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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1968)
DAILY NEBRASKAN Editoriab Commentary I Wednesday, February 7, T968 HE .Student rights: "time for facts A statement of student rights appears almost .ready to emerge from the coccoon deftly woven by the Chancellor's six man committee. Unless the committee informs the University now of the gen eral content of the new student rights statement the finished document will come as a complete and per haps unwanted surprise. The five-month metamorphosis from 17 amend ment Bill of Rights to a committee statement on student rights probably has been a stimulating and enlightening experience for the six people who are recreating the document. As for the remainder of the University, few per sons even remember that a statement on student rights is being rewritten and the ones who are aware of the undertaking have no idea what they can expect in the statement. A lucid and specific statement on student rights is badly needed in the University. If such a state ment could be made a part of University policy it would constitute a great advancement. The architects for the new statement are quali fied and competent people and it is almost certain that a far reaching and well-reasoned document will be the result of their conferences. Last fall rather than risk a straight aye or nay from the Board of Regents on the original Bill of Rights the Chancellor appointed a committee to re work the statement which in essence meant de liberalize and broaden the bills perspective to avoid rejection from the Regents. Judging from the length of time it has taken the committee to construct the document, even with the original Bill of Rights as a guideline, it is evi dent the committee was not sure what position the statement should take to broaden the perspective of the" original document. The committee reportedly has arrived at a de cision as to the content of a new statement, which probably will have a better chance of becoming part of University policy than the original document. However, the University should have many ques tions about the document which need an answer now and not when the new statement suddenly is place before students and administrators and faculty for their immediate approval. " - - For example, although committee phrases such as "academic due process," a "set of expectations and responsibilities" and "changes in disciplinary procedure" sound very impressive, the group has not explained how these ideas are going to be incor porated into the new student rights statement. n , . No one knows exactly what thickets of red tape the document must wade through to become Univer sity policy. There is no assurance that the document will become University policy at all. The precise content of the statement remains as much a mystery now as it was last fall when the ' Chancellor's committee began its project Since the committee has neither given a progress report nor communicated with University students, this is the time for the committee to present some answers and some concrete facts. Larry Grossman . . . Moondog, etc. There is something about big cities which at- tracts madmen. These men are not mad in the sense that they are dangerous personalities, wishing to inflict harm on the rest of mankind, but rather are colorful specimens of humanity who exhibit special eccentricities. New York and Chicago are excellent places to find these madmen. Last Fall I was wandering the streets of Man , hattan with a group of friends from the University. Our hotel was on 54th Street near Central Park. The first evening of our stay, we left the hotel and walked to 54th and 6th Avenue. On the corner, lean ing against a wall, was a giant with a seven foot spear. Momentarily we were speechless, even a little scared by this figure. The man was well over six feet tall and had a stocky build. He was wearing a huge fur coat that came up to his bearded chin. His collar was turned up, hiding most of his face, and a Viking helmet with horns was pulled down over his eyes. He held a spear from which a rein deer hoof dangled. He appeared to be sleeping. He took no notice of us the entire time we stood gap ing, and the pedestrians of Manhattan, acting in their classic fashion, raced by without the slightest sign of surprise or interest. Our first reaction was that we had seen the Norwegian ambassador to the United Nations, but all of us agreed that the people of that country no longer dress in the Viking style. Actually the man at whom we were staring was the famous Moondog. He stands on the corners between 42nd and 55th Streets and 6th Avenue everyday from noon to ...midnight. He is a musician, composer, and a star of 'tte underground cinema. He has written music to the Mother Goose Rhymes and has invented two