The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 2, 1971 Page: 5 of 14
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Garside *
(Continued from Page 3)
difference to the undergrad-
uate, ahs been one of the most
terrible and reprehensible ex-
amples of violence as I would
have you understand the word
as we have seen, and in this
respect the general climate of
our universities and that of our
country until quite recently
have been fundamentally one.
The tumults which of late have
convulsed so many of our uni-
versities are in fact not sur-
prising; what is surprising
about them is only that they
were so slow in coming. Under-
graduates at Berkeley, Colum-
bia, Cornell, Harvard and else-
where finally realized the ex-
tent to which they were being
treated like second-class citi-
zens at all, and responded with
open violence to the long years
of hidden violence practiced
against them.
The result of this uproar has
been a searching re-examination
of the purpose and ideals of
the university on a nation-
wide scale, especially as "it, re-
lates to the undergraduate. Ev-
erywhere President, Deans, and
even the faculties are asking
themselves questions which for
over a decade were ignored,
questions with which they are
as yet unfamiliar and some-
what uneasy precisely because
they revolve around the non-
professional, the student who
wants an education, not erudi-
tion, integration, not specializa-
tion, a wrestling with values,
not an accumulation of facts.
Both Princeton and Yale, for'
example, have formed special
commissions to study in depth
the undergraduate curriculum;
new undergraduate programs
have been initiated at Berkeley,
Stanford, and elsewhere. And I
might point especially to the
creation of the residential col-
lege courses at Yale and at
Rice as opening up possibilities
for an authentic educational ex-
perience which even five years
ago simply did not exist. Again
I do not wish to multiply ex-
amples. Suffice it to say that
all these new programs and ex-
periments hiave one denominator
in common; they represent al-
ternatives to an overriding and
too selfish professionalism, and
in this respect, too, we are wit-
nessing a profound revolution
within the universities.
VII
I should like, finally, to
speak directly to you, for this
is still your week, and this your
address.
The revolution within is
yours; your generation began
it. You are responsible for it;
and you are responsible to it.
You saw with clarity the fright-
ening predicament into which
America had locked itself in
Vietnam; and from that re-
alization, with the same awe-
some clarity you ranged over
the whole of American life, in-
creasingly horrified and en-
raged by all those vast dis-
crepancies, only some of which
I hinted at earlier, between
what America could be doing
and what she was doing. You
saw racism, injustice, poverty,
pollution, and the manipulation
and hypocrisy of corporate in-
stitutions. You saw that all this
belongs to the traditional
American value system. You
saw, too, and suffered the
thwarting, even the stifling, of
your own development as indiv-
iduals in our universities. And
recognizing this with uncom-
promising honesty, you rose up
in revolt, a revolt which was
disorganized, undisciplined, sp-
oradic, too often self-indulgent,
and clearly lacking in any
leadership of stature. These
structures notwithstanding,
your fury shocked us and gave
us pause, for in pointing to all
these wrongs at home and
abroad you were demanding not
just that they be righted, but
that they be righted in such a
fashion tat they could never
occur again. You were, in ef-
fect, challenging the uncon-
sciously held assumptions and
unexamined values of a whole
society. You were trying to
change the common way of
thinking.
The change has begun; all of
us, whether we will or not, are
caught up in the revolution,
witin society, within the uni-
versities, within ourselves. Now,
in this Bicentennial Era, we
look to you to continue what
you have begun; we look to
you above all for leadershrip,
but not necessarily in the con-
ventional sense of the word. We
do not insist, as once we would
have, that you be wielders of
power, to be presidents or sen-
ators or board chairmen or
senior partners; we do not ask
even that you be men and
women of prominence; neither
your vocation as such nor your
official position in community,
state, or nation is important.
What is important is that in
spending your lives working
with people to change the com-
mon way of thinking you set an
intellectual and moral example,
simply as human beings, as
wielders of influence, no mat-
ter how small, which will en-
courage others less dedicated,
less conscientious, and less
steadfast to do their part.
Earlier I promised you no
more than a framework; I
could not leave it without a
foundation and a capstone. On
the afternoon of the 29 of
April, 1587, on board his flag-
ship, Sir Francis Drake offered
up a prayer before he begaii
the attack on Cadiz. His words
are, I think, truly appropriate
to what I have said, and to
what we hope so much from
you; they may help to sustain
you in the years ahead as you
try to realize what you hope
for yourselves, and with them
I shall conclude:
0 Lord God, when Thou
givest to Thy servants to en-
deavor any great rpatter,
grant us also to know that
it is not the beginning, but
the continuing of the same,
until it be thoroughly fin-
ished, which yieldeth the true
glory.
