The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 19, 1965, Image 1

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CAMPUS . . .
ELEVEN SENIORS were
awarded Woodrow Wilson Na
tional Fellowships and three
others1 received honorable
mention. Recipients included:
Robert Cherny, Richard
Denton, Mrs. Barbara Ann
Padzik Grupe, Mrs. Joan
Morton Jones, Mrs. Kay Lou
ise Hemphill Michelfeld, Ri
chard Law, Suzanne Murdock,
Mrs. Ann Marie Semin Smith,
Richard Smith, Jo Ann Strate
man and Kathleen Robertson.
Honorable mention went to
John Shadle, Dave Kittams
and Marvin Beal.
PEACE CORPS WEEK
brought six members to the
campus to speak in living un
its and to an information cen
ter in the lounge of the Ne
braska Union and administer
placement tests to those in
terested in the Corps.
BUDGET DISCUSSION be
gan this week in the legisla
ture. Board of Regents presi
dent Val Peterson presented
the $462.3 million operating
request for the coming bien
nium and capital improve
ment plans totaling $35.8 mil
lion. "Nebraska is an excel
lent University but I do not
think it is a great University.
We should strive for great
ness or close it up," said
Peterson.
CITY
BETTER THAN EXPECT
ED progress in patching
streets damaged by the thaw
of this winter's heavy snow
storms is reported by the
city's acting director of pub
lic works, Robert Obering. A
considerable amount of per
manent patching has been
done but city crews are still
putting temporary patches on
sections of streets so heavily
damaged -that they will have
to be completely resurfaced.
SPECIAL MEMORIAL
SERVICE was held at the
Lincoln statue at the State
Capitol Building for persons
killed in Alabama race con
flict. Upwards of 500 persons
attended the service and then
joined in a silent "walk of
public witness to our beliefs"
around the building.
DISPUTE INVOLVING the
transfer of land from an Ad
ams county school district to
a Webster county school dis
trict was carried to the State
Supreme court. Adams Coun
ty contends the transfer of
land was illegal.
STATE . . .
E X-N EBRASKAN, Dr.
James Christensen, instructor
in the Department of Intern
al Medicine at the University
of Iowa, has received a 30
thousand dollar Markle
Award for Scholars in t h e
Medical Sciences. Christen
sen received his B.A., M.S.,
and M.D. degrees from the
University, where he was
elected to Phi Beta Kappa
and Alpha Omega Alpha, na
tional medical honor society.
NEBRASKA IS AHEAD of
the national average in t h e
rate of construction progress
in the Interstate Highway Sys
tem. The state also received
a check for $49,916 as a "bo
nus" for regulating billboard
advertising along the Inter
state from Kearney to Grand
Island. It is the first payment
in an estimated $1,250,000 the
state will receive for controll
ing billboards on all rural
portions of the superhighway.
NATION . . .
U.S. NAVY PLANES and
warships have been giving
active assistance in patrolling
weapons traffic by thousands
of junks off the Vietnamese
coast. At the sam time the
United States plans to in
crease the number of helicop
ters and advisers operating
with the South Vietnam forc
es. JOHNSON SENT TO CON
GRESS his blueprint to
assure Negroes the voting
rights for which they have
been marching, praying and
demonstrating. Enact
ment this year appeared cer
tain since Senate leaders of
both parties gave full approv
al in advance to the bill.
Vol. 80, No. 102
Luke, Trash
escribe Selma
By Prlscilla Mullins
Senior Staff Writer
"It's real!" Dr. Hugh Luke said of the situation ia
Selma, Alabama.
Luke and Dr. David Trask, both University professors,
attended the Monday memorial service for Unitarian min
ister James Reeb.
"The depth of the committment to non-violence by the
Negroes in Selma was what impressed me most," Trask
said. "Many assume that non-violence is a tactic, not a
committment, but this is a way of life, a basic principle."
Luke mentioned that almost every barrier was broken
during the service. There were people of many religions,
occupations and races present at the service, he said.
The people coming from the North are widely repre
sentative, Trask said. They are not just ministers.
Luke added that there were students, salesmen, house
wives, social workers and even the president of a tool man
ufacturing corporation.
Trask also noted the unanimity of support by the Neg
roes. "Every Negro was there, from the child in arms to an
old woman with a cane."
