' I I I•' I j _,. 1o

Feb. 21, 1979

A .LOOK INSIDE:

Iranian students: what next?

Vietnam: the ''old friend''

·Bonds devalued

First look

pg s pg 6

pg 3

.pg 4

•

·Merger intrigues continue by Frank Mullen

dill.. State Senator Hugh Fowler (R-Littleton) said last week the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCIIE)'s directives for Auraria reorgani­zation will fail to solve campus problems, and a change in governance-via _a merger of Auraria 's two largesl instutitions-is the

• only workable alternative for the campus. Fowler, chairman of the Senate Educa­

tion Committee, said he will introduce legislation into committee next week which would merge Metropolitan State College (MSC) and the University o{ Colorado at Denver (UCD), and set up lo­cally-elected governing boards for all state colleges.

On Jan. 5, the CCHE voted 6-3 to re­commend "consolidation, elimination or joint operation" of 38 "duplicitive pro­

"' grams" offered at MSC and UCD. Dr. Lee Kerschner, CCHE executive director, asked the two institutions to submit recommen-

. elations on the future of the 38 programs and asked the Auraria Board of Directors to submit suggestions on centralizing aca­demic support services under one or the other of tbe institutions.

The CCHE's directive stopped short of recommending a full merger of MSC and UCD. A CCHE spokesman said Feb. 16 the commission wishes to "maintain the

4rlndividuality" of the two institutions but an eventual merger of MSC and UCD has not been ruled out.

"I wish the CCHE luck with their p]an," Fowler said, "But· I don't think it can he done. The (CCHE) plan leaves the basic defect in the system."

Fowler said Lhe "basic defect" is the present system of governance in Colorado. Ile said an elected board for each institu­tion would he more responsive to student need$. The problems at Auraria , he said, are made much more complex by the di­vision of authority among the three insti­tutions and the Auraria Board.

Presently, the Auraria Board 1nanages the Student Center and Child Care Cen­~e rs, Public Safety, Physical Plant, the warehouse and other "non-academic" facilities and services. The three institu­tions manage individual academic support services (financial aid, counseling, veterans' affairs and others) and offer their own vo­cational, undergraduate and graduate pro­grams.

UCD and MSC offer undergraduate programs in many of the same are'as. The CCHE Jan. 5 report cited 38 "duplica.ted programs" in the areas of business, management, arts and sciences, and the social sciences.

Fowler said while other state agencies have increased their workloads, they have managed to hold down budgetary· increas­es. Higher education, he said, is experienc~ ing a decline in enro11ments,° yet they have had a great increase in costs. He said Auraria is a prime example of money wasted due to duplication of programs,

services, and a m~nagement system too complex to be effective.

"You have an i m pos.sihle situation down there (Auraria)," Fowler said. "The attitude (of the institutions) is 'leave us

D u ·c

alon'e and everything will be okay' We've (the legislature) left them alone for seven years, and the problems are still there ... it isn't because they haven't tried to solve h " t em. continued on page three

The Metropolitan Feb. 21, 1979

NEWS

The Bailey Alliance, an anti-nuclear coalition, hosted the Midwest No-Nuke Conference February 9-10 in Gary, Indi­ana. Three hundred sixty persons from midwest and coas.tal states participated in conference activities, including workshops, social gatherings, decision-making sessions, and a rally.

In the midwest, anti-nuclear activities are directed mainly towards power plants. Fifty per cent of Chicago's electrical pow­er is generated by nuclear fission, dotting the area with nuclear power plants. Urani­um must he transported into the area,

and the wastes must he removed. Anti-nu­clear forces maintain this is an extremely hazardous cycle, and demand it he stop­ped.

The first of the national actions , will he at Grants, New Mexico on April 28 .. \ Uranium is being mined there on Chicano and Native American grant land and reservations. The same weekend, Colora­doans will focus once again on the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility, demanding the closing of the plant, and compensation for the workers. ·

Culture notes

Art Music The newly formed Westhank Artists' The Metropolitan State College (MSC)

Guild will hold a "starving artist's" sale Players open their spring theatre season March 3-4 at St. Francis Interfaith Center. the last week of March with an Evening of Space must he reserved no later than One-Acts. Friday, March 2 by leaving word in the The Players, MSC's theatre group, will Art Club box in AR 187 (MSC Fine Arts present Saigon, Mon Amie Vielles, written Office). and directed by David Jones, and The

Formerly the Cherokee Street Artists Exception and the Rules, written by Guild, Westbank grew out of a need for Bertold Brecht and directed by Victoria better organization and increased Stastica. The plays will run on March membership, says Vice-President Susie 28-31 and April 4-8. Aikman. "As of a week ago, we had 20 Steve Anger, president of the Players, members, compared to Cherokee's two. said the group is looking for interested To become a ·member, you must he an students who want to sharper their skills MSC student and pay a $5 membership at acting, lighting, set building, and all fee." other jobs necessary for a sucessful

In exchange for the fee, Westhank production. He said those interested in offers students an opportunity to joining the. theatre group, or assisting in showcase their work in art sales the production, may call 629-3043-or tl!,roughout the semester. "F~r this first drop by the MSC Theatre in room 271 of show, you don't need a frame, and the the Arts Building. pricing limit is $50," says '.Aikman. "From 1-;.----------------t the sale8, students can buy frames for a For more information call Brian Hende ~ 'uried exhibition later this semester." at 321-4864.

