Sex.
by Sara Schwieder
Ncbraskan Staff Writer
Nearly 600 University students are
looking for something more than con
ventional education by participating in
the Nebraska Free University.
NFU has a large variety of course
offerings this semester ranging from
judo to problems of origin and mean
ing. "Beginning Bridge" is a very
popular course, led by Pierre
Flatowicz.
"The only way to learn how to play
bridge is to have someone there to
point out what you're doing wrong,"
he said. Flatowicz learned to play
bridge several years ago and is now
playing in regional competition.
While the bridge set explores the
many , possibilities of the game,
another group will be exploring
nature.
"Nature Experience" is designed to
train people to appreciate nature.
Works by Thoreau, Muir and the
Sussels will complement field trips to
wilderness areas. The group will also
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1969
Popularity, controversy . .
Value
by John Dvorak
Ncbraskan Staff Writer
The concept of group dynamics
also known as sensitivity training,
mjman relations laboratories and "T"
groups is growing more popular
despite the controversy it has evok
td. Croup dynamics has been
employed, especially in the last year,
within fraternities, sororities,
residence halls and community
organizations. However some
students, faculty and alumni are not
sold on the value of such programs
"There is some opposition to the
concepts involved," Peter G. Wirtz. an
assistant in student affairs who is one
of the strongest proponents of group
dynamics, said Wednesday.
There has alsqjjeen misunderstan
ding or misinformation about the
purposes and techniques of group
dynamics.
"When we talk about group
dynamics, we're talking about the
behavior or operation of a group, why
the group moves forward or why it is
retarded," said Wirtz, who along with
Dr. Russ Brown, dean of Student
Development, has often led group
dynamics sessions.
Develop goals
In general, the sessions are to help
the group develop goals and move
toward them.
Wirtz emphasized that group
dynamics can take many forms and
that many techniques can be applied.
Workshops, seminars and discussion
sessions are often employed.
The first thing Wirtz clarified Is that
nil dynamic-; sessions are voluntary.
No one is ever forced to take part and
participants may leave at any time.
The first activity in any group
dynamics situation Is to get people
acquainted with one another,
"We've got to get people com
municating and get them to know the
good things about their colleagues, or
the sessions will fail." Wirtz said.
As a beginning, enjoyable methods
are often used to stimulate people and
get them actively Involved.
Oftentimes, Wirtz said, participants
are asked to think of themselves in
terms of an animal. Other times
participants are asked If they had nil
the time and money In the world,
where would they go and who would
they go with.
"Thr,se type of things help show
what really makes a person tick,"
Wirtz said. "They show what really
Interests a person."
"Sensitivity training involves a very
deep Inter-jwrsonal relationship,
Wirtz said. "In sensitivity training you
allow others to give you open and
honest feedback on how you come
across and you agree to oHnly and
honestly give feedback on how others
come across."
Because participants make a
previous commitment to have their
personal behavior examined, some
ASUN gives
to Campus
In a brief meeting Wednesday,
ASUN Senate considered a proposal to
establish a committee on administra
tion affairs.
Senator Brad Koliars who Introduc
ed the bill said the committee would
provide students with the opportunity
to study tlx) administrative structure
of the University. The motion was
passed.
la addition, the senate approved
judo,
consider the value of nature In today's
world and conservation.
"One doesn't have to be in the
Rockies to love nature," group leader
Joe McCarty said. "Just noticing
things around you, whether it be in
Nebraska or Colorado, and ap
preciating it is good."
Physical fitness
An equally out-dodrsy group will be
concentrating on their physical fitness
by jogging. "The Theory of Long
Distance Running" betrays a n
academic tinge to an essentially non
academic activity. The course will
consist of group discussions on the
physiology of exercise and exchanges
of tips among members.
Academic meetings will be once a
week, with group runs taking place
more frequently.
