THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Editorials
Commentary .
Wednesday, March" 13, 'l968r
Page 2
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Men V answers
For years the University's speaker schedule has
read like a reject list for the "Almost Who's Who
Almanac."
Finally some concerned administrators, the Ne
braska Union and Senate have unlaced the moldy
l purse strings of the speaker's budget for the sum
. of $5000.
The result is the two-day World in Revolution
i Conference which promises to be the most worth-
while program scheduled here in a long time.
The five outstanding men who will participate
. vin the Conference Thursday and Friday are not
pseudo-intellects who pretend to have answers for
-' every world problem.
r The nationally known speakers are experts in
.. their fields and hold impressive sets of credentials.
'- they are dynamic and stimulating men who un
derstand the real problems America faces and are
not only vitally concerned with these issues, but
'" most important may have some of the answers.
For example the main speaker, Abraham Ribi
coff, has held positions of Cabinet member, Sena
tor, Member of Congress, Governor and judge. One
hour spent listening to him would be more valuable
(and more stimulating) than three weeks of poll
" tical science lectures on the same topics.
Rep. John Conyers, Jr. is the first and only
... Negro to sit on a Congressional committee which
"handles civil rights legislation. He's probably one of
'Tithe most knowledgeable men in the country on race
riots. And race riots happen anywhere even Ne
braska. - Another speaker, Dr. Nevitt Sanford, is one of
-' the most respected educators in the country. Uni
7'versity Greeks should be particularly interested in
this speaker as his ideas were incorporated into the
t: deTerred rush reports last fall.
And so the list continues. These men are not
only involved with America's problems but they
t obviously are interested in how college students are
?- reacting to society's frequent upheavals.
; - Most of the speakers will hold an open press
'Jeonference Friday afternoon for reporters and any
I interested persons who wish to ask further ques
I tions.
. These men represent the exact type of speak
l ers the University has been begging for for the
'.' speaker's program. This type of program should
be continued in the future with even more funds
i allotted for speakers. But, an empty Coliseum will
J not guarantee the conference's continuation.
, . University members are strongly urged to at-
tend World in Revolution. It will be time well in-
vested.
Cheryl Tritt
rRodney Powell . . .
; Fluctuate with me
. There comes a time in everyone's life when
one must decide between two opposing world views:
J 1) things are orderly and 2) things are screwed
up. One may promiscuously alternate between these
; conceptions for a time, but eventually one's gen-
eral outlook on life must be set, if only to as-
sure a certain intellectual fidelity. Isn't that right,
I sports fans?
Musing on this difficult problem of Alternat
. ing Conceptions, unfortified by Ovaltine, harrassed
' by the strains and stresses of life itself, I was
suddenly struck by a telling blow (quite a story
" too, but smutty).
I am
a Walrus
Softly humming "Into Each Life Some Rain
TMust Fall," I collapsed as if in the throes of a
; vision, which as a matter of fact I was. (All my
- loyal readers are now expecting a description of
i this same vision, but just to prove that I'm above
"these repetitious tales of personal experience, I
I will now undertake a learned discussion of what
; Norman Mailer terms the metaphysics of the belly).
The belly is a marvelous invention. All man-
kind needs bellies. But some people are not yet
; privileged enough to have bellies. I'm all for sop-
homore bellies, and maybe even second-semester
I freshman bellies, if the children are mature and
; responsible enough to use them properly.
Otherwise, no dice, nix, the deal's off, forget
; it Sam. Bellies are also a big help in times of
stress, for they are absolutely indispensible as
'. thumb-holders but that's another story.
! Now that we are all suitably instructed on
'bellies we may move on to the respiratory sys
; tem. Across the nation, many respiratory systems
; are: in danger; they are just not keeping up with
', the times. But we all know how important res
piratory systems are, don't we? Without them
- what would little boys do? Thank heaven for me.
I I know wtt to do to save the respiratory sys
V tem. Stop smoking.
- Having imparted more wisdom with In this
; brief space than even Eric Hoffer could reason-
ably be expected to come forth with, I must now
Cleave yon with a final word on the Conceptions
which brought this whole thing on or op or some-
where. These remarks should be prefaced by a
- word (or two), but unfortunately such words can
4 not be printed la family newspapers.