GET AWAY FROM IT ALL -- -IN THE MIIJDLE OF IT ALL

TIE Ill CDTlll' BISTIUBllT

TWO ' 1••

in Historic 9th Street Park 906 Curtis Street

Hamburgers/ Fries I Soup I Chili Homemade Rurritoes & Tostadoes 3. 2 Pub (in the Ce! lar)

Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

'·

l ..

' .· The Metropolitan Feb. 21, 1979

NEWS Bonds devalued

Auraria market bearish by Winston Dell

Those who think the Auraria Student Center and parking lots are worth less these days have a major bond-rating service agreeing with them.

Daniel Paulien, Auraria Director of Facilities Planning and Utilization, announced to the Student Services Policy Council Feb. 14 that· Standard and Poor's, a nation-wide rater of municipal bonds, lowered the rating of the student center

and parking lot revenue bonds in February.

Both sets of bonds were sold to the general public to finance the construction of the Auraria Student and Child Care Centers, student lounges located throughout the campus, and the Auraria parking lots. The bonds were rated by Standard and Poor's for sale on the bond market, with rating based on the stability of the bonded enterprise.

Standard and Poor's , Paulien said, lowered the bonds one-half

.. Merger continues continued from page one

Jean Hoover, executive assistant at the CCHE said many in the legislature are concerned with rising costs and believe new laws are needed to save money in higher education. She said if Auraria 's institutions were unable lo come to a cornmon agreement on reorganization, the Commission would have to look at the suggestions presented and make their own

~ proposal on the campus' future. "They (the institutions) have to try to

give us something we can sell to the Jegislature," she said.

On Feb. 15, the CCHE director addressed a joint meeting of the House

~* ' and Senate Education Committees. Fowler said the director indicated CCHE may recommend a merger of MSC and UCD should the two institutions fail to come to an agreement The committees asked the Auraria executives to appear before them

...._. March 1, to report on their progress in consolidating programs and services. The chief executives of MSC and UCD are meeting Feb. 23 to continue negotiations on consolidation.

UCD Chancellor Harold Haak said "it ":: would be an error" to move too quickly

into consolidation. ''We should not view this as a merger,"

Haak told a group of MSC faculty recently. ''We should view (consolidation) as an exercise in what makes the best

....,. academic sense." Haak said consolidation is an academic

rather tharr a legislative process. He said a schedule should be set up so the institutions can show the lawmakers "we are working on this. " This week,

• · administrators, deans and faculty chair­persons from MSC and UCD will meet to discuss consolidation.

Auraria Director Jerry Wartgow said the Auraria staff and representatives of the three schools are forming committees

.. to "identify issues and questions" and come up with a process for consolidation. At this stage, the committees will not make recommendations .where each service will be assigned, he said.

"I still believe the Auraria Board's • recommendation (to merge MSC and UCD

outright) is the best one," he said. ''But I think the CCHE's recommendation is a viable alternative."

The College Action Committee of MSC, com posed of adminstralors, faculty and students, published a draft statement of "differen.tiation" of roles" for MSC, UCD and the Community College of Denver al Auraria (CCD-A). .

The committee proposes that all graduate programs be assigned to UCD, all undergraduate four-year programs be assigned to MSC, and all two-year and vocational programs he limited to CCD-A. The draft proposal contains provisions for cross-registration among the three institutions and assigns support services to the schools, with the hulk of management' responsibility· going to MSC.

Mike Priest, an MSC student on the action committee, said Acting-President

In July, 1981, the "sun may set" on the present three school-one campus concept at Auraria, if a proposed bill to bring Auraria under the state 's "sunset" law passes the legislature.

The "sunset" law provides that state agenc~es must prove their effectiveness or face reorganization or termination. Tom Tancredo (R-Arvada), chairman of ~e House Education Committee, is drafting the hill in response to Colorado Commission on mgher Education (CCHE) recommendations for changes in the academic and administrative structure of the Auraria campus.

