TUDEN RALLY IN DHAC PROT - Trinity News Archive

More documents

Recommendations

Info

PAGE FOU RTRINITY NEWS--Thursday, January 23, 1969.fINEWSDedicated to: Them asindulge in drinking butno puffing up at "Littlebeck"--PAT HORIARTYVIOLENCE"The White Negro," by Norman Mailer.The methods of Joan Littlewood’s"Theatre Workshop" havecome under constant fire, but thesuccess of "A Taste of Honey"shows it to be a model child. Withonly the plot by Sheelagh Delaney,Joan Littlewood and her actors improvisedmost of the dialogue. Theeffect is beautifully natural but inevitablya few ugly phrases cropup posing the age-old question ofLife v. Art.In London it was played as alltimemusic-hall with the actorsdirectly talking to the audience,but Fred Meaney is directing itstraight in Players.Previous performances in Dublinran to seven years (the film, ofcourse, was cut heavily), the partof the Negro sailor being entirelycut. The reason was not given, butperhaps there was a shortage at thetime in Dublin. Players have beenluckier, with Ambrose Anarah whois ¯making his first appearance.LIGHT SHOWTina Keane, a painter, beganexperimenting with projection athome until friends persuaded herto turn professional. Fully professionalfor a year now, she isgiven encouragement by the Instituteof Contemporary Arts andworks mainly in London and Paris.This is her first time in Ireland.Every light show is different, anextension of the artist. An extradimension to modern art, it is aform of action painting with lightinstead of paint as the medium.With light and music together apositive feedback occurs -- imageand sound fuse -- the audiencecatches this vibration. Method--liquid slides, inks, chemicals withthe use of projectors. Some hardedge effects and Op Art images.INDEXNew Library ExhibitionOn now until February 8th,graphic works by Rouauk, Braqueand Henry Moore. Mon.-Fri., 11a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.Art SocietyThe Tina Keane Light Theatrein conjunction with the Art Society--two-tier show upstairs, lightCollege Lane, 8 p.m. Saturday;Dixon Hall, Sunday. Tickets fromFront Gate, Thurs.-Sat. and atdoor.Jazz at Art SocietyJolyon Jackson’s regular Wednesdaynight.NATIONAL GALLERYLectures: Sunday, 3 p.m., Jan.26, Byzantine-Icon Painting. Wed.,1.15 p.m., Jan. 29, English WaterColour. Thurs., 7.0 p.m., Jan.23rd, Irish Romantic Painting.Crash course in Art suitable forscience students. Lectures everyweek at above times. Free.Reference Library: Open to all,10-4. Books on artists in the collectionand Continental publicationsnot available elsewhere.Apply at main desk. (N.B.--Stillonly embryonic.)ESSENTIAL READING FORSTUDENTS. Keep informed onpolitics, world events, social 6,economic affairs, new books,all the arts, Every Friday, Is 6d.David Herbert and Petronella Trenham in rehersal for Fred Meaney’sproduction of ’A Taste of Honey’ by Sheelagh Delaney.BRECHTA Brecht study-group is now inprogress. (Ideas/people welcome.)Culminating in lectures, readings,exhibitions, perhaps performanceof extracts (in English) in lastweek of term. Highlight--lectureby Martin Esslin (author of"Theatre of the Absurd ").The German Embassy and theGerman Cultural Institute willperform a Brecht play (inGerman) just after the end ofterm.NEW SCULPTURELast Saturday a quiet ceremonyinstalled a work by JeoffryThornton in the Biochemistry Department.Few people know of itsappearance, but it is worth gettinglost in the wasteland behind DixonHall to see it in a fitting setting,inside a modern building. Thegeometrised form represents a pairof legs with one knee bent. Thebold form is suited to the natureof the material, lime stone, andthe sharp edges give it thesemblance of a drawing in space,a contradition resolved.RITCHIE HENDRIKSThe New Year Exhibition containsall the Irish artists Hendrikshas been showing over the past fewmonths. It is interesting that mostof them are obsessed with thecountryside and particularly theatmosphere of dark bogland andmoist air, particularly of the coast.Arthur Armstrong and GeorgeCampbell have evolved a flat, onedimensionalstyle to convey theland mass. The method of usingoil paint on plaster gives a mattsheen which adds to the deadeningeffect. It is almost