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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1968)
THE DAILY NEBRASKAM Editorials Commentary Page 2 Thursday, March 14, 1965 Housing policy The Housing Policy Committee has completed recommendations for next year's housing regula tions which amount to little more than a token con cession to the acceptable policy made last spring .and then "unmade" by the Regents last summer. Because the University overprojected enrolls ment and continued building architectural monstros ities to contain residents who never materialized, students again next year will be forced to pay for the University's blunder. Understandably the Committee was required to work under strict guidelines of the Regents pol icy. And the group did recommend that present dorm rates be retained and that senior women be allowed to live off campus. The committee did not recommend, however, that junior women also be allowed to live off cam pus. So the disparity between women's and men's housing regulations still remains. One of the members of the Housing Commit tee reasoned that not a large number of junior women would move off campus so much better for the University's faulty finances if they didn't This disparity should be corrected before final action is taken on these recommendations as junior women at least should have the option to move off campus. It is difficult to understand why financial prob lems must always preclude students' interests. And in the case of housing policy students' interests always finish second. In short no student should be required to live in a dormitory if he does not so desire. ,, If vast improvement in the dormitory system were made, this statement would not be as unfeasi ble to the Regents as it is new. f If reforms were made fewer students would be clamoring to leave the dorms for financial, sch--olastic and personal reasons. " A residential college or strong IDA scholastic '. program, a no hour or key system for all womsn and a liberal visitation policy would greatly en- nance the dormitories' appeal. I Until remodeling of Selleck Quadrangle or Wom- en's Residence Hall occurs, lowered dorm rates I for these halls warrants investigation. Until the sterilized, impersonal atmosphere of I the dormitories is humanized, tired residents will ; rebel every spring when they must accept the same housing policy which even the housing I policy which even the Housing Committee doesn't especially like. I Cheryl Tritt ;A1 Spangler Basis of power Perhaps the next time George Wallace (hus band of the Governor of Alabama) makes a trip to Nebraska he will be arrested by federal .offi cials the Senate just passed a civil rights" bill that includes a provision to make crossing state lines to incite a riot a federal crime. Watching George's harangue at the Omaha Ci vic Auditorium (via educational TV, which is some times truly educational, in spite of its pretensions), it was clear that the ex-Governor knows what he's about. He permitted the demonstrators to disturb the proceedings just long enough to turn his audience Strange Day u into an angry mob, and then let the cops be turned loose, billy clubs whacking, aerosol cans of MACE spraying, forcing the small group of protestors to run a gauntlet of swinging metal chairs to the rear exit. The anti-Wallace faction was down for the mo ment, but, like "Cool Hand Luke," not really oat of it at all. They hadn't got their minds right. Perhaps some day a scientist will invent a chemical spray called MIND RIGHT. One quick blast in the face, and the most militant of demon strators would become a "reasonable dissenter." At the press of a finger on a plastic nozzle, H. Rap .'Brown would turn into Uncle Tom. Perhaps then, police tactics would become effective. Instead of making militants more militant, and turning lib erals into radicals. Gestapo tactics would produce the desired effect. MIND RIGHT could even be used to advan tage in Vietnam, in place of napalm, and here at home against those who would protest its use of Vietnam. Secretary Rusk could take a can along 'with him to Senate Foreign Relations Committee meetings. In the meantime, however, our Government of - ficials will have to be content with MACE and na palm. We shall doubtless have to watch the geno cide we are committing in Vietnam take hold here m the U.S. We must also rest content with the conclusion of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Dis orders: white racism is responsible for black up risings. On March 5, Vice President Humphrey stated that "we have known about these (ghetto) needs for some time. Why haven't we done some thing: The answer is that we have been doing something." One Is Inclined to say "bullshit." And I nse the asterisk advisedly, for Norman Mailer is right j "... the use of obscenity was Indeed to be con demned, for the free nse of it would wash away the nation was America the first great power to be built oa bullshit?" V AT IT. ' OFT Ill vr ,11 i -i II jF'TtEw' jT3 111- UfcVaK W O&t MY tfoBOslTTf. Joseph AIsop 4E' for Rockefeller effort Washington After his New York meeting with a long list of Republican moderates on Sunday, Gov. Nelson Rockefel ler is near certain to enter the Oregon primary against former Vice President Rich ard M. Nixon. As one of the Governors put the matter on Sunday: "You may not win, but if you don't try, you cannot