"There are two areas to consider
when you speak of jogging," said
Lawrence Wolfley, English instructor
and course leader. "One is the fitness
angle and the other is running for the
of
kind of screening beforehand by the
professional leaders is necessary.
Another aspect of the group
dynamics concept is how can groups
be started or how can groups function
more effectively.
Peter
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'Campus minorities' speaker.
NSA president
The director of the Center for Afro
American Studies at Cornell Univers
ity and former organizer of black
students at Northwestern will be one
of four featured speakers in ASUN's
Time Out program.
James Turner will speak on
"Minorities on Campus" next Tuesday
Oct. 2B at 10:30 a.m. in the Union
Centennial Room. He will also be
participating in a rap session the
same day at 9:00 p.m. in tho Abel
Sandoz dorm complex.
Turner feels American universities
do not prepare blacks to cope with
their problems in an adequate way as
it prepares w hite students.
in an Ebony magazine article, he
said, "Conscious black students want
knowledge and skills that are relevant
to the experience and conditions of
temporary okay
Gold Girl Scouts
Karen Hutt as ASUN director of
records and gave temporary approval
to the Campus Gold Girl Scouts
organization.
A motion to conduct two ASUN
meetings per semester on East Cam
pus was tabled for one week.
Steve Tiwald announced that the
Time Out Program is to be held Mon
day and Tuesday of next week.
Speakers will be on campus all day
Tuesday and will have the opportunity
bridge:
joy of it as opposed to competitive
running."
v Wolfley said jogging will be done
outdoors until cold weather forces the
group inside. Then the group will run
on indoor tracks.
Physical fitness bugs who don't dig
running can dig into the age-old sport
of judo. Designed to promote mental
and physical attitudes becoming to a
judoha (one who practices judo), the
course will attempt to instill a sense of
self-confidence through bare-handed
fighting. .
Popular
Although judo was originated by
fierce Japanese warriors, it attracts
large numbers of women. Nearly 45
people had signed up for the course on
Wednesday, a large percentage of
which were girls.
For those preferring to wrestle with
inner aspects of the body, several
courses will be offered.
For instance, an "Introductory
Personal Development Laboratory"
o
drt n
otlu
LINCOLN,
roup aynamics
"We just try to get people started
communicating and get them to know
each other," Wirtz said. "For instance
we will involve three or four people in
a relatively sale and interesting
G. Wirtz, assistant in Student Affairs
their people. They are determined to
provide a purpose for their education,
their desire Is to develop professional
and technical careers tailored to the
needs of black people".
The black studies director believes
the American education system
perpetuates the subordination of black
people. He thinks the white educa
tional system either refuses to educate
black students or mis-educates them
by teaching only white values and
culture.
Black students
"However, colleges today are get
ting an unprecedented number of
black youth from urban, working class
communities.
"The contemporary black student
to talk Informally with students, he
said.
Tiwald also announced that he will
establish a small library of National
Student Association material In the
ASUN office soon.
Vice president Diane Thelsen an
nounced that there is a senate vacan
cy In the College of Engineering and
Architecture. Applications are being
taken for selection at the senate
meeting next Wednesday, she said
NFU course
composed of six men and seven
realm in a course called "T" group
experience. The group is unstructured
and will study the way each of the
members relates in a group.
"Each person examines h i s
behavior in relation to everyone else,"
commented Joseph Zannini,
University residence director and
leader of the group. "Sometimes peo
ple don't realize that they appear like
they do to others. It Is the job of the
group to tell them."
women will explore the realm of
social relations between each other.
The course has already been filled.
Another group will explore the inner
In addition, a human relations
workshop and a course entitled
"Structure of Beliefs and Methods of
Intrapersonal Domination" will pro
vide students with new insights into
themselves.
Along the same lines, is a course
about transcendental meditation.
However, the course will not be the
actual practice of transcendental
meditation, but a discussion of the
(j7
NEBRASKA
discussion. In this way, people get
used to each other."
