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Show TfW Tfiuiuttr6tni come back, please John-Bo- y To the editor: Having big-cit- y the well-to-d- o y . Spectrum nor The To the editor: Whatever one thinks of John and his speech last Thursday, one thing should be made clear: John Dean was not our guest when on the lecture podium. John Dean was paid to lecture, paid to share ideas and experiences, paid to submit those ideas and experiences to the critical minds of the audience. Thats how institutions like our Dean a little joke (just between us boys). He said he felt like a man who had just married a prostitute; he knew what to do, but he didnt know how to make it interesting. (Ever tried love John-Boy- compassion. two Most recently, Dean posed as an innocent lawyer, presumably a By their criminal acts these men disqualified themselves as historians or political scientists. for whatever Now they attempt reasons to tell us that they are reliable sources for inside information about Watergate. They have both profitted from their crimes, by writing books which became as a result of their notoriety. I fear that the citizens of Cedar City have fallen prey to their best-selle- clever rhetorical strategies. Ehrlichmans cynical relativism, where everything goes since American Democracy is a sham, and Deans injured innocence, his posture of unfortunate victim; these indicate that neither has learned from his crime. Neither has taken.personal responsibility . These men were highly-educated- , and we have always supposed that a college education builds character. They were and are men of demonstrably weak il not evil character. Their education failed them when they worked at the White House, and I see no reason why their backgrounds could qualify them as astute political analysts. Rather their crimes could he classed with that of the man who fixed the World Series, except that they played and continue to play w'lth an institution that we ought to value more highly. Michael Cohen Scrutinization part of our institution We think you! re a real swell guy! an democracy and especially academic community function. To suggest, as the November 21 editorial in The Thunderbird did, that we act like sheep and not scrutinize Deans talk is an insult to those institutions and to Dean himself. Do we want John Dean to leave Cedar City and consider this a community of obedient, non- thinkers? Or do we want him to remember us as critical thinkerg? The Thunderbird editors obviously opt for the former. As an educator and concerned citizen, Ill choose the latter. Jim Aton Editor's note: Convocation speakers, regardless of who they are and what they have done, are entitled to be questioned and criticized by audience members, but in a civil manner. L 12 days of Christmas begin The flower delivery service will be available on Wednesday (Nov. 30) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. On the first day of Christmas my true lo e Orders can be placed in the Student Council . Center. gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. Christmas caroling isolated for 7 p.m. On the third day of Christmas SUSC students may give their true loves, friends, or Thursday (Dec. 1) in the Student Center and that day will also see the judging of whomever a bouquet of roses and carnations. This flower delivery service is only one of the gingerbread houses and tree decorating. Friday (Dec. 2) will sye a moonboot run many exciting events planned for The 12 Days of Christmas, now under way at SUSC. beginning at 1 p.m. on the Quad. Saturday, (Dec. 3) is ski day at Brian Head. Two contests began on the first day of On the seventh day of Christmas, (Monday, Christmas, Monday: the jelly bean contest and Dec. 5), Santas Soda Shop and pictures with the dorm decorating contest. Santa will be open from noon to 5 p.m. in the A jar of jelly beans will be located in the Small Ballroom. Also, Christmas essays are due SUSC Bookstore display case with the object and Opus II will present a concert in Thorley of the contest being to guess how many jelly Recital Hall at 8:15. beans are in the jar. Contestants may enter as Scrooge will screen Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in the many times as they like until noon Thursday (Dec. 1.) The announcement of the winner will Great Hall. The ninth day of Christmas be Friday, (Dec. 2) at noon. (Wednesday, Dec. 7, will feature a choir concert at 7 p.m. in Thorley Recital Hall. On the second day of Christmas today-studThe 10th day. of Christmas will see a for should keep their eyes open candy Christmas dinner at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall, canes hidden all over campus. Each and Friday, (Dec. 9) will be the 11th day of striped sweet will have a tag which is Christmas with the Stab Giveaway. either good for a prize or says Try again. Friday nights dance will wrap up the Another event planned for the second day of events of The 12 Days of Christmas. hot for Christmas