win." The prospective active can didacy of Rockefeller is a Re publican development far transcending in importance any other to date, of course, including the New Hampshire primary. Furthermore, it is clear that Rockefeller is tak ing a very considerable gam ble and not just because, or even mainly because, Nixon has been working so hard and long to secure delegate pledges. The Rockefeller announce ment will be deferred for a bit, because his decision is not yet absolutely final, and also because the governor wishes to stay out of Nebras ka, and challenge Nixon only in Oregon. And although Roc kefeller will have vigorous support from Oregon's able Editor's note: This is a CPS book review of The Dis senting Academy by Theodore Roszak. Sometime between World War II and the demise of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a general attitude that has been de scribed as liberal anti-communism became the prevail ing attitude of the American intellectual community. The basic premises of liberal anti-communism were two; that the Government should be encouraged to pursue its policy of containing Commu nism abroad and that it should be prodded to cure whatever social ills might still be in existence at home. At the time liberal antl communlsm was blossoming, there is do doubt that many of its advocates believed they were taking a stand that was both idealistic and sensible. Stalin's repressive and cyni cal methods of ruling seemed to discredit Communism as a means of achieving social progress while the United States seemed to taking a genuinely progressive role in the world with such programs as the Marshall Plan. Whatever the validity of this view of the world, it permitted academics and intellectuals to go to work for the gov ernment, or at least to work on Government sponsored projects.in good conscience. Criticism, if it was encour aged at all, was directed at particular programs or parts of programs rather than at the foreign policy or the so ciety's structure as a whole. Government, under pres sure to keep up with the So viets in the missile race, the space race, and in other races, threw off its tradition al distrust of the intellectual community and began funding research programs to the uni versities. While the amount of money that has gone out as research grants to universities is not snail, it is nothing compared governor, Tom McCall, even Oregon is not guaranteed plain sailing. What is needed in Oregon is something more than top ping Nixon in the polling. What is needed Is a clear dem onstration that the Republi cans this year want a mode rate candidate with a winning image. And besides Nixon, Rockefeller will also confront California Gov. Ronald Rea gan, if and when he enters the Oregon contest. A recent local poll gave 40 per cent of the Republican vote to Rockefeller, 36 per cent to Nixon and 10 per cent to Reagan, with the rest un decided. For the Oregon pri mary to have a major effect, the New York governor will have to wage a sufficiently successful campaign to bet ter the foregoing figures. Furthermore, a Rockefeller success in Oregon, great though its impact would be, could never have a truly de cisive impact. The Nixon dele gate search has been long, ar duous and efficient. It is con tinuing and being intensified. If Rockefeller is to win at Miami, therefore, he must not merely suoced in Oregon. He must also go on looking like a pretty sure winner against Lyndon B. Johnson in Novem ber, while Nixon goes on look ing like a pretty sure loser. The truth of the matter is that the New York governor's embryo candidacy is more keyed to the public opinion polls, and will be more af fected by the pollers' fugitive findings, than any other can didacy in our recent political history. If the polls turn against R o c k e f e 1 1 e r, his chances will be pretty slender. The polls can turn against Rockefeller in two ways, moreover. To begin with, deepening political trouble for President Johnson can cause the President to drop behind NIXON. That, In itself, should be enough to remove, or at least to blur, the former Vice President's loser image. And if that hsflpens, Nixon's in herent delegate strength can put him over. By the same token, Rocke feller could be greatly hurt by a change in the present poll ing pattern, which shows him with far more power to win votes than the former Vice President. A good though ex treme sample of the pattern was the Connecticut poll, al ready cited in this space, which showed Rockefeller tak ing 30 per cent of the Demo cratic votes to beat Mr. John son in a close race, while the President, in turn, absolutely snowed under Nixon. Depending on the polls and Rockefeller has no al ternative is obviously an immense gamble. The risks are all the greater, this year, because of the third-party can didacy of the racist former governor of Alabama, George Wallace. Any poll that leaves Wallace out will be worthless. And only an all-wise Provi dence knows how many votes for Wallace will be gained if there is bad trouble in the cities. On present prospects, how ever, it seems most likely that the Republicans at Miami will have to choose between the moderate Rockefeller, with ex cellent prospects of winning ' the White House if they nomi nate him, and Nixon, with the backing of Barry Goldwatcr, but with fairly doubtful pros pects of defeating President Johnson if nominated. Test