The CCHE recommendation states that the Au.raria Board and the three institutions "shall- on July 1, 1981-either terminate, be subject to merger or be subject to such other governance recommendations as shall by then he found appropriate."

Another hill, soon to be proposed by Senate Education Committee Chairman Hugh Fowler (R-Littleton), would merge MSC and the University of Colorado at Denver and set up indiv i dual locally-elected governing boards for all state colleges.

Fowler recently introduced another bill which would abolish the State Board of Community Colleges and set up local governing boards. He said the Community College bill is a "hack-up" in case his omnibus governance bill fails to pass.

grade--diminishing their value slightly-after a suspension from the bond market late last year, and a study with Auraria staff and state auditors last month.

Paulien called the bond suspension and study "a normal procedure," and said the lower rating would barely affect the market status of the bonds.

"In essen.ce," Paulien said, "it (the lower rating) means nothing. We've (Auraria) talked to our bond consultants-Boettcher and Company and Hamilton, Imhoff, and Sanford--about it.

Richard Netzel "vetoed" lne committee's proposal and is writing his own draft for consolidation.

"We (the committee) have had our hands tied," Priest said. · Priest said many on the committee are

worried MSC may lose important programs to UCD. He said the Arts and Sciences program& are the "backbone of our college" and their loss would severely damage MSC.

Dr. Netzel was unavailable for comment on the consoli&ation -proposals.

"A bondholder might get a few dollars less if he tried to sell his bonds now, but that's about all."

Paulien said Standard and Poor's based their suspension on state audits critical of the Auraria High er Education Center. William Sunblad, Auraria Business Affairs Director, pointed out Standard and Poor's had "problems of documentation" of bond-related business during the tenure of former Auraria Business Affairs Director William Yakse.

Paulien added Standard and Poor's showed concern over "dipping enrollments" at Auraria institutions.

"The Auraria Board (of Directors) had shown its concern in this matter," Pauli en said, "by its willingness to raise the bond fees to compensate."

Paulien added Standard and Poor's would " take another look" al the bonds after the next state audit of Aararia.

ADVERTISE IN

629-8361

Decisio~ Making

•

You can leave making decisions to others Or, you can get involved and make them yourself.

Metropolitan State Student Government is looking for students to fill a number of important positions

Positions are presently open on the following committees: Joint Board of Academic Standards Intramural Advisory Committee Student Services Policy Council Life Experiences Commm Intercollegiate Athletics College Curriculum Committee

A salary position is open for ASMSC secretary­$3.56 per hour-approx. 20 hours per week.

Experievce Student' Government Affairs is Excellent Experience to bring into the job market.

Call Dave or Greg at 629-3253

THREE '·" I

The Metropolitan Feb. 21, 1979

EDITORIAL At the starting gate

Two months ago, student journalism was in trouble at Auraria. Deep trouble.

Thi[ Denver offices of The Colorado Daily were re-keyed and locked-for good. 1he Auraria 1imes and The Auraria Sun two other publications geared towards th~ Auraria campus, had ceased publication. For the first time in Auraria history, no student publication with either on-campus or local offices served the campus.

Since November of last year, however, a small group of dedicated, concerned in­dividuals from Metropolitan State College worked to bring a student writ­ten-and-operated publication hack to' the Auraria campus. The fu;st effort was The Metro News, a mimeographed sheet to communicate vital information. The se­cond effort is The Metropolitan-the news­paper you are now reading.

An opinion of many persons--in­eluding the editor--is that students of any campus shouJd have an adequate voice to report on the institution, and an open for­um to express opinions. The Metropolitan is dedicated to this opinion . . . not only for Metropolitan State College, but for all members of the Auraria educational com­munity.

Because of the nature of Auraria , with its commuter students and location in the heart of Denver, The Metropolitan feels all of Denver is its territory. This pa­per will never stop at the boundaries of Auraria to gather news; however, The Metropolitan will always strive to keep its news in perspective and relevant to all per­sons at Auraria.

Guest Column

The Metropolitan will serve the entire Auraria educational community, hut the main emphasis throughout the coming months will be on Metropolitan State Col­lege. The reasoning is simple: MSC student fees subsidize this paper, with over $10,000 in MSC student fee money being used to publish The Metropolitan this semester.

As a result, this paper will concen­trate, to some extent, on Metropolitan State College. Reporting, though, will be un-biased; and, as students have seen over the past few months, matters of import­ance to MSC usually have some direct ef­fect on everyone at Auraria.

Besides "straight" news and opinion, The Metropolitan will feature enter­tainment material, sports, and stories on interesting places and personalities-usually with a perspective on MSC and· Auraria.

Entertainment material-reviews, inter­views, and the like-will be hounded by two credos: accessibility and affordibility by Auraria students. In a student publica­tion, the readers-i.e., the students-shouJd he able to see, hear, ana experience the entertainment, without the restrictions of distance and expense.

