Viking_Yearbook_66

As always, the errors made more conversation than the hits. A local decibel reading after the February appearance of Mendes-France came in lounder than anything Decaulle was kicking up in the international stratosphere at the time. Mendes-France appeared with a $150O price tag and, appar- ently, no information as to what the Student Activities staff expected him to do to earn it. When he was faced with 300- plus audience and all Portland's TV, radio, and newspaper press, instead of a sequestered reception, he balked-un- disguisedly. The show finally went on, with the audience less than enchanted with the speaker's diplomatic generalities, and college heads squirming at the noticeable exiting of staff and students at the class-hour break. Mendes-France was co- sponsored by the Portland World Affairs Council. Leroi Jones came as the last in a successful '66 Poetry Series, and left in his wake a noisy argument over whether he is a significant Negro poet and playwright or a flash in the current Protest pan. He also left a lot of disgruntled students and townspeople who tried and failed to hear him, and an Acti- vities staff debating whether to pick up his check. Jones, who was scheduled to appear before afternoon and night audi- ences as well as in classes, showed up for the night session only and then walked out after 45 minutes.