Thursday, Dec. 14, 1961 University Daily Kansan
Page 3
NEGROES MARCH—A group of Negro students marched through the campus Friday, Oct.
13 to protest discriminatory practices. They are shown standing in front of Strong Hall.
In 1961-
Race Issue Ranks Top in Campus News for This Year
By Carrie Merryfield
In 1961, the campus news spotlight was on discrimination problems at KU. This was the major campus news story of the year—actions of the Civil Rights Council, the downtown tavern sit-ins, the University housing policy and the Negro march.
The No. 2 story began last year when a young man recognized a need for better understanding among foreign students and American students. He began a program
Journalism Students Analyze Past Year
Journalism students in a class on editorial writing and research prepared the articles on these pages. The stories were ranked both for the attention they received in the press and for the long-range impact they may have on society.
to try to orient foreign students to KU life. This year that plan went into full swing and it received second honors. The young man is Bill Dawson, Prairie Village junior. His program is People-to-People.
THIRD HONORS GO TO the story about the enrollment change for students in the College of Liberal Arts, the change in class schedule for 1962-63 to allow one more hour of class time and the largest enrollment in KU history.
The problems involved in obtaining the film "Operation Abolition" last spring and the following debate take four place in importance. Fraser Theater held a capacity crowd for this event.
A plan conceived last May, but not put into operation until football season, is the fifth place story. The stadium seating bill aroused emotions and a petition for a student referendum to dispose of the plan was circulated.
THE SIXTH PLACE story both made and broke a KU organization. Until September, the National Student Association had been a little-known committee of the ASC. When rumors were circulated that the ASC planned to break away the KU chapter of NSA from the national organization, NSA members were stimulated to inform the students of their function. Their efforts failed, for a few weeks later, the ASC voted to disaffiliate.
The story voted No. 7 will take place today — World Crisis Day, featuring Arthur Schlesinger Jr., special assistant to the President, and Alexander Fomin, a representative from the Soviet Embassy.
Eighth place was given to the conservative movement on the KU campus. A complex story, it included the speech by Robert Love, a prominent member of the John Birch Society in Wichita, in September, the attempts to organize a John Birch Society at KU and the formation of Young Americans for Freedom.
A FLARE-UP ON THE basketball court last season led to an attempt between KU and the University of Missouri student councils to form a workable Peace Pact for athletic events. Finally the pact was written and signed just before the football game in November. But ATAP buttons appeared on the KU campus and were confiscated by a member of the administration. All these events are included in the ninth place campus news story.
KU did have a successful football season, with or without a Peace Pact, and the team managed without Bert Coan, who injured his leg in an early practice session. This year KU received and accepted an invitation to the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, Tex., to be played Saturday. This football story was voted No. 10.
News stories in 1961 were controversial, and the 15th place story helps to prove this point. Many students and faculty members felt the necessity for a new gymnasium, but funds were not available. This news story involved the reasons for a new gymnasium and possible sources of funds, other than the KU budget.
Eleventh place goes to the proposed KU budget and the proposed budget cut. KU's enrollment continues to increase, but funds requested for construction to meet increased demands are part of a proposed cut by the Kansas budget director. Appropriations for KU will not be announced until January.
THE NUCLEAR REACTOR'S installation and operation at KU received 12th place. Thirteenth place went to Wichita University's attempt to become a state university—the controversy and defeat of the plan.
The chancellor's traffic control program scheduled for next year to alleviate traffic on Jayhawk Blvd. during the day received 14th place.
Spectrum magazine, the KU literary publication, wound up last year with a large deficit, a large number of unsold magazines and many outstanding bills. The 16th place story is about the Spectrum difficulties, the attempt to continue publication, and the ASC's paying Spectrum's unpaid bills.
THE 17TH STORY FOR 1961 was the Model United Nations two-day session highlighted by a speech by former U.N. ambassador, James Wadsworth.
Eighteenth place went to the story concerning the visit of eight touring Russians to the KU campus, their appearances at the Current Events Forum and their press conference.
Campus elections are important every year and 1961 was no exception. The spring elections last semester and the recent elections received 19th place.
Twentieth place went to the speech at the Current Events Forum by Edward Shaw, a member of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Mr. Shaw explained what he had seen and heard during short visits to Cuba during the past few years.
Other stories considered:
The life contract offered and accepted by football Coach Jack Mitchell; the hijacking and the capture of the liner Santa Maria with Floyd Preston, associate professor of petroleum engineering, and his family aboard; the William Allen White School of Journalism and Public Information receiving first place in the William Randolph Hearst writing competition; the student exchange program between KU and foreign students for travel and study, and the approval of faculty retirement benefits.
Hollywood Kings Chalk Dry Year
By Tom Turner
It was a dry year for the Hollywood kings. Confused by illusions of realism and grandeur, the labels on the film cans from the movie capital of the world still carried the connotation of "adultery only."
The best picture over-all probably was Frederico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," a depressing view of contemporary Rome that may be a microcosmic view of world society today. Pushing this film was another picture of an angry young man, the English film "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning."
Their best picture so far probably is the Robert Wise-Jerome Robins version of the Broadway success. "West Side Story."