as if the landhad a hold on them. (I hope not tothe point of ridicule as in "ColdComfort Farm.") One is alwaystempted to philosophise on theIrish and things Irishy, more sothan on most nations, but nothaving an Irish accent or beingCatholic, I am told by those whodo that anything I say about theIrish is bound to be wrong. Still,these painters do seem to be insular,and this is not necessarilydenigratory. Rosc did a lot ofharm besides the evident eye-opening,illustrated by the deluge ofplagiarism, witness Cecil King’squarters, witness Cecil King’sstripes ad infinitum, and EdwardDelaney’s attempt at Giacommetti.Ritchie Hendriks told me thathe rarely sells a painting withbright colours. There must besomething to do with a nationaltemperament. This does not meanthat the picture has to be drab.The rich brown in bogland givesColin Middleton’s "Bogland Pettigo"a compelling vibrancy. Theunearthly light between the sea andthe sky at dawn has been capturedusing only black and white by BetLow. A similar effect in " Shimna,Low Tide," by Colin Middleton,actualised by a black strip acrossthe foreground. If the style expressesthe mood, why bother tocopy the current fashion?S.G.WHITE’S FOLLYTrunkless heads placed in tweepots of trailing plants are a littledifficult to take seriously, especiallywhen viewed through bluetintedglass as part of the NationalGallery’s New Look. No sculpturewas forthcoming for the architect’splan for a scultpure court and soplaster casts were set up instead.Although of a particularly highquality as plaster casts go, a misunderstandingof the director,James White’s intention has causedunnecessary exasperation at Irishtaste. It has transpired that it ismeant to be a joke and is regardedwith affection as "White’s Folly."Material written and edited byStephanie Green with impeccablehelp from John Rawlings, the boss.Written in the ’50’s, this analysis of the "hipster " still has relevanceto-day. The keynote is violence. Key-words are frenzy, exhaustion,search, gratification. Existence is perceived only in extremes. Mailerbrackets together the hipster, juvenile delinquent, Negro, the existentialist,mystic lover and bull-fighter. All cannot exist except by engagingdeath, an intensity akin to the adolescent view of life. All could befound in Greenwich Village when Mailer was writing, hence their bondand final identification through drugs and its language, hip.The psychopath and the saint are connected in the antipathy of theinner life, V. violent life, the orgy and dream of love, the desire to murderand to create, to go forward to life and back to death. The inability ofthe hipster to be static illuminates our own climate from Mick Jaggerand the current Cream fashion to Godard and student rebellions.Mailer’s identification of the sensual pleasure of art with sexual experienceis not new, dating from Aristotle’s theory of catharsis. Thejuxtaposition of antipathies as to be the two sides of the same coin is afurther explanation of why drugs are our religious experience andviolence the reaction. It is parallel to the wild Bacchic orgies coexistingwith holy and ethereal Druidic mysticsm. Perhaps we arereverting to a primitive society?Northrop Frye has a theory in his "Anatomy of Criticism" thatonce history has passed through five stages from the mythic to romantic," high " mimetic (i.e., applauding the aristocracy), low mimetic (i.e.,applauding the ordinary man) to the ironic (the less than man) it willreturn to the first. Whether this will be more attractive than theMarxian Utopia remains to be seen.S.G.TAILORS’ HALLstatesmanThe Tailors’ Hall, near Christchurch,is one of the few historicbuildings in the oldest part ofDublin to escape the demolitioncontractors. Bulk circa 1706, itwas used for guild meetings untilthe end of the 18th century, but itis famous mainly for housing theRepublican " Back Lane Parliament" run by the Catholic Confederancywith Wolfe Tone as(Protestant) secretary.Societies from the GeorgianSociety to trade unions wish topreserve it by reinstating its oldpractical use. The larger roomswill be rented out for "culturaloccasions" from recitals to exhibitionsand the smaller to otherwisehomeless societies.There is a fine old hall with aminstrels’ gallery and open fireplace,but most of it badly needsrestoration. So far, a new roofbut with old slates and timberworkinside in the original style willmaterialise, and windows made bythe Bolton St. carpentry students.Much is still to be done, butmore funds are needed. Studentscan help in the near future by layingout lawns and general labouror by joining " The Tailors’ HallFund " for two guineas per annumordinary membership or the specialstudent reduction. Any donationsgratefully received and informationsupplied by Miss MauraCummerford, St. Nessans, Sandyford,Co. Dublin.