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I) CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1965 Academic Freedom Question Haunts Study Commission By JULIA PARKER Tar Heel Staff Writer "The speaker ban law has very little to do with subver sion and nothing to do with communism of a significant sort. Any professional Commu nist who could not wriggle through this net would be sacked for incompetence by his superiors. It does serve the purpose of making certain doc trines . . . more attractive than they would otherwise be, and in this way is a positive aid to professional . . . leftist causes ..." So did Dr. Douglas M. Knight, president of Duke, sum up North Carolina's gag meas ure in his .speech at UNC's commencement this spring, . However, Knight did state strongly that the speaker ban has everything to do with aca demic freedom. A Tar Heel Special Report What is academic freedom '.. anyway? Who should have fin al control over the activities of a state university? Where does freedom end and license be gin? Where does vigilance cease and supposition of rights take over? For two years newspapers, forensic teams, women's clubs, and student governments have made up for the lick-and-a-promise debate given t h e measure by the General As sembly in the closing hours of a heat-weary legislature. . In response to the rising vol ume of protests, a commission was appointed to study the gag law. And the question of "What is academic freedom any way?" will at least hover in the backs of their minds, for it is on this issue that opponents of the law have founded their arguments for repeal. Dr. Frank P. Graham in his 1931 Armistice Day address defined it as "The right to. lawful assembly and free dis cussions by students of any issues and views whatsoever 1 In 1963, before passage of I the gag law, UNC's board of trustees issued this statement:' 'It is every professor's re sponsibility to discover, speak and teach the truth however ... unpopular this may be to others." Time magazine in its May 10, 1963, issue qualified facul ty freedom with: "Academic ID Cards Available National Student Association identification cards are now available from the Student Government affices on the sec ond floor of GM. The cards, useful for stu dents traveling in Europe, pro viding discounts on lodging, food, and entertainment, may be obtained any afternoon from 2 to 5 for a fee of $2. Students applying for the cards should also bring a small photograph of themselves. freedom cannot properly be employed to license odd - ball behavior or give special sanc tion to a teacher's statements when made off campus or out side his field. It does not ex empt professors from criti cism." Commenting specifically on the problem of communism being preached on college campuses, Time said that curb ing a Communist's freedom of speech "is an actual violation of his rights, whereas he mere ly talks about curbing others' rights." Maintaining that a violation of academic freedom poses a violation of freedom of speech, University officials regard the ban as unconstitutional. "We do not believe t h a tspe es have created any serious danger to the state or its youth," said theUNC faculty in a unanimously - adopted statement. "The statute reflects a fear regarding the strength of our democratic institutions which Ave do not share." -. : Freedom of discussion on the campus has made few if any converts to communism . . . Faith in American insti tutions can be engendered and preserved far more effective ly by meeting our challengers openly than by attempting to put legislative stoppers in youthful ears." Student Body President Paul Dickson said "No government has the right to censor ideas and philosophies. I think that we as a student body should settle for nothing less than re peal. We have shown our will ingness to compromise in the past by supporting various amendments to the law, but the time for compromise is gone now." "Trustees, faculty and ad ministrative officers," said Knight, "are the men in charge of guaranteeing responsible academic freedom in univer sities and should therefore de termine who speaks in univer sity facilities." Exam Schedule Doomsday Nears The day of reckoning is close at hand. Twice dur ing each summer school the terror of final examina tions descends on students, and strikes fear into the hearts of even the most sturdy members of the under graduate community. . Here's the bad news: Friday, July 16 10:30 8 to 10 a.m. 2:00 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 7:30 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July) 17 9:00 '. 8 to 10 a.m. 12:00 : L 11 a.m. to 1 p'.m. P.Rl's and other not otherw,ise.pQvidedion 3 to.5 pnv 4TTH Today In GI i err: SATURDAY, NIGHT WRESTLING?: No, it's just a friendly pillow fight between William and Martha Nell Hardy as they' rehearse for tonight's opening of Noel Coward's "Private Lives." The1 Playmaker production will begin at 8 p.m. in Graham Memorial lounge. Morgan Asks N. C. Schools To Conform With Tradition Board3 of - state supported institutions of higher educa tion must carry out "policies in conformity with American traditions" in order to modify the controversial speaker ban law, State Sen. Robert B. Mor gan told an American Legion audience in Dunn Sunday. Morgan, president pro tern of the Senate and chairman of the board of East Carolina College, commended the Le gion for "everlasting opposi tion to communism in what ever form it may appear." He said, "Your opposition to ives9 appearances of Communist leaders in our colleges- and schools has helped . alert the people to this ever - present danger." Morgan spoke at installation ceremonies for State Com mander J. Alvis Carver of Dunn and other officials of the N. C. Department of the Amer ican Legion. "I think that most of our college boards do a fine job but I must recognize that the pelple have rightly in many instances lost confidence in these boards to clean their own house," Morgan said. "These boards must demon strate first a full understand ing of their responsibilities by laying, down policy and car rying out these policies in con formity with American tradi tions. Only then can they be expected or be entitled to the return of authority." The senator . blamed the speaker ban law on the failure of institutional boards to "clean their own houses" and added: "We must not lose sight of the fact that the Legislature is the major link between the citizens and these schools." Gag Study The commission appointed to study effects of the speaker ban law on state - supported schools will hold its first meet ing next week. Commission chairman Rep. David Britt of Robeson said that the study panel will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Building in Ra leigh:"" ""' Oioeiig iOunge Playmakcrs Schedule 4-Day Run The scenery is painted, the lines are rehearsed and the Carolina Playmaers are ready to open "Private Lives" tonight in the Graham Memor ial lounge. The Noel Coward comedy will begin a four-day run with all performances scheduled at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Coward's play which one critic called "a kind of upper class Punch-and-Judy number, full of genteel slapstick" cen ters around an English cou ple who have been divorced for five years. The couple meets again when they are on their honey moons with new mates. They fall hopelessly in love and run off together to Paris. The play is the story of their flight from their new mates, their furni ture - smashing arguments, their romps on the sofa and their bliss. Martha Nell Hardy, a vete ran Playmaker, will appear in the role of Amanda,, the tem peramental wife, which was originated by Gertrude Lawr ence, and later played by Tal lulah Bankhead in a Broad way revival. Mrs. Hardy was last seen as the grotesque Madame Rose pettle in last semester's Play maker production of "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad." Playing opposite her in the role of Elyot is her husband William M. Hardy, an associ ate professor in the Depart ment of Radio, Television and Motion Pictures. Both of the Hardys have ap peared in numerous Playmak er productions. For the last two summers, the Hardys have acted at Tanglewood Barn The ater in Winston - Salem. Phyllis Rice of Quaker Hill, Conn., and Alan Pickrell of Emory, Va., will be seen as the poor unfortunates who find themselves without their re spective mates on the first night of their honeymoon. Miss Rice, a student at George Washington University, will be seen as the designedly (Continued on Page 3) Inside I Nine North Carolina Vol- f unteers are working on the p Chapel Hill project. How i do they feel about their if jobs? See page 7. I Former DTH editor i Hugh Stevens refutes ff charges against the Uni- p versity made by Sen. Rob- g ert Morgan. See page 5. p Another view of the It speaker ban controversy, this one from a Virginia fl newsman, appears on Page 4 ... I- k
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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July 8, 1965, edition 1
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