Charles Garside, Jr.
Program Council list Clarke, Edgar Snow, Film Series
The Rice Prog-ram Council
has announced the films and
speakers which will be included
in the 1971-72 subscription
series (the First Annual, as it
were). On November 3, Arthur
C. Clarke is scheduled to speak
on "Life in ,the Year 2001" and
on March 14, Edgar Snow will
• ICUT--
(Continued from Page 1)
is the influence which a few
private schools of real qual-
ity can exert on the larger
public systems. The private
schools can and should be a
locus of meaningful innova-
tions, a strong defender of
individuality, a standard
bearer of the liberal arts tra-
dition, a hallmark of excel-
lence. It must also have pro-
grams in a wide enough
range of disciplines and pro-
fessions and have a large
enough enrollment that its in-
fluence will be felt strongly."
Ignoring the philosophic mer-
its of a dual system of higher
education (an attitude easily
assumed by many in our Leg-
islature), this rapid loss of pri-
vate school students has serious
financial implications for the
state. I CUT projects that each
2% decline will cost the state
about $13 million by 1975.
Each year, a student who de-
cides to go to a private rather
than a public school in this
state save Texas the $1,300
which is automatically allocated
located for each person in the
* public system. Though only half
of the $8 million requested for
the biennium was appropriated
by the Legislature, the $1 mil-
lion for '71-'72 has been dis-
tributed to approximately 30
approved colleges based on
their number of Texas fresh-
men entering last year. Three
million will' be available for
next year's freshmen or sopho-
mores.
Though the Tuition Equaliza-
tion Plan will help Texas' pri-
vate institutions compete with
state' schools for students, it
will do little to solve the real
financial problems of the pri-
vate schools. Nineteen of the
twenty-eight senior colleges in
discuss "Mao and the Cultural
Revolution," although M r.
Snow's topic may change de-
pending on the outcome of
President Nixon's China visit.
Nine films have been booked
for the series, most if not all of
which will probably have been
seen by a number of us but
Texas were in the red last year
with a total deficit of over $'5
million. This is eight times the
deficit of three years ago. Com-
petition for faculty has become
a nightmare for many private
schools. An average professor
in the private sector receives
about $2000 less than his state
employed counterpart. (Rice is
second to the University of
Texas in faculty salaries 'for the
state according to a recent
Chronicle of Higher Education).
ICUT had another plan that
might mitigate the crisis for
many schools. It proposed that
the Texas Coordinating Board
contract with private schools to
purchase degrees. Excluding all
theological and religious de-
grees, it suggested that the
state pay private schools $1000
for a bachelor's degree, $1500
for a master's and $2500 for a
doctorate. Opponents of this bill
raised the question of the long
standing separation of Church
and State. The Attorney Gen-
eral resolved any such problem
for the Tuition Equalization
Plan, since it is payed only to
students, but the proposal to
"contract for degrees" never
got out of committee in either
House because the church-state
issue was so clear-cut to the
solons. President Hackerman
said that even if the bill had
passed, Rice could not enter into
these contracts due to the in-
evitable constraints that follow
governmental monies. Never-
theless, the plan which is op-
erating in different versions in
five other states will probably
be°introduced again in.the next
Legislative session, since many
Texas private institutions look
to it as a plan to stay above
water in the expensive academ-
ic world.
which bear up (except maybe
The Sterile Cuckoo) under re-
seeing. Titles and dates are:
The Sterile Cuckoo—Sept 17
The Collector—Oct 8
Diary of a Mad Housewife—
Dec 3 & '
Psycho—Jan 21
Taming of the Shrew—Feb 4
Rachel, Rachel—Mar 10
They Shoot Horses, Don't
They?—Mar 24
Start the Revolution Without
Me—Apr 2l
Closely Watched Trains—
(unconfirmed)
Cuckoo stars Liza Minnelli,
Judy Garland's daughter, and
is about a nervous, nutty girl's
clutchy attempt at love as a
freshman at college. It may or
may not strike a responsive
chord. The Collector was made
from a John Fowles novel about
a young lepidopterist who
transfers his affections from
butterflies to a beautiful young
lady (Samantha Eggar — a
stunner!) but winds up, as col-
'lectors will, crushing her wings.
