VOL. XLVII—NO. 7 ARDMORE and BRYN MAWR, PA., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1961 %) Trustees of Bryn Mawr CoHege, 1961 . PRICE 20 CENTS — Nash’s Political Opinions Set off Hot Controversy Mr. Edward L. Nash, Manhattan Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, discussed conservatism in American politics on Monday evening, November 6, for the Current Events Club. His talk was entitled “The Tide Has Turned.” . Justifying the title of his speech, Mr. Nash cited the general upsurge of conservative politics in the United States. Conservative books and pam- phlets are appearing with increasing frequency. On campuses, such as the City College of New York where the Americans for Democratic Action were termed “right wing,” au- thentic conservative groups are now taking the offensive. To illustrate conservative power in elections, Mr. Nash used his own unsuccessful campaign for city coun- cilman from Manhattan against the more liberal Republican candidate, Stanley Isaacs. Although he was unknown and inexperienced as a pub- lic candidate, although he got no support from the press, although he was “fighting the best Republican ma- chine in the country,” Mr. Nash won 42% of the yote in downtown Man- hattan. He mentioned the “tremen- dous” grass-roots response to his cause, Moving on to a discussion of his beliefs, Mr. Nash termed the word “conservative” a misnomer which he cannot. seem to avoid. Until the 1930’s, those .men who. struggled against centralized government (such as the American revolutionists) were called “radicals.” Neither is he a “fascist” for fascist believes in militaristic centralized government, x while he is for, individual freedom. Mr. Nash gave a question he asks of anyone he‘jthinks might be con- verted to congervatism. The ques- tion is: “In your own life, which do you feel is mpre important—oppor- tunity or security?” Those who an- swer security—usually older peo- ple, people with inherited fortunes, or basically lazy people—he calls “liberals.” Those people who answer _ “opportunity”—usually people whose "jobs depend on ability, not on “who you know”—he calls “conservatives.” With the liberal philosophy domin- ating the country, there is a “whole breakdown of character” and “ability is penalized.” ~ Mr. Nash*further mentioned that _ the problem of our foreign policy is that the people who are charged with spreading our views abroad—such as Edward R. Murrow—do not really believe in the American system of capitalism, Neither are . traditional ‘ capitalist economics taught in our colleges today. Mr. Nash advocat- ed a return to traditional capitalism, mentioning that liberalism has had an unsuccessful thirty years’ trial and that Germany, the most prosper- ‘ous country in Europe, had learned to reject left-wing economy. _ Mr. Nash stated his philosophy of government administration by say- ing that “every aspect of government should be left to the smallest level of government.” Gordon Boyce, the President of .the Experiment in Interna- tional Living will speak in Phil- adelphia on Thursday, Novem- ber 16. His topics are the Ex- periment and the Peace Corps. Everyone is invited whether they: have any previous connec- | tion with either group or not. By Josie Donovan A lively discussion followed Mr. Nash’s remarks. the’ essential ob- jections to Mr. Nash’s position cen- tered around several of his assump- tions. One of these was that man, when given the opportunity, can rise everyone has the potential to make of himself what he chooses. This as- sumption was attacked on sociologi- cal grounds; man is limited by his economic and social environment. Unless some external force intervenes to equalize these conditions, equal opportunity does not exist. A man born to the slums cannot raise him- self & la Horatio Alger to the posi- tion of a corporation executive. The current situation in our South is a good example of this problem. Should no external force (i.e. the U. S. government) be allowed to in- tervene to equalize conditions?