--The Green StudiosThe Tailors’ Hall near Christchurch, which is in dire need of restorationwork.STUDENTS CONCESSIONrate: 52s a year. Cash, detailsof college, course and finalyear to NEW STATESMAN,Great Turnstile, London WCI.1RinALcrical$tay,fordmadto a:suggU.S.in azsum]saidLoafCamwhicyearevendele~waswro1~a co.[ In Alteraccu,,Fasc]supp.New:writt,yearseditoInterawar~New,," linethatmem~Nickthe PCollethanNaistopini,Itnatio~as adiam,Trini
I TRINITY NEWS--Thursday, January 23, 1969.iUS/byt1 Alan Mathews1 The annual U.S.I. Congress was held earlier this montht in Galway. At the Congress was former S.R.C. PresidentI Alan Matthews who in a speech to the delegates was highlycritical of U.S.I. and suggested an alternative Congress beIcalled in a few months’ time.IIn this article Matthews attempts to convey the atmos-I phere of the Congress, suggesti,ng that its faults stem fromt U.S.I. itself. In his analysis he finds that U.S.I. does nott stand for the real interests of students.The U.S.I. Congress is in theory the governing body of the Unionof Students in Ireland. Delegates who represent the S.R.C. in eachmember college assemble once a year, supposedly to discuss policy andaims for the coming year. I attended the Congress held in Galwayearlier this month as an observer, and my intention in this article is toconvey the completely bankrupt nature of this organisation and its rolein misleading students in Irish higher education.An observer might legitimatelyask what analysis U.S.I. gives ofstudent problems. In the past fewyears U.S.I. has branched out fromits travel base extending itsactivities first into the educationalsphere and latterly into thepolitical sphere. Howard Kinley,the outgoing President, said in hisaddress that U.S.I. was quitedefinitely a political organisation.The reason for the necessity ofsuch action should have been themain talking point of the Congress,particularly as Howard Kinleywent on to call for student-workersolidarity in pursuit of its aims.Yet no definite analysis wasforthcoming. No attempt wasmade to define student problems,to ask why they had arisen and tosuggest a solution. Instead theU.S.I. attitude had to be gleanedin an indirect way. Howard Kinley,summing up his year as President,said that the Bank of IrelandLoan Scheme and the GrantsCampaign were the greatest thingswhich had happened during hisyear in office. Despite this, bothevents were strongly criticised bydelegates during the Congress. Itwas felt that U.S.I. had beenwrong to ally itself so closely witha commercial concern in the firstcase, and that in its support ofloans it had jeopardised the chanceof persuading the Government tointroduce a comprehensive grantsscheme. It was felt that the GrantsCampaign was badly handled, andthat in his lack of follow throughit had proved a complete fiasco.These criticisms, while legitimate,seem to me to miss the mainpoint. The "achievements" whichrepresented the sum total ofU.S.I.’s activities during the yearare rooted in the belief that whatis wrong in our universities boilsdown to a question of money."Give us more money," theyplead, "and everything will beO.K." There is no criticism hereof the structure of the universities,of the content of the courses, or theattitudes of students and stafftowards learning.Yet these are the problemswhich probably prompted most ofthe delegates at the Congress toseek election to their C.T.M. inthe first place. What has gonewrong? What has lead so manystudents with good intentions tospend a week-end in bureaucraticwrangling and Presidential politickinginstead of discussing theirreal problem? The