'I
A
Ite £d ian Datt
Eighty-two years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich.
News Phone: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1972
DES: Morning-after misery?
CRITICISM OF the morning-after pill
and those who distribute it went na-
tionwide Monday when Ralph Nader's
Health Research Group released a report
faulting university health centers - in
particular this University's - for dis-
pensing the pill without adequate warn-
ings.
+ The report, based on surveys conducted
by Advocates for Medical Information,
showed that among the respondents,
very few were given adequate follow-ups
and few were questioned about their own
or their family's medical history when
they were given diethylstilbestrol (DES),
a carcinogenic drug, at Health Service.
The Nader report said -college women
are being used as guinea pigs without
even the most rudimentary observance of
professional standards and informed
consent."
Dr. Robert Anderson, director of
Health Service, said yesterday that the
prescribing of the morning-after pill has
been left as an individual matter be-
tween each physician and patient.
He said that patients are now required
to sign a release form, which notes that
the Food and Drug Administration has
not approved the morning-after pill, that
states that the pill is an "emergency mea-
sure," that requires the woman to state
that she does not think she is pregnant
by a previous exposure - as DES can
cause cancer in fetuses that are not
aborted.
ANDERSON said it's possible Health
Service will stop dispensing the drug,
but he hopes not because he claims 'no
cases of cancer have been found in wo-
men who took the drug - except in very
abnormal situations."
Today' sStaff:
News: Dan Biddle, Dave Burhenn, Mike
Duweck, Gene Robinson, Nancy Ros-
enboum
It seems that if Health Service recog-,
nizes some of the dangers of the morn-
ing-after pill in the statement women
are supposed to sign, that should be rea-
son enough to stop administering the
pill. If DES has been banned by the FDA
from the feed of market bound livestock,
shouldn't it be banned from the medicine
cabinets of Health Service, where it is
found and prescribed in much larger
amounts.
Action should be taken immediately-
perhaps by the Office of Student Services
Health Service Policy Board--to remedy
the situation. This University, where an
experiment popularized the use of the
morning-after pill and spread it to other
campuses, should take a leadership role
in banning this pill.
While the intentions of Health Serv-
ice - helping women avoid unwanted
pregnancy - are admirable, the methods
used are not.
-SARA FITZGERALD
Editor
Bad bellicose
! i
barbigerosiy
THE STRICT constructionists may have
their way once again. When Ann
Arbor finally passed a court-approved
sign ordinance to reduce visual pollution
it was indeed a happy day.
Now, however, that sign ordinance
threatens to outlaw the only revolving
sidewalk barbershop pole in town.
It is time the City Fathers and Mother
mixed crinose compassion with consum-
erism, humanism with humdrum hass-
ling, and retreated a step from this
heavy-handed law and order encroach-
ment on the red and white symbol of
America's hirsute heritage.
Barbers have it rough enough here,
with so few customers to clip. T'would
be sad indeed if the sign ordinance were
taken as a concession to barbigerosity,
and not to beauty.'
-ARTHUR LERNER
Editorial Director
We are
By FRIENDS OF NEWSREEL
FRIENDS OF NEWSREEL is obliged to
respond to what mght seem to be points
of substance in Terry Martin's sensational
compilations of gossip, printed in the Dec.
9 Daily under the front-page headline, "Fur-
ther Findings: Evidence linking film groups
may show improper dealings;" and on the
editorial page, "Who are the 'Friends of
Newsreel!'?"
Unfortunately, the clearest point in the
two pieces is difficult to respond to: that
Terry Martin and The Daily have thrown
their weight into a one-sided vendetta that
had been waged, up to that point, by a
mere trio of personalities around the Mich-
igan Union. We will not try to guess at
Terry Martin's motives, or at what might
have prompted The Daily to play her very
under-reported innuendoes so large. We'll
stick to some basic facts in a situation now
further clouded by editorial bias.
Of first importance in maintaining th
confidence of both audiences and film dis-
tributors in our work is assertions by Peter
Wilde, so-called supervising projectionist
and "extremely reliable source," tha we
under-report our audiences, and so under-
pay distributors.
WE BASE our show-by-show audience re-
ports on sales of serially-numbered tickets,
or on closely accounted sales of tickets we
might print up specially, as we did for
Reefer Madness. Wilde could with the best
will in the world base his estimates only
on a visual impression of the crowds at
shows. In any case, we are responsible,
in cold dollars-and-cents terms, to film
distributors for their 50 per cent to 65
per cent split of gross receipts. Wilde is re-
sponsible to no one, and nothing beyond his
sense of mission, whatever that might be
in this matter, for his estimates.
As for distributor acceptance of our re-
ports, we have no complaints. But w are
interested that Wilde, and Terry Martin,
should have mentioned New. Line Cinema,
since in that case we have some basis for
comparison of accuracy.