— to enforce integration? Or, on the contrary, does the government have the moral responsibility .to intervene in the name of a higher principle— namely, equal educational rights for all. _ Shouldn’t this principle ‘prevail against Nash’s dogmatic principle of non-intervention ? This principle, according to Nash, is designed to protect the individual in his historic struggle against the state. Yet, it would seem that one of the main functions of a represen- tative government is precisely to guarantee individual rights. If these rights are to be ideal guiding prin- ciples, it is the function of the gov- ernment to insure their realization. Thus does one justify federal ‘inter- vention in Little Rock. Another premise violently attack- Continued on Page 4, Col. 1 to whatever position he desires—that |, Integrationists Find White Opposition, Slanted Texthooks Two integrationists, Tom Hayden, a free-lance reporter, and Charles MacDougald, chairman of the Stu- dent Non-Violent Coordinating Com- mittee, discussed the current problems of desegregation in McComb, Missis- sippi at a meeting of the Bryn Mawr- Haverford Civil Rights Committee, November 4. Both-speakers remind- ed their hearers that, while areas which have made strides in integra- tion receive much publicity and are considered representative southern towns, most southern communities have not even begun to consider granting civil Tights to their Negro citizens. Tom Hayden outlined the back- ground of the racial conflict in Mc- Comb. Stimulated by action in the area of voter registration, five N 2 Continued on Page 4, Col. 4 Biological theories of evolution were the subject of a Class of 1902 lecture given by Dr. Ernest Nagel on Thursday evening, November 2, in the biology lecture room. Dr. Na- gel, John Dewey Professor. of Philos- ophy at Columbia University, consid- ered evolutionary theories from a philosopher’s point of view: the con- nection between the premises and conclusions of satisfactory scientific explanations, specifically of evolution- ary explanations. “Science is a search for under- standing,” explained Dr. Nagel. The structure of most explanations which satisfy this quest goes back to Aris- totle’s scientific syllogism. The struc- ture of this type of explanation is deductive; premises are established contaifiing one or more universal laws which logically and necessarily lead to a conclusion. Therefore this type President Clarifies Problem; Replies to Students’ Queries Responding to a request made by students, Miss McBride met a group of undergraduate and graduate stu- dents and members of the faculty and administration for a discussion of the Maids and Porters system Monday afternoon. The purpose of the meeting was to clear up any mis- understanding, misconceptions or ig- norance the students might have had. The present and possible future set- ups were discussed. Hiring, working and living condi- tions were discussed in regard to the present system; a list of questions by Mabel. Lang Chairman of the Greek Department The Palace of Nestor will be re- vealed in all the glory of colored slides and Greek sunlight by arch- aeologist Carl W. Blegen Monday, November 13 at 8:30 p.m. in Good- hart Hall. Mr. Blegen is Professor Emeritus at the University of Cin- cinnati, sometime Director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and currently a resident of Athens and Professor of Archaeol- ogy at the School. A long career of excavation in many parts of the Greek world combined with a com- prehensive knowledge of the mater- ial remains and a meticulous respect for. stratigraphy has made him the foremost American authority on pre- classical Greece. His excavations at Korgkou and Zygouries made clear the development of the 8rd and 2nd millenia B. C. and served as a back- ground for the scientific re-explora- tion of Troy, which has recently cul- minated in the publication of four large and definitive volumes. Professor Blegen’s present dig at Pylos, in southwestern Peloponnesus, was begun in 1939 with a trial: trench in what only he could have ‘guessed would turn out to be the’ Palace of Nestor, that wise and garrulous coun- selor of the Greeks in the Trojan War. On the first day of that exca- vation he turned up the first tablets written in Linear B to be The meeting will be held at In- ‘| ternational House, 140 North 15th Street a. 8: 30 p.m. — matic decipherment of that script a . : LS ; ‘ and proof positive that the ‘Mycenae- é Excavator of Nestor’s Palace Will Lecture on His Findings an’ peoples in both Greece and Conte spoke Greek. Professor Blegen’s theme for the lecture will be recent developments in the excavation of Nestor’s Palace, which was destroyed about 1200 B.C. and preserved under a few inches of soil for our better understanding of architecture, furnishings and fres- coes. ; Oxtoby Discusses Pure Math Needs Speaking at a week-long seminar for mathematicians from England, Germany, Hungary, Rumania, Yugo- slavia and the United States, held at Tulane University, Mr. J. C. Ox- toby, Professor of Mathematics, said that the shortage of teachers of: mathematics is serious in all” levels of education. Because salaries are higher, half of the young mathema- ticians earning their doctor of phi- _ |losophy degree are going into non- academic work, filling positions in