musical instruments, the Trimba (a triangular drum) and the Oo (a triangular harp). He has worked closely with Andy Warhol in one of the most re cent works of experimental cinema. Moondog is a friendly person in spite of his for midable appearance. I saw him everyday I was in New York. He always was busy contemplating the reindeer hoof suspended from his spear, talking with curious passers-by, or dozing against his wall. . . Another eccentric of New York is the Tenor of Wall Street. I was walking through the crowded fi nancial district during the lunch hour one Friday, when I heard a thunderous voice singing arias from Italian opera. The singer was off key but his volume momentarily shouted down the roar of the city; I caught a glimpse of the Tenor before he disappeared down a sidestreet. He looked middle aged and had wild grey hair flying about his head. Chicago is the second fertile ground for eccen trics. For two summers, I saw an unusual old man strolling along Oak Street Beach on the Near North Side. He always dressed in an immaculate white suit, white shoes and white hat. He wore a red flower in his lapel, and rain or shine, always car ried an open red umbrella. Around his neck hung a gold chain and a large golden clock which he con sulted frequently. Another familiar sight in Chicago is an old man, befit over with years, who wanders with his pet chicken. The chicken rides on the man's head. To gether they explore the sidewalks and curbs. I have seen them all over the city. They appear to be hav ing a good time. The eccentrics of our big cities are not hippies. These are not students dropped out for a semester. Moft are middle aged or older and have dedicated themselves to their particular role. They pursue this role as their occupation. Next time you're in New York looking for work, talk to Moondog. May fee he needs an assistant. i I HSIIOS RACISM. I RIOIS Ik) Trie: 5HTTt?S. CRIME IW TB STRCETS J i ELECTim POLITICS. tr) emit io solve imse problems- 0 i cam joe for Joseph Alsop . . . Bin. hmm HJ ipikam 4? ik) A me society 4? After the born loser, the millionaire New York The immense nonsurprise of former Vice President Richard M. Nixon's announcement of candidacy does not change the basic Republican situation one par ticle. Whereas, the situation is already being importantly changed by the perceptible jelling of Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller's intentions for 1968. To begin at the beginning, there used to be two quiet imaginable but highly unlike ly future developments that would have made Rockefeller decide to stay quietly in New York. One is out of the way now. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy has now announced that he will not contest the Democrat ic nomination with President Johnson. Though no longer more than academic, this point is worth mentioning because it throws light on Rockefeller's cool self-appraisal. Briefly, he knows that his main appeal derives from the Republicans' hankering for a winner. If Kennedy had instead decided to destroy both himself and his party, the Republicans could then have been confi dent of winning with a zombie at the head of the ticket. And in that event, Rockefeller would have lost his main ap peal. Another development As for the other possible de velopment that may still keep Rockefeller out of the race, it would be n unexpect edly good showing in the pri maries by Gov. George Rom ney. Rockefeller has pledged his support to Romney, and he still means every word of that pledge. But the fact re mains that the pledge will be rendered meaningless if Rom ney does even half as badly in New Hampshire as the pollers have predicted. In that event, in truth, it is not impossible that Rom ney would actually give up his candidacy, perhaps ask ing Rockefeller to take over. It is not widely known, but JRomney started to withdraw some months ago, when he first began to run into bad trouble. On that occasion Rockefeller only barely per suaded him to go foreward. But this is by the way. The main point is the increasing predictability of Rockefeller's response, if Romney's can didacy ends in disaster in the primaries. The argument about what-to-do-then no long er concerns candidacy versus noncandidacy. If Romney fails. Rockefeller and hie advisers will instead be of two minds about how he can best become a candidate, with the highest hopes of success at M ami. A waiting gam The point at issue will be whether to play a waiting game, or whether to fight the Oregon primary against Nix on. All reports indicate that Rockefeller should have no trouble beating Nixon in Ore gon. And Rockefeller's activist-advisers argue that he must go into Oregon, in order to give the Republican gov ernors and other potential supporters a standard to ral ly behind. The argument of the anti activists is more subtle