Another important thing which came out of the Mon
day service and march was the further impact on the white
people of Selma, according to Trask. "They are finally be
ginning to understand."
To this, Luke added the story of a man standing in
front of his shop as the marchers went by. The man said to
a friend, in a voice loud enough to be heard, "You know,
this could be a good thing for the South."
This kind of demonstration, Luke said, is giving support
to the silent moderates of the South.
"There are many whites ready to act," Trask said.
"This gives them motivation."
There were some white southerners in the march,
according to Luke. "These are the brave people. They have
to live there."
Trask noted the increasing desire by white southerners
to contribute. -to the movement. About 10 or 11 years ago,
when he was in Alabama, things were much different, he
said. "It was like the difference between night and day
a veritable revolution."
Luke said that even two and one half years ago when
he was in the area, "there was nothing like this present."
Both men agreed on the significance of Martin
Luther King as the leader of the Selma situation. "King
stood head and shoulders above any of the other leaders,"
Trask said.
"There was just something electric when King arrived
for the service," Luke said.
There were many other Negro leaders there, accord
ing to Trask, and many important people from the North.
The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts and a representa
tive of Senator Edward Kennedy were present, he said.
In response to claims that the press is exaggerating
the civil rights situation, both Trask and Luke said that
this is absolutely not so. "The press coverage has been
superb," Trask said.
He went on to say that the real problem for the
demonstrators was the sheriff's posse. "The people re
spected the local police, but feared the tactics of the
posse," he said.
Concerning the rumored arrest of four other Univer
sity persons Monday, Luke explained the origin of the
rumor. He said that announcements were made all day
Sunday that any persons at the picket line at 8 a.m. Mon
day would be arrested. One of the University persons
called Lincoln shortly before 8 and said that they expected
to be arrested in half an hour.
The arrest didn't occur, Luke said, because it was
"just a bluff by the local authorities, and it didn't work.
They just didn't have the room to put 6,000 people in jail."
Commenting on the march to the Selma court house
after the service, Luke said that there was an announce
ment made that the march would be permitted. The peo
ple were told that they would lineup in ranks of three and
mach to the court house.
"This made it a very effective memorial service," he
said. "It was what Rev. Reeb would have wanted."
Trask observed that the cooperation in the march was
"remarkable." Within a 10-15 minute period after the
announcement was made, some 3,000-4,000 persons were
forming the lines and beginning to march. This demon
strates the intensity of the committment and the under
standing of what is to be done, Trask said.
Luke said the march was completely silent. When they
arrived at the court house, King gave a short speech and
a couple of short prayers. A wreath was then placed on the
door, and the marchers sang a couple of verses of "We
Shall Overcome."
"I'm sure the whole town heard it," Luke said. "I cer
tainly hope so."
Generalizing on the whole situation, Trask said "this
is not the result of several years of training, but of a few
months of work."
Referring to the non-violence principle, Luke said that
he was given some advice while in Selma. "I was told the
non-violent position to take in case of atack." This consists
of putting both arms over the head, covering the back of
the head. "If Rev. Reeb had done this, he would be alive
now," he said.
Commenting on the general situation, Luke said "The
idea is here. There's no stopping it. The South is going
to change. It's gaining strength every day."
"In a few years by 1908 it will be a very different
South," he said.
Trask added that he was amazed to find that the south
ern Negroes "understand that what they had done was of
significance to the state, the nation and tlie whole world."
"They seem to understand the historical role they are
playing," he 'said. "They know the larger meaning of what
they are doing that they are acting for oppressed people
everywhere," T
The Daily Nebraskan
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f-':" M r-7 r I;
Mary Thorp as Hesione and Dean Tschetter as Mangan rehearse for next week's
production of "Heartbreak House" to be presented by the University Theater next
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Lomaxl
Lecture
Change I
Dr. Louis Lomax, authority
on the Black Muslim move
ment, will appear today at
3:30 in the Nebraska Union
ballroom.
The lecture was scheduled
for yesterday, but bad weath
er delayed Lomax's plane.
Lomax will speak on t h e
"Negro Revolt Revisited."
"I will try to cover three
main areas in my lecture,"
said Lomax: "How we got
where we are now in the re
volt, an evaluation of the cur
rent movement and where the
revolt will go from here."