in- dustry, commerce and government. It was thought at the conference that while the practical applications of higher mathematics, such as those of space-science, lure students into the field, many of them soon find their interests bending towards pure mathematics, which has no immedi- f on jate practical applications. os reaction which led to the recent The conference was supported by the National Science Foundation. One of the main topics of the conference was the ergodic theory. e thad been prepared in advance by the students; these were presented to Miss McBride by Ruta Krastins, president of the senior class. Follow- ing the answering of the questions by the President, the discussion was opened to the floor for further ques- tions and clarifications. Miss McBride stated initially that one-should not think of the Maids and Porters set-up as a System but as a practice of having a number of jobs done by people so that the stu- dents will have more time for their work. Various facts of the practice were brought out in the ensuing questions. The number of staff members hired in any one year is minimal compared to the number of those who remain year after year. In hiring ‘Maids and Porters, Miss Howe, Director of Halls, likes to have people who have been recommended by a member of the staff. If this does not have results she works with the employment agen- cies in Philadelphia. The employees come primarily from this area. The work loads of all the staff members are the same across the campus, allowing for differences in the nature of the pursuits of the ‘maid, porter, cook or bell-maid. The maid waits tables in the “simplest form short of a cafeteria service.” She does a stated amount of clean- ing per week which includes a fifteen minute allotment to each studert in one of the maid’s schedules. The cooks prepare meals. The porters do general cleaning in the halls, help settle people in the fall and often greet people at the door. The maids and porters are directly responsible to the hall manager and Miss Howe. Miss McBride said that the problems of personnel were real- ly none of the student’s concern. There have been general increases in the salaries of the staff since 1946- 1947. All staff members receive the same pay; there is no merit or se- niority provision. Frequent studies are made with Haverford and other local institutions for comparing em- ployee salaries. They work a six- day 40-42 hour week and receive upon retirement a pension from the school and social security. In response to a question concern- the position of hall manager, Miss McBride said that no maid had ever Continued on Page 4, Col. 1 ing the advancement of a maid to} Nagel Investigates Philosophy In Modern Evolutionary Theory of explanation makes prediction pos- sible. Despite the opinion of many phi- losophers, however, there are explan- ations which do not fit into the deduc- tive pattern but nonetheless are sat- isfying. Evolutionary explanations attempt to account for variety among species. Darwin explains that a large number of random variations. occur in organisms and are trans- mitted through heredity to their off- spring. The environment acts as a sieve, selecting favorable variations and eliminating unfavorable ones. More recent genetic developments have added to evolutionary theory: The transmission of traits on- the genes is through random pairing of the parents’ genes; therefore : the genotype of the offspring follows not determinate but only statistical ‘laws;-which are ‘applicable not to in- dividuals but only to entire popula- tons, Furthermore, mutations occur. Therefore one cannot predict the characteristics of an individual be- cause pairing of gametes is at ran- dom; and one cannot predict the char- acteristics of a population. because statistical calculations cannot consider possible mutations; and one cannot. predict the evolutionary development of a species because of the two pre- ceding gaps in our predictive ability, and also because one cannot predict environmental changes. Into what kind of pattern does this evolutionary explanation fall? A given species with a given geno- type_lives under certain environmen- tal conditions. This species develops into another species with a different genotype, living under totally differ- ent environmental conditions. It has been seen that no known law or prem- ises make it possible to predict along what line evolution will take. place. Why, ‘logically, must this be -true?. Modern theories of genetics use. lan-— guage which does not imply or per- mit any prediction of future species. Dr. Nagel explained that these the- ories are concerned with the combin- ing and assortment