only point ofREALdiscussion in Galways was theUnion bureaucracy itself, the administrationcapabilities of itsvarious offices, and the structure ofthe organisation. The means hadbecome the end.An akernative point of view waspresented at the Congress, and itsfate perhaps best typifies the unrealatmosphere in which dis-Thus not only is imperialismthe main enemy of the Irish people,but also of the Irish student, becauseour main problems are dueto the social role of the universitiesin maintaining it. Recognisingthis, a motion was presentedto Congress asking it to "commitIrish students to the struggle ofthe working class and the exploitedsections of our community, on thebasis that our problems are due tomJIMMY WALSHETwo of the Trinity delegates at the U.S.I. Conference, John Grindle(right) and Alan Baxter.cussions took place. It was pointedout that the university has a verydefinite, but very subtly expressed,idealogical function; namely, thatits role in society is to conserveand sustain the status quo. This isnot simply because universities arenow increasingly financed bypublic funds, but because of thevery nature of their participationin the social and technical divisionof labour. In Ireland this meanstha~ our universities serve theneeds of imperialism, and that theeducational system is directedtowards this end.the same economic system whichis oppressing this class."It was obvious that this reasoningstruck a sympathetic chordwith a lot of the delegatespresent. However, the implicationsof this motion was completelyunacceptable to the more reactionaryelements, and a successfulattempt was made to amend it.The final motion which wasaccepted read that " Congresswishes to commit Irish students tothe struggle of those who have nocontrol over their working environmenton the basis that our prob-PAGE FIVElems are due to the same nonparticipatingeconomic s y s t e mwhich is oppressing this class." Ameaningless j a r g o n expressingnothing!It was quite clear that a lot ofdelegates had little understandingof what the previous motion wasabout. Nor were they encouragedto discuss and find out. Whilesome discussion was allowed onthis particular motion, the usualway of passing motions was to takethem at the rate of two a minute,refusing to allow all but the bareminimum of discussion. Whenmotions are passed in this way itis clear that no commitment toaction can ensue. Again, this is inaccord with my experience ofU.S.I. in the past. When officersof U.S.I. were informed of thepicketing of the Junior Dean’soffice last term, they promised helpbut none was forthcoming. TheGrants Campaign was a classiccase of jumping on the bandwagon,cashing in on the studentmilitancy which had been arousedby similar campaigns abroad,without doing any of the necessarygroundwork and, of course, givingthe wrong analysis.The U.S.I. Congress, then, wasbut a reflection in miniature of theorganisation itself. Lack of understandingof the real issues, no commitmentto action, a preoccupationwith personalities rather thanpolicies, and hence no formalanalysis were the main characteristics.This does not mean thatU.S.I. fulfills no role; it does. ButPeter Semper was correct in condemningit for not standing for thereal interests of students, forbeing a willing tool of the reactionarystatus quo and thus proimperialist.For progressive students inTrinity it is essential that they seethat no change can come throughthe misleading meanderings ofU.S.I. Instead, they should jointhe Academic Freedom Committeein struggling against the antiintellectualatmosphere withinTrinity -- an atmosphere whichwas very prevalent at the U.S.I.Congress in Galway.REPLYIn T u e s d a y’s RevolutionaryAkernative the Internationalistsaccused T.N. and myself ofFascism, racism and slander. Insupport of their attack on TrinityNews they quoted our editorialswritten over a period of threeyears. During this period nineeditors have held office. TheInternationalists a r e perfectlyaware of the fact that TrinityNews does not put forward a" line." It is simply not organisedthat way. Consider that presentmembers range in opinion fromNick Sharman, whose interview ofthe Provost did more to undermineCollege hierarchy in student eyesthan