erikson comments on african race situation

October 30, 1969 1 THE AUGUSTANA OBSERVER PAGE ONE

Why is tttis mon smiling? See the croif country story on page six .

President Sorensen Clarifies'Essential Character9 Concept

by Jim GaitherThough the American press has

had the freedom to print news un-censored, they have often beenguilty. not of printing too much.but in fact omitting too much.The American people have rarelyknown the entire truth behind amajor event. Nevvspapers haveoften printed only those thingswhich would sway public opinionthe way the editor or the financialbackers of the paper wanted opin-ion slanted.

The Observer has been guilty ofthis same sin. We have printedonly students opinions concerningthe Student Bill of Rights andResponsibilities. In an attempt torectify this, we decided to inter-view President Sorensen concern-ing his views and reasons forvetoing points 5, 8. 11, 14, and 15.

Following is the Observer inter-view:

Obs: When you carne to Augus-tana in 1962, you said, "It is ahigh honor to become associatedwith Augustana College and theAugustana tradition." You men-

tioned that Augustana had a fineteaching staff. Did your idea orconcept of the "Augustana tradi-tion" at that time include any-thing else besides the excellentteaching staff, for instance somekind of moral code or the generalstructure of our academic re-quirements'.'

Sorensen: In responding to thatquestion I believe I would notethat I was not thinking of a par-ticular moral code as such. In-stead, I saw a tradition of a par-ticular kind represented in a lifestyle, so to speak, of the personson this campus. This tradition,this life style, I suppose, reflectsthe value judgments of manypeople, certainly the persons whowere present on the campus. AndI think the life style reflects theperceived purposes of the institu-tion as well. So that, in the honorof being associated with the col-lege, I saw a composite picture ofquality of faculty and studentbody, high quality. With respectto the general academic require-ments, I think I did not have in

Erikson Comments OnAfrican Race Situation

by Kathleen Welch"As an American with a built-in preference for a policy of

gradual multi-racialism, it was, for me, quite an experience tovisit a land which practices a racial policy regarded as wrongby the vast majority of Americans."

This is just one of the reflections of Dr. Stanley Eriksonabout South África in a letter to be published in the magazineThe New Nation.

Chairman of Augustanas divi-sion of social sciences, Dr. Erik-son spent most of the second se-mester of the 1968-69 academicyear in South África on sabbati-cal leave.

While studying South Africanpolitics, Dr. Erikson h a d theunique opportunity to interviewmembers of the parliament, so-cial scientists at virtually ali ofthe country's universities and po-litical leaders.

Commenting on the overall pic-ture of the volatile African coun-try Dr. Erikson said, "When any-one goes to South África he isbound to find out about the racialproblems because they are moreacute there than anywhere else inthe world."

Varied PopulationAccording to Dr. Erikson, the

tense racial situation is due inpart to the complexity of the ra-cial structure which consists oftwelve million black natives thatthe South Africans call the Bantu,almost two million colored people(those of mixed blood), 700,000 In-

mind any particular requirementsbecause even at that time I wouldcertainly not have been familiarwith them in detail. However,when I carne to the college I un-derstood that at Augustana theacademic enterprise was takenseriously in teaching and in learn-ing. I believe it still is and I ap-plaud that decision.

Obs: When you said life style,did the idea of Christianity in thestudents' lives come in here?

Sorensen: I was thinking thereof life style as being more com-prehensive than as a student per-ceives his own life and lives hisown life. His commitment cer-tainly would be an essential ele-ment that would have much to dowith his particular life style. Sothat it's a comprehensive totalityof which I speak, rather than aparticular element.

Obs: Do you feel that the factthat you were the first non-cler-gyman to be appointed as presi-dent had any effect on your atti-tude of what Augustana shouldbe, or did it make you any moreliberal than your predecessors asfar as regulations or religious re-quirements?

Sorensen: In response to thequestion, regarding my attitudeof what Augustana should be andthe role of my being a non-clergy-man in respect to that attitude inthis context then, what does onesay? In response I would notethat I believe my attitude towardAugustana and its future or itslife style is not related to mybeing a layman. Insofar as oneconsiders a stance which is moreor less liberal than one's prede-cessors, I likewise believe thatones judgment, my own judg-ment is not directly related to myprofessional background.

Obs: Has your original conceptchanged at ali in your sevenyears here?

Sorensen: Thafs a good ques-tion and in response I would saythat hopefully one's understand-

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Special Tour ResolvesLibrarys Deep Enigma

dians and three and a half millionwhites, most of whom are ofDutch descent.

The whites h a v e continuallyheld control of the country. TheNationalist party carne to powerin 1948 and the policy of this dom-inant party has been one of segre-gation between Europeans andnon-Europeans. Supporters of thispractice say that segregation isthe only way in which they canprevent the blacks from takingover. Public support for segrega-tion was brought about by thelarge flow of Bantu from their na-tive homelands to the cities dur-ing World War II. The whiteswere f e a r f u 1 of being over-whelmed.

ApartheidThe concept of separate devel-

opment, or apartheid, is beingwidely discussed as a possiblesolution to some of the country'sracial ills. Part of this concept isthe theory that the governmentwill develop the native homelands(now similar to American Indianreservations) to become valuable

by Bill RettigSomeone once said, "This place

is an enigma." (It was eitherMcCracken or Franklin. One ofwhom has departed, and the oth-er we sometimes wish would go. iNeedless to say, I've spent manya sleepless night pondering thatnow-immortal statement.