Sports will he covered, with an accen­tuation on campus sports. Other papers in Denver handle "the big stuff"-The Metro­politan will pay closer attention to the ac­complishments of persons on campus.

As to feature stories-everyone and everything is a story. The Metropolitan will ferret out those persons and places in Auraria and Denver that are entertaining

info'rmative and interesting. Inevitably, the idea of The Metro­

politan "competing" with the weekly Denver edition of the Colorado Daily will crop up in many minds. Both papers are weekly, approximately the same size, and distributed around Auraria.

Here, though, the similarities end. The Denver Daily and The Metropolitan are different newspapers; and -except for the advertising dollar, the Denver Daily, one hopes, will follow whatever guides it in the newspaper's publication.

The concept of a combined, three-institutional Auraria student newspa­per surfaced once again this semester, with somewhat qualified support from all three Auraria institutions. Such an idea is no threat to 1he Metropolitan; in fact, mem­bers of The Metropolitan 's staff are help­ing to investigate the feasibility of a com­bined publication. An equitable pooling of resources into a three-school student news­paper would mean a boon to the Auraria educational community, and The Metro­politan is supportive of such a concept.

Regardless of any "competition" or bigger Auraria newspapers, The Metro­politan is will continue in serving MSC and Auraria. The name of the paper itself reflects that combination of cosmopolitanism and collegiality on this

campus, and of the Auraria campus itself becoming an integral part of the sur­rounding metropolitan area.

From today on, The Metropolitan will show on-campus, student journalism at Au raria is here to serve • . . and here to stay.

InflatiOn in the classroom by Thomas Pain

The lines at the bookstore were as long as usual, hut the hills for each class were even longer. The rising cost of books seems to have finally reached the point where students are beginning to complain in large numbers, both to each other and to the Student Curriculum Committee.

Acting on complaints, the committee surveyed hook costs for each class and department, as well as between schools. Using Fall and Spring 1978 for comparison, a rise of seven to 15 percent per three credit hours was discovered, with the highest being the Aviation Department. Aviation also had the highest hook hill at $54.95 for three hours.

Other unacceptable conditions were discovered, mostly because of complaints from students. The most common complaint was the fact text books would change every semester and rob students of their buy-hack monies. Another complain

FOUR

was of hardback hooks being used-rather than soft back, which are usually three tc

five dollars cheaper depending OJ) size and subject. ·

Most alarming was the resuJt of a straw poll, which revealed that over 30 per cent of MSC students could not afford at least one of their texts, or other hooks, in the Fall 1978 semester!

It must be noted at this point that the hook situation is probably a reflection of another unacceptable trend which is developing at MSC. Some have noted the college is becoming more and more academic, leaning more towards the dusty, ivy -infested methods of conventional co ll eges, who depend mostly on out-of-class assignments to teach the required material. MSC was created to serve the needs of the working and part-time student who has not the time for the childish toga mentality of our neighbors to the north. The mission requires the various .instructors to consider the time. and money elements of the

consumer/student and rely more on didactics rather than readings. We believe that a $30 book bill for 100 level class is neither justified or necessary.

The employees of the three Auraria institutions must remember there is a growing realization among the student population that they have the unique position of being both employers (via taxes) and consumers-and a consumer revolt is not far off.

The belief that publishers are making immoral profits, and the professors are careless in their choice of books, is growirtg by leaps and bounds. Inflation is eating us all, and most of us get no raises in our underpaid jobs. The rest of us watch financial aid levels stagnate at the same old starvation point.

In conclusion, it must he noted in fairness that, in some cases; some students want the heat hooks they can get in their major (hang the cost), while others realize that at today's rate, these expensive atlases are obsolete in 18 months or less.

·~ . . .... . .. :

A Metropolitan State College publication for the Auraria Higher Education Center wholly supported by student fees and advertising.

EDITOR Emerson Schwartzkopf

BUSINESS MANAGER Steve Werges

PRODUCTION MANAGER S. Peter Duray-Bito

REPORTERS Frank Mullen, Chris Edoords, Winston Del

PRODUCTION Ubby Squires, Sal Ruibal

ADVERTISING Verne Skagerberg, Don Davis

SECRETARY Sue Avila

The .Metropolitan is published every We~~esday by Metropolitan State College. Op1mons expressed within are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the paper 's adveritisers or Metropolitan State College.

Editorial and business offices are locare in Room 156 of the Auraria Student Center, 10th and Lawrence, Denver, CO. Phone: 629-8361. Mailing address:

The Metropolitan Box57 1006 11th St. Denver, CO 80204

...