a d complex. It is also far more important, since it appears far more likely to convince Rockefeller. It runs as fol lows: Subtle argument First, going into Oregon would automatically rekindle the antique feud between the Republican Party's moderates and conservatives. Second, another spasm of feuding, with all the conser vative fire aimed at Rocke feller, would obviously impair the goernor's chances at Mi ami, no matter what the re sult in Oregon. With a split party, there would also be doubts about the governor's ability to beat President John son. Third, it will, therefore, be better for Rockefeller to stay out of Oregon, and to gamble exclusively on the two factors that now favor a near-draft. The first factor is the con spicous lack of enthusiasm for Nixon among the great majority of the 26 Republican governors, who can only form up behind the New Yorker if they do not want the forme vice president. The second factor The second, much more persuasive factor is the stead ily increasing evidence that the winner-loser contrast be tween Rockefeller and Nixon is having more impact with each passing week. For ex ample, the conservative Rep. Melvin Laird, who was Barry Goldwater's strong backer, would seem am immensely unlikely Rockefeller enthusi ast. Yet, Laird has just been making strong pro Rockefeller noises. Again, there is the Gallup Poll of Republican organiza tion people. In the last three months this poll shows that Nixon has suffered a dizzying decline, while Rockefeller has made a handsome gain of no less than 10 points. In the very group where Nixon should be strongest only 55 now favor Nixon, with 41 for Rockefeller and the rest undecided. Such are the points know.i to have impressed Rockefeller the most. Despite contrary reports, it can be categorical ly stated that he has had noth ing whatever to do with the write-in drives that have ap peared in both New Hamp shire and Oregon. And the chances are high that he will simply wait for his party to come to him which is a fascinating but far-out gamble. Graduate viewpoint Editor's Note: Kenneth Goldberg is a graduate stu dent in philosophy and last semester led a Free Uni versity course entitled "Mi nor American Poets." His column is the first in a se ries of articles, which will be contributed by residents of the graduate floor in Schramm Tail. by Kenneth Goldberg The university is often stu died as a microcosm reflect ing the ideals and functions of the society which supports it. Ideally, universities are in stituted to provide a setting for scholars and students who seek an understanding of themselves and their world. Undoubtedly, many students enter the university with the notion that they will be able to communicate with creative scholars and intriguing col leagues. Soon many of these idealistically inclined students begin to realize that the uni versity is a complex insti tution which is established in part to meet certain demands of our society. Besides this, students begin to realize that they are not all at the univer-. sity for the same reasons. Why am I here? is a ques tion which is not easily an swered. Some come without any particular notion as to what college is all about. Mama and Papa said to go; the war looks pretty bad; and what sort of job can a high school graduate get? Some come for profession al indoctrination in some pro fessed vocation. For them al lege is a vocational training schoo.l and a degree is more important than an education. Some come for the sport of YR's to meet Thursday night Young Republicans will meet Thursday at 8 p.m. Pro fessor Arthur Winter will speak on the contemporary problems and challenges fac ing the Republican Party. The University as microcosm it all. For them the parental exclamation, "My college days were the happiest days or my me, ecnoes in ineir minds as they court every available social activity on campus. These possible answers can partially explain what is found at the university. The Mama Papa syndrome prevails. Be ing a legacy of a fraternity alumnus almost assures and in many cases guarantees admittance at least to a pledg class. And what better reason could a dean of students give for an anti-open house policy in the dormitories than, "Ma ma and Papa wouldn't ap prove"? This Mama - Papa syndrome has some unfortun ate side effects. The typical freshman ar rives on campus with a copy of the rush rules in his pocket but without the vaguest notion of what he might find inter esting in the university library or art gallery. He has probably been told that since he was able to graduate from high school, he will surely be able to gradu ate from college. Little does he know that in most cases the college classroom situa tion is substantially different from that found in the high school. At the university, assign ments are made and profes sors are available