THE THEME OF SEX in the suburbs that packed them in in 1960 grew stale in 1961, and theater marquees across the nation began carrying the titles of a few brilliant—and a few provocative—foreign films such as, from Russia, "Ballad of a Soldier," "Fate of a Man" and "A Summer to Remember"; from Sweden, the documentary "Mein Kampf" and Ingmar Bergman's "The Devil's Eye"; from Yugoslavia, "The Ninth Circle"; from England, "Loss of Innocence"; from Japan, "Throne of Blood," a retelling of the "Macbeth" story; from Mexico, a fable called "Macario"; from France, "Breathless," another in the New Wave; from Italy, "L'Avventura" and "Two Women," and from Poland, "Kanal" and "Ashes and Diamonds."
Perhaps a review of Hollywood's 1961 efforts can best be handled in chronological order.
February brought the critics' flop of the year as sumptuous Marilyn Monroe slithered through husband Arthur Miller's "The Mishiffs." It was a sad commentary that such an artistic bomb should end the career of Clark Gable.
THE NEW YEAR ALSO brought a box-office smash — at least on college campuses—that made many wonder where the line should be drawn between evil sex orgies and "good clean college fun." Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., officials mark the day on the calendar black when "Where the Boys Are" was released.
April's brightest constellation was the first epic of the year to draw rave reviews from all quarters. Although not a particularly great box-office attraction, Sidney Potter probably will get Academy consideration next April for his work in "A Baisin in the Sun."
June brought the naive Troy Donahue back to the screen in "Parrish." Walt Disney came up with another gate success with his latest little mouseteer, British-
born Hayley Mills, playing a double role in "The Parent Tran"
The first of the summer also brought the star comedy of the year in "The Pleasure of His Company," headed up by America's middle-aged heartthrob, Fred Astaire, and young America's sweetheart, Debbie Reynolds.
The brightest box office attraction of the season was released in July. Sparked by brilliant work from Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, "The Guns of Navarone" — likely awards candidate — is still drawing crowds.
AUGUST WAS ANOTHER bountiful month. Hanky-panky soared to new heights with such productions as "By Love Possessed," "Come September," and "Goodbye Again."
The end of the summer entered another Oscar nomination in "Fanny," the smash Broadway musical brought to life on the screen by the Inimitables: Charles Boyer, Maurice Chevalier and Leslie Caron
Geraldine Page did a fascinating job of portraying the neurotic girl who loved to the point of tragedy in Tennessee Williams' dismal "Summer and Smoke."
August brought "The Young Doctors," with Fredric March and Ben Gazarra.
"BRIDGE TO THE SUN," a gripping drama beautifully executed by Carroll "Baby Doll" Baker, appeared in October.
Paul Newman gave the movie public a chance to look beyond his penetrating blue eyes and see his supreme talent in the fall release, "The Hustler," which delved into a brand-new object—pool sharks. Jackie Gleason did an outstanding job of making a weak part come alive that may find him nominated in April for a little gold statue.
Horror films continued to roll off the movie lot assembly lines with due regularity in 1661.
OPENING SOON AND likely to contend for honors in 1961 are "Pocketful of Miracles," a Frank Capra remake of his 1933 film, "Lady for a Day"; "One, Two, Three," a Billy Wilder comedy of Berlin today; "A Majority of One," with Rosalind Russell and Alec Guinness, and Stanley Kramer's "Judgment at Nuremburg" film version of a successful television play of a few seasons back.
Moviegoers can well look ahead to a New Year tug at the boot-straps of cinema morals and literary quality. They also may look forward to a wave of new talent. It looks as if Hollywood is pulling out of a brief recession to reiterate to fans in 1962—"Movies Are Better Than Ever."
Political Books Popular in'61
By Karl Koch
The year 1961 was one in which books critical of political and social affairs continued to achieve high success in the United States.
William Lederer's "A Nation of Sheep," went into America's blunders in foreign affairs and proposed cures where the individual citizen could help.
It stood right at the top of nonfiction best-seller lists.
JOHN STEINBECK'S NOVEL, "The Winter of Our Discontent," had as its theme the decay of moral standards. It also stood high on lists of best-sellers.
"The Tropic of Cancer," by Henry Miller, after a 26-year wait, finally made it to the United States. Criticized in some reviews for "smuttiness," praised in others as an excellent commentary on man's nature, it probably caused more debate than any book in the country. It was one of the 10 fiction best-sellers.
THE "DECADENT" SOUTH came in for its share of criticism with the Pulitzer Prize novel of 1960, "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee.
"A Burnt-Out Case," by Graham Greene explores the conflict between faith and doubt. Using the symbol of leprosy, Greene brings out the theme of the played out, unfeeling soul of man.
IRVING STONE'S FICTIONAL biography of Michelangelo, "The Agony and the Ecstasy," was another best seller.
"Franny and Zooey," by J. D. Salinger, stood high on the best seller list. It is the story of a girl's retreat from the academic world to religious obsession.
On the non-fictional side, William L. Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," a story of Germany's rise in World War II and its eventual crash, achieved great success. Its significance probably will carry it through many years.
A modern translation of the New Testament, "The New English Bible," also stood high on the lists, a committee of British scholars and stylists made the translation from the original Greek to clear up the 17th Century King James version.
"Inside Europe Today," by John Gunther, put postwar Europe into focus, showing its status as a factor in the East-West struggle. It also made the best sellers.
"RUSSIA AND THE WEST Under Lenin and Stalin," by George Kennan, chronicled U.S.-Russian relations from 1917-1945.
The 1960 presidential campaign with its new methods such as television debates was the subject of another best seller, "The Making of the President," by Theodore H. White, and a good book by James A. Michener, "Report from the County Chairman."