They Shoot Horses was my
choice for beet film of 1969
— a beautifully filmed, con-
summately acted movie which
got Gig Young an Oscar —
but Jane Fonda, Susannah
York, and Michael Sarrazin are
equally good. This is the film
absolutely not to miss. Firmly
in the American realist film
tradition, it's a devastating mo-
ment in the Depression 30's, all
about those dance marathons
and the people who watched
and participated. Start the
Revolution stars Gene Wilder,
whose latest film is Willy
Wonka and the Chocolate Fac-
tory (you may also remember
Wilder as the undertaker in
Bonnie and Clyde that Gene
Hackman told the "Don't sell
that cow!" joke to). It's a funny
film. Closely Watched Trains
is by the Czech film director
Milos Forman (Loves of a
Blonde), and is a delightful,
charming movie.
Price for the series is $5, or
tickets for each event may be
purchased at $'1 per. Tickets
will be available at the Pro-
gram Council office in the
RMC Cloisters or at colleges
from the following: Dana Whit-
ledge at Brown, Dan Worrall at
Lovett, Dave Danglo at Weiss,
Bonnie Hoskins at Jones ■>;!.
Charles Maynard at Baker.
Free concerts for Hamman Hall
By ROBERT A. FURSE
The Thresher will endeavor
in future weeks to keep the
Rice community aware of the
fine musical events that occur
both in the city's cultural lime-
light and those that are less
prominently publicized but just
as worthy of attention. It is not
generally well kpown that the
Rice campus is the performance
home of several reputable mu-
sic ensembles and organizations
of the Houston area.
Although many would agree
that Hamman Hall is unsatis-
factory as a lecture room, it is
considered a very suitable site
for smaller musical concerts
and recitals. The University has
agreed to allow several Hous-
ton organizations to utilize the
Hamman Hall facilities at no
expense, if members of the Rice
community are permitted to at-
tend without paying admission.
This system has benefitted both
parties concerned.
The Houston Chamber Or-
chestra, comprised of roughly
thirty members of the Houston
Symphony, presents its series
season here, consisting of three
or four concerts per year, some
of which feature excellent guest
artists. Brilliant harpsichordist
Fernando Valenti appeared last
season in Bach's Fifth Brand-
enburg Concerto, and Swedish
contralto Birgit Finilla was fea-
tured in a concert version of
"Orfeo et Eurydice."
The Houston Friends of Mu-
sic, a group of local residents
striving for the promotion of
chamber music, book all of
their events at Hamman Hall.
The New York Bi-ass Quintet,
Tel Aviv String Quintet and
Juilliard Quartet are among
those, that have visited Houston
through this organization.
Presenting lesser known
works, usually rather bizarre
ones, the Contemporary Cham-
ber Ensemble performs with
unusual ability and originality.
Attending a performance of this
clever group will always pro-
vide an unexpected surprise or
two, frequently in the selection
of an unorthodox new piece, or
peculiar instrumentation such
as the evening when the violin
bowing was achieved by the
wrong side of the bow.
The Rice community itself is
blessed with a number of tal-
ented musicians, both students
and faculty members and their
wives. The Rice Chamber Or-
chestra, comprised mainly of
students, presents works rang-
ing from the Baroque to new
premieres of compositions by
the music school faculty. The
smaller Baroque Ensemble, pri-
marily non-students, provides
delightful renditions of earlier
music, frequently concerts fea-
turing excellent soloists.
Some of thes performances
are held in the chapel where
the organ can be utilized, and
organ recitals are common
events in the evenings during
the week and on Sunday after-
noons. Keyboard students and
their instructor, Klaus-Christ-
hart Kratzenstein, provide well-
balanced concerts. Mr. Krat-
zenstein played the complete
organ sonatas of Mendelssohn
and a large number of Bach's
Preludes and Fugues during last
year's series of recitals.
These events, and a large
number of additional special
ones sponsored by the Shepherd
School of Music (notably the
Fondren Library music room
concerts) are only moderately
well attended, not because of
any deficiency in the quality of
^performance, but due to unde-
pendable, unceremonious pub-
licity. These are free events,
providing both satisfaction to
the knowledgeable concert-goer,
and a pleasant break from stud-
ies or ennui for everyone. Watch
for announcements with specific
information about the upcom-
ing events of this type in the
Thresher or the weekly cal-
endar.
the rice thresher, September 2, 1971—page 5
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Freed, DeBow. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 2, 1971, newspaper, September 2, 1971; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245108/m1/5/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.