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The University Daily
KANSAN
Vol. 94, No. 153 (USPS 650-640)
Published since 1889 by students at the University of Kansas
Humid
High, 89
Details on p.2
Wednesday morning, June 27, 1984
Vietnam arousing student interest, again
By MICHELE HINGER Staff Reporter
Ten years ago, when today's average KU student was tackling fifth grade math problems, many American adults were tackling the harsh realities of the Vietnam War.
But now, students who were born about the time of John F. Kennedy's death are starting to ask questions about the war, and are able to ask them more objectively.
Donald McCoy, a KU professor of history who teaches a course in American history since 1941, said that in the early 1970s, he had students who were involved in war protests sitting in the same class with students who were Vietnamese vets.
THE DISCUSSIONS sometimes were heated.
"I had to act as referee," said McCoy, "so someone wouldn't be a bloody nose."
Today, students are able to view the era less personally — as exemplified in the recent efforts to build a Vietnam memorial honoring KU students who fought in the war.
"Students are less likely today to have hard and fast opinions — and that's good," said McCoy. "But they have less background, which is a factor of age and something they can't help. Their questions are more factual."
Courses in the history of the Vietnam War are springing up across the country because of a surge of interest from students wanting the facts about a war they barely remember, according to an article in Sunday's New York Times.
Professors in New York, Washington D.C., Michigan and Massachusetts have been teaching courses in Vietnam history
since as early as the late 1960s, the article said.
The University of Kansas does not offer a full course in the history of Vietnam, said Daniel Bays, associate professor of history and the director of East Asian studies.
A course called "War in Society" is offered both by the history department and the KU ROTC unit. The course is a survey of the Vietnam War, including some history of the Vietnam War.
BUT SOME PROFESSORS include segments on the Vietnam war in recent history courses and some students have chosen the war as term paper topics.
A Southeast Asian history course has also been taught at KU in the past, "but interest dried up on that 10 years ago," said Bavs.
A full course in Vietnam War history will probably be offered within three or four years, he said.
"Teaching a course in the history of the Vietnam War would be difficult to do," said Bays. "The instructor would have to know the subtleties and complexities of the history on all sides — U.S., Chinese and East Asian."
"I WOULD KNOW enough about East Asian history," Bays said, "but I'd have to do an awful lot of homework on U.S. history."
"That's a project that interests me," sai Bays. "But I don't feel free enough now to work up a new, big course. I'd want to carve out enough time to do a great job. The
An ideal course would be taught by two instructors, said Bays, one a specialist in East Asian history and one a specialist in recent American history. With both expert's input, the course would be more fully rounded, more accurate and more sensitive to the nuances of the war, he said.
course would probably draw up to 200 students."
"It wasn't like any other war," McCoy said. "The internal problems were much more complicated than the Korean War."
"THE VIETNAM WAR was the longest the U.S. had been in, it combined with domestic happenings and strained U.S. relations with other countries," said McCoy. "It did horrible to the economy and contributed to political disenchantment
"Very negative factors came up during and after the Vietnam War, and we're not over them vet.
Jackson, Castro meet to discuss prisoner release
By United Press International
HAVANA — Jesse Jackson met yesterday with Cuban President Fidel Castro in expectation of securing the release of Cuban political prisoners and Americans held in Cuban jails as a human rights gesture from the communist leader.
Jackson and Castro began a scheduled 3 $\frac{1}{2}$-hour meeting at the huge, modern Palace of the Revolution in the late afternoon. They initially sat at a long conference table with about 30 aides and advisers and planned a later private session of several hours.
Jackson said earlier that he had gotten "good vibrations" from Castro and had "very high" hopes of securing the prisoner release. Jackson met with the top U.S. diplomat in Havana to discuss setting up the machinery for a release should Castro agree to it.
The two leaders planned a public state ment at the conclusion of their talks.
Also present was Rep. Mervyn Dymally, D-Calif., and his two teenage sons, Yuset and Jonathan.
AMONG THOSE SITTING with Castro and Jackson at the conference table were top Cuban officials, including Ramon Sanchez Parodi, chief of the Cuban diplomatic office in Washington, who set up Jackson's visit to Havana.
Castro paid Jackson the unusual honor of meeting him personally at Jose Marti Airport Monday night when Jackson, a Democratic presidential candidate, arrived on the third leg of his tropical peace mission.
The two held talks but Jackson did not broach the subject of the prisoners.
"We had good vibrations. It was not difficult to communicate." Jackson told reporters on a sight-seeing tour of Havana yesterday.
"I GET THE SENSE that Castro really understands the advantages of relating to the United States," he said.
