Opinion Divided on Valu~ of ND Japan Program by Bob Mader Pspecially Those of Fr
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.- ; ' . ~ . ' '• '· university of notre dame - st. mary's college No. 123 Vol. IX !Monday, April 28, 1975 Opinion divided on valu~ of ND Japan program by Bob Mader Pspecially those of Fr. George Minamiki of the Staff Reporter Modern Language Department have been hindered by "bureaucratic inertia, partly because it is the Opinion is divided among students who have smallest and most expensive program ad participated in the foreign study program in Japan ministered by the University." concerning the academic value of the year abroad. The three declined to comment on particular A letter from three Notre Dame students complaints and suggestions they have concerning presently enrolled in the program was recieved by the program since they "involve particulars and Observet· editors last Thursday calling Sophia personalities with which those not involved in the University in Tokyo a "High School with ashtrays," program have no business." They hope that Dr. and claiming they had been threatened with ex Charles Parnell. who will take over the directorship pulsion if they withdrew from the final trimester of of the Foreign Studies Program in June, "will study. undertake a comprehensive review of the Roy Yanigahara who participated in the 1973-74 situation." Japan program said SoP,hia, like any other The letter concludes by again stating that the university has both good and bad professors. He administration stance that students must stay the commented that a few of the professors were among full year is a drastic change in policy and their the most qualified Asian scholars now teaching. In belief that it should not be implemented. Dick regory warns------~ ----- ------ -- ----. particular he cited a Jesuit who had received his Parnell said he will visit Sophia University in PhD. in Asian studies from Cambridge University. June to familiarize himself with the program. He of hunger rioting "Broestl <director of the Foreign Studies Program) remarked that the University will not offer a is probably right," Yanigahara stated, "the program which has no value to the students, but at Dick Gregory. humorist and civil rights activist, warned Americans of students just want to travel on school time. They're the same time he will review the situation with an impE-nding hunger rioting in an address Saturday night in Stepan Center. not fooling anybody." open mind, and consider student opinion of the Gregory told an audience of about 420 persons that the current weather Olga Quan said some of the academic programs program. and crop situations will cause prices of rice and soybeans to climb were bad but the opportunities to travel provided ctrast ically. This price rise, Gregory said, will drive millions of for in the program made the experience very worth Am(•ricans out of the supermarket and will cause food riots in the streets. while. In regards to Fr. Broestl's remark that he The combination of inflation and recession has already caused many had received no complaints about the academic Americans to change their eating habits and has forced them to turn value of the program, Quan stated this couldn't be away from mPat and to inexpensive grains, Gregory explained. true. She said she had written him in the first At faull for thil!'situation is theAmt•ricangovernment, Gregory claimed. semester of her year in Japan citing weaknesses of lit> stated that the government should have begun programs two years the courses at Sophia. r~ ago to ration food. James Lyons termed the program as "excellent" "The number one crisis is food, and the number two crisis is water," and said students have a chance to experience a the activist stated. "They know that 98 percent of the nation's water grPat deal of Japanese society. He stated that i~ supply is contaminated and can cause cancer." Sophia has both good and bad professors, but in . •• Government inaction will lead to nationwide food riots which will "level foreign country o~portunities to study aren't as the nation in six days," Gregory noted. He added that the Pentagon great as they are at Notre Dame. "I can't see why alt>rted the military to prepare for food riots and claimed that police anyone would complain about an easy course," he officials in Los Angeles have been training for such disturbances for said and added "The students who complain have no seven months. grounds. The signed up for it and they have a Gregory observed that private attempts to hoard food will be useless. commitment." "You can run out and hoard all the food you want, because if you have Three other students who have spent the year some food and I don't, yours isn't safe." The address was sponsored by abroad. Ann Pinkerton, Laurie Moore, and Stephen the Notre Dame World Hunger Coalition and Gregory was introduced by Pettit. sent a letter to the Observer editor sup Fr. Frank