of genes, but that this does not imply the knowledge of environment or mutations which would make prediction — possible. Therefore, from evolutionary theory itself, prediction is logically impos- sible because the theory does not concern itself with the subjects that would allow’ prediction. Dr. Nagel then explained why this is necessar- ily so. The premises of evolutionary theory are not established prior to the conclusion of a series of events. Initial premises are not possible since the conditions cannot be stated all at once but are progressive. Each change in environment and each ge- netic mutation is the addition of an- other condition or premise, And the prediction of a given species by de- ductive reasoning is not possible wun- less all these premises are known ‘be- forehand. This example in biology, concluded Dr. Nagel, makes it clear that there is a domain in which non-deductive explanations are satisfying. Our quest for understanding in science does not always fall into the deduc- tive pattern. Although these explan- ations are not able to predict, they do provide genuine enlightenment. Therefore a philosopher cannot say that non=deductive explanations with premises that are not initial but pro- gressive are not legitimate explana- tions. Since they do provide genuine enlightenment in science, the defini- tion of a_ satisfactory explanation must be broadened to include cxplan- ations of this type. Page Two THE COLLEGE NEW Ss James Thurber On Thursday, November 2, James Thurber died of pneu- monia. Somehow this event is not only a bit of regrettable news, but a strangely personal horror to any one of his mani- fold admirers. You could not read Thurber and not feel that you knew him personally—his wacky family, neurotic dogs, and bewildered associates. You could not escape noticing, either, that he knew you as well—‘pocketa-pocketa-queep”’ and all. Of this insight, Malcolm Muggeridge, former editor of Punch, once said, “Thurber is great because he tells the truth.” That, indeed, he did,.but without bitterness and with- out malice though with a penetrating acumen... In the frantic years after World War One Thurber commented, “In 1918, Americans naively feared the enemy more than they feared one another.” He demonstrated his unique outlook, compounded of wit and candor, in forms ranging from short-stories to essays to plays to children’s books and cartoons. He appraised the whole of the human comedy in meticulous and brilliant prose. He remarked, for example, of his own medium, that, ‘““Humor is emotional chaos, remembered in tranquility’ —a statement not only perfectly describing but succinctly exemplifying his own practice of that art. It is to his own words that we must turn, again, for the definitive summation of his greatness and. our need of him today: “Humor is a gentle thing. That’s why it is so neces- sary if our species is to survive.’ Finally We were happy, last weekend, to find ourselves in an un- accustomed. atmosphere of sociability and gaiety. We were surprised and pleased on Friday night to hear fiddlers in the gym vying with a juke box in Denbigh. We were even more surprised by the Harvard band on Saturday morning. We were soothed by the combined harmony of Bryn Mawr and Wesleyan Saturday night. We feel enlightened after a week- end of square dancing, twisting, trombones, Bach, and coffee hours. Whew! Mr. Berthoff Refutes Nash’s Policy, Questions Conservative Political Role by Warner Berthoff Associate Professor of English The pure expression of a doctrine or creed, by someone for whom it is a matter not just of academic curi- osity but of passionate conviction and who has come into his conviction by way of a candidly admitted personal experience, is always worth listen- ing to. Perhaps in our colleges of liberal arts we hear too little argu- ment of this kind, in great matters. It is not likely to negate, indeed it of- ten barely touches, the informed and objectively considered view, the round view and the long view, as we call them. —But_it does usually communi- cate some fact of real life; some es- sential fact, too, in the realm of opin- ion and belief—though perhaps one of a fairly low or elementary order of existence. _ The “conservatism” of Mr. Edward Nash—whose street-corner-and-hust- ings style of raising and answering questions, and dealing with honest doubters and hecklers alike, made for a genuinely entertaining Current Events session—has little to do with responsible politics, i. e., with actual ' choices and acceptable possibilities in public policy; that much is clear. What he speaks for is a kind of. anti- polities (which happens to be one of the..traditional-vote-getting~ postures” or counter-postures in democratic electioneering). He doesn’t, literal- ly, see. what is meant by politics, or by the definition of man as a political animal. Politics is a bad word for him—and the professional politician is, categorically, a bad man. The noble art of mediating, in the inter- est of Commonwealth, all the com- | peting purposes and needs and rights of all the factions, interest groups, classes, privileged minorities and de- prived minorities, which go to com- pose the actual body of society and make up its “concurrent ‘ majority” (Calhoun’s phrase) ; the job of adjust- ing society to the changes generated, as it lives in history, by its own ca- pacity for productive (or destructive) action, and of maintaining: justice within it; the work of looking after that ‘general interest which all par- ticipate in and profit from but no man'is in a position to make strict- ly and wholly his own—all this is an excruscence, if not a fraud anda conspiracy, to Mr. Nash, and consti- tutes simply an unjustifiable interfer- ence with individual freedom of ac- tion, For he does not, as he puts it, “be- lieve in” factions, or classes, or in- terest groups—or in commonwealth. The sense of the res publica, the in- tuition of community, has never yet engaged. his mind. The whole history of man’s political life on earth, in his view, is the history of the struggle of the individual against the state; the actual, historic struggle between fac- tions and classes for control of the instrument of the state does not exist for him. Therefore he can say with. a clear conscience, and in a kind of sensible amazement that respectable citizens do not unconditionally agree with him (“brainwashing” is his ex- |plGnation), that the whole duty of government is to leave individuals alone, so that they may act in life as they see fit, according to their per- sonal fund of talent, ambition, and in- dustry. That is to say, he is an old- cab é THE COLLEGE NEWS FOUNDED IN 1914 Publisned weekly during the College Year (except during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays, and during examina- tion weeks) in the interest of Bryn Mawr College at the Ardmore Printing Company, Ardmore, Pa., and Bryn Mawr College. ~ The College News is fully protected by copyright. in it may be reptinted wholly or in part without permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Nothing that appears EDITORIAL BOARD © Editor-in-Chist EAS EREDAR FEARS: Perel cle hanakenens Suzy Spain, ‘63 Gia e oss cbc ec en ces ev hice svecbieesee Janice Copen, ‘63 NIE UF ss cies cae bee Cabs cece tee caceuti's Ellen Rothenberg; ‘64 Ns i ods cn a aw Maken bee hick been eenss ive Sheila Bunker, ‘64 ENS ESE LOE PTT LE RTO E Brooks Robards, ‘64 Contributing Editors .............. ,+ Marion Coen, ‘62; Pixie Schieffelin, ‘62 ra Donovan, ‘62; Miranda Marvin, ‘63; Juli Kasius, ‘63; Charlene Sutin, ‘64; ~ Susan Weisbérg, ‘65; Barbara Tolpin, ‘65; Constance Rosenblum, ‘aos Gail oe . Cynthia Brown, ‘64; Judy Zinsser, ee ‘64 . Alice. Longobardi, ‘63 Grom 6 Bay Masa, ‘63; Jane Kennison, ieee 4 | Lecture by Harlow To Relate Monkey, Mothers, Affection by Pauline Dubkin The relationship between mothers and monkeys will be the topic under discussion Thursday evening, No- vember 9, when Harry F. Harlow will lecture on the subject of “The Nature -of: Maternal Affections in Monkeye@t® «Sit... ow 8 “professor. of psychology at the University of Wisconsin and Director of the Wis- consin Primate Laboratory. Mr. Harlow has made extensive studies on monkey behavior, learning processes and abilities and habit for- mation. His lecture this week will be based on work done .in the area of development of maternal love. He presented his findings in this area in the paper “The Development of Affectional Responses in Infant Monkeys,” written with R. R. Zim- merman in 1958. In this. paper he states his observations of newborn and infant monkeys who were re- moved from their mothers six to twelve hours after birth and provided with surrogate mothers. These ar- tificial mothers were of two varieties: the first made of soft material and sponge rubber, the second of hard wire. Either model was capable of providing lactation from a bottle and nipple, However, it was found that the monkeys developed a greater de- pendence on the softer mother, than on the wire one. It was to the sponge and cloth model that they turned when alarmed, and, in her ‘absence, they showed alarm and anxiety. ioned, or primitive, economic liberal, in remarkably pure solution. His view of politics is the view of the man on the make—the man who in fact most nearly resembles the weird “economic