Aides said that Jackson took two lists of
See JACKSON, p. 5, col. 1
LARRY WEAVER/KANSAN
"Indiana Jones and the Doom," now playing at the Granada Theatre, 1020 ring its "PG" rating. Complaints about the violence in "Indiana Jones" have led the Massachusetts St., is one of several summer movies involved in a controversy concern. Motion Picture Association of America to consider a new rating, "PG-13."
PG violence prompts ratings dilemma
Ry CINDY HOBSON
Staff Reporter
But reports of angry audiencees watching "Gremilas" marching out of theaters after the mother stuffs one monster in the microwave and another beast in a fruit juice
When Steven Spielberg decided to roast a monster in a microwave and disembowel an Indian in his latest two movies, he probably didn't imagine that the grisly events would alter the movie rating system.
— along with dismay over an Indian priest who plucks out his victim's heart in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" — have convinced the industry to consider subdividing the PG movie rating.
THREE MOTION PICTURE organizations are considering a proposal that would add a new category called "PG-13." If the proposal is accepted, anyone under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian to movies rated PG-13.
The movie rating board, a seven-member board that reviews all movies, assigns ratings of G for a film that is suitable for all audiences. A PG rating suggests parental guidance for children. R requires anyone under the age of 17 to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian and an X rating bans any one under the age of 17.
national Film Importers and Distributors of America and the MPAA must together decide whether to adopt the PG-13 rating
Ken Clark, executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said that the three organizations — the National Association of Theatre Owners, the Inter-
"IT IS UNDER serious consideration," he said. Clark added that he did not know when a ruling would be made
The rating system is a guideline for theater owners. Clark said, but they are not required by law to adhere to the system.
One University of Kansas faculty member said that she thought a new rating category would be beneficial.
"A lot of children are seeing too much "violation," said Elizabeth Goetz, director of the Edna A Hill Child Development Laboratory, which shows that it is detrimental to children.
Local theater managers disagree on the
Rance Blank, city manager for Commonwealth Theatres, said that the PG13 rating was not a good idea.
need for a new category, but they did stress the need for parental involvement in deciding what movies their children should see
"HOW ARE THEATERS going to check IDs?" he asked.
Blann said that if parents were properly supervising their children, they would not be going to movies unsuitable for them.
Asuzi Ibeawuchi, manager for the Granada Theatre, 1020 Massachusetts St., and the Varsity Theatre, 1015 Massachusetts St., said, "I think it would be a much needed change, but it should be an advisory rating. Parents should not to accompany their children under 13."
Cara Johnston, Route 6, Lawrence, left, and Marcy Edwards, girls were taking a short break from their "Drawing From Route 2, Leavenworth, tear cattails for ammunition against Nature" workshop under the bridge at Potter Lake yesterday "those icky boys" who had been throwing rocks at them. The afternoon.
RAYMOND BRECHEISEN/KANSAN
Overnight guests allowed with new visitation policy
By MICKI SAMPSON
University residence hall members will be allowed to have guests of the opposite sex stay overnight, with their roommates permission, except during some halls' restricted hours.
At the Residential Programs Advisory Board meeting Monday, the board approved a proposal made by James Jeffrey, president of the Association of University Residence Halls, to modify the residence halls' visitation policy. After some wording changes, the board will review the proposal again at its next meeting. July 23.
Staff Reporter
Written by the visitation subcommittee appointed by the RPAB, the proposal called for roommates in residence halls to fill out and sign an "official AURH-ORP roommate agreement" at the beginning of the school year for the development of a stricter visitation security policy.
THE PROPOSAL WILL go into effect in the uncoming fall semester.
"This was a major victory for everybody," Jefflef said.
He said that the contract between roommates was a way for them to work out their problems before they grew.
ROOMMATES WILL also have to agree upon questions concerning use of personal property, responsibilities of each person and pet peeves each roommate might have.
The contract encourages roommates to discuss problem areas that could arise in living situations, he said.
Roommates individually discuss and come to an agreement on whether members of the opposite sex will be allowed to visit their room, what times they may come, and under what conditions.
"We've made the initial steps in giving them something to work with," he said.
Jeffley said that he was counting on residents to be honest with each other when filling out their roommate contracts.
"I'm really excited about the prospects here," Caryl Smith, dean of student life, said. "This should be a wonderful guide to communication."
Smith said that the contracts would encourage residents to get involved in their own policy making and to work out their roommate conflicts.
THE SECOND PART of the proposal calls for more strictly enforced security at the residence halls.
The new policy will follow many of the present practices in the halls, but the checking in of guests during security hours will be more detailed and complicated than before.
Jeffley said that residents would prefer the more complicated check-in policy than no visitation at all, referring to a policy that the RAPB proposed last spring that would restrict all visitation of the opposite sex to non-security hours.
As the procedure for the fall stands, residence hall members must sign in visitors of the opposite sex at the security table, and
See ROOMMATES. d. 5. col. 3