Page Two

SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday. October l3. |96l

 

 

Starlet anti idlzlrk

(iiiiincli, Iowa
GRINNELL COLLEGE

A weekly ncwsnnum‘ iinhiichcd cacti Fiidav or Um coiim
chi Grinlmll Cnnimiflee on summit Piililic'itiavis
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. New
Iow1, \lndol’
lllL- .ii: or Mullll siiiiscimilon rate use our school
.‘eiii‘.

, 1571»,

Edilor
News 1-:
Ann. News I.
Spoils rumm- .
ri-oor Edilms
rcnhiie ELlliuis .
COIlJ‘ Etlflois . . , mi .
rhoio Editor . , .\ . - Cooiici
' . .l \n llolli-iun

nncv Popcl
in \vcily

Jtln liilinoll
ocoicc kink
nun Tninci-
iiiiih Lump

Arlvciimiiic .ilesmen ..
Fluinchs Assistants .

Men 0r Marmalade?

Men have always loved to label. Tlley have labelled
with equal zeal everything from plum preserves and paclo
ages to races, religions and beliefs. We have little argument
with the plum preserve people. Where this sort of thing
can become dangerous however, is outside of tlle kitchen
or the posteoffice, in history books, the arguments of care
less debaters and on the college campus.

, Jiidx‘ ”null. sum FM“

One such careless form of labelling seems to be occur—
ring presently at Grinnell. Some people are delighting iii
pointing fingers and loosely assigning" tlle titles of ”Con-
servative” and “liberal” to almost everything and everyone
\in sight. It seems to us that these are rather strange lines

of demarcation on a campus dedicated to liberal education,
a campus where so many shades of belief ex t.

Furthermore, nobody seems to be very sure just what
these labels mean. The best we have been able to get from
the average Grinnellian who is freely using these terms are
personal references. “So and So is a conservative” ”So and
So is a liberal.”

, Last week‘s “Forum for Dissent” suggests a specific
instance of dfiigerous labelling in the college community.
Labelling professors according to supposed political beliefs
can lead to the worst sort of academic calamity. Would it
not be contrary to everything this college stands for if
professors were hired on the basis of their political at-
t"udes rather than their abilities in various fields? The
extremes of tapeerecorders iii the classroom, suppression of
opinion and eventually loss of academic freedom are only
steps away from this kind of thinking.

It is interesting to see how careless sorts of labelling
fall down in practice. An example of this was seen at a re-
tent coffee hour when two professors, supposed ”liberals”,
took almost opposite positions on the Berlin crisis. One be-
lieved that negotiation must go on, and that we might in
fact have to withdraw from Berlin; one felt that negotia—
tion was no longer possible.

We have never encountered a professor who made an
editorial remark iii class that he did not identify as just
tliati The problem among some of our population seems to
be a lack of perception in distinguishing the editorial re—
mark from the interpretive remark. Such problems as the
“Forum" mentions arise, not from increased editorializing
on the part of the professor, it would seem, but ratller, from
the laziness of the student who does not carefully investi-
gate the pertinent classroom material. We must remember
that few significant faculty changes have been made in the
last four years to warrant the strange reaction \vliicliisnow
occurring. Furthermore, never in all our four years at Grinv
hell, have we rilii into a classroom situation wllere all views
were not given “equal time". We have seen papers pure
porting positions on the right and positions on the left re-
ceive D‘s and we have seen both kinds of papers receive A's.

It is true, of course, that there are those students and
faculty with political views which might be easily located,
either to the left or right of center, and we are by no
means suggesting that people become wisliyewashy or silent
about their beliefs. What we object to are those few care-
less critics who refuse to remember that there are countless
pigeonholes within the pigeonlioles alid beliefs within be-
liefs, and that there are Vast unexplored areas of thought
which can hardly be accounted for by only one or two
names which we have hardly begun to define.

What lies behind this tendency to label is the apparent
need to escape the comple. ties of our 20th Century exis—
tence, by seeing everything as either black or white, and
imagining our world as a place where good guys and bad
guys are the only inhabitants. We cannot escape reality so
easily without doing ourselves grave harm. The world
is not that simple, and we must face its challenges honestly,
and carefully. We must re-considei‘ our labels and accusae
tions. People are just not plum preserves.

elite”

To the Edits)"

Bill Johnson‘s letter of last
week ls worthy of a Serious i-e—
ply, It calls attention to ihc lib»
cinl ni-is ideal of inter-discipli-
noi-y, inter-departmental and stu-
dcntl‘acuiiy llital‘~c0mmunicfltion
—-'lfl(l lo the students’ feeling
that Grinnell in them at some
points, particularly in the last
category.

Your general assessment, Bill,
is both ccncious and reasonably
accui-nlc: there is considerable
intra- iculty give and take be-
tween individuals, regardless of
innk or field. With this I ind
myself happy when I contrast
it with the rigid coinpaitincninr
ization prevalent on most ulVlr
vei-siiy faculties — though even
here at Gi-innch tllis is more on
the non—academic personal than
the iiiiei-oepoi-iiiiciitol level.
And i agree with you that though
something is being done to one
courage sonic inter-disciplinary
cross-fertilization, more could
and should be donc boih foimok
ly and informally

However, I disagree with

you when you spccify lack of
faculty attendance at the many
coffee»hollrs that are now held

as a Sign of faculty apathy.