for consul tation: but the student is ul timately responsible for his own education. Professors and graduate assistants often encourage personalized edu cation by posting office hours. The popular notion that uni versity professors work in ivory towers comes to the campus in the minds of many freshmen. Little do they know that professors are often first class humanists who are con cerned with patching up ill thoughts, just as doctors are concerned with healing sick bodies. Since an educated populace is essential to the survival of a democracy, the government has long involved itself in the education of its people. In addition, protection against governmentally controlled ed ucation has usually been held in check by placing local school boards and state legis latures in control of local af fairs. Granted that the state uni versity administrators have equated an educated society with a safe society. I submit that we live in a safe society. In a safe society only ideas which are not dangerous to the established government are allowed expression. Furth ermore, the university com munity as a whole does not decide what are safe ideas. Rather, the powers that be from state legislatures to boards of regents decide. On the other hand in the ideal educational situation, no idea is supressed. Rather, all ideas are expressed, evaluat ed, and refined in an atmos phere of sincerity and hon esty. Although university s t u dents are being educated, their education is not com pletely unhampered by the u n i v e rsity establishment. Whether this impediment ef fects the over-all quality of our educational system is not the present concern. What we should all realize, though, without placing any value judgments on one or the oth er, is that the ideal university and the ideal reasons for com ing to a university do not al ways correspond with the ac tual functions of universities or the real reasons for at tending them. Union walls to he painted students by Daily Nehraskan Feb. f, 1M Vol .1. Ma. u TKUuPH ONES, Mutt ,72-a5, Newa 472.J6W, BlulnM 47J-B90. &.KM ti .. .7 . . F emeter or al tor the academic ywr, yty. Wadnead.y. Waday and Friday during th aghool JTar meet durlni vacation and nam nwi. h. .. -,,...,.. VT,' jcept during vacation, and nam parted!, by the atudanu of the UnlverMty jpruKiicUoo o( the Faculty Subcommittee on Ktudenl hall Kaa, Jam M.Aa.4i . ai ... . ... S.1.1. L ln JPf'cUoil o( the Faculty Subcommittee on Ktudenl tor what uy cauu be prtnid. ' " """ P" lumber Aaaociated Collegiate Praia. National Educational Advar tiling larvie .,. , . F.DITORIAI. RTAFF ' : lUl?mVlTitt. Mi lor Jac k To!! Newt Editor Ed Irmotfl,, Night New Ldiu J. L Schmidt; fcditorial Fag Amliitai!. Jan. Wagoner A-.tnol Night Nre Editor Wilbur Gentry; S porta Editor Gaor,. Kaufman! AMUlanl Sport Editor Bonn! Ronnraui New Aeiliuiat lJm Placak 8tJf WrttM-: Jim tvtnger. Barb Martin. Mark Gordon. Jan Parka, JoTo MoCullouih, Jane Manweil, Andy Cunningham. Jim Padanen, Monica Pokomy. Phylll ArtkUion, Kent Cockaon, Brent Skinner. Nancy Wood, John Dvorak. Keith Wllllami! Rraior Copy Editor Lvnn GolUchalk; Copy Ed I tori: Hetay Fenimor. Dav K.hpi, Jan Dwya, Molly Murrcll, Lou Mary RuaeaUi Photo raphar Ml Hayman and Dan l-artely. HfSiNtaS ftTAFF Butna Manager Glenn Frleodt: Production Manager Charll Jtnxteri Na Donal Ad Manaaar Imi. Mttrifk. knrf ...it i&H . . V iioliingaworthi Hulnc Secretary Jan Boatman) fiubacriptlon Manager imt Li ifWi jj-i n. ' """ ioar, amu' j &riu loan Mutator , MMM IT vi ttm.ti I .. Paints and brushes are the only materials students will need to redecorate the Ne braska Union walls at the wall paint Feb. 8-10, according to Peggy Williams, contemp orary arts chairman. The temporary construction walls in the union will serve as the canvas for the paint ing project. The union reserves the right to remove any display from the walls. Further information may be obtained from Miss Williams or Carol Graham of the con temporary arts committee. East Union hosts Stanley Einstein Dr. Stanley Einstein will be featured Thursday at East Un ion. Speaking in the auditori um, the topic of his lecture is stated to be drugs. Dr. Einstein, who heads New York State's Institute for the Study of Drug Addiction, Is being sponsored by East Campus Special Events. Rodney Poivell ... Sugar Crisp or Wheat Chex While others worried about vital University problems, I found myself troubled by the same old trivia. Will it be Sugar Crisp or Wheat Chex this mor ning, will June Gale recover from pneumonia and so on throughout the day. So I decided to do some thing about it. My first attempt to break out of my unconcerned mold was to start wearing a "Don't Knock Dean Snyder" button, but that didn't do any good people only laughed and said "Who'd want to?" I am a Walrug Badly shaken by this initial failure, I went home and