'
So, my remarks: When the one Great Scorer
. comes to write against your name, tell him to go
1 to hell.
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William F. Buckley
Norman Mailer is outraged
because he has been told to
report to jail for five days for
breaking the peace outside
the Pentagon. Who knows, he
may write a book about it
The American Civil Liberties
Union hasn't taken up the vic
timization of Mr. Mailer, but
that is about the only defen
dant on the landscape the
ACLU isn't defending.
Its directors have now de
cided to offer the Union's help
to the Spock crowd who have
been indicted for violating the
Selective Service Law. At
first, the ACLU reasoned that
it had no proper business in
that imbroglio, since nobody
sane was exactly contending
that the Selective Service Act
is a denial of anyone's civil
liberties.
But the ACLU has a nose
for publicity, and after a heat
ed session, the majority re
versed themselves.
And of course, before the
trial is a half-hour long, it will
be clear that the defendant is
The ACLU, or what
is a civil liberty
the United States of America,
not Spock et al. That is the
way it was choreographed all
along. And the Justice De
partment, by waiting as long
as it did, by moving as slowly
as it has, walked right into
the ambush.
Among the lawyers will be
Mr. Louis Boudin, who will
defend Dr. Spock. Mr. Boud
in's clients over the years
have consistently included ad
mitted Communists, persons
asserted to be Communists
and such a notable Commu
munist government as the
Castro government of Cuba.
When last seen socially, Mr.
Boudin was attending a testi
onial dinner in honor of John
Abt, presumably celebrating
the anniversary of the steal
ing of some U.S. secret cr
other. Mr. Abt's name, does
not ring a bell the way it used
to do back when Whittaker
Chanters identified him as a
member of a spy ring.
Lee Harvey Oswald, for in
stance who aked the Dallas
police to get in touch with
Abt to defend him. Mr. Boud
in has been around along
long time. He dates back to
the famous defense of the
Communist Party in the peti
tion to President Roosevelt.
He is just the lawyer for Dr.
Spock.
Yes indeed, it will be a
great spectacle. No doubt
there will be demonstrations
all over the world denouncing
the United States and apotheo
sizing the defendants. It some
times appears as though all
of Europe were practicing for
such demonstrations. Last
week the students rioted in
Rome.
There was a very reassur
ing demonstration in West
Berlin a fortnight ago, or
rather counter-demonstration.
There they live close enough
to the Communists to be grdg
ingly aware of America's con
tribution to their liberty.
But demonstrations against
Red China? North Vietnam?
The Soviet Union? The typical
European would as soon dem
onstrate against Caroline
Kennedy. The same day that
brings the news of the mas
sive anti - American demon
strations in the Low Coun
tries reports Pravda's reac
tion to the charge of having
persecuted Soviet writers.
Norman Mailer is the prop
er bard for such an age as
this. The same Norman Mail
er who eight years ago was
urging Fair Play for Cub a,
sponsor of a committee
which it transpired, Castro
was personally subsidizing.
He is the man to write a hundred-million
words on w h y
we should all be indignant
against Lyndon Johnson, and
reverential towards the Com
munists. It will take just
about that many words to ex
plain what's going on.
Perhaps the New York
Times would devote its entire
Sunday edition to it?
Editor's note: Today's re
view of the University The
atre production of King
Lear is by Ken Pellows an
instructor in the department
of English.
Charles Lamb said of Shake
speare's King Lear that it
"cannot be acted." In the 150
years since Lamb's pro
nouncement, many brave the
atric groups have proved it
hyperbolic; this weekend, the
Nebraska University Speech
and Dramatic Art Department
added still another proof. Un
der the direction of Professor
William Morgan, the Univer
sity players have come up
with a surprisingly smooth
indeed, nearly flawless pro
duction of one of the most
challenging plays in English
theatre.
Emotionally brutal to an
audience, King Lear is at least
twice as tough on most of the
actors. If it is not "essential
ly impossible" (again. Lamb's
words), it is certainly ex
tremely difficult to produce.
