you
also support leaving Russia's
own internal affairs alone? If so,
how can the Daily support
President Carter's stance on
human rights?
Secondly, the Daily suggests
that we not concentrate on profit,
but rather, enter into trade for
China's benefit.
Lastly, the editorial states that
"The U.S. has a responsibility to
help poorer nations such as
China." Really? Our respon-
sibilites are only to aid those
countries politically friendly to
our system of government and its
ideals. When our policies become
that of handing out Carte Blanche
welfare to every poor nation un-
friendly to the United States it
will be a sad day indeed.
In short, it looks to me that the
Daily gives its stamps of ap-
proval to the government to be
hypocritical for China's sake.
-Howard I. Steiner
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