stumbled upon an ad for Playboy. The words jumped out at me: "You're a Playboy Man You dig lively interchange on controversial issues en. joy daring dialogue by people creating excitement, creating news . . . And you carry it off beautifully with women." The answer I siopped right there. I was in a cold sweat. This was what I had been searching for, this was The Answer it had been there all the time, hid among pages of undulating, undraped bodies. All I had to do was have a few lively Interchanges and a couple of Daring Dialogues and I would be set. A new world was opening up for me; tomorrow I would begin, tomorrow I would be a new man, I would like the jazz beat, my wit would be wry. Hope was springing all over my chest, and it was beginning to hurt like hell. Lively interchange That night, I dreamed about my first Lively Interchange. I was in a small, sparsely furnished room. The door was closed But who was I have the Lively Interchange with? Her figure began to emerge in the dim light of the room. No, it couldn't be! I strained to hear what was she saying? "The door must be open, the door must be open" she kept repeating it, slowly advancing toward me, meat cleaver in hand. I woke up screaming. This wasn't my idea of a fun lively Interchange. Buckle down, Winsocki (I sometimes called my self that in moments of stress) I told myself. It was just a dream. And even if Lively Interchanges failed, there were still Daring Dialogues. I went through the day, smiling cheerfully and asking ev eryone I met if they wanted to have a little Lively Interchange or a swell Daring Dialogue. No re sponses. I went home discouraged. Darins dialogue I felt much better after a cup of Ovaltine was in my stomach. So I had failed. After all, tomorrow was another day. Refreshed in spirit, renewed in hope, I went to bed. Soon visions of a grandiose Dar ing Dialogue were dancing in my head (an old soft shoe routine to "Tea for Two" quite good too). A portly, middle-aged man was pointing at a certain bathroom fixture and shouting "The University's go ing to pot, the University's going to pot, the Uni versity's going to pot." Suddenly he had a plumber's friend in his hand and was approaching me, smiling hideously and making strange, menacing gestures with the self same plumber's friend. I woke up screaming. I gave up my plans shortly after that. No more Lively Interchanges or Daring Dialogues for me. My life was ruined. Then I saw an ad in the mor ning paper. It promised adventure, excitement, ro mance. This was what I had been looking for. It's done wonders for me, and I expect to be successful any day now. Yes, my search for the Great Ameri acan Navel is almost over. If any of you readers out there want to get in on the fun, the number in New York is Plaza 234 0829. Good Luck, and remember, a clean navel builds strong bodies twelve ways. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiipj (Campus opinion! & g Editor's Note: The Daily Nebraskan reserves the right to edit any letters submitted for publication. No unsigned letters will be published, although a pen name may be used in certain cases. Dear Editor: It is not often that the potential power of 5,000 students hinges around two dates. The first is Feb. 8, by which time candidates must file for IDA elections. The second is Feb. 16, the day of the IDA elections. Student leaders in University residence halls have almost succeeded in killing this organization. Rather than remembering that IDA was their or ganization to mold, they have only acted under fear of what IDA might do to the "sovereign dorms." At a time when "dormies" are ready to emerge from the mire of apathy, at a time when they are mature enough to become responsible campus citi zens, their own leaders have deserted them by set ting up isolationist shells within individual dorms and blaming IDA for inaction. How can a resident say IDA is doing nothing for him or his dorm when his own representatives will not attend meetings, present ideas or even run for IDA executive office if they do see faults? Put up good candidates on the 8th and vote for them on the 16th. And make your representatives serve you rather than preserve isolation. ,. John Fryar Dear Editor: I have refrained from shooting the white rab bits in my backyard, because I thought it might disturb my neighbor next door who likes to watch the animals and does not know anything about them. But now that Terrible Joseph has come and wishes to save us all from the sins of ourselves, I can no longer mow the grass in my landlady's backyard, because I no longer have the trust in xny roommate that I once had. I may be busted for drying the grass before I rake it up if he sees me and is stimulated by the emotions of Joseph. Is there nothing incredible enough to dissolve the crystalizing outrage of Terrible Joe? Adam Craft