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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1969)
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1969 PAGE 2 THE DAILY NE3RASKAN The considerable challenge Thursday afternoon should be a busy one for the fledgling activists on the University campus. The small band of compassionate com patriots have two opportunities to express dissatisfaction with life in general, or the University as a hole (or whole, as you will). First, there will be the third edition of the black students' protest and ex pression of "concerns" in front of Ad ministration at 1 p.m. Although the festivities are becoming a daily ritual, the second demonstration (Wednesday) was more active and more emotional. The third promises to be at least that. Second, there is a sit-in discussion of educational reforms aimed at both students and faculty on the north lawn of Love Library. Topics up for considera tion are elimination of academic credit for ROTC and elimination of faculty status for ROTC instructors; addition of courses m world cultures and political involvement! and replacement of the present grading system with a fail pass pass with honors system. . THE CHOICE assuming that the average student's involvement quota and attention span are not great enough for a whole afternoon appears to be between ' social reform and educational reform. All students (and faculty) would do well to observe, or even participate in either. But the important part of participation is not the physical presence at either meeting. The purpose of involvement should be for the contemplation of the social and educational issues at stake. If, by their presence, students can demonstrate noi only their emotional feelings, but their ra tional conclusions then, both sessions could be amazing successes. The entire University community could be made aware of failings in both the social system (in regard to minority groups) and in the educational process. The educational reforms meeting will, by its nature, draw students who are in terested in discussing and formulating new approaches to education. But the earlier demonstration runs the risk of being an emotion-charged and fear inspiring session. The risk is created by the unfortunate possibility of irrational violence or unreasonable force. this the con- THOSE WHO HAVE discovered week that protest can thrive at University of Nebraska have this siderable challenge before them: They must make this open method of expressing dissent an intelligent and viable form of effecting change in the educational process. And to do this they must act responsibly In two ways. They should be responsible to their own consciences by protesting wrongs and defects in the present system; and they should be responsible in their actions so that their messages are not obscured by their actions. Ed Icenogle The Right of Spring KBTllXfd) dfefl !er features: junk in the news " 1 I I I bv Fred Starrett Des Moines. Ia. The Dresident ( We skipped the light fandango And turned cartwheels across the floor I was feeling kind of seasick But the crowd called out for more The room was humming harder As the ceiling flew away Procol Harum Another great night at the Music Box in Omaha thanks to RFO and the Grateful Dead, Liberation Blues Band and a very receptive audience. Lincoln's one and own genuine original blues band turned on Tuesday and turned in their best performance to date. The entire group clicked harmoniously without squelching the opportunity for the individuals to do their own thing. The crowd was receptive as they listened to a program which ranged from the well-worn "Spoonful" to the more recently favored "Mule." Following this primer by the Liberation Blues Band and a brief intermission the Grateful Dead, all seven performers, complete with at least a half dozen sound and equipment men, plugged in the culturally deprived Nebraskans to three hours of solid sound. Two sets of drums, three guitars, an organist, a congo drummer and various and sundry percussion instruments comprise the Grateful Dead. But, there is more to it than this. A reverb man and a bevy of other knob twisters are responsible for the sound which this group puts forth. Audience participation is an integral part of the Dead's presentation. When they broke into "Turn on Your Love Light" the audience stood, danced, jumped, clapped and sang along for almost thirty minutes. The extra twenty-seven minutes of this song can never be done the same way twice and the crowd enthusiasm was unequaled. An hour-long version of "Anthem" combined with "It's Ail Over Now, Baby Blue" closed the program. The groups newest drummer played an assortment of percussion instruments ranging from tambourine to xlyophone. A giant firecracker even exploded on the stage, In perfect rhythm with the rest of the song. An in all, those of us who care are extremely grateful to the Dead, for their talent, colorful personalities and a great show. Campus opinion Dear Sin Crltism to those who oppose ROTC: The argument that ROTC Is not sufficiently "academic" Is not well founded. Many university courses are non-academic in the sense that you seem to be using that term. Credit courses In music, art, and physical education are just as obviously non-academic. Even some education courses and part of scientific research can be attacked