4 Page 2-Wednesday, October 14, 1981-The Michigan Daily High Court to rule on book bans WASHINGTON (UPI)- The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to consider how far local school of- ficials can go in banning books-such as those by black authors and prize winners Kurt Vonnegut and Bernard Malamud-from school libraries. The justices will hear an appeal by a New York school board challenging a court-ordered trial on its 1975 action to ban nine books from school bookshelves and use in courses. A GROUP OF parents sued the school district over the censorship effort, but the case was thrown out. However, a federal appeals court decided the dispute should be settled in a trial, prompting the board's ap- peal to the high court. The controversy began after three board members of the Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26, of Nassau County, attended a conference sponsored by a conservative group called People of New York United. At the conference, the board members obtained "lists of books considered objectionable by some per- sons," according to Richard Aherns, board president. AFTER AN informal meeting several months later, the board told two high school principals to remove nine books on the "objectionable" list from school libraries and courses. Two other books were later added to the order. The banned books were "Slaughterhouse Five," by Vonnegut; "The Fixer," by Malamud; "Black Boy," by Richard Wright; "Soul on Ice," by Eldrige Cleaver; "The Naked Ape," by Desmond Morris; "Laughing Boy," by Oliver LaFarge; "Best Short Stories by Negro Writers," edited by Langston Hughes; "Down These Mean Streets," by Piri Thomas; "Go Ask Alice," anonymous; "A Hero Ain't Nothing But A Sandwich," by Alice Childress, and "A Reader for Writers," edited by Jerome Archer. After school superintendent Richard Morrow ob- jected to the informal book-banning, the board set up a committee to make recommendations on the books. That panel suggested five books be returned to library shelves, but the board voted to return only "The Black Boy" and "Laughing Boy." Several parents then filed a civil rights class action suit in 1977 on behalf of the district's pupils. A federal district judge threw out the suit, con- cluding previous Supreme Court rulings gave school boards some power to remove library books they find to be inconsistent with basic values of the local com- munity. But the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and ordered a trial be held. Tuesday's high court ac- tion blocks the start of a trial until the justices rule on the issue. Thesis writers may find advisor shortage (Continued from Page 1) Most theses are awarded honors, and the few that aren't may be resubmitted, said English Prof. Herbert Barrows, adding that no theses in the Honors English program were rejected last year. Olds says the art history department views the honors thesis "as less am- bitious than it once was." Olds feels as few as 20 pages, "if well-done," is an acceptable length, BUT HISTORY Prof. Robin Jacoby said her department's length requirement is held at 100 pages to make sure the thesis "is a piece of serious research that takes a year to create." Although almost every student un- dergoes a period of "questioning (as to) why they are doing it," Jacoby said, "when it works it can be the most ex- citing and challenging part of un- dergrad experience." Art history graduate student Julia Nelson agrees on the dual frustrations and rewards of doing a thesis. Nelson remembers spending ten straight days in the library completing her thesis, taking breaks only for din- ner. "It was my spring break," Nelson said. "All my friends were going to Florida, while I lived in the Law Library." "You look back and you think it was just a silly paper you wrote, when at the time you thought it was a greateaccom- plishment," Nelson said. "But I learned so much. Almost any writing I'll do in graduate school or for a profession, I'll go through the same process, I don't think I could have gone on to grad school without it." VTLLA CFI I [1 I ZZA THIS WEEK'S SPECI A I CORNER THRU OCT. 18 Major banks lower prime rates to 18% IN BRIEF Complied from Associated Press and United Press International reports Vietnam vet asks government to block war memorial WASHINGTON- A decorated Vietnam veteran asked the government yesterday to reject the stark design selected for a memorial to Americans who died in Vietnam. He called it a "black gash of shame and sorrow" that would humiliate those who fought in the war. Thomas Carhart, a West Point graduate who led an infantry platoon in the 101st Airborne in Vietnam, told the Fine Arts Commission the design com- memorates the war "as some ugly, dirty experience of which we were all ashamed." He wore his two Purple Hearts-awarded those who are woun- ded-on the jacket of his suit. The design was selected by a jury of architects, sculptors, landscape designers and an architecture writer from among 1,420 entries in the largest design competition ever staged in this country. It is the work of Maya Ying Lin, a Yale University architecture student. U.S. will back Spain NATO bid WASHINGTON- President Reagan hailed Spain's King Juan Carlos yesterday as "a champion of democracy" and said the United States stands solidly behind efforts