description:
May 31,1967 THE SKYSCRAPER Page Seven Speaking of 'Ramparts' Scheer Slices 'Save Souls' Policy by Janet Sass Robert Scheer, managing editor of Ramparts magazine, stressed the faulty ideological basis for American intervention in Vietnam and the need to change the United States' economy from a war economy to a peace economy in an informal lecture at Illinois Institute of Technology May 11. Scheer stated that American policy toward communism is based, illogically, on the United States' experience with the communists in East ern Europe. In Eastern Europe, communism was an extension of Soviet power and an anti-nationalist movement. In Vietnam, communism developed against the best wishes of the So viet Union and in isolation to the world communist movement as na tionalism, he explained. Robert Scheer Sheer added that the U.S. justi fies its position in Vietnam on the simplistic view that it is just fighting the Vietcong because they are communists. The U.S. supported French colo nialism even though it had had its day because of communist expan sion. Likewise the government supported the Diem regime, and would have supported any anti- communist regime, even if the re gime did not have the support of the people, the editor continued. Although today's policy is out of joint with reality, our reliance on it is complete. The U.S. has a perfect rationalization system in which it can justify the use of bombs and napalm, and the sys tematic destruction of the country side on the grounds that we are fighting communism, Scheer said. Even if the people support the National Liberation Front, it does n't change the situation, he added. The U.S. is out to save souls from communism. It doesn't matter if, in the process, it has to kill everyone in sight. General Westmoreland's request for more troops for Vietnam is the culmination of a foreign policy which has entered the fantasy realm, Scheer asserted. If the government really wants to win in Vietnam, he added, it can completely destroy the country in ten years. However, the result will be a conquered country. American society is guided more by the anti-communist ethic than by the Christian ethic, Scheer said. Americans can't separate the oc casional hot war from the continu ing cold war because both wars gear the economy toward war pro duction. In regard to public opin ion and U.S. economy, he added, the cold war has become institu tionalized in America. He stressed the necessity of changing from a war economy to a peace economy in order to achieve permanent peace. Fifty per cent of the U.S. budget goes to defense. Even the sup posedly radical University of Cali fornia, Berkeley campus, receives one-half of its budget from the Atomic Energy Commission, ac cording to Scheer. The picture Americans have of the outside world is ludicrous, the Ramparts editor continued. Ameri cans think the rest of the world is getting better; in reality, the op posite is true. The solutions to their problems, he added, may not necessarily be compatible with American inter ests. Scheer concluded that he did not consider it the height of the free speech movement to be allowed to speak on the IIT campus. Freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the first amendment, is trivial today, since the mass media does not give fair coverage to minority opinions, he said. The United States doesn't really have an exchange of dia logue between the left, right and liberals in society. Scheer attended Syracuse Univer sity where he graduated with a B.A. in economics. He is a former teaching assistant in economics at the University of California at Berkeley and the recipient of a Ford foundation grant in Chinese studies. Scheer is the author of How the United States Got Involved in Viet nam and co-author of Cuba, Trag edy in Our Hemisphere. His lecture was sponsored by the IIT Students for a Democratic So ciety. Novice Writers Receive Lusk, Magazine Competition Honors Four Mundelein writers gained national recognition in the 1967 Atlantic Monthly creative writing contest. Kathleen Pelletier, whose short story, Frostbite, won fourth place in fiction, merited the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference scholar ship. The scholarship, awarded annually to the one student writer in the nation who shows the greatest promise for the future, entitles Kathleen to room, board and tuition at the 15- day August conference at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt. Judith Burns was awarded the Merit Paper in fiction for her story, The Silent Drum. Two poems, Coexistence by Sister M. Sharon Deane and Carpe Diem by Karen Meier, won honorable mention in the contest. The award- winning works appear in the 1967 Mundelein Review. IN ADDITION TO NATIONAL AWARDS, Mundelein writers re ceive the Josephine Lusk Awards Sisters Study Contemporary Nun on Susskind's Show Sister Mary Griffin, academic dean, and Sister Joan Delaney, Russian department, who will re ceive her Ph.D. in Russian litera ture at Harvard University in June, appeared on the David Suss- kind Show, May 21, Channel 32 at 10:15 p.m. The conversation centered around the experiment regarding the sis ters' change of clothes and on the role of the Church in the modern world. To open the discussion, Mr. Suss- kind commented to Sister Griffin that she looked like a woman. In agreement, Sister added that to a nun dressed in the traditional habit, she almost feels she's a member of a third sex. Conse quently, she added, there is a tend ency to suppress femininity. When questioned as to whether sisters are no longer respected due to their more informal attire, Sis ter Joan said that a student at Harvard admitted that he didn't know there had been a barrier be fore, but since it is gone, it is a great relief. Sister Joan added that I never College Annouces Contractors For Learning Resource Center Construction on the Learning Resource Center, costing approximately 3,075,000, will be under the direction of M. A. Lombard and Son Co., Chicago. This firm also built Coffey Hall, a Mundelein resident dormi tory. The other contractors accepted by the College were Krecji Plumbing, T. F. Hanley Corp. (heating and air-conditioning) and Divane Brothers Electric Co. In addition to the previously quoted price, an additional 300,000 is needed for architect's and legal fees and contingency