, The Metropolitan welcomes .any

·ntarmat'ion, free-lance articles, guest _. ditorials, or letters to the editor.

Editorials and letters should be typed, o.uble-spaced, and within tM> pages in

en

The Metropolitan Feb. 21, 1979

.. FEATURE Iran: What price ffeedom?

by Chris Edwards

A drawing of a muscular hand clench­ing a pistol hang; on the door of the Auraria clubroom housing the Iranian· Stu­dent Association. Great drops of blood drip from the hand onto an outline of

"-: Iran, the Texas-sized country beset with civil unrest for so many months.

Inside, members of Campus Crusade for Christ say no, they 're sorry, they don't know when the Iranians will return. "Since the shah's been overthrown they

-~ don't have any reason to he here," com­ments one cheerful Crusader.

The Crusaders bounce in and out of the clubroom cubicle for ~·o days among file cabinets, posters, and paper stacks bearing the unmistakable print of their

?- Christian personalities. Nothing indicated the ISA has been here at all, except a . door plaque, the drawing, and a telephone. number for someone named Ali.

Ali, spealcing over the phone in a soft,' accent-marked voice, says he 11 be glad to

.,_ answer questions about the recent ouster of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 's hand-picked prime minister, Shapour Bakhtiar. The ISA, he says, is elated Bakhtiar's government has been overthrown by the Moslem leader

~ Avatullah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khomeini's supporters apparently think

as little of club officers as they do monarchs. Ali, the only link available to the ISA, has no official title. Nor, it seems, does he have any last name he

(. cares to produce over the phone. 0

News reports state that all but about ~ 5000 of the 40,000 Americans living in cu

oil-rich Iran a year ago have fled from the ~ v·iolent conflicts between the Khomeini :;;

r. supporters and the pro-shah elements. ~ Bakhtiar 's downfall was assured Feb. 11 v)

when the nation's top generals declared "impartiality."

The 78-year-ol d Khomeini's takeover marks the end of 2,500 years of

,~ monarchy. Khomeini, ironically, although hailed by Iranians for his concern for the people, has threated to cut off the hands of traitors when faced with the first major' crisis of his new regime.

Conservative estimates put casualites at , 10,000 for the 15 months of revolution.

Political obervers wonder what faces Bakhtiar, an old friend of Khomeini's new prime minister, Mehdi Bazargan.

Two dark-complexioned students perch· .. on a table in the lounge at the UCD

classroom building. Around them, students talk or study quietly during a lull between evening classes.

"Ali who?' they ask incredulously. "Ali is a pretty common name in Iran."

Fifteen minutes later, they're asked · • · again for Ali, who they aren't sure if they

know. "He'll be here," they say reassuringly in accented-but-easily-under­stood English.

Mostafa Kazemi ·could pas~ for a suntanned Chicano tennis player

teeth: an orthodontist's dream beneath a perfectly-manicured moustache . .

They aren't members of the ISA, and they don't know Ali, but answer questions as eagerly as a child tells what he wants for Christmas.

"No price is too high to pay for freedom, " Kamezi says immediately, labding the pair pro-Khomeini. ''Eighty thousand (deaths) is not too high."

Kamezi and Avari have not heard form their familie s for months because of disruption of Iranian mail service. Their money reserves, unlike those of so many other Iranian students, is sufficient .

The students say money- including the shah's rep·orted $20 billion personal wealth- precipitated the revolution.

"In Iran, 85 . per cent £o the people are poor. They live in small houses with no facilities. They don't have anything," Avari says, leaning forward and fixing his dark eyes 8omewhere into space. "Iran is like a ship floating on an oil ocean. It is a resource-rich country."

"Differ«:nt parties have been trying to

get rid of the shah for 25 or 30 years, "adds Kazemi, waving his gold-ringed· left hand. "All of it comes under the cover fof religion. That's just an excuse,"

Two of Kazemi 's sisters attend college in the United States. He describes his

The National Association for Foreign Student Affairs indicates that Mostafa Kazemi and Javid Avari are among the more-than 37,000 Iranian students in secondary schools and colleges in the United State . "We don 't have enough universities," Avari comments, producing the spelling of his name from a silver identification bracelet. ''That is why we are here."

Javid, a CCD-A civil engineering major, wears a black-and-white pinstriped shirt, black slacks, and black pointy shoes. At 2 5, his adolescent slimness is nearly as disconcerting as his nearly-inaudible voice.

K amezi, a 23 year-old UCD business major, could pass for a suntanned Chicano tennis player. His red-and-blue striped

------ -- -

sports shirt opens at the neck to reveal a fine gold chain and tufts of., black chest hair. His slacks are as white as his perfect family as "not rich, not poor." His father is a superior court judge. ' 'But," he adds, I never saw the shah's palace."