But with the aid of excellent
costuming, subtly effective
lighting, and some marvelous
work with sound. Director
Morgan and his cast have
presented a credible and
properly "punishing" pro
duction. The most difficult part of
the play is the representation
of the main character. Lear
mast be erroneous yet sym
pathetic, feeble jet kingly, for
glvably wrong at some times
and understandably mad at
others. Little wonder that the
role might sometimes seem
Impossible to perform! How
ever, the University Theatre
group is fortunate enough to
have the very talented and
versatile Andy Backer whose
Lear may be the finest thing
he has ;et done in theatre;
those familiar with Backer's
previous achievements will, I
hope, recognize the strength
of that statement.
From his very entrance on
stage, Backer is in full com
mand. In his first scene, so
vital to the stablishment cf
Lear's character, he conveys
the ambiguity of the king
through a combination of a
tottering, uncertain walk and
a voice as yet undiminished
in power however ill-advised
its pronouncements may be.
Nor does Backer rela once
ha has mastered that difficult
scene; he rants and rages,
cringes and cries throughout,
in what must be on of the
King Lean a challenge met
most exhausting roles in any
play. His performance alone
would make the production
worth seeing, even if he were
not so admirably supported.
Most of that support, and
much of the challenge, which
Backer receives, comes from
Jim Baffico's performance as
Kent. In fact, perhaps the
hardest thing Backer has to
do in his first scene is to
dominate a stage which al
ready seems nearly filled by
the large and talented Baffi
co. This kind of challenge,
when the lead role is up to
it, works, of course, to the
benefit of all.
Baffico's Kent is a some
what surprising one; to the
rugh-and-ready type of humor
that characterizes Kent, he
adds an almost "pixish" qual
ity. That's hardly the right
word, obviously (would you
believe, a 230-pound pixie?),
but there is much about Baf
fico's performance that is
reminiscent of his previous
Howell Theatre success as the
mischievous S c a p i n. Of
course, one who is six axe
handles across the shoulders
is almost bound to portray
roughness, consequently Baf
fico's addition of "lightness"
results in a very interesting
character. And in his serious
scenes, Baffico is able to
throw away the mischievous
quality and remain thorough
ly believable.
Complementing Kent almost
perfectly is the excellent Fool
played by Ric Marsh, who
combines quick movement,
fine timing, and remarkable
stage presence to produce an
entirely satisfying perform
ance. ("Stage presence," in
this instance, refers especial
ly to a sense of position on
stage, particularly in relation
to other characters.)
Another definite plus, in a
difficult supporting role, goes
to Dana Mills, as the Earl of
Gloucester. To go from an ag
ing fellow who fondly (in both
the Elizabethan and modern
senses) reminisces upon his
adulteries, to a semi-mad but
extremely perceptive blind
man, is no small task; but
Mills manages to be believabl
in both situations.
Bill Jamison, as Edgar
(Gloucester's legitimate son),
presents a strange paradox:
he appears to be much more
at ease in those very difficult
scenes in which Edgar goes
about as Tom o' Bedlam than
he does in the (theoretically)
easier scenes in which Edgar
is himself. Perhaps this par
adox typifies the manner in
which the entire cast re
sponded to the difficulties
which the play presents. In
any case, Jamison's "Tom"
was excellently done.
One of the most unusual
things about this play was the
ensemble acting. Ordinarily,
when a college group presents
a large-cast Shakespeare play,
this is a major shortcoming:
just when he should be re
sponding to news of his king's
death, The Third-Soldier-from-the-Left
is counting the house
or grinning at a prompter.
However, in this production,
there are no such amateurism
lapses. And the "realism" of
the battle scenes must be
seen to be appreciated!
Naturally, not everything to
satisfying about this presen
tation of Lear. Perhaps most
disappointing were the fe
males' performances. Moving
and speaking in excessively
stylized manners, Susan Vos
ik (Cordelia), Laura Ursde
venicz (GonerD), and Kathy
Baines (Regan) all appeared
to agree with the Elizabethan
social dictum that women do
not belong on stage. None 'f
the three seemed to feel as
natural as her role as most
of the main male characters
Daily Nebraskan
Man 11. IMS
Vol. l. So. 77
Sfrnnd-cliiwf Dutan nM r' l.inmiM mii
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hwt wnn uir t ceugeio oe printed..