man” of laissez-faire the- ory. He is, correlatively, an idolator of individual success; and the con- ception he is dedicated to is of a so- ciety in which nothing at all inter- feres with the free competition of in- dividual freé agents, within the bare letter of constitutional law, for its material prizes. On such a platform he will always find supporters, but can have, of course, no real future in politics— which is rather a pity, from some points of view. He is a man of prin- ciples, and so far has stuck to his principles with sufficient integrity (though his terms for describing them are Pickwickian, to say the least, as in his persistently referring to “capitalism,” which is a system of economic management and enterprise, as a form of government).* He amus- ed his audience by remarking that the only really honest debating oppon- ents he had run into were the Social- ists; they, too, stood on principles and proposed no policy they didn’t believe in as an article of faith. Well, if Mr...Nash-..goes-on..sticking..to— his principles, he stands about as much chance of election to significant pub- lic office as a Socialist. Which is not to say, no chance—in recent. times there. has been an occasional Socialist mayor -in certain of our industrial cities, chosen as an honest alterna- tive by an electorate momentarily fed up with machine politics, and there may yet be a few “Conservative” ones—though not in Mr, Nash’s own New York City., But the ‘interesting question, with so evidently capable and energetic a young man, whose first taste of cam- paigning has convinced him that his ’| principles represent some turn of the tide or wave of the future, is this: what will he do when he discovers that he can’t get elected? Will he trim? Will he adust principle to need—i. e. become a politician? And wil he then join forces with the one kind of ‘political party, or sect, that can afford to make room for him, | press -|made. Has “liberalism” degenerated to pa a on n a a For anne ie aiid aie ake dew to hao as ns. | attributed to its author. It was writ- ser- 'ten bo a 62) Wednesday, November 8, 1961 | Letters to StudentsF ind Picayunity In S-G Exam, Rules by Sue Weissberg Monday evening, October 30, the members of the freshman class took the Self-Government examination. The purpose of the exam—to make certain that the freshmen know the basic rules of the Self-Government Association and are capable of living under them—is scarcely nee The means used in carrying out this purpose, however, are debatable and have been subject to some comment. At the beginning of the school year, the freshmen were told to study the pages in the Self-Government Constitution which state the rules. In my dormitory, the basic rules were made sufficiently clear for the fresh- men to live under the day-by-day regulations of Self-Gov. About a week before the exam, each of us freshmen had preparation sessions with the hall permission-givers. We found that, while the permission-giv- ers certainly knew the basic rules and principles of Self-Gov, they be- came as confused as we did about some. of the obscure details involved. However, we were warned to know! the rules “cold.” Many of us be- came so involved in learning the pic- ayune or “tricky” rules that we be- gan to lose sight of the whole point of Self-Gov. The fact that three or more couples are needed for a party at Applebee barn or that seniors can drive cars on the day before Com- mencement Day assumed equal im- portance with the fact that all exam- inations are unproctored or that every student is on her honor to re- port herself if she disobeys the rules. The exam itself justified this kind of detailed studying. It had a great many questions and quite a, few that perfectly law-abiding upperclassmen would find difficult to answer. I was particularly annéyed that we were asked to state, in toto, the driving rule—easily the most ambiguous and confusing rule in the whole constitu- tion! We were also asked to answer three essay questions. At first, I was stim- ulated by these, but the presence of three rather involved essays led me to hasty generalization rather. than careful thought. I know there are many who will dis- agree, but I feel that the Self-Gov exam would be much more valuable to freshmen if it were shortened and simplified and if it revolved around the truly important concepts of Self- Gov. The basic rules should be learn- ed thoroughly; the freshmen should be made aware of the other rules and taught where to find them if they are needed. On this new, simplified test, each freshman should be requir- ed to get a nearly perfect score. Per- haps, if this system were put into effect we