CRIMSON AND WHITE
VOL. XLII, NO. 8
THE MILNE SCHOOL, S.U.N.Y., ALBANY, N. ¥.
MARCH 3, 1972
A Gallery Grande on Art
by Margaret Anne Francella
Snuggled under a barber shop and next to a book store is a small display
window filled with paintings and drawings—this is the face that the Petite
Gallery turns to the world. Then if you open the door and descend the
stairs to your left, you'll confront a sampling of what is hung and stacked,
leaned and piled behinnd the door with the little sign that says:
to the Petite Gallery. Ring bell and walk in.
ring second time, may be in storeroom.
He'll answer any questions that may occur to you about
ushers you in,
“Welcome
If door doesn’t open please
So, the door opens and Mr. Dennis
his hundred or more canvasses, and he’ll tell you a bit of local art history
and a bit of his own history at the same time.
For instance, he'll explain that that large, dark painting over there is by
D. C, Lithgow, the artist who did the murals in the State Education Build-
ing, and the backdrops for the
Indian. displays in the museum that
we are all so familiar with from our
field trip days. And if you ask,
he'll tell you that the portrait by
the same fellow is of another artist
and mutual friend, William Schoon-
maker, The photograph of just
paintings shows mostly his work,
which ranges skillfully from wild
animals (about which he also wrote
a book, for which he did his own
photography), to seascapes, to por-
traits of lithesome young ladies,
Then perhaps Mr. Dennis will in-
troduce you to some of his own
work, telling you how it was he
happened to make that collie blue,
or where he got the idea of putting
a ballerina in a bottle. Now, you
may or may not like his paintings,
but he paints for his own pleasure,
and to please others is not their
primary purpose. It is the learning
from experimenting, and the attempt
to express an idea or a feeling that
is important.
So, perhaps one day when you're
strolling downtown, looking in at
the boutiques, you’ll turn down Lark
Street and take a look at the gal-
lery’s window, and maybe you'll
want to go inside and find out where
it is that paintings go after they
leave the art class.
Does Pass-Fail Fail?
With all the controversy in schools
today concerning the pass-fail grad-
ing system, it is interesting to note
the problem that many college stu-
dents are experiencing when they
apply to graduate school. Most
graduate schools will not accept ap-
plicants with pass-fail grade records,
These colleges are looking for'grade
equivalency, and with so many
other applicants under considera-
tion, they don’t have the time to test
pass-fail students to determine this
equivalency. As a result, many stu-
dents are discovering that they must
repeat their four previous years of
college on a grade level basis.
In addition, students who have
graduated college on a_pass-fail
basis are having trouble finding
jobs. Many employers feel that
pass-fail grades are not good indi-
cations of a prospective employee's
potential and will, therefore, not
hire him.
Perhaps a pass-fail grading system
is the answer to the grading di-
lemma, perhaps not. However, the
fact remains that until it becomes
an accepted mode of evaluation,
working under the pass-fail system
can be a very risky undertaking.
F, and M.R.
A petite example of the Petite Gallery; above, Mr. Paul Dennis,
Field Work
Man and his recreational facilities
will be the focus of attention in a
mini-mester course entitled “Open
Minds and Open Spaces: Recrea-
tional Areas in the Capital District.”
The group, which has 26 student
members, is being headed by Mr.
Michael Lamana and Mr, Gary
Spielman, both members of the
Social Studies department,
‘On the surface, the course appears
to be just a bunch of people getting
together to have fun on a camping
trip. However, the purpose of the
group goes much deeper than that,
as topics directly related to certain
environmental issues will be ex-
plored,
The first week of investigation
will consist of conferences with En-
vironmental Conservation officials
fate policy regarding land ac-
ion for recreation and how
such decisions are made. The group
will also define the issues that will
be explored in the following 3
weeks, such as public ‘vs. private
facilities, sit locations, access, capa-
city, physical resources, degree of
development, cost to users, and
users’ needs vs. cost to taxpayers.