to make his country the first new member of NATO since 1955. In private, the monarch told that Spain would be of "whatever help it could" in promoting peace in the Middle East, and he volunteered that he has a good relationship with Jordan's King Hussein and the royal Saudi family, a senior American official said. "Any help of that kind would be welcome," said the official, who declined to be identified. He added that the king's offer would be pursued by Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Yale professor wins Nobel economics prize STOCKHOLM, Sweden- Yale University Prof. James Tobin won the 1981 Nobel Prize in economics yesterday for a "major breakthrough" on the way people invest which he explained simply as "not putting all your eggs in one basket." Tobin, 63, was the 10th American to win the prize in economic sciences sin- ce it was founded in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden. This year's award was a record $180,000. Tobin became the third American to win a 1981 Nobel prize. On Friday, Roger Sperry was awarded half the medicine prize, with the other half shared by American David Hubel and Swede Torsten Wiesel. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today in Oslo, Norway. The Royal Academy of Sciences said Tobin won the economics prize for creating the "portfolio selection theory" to explain how households and fir- ms invest money. Solidarity members strike to protest food shortages WARSAW, Poland- At least 22,000 Solidarity workers struck yesterday to protest food shortages despite pleas from union leaders for a strike moratorium pending talks with Poland's Communist regime. The Kremlin said the situation was becoming "more acute," and Poland's Communist Party scheduled a Central Committee meeting Friday to take a stand on the independent union's congress in Gdansk last week. "We do not want talks with the government," said Grzegorz Popielczyk, Solidarity leader in Zyrardow, a linen-producing center west of Warsaw "We want the decisions that will deliver us food." Some 12,000 workers in u1 factories in Zyrardow put down their tools at 6 a.m., as-did about 10,000 unionists in Tomaszow Mazowiecki and Niewiadow, south of Warsaw, union officials said. Strike alerts also were reported in at least three centrat Polish towns over the food issue, and thousands of workers said they would strike 18 chemical plants in different cities today for more vacation time. Vol. XCII, No. 30 Wednesday, October 14, 1981 The Michigan Daily is edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan. Published daily Tuesday through Sunday mornings during the University year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor,, Michigan, 48109. Sub- scription rates: $12 September through April (2 semesters); $13 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Summer session published Tuesday through Saturday mornings. Subscription rates: $6.50 in Ann Arbor; $7 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Second class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE MICHIGAN DAILY 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and subscribes to United Press International Pacific News Service. Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Field Newspapers Syndicate. S 1 Y 71 T'9 T\149 /" T' T\ - Iz NT FPTJ I I- I IN J. 'q.j. Sj..L .5, * .5. .'...J.1. ~.J. 5,. j Pepsifreg.,diet,light, 1/2liter) Sealtest 2% Milk(gaL.) M&M's(7.5oz.) NEW YORK(UPI) - Most of the nation's banks lowered their prime rates to 18 percent from the prevailing 19' percent yesterday and while many analysts expect fuirther drops, one economist said rates still are toohigh to help housing. Citibank, the nation's second largest commercial bank, took the lead and was followed by almost all major banks, including No. 1 Bank of .25 1.75 1.29 1.79 America. Chase Manhattan, 'ranked third in sike, moved to 18% percent last week. United Missouri Bancshares a regional bank holding company, moved to 173/4 percent from 18 /. The prime has lagged far behind a sharp drop indother rates, but there "will be a tendency now for banks to undercut one another on thd'-pr1lme rate and this should take it down to the 16-17 percent level by the end of the year." said David Jones, economist at Aubrey G. Lanston & Co. Roger Anderson, chairman of Con- tinental Illinois, one of the banks that lowered its rate, said the prime "has. trailed the decline in other short terx money market rates principally because of the many uncertainties ad- ssociated with overall economic and monetary conditions." 4 Nestles Choc.Cnips(12oz.j hi L~ U ______ 601 S. FOREST 995-1818 T~1 I. 0 Qi 0; Graduate engineers: The Aerospace Corporation offers Space for your ideas Innovative ideas are our only products. If you have an advanced degree in* engineering, physical science, or computer science - and if you can contribute - you and your career can flourish here. 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PUBLICATION SCHEDULE 1981 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W -T F S S M T W T F S 123 7 34567 1 2 3 4 5 1011.12 4 6 7 8 9 10 8 10 11-12 13 14 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 1516 17 1819 11 13 14 15 16 17 15 17 18 1920 21 27 290256 27 28 29 30 31 ________792 JANARY FEBRUARY 1 MARCH IA fll I I I