Last Thursday on my 102ndsleepless night. as I was itching myfoot and thinking. I heard a voicethat was so hollow that each wordechoed off the next.

Niched into my brain is thegroove from that hollow voice.

"Search the library, my son."Now I know well enough that

when grace strikes, one just ac-cepts it and asks no questions. So,the next day I was off to searchthe library.

Mrs. EspelieI was just browsing in the spe-

cial collection room of the li-brary, when a very friendly ladycarne out of an office, introducedherself as Mrs . Espelie, andasked if she could help me. Thisisn't the kind of treatment I havecome to expect from Augustanaso I was pleasantly shocked. intosilence for a second. When I re-gained my composure, I told herwho I was (from then on shecalled me Bill) and that I waswriting a story for the Observerand that I just wanted to lookaround.

Thats ali I needed to say. Shetook me on a complete guidedtour of the rooms, explainingeach part in such an animatedmanner that I forgot ali the trivi-al questions in my notebook andjust enjoyed her liveliness.

So instead of giving you the an-swers to how many books are sto-len each year and how much wehad to pay for last year's libraryeards, 111 just let you enjoy mytour vicariously.

studying the racial situation.

industrialized communities s othat eventually the flow of blacksto white áreas will be reversed.

Dr. Erikson explained t h a tthese homelands would be self-governing states and that onlyblacks would have rights there.

Only one of these black states,Transkei, has been created buthas met with small success. Dr.Erikson spent a week in the statewhich is the homeland of thecountry South Africa's largesttribe, the Xhosa tribe. Accordingto Dr. Erikson, Transkei is stillfar from being a reliable com-munity. "The majority of its in-habitants still live in a very pri-mitive fashion. If this is to suc-ceed, the South African govern-m e n t will have to do muchmore," he said.

Doubts Success"Although I don't like the poli-

cy, probably the best solution toSouth Africa's problem is if theyreally can create these states,"

Dr. Erikson continued. " B u twhite South África would have topay a large part to make the poli-cy succeed. I don't think theywould do it."

Before journeying to South Áfri-ca. Dr. Erikson visited the VirginIslands since his brother livesthere and because it offers an in-teresting comparison to South Áf-rica, racially speaking. The twoplaces are alike yet different. Themajority of people in the VirginIslands are • black and can befound in ali walks of life. SouthÁfrica too has a black majority,but the whites hold ali the power.

"I think that on the whole themultiracial society works out wellin the Virgin Islands," Dr. Erik-son commented.

Comparing the racial turbu-lence of South África to America'sracial crisis, Erikson said thatSouth Africa's situation is muchmore complex and requires dif-ferent solutions.

ChildreiTs Books BestThere were so many fascinat-

ing books; I'm not sure where tobegin. The books I liked bestwere the many fantastically illus-trated children's books. Therewere children's alphabet books,original Hans Christian Andersenfairy tale books, old English fairytale books, and almanacs beauti-fully illustrated and full of fasci-nating facts.

See witch trees grab little boys,giants ,with pigs tied to their beltsand cows on their backs, and menwith long beaks, and what elsecan I say? For one time a picturereally is worth a thousand words.

Did you know that the libraryhas 16 first editions by John Mil-ton? We have both Paradise Lostand Paradise Regained. Alongwith these are many first editionsof Scott, Dickens, and Thackery,as well as many 19th centuryAmerican first editions. Includedin this set are 100 different firsteditions of Izaak Walton's TheComplete Anglar.

AU About Rock IslandNearly everly book published

about Black Hawk and about thecolonization of this área is in thelibrary also. These books haveenabled Augustana to offer agraduate course in the history ofthe Upper Mississippi Valley Re-gion.

In t h e Swedish-Americanacollection every major work doneby Swedish immigrants or aboutthem is available. This collectionis one of the most complete setson this topic in the United Statesof America.

Also, King Charles XV of Swe-den donated a collection of books.Oddly enough. the heaviest con-centration of these books is on theFrench Revolution.

Augustana ArtifactsEvery archive of the history of

Augie is there also. Everythingfrom the "Rules and Regulationsfor the Information and Guid-ance of Students" published in1897 to ali the information con-c e r n i n g the current Bill ofRights; from a picture of OldMain showing the mud streetwhere Seventh Avenue is now tocurrent photographs; from theearliest publication to last week'scopy of the Obs.

"Amid the flare of a hundredtorches, several hundred of thestudent body paraded the streetsof Rock Island . . . in a downpourof rain, giving vent to their feel-ings." No, this isnt a descriptionof the Moratoriums March ofDeath. Its a quote from the Feb-ruary 1909 issue of the Observer,describing a "Hooray-we-have-our-library parade."

Here is more of that story fromthe Augustana Observer, amonthly magazine. February1909.

A New Library!"A one hundred thousand dollar

library for Augustana! It seemshard to believe, but it is neverthe-less true . . . In short, Augustanais to have a library as splendid asthat possessed by any college ofits class in the state of Illinois.

"A library! Who can grasp fullythe deep consequence which itwill have in the development ofAugustana, and the far-reachinginfluence which it will exert inpromulgating the great principiesfor which Augustana stands!"(NotI.)

Three Cheers and a Tiger!Dr. Andreen, president of Au-

gustana in 1909, made the an-nouncement of the $100,000 Denk-mann Memorial grant at a chapeiservice. Here is the Observer ac-count:

"Staid, old, Augustana chapeiperhaps never heard a more joy-ful announcement, and the scenethat followed was one of thoserare spontaneous outbursts of en-

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