Member Anodaud Collegiate Press. Natkms.1 Educational Mverturfaf Service.
..llor, Cheryl Trltt: Mans rim Editor Jack Toddi Neva Editor Bd leeswfle;
Night News Editor I. L Schmidt; Editorial Paae Assistant June Wanoneri
Assistant NUht Nrs Editor Wilbur Gentryi 8porte Editor George Raurmani
Assistant Sports Editor Bonnie Ronneani Newa Assistant Lynn places i
Jlm evl'' Bare Uartla, stars Gordon, Jan Parks, Joan
McCulksjh. Jane Maxwell, Andy Cunningham, Jim Pertcrsea, Monica Pokorn.
Phyllis Adkisson, Kent Corkson, Brent Skinner, John Dvorak. Senior Copy Editor
Lynn Gottachalhi Copy Editors: Retsy Fenimore, Deve Flllpl, Jane Dteya. Molly
Murrell, ChritUa SctmarUkopf : Photographers Mike Haymaa and Dan Ledely.
Business Manager Gtona Friend!: Production Manager Charlie Baxsrri Ifa.
Uonal Ad Ma laser Letts Macneyi Bookkeeper and classified ada manager Our
Hollinlsworlhi Business Secretary Jan Boatman l Rubeertptioa Manager Jam
ulLn V"tT i1" '-"". " sUaaiar, Deaesa
aulciwua Joal Davis, Lyaa Womacijue.
did. This is not to Imply that
all the male roles were hand
led flawlessly; Bill Szyman
ski's Edmund was perhaps
not strong enough (Glouces
ter's bastard son could be con.
siderably more bastardly),
and Skip Lundby, as "the Gen
tleman," was too consistently
"serene" in his responses to
the action about him.
There were problems that
do not come within the do
mains of the actors. Although
generally very functional, the
sets sometimes complicated
the limited-space problems of
Howell Theatre's stage, rath
er than alleviating them. On
the other hand, the problems
of changing sets (another of
this play's severe challenges)
were handled extremely well.
Some of the lines in King
Lear almost have to be al
tered for the modern stage
and some of the action could
surely stand to be. Directoral
option was exercised (and ju
diciously) in at least a couple
of places in tin's production
"jakes" was changed to the
somewhat more modern "pri
vy," for example and prob
ably should be extended to
some other revisions. Corn
wall's "I have received a
hurt" (when he has just been
dealt a mortal sword-wound)
is an unfortunate line; so is
Albany's "Produce the be
they alive or dead."
In fact, the entire final
scene of Lear threatens the
ludicrous: almost simultan
eously, the bodies of Regan
and Goneril are carried in by
wailing mourners (Edmund,
meanwhile, Is dying on
stage); Edgar promptly
shouts "Here comes Kent"
(he's been gone a while, and
has to be brought back on
stage somehow); Kent comes
in seeking the king, and Al
bany is reminded that in the
midst of all this excitement
they've forgotten about Lear!
It's a scene that requires ex
treme caut'on and which, on
Friday night at least per
haps the result of its being
opening night was much
too fast-paced.
No ending, however, could
undermine what Backer and
his supporting actors worked
so exhaustingly to create a
tragedy of unparalleled pow
er, artistically executed. Per
haps no play in University
Theatre's history has been
such a "must-see" as King
Lear.
skin
Larry Grossman
St. Peter and
a ai at ii ' a at
ping stones ;
The beach at Ninilchik, Alaska has the best
skipping stones in all of North America. The waves
have worn the stones smooth and if thrown cor
rectly, each will skim over the waves four or
more times before sinking into the cold water.
Scattered pieces of pumice, a volcanic material so
light that it will float, are mixed in with drift
wood and piles of rotting kelp.
The town itself is a small fishing village 100
miles south of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula.
I arrived in Ninilchik on a cold day that wore a
tedious face of grey. Rain had followed me all
morning and not even my green Navy parka kept
me dry.