is designed campus pants. dance will be in the Great The 1 It is the ice block sitting contest, beginning at Hall at 8 p.m. The official close of the the on Quad. p.m. celebration will take place in War Memorial Fieldhouse Saturday (Dec. 10) as the Lady Tuesday there will be an LDSSA movie at 7 'Birds host Mesa College in basketball at 7:30. p.m. at the Institute. by Daum DeBusk g lts to Thunderbird has cared to examine the sophisticated, slick, but rhetoric nevertheless of these men. I am frightened because both John Ehrlichman and John Dean passed themselves and their views off as experienced, using the same strategy that won the presidency for Richard Nixon. One claimed that he was somehow blind or foolishly credulous; both claimed that they learned from their experience. y y listened Watergate criminals this fall, both disbarred lawyers, I find myself frightened and angry. I am frightened because neither John Dean and John Ehrlichman are two smooth-talkinlawyers. Theyre fairly typical of the whole Watergate gang: sons of families, graduates of prestigious colleges, products of respectable law schools, and devoid of any sense of morality in public affairs. Both of them have appeared recently on our campus in connection with our Convocation Series and, according to a recent editorial in The Thunderbird, John Deans honesty merits our respect. The Thunderbird reports that John Dean gave a lecture and then opened the meeting to questions only to be savaged by some pointed queries from some people who werent even students. Such treatment, it is feared, did not inspire John-Boto return. Pity. Many of us who experienced the events of Watergate and who have tried to keep up with the literature concerning that conspiracy have a rather different view of Johns performance. In our view he continues in his ways but he is, if anything, even smoother than he was back then when he participated in the criminal act of obstructing justice. Oh, John-Bodidnt want to come right out and tell all you nice people that he was a criminal. And he didnt want to square with you and tell you that he blew the whistle on Watergate only when it became apparent that his skin was the one that was going to be hung on the wall when the whole sordid mess came down. He wanted to slide right over those issues. So he used a little rhetorical strategy (like in the old days with lecture with Nixon and the boys); he opened his whistle-blowin- Page 5 Speakers are men of weak character Editors note: Trading Places is a weekly feature in which members of the campus community are able to share their views on subjects of their choice. Those interested in contributing to this space are urged to contact The Thunderbird. This weeks writer is Robert G. Young, associate professor of history. Later, he told another prostitute joke. Both of these little vignettes were offensive and in poor taste. Why did he do it? Obviously to disarm his audience, to make us all feel like one of the boys before he proceeded to rationalize his role in the conspiracy, never actually admitting his criminality and role as one that was basically depicting his altruistic in aim. Apparently his technique worked; it fooled The Thunderbird is laughing all the way to the bank. The only staff, and John-Bo- y rough sledding he experienced was when he was asked some very pertinent questions by a few people in the audience. It was in replying to these questions that he approached honesty. Then when asked to comment on the rhetorical strategy he had used in his speech, this product of Georgetown Law School was so taken aback that someone had seen through his tactics, he was at a loss for words. I hardly think that the people who asked those perfectly legitimate questions have done irreparable damage to the reputation of SUSC unless of course we want to be known as a college where gullible hospitality feigns Supreme over critical thinking: Ah, Johnny we never really knew ya, but we think youre a real swell guy. will More important than the question of whether John-Boreturn to his plush California bungalow with a bad taste in his mouth for Cedar City is the larger question of the purpose of these Convocation meetings. Arent they supposed to be a means of stimulating dialogue about important issues both on campus and in the larger community? If so, can we really think about such important issues if it is deemed impolite to ask tough questions? Do we want to close these lectures to These Convocations shouldnt be mere shows in which students receive one unit of credit to act as a pleasant backdrop for the speaker. Obviously we ought a sea of fresh, happy faces to expect people to be polite and attentive during a talk. But not confuse respect for a speaker with unthinking acquiescence to the slick performances of men like John Dean who appear to have no conscience and who are seriously deficient in human Tuesday Ncncmhcr 29, 1983 . ents c semi-form- tv: --i-,,- :.'. it- - vfr.'P.f; |
