420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Editorial sprinted in The Michigan Daily express the individual
opinions of the author. This must be noted n oil reprints.
Saturday, July 24, 1971 News Phone: 764-0552
NIGHT EDITOR: ANITA CRONE
Cellar dispute:
People's decision
THE UNIVERSITY Cellar bookstore belongs to the
people of the University community, who fought for
its creation and pay for its operations.
As a people's store, the Cellar has an obligation to
provide what the people want to read, whether it is in
whole or in part racist, sexist, or instructive about vio-
lence.
Many members of this community believe that not
stocking or displaying a book is the equivalent of censor-
ing it. You can't ask for a book you have never heard of
even though you might buy the same book if it went on
display.
The Cellar's assertion that it will order any book a
customer wants is no defense against the charges of cen-
sorship. Forcing a customer to special order a book takes
time and trouble; it is harassment of the would-be reader
and the author as well.
THE CELLAR BOARD has no right to decide what books
are unacceptable for display and stocking. When a
book is in clear demand, as is Abbie Hoffman's Steal This
Book or The Sensuous Woman, that book should be read-
ily available from the Cellar.
The Cellar cannot judge what material is socially
acceptable for the community. Individual standards will
always vary greatly. Who is to say that The Sensuous
Woman has no redeeming social value? In a free society,
each individual must make his own decision.
In addition, the Cellar policy leaves open the pos-
sibility of political censorship. The black student maga-
zine Burning Spear was taken off display, ostensibly be-
cause it contained material on firearms. Such a removal
raises serious doubt about the "fairness" of the store's
policy. A future decision might be more reflective of
political prejudices than of concern for humanity.
It is true that the Cellar could never stock all books.
Some decisions must be made. But it is clear that some
books -- like Hoffman's - will be in great demand, and
they should be easily accessible. It is not that difficult to
anticipate and follow the tastes of the community.
The only alternative to a free bookstore would be a
stocking and disnlay noliev decided by the people to whom
the Cellar belongs. A referendum could determine what
the policy should be.
But that also poses problems, for the community is
constantly changing. The referendum, to be meaningful,
would have to be determined over again each year.
FORTUNATELY, the current controversy suggests it is
likely that most students and community members
favor a free and open bookstore. Successive referenda
might well serve only to emhasize that fact.
During the controversy over creation of a student
bookstore, nearly two years ago, the Regents offered a
plan that would set up the store but keep control of its
policies in the hands of the administration.
Students could have accepted that, but they wanted
to be sure the bookstore would serve their needs so they
held out not only for creation of the store, but for con-
trol of it. More than 100 people were arrested, but student
control of the store was assured.
Now it is time for students to exercise that hard-won
control. All members of the community should attend
the cellar board meeting at 2 p.m. today in the Union
and make their opinions known so the people can decide
an important policy for their store. Hopefully, they will
decide against any kind of censorship.
MARCIA ABRAMSON
Summer Co-Editor
Ssuitmer I'd/orial Stafl
MARCIA ABRAMSON LARRY LEMPERT
Co-Editor Co-Editor
ROBERT CNROw ................................Books Editor
JIM JOOEO5. ...... .... Photography Editor
NIGHT EDITORS: Anita Crone, Tammy Jacobs, Alan Lenhoff, Jonathan
Miller.
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITORS: Patricia E. Baer, James Irwin, Christopher
Parks, Zachary Schiller.
Letters to' The Daily
Cellar 'elitism'...
To The Daily:
SOME SELF-RIGHTEOUS in-
dividuals of the University Cellar
board of directors have now tak-
en it upon themselves to tell the
University community what is not
worthwhile to read. They even in-
sist that this is not censorship,
because if we want the book, they
will order it.
But if by prior decision the book
is not displayed, and the buying
public is deliberately kept ignor-
ant of its existence, then this is
censorship. How many of our book
purchases are impulsively bought?
We seek a book of interest, browse
through it and buy it.
Store manager David Rock and
Prof. Jonathan Bulkley of the
board have iemoved The Sen-
suous Woman. Yet Sexus, Nexus,
and Lady Chatterley's Lover have
not been purged, because, accord-
ing to the inquisitors, they have
redeeming social value." I do not
need nor appreciate their subjec-
tive appraisal of a book's worth.
If they feel they must per-
sist in cleansing society and re-
molding our thoughts, they
should direct their zeal toward a
University-wideireferendum on
such an index and the criteria to
be used for deciding a b o o k's
social value.
Down with elitism as well as
racism, sexism, and war!
-Herb Loner, Grad
July 23
. . . and 'paternalism'
To The Daily:
THE UNIVERSITY CELLAR'S
new policy of not stocking "sex-
ist," "racist" and "destructive"
books is a serious mistake. The
bookstore is supposed to serve
the interests of the University
community, who are presumably
mature enough to vote, drink, and
decide not only what books they
want to read, but what parts of
those books they disagree with.
The Cellar's decision smacks of
elitist paternalism. Once we ac-
cept the book-banner's right to
impose his social values upon us,
we open the door to the eager
censors, who for ages have been
preventing us from reading dis-
tastefully political and "sexist"
books by Henry Miller, Plato, and
others.