Travel
Notes
Ninilchik was typical of the towns one finds
in Alaska. The houses were built of faded, weather
beaten boards, greying in the grey light, or of
rough, dark brown logs roofed over with black
tar paper.
The yards around the houses and cabins were
mud, with a few half submerged planks serving as
a path to the front doors. Oil tanks on stilts stood
next to the houses and watched over piles of cut
logs stacked on the ground.
Around every house was an amazing collection
of junk machinery, rusted and broken from the
constant humidity. Old truck bodies, pipes, and
oil drums lay about in disorderly heaps. The rain
dripped off the dull metal into the mud.
I was searching for work and had been told
in the town of Clam Gultch that the canneries in
Ninilchik were hiring. The canneries were all lo
cated near the beach. A narrow channel of water
separated the beach and the main part of town.
Three salmon boats were tied up in the chan
nel next to log sheds. The owners were out in the
rain, inspecting their nets, oiling motors, and
scrubbing down the decks. One ship, a faded blue
color, bore the name, Peter theaGreat.
Above the channel was a gentle hill on which
most of the houses of the village rested. At the
very top near where the forest began, stood the
village church, St. Peter of the Fishermen. It was
a white frame building well painted and preserved.
It had an onion shaped Russian dome. From its
door step one could look across the waters of
Cook Inlet to where Mt. Iliamna, an ancient vol
cano, slept. .
I found a cannery and entered through a side
door. The immediate heavy smell of salmon caused
me to hold my breath. A Chinese man in a yellow
rain slicker was hosing down the machinery with
a steam pipe. He waved an arm through the
Dantesque clouds to the managers office.
The manager was a nice man but he wasn't
hiring. He told me to go down the Peninsula to
Anchor Point or to Homer. The runs would be
starting in a week and there would be plenty, of
salmon to can. Now there was only maintenance
work to be done.
I headed back into the rain and down to An
chor Point. The town is distinguished by being the
most western point in North America to which
one can drive. Anchor Point wasn't hiring nor was
Homer. I ended up going to California to pick
oranges, but that Is another story.
Ruben Ardila
Activest student
and his society
A few years ago the best men in education
were trying to understand the problems that cause
arrests of many students accused of being "acti
vists". After many discussions they found that the
most important way to understand the situation
would be to evaluate the goals of college eudca
tion and the place of this education in modern so.
ciety.
A number of psychologists studied the person
ality of the students involved in protest move
ments, compared with the "good" students who
did their homework and didn't break the law. They
found many interesting points.
Student activism involves a very few selected,
students in a very few selected colleges and uni.
versities. As one of those social scientists writes:
"The great majority of students today manifest the
apathy and conformity that have characterized stu
dents in the past."
After applying some tests and performing per
sonal interviews with many .thousands of students
across the country, the team of psychologists re
ported that only 23 of the sample considered
themselves as "non-conformists," and among them
only 1 wanted to be called radicals.
The rest showed very little political interest;
the majority had an utilitarian orientation toward
college, religion and politics. The students involved
in activities like the Free Speech Movement of
Berkeley were more sensitive, more open to ideas,
had greater capacity for introspective thinking,
autonomy, estheticism, and complex personality,
than the ordinary student.
Many parents' and teachers probably were
shocked when a prestigious social scientist wrote
that "what we refer to as political activism is
complementary to the whole education process "
and that "the time may be right, and the need'
urgent, for the college not only to stimulate ac
tivism among its students, but to provide the cir
cumstances under which it can flourish."
My-student opinion in this matter, is that to '
fight against the ESTABLISHMENT, at the univer
sity or in everyday life, is not a sigh of creativity
and originality in itself. Many people simply follow
the leadership of intelligent and activist students." f
But on the other hand, ths creative and original
man has a frame of reference broad enough to
realize that many things of our society may be
improved; and also the guts to attempt the change
himself. . . ,....,
Could we change our attitude toward student
activists? They are not larzy, trouble-makers who
prefer to chat endlessly instead of going home to "
memorize the lesson for the next day. They are in
telligent people who are more perspective than
others. . . .
An open society like this one could profit simply
by listening to its critics. The activist students ,
should be given credit for recognizing ills in our
society and for acting according to their convic-
turns.
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