"The revolt is part of an
overall shift in the ways of
western civilization," Lomax
said.
Lomax has written three
best-sellers on the Negro
and is considered one of the
leading authorities on race
problems in Amercia.
"Nothing short of Federal
intervention will do the job,"
Lomax said, referring to the
situation in Selma, Alabama.
"I do not agree with the
Attorney General that the fed
eral government does not
have the power. The govern
ment has the power to move
in when a state of anarchy
exists, and it is certainly a
b reakdown of peace when
people ride around on horses
hitting other people on t h e
head," Lomax said.
Lomax was assistant pro
fessor of philosophy at Geor
gia State College in Savannah,
Ga., before he turned to writ
ing when he was 22.
His first book, "The Re
luctant African," won the Sat
urday Review Annisfield-Wolf
award for 1960. "The Negro
Revolt," his second book, is
considered to be the definitive
work on race relations in
America today.
His last book, "When t h e
Word Is Given" is a study on
the Black Muslim movement.
There will be no admission
charge. Lomax will also speak
at the Unitarian Church at
8 tonight.
Dairy Club Announces
'Princess' Candidates
Five coeds are candidates
for the title of 1965 Dairy
Royal Princess. The winner
will be revealed at the annual
Dairy Royal Dance March 27
at the East Campus activities
building, sponsored by the NU
Varsity Dairy Club.
Candidates include Marcia
Gregerson, S h e r y 1 Ehlers,
Cleo Warman, Cheryl Uden
Land Ann Hocgemeyer.
Union Presents Films;
Hot Discussion Sparke
EDITORS NOTE: The fol
lowing article is a review of
the films shown in the Ne
braska Union Wednesday
night and the following dis
cussion. By Wayne Krcuschcr
Junior Staff Writer
Sometimes University stu
dents become disappointed
because of the conservative,
unintellectual, unstimulating
atmosphere outside of the
classroom.
Often, it seems, students
come to the University ex
pecting to learn to think,
question and doubt about con
troversial problems.
But instead the majority of
the students seem to never
find a place on campus where
it isn't taboo to think or want
to discuss important ideas
and doubts.
Fortunately this was not
the case Wednesday night
when the Union Talks and
Topics Committee showed the
films "Operation Abolition"
and "Operation Correction"
in the Union auditorium.
Annroximatelv 40 students
and teachers watched the
controversial films and after
wards a fervent discussion
led by Jerry Behringer, soci
ology professor, included ev
erything from intelligent
threats and accusations to
predictions about the right
and left sides of American po
litical and social life.
The films concerned the
controversy of the 1961 stu
dent riots in San Francisco
during meetings of the House
Committee on Unamerican
Activities (HUAC) in that
city.
The first film, "Operation
Ahnminiv" is a document
which the Committee used at
that time to prove that t n e
riots were inspired by Com
munists and that there was
evidently a strong communist
movement in the country.
"Operation Correction," the
second film which was made
by the Civil Liberties Union,
reviewed the same scenes as
the first film, but pointed out
the mistakes, sensationalism
end false conclusions that the
House on Unamerican Activi
ties Committee made when it.
said that Communists had
inspired the student riots.
"Operation Correction" sug
gested that the riots were ac
tually more American than
the Committee because the
students were protesting
against the unfair tactics of
the Committee.
There is no question about
it if Talks and Topics want
ed two films that would cre
ate discussion and controver
sy they could have found no
two films better than these
, about HUAC. which in the past
Friday, March 19, 1965
have caused a great deal of
comment.
The Dailv Nebraskan itself
was investigated by the Ne
braska Legislature m 1961
when the editor of the paper
at that time questioned
HUAC s purposes and tactics
I he nlm referred to is
nothing but a cheap trick on
the part of reactionary ele
ments in our government who
have maliciously credited the
true story to bring across
their point that the Commu
nist party in this country is
manipulating the youth and
infiltrating student move
ments with its agitation tac
tics." said Herb Probasco in
a Daily Nebraskan editorial
at that time. Probasco was
editor of the Daily Nebraskan
for the first semester in 1961.
After pointing out eight
charges against the Commit
tee made by Congressman
James Roosevelt in 1961, Pro
basco ended his editorial by
saying:
"With the threat of Comm
unism as great as it is, we
cannot afford to let a cum
bersome, bureaucratic organ
such as HUAC to clog the
necessary process of a demo
cratic society, of which an in
herent right to differ is es
sential, regardless of wheth
er this difference might be
contrary to conservative ide
ology."
