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University Daily Kansan
Monday, Nov. 18, 1963
Botched Job
Well, the people spoke last week—and they botched the job.
Because of the ill-advised choices of the people, what is probably the most ill-informed and potentially irresponsible All Student Council in four years will form Tuesday night, set to pursue its job of governing the people who selected it.
The temptation is strong to question the advisability of even having an All Student Council, at least establish some sort of appointment procedure to prevent further such fliascos as happened last week.
Look at some of the major districts, for example.
IN SORORITY, the only really qualified candidate, Susan Hartley, was defeated. Miss Hartley had attended five straight ASC meetings, starting even before her candidacy was announced, in a genuine attempt to learn something about the ASC and student government. Of the three women who were elected, one, in a telephone interview, had to be prompted before she could name the chairman of the ASC, and even then she misidentified the district from which he had been originally elected.
In large women's residence halls, the voters turned out after a negative campaign and elected one qualified candidate and three ineps. Two of the latter might, with careful coaching, be turned into something resembling good council members, but one, an incumbent with a noisy if otherwise unimpressive record, will contribute positively to the ASC only in that she already knows procedure.
Defeated in the large women's district was Nancy Lane, probably the most qualified person who ran for the ASC from any district. However, Miss Lane has never bothered to try to be a social favorite of the girls, and that hurts in KU politics.
IN THE LARGE men's residence hall district, voters defeated Fred Hoffman, another wellqualified candidate. Three of the men who were elected will probably make good ASC members, and one of the other two could. The fifth, however, is a faction-happy hell raiser whose sole interest appears to be his district, and damn the student body as a whole.
The election in the unmarried-unorganized district somehow got confused by political dealings, and two well-qualified candidates withdrew from the race before the votes were even counted.
Instead, placed in office were two old-line politicians and two rank newcomers. One of the politicians and one of the newcomers probably will settle down and make responsible ASC members, but the other politician will make a good ASC member only if he damn well pleases. His political astuteness has never been questioned, but his political honesty has never been granted.
The other newcomer has a single ax to grind, and while the ax needs grinding, harping on a single topic to the detriment of all other legislation will not help the ASC conduct its other business.
WITH ALL THIS disenchantment, it must be admitted that the ASC hasn't gone to work yet, and that people who right now must be viewed with a sense of hopelessness might turn into good ASC members. Most of them are intelligent, even if what they know about student government, spread thin, wouldn't cover their party cards.
And it is possible that the ASC might actually do something worthwhile in this session.
Perhaps, of course, the inept members will no their homework. Right now, however, the ASC is going to have trouble conducting its own business with something resembling coherence.
Blaine King
The People Say...
Editor:
I read your recent article concerning the Department of English at the University of Kansas. I concur 100 per cent with your article but feel you have not gone far enough. I've had some rather baffling experiences with the Department of English myself. One of my boys had his diploma held up two years because of his failure to pass the English Proficiency examination and another boy was given a grade of "D" at the close of his first semester and a grade of "B" at the close of the next semester. The boy that received the "D" grade had always been an excellent English student and I personally wrote the instructor and the head of the English Department asking that the grade of
"D" be rechecked since I could hardly reconeile a student making a grade of "D" in English in one semester and four months after that come up with a grade of "B". It might have been I was dealing with undergraduate instructors but I had the idea I was dealing with men that held Ph.D. degrees. I also got the idea I was dealing with men that thought they were umpiring a football game and were biased against the opposing team.
I do not wish to go on record as recommending any of the professors be sacked, but it does seem to me a number of them would be better off in the maintenance department. It seems to me it would be better that way than to put them in the "Funny House."
F. F. Tyler
Caney, Kan.
Daily Hansan
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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Blaine King ... Editorial Editor
NEWS DEPARTMENT
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Italian Spectacular Has Significant Theme
at the movies
By Byron Leonard
("The Leopard," an Italian film with English sound track, directed by Lushino Visconti, with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, and Claudia Cardinale began its run Sunday at the Varsity Theatre.)
Luchino Vinconti, whose film "Obsession" (1942) is generally considered to contain the roots of the Italian neo-realist film movement, has recently completed "The Leopard," a film adaptation of the novel by Giuseppe di Lampedusa, which is faithful to the serious intent of the novelist.
Set in mid-nineteenth century Sicily, the film deals with the revolution brought about by Garibaldi's efforts to seize power from the aristocracy and to unify Italy. The accompanying social revolution is seen in the life of the Prince of Salina ("the Leopard") and his family. Though the historical background of the film is somewhat complex, the significance of the social change is made quite clear.
VISCONTI BEAUTIFULLY symbolizes this change in a scene at the first of the film. The Prince and his family have just completed a long journey by carriage to Donnafugata, and (still covered with the dust of the road) they enter a church for the service. As they sit in their places along the wall of the sanctuary, the camera pans along their immobile faces. The aristocracy has been reduced to dusty museum pieces, living relics.
The events which follow indicate the irreversible decline of the aristocracy. The Prince's nephew joins Garibaldi's forces fighting for the revolution.
The Mayor of Donnafugata, with miserly perseverence, has risen to a position of influence and wealth that finally exceeds that of the Prince. And it is to the Mayor's now rich daughter that the Prince's nephew becomes engaged.
The Prince is all too painfully aware of the decline that these events represent. Just as he feels his own death is imminent, so is that of the aristocracy. Thus we see him, in the last scene of the film, walking along the city streets, among buildings in shambles, pausing momentarily for a priest, who hurries to administer the Last Sacrament.
DESPITE THE problems in making characters in a historical film seem real and believable, Visconti has managed rather well, and gives us considerable insight into them. Burt Lancaster handles his role as the Sicilian prince with competence, allowing us to forget his position as an American movie star. And though "box-office" may have been a factor, his casting is certainly appropriate.
But "The Leopard" is a spectacular, and it suffers from some of the faults often encountered in this "genre." The visual splendor of its exquisite color photography often calls attention to itself, particularly in the grand ball sequence. In addition the film's rather slow pace makes its duration seem a bit long, even though it was cut thirty-five minutes for American release.
Unlike most spectaculars, Visconti's film does have a significant theme to develop against its background of magnificence.