Wilde, using authority informally granted
him by the auditor of student organiza-
tions, good old Maury Rinkel, appointed
himself projectionist on both Reefer Mad-
ness and the 1st Annual N.Y. Erotic Film
Festival, two New Line Cinema films shown
by us this fall. While Wilde's projection job
on both films was so poor that we were
forced to complain to both the union and
the plant department, he did have the time
to develop his own estimates of the aud-
ience in both cases, and call and write
them into New Line Cinema in New York.
In the- first case, the Erotic, New Line
raised the question of Wilde's differing re-
port with us. Doing some fast figuring, we
pointed out to New Line that Wilde's esti-
mate of the audience represented more than
90 per cent of capacity on six shows over
two days in the 488-seat Natural Science
Auditorium. We asked them if they had
even heard of such a percentage of such
capacity in all their experience of campus
showings. They laughed, and called Wilde's
estimate "crazy."
In the case of Reefer Madness, New Line
the Frie
did not even question our verbal report.
In the first instance, because they had
already discounted Wilde as a source of
even reasonably accurate estimates. And in
the case of their own "spotter," quoted by
Wilde and Martin in support of their charg-
es, because the spoter had already told
them, as he must have told Wilde, that he
had not even been at the hall for several of
the shows.
To get back to the general question of the
reliability of our audience reports: when a
distributor comes to the conclusion that a
film group does not intend to make accur-
ate reports, he stops supplying them films.
There has never been any question of that
with any of our distributors. If the dis-
tributors, whose interest in the question is
far from academic, are not questioning our
reports, you might ask what prompts Peter
Wilde's charges. We don't really know.
THE SECOND POINT of apparent sub-
stance in Terry Martin's report-and-editor-
ial is based on a quote from a letter writ-
ten by Frank Pedi of Films, Inc., to the
auditor of student organizations, good old
Maury Rinkel again, in an effort to collect
on $1,024.69 that Films, Inc., claims that
it is owed by the defunct University of
Michigan Film Society.
In the letter, according to Terry Mar-
tin's unauthorized quote, Frank Pedi wrote
that "Friends of Newsreel (was) formerly
the University of Michigan Film Society."
Pedi has, since the first unauthorized quote
of that letter in The Daily last Thursday,
told us that "I actually had no foundation
in fact for making that statement." He also
said that we would willingly state that in
an open letter to The Daily.
Terry Martin was informed of Pedi's
latest statement the day she filed her
report-and-editorial. Had she made even
the slightest effort to check her facts, how-
ever, she might have corrected her story
on the basis of records available in the
Office of Student Organizations, which
show that Friends of Newsreel was estab-
lished before the University of Michigan
Film Society, and could not possibly have
succeeded it.
More along that line, during the period
of their coexistence, the two student organi-
zations on many occasions showed f i l m s
opposite one another, and at no poi'nt had
any "overlapping membership," another of
Terry Martin's big points.
IN POINT of fact, that only "evidence" of
"substantive links" between Friends of
Newsreel and the defunct Film Society that
Terry Martin offers is the information that
both Glen Allvord, president of Friends of
Newsreel, and George dePue, at one time
a member of the Film Society, are both
directors of the Community Media Project/
New Morning, a non-profit media coopera-
tive working in the community and region-
ally..
Again, in point of actual fact, George de-
Pue is not at this time a registered director
of the Community Media Project/New Morn-
ing. Martin might have checked that at
the County Building, where such informa-
tion is on the public record. It is true though
that when a reorganization of the non-profit
ii
rids of
corporation is completed, Geor
will be, along with Glen Allvord a
a director.
The source of Martin's slightly
information is interesting, howl
got it, she told us, from a confider
statement prepared by New Morn
for the publisher Doubleday, Ir
she said was "at some point" i
session of David Schaper, appoin
urer of SGC, and self-describe
man" from the Student Org
Broad (SOB). What's interestin
there is no way that confidential
statement could have come into
session of Schaper or Martin tha
involve theft.
Perhaps Martin imagined that
was like the New York Times, an
stolen credit statement was liket
gon Papers. But how could sh
imagine that David Schaper pos,
character and values of a man d
Ellsberg?
In any case, the only "substan
that Martin attempts to establis
Community Media Project/New
and the student organization F
Newsreel is her assertion that ('t
ing Bookstore and Newsreel shay
mon telephone number."
Had Martin's strictly journalistic
in these pieces extended exen to
of the Ann Arbor telephone book,
have found that while Newsreel
as 769-7353 (has been for more t
years-, that New Morning Books
as 761-7993.