The discussion after the
film Wednesday night also
showed that most students
seem to agree with Probasco
that HUAC's film was unfair
and the committee was over
stepping the basic rights of
Americans insured in the
Constitution.
Informally stating their
ideas often to an almost riot
ing pitch, the film's audience
argued about such ideas as
What is a communist? How
do you determine when a per
son is being Unamerican?
How socialistic can a person
be without being a commu
nist? The serious discussion
reached a peak when one stu
dent got up and quietly said
he took part in the riots and
was one of the student!) dragg
ed down the stairs of San
Francisco's City Hall after
the police hosed the:?..
He seemed to suggest that
most of the students were at
the riot only because they
had heard that the Commit
tee was not allowing people
in the hearing on a fair basis.
Liz Aitken, chairman of the
Union Talks and Topics Com
mittee, said that since the
films were so successful, es
pecially the following discus
sion, other films and inform
al groups of this type will de
finitely be planned in the fu-
I ture,.
Adoption
Yes or No?
Vote Today
Will Decide
The proposed Student Coun
cil Constitution goes to the
polls today after five months
of preparation. Booths will be
set up m the lounge of t h e
Nebraska Union and will be
open today from 8 a.m. un
til 4:30 p.m.
If approved, the constitu
tion will provide a three-
branch government called
the Association of the Stu
dents of the University of Ne
braska (ASUN). All full-time
students would automatically
become members and would
be represented through a sen
ate containing 35 members.
Several sweeping changes
are included in the body of
the new constitution. It would
expand the council from its
present single branch form
to a three branch form. A
judicial and a legislative
branch would be added to the
present legislative branch.
Representatives would be
chosen from the colleges by
direct apportionment rather
than the present composition
of college representatives as
well as representatives from
several campus organizations.
The current Council presi
dent and vice-president are
elected from among the hold
over members by the new
Council at its first meeting.
The new constitution would
make the president and the
vice-president run directly
from the student body.
The move for a new consti
tution at the University has
picked up momentum for the
last two years, starting with
several parties and move
ments to drastically amend
the old document in an at
tempt to add some power to
the structure.
In the spring of 1964, a group
of students presented a
complete document to the Stu
dent Council with the required
number of student signatures
for a constitutional amend
ment. After a hard-fought bat
tle in the Council's Judiciary
Committee and in the Faculty
Senate Committee on Student
Affairs, the proposed amend
ments were held to be a "re
vision" for which there was
no current constitutional pro
vision. The desire for a new con
stitution grew when the at
tempts for amendment failed.
As a result the Student
C o u n c il Constitutional Con
vention was set with the task
of creating a new constitu
tion. If approved by the students
and the Board of Regents, the
new document will govern
this spring's student govern
ment elections. Actual opera
tion of the ASUN would then
begin for the first time next
fall.
Issuance
Of Bonds
Questioned
There is "substantial ques
tion" about the constitution
ality of the University's pro
posal to issue revenue bonds
for a $24.5 million construction
program on the campus, ac
cording to a statement from
the attorney general's office.
A Lincoln newspaper re
ported that Sen. Fern Hubbard
Orme was informed of this
fact by the attorney general's
office.
University officials have
confirmed the contents of the
statement, according to the
Star newspaper, but Mrs.
Orme declined to release the
text until further study has
been made on it.
The long-term revenue
bonds would be issued, to be
backed by student tuition fee
income. About $2.5 million
from these fees would be used
each biennium to service the
debt, and the University would
seek to replace that amount
through the operating budget,
appropriated from the state
legislature.
The Nebraska Constitution
prohibits the incurring of a
public debt of more than $100,
ooo. The bond proposal is con
stitutional, University offi
cials contend, as long as they
do not use tax money to re
tire the bonds.
Theatre Will Present
'Irish Words, Music'
Readers Theatre will present
"Irish Words & Music" to
morrow and Sunday at 8:00
p.m. in the Arena Theatre,
room 302 of the Temple Build
ing. There will be no admission
charge. Selections will be read
from Shaw, Lady Gregory,
Yates, O'Casey and Brendoa
iBehen..