as little more than technical training. I suggest that most of these activities, Including possibly some ROTC, ara In fact useful and meaningful parts of a university program. Attacking ROTC as non-academic is in valid. Whv hide your real reason for opposition to ROTC behind such weak excuses. As an arm of the military and an instrument of war, it might be validly argued that lit has no place on the university campus. On the other hand, students the Nebraskau has Interviewed and one 1 have talked to feel that especially the last two years of ROTC training were more Important and useful to them than most of their other university experiences. I have had no personal experience with ROTC since I was an undergraduate at a private school. As yet I am not prepared to mnke a Judgement on it. But If you oppose ROTC, be honest about your reasons and they'll have more strength. Duve Crandall Physics Dept. Grud Student Editor's notes As has beta pointed out several times this semester, the Ncbraskaa has suggested thai non-academic courses In addition to those f ROTC be denied academic credit. (Thanks for we support.) But the! does not make this argument against ROTC Invalid. The Nebraskas has also ported to the detrimental affect on educa tes of an entire department under the control ci the military, and not the Board of Regents. uooa Aiiernoon: In my never-ending search for truth, Justice and the American way I have stumbled across these gems of knowledge, which shall serve as fresh ammunition in my struggle. These lines from the very source of knowledge, the Lincoln Journal and the Omaha World Herald, should blast gaping holes in the sheltered, protective womb of higher education In which we students are accused of living. The headlines: Washington The Great Tomato War of 19(59 escalated another notch Monday and a new round of tomato protests is likely. Washington The new isolationists of the Senate are attacking more than the antibnllistic missile system and more even than the whole philosophy of adequate military preparation in a world where danger still manifestly lives. Washington The impulse to stop worrying for a spell about Vietnam, the ABM, artillery ex changes across the Suez Canal, inflation, crime and kindred affronts struck with a benign force when spring finally came to our village last week." From the Vatican Pope Paul said Sunday the world needs peace between peoples. . Dong Tam, Vietnam The irony in the northern part of the Mekong Delta is that after two years of American fighting, and tremendous effort, no one is really sure where it is all leading. Now on the lighter side of the news Warsaw Poland's leading economic newspaper predicted Sunday a continuing failure by the distilling Industry to meet the country's growing demand for vodka, the national drink. Paris Henri Delarue, winner Sunday of a 15-mile walking race, said he was just doing what comes naturally. And finally from New Delhi Several hundred persons Saturday attended the funeral of a monkey which died in front of a temple where he had taken refuge, sick, 15 days ago. Notes on the military-industrial complex Beatrice Rep. Robert Denney, R-Neb., praisd President Nixon's limited anti-ballistic missile system Saturday as "effective and not particularly expensive." Des Moines, Ia. The president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Sunday urged Iowans not to forget that a recent Iowa Highway Commission study shows rural roads will be falling further and further behind In the next 20 years. . . The Rock Island Railroad reports a net loss of $4,254,436, or $1.46 a share, for 1968, compared to a net loss of $16,162,860, or $5.53 a share, for 1967. Now state and local news Omaha Frederick Havlland, vice-president of the Haviland Co., will be In Orhcard and Wilhelms china department Wednesday and Thurs day to autograph china made by his company. (I would like to add, that this will be an excellent opportunity for you to have your china autographed if it isn't already.) Lincoln Washing down streets in Lincoln has been termed a "necessary evil" by a spokes man for the City Street Dept. The world of sports We were much relieved to learn Success Is not going to spoil George Archer. And in baseball The boo-blrds were swarming all around Roberto Clemente but Willie Stargell's big bat kept them from settling down for long. As a special service to my readers these shorts Dear Cindy: Thanks for your kind words. We were just as surprised as you to find that most dictionaries don't record the meaning of blue fink as what we might call mental depression, usually of short duration. Nodules of cobalt, iron, nickel and manganese can be dredged from the floor of the sea. (A listing of a few real life commercial openings available right here in Lincoln:) Arrests . . . Accidents .. Bad Checks Births Bites 36 Fire Alarms 16 7 Jailed 86 1 Juveniles 2 4 Rescue Calls 2 5 Sex Crimes 0 Crimes 1 Stolen Cars 1 Drunks 20 Thefts 6 Fires 10 Vandalisms 2 One last tip for those who have as yet found nothing here of value: Save those bacon drippings; use them In griddle cakes or waffles for added flavor. ffl An M h&-y t1 Ijj I !l IfTfl mmmkij l 1 RDBB "Charly" is not a very admirable movie, but it was presented with one of Hollywood's dubious achievement awards, so perhaps it should be discussed The most obvious fact about the film is Its