The group will go on field trips
the second weeks to places like
Camp Dippikill (Gore Mt. area),
Caroga Lake, and Glimmerglass
State Park. Transportation to these
places will hopefully be provided
by SUNYA buses and living quar-
ters will be tents. Under the culin-
ary expertise of Mr. Lamana, the
students will also attempt to prepare
their own food,
Through actual use of the facil-
ities provided (fishing, hiking, etc.),
the students should be able to de-
termine the variety and quality of
public recreational service provided
in N. Y. State.
—Joe Lapidus
(Photos by Dave Slawsky)
New Math
Tt has recently come to my atten-
tion that there is a program present-
ly being experimented with in this
country whereby teachers receive
bonuses for improvement in their
students’ grades.* Some of the im-
plications of a system of this kind
are obvious—teacher-oriented pres-
sure on students, and increased
competition between classes and
schools, However, the program
which on the surface appears to
benefit only teachers, might also be
the opportunity for some bright, in-
dustrious student, to discover that
school really can “pay off.” Perhaps
a conversation like this one will be.
come commonplace in the future:
Bright, industrious student: You
know ‘something, I really think I
can get an A in Algebra this term.
Teacher: Really Bill? That’s won-
derful!
Student: Yeah, but I need a little
incentive to get a grade like that.
I think 40% of your Math bonus
should do it.
However, don’t panic! Maybe most
teachers won't even accept this new
system. Just to get an idea, I tried
to call a teacher friend of mine,
Mrs, Jones, to find out how these
promised bonuses were affecting her
life as an average teacher, I never
did talk to her, though, for I was
informed that she had just retired
to her newly-purchased houseboat
in Florida and could not be reached.
“Editor's Note: This appeared in a
newspaper as an A.P. article.
A LIGHT WAR
by Frank Perlmutter
Science has given us many dis-
coveries and inventions that have
rapidly grown too big to control.
Television and ditto sheets are two
of technology's benign children that
have since conquered their host and
conquered his house, for example,
and a moment's reflection will turn
up many others.
Electricity is another force that
has gradually infiltrated society and
caused drastic change, and The
Great American Light War is a play
describing man’s struggles to use
electricity for his own dubious pur-
poses. Acclaimed as a “comic
horror show”, The Great American
Light War shows the clash between
Con Ed and Western Electric from
the 1880's to their final climactic
battle in the future.
The SUNYA production effective-
ly combines projections, special ef-
fects, and multiple screens to pre-
sent the play’s message. The cast
will be accompanied by the Star
Spangled Washboard Band playing
everyone's favorites, such as “I Get
a Charge Out of You” and “Mr.
Phonograph.”
The play will run from March 1-5,
and tickets are now on sale in the
Performing Arts Center box office
for $2,00, but anyone with a SUNYA
student tax card can buy a ticket
for $1.00. Reservations, which I
strongly advise, can be made by
calling 457-8606 ‘or 457-7535 between
11 am, and 4 p.m.
Any reserved tickets not picked
up by 8:15 on the evening of the
performance are sold to the trusting
people who have put themselves on
the WAITING LIST, but this is a
precarious way of getting in,
Tn other wofds, the meek and
passive will get jostled away, since
an early arrival and an aggressive
attitude are the only ways to handle
the crowds that will be clamoring
for tickets—because The Great
American Light War promises to be
one of SUNYA’s best productions
of the year, as well as one of its
most elaborate.
No News is
Good News
PAGE 2
CRIMSON AND WHITE
MARCH 3, 1972
Letters to the Editor
To the Editors:
I believe that there is no solution
to the so-called “generation gap.”
Trying to define what is happening
between our parents’ generation and
youth is a difficult task. The “gap”
has evolved from both generations.
Neither can be fully blamed for the
existing situation.
The best known cause of the
“generation gap” is “lack of com-
munication.” I agree that “lack of
communication” is a definite cause,
but only up to a certain point. The
“lack of communication” is a result
of the lack of understanding that
exists between generations. Many
times people will not and cannot
communicate with each other unless
they are able to understand why
people feel as they do. Is it ne-
cessary for a parent or a child to
come out the “winner” in every dis-
cussion he has? Is it not true that
more times than not both lose in
some way? After three minutes of
talk, most conversations between a
parent and child wind up ten deci-
bels above screaming. This might
not occur if each party understood
why the other felt the way he did.