all their efforts, to DavidNaisby Smith whose politicalopinions are fairly well known.It is obvious that the Internationalistswish to represent T.N.as a consolidated body of opiniondiamctrically opposed to their own.Trinity News will not accept thisposition. Thc " RevolutionaryAlternative" has given you apaper tiger.The article on Maoist Chinawas not in fact wildly unsympathctic.This is what soBy Bruce Stewartannoyed them. They can copewith anything they can see in termsof their own language. They seeonly two parties, for and against," progressive " and " Fascist." Inmy article they have met a newtype: a " dangerous intellectual"whose " supposedly liberal" attitudeis simply a more subtle anddangerous brand of Fascism indisguise.The Internationalists have madespecific criticisms of the contentof the article. Those who read itwill not have taken me for anauthority whose word is law. Ishould not wish to suggest that myconclusions are as categorically" correct" as the Internationalistssuggest of theirs. As to the statement" povery of their way of life,"they would have made better useof the opportunity afforded themby presenting contrary facts. Atthe same time they might explainin what respect by statement " inChina anything beyond the barenecessities of life are consideredself-indulgent and liberal evils " ismisleading. If their quibble iswith the word " poverty " I wouldremind them of the problem of discussingrelative standards of living.Equally they would have objectedto any other phrase I might haveused.I would also remind them oftheir own semautic abuses. Onthe day that T.N. was published Iwas addressed as a "Fascistbastard." If their facts werecorrect I should have no choice butto congratulate them on their " actof finding out," but they were not.I stand by my statement thatincreasing misery in the thirdworld will induce a revolutionarysituation. Quoting out of contextthey ruptured the phrase: "Symbolis a characteristic of the Chineseconsciousness." I refer to thesymbol use of the Red Book, andposters of Mao, and more profoundlythe effect of ideogrammaticwriting on Chinese thought.As to the accusation of racism,I can only refer them to the argumentof the article. China isa unique cultural, economic andhistorical entity. A solutionworked out in that context cannotbe easily applied elsewhere. Myconviction is that it will not beapplied in the West. I accept theirdecision to differ.They accuse me of insufficientinvestigation. Presumably theyhave a means of determining whatis sufficient investigation. I grantI have had much less contact withChinese literature than they. ButI have drawn my facts and basedmy interpretations of the samepropaganda to which they are exposed,i.e., the Peking Review(acknowledgments to Internationalistsfor loan of same), besides,notably Alberto Moravia’s recordof his visit to China.I have chosen the medium ofprint to answer because I do notcondone the public shoutingmatches they call "mass democracy"and because I have not,perhaps unfortunately, a rivalideology to fire off at them. Anycommunication would involve myuse of their terms on their ground.Hey Jude, why arethere so many labbirds atSloopys on aWednesday night?Finally, in reply to repeatedaccusations that I have misleadthe public, I say this: Weeks beforethe article appeared I offereda copy to Internationalist PeterSempter for criticism. He refusedon the grounds that it was to dowith Fascist Trinity News. I cannotbelive they wished to save thepublic from misleading literature.Their aim was to avail of theopportunity this article afforded tolaunch another "progressive" campaign.Their speedy reaction toits appearance last Thursday wasnot spontaneous.Since this is written on Tuesdayevening of this week it cannot pretendto cope with further criticismsin the second " Akernative " whichis, I am told, due to appear thisweek.II Dunno George, mustII be something to[I do with all theII handsome Trinity[~ Hunks !T.C.D. NIGHT -- WEDNESDAYSECRET ENTRANCE" 23 D’OLIER STREET
Page 1 and 2: 1969.Gardi Marchersconfront on br
Page 3: ImouthpieeeLast term a subject much

TUDEN RALLY IN DHAC PROT - Trinity News Archive

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?