Home to the students is Tehran, Iran's 3.5-miUion-person capitol. They fly home for summer vacations. This year, they say, the city was tense, but violence had not y~t started.

"The shah killed a lot of people," Kamezi says, pulling at his silver wrist watch. "He has to pay for his killings. He put his political prisoners away and tortured them ... . "

If there had been fighting, however, both Karnezi and Avari say they would have been in on it.

More than 11.000 prisoners, who Kamezi claims were pr~arily political, escaped during recent rioting. "It was something like Hitler. He (the shah) was worse· than Hitler, the things he did for people."

No Iranian students Kainezi and Avari know support the shah. Khomeini, Avari comments, is popular because, unlike the shah, he pledges to work for human freedom--perhaps democracy. But whatever the new form of government, it must be totally Iranian.

"The new government wants to cul the influennce of foreign countries. We don't hate the United States, but we've been under your influence for 50 years. It doesn't ·matter what country it is, it isn't just Americans," Avari explains.

"Iranians want to think for themselves work for themselves, and their ow~ freedoms."

Americans know little about Iranians, Kazemi claims.

''The view that the American peopl~ have of the Middle East being desert and lots of camels and women in veils " he says, tracing an imaginary veil with his hands, "is all wrong. It isn't like that at all.,,

Kazemi's future includes work towards a master's degree and a business position in Iran, though sometimes he has difficulty adjusting to the culture after being in the United.States.

And the shah's future? "H h " K e as to pay, azemi says

matter-of--factly. " I think everybody wants to see him dead."

"Are you red, white, purple, or what?" Ali asks. "If I know what you look like I will find you . . .. "

"Don't worry about it. 111 be there. " And what does he look I And what does he look like: "Hercules," he says, laughing. "I look

like Hercules. "

Hanging next to Ali's telephone number in the ISA clubroom is a Campus Crusader sign-up sheet.

It's used for students to volunteer ·for prayer.

FIVE

- -- ---- -----The Metropolitan Feb. 21,.1979

Vietnam proves ·-''an old friend''

by Frank Mullen

David Jones, a poet-playwright -director whose first play goes into production at the Metropolitan State Col­lege (MSC) Theatre next month, said he got the idea for his drama, Saigon, Mon Amie Vielle, from some of his experiences during his four years in the U.S. Navy.

Jones was stationed state-side during the Vietnam war, helping to plot the movements of Russian submarines. His desk joh, however, failed to prevent hu;, from spending his leisure time at an anti­war May Day demonstration and supply­

ing information to a Congressional commi­ttee investigating military spying on civili­ans.

Jones said the Navy saw his acts of conscience as a serious breach -of regula­tions. Ile was removed from his joh at the Pentagon, placed under house arrest, and stripped of his security clearance.

"Talking to the (Congressional) com­mittee really gol me into hot water," Jones said. "At one time, I was facing five years in prison.,,

Perhaps the Navy didn't want to make waves. Instead of a court martial, Jones was re-assigned as a clerk in the Judge Advocate's office. After discharge, he did volunteer counseling at a legal referral service for returning Vietnam veterans in Norfolk, Virginia. Parts of the stories the vets told Jones surfaced years later in a short story he wrote in Denver.

"Most of those guys (veterans) had se­vere psychological problems. More than a few of them seemed so had off than they might never return to the mainstream of society again,,, he said. .

Jones 's short story, also titled Saigon,

Mon Amie Vielle (Saigon, My Old Friend), won first prize in MSC's 1~78 Mayfest

Greg Gimelli of MSC Swim Team

SIX . • I •

writing contest. He rewrote the story into a play and tried to interest the Changing Scene, a local theatre, in producing his work.

''At that time, the play was a two-and-a-half hour epic," he said. "Now I've got it down to one act. I'm a compul­sive rewriter."

Jones said most theatres were not in­terested in producing a drama about the Vietnam war , and a friend told him to forget the play because "nobody wants to hear about Vietnam anymore."

"They acted as though the wori 'Vietnam' isn't even in our lexicon any more, " he said. "If it isn't, it should be."

Saigon is the story of Jim Plank, an infantryman who stands accused of killing a South Vietnamese soldier. The play re­volves around Plank's time in jail while awaiting his trial. Plank likes the Army, Jones said, and was proud to serve in the war. The other characters in the drama in­cl ll de an Army officer investigating the case and Plank's cellmates. The two cell­man tes, Jones said, "are a couple of real psychotics."

Chris Gauthier will play Plank, W .D. Roem and C.R. LaBerge are cast as the cellmates, and veteran MSC actor Terry

0 Burnsed will play the Army colonel. ~

Burnsed, who has had a hand in al- >-~ most every MSC theatre production at =>

Auraria, said Saigon may "offend the 0

sensibilities of some people," but he he- .., Ii eves the work makes an important state-· ~ ment about war, the military, and our so- rn,..._ __ ciety.