and site improve ment costs. Due to this additional cost, and to the already high cost of con struction, the College must renew its fund-raising drive. One-half mil lion dollars is still needed to supplement the 515,000 already raised. To add to the contributions of alumnae, the College is notifying foun dations, corporations and friends of their need in the hope of raising the necessr.ry amount. felt my dedication was in my habit, when asked if she missed the traditional dress. It was pointed out that in the past, nuns were not required to wear any specific habit. Sister Griffin af firmed that I didn't make this change lightly. We laid the habit aside because we felt it was im portant to find some way to avail ourselves to the world we live in. Furthermore, Sister asserted that the habit is directly from the 19th century. Indeed, she added, it is time to find another symbol that would be more meaningful. Sister Griffin added that, if nec essary, I would go back to the old habit with some reluctance, but, she continued, I don't expect it to happen, incidentally. Sister Griffin said that it is im portant to discover what a nun is and what the base of her operation should be. When asked if Chicago lay persons were hostile to her change of dress she explained that the basis of a sister's life is Chris tian charity and when this is ex plained to skeptical persons, it makes them stop and think. The key word to the whole dis cussion on change of habits seemed to be flexibility. Sister Joan said, We are not looking for one thing for the next 100 years; we should be able to, but not have to, wear the same outfit all the time. In discussing the Church in the world, Sister Joan said that spon taneity on the part of individual Catholics should prevail. A Catho lic lay person should not have to wait for the word from his bishop in order to go out to practice social action. In reference to the recent addi tion of laymen to the executive board of Notre Dame University, the secularization of Webster Col lege and English theologian Charles Davis' leaving the Church, Sister Griffin stated that one runs risks, one takes chances that there may be deep and far-reaching effects when a Vatican Council allows for the Church to become more a part of the changing world. However, when asked about the defection of religious from their orders, Sister Joan pointed out that Charles Davis' decision and Sister Jacqueline's are not parallel cases. For Davis left the Church, and Sis ter left her order. Such a distinc tion is imperative to make, Sister asserted. Mr. Susskind's question regard ing the vow of chastity and the possibility of it ever giving way to another vow was answered with some deliberation by Sister Griffin. She thought that this could possi bly happen, pointing out the ex ample of a Protestant group in Chicago who practice obedience and maintain poverty in the married state. in creative writing from the Col lege. The awards are donated by Dr. Frank Lusk, college benefactor. The short story award was given to Patricia Malcolm for A winter affair (Review). Frostbite by Kathleen Pellitier and Grandfa ther and the Daffodils by Barbara Walsh (both in the Review) won honorable mention. Sister Ann Baker, author of After Advent (Review) merited the poetry award, while honorable mention went to Carol Sendecke for A Leaf Secured on a Bulletin Board (Review) and to Sister Sharon Deane for The Leaf Ma chine (Review). ART EXHIBIT OFFERS PRO VOCATIVE DISPLAY (Sky scraper, Nov. 30, 1966) by Sister Frances Tamulonis won the con temporary criticism award. Kathy Cummins, author of Absurdist 'Passion Play' Creates Obsolete Christ (Skyscraper, Dec. 7, 1966) and Susan De May, author of The Novels of Walker Percy (Review) gained honorable mention. Jean Durall Lewin and Jennifer Joyce won the editorial award for Advocate New 3-3 Revisions (Skyscraper, March 1, 1967). Hon orable mention was given to Jean Durall for Delays Decision on Contraception (Skyscraper, Nov. 16, 1966) and to Jennifer Joyce for Activists Seek Student Voice (Skyscraper, Nov. 30, 1966). RENEE RING RECEIVED HONORABLE MENTION in the short story division of the Kappa Gamma Pi national writing contest for Call Me Ishmael (Review). All the student writers who mer ited awards will receive recogni tion at the Honors Convocation, today, May 31. Students Elect Leaders For Class and Dorms Elections for the 1967-68 senior class were held May 15 and 16. Results were as follows: president, Barbara Dahlder; vice-president, Mary Jane Delisi; secretary, Carol L a P a s s o; treasurer, La Verne Notto; social chairman, Roxann Schaar; MSC representative, Judy Innis; and rules committee repre sentative, Mary Ann Letizio. Sev enty per cent of the class voted. The junior class elected as presi dent, Nancy Doll; vice-president, Judy Becker; secretary, Ann Beffa; treasurer, Gerry Haney; social chairman, Donna Plennert; MSC representative, Mary Cooney; and rules committee representative, Fran Lee. Juniors also held elec tions May 15 and 16 when 63 per cent of the class voted. Sophomore president will be Mary Ann Anderson; vice-presi dent, Jean Gilrein; secretary, Marge Race; treasurer, Marianne Laydon; social chairman, Judy Widtmann; MSC representative, Molly Mcllhon; and rules commit tee representative, Diane Dougal. Sixty-five per cent of the class voted at the elections May 18 and 19. Dorm Council elections, May 18, resulted in the election of Rose mary O'Brien as president; Coffey Hall vice-president, Carol Wenger; Northland Hall vice-president, Rosemary Sokolik; secretary, Sue Pavnick; treasurer, Mary O'Con- nell; and social chairman, Pat Lawler. Eighty-nine per cent of the residents voted in the election.
title:
1967-05-31 (7)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
subject:
Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
subject:
Students
subject:
Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
relation:
Mundelein College Records
type:
Text
language:
English
rights:
This image is issued by the Women and Leadership Archives. Use of the image requires written permission from the Director of the Women and Leadership Archives. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with the Director. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago. wlarchives@luc.edu
coverage:
Chicago, Illinois
coverage:
Mundelein College