Spike Lee Addresse J
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THE TUFTS DAILY Where You Read It First . Wednesday, February 24,1993 Vol XXVI, Number 22 Trustees Spike Lee addresse j: Tufts community to discuss Famed director discusses‘Malcolm X’ and aspects surrounding its production by PATRICK HEALY But that hasn’t worked out.” e .. Daily Editorial Board The audience of about 625 Two days after last Sunday’s people, of which nearly 600 were sororities 20th anniversary of Malcolm X’s Tufts students, listened as Lee de- by SUZANNE STOLLER assassination, film director Spike scribed the two-year process be- Contributing Writer Lee came to Tufts to describe the hind Malcolm X. He assumed his (This is thefirst in a series of process behind creating his movie capacity as director after the origi- articles focusing on the future of about the black leader and to field nal director, Norman Jewison the Tufts Greek system.) questions about his personal (Moonstruck), withdrew from the The Tufts Board of Trustees thoughts on a range of issues. project following a meeting with will convene on campus for its While the scope of the discus- Lee and the film’s producers. fist triannual meeting of the year sion last night almost matched “I protested in the press that on Saturday, Feb. 27. Although Lee’s lengthy epic on Malcolm X, Norman Jewison wasn’t the right the main concern will be the Uni- the event seemed to neither over- director for this film,” Lee said. versity budget, the trustees will whelm nor faze the director. For “This film needed a black direc- also consider the future status of almost an hour, Lee spoke exclu- tor.” the Greek system. sively about the problems and joys He said such racial or gender What started with a faculty of making Malcolm X, which re- qualifications are applicable in vote recommending the placed “Racism in America” as only certain cases, noting his be- coedification of the Tufts Greek the topic of the evening, and then liefthat The Godfather trilogy and system has progressed through briefly summarized his own pro- films like Raging Bull and theranks, to AcademicVicePresi- fessional career. Goodfellas were so successful in dent Melvin Bemstein, Provost In brief, pointed remarks, the part because its directorswere Ital- Sol Gittleman, University Presi- director spoke of his passion to ian Americans. dent John DiBiaggio and finally film The Autobiography of AfterJewisonbowedoutofthe to the Board of Trustees. Secre- MalcolmX, which he read early in production, Lee chose author tary of the Corporation Linda high school. James Baldwin’s adaption of the Dixon said,“Itwasacknowledged “To this date, I’m 35 now, to autobiography as a template for that [the Greek system] is an issue date it is the most important book his film’s final script. The director that wasn’t going to go away.” I’ve read,” said Lee. “I hadno idea also found himself haggling with However, the Trustees will not that I would end up shooting a the film’s production studio, vote on the fate of the Greek script based on that book. Back Warner Brothers, over the operat- system until a later date, and not Phot0 by Olivier Tittmann then I didn’t want to be a film- this weekend, as was originally SpikeLeespoke toa capacity crowd last night inCohen Auditorium. maker, I wanted to be an athlete. see SPEECH, page 9 thought. The 35 trustees originate from Lee expresses views on race relations in press conference Q&A informative, different regions of the United States and have many different by MAUREEN LENIHAN Administration would like to keep to empower themselves at the ex- sometimes testy careers.About70percent of them Senior Staff Writer the African American population pense ofwhite students,” said Lee, by PATRICK HEALY - are affiliated with Tufts, and the Urging students to pressure the at Tufts small. stating that they only want to Daily Editorial Board remaining 30 percent consists of Tufts Administration to diversify “I don’t know the situation,but “strengthen their ties.” Lee added Often bowing his head or repri- highly respected business people the campus, Spike Lee last night a lot of people might think that the there were likely all-white dorms manding those whose questions or firiendsandbenefactorsofTufts. encouraged University officials to powers that be want to keep it this at Tufts, considering the number ranged from confusing to almost Theupcoming conference will increase financial aid for minority way,” assertedlee, addingthe only of African American students. insolent, Spike Lee supplied a focus on the budgets of all eight students and enhance special in- way to increase minority popula- “HOWmany black students go wealth of opinion about Malcolm schools in the University, as well terest housing on campus. tion is by putting pressure on the here?’askedLee, shakinghis head X, racism, U.S. cinema, women, as some other issues. According At a press conference follow- Administration. at the answer of three percent. “I people of color, politics, and Bill