"You could call it an anti-war play," Burnsed said. "But that would be to iw.11 it short. It's more of an anti.lie play. It is a play which is nos~gic about the truth."

This week, the cast will begin six weeks of rehersals in preparation for the March 28 opening. All those connected with the production are MSC students,

said producer Dan Mercure, and many hold down off-campus jobs as well

Jones, who works at Jerry's News when his is not directing his play or attneding classes, admits he may never complete the English degree which was his original goal a:t MSC. Last year he directed

SPORTS MSC LOSES

by Phil Schindler

In an lntermountain Swimming League (ISL) meet Feb. 16 at Auraria, MSC's swim team I ost to the University of Denver (DU) 61-46.

MSC swim coach Leslie Krough , 0

.<.:: however, called DU "a really good >- team " --accounting for DU's first place ~ => standing in the ISL. 0 DU won eight of the 12 events in the ~ meet, with MSC picking up its four wins c.. in officially uncontested races.

Tom McCallister proved to be the only

MSC excitement in the contested events, finishing a c lose second in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 200-yard backstroke.

DU 's Mayashida won the 200-yard butterfly in 1:57.2, defeating ASMSC Vice President Dave Haldeman and MSC swimmer Cheryl Branch. Mayashida, a rumored Olympic contender, lapped both MSC swimmers in the event.

DU easily won the 200-yard individual medl ey , the 100, 200, and 1000-yard freestyle event s, and the diving competition-- held earlier at DU due to an inadequate Auraria pool.

Scott Buchanan won the 500 yard freestyle for MSC, and ASMSC President Greg Gimelli took first in the 200-yard breaststroke.

the MSC production of LeRoi Jones's Dutchman; after Saigon is finished, he plans to continue writing and directing.

"This di rec ting is it," Jones said. "Eventually, I'd like to get a directing joh in town."

MSC swimmers picked up the 400-yard medley relay, while Buchanan, Haldeman, Gimelli, and McCallister won the 400-yard freestyle relay-the final event of the meet.

The next swim meet will be the ISL Conference Champoinships Feb. 23-24 at Auraria.

Upcoming Events SWIM TEAM- lntermountain Swimming Le ague Conference Championships, Auraria PER Building, Feb. 23-24, all day.

TRACK- Adams State, W estem State, at Alamosa, Feb. 24, all day.

W 0 MEN'S BASKETBALL- Eastern New Mexico, Auraria PER Building, Feb. 23; College of Santa Fe, Auraria, Feb. 24; Colorado Women's College, Auraria, Feb. 27 ; Regis College, Regis, Feb. 28; All games at 7:30 p.m.

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all ~eek

Thief of Baghdad, Vogue Theater, 1465 Pearl. •

Get Out Your Han kerchiefs, The Flick, 1460 Larimer.

Picasso Exhihiton. Painting and seven tapestries. Schwayder Art Buqping Gallery, 2121 E. Asbury Ave, 1-8 p.m. Feb. 21, 28/10 a.m.-8 p.m., Feb. 22-23, 26-27/11 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 24-25.

s24 Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

Rocky Horror Picture Show, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

{' Taxes done for free by student volunteers of IRS's V.I.T.A. program, Auraria Library 254, 1-4 p.m.

KVOD Marathon; Broadcast, May D&F-Downtown, all day. Free.

~ Discotheque, 9 p.m.-Midnight, Paramount Theater. Admission charged.

Speech: "Civil Rights Are For Everybody," by Jim Joy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union, St. Francis Interfaith Center, 11th and Champa, 5: 15 p.m. Free. ··

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Student Center Rm. 330, Noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7, and 9:30 p.m. 50 cents admission. MSC Student Activities.

A Dream of Passion/Never on' Sunday, Odgen Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

uzs KVOD Marathon: Broadcast, May D&F- Downtown, all day. Free. Speech: "Apartheid," by Donald Woods, exiled South African journalist, KCFR, 90.1 FM, 7:30 p.m.

Presentation: HJ'll Never Turn Back," a history of Black musicians, Colorado Heritage Center, 1300 Broadway, 2 p.m. Free.

Never Give A Sucker An Even Break/You Can't Cheat An Honest Man/ Tillie and Gus, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

r22 Taxes done for free by student volunteers of IRS 's V.I. T .A. program, Auraria Library 254, 1-4 p.m.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Student Center Rm. 330, Noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7, and 9:30 ·p.m. 50 cents admission. MSC Student Activities.

Gunvor Nelson, avant-garde filmmaker, East Class;oom (Tower) Building Rm. 116, 8:30 p.m. $1.