Another form of group dynamics is
called brainstorming. Groups of peo
ple are given a time limit and assign
ed a task for instance, identifying
to be feature
passionately resents the Idea of ob
taining a college degree as a means to
escape the black community and
refuses to renounce his cultural life
styles or to remain politely moderate
on questions relating to the system
atic subordination of biack people in
America," he said.
Some of the questions black student
leaders are involved in on campuses
across the nation are campus social
Inequities, relevant education for
blacks, and university expansion into
black communities.
Turner believes overt symbols of
racism have been removed by civil
rights demonstrations and legal bat
tles. However, he thinks racism Is still
a significant force shaping American
society.
"Racism has become Institu
tionalized in American life," ac
cording to Turner, "and has taken on
a dynamic of Its own that is supported
by pervasive social practice if not ex
pllciily in legal code."
Turner believes the main black
struggle today is to provide their race
with a collective economic base and
folilical control over property and
and. "There can be no self
determination of any kind, that will
Improve the conditions of life for the
greatest number of black people
without a revolution reversing the
power and economic arrangements
toward the benefit of the masses."
The stress on black capitalism and
the recruitment of black college
students by Industry and business, in
Turner's opinion, Is blunting the main
thrust of the new black movement to
secure control over their economic
future.
subject. Students who wish to continue
with actual meditation may do so with
the help of group leader, Doshi
Girish.
A course that has been consistently
popular for several semesters of NFU
is being offered again.
Dr. Alan Pickering will conduct his
course on marriage. Mrs. Sue Tidball
will help the group examine male
female expectations, sexual attitudes,
value systems and various other
social and moral aspects of modern
society.
Post honeymoon
Similar in nature, but concentrating
specifically on problems of married
couples will be "After the Honey
moon," led by Mrs. Twig Daniels.
Reflecting changing mores, a new
course in communal living is popular
with students. The course will include
discussion on the philosophy and
mechanisms of communal living with
an emphasis on survival and nature.
n
(O
O
is ques
as many areas of concern to freshmen
students as possible.
Participants must not evaluate
ideas, only suggest them. The object
is to see how many Ideas are
generated.
"Through this, we can show that
people can formulate more ideas in
five minutes of brainstorming as they
can in an hour of general discussion."
Wirtz remarked.
Numerous other techniques are in
volved, Wirtz added. The overall
purpose is to get people actively in
volved In the group process as we'll as
to establish lasting relationships.
"Group dynamics is not for
everyone." Wirtz said. "People learn
in different ways some prefer an
isolated session while others choose a
more social situation,"
Two faculty members in particular
Or, Frank M. Hallgren. director of
Placement, and Dr. C. Bcrtrand
Schullz, director of the museum, are
against many of the aspects of group
dynamics, but both refused to com
ment further.
Hallgren said he has never been
directly Involved in a group dynamics
session. Schullz said he is out of touch
with the situation, having just return
ed from a three month stay in
Europe.
Lee Johnson, a student assistant in
Harper Hall, said that based on the
group dynamics sessions held for slu
dent assistants, he has negative reac
tions. "In SA orientation, much of this
touchy-feely thing is more or less
wasted when other things of more
benefit could be done," he said.
Outside of the SA orientation, he
feels group dynamics could b e
valuable, especially in a group that
Also participating In Time-Out will
be Charles Palmer, who will discuss
"Student Self -Determination" Monday
at 7:00 p.m. in the Union Centennial
Room is the newly elected president of
the National Student Association and
an Important activist.
Palmer is the newly elected presi
dent of the National Student Associa
tion and campus activist.
He was educated in public schools In
east Los Angeles and at the University
of California at Berkeley, where ha
graduated with honors in political
science last June.
At Berkeley Palmer was Involved
In the leadership of the Third World
Strike and the People's Park pro
tests. He was student body president
19G8-19G9.
Last fall Palmer, with an lU-day
fast, stood for non-violence a t
Berkeley during protest against
Governor Reagan's decision to ban
Eldrldge Cleaver as a campus guest
speaker.