The closest. thing to "overlapp
bership" is a piece of informatioi
been the common property an
Wilde-Schaper land presumably'T
tin. There is one person who
membership in both student org
She is Lisa Katz, who is 1970 was
graduate member of the Universit
igan Film Society. But in that
graduated from the University, at
Newsreel!
ge (ePue mround the Mi:higan Union: Rinkel-Wilde-
nd others, S haper: and now Martin and The Daily
have added themselves.
premna ure In general, s 'ch problems with distribut-
ever: She ors date from the operation of the Orson
ntial credit Welles Film Society, and its strongman
ning ,Books "leader," Arthur Maurello. Before his de-
nc., which part-ure from the law school to Stanford
n the pos- University, Maurello was charged by the
rted treas- police with "receiving stolen property," and
d "police- in a variety of other ways made himself
ganizations a legend in his own time to film distribut-
g is that ors. It took a year of prodding Rinkel and
c e e d i SGC to get any action against Maurello.
the pos- REGARDLESS, we will not, like some
t does iot (though not all, as reported by The Daily-
film groups piously submit to Schaper's in-
The Daily ordinate ambitions. The powers proposed
d that this under his new rules for "any two agents
the Penta- of SGC" (in practical terms, himself and
e possibly a friend) far exceed the powers constitution-
sessed the ally granted to police to hunt down heinous
ike Daniel crimes. They certainly far exceed any pow-
ers that might be safely entrusted to the
biggest clown in what The Daily itself has
thve link"described as "the SGC circus." -
h between FOR MORE than three years of associa-
Morning tion with Newsreel and Polis-now-New
riends of Morning Books, we have served as a pri,
rew Morn- mary source of alternative media to, the
re a cola- University community. For example, from
March, 1970, until this September, Polis'
c initiative literature table, usually sponsored by
the pages Friendsrof Newsreel was set up in the
she would Fishbowl or the Diag nearly every week.
is listed There has been no major political event
han three in the last three years that has not bene-
is listed fitted from the films and literature pro-
vided by Friends of Newsreel, Newsreel
ing mem- and Polis.
n that has Cases in point include film showings in
d Rinkel- dorms and the Fishbowl in support of the
erry Mar- SDS actions against military-industrial re-
has held cruiting in 1969, the march against the
anizations. Conspiracy 8 verdict in February, 1970, We
an under- provided films and literature to Liberation
y of Mich- Classes during the Black Action Movement
year, she strike in March, 1970; organized and pro-
nd left the vided films and literature for the People's
nd moved Peace Treaty Conference in February of
knn Arbor 1971.
eventually In addition, we have run a series of free
ause, she films on the Diag during the summer of
f showing 1971, and from October through November,
with SGC support, in the Union. Topics in-
of Lisa's cluded the struggles against imperialism,
s both to racism and sexism. We continued the latter
sclosures" series through February, 1972, after SGC
e of The withdrew its support.
ident that We have long felt, though, that the pni-
irit of a mary focus of our energies should be off-
mation in campus, in the community, among the work-
ing class and poor people who are most
concerned denied the media information, skills and re-
onfidence. sources available in the University.
, in prac- With Newsreel and Polis, Friends of
d leaders Newsreel have shown films free to striking
ante time, workers at the Buhr Machine Tool Cor-
with every porationr(August, 1971- and to CPHA work-
he single ers (March, 1972) during their strike. We
eproblem (Coatinued on Page 7)
4
41
i
wI
.
Film Society and
to Iowa. She only
and the University
joined Friends of
says, "I like the
good movies."
We make this
Ann Arbor, an
returned to A
this fall ande
Newsreel bec
excitement of
"confession"{
membership in both organization
forestall any later dramatic "dis
of her name on the front pag
Daily, and because we are conf.
people uninfected with the sp:
"witch-hunt" can see this inforn
perspective.
FRIENDS OF NEWSREEL ist
about problems with distributor c
We have to deal with them daily
tice, unlike any of the self-electe
of this witch-hunt. But at the sa
we enjoy good working relations w
distributor of our choice, witht
exception of Films, Inc., and the
there does not originate from an
per practices" on our part.
Our problem there originates in
less and irresponsible charges, bo
off the record, of a trio of per
.
Editorial Page: Linda Rosenthal,
Schoch, Martin Stern
Arts Page: Gloria Jane Smith.
Ph'oto Technician: Denny Gainer
Eric.
y 'impro-
the base-
th on and
rsonalities
This article is a shortened
Friends of Newsreel's response
prinl!d in The Daily.
version of
to articles
r._+________:.__'y______x_:/._,__C__',"________.::: .., ,.r. Y'{: . . . . . . . .:.<.,a'n" "C' i. . ..;k
,________________ . u *ns~ . ::. m:. a l~dffl....A...vvvtvlfllW.V~.W,.... x.a: _~ . e" v~u, .....:.a,.v:'X.': ,.ia..:.k«.,..-.a,.s' ...........<...>.. .. . . . . ..7 t. k , *V.'.N"..'
:"; s:"3i3lCi:;'":al:'v ::trr'vii:Ci¢.vl.:^::".".."ha°. J"J J hJdrs'.8 .Y"ii{S.
-1
. I
1
9
7
IN
2
REVIEW
I
A I k)).
'?
THE
YEAR
a
rte-
k
'4
A
o ;° l
taL .aeittw 7gr a+na
Peace negotiations with the enemy
continued.
The McGovern andwagon
broke down.
To ' S
J
I.; T
y M n
(ry" i v :r v t 7
ta'f{ K. : p SS y£
m f I
Aor
o f ,_ I
a4+
y
v I
r Mw7
d
j
IAV~ /.1 '"