could have less senseless “cramming” and more_ informed awareness inthe area of Self-Gov. Sue Weisberg Class of 1965 Hisses, Boos of Bias Disturb Letter Writer To the Editor: When I hear the hall announcer, “Attention, Young Conservatives!” greeted by hisses and boos in the Rhoads dining room - - -, when I lis- tent to derisive comments about the proposed Villanova movie, Communist Encirclement, made by people with no knowledge of the film and no in- tention of verifying their diatribes by actually seeing it - - -, when I so often hear virulent attacks on the conservative position based on specu- lation rather than positive knowledge, I wonder at the nature of this pro- posed liberalism at Bryn Mawr. Historically, the term “liberal” was once associated with freedom-to ex- opinions on either side of the alldoal fence. If this broad-mind- edness has been lost, and freedom of expression is now unilaterally direct- ed, I think a grave error has been ~ | campus. the Editor vatism in politics is as old as this nation, and stop considering it a short-lived upstart on the Bryn Mawr The convictions of heart- felt conservatives have been long and dearly held; if they have not been heard so often. in the past, perhaps this is because some of you made this expression very difficult. Once you have realized that conservatism is a mature political idealogy, why ~ mot tole advantage of the well-s ed conservative shelves in Room 220, Rhoads South. This “inside” infor- mation will give you a.fair basis for an intelligent argument. Perhaps by that time the conservative minority will be respected in the conduct of its business and the expression of its ideas. Perhaps a real exchange of ideas and criticism that is construc- tive will face re-examination and study by both parties to the discus- sion, If this happy day ever comes, it will be because we have dispensed with the mere profession of liberal- ism at Bryn Mawr and commenced to its sincere practice. Jan Smith Alliance Program Seeks Greater Faculty Interest To the Editor: I would like to express my grati- tude to Mr. Berthoff for his atten- dance at Current Events Monday night. Mr. Berthoff’s presence shows an interest in current affairs which, aside from the continued loyalty of our advisor, Dr. Wells, no other fac- ulty member has shown this year. It has always been incomprehensible to ‘me that no one among 150 members of the faculty has shown interest in or had time for one hour of lecture and discussion. Current Events is run for the students and directed to- ward student interest—this is not de- nied. However, current affairs do not only affect students, but every member of the so-called community. Are the faculty so deeply entrench- ed in academicia that they do not feel any concern? Can it be that they are unwilling to subject their views to. outsiders?” Mr. Wells and Mr. Berthoff de- serve the applause of the entire stu- dent body for cxresing their inter- est in current affairs, Linda Davis. AC Self-ExpressionEs: ntial Say Two Upperclassmen To the Editor: Two rather talked-out upper class- men now have only this to say re: classroom conversations. The great est part of what happens in this world \ (it seems to us) gets its start in conference rooms, Congresses, meet- ings (be they P.T.A. or Security Council), or over teatables, martinis, and coffee in the Deanery—in short, + | in conversation...And-_in.conversation.. which requires thought, logic, judg- ment and tact, All of which are dif-: ficult and occasionally lacking (c. f. last week’s survey of classroom dis- cussion). One might think, then, and we do, that mastering the arts of judgment and articulation could well be included in an education for effective living. And, say we, what . better place for this training than the classroom, where the issues in- volved are simpler than peanut but- ter vs. egg salad for a School lunch- room and less earthshaking than in- tervention vs. reconciliation in a for- eign policy, but at the same time as demanding of logical analysis as eith- er of these. To discuss is to say something, and to say something is to commit oneself and, hopefully, to think about the commitment. Both of the last steps can be painful but; 7 never will they be safer than in an academic community. If we daren’t learn to talk in classrooms we'll nev- er dare to learn, and without talking, the chances are that our ideas (so : Continued on Page 3, Col. 3 [Note: The letter printed in last week’s News, headlined “Reader States Necessity For Fallout Protec- . , Wednesday, November 8, 1961 ” THE COLLEGE NEWS Page Three Rome Resident Gives Opinions Of Explosive Movie Scandal by Geri Orleans La Dolce Vita