simplicity it is the simplicity of dramas during television's "Golden Age." That figures, since the writer, Stirling Silliphant, was one of TV's wonder boys (remember "Route 66") - and that somehow seemed more, well, clean it lacked the pretsn tlousness that sours "Charly." AND YOU can bet everything will be black and white, and that all the conflicts will be resolvable just in time for the next commercial. Enough blather. What really galls me about "Charly", and so many films these days, is its Mnlempt for the audience, disguised for both the !ilm maker and the audience by its message, 'wouldn't it be great if the baddies would go away." To respond to films like this is the simpliest thing in the world; like masturbation, it only re quires that one be alive, awake, and of a certain age (here I would guess at least of junior high age - maybe bright 6th graders would also be moved). ... When Charly gets up to denounce the in humanity of scientists, the danger of dehumaniza. tlon and other assorted ills of modern society, we know he's right, but the self-righteousness of the writer, who has stacked everything on Charly's side, and who now expects the audience to eat up his platitudes (which it does), is revolting. WHAT NEEDS to be discussed here is the whole notion of "problem" pictures. I am beginning to think they do more harm than good. Good journalism or documentaries (particularly cinema verite in sensitive hands) can do more to expose problems than slick movies like "Charly." "Charly" seems to be about Important themes the makers want to show the audience some things about the process of acquiring knowledge, of the joys and difficulties of discovering the world, and, of course, to consider ethics in the scientific community. But they don't deal with any of these on a serious level; the film cover story. Instead of in sight into character, we get one-dimensional figures (the only exception is Cliff Robertson as Charly he suggests a human being, but his actions are motivated by the scriptwriter's needs; he is not presented, he Is pushed). EVERYTHING IS trivialized. Conflict is reduc ed to melodrama (bad scientists don't care about Charly. Bad fellow workers don't care about Charly. Everybody's cruel but Charly and his girl). And this goes on all the time in films one is supposed to take seriously. The makers intend to remind us of our own iniquities, to make us see that we don't care as much as we should. And of course, we don't. But the reactions to a film like "Charly" are just the simple. We can feel good for a while wasn't that a aad movie and I could see that it was. I could react! The message may be that we are all bastards, but the response Is self-congratulation. Perhaps "Charly" isn't as bad as I have made it seem; it Is competently put together, but the more I think about its effect, and the prospects of more and more of these phony messes clogging the screens, I think that we need les3, not more, "concern" in movies. ARTISTS CARE, but can see; the pseudo's have no vision they are really asking for sym pathy, whipping up bland puddings, (lovingly, of course), and feeding them to the passive audience, who are anxious to show that they are really alive, to prove that Indeed they are not callous and Indifferent to theii fellow men. It is a symbiotic relationship the "artist" can congratulate himself for his uncompromising concern and the audience pats Itself on the back for being alive enough to notice. "It really make you think," I heard several girls say as they came out of "Charly." Yes, it does, but In all the wrong ways. A good movie must have more than this. It must do more than reinforce the simple, undifferentiated "potato love" (as Moses Herzog called It) that springs eternal in the human breast. In short, less mush, more meat. Notes on coming attractions: That group of enterprising students is still sell ing tickets for Norman Malleus "Beyond the Law." It will be shown this Friday and Saturday. April 18 and 19. Buy tickets for it; if you don't know who Norman Mailer is, it Is great chance to find out. If you do know, why don't you have tickets already? Film fans, there Is no excuse for missing this. And it has George Plimpton, playing Mayor Lindsay; everybody loves George Plimpton. And Norman Mailer Is probably going to run for Mavor of New York - wouldn't you like to boast that you have seen the film of a mayorallty candidate? And Rip Torn as a character called Popcorn who's going to believe that? Cops, robbers, line-ups (frtternltles please note) everything, and more of It. In grainy black and white. Tough. Uncompromising. Normaa Mailer. The Hero of our Time. Excitement. Ad venture. Romance. Don't miss itt Buy, buy, buy (I'm getting a kickback.) Mlltlllllllllllllll!lllllllinillllllllll!!llllllllilllitl!llll:!litl!!liimiinillll!il The Daily Nebraskan is solely a stu dent-operated newspaper independent of editorial control by student govern ment, administration and faculty. The . opinion expressed on this page is that of the Nebraskan's editorial page staff. iiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiriiiiiniiMiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiMiiMiiniiLuiiiiiiiiiiiiiii DAILY NE11RASKAN Ml Ikll )WIH MHI tl l.lncnm. FuMitiiMl Mania para i.tncnin, hjfe M Editorial Staff liT. i JIT. 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