There are certain basic problems
in most homes. If I could live my
life over I would have tried to fol-
low a different set of rules. I would
never engage in an argument until
I calmed myself down and thought
out what to say. Normally, I would
have said something that would
have ruined my chances of doing
anything for a week, instead of the
one night I was arguing about.
A perfect example of this is once
when I asked my parents for the
car. They said “No,” for the simple
reason that I had had it the day
before. I thought it was a poor
reason but said nothing and went
back to my room. A half hour later,
I came back and calmly discussed
the situation. This approach worked.
All I did during that half hour
to so radically alter the outcome of
the dispute was to try to understand
my parents’ position and try to an-
ticipate how they would react to
different things that I might say.
Keeping these things in mind, when
we talked I appeared mature and
logical to, them.
If I only had done this before!
—Name withheld by request
To the Editors:
As I sit here writing this letter
(Feb. 18), I know that there are
many Milne kids working hard for
the school. There are boys practic-
ing hard for a game this weekend
that less than half of the school
(including faculty) will attend.
Girls are practicing their cheers
only to go hoarse the night of the
game because so few of the specta-
tors seem to be cheering with them.
Meanwhile, a frustrated student
body president is trying to get a
quorum at a meeting he’s called.
The Student Council officers are
struggling to get enough student
teachers for cafeteria duty.
The participants are willing but
there’s a lack of support. It seems
that the students and faculty can’t
give up any of their time to show
interest in’ the people that work
every day to represent their school.
There was a time not that long ago
when this school sent a spectator
bus to all sports events. Student
Council never had to worry about
having a quorum. We used to have
so many extracurricular activities
that just about everybody was in-
volved in at least one thing. Maybe
it’s coincidental, but during that
time we were also number one in
most sports in our league.
I think it would benefit every-
body to devote some time to help
their fellow students instead of just
talking about what is wrong. Be-
sides going to the games you could
think of a club that might interest
you and if there is not one already
you can start one very easily, talk
to any Student Council officer for
help. All you have to do is show
some interest and give some time.
Students make a school, the school
itself is just a building. I’s what
is inside that makes it work.
We are now at a standstill, We
can never progress this way. School
spirit is a responsibility for all. It
would improve the attitude of the
students and there would not be all
these cliques within the classes.
School would become a place that
kids would want to come to. All
this depends on the students which
means every one of us. The future
of Milne depends on us!
—Barbara Linter
Love is All You Need
In Warwick, Massachusetts, by the side of a long, winding road, there is
a community, mostly of young people, called the Brotherhood of the Spirit.
It is a beautiful place.
the world,
Perhaps it is one of the most beautiful places in
The Brotherhood of the Spirit is a place where people come to work on
themselves and learn to stop playing games.
It is a place where they can
become real, and where they can learn to love and be loved. This is really
the key to it; the members of the Brotherhood are learning to become
attuned to the infinite source of lovepower in the Universe.
Crazy? Not at all. When you see the members and prospective members,
you realize just how real it is.
They all look each other squarely in the
eye—and they will look into your eyes too, if you will let them. And that
is a unique experience. You can even try it right now, at Milne. Whoever
you are talking to, or listening to, look into their eyes. Do not look away.
Give them your whole attention.
The feeling is a truly remarkable one.
The creature comforts of life are missing from the houses in Warwick.
There is a sign at the entrance, “No alcohol or drugs allowed beyond this
point.” The sleeping accommodations are far from luxurious—the beds are
wooden slabs, mostly without mattresses. The food is very simple and not
very tasty, and there are missing many of what we consider staples: milk,
bread, fresh fruit.
And yet, no one seems to notice.
No one does notice.
Anyone who has
been there for more than two months is usually so stoned on love that the
concept of smoking grass or drinking liquor is ludicrous,
The beds are
easy to sleep on, and the food is nutritious enough to keep anyone healthy,
and that is enough. For the pleasuses of a steak dinner are pale next to
the joy of being able to put your arms around just anybody there and say,
Congratulations!
The C&W would like to congrat-
ulate New York State Regents’
Scholarship winners Frances Adams,
Merle Bachman, Stephen Benko,
Sara Boomsliter, Sue Hacker, Mar-
garet-Anne Francella, Brent’ Mich-
iner, Frank Perlmutter, Linda
Pierce, Tom Schrodt, and Debbie
Stinson, Steve Benko scored the
highest on the test for Milne but no
Milnites were among the top five in
the county. There may be no alter-
nates this year because of the state
budget crisis.