tube morality . . . The Dissenting Academy to the indirect subsidies that universities have received in states where industries were getting fat on Government contracts. In California, for example, the aerospace industries needed engineers and scien tists, and therefore provided music of the political pressure that led to the massive growth at the University of California system. The consequences of the post-war romance between universities and the Govern ment are what most, though not all, of the eleven contribu tors to The Dissenting Acad emy talk about. Although it is clear that the war in Vietnam is the starting point for all of them, they do not write so much about where academics have failed in trying to end the war as about the larger failure of the universities to criticize a society that would get into such a war. As described in this book, some of the failings of acad emics are almost incredible, Sumner Rosen, an economist writing about the deficiencies of economic work in this coun try, says that the impact of military spending in the eco nomy has been all but ignored by professional economists. According to Rosen, "war and preparation for war" is the most important single force in the economy today, Why, then, has this area been neg lected? It's bard to avoid the con clusion that economists, the group that has come closest to the inner circles of power in this country (what other discipline boasts anything like the President's Council of Economic Advisors?), just plain don't want to point out how dependent our economy is on war-spending because it would spoil their cozy relation ship with the Government Rosen suggests this in part of the problem, but he sees as less direct reason for it. As he explains it: The scholars and teach ers are not consciously avoiding or evading a duty which they know in their hearts must be faced. Ra ther, they are conforming to a point of view about the economy and about their own role and responsibility which they find both bear able and honorable. It is part of a more general view of scholarship which effec tively molds all but a hand ful of men, and casts that handful into the role of peripheral figure, cranks, or monomaniacs. This is at root a historical, a techni cal or mechanical, a non political view of what the economy is and how it works. It is seen as a sys tem with stable structural characteristics, operating within parameters that will not change. Economists, in other words, accept the structure of the economy, in the large, and Vol. tl. tit. 71 Daily Nebraskan March 14. 1WI Sasmd-elaae porta ye paid at Uaeate, TBLEPHONEl Editor 47I-UM, Nrw. 47MMI. BoeUieai 47t-tM. tuhMrtpMon ratea are $4 par eemeater or M lor the acedemfe yaar. Publlabed Monday, Wadneaday, Tbnreday aod Friday daring (ha actual year, except during vacations and aaam periode, by tha atndenta 1 tha lalvtrtity of Nebraika ondor tha lurudictlon of tha faculty Subcommittee aa Madae Publications Publication, ahull ba free from eenanrthlp by tha tanominilttse ar any pareoa atitald tha lUMveratle. Member af ibe Nenraakaa ara rateeaetble for what they eaiuele ba printed. Mambar AeaucJaled Collegian Preee. N-ma!Edeatlonl MartWB ierrSe. Editor Cheryl Trlrti Managing tailor Jack Toddi Newi Edtter U teaaoatai Night Newt Editor J. L. Srhmldt; editorial Page Aieletant J una Kagonari Aaaiataat Nlahl Naa Editor eVUbur Gentry! Rpo.le Editor Oeerge Kaufmaai Aeaielant b porta editor Boast Ronneaa: Nawa Aaaiataat Lynn Ptaceki tH Wiitara: iim tvinaer. Hark Martin. Mart Cordon. Jan Parka. Joaa MoCulHnirh. Jaaa Maawrll, Andy Cannintiham. Jim Prdcraan, Moaloa Pekorey, Phyllla Adkiaaon, Kant Corkaon, Irani Skinner. John Dvorak. Senior Copy Editor Lynn Gott--halk( Copy Editor: Hatsy ranimora, Drva mini, J ant tkeya, Molly MurraU, Caiatia Scawartakopfi Pnotugraphar Miaa Hajrmaa and Daa Ladaiy. BfMNKHft ftTAFV Buafnaaa Managsr Glenn Prtendti Prsdaattoa Maaaawr Char lit Baatari Ma. Uoaal Ad Manaaar Laata Maeberi Bookkaepar and ciaaatilsd ada manager Gary Hollingirmrth: Butlnraa Secretary Jan Boatman! abaorinttaa Manager turn toaai Satmmrt i Dae Clonk. Daa Laokar. 1UUU iMUO. Xed4 SUuktar, OmUut MilcbaU. Jai Devia, Ljraa Womaoaua. address their criticism to lim ited technical aspects of it. A similar criticism of an thropologists is made by Kathleen Gough. She says that anthropologists in gener al study primitive cultures, and sometimes even examine the impact of Western socie ty on these cultures, without considering the largest ques tion of Western imperialism, its origins and overall impact Miss Gough, who is on the faculty at Simon Fraser Uni versity in Canada (she has also taught at American insti tutions), suggests that the tradition of concentrating on out-of-the-way cultures has given anthropologists a means of evading the larger questions, which in turn has meant that they can take Government research grants without qualms about what their Government may be do ing to non-Western people around the world. Some of the contributors to the Dissenting Academy dis cuss the role, or non-role of professional associations in their respective disciplines with regard to taking public stands on issues. Louis Kampf, an associate Erofessor of Humanities at IIT, says the Modern Lan guage Association is more a "trade association" than a professional association, a group whose "natural drift is toward the councils of the Chamber