to Dixon, “I don’t expect that the ing his speech, Lee affirmed the “If you want the change, it just don’t see how it could be divi- Clinton but managed to reveal little [Greek system] will come up for general rise in racial tensions on can’t be the black students. They sive.” about either himself or his future. a great deal of discussion.” college campusesnationwide, not- are only three percent. If you want Lee also reiterated the impor- Lee said he is currently taking a Chairman of the Board of ing that he finds this tension wher- more diversity, it [the pressure] tance of financial aid, adding that sabbatical from filmmaking after Trustees Nelson Gifford said that ever he travels. has to come from the concerned the Administration should con- his grueling two year-experience he sent a memo to each of the 35 “People think that it should not white majority,” Lee said. tinue to seriously address expand- making Malcolm X. He is cur- members earlier this month in- happen on a college campus, but a Lee roundly endorsed special ing aid for minority students. rently teaching two classes, forming them of the conflict sur- campus is a microcosm of society interest housing at Tufts when The brief conference, called Screenwriting and Contemporary rounding the Greek system. For as a whole. It’s the real world,” asked whether he thought it was specifically for the Tufts media, African American Cinema, at many trustees, this memo was the stated Lee, adding that college “divisive.” He attributed special lasted approximately 30 minutes. Harvard University, after Afro- first they heard of the discord. campuses are not utopias. interesthousing to minority groups Lee was the first speaker in the American Departmentchair Henry The function of the trustees is When asked how Tufts can in- trying to empower themselves. newly-formed Presidential Lecture see SESSION, page 11 to dictate all policy regarding the crease its African American popu- “Black students are not trving Series. University. The board is broken lation, Lee stated that it could only down into three committees: Ad- be accomplished through pressure ministration and Finance, Devel- by Tufts community members. opment, and Academic Affairs. “Students, alumni, and parents Dixon said that Gifford empha- hold a lot of clout, a lot of juice, sized that “they [the committees] and should get on the are supposed to make decisions Administration’s ass. Active re- for the greater worth of the whole cruitment is the answer,” saidLee, University.” adding that it was “for the better- ment of everyone.” see MEETING, page 10 Lee reminded the students that demographicsin the United States are changing and that the white Inside population will be in the minority in the next century. Features ........................ P. 3 National Condom Week booths are “This [college] is the one op- xected in the Campus Center, and a portunity to learn about other eth- quest for Robocop. nic groups,” said Lee, admonish- ing, “deal with it now, or deal with Arts ............................... P. 5 it later - butthe numbers don’t lie.” Neneh Cherry’s latest has great lyr- Administration tactics? ics, and a new book explores the angst Lee told students that the Ad- ,f the t?ee trade. ministration at Tufts should ear- mark financialaid money for Afri- sports ............................ P. 7 can American and other minority Men’s hoops topsa tough Clark team, students saying, “if they want to, :quash finishes up their campaign, and they can do it.” arylooks forward to baseball 1993. Photo by Olivier Tttmann Lee suggested that perhaps the Students stood in line for over three hours in the cold for tickets to Lee’s show. Letters to the Editor- THETUFTS DAIL’I a pleasant sense of burden to contribute to ample, Trustee Chairman Nelson Gifford Lecture series begins the intellectual stimulation and intellectual is a military man who joined fresh out of Paul Horan To the Editor: Editor-in-Chief movements of our university. college. So I would say to those who think The “university” has traditionally been they are going to end ROTC scholarships Managing Editor: Elizabeth Yellen the focal point of intellectual movements Ken Archer A’96 at Tufts: Good luck! You’ll need it. Associate Editors: Elin Dugan, Caroline Schaefei in our society. By observing the consensus Chair, Lecture Series of opinion in the “university” in any field of Production Managers: Julie Cornell, TCU Senator Graham Bengen A’93 Michael B. Berg, Jamie Fink study, one (;an predict where that field will Ken Jackman A’93 be in 10-20 years. For example, the Chair, Programming Board NEWS nonviolence philosophy of the civil rights Editor: Stephen Arbuthnot Assistint Editors: John Wagley, movement was preceded by the Fellow- ZBT head argues for David Meyers, Christi Beebe ship of Reconciliation, founded at Cam- Faculty fights ROTC Wire Editor: Joel Goldberg bridge University in 19 14,which promoted To the Editor: Greek system’s value Assitant Editor: Vijak Sethaput nonviolent resistance.