consists of a series | of episodes which are linked by the general theme and partly by the re- currence of one particular newsman. What this theme really entails is the fact that so many events and habits in our time are just facades behind which there is no. faith, no real mo- tive or belief. For instance, one of the first scenes shows children who attract crowds of religious or merely curious people by saying that they have visions of the Madonna, where- as the camera shows us that they are really only consummate actors, instigated by their families who hope to make a profit. The link between the episodes is that of the journalists who with their cameras and flashes pry into every aspect of life, and be- come the obsessive symbol of our time, I don’t intend to try and talk about the movie itself—everybody can (or cannot) appraise it for himself. In Italy, most of the intellectual world was enthusiastic about it, while the great mass of the people thought either that it was morally perverse, . artistically dull, or biased against one class of people. This situation gave rise to a huge scandal, which was quite amusing to watch, and which provided the producer Fellini with a costless nation-wide. publicity, on account of which the best two movie theatres in Rome have shown the movie uninterruptedly, simultaneous- ly, for over a year, and at the begin- ning one had to stand for hours in a ~ queue in order to get tickets—at the risk of catching the eye of s6me very “proper” acquaintance, and thereby lowering one’s reputation. Vatican Involvement The scandal was due to the fact that, the Italian Government, being under the direction of the Demo- christian Party, has certain arrange- ments for the censure of films, so that a delegate from the Vatican must give his approval to every movie | that will get projected on the Italian screens. La Dolce Vita passed the test, for I hope that we all know that in the upper levels of the Cath- -olic Church’s hierarchy there are liberally-minded intellectuals. But it did not pass the test of public opin- ion, and, since the Vatican had to save its face it reversed its stand, precipitating an issue which filled many columns of the newspapers for a long time; and finally I believe that some scenes were very slightly expurgated. The defenders of La Dolce Vita maintained that it is a work of art and must be judged as such—which was the opinion of the Vatican’s del- egate, to the shock of innumerable Italian matrons, whether from the higher or the middle classes (the | lower classes had no say for the time being, since the entrance ticket was much too expensive.) A more reasonable attack on the movie was that it gave the impression that the atmosphere portrayed in it is charac- teristic of the whole of high society in Italy. At that time (two years ago) I scoffed at this attack: it seem- ed to me that it was obvious that Fellini only meant to show the mean- ingless, futile life of a certain type of people, i. e. those who lead irregu- lar lives, like movie actors and act- resses, pseudo-intellectuals, desper- ate \intellectuals, stray members of high society, playboys and girls, as- pirants to either high society or to easily begotten wealth, etc. And I thought that any reasonable person would realize that this is only one flashy group of unoccupied people. Not only that, but I thought that in Italy, with all the class and party struggles, the movie might take on other meanings. For instance the soc- ialists might use it for propaganda, whereas outside Italy there would be no risk of such an interpretation, first of all because in*places like France, England and the U.S., people are more informally outspoken about the scandalous activities and attitudes that are shown in Dolce Vita. They are more apt to identify the group of people involved with just the type it represents, which I venture to call ‘f the county. Asked what he hopes to accom- plish in McComb as a _ represen- tative of the Non-Violent Co-or- dinating Committee, Mr. MacDou- gald said, “Our aim is to show Ne- groes their power. They are in the majority in many areas in the South. They have the power as well as the right to assert themselves and to demand equality. In order to assert themselves they have got to become voters. Once they do, the whole po- litical structure of the South will change. It is this larger aim that we have in mind when we urge Negroes to take their place as citizens by voting.” RAINING FASHIONS PECK and PECK Suburban Square Ardmore, Pa. OUR EVERYTHING IN FLOWERS & PLANTS S= Jeannett’s Bryn Mawr S=. Flower Sho 823 Lancaster Avenue, Ae Pa. 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