Senior Johnsky Polydourisovich
at last week’s Senior Hat Day.
Yes, Virginia, There is a Decent Radio Station...
You guessed it ... this is another
in a series of articles that will at-
tempt to put down AM radio sta~
tions. This latest attack was in-
spired by an all too-frequent event.
I was driving along in my car and
turned on the radio to one of the
local ‘super pop’ stations, only to be
told that “Coffee Beans and Human
Beans were meant to be the best
of friends.” Upon switching the
station, I was asked what color
orange Ford I wanted. I again
switched stations on my radio in a
desperate attempt to find some
music, and was caught in the middle
of a mindless contest. Well, to
make a long story short, twenty
minutes after I had set out, I had
heard one song (Clean-up Woman)
and approximately eight commer-
cials. (At times I must admit the
music that accompanies the com-
mercials is better than some of the
records the Boomer plays.)
My answer to this sad situation
is WRPI, an FM station located at
91.5 on your dial, The music that
is played is as varied as the people
who listen to it. The station plays
quality music, album’ cuts of Cat
Stevens, Carol King, J. Geils, Neil
Young, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan
and on and on. You won’t hear
commercials or teeny-bopper super-
hit songs. On ‘RPI, for the most
part, songs by currently popular
artists are played, not the “hits”
which you can hear on AM stations.
Sones a year old are not “Golden
Oldies”! “Special programs include
“Mostly Folk”, Sunday nights at
seven, which features folk all the
way from Woody Guthrie (Arlo’s
father) to Paul Simon. Sunday
nights at ten there is a jazz show
featuring old and new stuff. On
Sundays till four there is a show
that plays strictly classical music.
At four there is a Blues show.
Thursday nights the show “Foun-
dations” plays Buddy Holly and
other 50’s rock ’n roll selections. The
show often plays cuts from a suc-
cession of albums by one group in
order to trace the group's develop=
ment.
I don’t know if it would impress
you or not, but I first heard “Amer-
ican Pie” on WRPI. Who knows,
by listening to RPI you may be the
first on your block to hear the “hits
of tomorrow”!
—Libby Derrico
“I love you.” And mean it.
The activities are very simple and
very diverse. They meditate, and
chant, and climb mountains or take
walks, or work around the houses,
or just hang out together. They
help each other grow.
The community helps support it-
self by a rock band, called Spirit in
Flesh, whirh is perhaps best known
for its brightly colored posters
which always get ripped off soon
after they have been put up. Their
music is good, and very pure in
spirit. Their female vocalists are
outstanding. They’ve released one
album already, and are now record-
ing another.
Also, many of the members work,
at outside “right livelihood” jobs.
Recently, they’ve started a publica-
tion called Free Spirit Press, which
sells for thirty cents an issue (Three
dollars a year; write to F.S.P., 37
Ferry Road, Turner's Falls, Massa-
chusetts 01367 to subscribe. Don’t
forget your zip code.)
Beautiful things are being done at
the Brotherhood of the Spirit. They
are working on life’s seven basic
laws: order, balance, harmony,
growth, God- perception, spiritual
love, and compassion. No newspaper
can adequately tell what's going on.
Its LOVE, and that’s just a word
on paper, but in a human being
that’s purity, beauty, truth, infinity,
God! And, the members say that
there is infinite love in everyone.
What they are doing is getting it out.
If you can find the Brotherhood
of the Spirit, it is a great place to
visit. But the important thing is—
YOU, NOW —this very instant.
RELAX. Look into someone’s eyes,
and tell them that you love them.
If you can’t do it now, keep trying
until you can. And’ you'll have
changed the world.
—A recent Milne Alumnus
CRIMSON AND WHITE
Vol. XLII March 3, 1972 No. 8
Published by The Milne School,
S.U.N.Y., Albany. Address corres-
pondence’ to The Editor. SS
Member
Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.
Cooperative Student Press
Editors. M. Bachman, S. Benko
Advisor Mr. Richard Lewis
CC BY 4.0