Eliminating a book by Abbie
Hoffman is a perfect example of
book banning gone amok. Hoff-
man's books have been used in
several University courses in poli-
tics and sociology, and his na-
tional prominence is certainly a
phenomenon which we should try
to understand. A good method of
doing this might be to read his
461
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-
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,, . .
-- er y 0re;y ~ n~
book, if it were not absent from
the Cellar, and elsewhere.
Even the gurus of the Univer-
sity Cellar are capable of ma-
king stupid decisions concerning
the "socially redeeming value" of
interesting books. They should,
therefore, immediately change
their standard to one of select-
ing books of interest to the com-
munity who they are supposed to
represent and serve; and allow
their less enlightened readers a
chance to decide in their own
feeble minds whether the books
have socially redeeming value.
-Jim Wulach
Law '72
CRCR support
To The Daily:
FOLLOWING is the text of a
letter I have sent to President
Fleming, and Regents James
Waters and Paul Brown concern-
ing the closing of the Center for
Research in Conflict Resolution:
I am quite sad to see the Uni-
versity Regents have made a de-
cision to shut down what might be
one of the most important centers
in our state. At a time of social
unrest in our country and con-
flicts between nations, races and
even generation groups, the Cen-
ter for Research on Conflict Re-
solution should be aided and sup-
ported in full by those of us who
are working to find the proper
means to resolve our problems.
I hope that there will be funds
found to allow the Center to con-
tinue its existence.
-Annetta Miller
State Board of Education
July 21
RC playing
To The Daily:
BOTH OF YOUR references to
us in the July 21 Daily were incor-
rect. We are not presenting The
Great Warriors in front of the
Physics Astronomy building, nor
are we presenting cuttings from
The Miser at the Free Art Fair.
We are presenting The Miser in
full Thursday, Friday and Satur-
day at 8 p.m. in East Quad Audi-
torium, in conjunction with the
Free Art-Fair. We will also pre-
sent cuttings from this show on
Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. on
the stage at the Street Art Fair.
We hope that you can clear this up.
Residential College
Summer Theater
July 21
The Editorial Page of The
Michigan Daily is open to any-
one who wishes to submit
articles. Generally speaking, all
articles should be less than
1,000 words.
- - - - - - - - - - - --- -- _0 - - -- "OPMUPMMP-w
I-
sKELEM SIN'(HE CLOS Et
. . .- - -
NOW THAT former vice president for academic
services and graduate school dean Stephen Spurr
has left for his new job at the University of Texas,
one of the secrets of his long tenure as Rackham
dean can be revealed.
Spurr was known for his calmness, even in times
of crisis. And the reason may well have been the
secret exit from his sumptuous offices in the Rack-
ham Building, whose 1930 vintage architect ap-
parently was equipped with brilliant foresight.
A touch of a knowing hand and one of Spurr's
bookcases opens to reveal a private bath, a lounge
area - and an exit to the outside via a secret stair-
case.
Spurr's quarters may have spurred envy among
administrators who knew about them. Roger Heyns,
former chancellor of the University of California at
Berkeley, is reported to have said, "Why, if I had
had an office like that, I'd still be chancellor at
Berkeley."
CITY POLICE are spreading the word about that
they are concerned with the steadily growing crowds
at the free Sunday rock concerts.
Last week's crowd of "about 9,000" was the "upper
limit," according to the senior police offiecr at the
scene, Lt. Robert Conn.
Assistant City Administrator Donald Borut ex-
plains that "out of town" youths are the ones "re-
sponsible for all the problems" at the concerts. He
says he has urged other cities to start their own
free concert programs to take the pressure off "our
program, which is purely local In nature."
Borut reports that the city officials whom he ap-
proached "laughed" at his suggestion.
THERE SHOULD BE little problem in accom-
modating the thousands of new 18 to 21 year old
drinkers in the city after Jan. 1, 1972, when the
state's new age of majority law takes effect.
The State Liquor Control Commission has notified
the city that 22 new liquor licenses can be issued in
Ann Arbor. There are presently about 30 liquor
license applications in the city, many of them from
established restaurants in the campus area.
One likely recipient of a new liquor license may
be the Charcoal House restaurant, located on State
Street.
MARK RUESSMAN, chairman of the c a m p u s
Young Americans for Freedom, is adamant in his
belief that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover should be
replaced "to make way for a younger man."
"You believe that?" an astonished reporter said
when Ruessman made his remark.
"I certainly do," Ruessman said, "and you can
quote me on it."
ANN ARBOR CITIZENS trying to get in touch
with Councilman Joe Edwards (R-Third Ward)
through his office, J. W. Edwards, Inc., Publishers,
may find it difficult.
An unidentified secretary at Edwards' office yes-
terday told a Daily reporter that he wasn't in.
Asked for his home phone number, the secretary
replied:
S"I'm not at liberty to divulge that number, but I
think it's in the directory."
RICK CORNFELD
S ANDI GENIST..
Sitn rer Sports Staff
. ............ ..... . .. . Sports Editor
.... ............Associate Sports Editor
Summer Bsusiness Staff
4
JIM STOREY ......................... ..BusinrssManagerr
JANET EN .............................. Display Advertising
FRAN HYMEN...........................Classified Advertising
BECKY VAN DYE... .. ....... .....Circulation Department
BILL ABBOTT .........,...................OGereal Office Assistant