A Dream of Passion/Never on Sunday, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

ID26 Eighty per cent eclipse of the Sun, sky, 8:13 a.m. Free. -

Eclipse breakfast, ~tudent Center Sun Deck, 8- 9 a.m. Free. Must bring own food and c1rink.

Never· Give A Sucker An Even Break/You Can't Cheat An Honest Man/. Tillie and Gus, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax.

Th~ Metro'pblitan Fe/J. 2( 1fJ79

f23 Cactus Jack, The Mission, 1-4 p.m. Free. UCD Student Activities.

KVOD Marathon: Broadcast, May D&F- Downtown, 6 a.m.-on. Free. Kickoff Party, Paramount Theater, 6 p.m. Admission charged.

CCD Faculty Art Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.ni., through March 10, Emmanuel Art Gallery. Free.

t27 Smiles of a Summer Night/Wild Stra wherries, Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax. One shopping day until Steve Werges 's birthday. ·

CLASSIFIED FOR SALE

t

Unused 1974 Maico Dirtbike. 450CC .. One wild and crazy motorcycle. $900. Call El Roacho 832-5646.

State-of-the-art stereo system. Thorens ~T D I 6 6 M K II t u rn t a b l e w i t h

Micro-Acoustics 2002E Cartridge. Van Alstine modified Dyna Pas 3 preamp, Stereo 70 power amp (40W/channel) and FM-5 tuner. Stax SR-44 headphones. Pair 0£ Advent speakers. Complete system only

1$750. Call 832-8579 and ask for Peter.

For Sale: 4 pair skis cheap. Call 433-9741 on weekends.

WANTED -One ine:itpensive receiver and one small refrigerato~. Contact Steve Werges

629-8361.

r Needed desperately: One Accounting

.,.major to work on the staff of The i Metropolitan. Work-study preferable. Call

Steve at 629-8361.

Wanted to buy: A desk, preferably wood. Call Frank at 744-9402.

HELP WANTED-Experienced room· waiter or captain. Part-time weeknights 5-9 :30 p.m., 3.5 nights per week. Superior wages for experienced personnel in supervision of a main dining room Immediate opening. Apply in person, afternoons except Mondays. Cherry Hills Country Club, 4125 S. University Blvd.

FOR RENT

SMALL APARTMENT FOR RENT. Mike Ashpole, 839-5833 X634.

PERSONALS

Ms. Bird, sorry I forgot Valentine's Day. Don 't fly away next time and I'll remember. Mr. Rabbit.

Julie Marie Trego - Don't forget to write . Need to know new Olney Street news. 'E.'

"Gamble" Wanted : Attractive, open-minded woman into alternative from bar scene. Interest in outdoors, games, psychic development. 433-9741.

~eed either single or album of "It's My V AND E- JUST CANT MAKE IT. Party" by Lesley Gore. Must be in good Thanks for your patience anyway. condition. Call Emerson at 629-8361. Godot.

OPPORTUNITIES

PHOTO l.D. CARDS-Your picture, your information, no waiting, absolutely the best! Send for samples and info. to Photo I.D., Box 18A, Denver, CO 80218.

',Vant to Spend this summer sailing the Caribbean? The Pacific?Europe? Cruising other parts of the world aboard sailing or power yachts? Boat owners need crews!

· For free information, send a 15-cent stamp to Xanadu, 6833 So. Gessner, Suite 661, Houston, Tx. 77036.

Minority Arts and Professions is an organization trying to bring interested students together to form a recognized Auraria club. Recruitment Drive: Contact Silvia Gonzales, Student Center Rm. 356, or call 629-3321. Meeting Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2-5 p.m., Student Center Rm. 230 A&B.

Art needed for starving artists. Contact Brian Hende, MSC Art Club, 321-4864. Reservations must be made by March 2, 1979.

CLASSIFIED ORDER FORM

FREE TO AURARIA STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF

PHONE NUMBER:-------

l.D. NUMBER:---------------------SEND TO 1006 llTH STREET, BOX 57, DENVER CO 80204

OR DELIVER TO STUDENT CENTER RM. 156

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SEVEN

-------·------ - -The Metropolitan Feb. 21,1979

welcomes

to c.ampus

The Student Center Presents

CACTUS JACK Sponsored by UCD Programs

STUDENT CENTER HOURS Mon. thru Thurs. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CAFETERIA Mon. thru Thurs. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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THE MISSION Mon. thru Thurs. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

THE GAME ROOM Mon. thru Thurs. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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March 9th 1- 4 p.m.

We still have Ni,wts and Rockies tickets on sale. · N\.wts tickets are $5. 75 ( regularly $7.15 ) Rockies tickets are $6.25 (regularly $7.50)

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