Gartland, director of the coalition. porting the complaints of the students in Japan. In his introduction, Gartland praised Gregory as a talented and "We believe. based upon personal experience in the determined friend of the poor, the hungry, oppressed and unfree peoples Yt>ar in Japan Program," the letter begins, "That a of the world. "He gave himself wholeheartedly to the struggle fl)r peace, large part of what the three students claimed about to battle for civil rights, to articulate the defense of the defenseless un the academics at Sophia University is true." born children sacrificed at the altar of abortion, and for these past Pinkerton. Moore, and Pettit state that the threat several years to lead the cause of getting help for the hungry." of expulsion which the students received was In his 75-minute informal speech,Gregoryalso attacked the Central probably in response to pressure from Fr. Jose Intelligence Agency as an incursion on the rights of privacy of in Dt•vera. S.J., director of the program in Japan and dividuals. Vice-Rector of Sophia University. As far as Gregory. who has publicly called for a reopening of the investigation (•quating withdrawal from Sophia with withdrawal into assassination of President Kennedy, charged the CIA with in from Notre Dame, the three called this "a marked volvemPnt in the assassination. TWO PARTICIPANTS dance their hearts out in the change in policy." Both Pettit and Moore returned recent marathon held for the benefit of the The activist appealed for audience support in helping to abolish the to the United States last year before the program CIA. II{' suggested a nationwide crusade of fasting in which persons Muscular Dystrophy Fund. (Photo by Patty was completed. Romano) would abstain from eating for a 24-hour period starting Friday and ending The three stated that the "program has great Saturday to display opposition to CIA activities. He asked for a show of possibilities ... hands in the audience to see how many persons are interested in such a But it seems it was set up and then left to run itself." fast and about one hundred persons responded. (Continued on page 9) Tht>y say attempts to improve the program. Effects of Harter Heights amendment explained by Jeffery Pecore Bend were passed in 1926, and the housing that exists now will stin separate incomes," continued areas.'' Stan Ht>porter definition of a "family" in those exist next year. "There will be no Parent. "In this way there were Parent announced that meetings days was well understood. But as problems unless the student more wage-earners residing in the are now underway to discuss In the furor of recent discussion the times changed, so did the population at ND increases, and house than the normal one or two possible exemptions to allow for concerning the effect that the meaning of certain terms such as I then it will be up to the University per family and more rent could handicapped people, retarded Harter Heights Amendment will "family." Professor Arthur to take some action toward more legally be charged. This type of people and religious groups to live have on Notre Dame students Quigley, a faculty member at on-campus housing. I think the bill situation destabilizes the rent in one residence in familu areas of living off-campus, the city of South Notre Dame who was involved will lead to better communication structure and makes fewer homes South Bend such as the A district. Bend and its people, has been with the bill stated,"What was and cooperation between the available for families." Lict>nsing proct>durt> overlooked, according to City needed was an updating of the · students and the neighborhoods. Parent also cited the greater Councilman Roger Parent. Parent zoning lawsiand theHarterHeights We certainly welcome student strain on public services a boarding A licensing procedure is being praised the law as "one step in bill is an attempt to do this." involvement in our neighborhood house arrangement creates. This considered in order to control the preventing the deterioration of Langford stated that the bill is groups and we want to help causes the neighborhoods to ' density of such exempitons in each South Bend neighborhoods." not meant to be a cure all but that students who are being taken deteriorate more quickly. neighborhood. "Too many City-wide -effort he thinks it is a "healthy thin_g." advantag~ of," Langford added. "Overcrowding is a prime cau~e of exemptions would weaken a neigh James Langford, a local The South Bend resident also <'ouncilman Parent deterioration." Parent stated. borhood for reasons mentioned resident, stressed the fact that the emphasized the fact that the Councilman Parent talked about The South Bend councilman before," Parent said, "and nobody amendment was proposed by not amendment was not aimed against effect of the Harter Heights bill on continued by stating that cities J wants that." only the Harter Heights neigh Notre Dame students and that South Bend.