In El Paso, Tex. this summer,
Palmer was elected president of the
USNSA by an overwhelming majority
of delegates to that body's 22nd Con
gress. When demonstrating black students
took over the floor at the session,
Palmer was among the few whites
who joined them onstage. After the
Congress passed black demands,
Palmer was nominated and elected
over nine other candidates.
A candidate of the anti-white racist
vote, Palmer "played a continuing
role In helping the white delegates
meet the blacks with integrity" ac
cording to Moderator, national student
magazine.
(Tp
offerings
A sky-diving course is also being
offered. The course will include
techniques of sky-diving, along with
actual sky-diving. A thirst for ad
vtnture and a strong stomach are pre
requisites. Equally exciting, but more down-to-earth
is the glass-blowing course led
by Don Adams. Each student will be
required to pay $12 for materials, but
he will emerge with a knowledge of an
age-old art.
Many more courses are being of
fered than are possible to list here.
Folk guitar, the philosophy of Herman
Hesse, an analysis of the student
movement, scandals and secrets of
history, Chicago study and radio
broadcast are all included.
With a wide diversity of course of
ferings, backed by $2,500 appropriated
by ASUN, the Nebraska Free
University caters to the tastes of
every student.
All courses are free except those
needing special materials.
?T rrT
Vol. 93, No. 22
would be together over a long period
of time.
Overemphasized
Another Harper SA, Bob Brandt,
feels that the concepts of group
dynamics are overemphasized.
Perhaps sensitivity group sessions are
valuable once or twice, but many dif
ferent sessions in different areas are
Ico much.
Perhaps the most opposition has
come when group dynamics sessions
were held in Greek houses.
One sorority in particular, Alpha
Chi Omega, had several group
dynamics sessions last spring. Alumni
disapproved and sessions are no
longer being held.
"At one time I thought I had lost my
presidency because of tluv group
dynamics," said Jeanne Baer, who
was removed as president over the
summer by alumni. "Other factors
were involved, but the group dynamic
sessions were a contributing fac
tor." Some sophomores and other
residents of the Alpha Chi Omega
house are concerned about the torpe
doing of the group dynamics sessions,
but most people aren't really upset,
Miss Baer reported.
Perhaps 20 or 25 members of the
house would be interested in more
group dynamics type situations, Miss
Baer continued. But the entire house
isn't ready for it. The Issue has not
been brought up this fall.
"I was trying to improve com
munication in the house,' she said.
'But apparently many members of
the house would rather go out on
dates."
Many people are opposed to the
concept because they have heard of
persons who had bad experiences. In
cidents in California and at Donne
University publicized group dynamics
sessions that were less than suc
cessful. Wirtz emphasized thut ho has not
exerienced a great deal of opposition
and has never attained bad results
with groups he has worked with.
Some people of course, feel the
sessions have no effect, participants
just get a "blah" feeling, Wirtz said.
"Some people have been hint,
although not on this campus that I'm
aware of, and this needs to be
recognized," Wirtz said. Generally, he
added, problems arise when non
professional people conduct the
sessions.
Lab plays to hp staged
free hi Tom pip arena
Lab plays will be presented at the
Temple Building Sunday and Mondav,
October 26 and 27. Admission Is
free.
From 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. there will
be two one-acts in tho Arena directed
by Mike Gruett.
A comedy satire "Suppressed
Desires," written by Susan Glaspell
and directed by Bev Proctor will bo
presented from 7:40 p m. to 8:10 p.m.
From 8:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. will be
the comedy "William Tell" directed
by Everett Laugbien.
nrricri students'
dance is scheduled
A married student dance will b
held Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight
at Gateway Auditorium. Admission Is
$1.50 per couple.
The folk rock music of "The Hydra"
will provide the entertainment for the
dance, sponsored by the University of
Nebraska Dames. Dress is grubby.
tioeed.