of Commerce." He describes the total lack of concerned with public is sues, such as Vietnam, at a recent 1WLA convention as a consequence of the under- ' standing by its membership that their affluence ultimate ly depends on the Cold War. "The buffrflery at the MLS convention," writes Kampf, "is the visible sign of a com petitive spirit, of an acquisi tiveness, which is ready to cut throats; further, it pictures not only private feelings, but the structures of a society which is learning to exploit its men of learning." V' sjF ' '' tL. Alt&Sr Mick Lowe Number seven only $5.04 I helped organize a demonstration last week. Sixty people turned out, it lasted all day Fri day, and surprisingly, it was a success. Best of all, it only cost $5.04. It all started when we discovered that the Dow Chemical Company was returning to campus. They were here last semester, you may recall, and there was a demonstration at that time, too. That was the first time that I had ever parti cipated in a picket line, and I discovered that even I Was There holding a sign for an hour and being sneered at is an excellent way to relieve one's conscience. So we decided to go around again. We started by "obtaining" scraps of wood for our signs at a local construction sight. Imagine we can say that our demonstration had the ma terial support of Peter Kiewitt. Then we wrote a letter exhorting everyone to mass action. It was later pointed out that my phraseology in the letter, in certain passages at least, was open to several interpretations. For instance, the phrase, "the war is not a dead issue, as a look at any outlet of the mass media will demonstrate." You can't win them all. Then we trooped into the men's dorms to dis tribute our letters. We felt like Rap Brown lead ing an anti-Wallace rally at Ole' Miss. Part of it was my own fault. I was wearing blue jeans and a black sweater, looking like the issue of an unhappy cross between Che Guevera and a Viet Cong nurse. That, I think, was one reason that SDS has been a failure at the University. The past lead ers have been, almost without exception, graduate students, Easterners, wearing long hair and mus taches, then coming on with new and completely strange ideas. They are shot down before they ever get a chance open their mouths. University students are not .iopelessly stupid, but it takes tact and a certain amount of understanding to succeed with persuasion. At any rate, the demonstration itself made for an interesting Friday morning. People came and went as people will, a't University demonstrations on school days, but we managed to get the rough count of sixty participants, thirty of whom had never participated in a demonstration before. There was, happily, a wide variety of partici pants, ranging from members of Greek houses to a single black power advocate. I asked him if he had ever participated in a demonstration before. "No," he replied, and then smiled a bit sheep ishly. "Well, not a peaceful one, anyway." It developed that he had been accepted at an Ivy League school, (he was a senior at a local high school), and would attend on a scholarship, no less. "Athletic?" I asked. "No," he replied simply, "it's a eet-a-Negro-for-your college scholarship." Soul brother. The hecklers were fun to listen to, and after a while a group of pro-war picketers appeared, the "antl-antl's." I noticed members of our line were inconspic uously infiltrating among them. They all seemed to be getting along amicably until Alan Bennett, , the manager of the Union sensibly ordered that we stay apart and glance at each other. It was right out of El Cid and I could see drawn battle lines charging another, spilling blood on the Union carpets. But we stared at each other's groups so long that we actually became rather friendly. At least, I think we all felt, we were better than the people who were simply watching, and doing very little, at all. Finally, it was all over. The response of the news media was gratifying - (I, personally feel that demonstrations prove little except for the pub Uclty and emotional catharsis that inevitably fol lows.) About three o'clock both groups agreed to call " hak,e ,hd. "l go drink beer. And at three thirty all of the signs were gone, the march ers bad gone home, the observers had dispersed. Ut t1! Vs,' 1 noticed- one tmU crudely written sign tacked onto a Union booth. "The anti antis, 'it read, "have gone to Myron's." So I suspect, did the "anti's." I was feeling pretty cocky about the whole day until I stopped at a booth where a pair of iramacu lately made-up, and manicured sorority chicks were collecting votes for "Sports Queen." Still in the heat of committment, I paid my nickel and voted, feeling that I had Just been raped and paid a isickel for the experience. I asked them how many people had actually paid five cents to go along with all of this. "Oh, we had about three hundred tius morni-" " chortled one of the girls. My satisfaction withered. Three hundred people had paid money to vote for a Sports Queen while seventy had demonstrated, one way or another, concerning Vietnam. Irony piled npoa Irony a bit later when Craig Preeszen recently-announced candidate for ASUN president and a principal In our demonstration, refused to vote because be thought It was "silly." JiM?0" 1 beard onc of S8 cutter as we walked away. Oh well, what can you expect for five dol lars and four cents?