Many of them are not well

publicized; some of them are

trival, to. one on nudism—s
most unpractical in Iowa from

October till late May. And,

then as you sny,. there are

many of them.

But just what does a faculty
member do with all his time:7
There is his teaching; and unlesu
he spends almost as much time
in direct preparation loi- each
class as the student, it’s likely
to be a poor class. He also
hopes to keep on thickening
and deepening his knowledge in
his Speck field and perhaps do
some writing in it as well.

The faculty member tries to
achieve a continuing liberalizing
of his own education by related
reading. and attendance at con.
cci-is, cic. Then more are pnpci-s
and examinations. There are
also couiisclecs (I spent about
three houi-s this pnsi wcck on
that item), plus faculty and
commiiicc meetings which reg‘
ularly take one 01‘ two nilci»
lioons o wcck

No, Bill. you've not dealing
wiih ilic apathetic professor. bui
ihc pathetic prolcssor whose time
is too short in do all lhai he
would like in do.

Winston L. King

To the Editor:

‘I would like to comment on
the recent Criticism directed to
Homes and Read halls in the
last two “Lady Jacques" Col-
umns.

Essentially the point spoken
of in the first issue and elabo-
rated on in last week’s Scarlet
and Black \i as that these upper.
class llalls seemed to lock that
“esprit de Corps" to make them
feel an obligation to pai-iicipaic
for their hall in the hockey in-
trainural program.

I readily admit this to be the
case and find it most humiliate
ing to the intramural chairmen
and the house president. It does
not “look good." Obviously the
girls in the hall do not feel
the need for or are not sulfi-
cienlly inlcrcslcd iii the intra-
mural program to give of their
time to this cause. As a result
they are criticized for being
“too sophisticated" for this sport.

However, in choosing to
came to Grimlell, most of I15
noted high on the priority
list its lack of sororities. Ratli-
el', it‘ advertised a dormitory
System with halls Providing
a variety of voluntary activi-
ties to meet the diversified in-
tei‘ests of its residents

Hockey intrainul‘als is only
one of these activities and one
which obviously does not ill'
tel‘cst any overwhelming ma-
jority of women’s hall reSIdents,
It is a rough sport aild one
that requires skill in order to
be played safely.

We do believe in the exercise
and relaxation that you recomr
mend. However, we also believe
LETTERS
Cont. p. 4, col. 5

Burkle Describes Japanese College

Ed. Note: For those of you
who are new to the Grinnell
campus, Howard it, Biirklc,
professor of philosophy and
religion, is presently on leave
from (ii-iiiiicll, spending time
at International Christian Uni-
versity in Tokyo. What follows
is a recent letter from Burklc
giving some of his observa—
tions and insights into the en-
vironment of the Japanese
university.

by Howard Bui-klc

We thought that it might be
of some inicrcst to Grinncll
students to hear something
about their couiilci-pnrts in this
Japanese univcrsiiy, particularly
ihcii- thinking on recent inlei»
national events.

Since the Japanese school
bcpins iii the spring. the fall
term is only a continuation of
the current school year and
therefore lacks the quality of
freshness which surrounds the
opening of school in the USA.

Here the books have already
been bought, the courses long
ago registered for and the
merits of this year‘s freshman
class (the best in history . . .
only those from the upper lcn
pei cent of their classes, etc.)
have been sung. Out of phase,
we Americans came upon ilic
dinina already in progress.

Yet there is something new
in the pic. The Russian deci-
sion to resume nuclear test-
ing and the American decision
to follow suit struck sharply
at campus nerves, The Julia»
iiese never for a moment let
you forget that they alone
have experienced the destruc-
tion of nuclear explosion.

All political poi-ties are united
in their open and explicit op.
position to the manufacture,
testing or use of nuclear weap-
ons. Even the Communist party,
which is a tiny minority usuak
ly loyally approving whatever
tllc Soviet Union is doing, felt
compelled to express regret at
this Soviet decision. All of‘ this
kccps the Japanese public aglr
tated They are not hysterical,
noi- wildly aroused, but they
are. as one columnist i~cccntly
put it. infinitely sad.

The ICU students, like most
Japanescsiudcnis, are discuss-
ing World problems \t'lih great

enthusiasm and the boundless
desire to do something to make
their voices heard. They i-e—
membci- quite vividly ihc del'nr
onstrations and riots — largely
student led which occurred
at the limo of Eisenhower’s
scheduled visit.

Some of them wci-c in on
these demonstrations, and they
are proud of men part; houu
ever, ihcy ai-c wary lost their
choirs now be seized and nin—

.nipulated—as they won then—

by destructive forces bent on
blind violence.

There is pent-up frustration
among Japanese students and a
large measure of ethical root-
lessness because of the utter col-
lapse of thell‘ previous ruling
powers and the disintegration of
its system of values. For in
sance, nearly 70Vper cent of ihe
present lcu student body de-
scribes itself as having no slice
glance to any religious body in
tradition.

Thus, the sentiment against
nuclear armaments mun-ms
the stature of n national i-e»
ligious conviction; it is a ml-
lying point for the open sup-
port oi the one value on
which all Japanese today
agree.

All of this provides the back-
ground for lCU’s particular cone
tributlon. One of the members
of the freshman class is Ted
Reynolds, son of Dr. Earle L.
Reynolds, the skipper who in
1958 sailed his ship, Phoenix,
into the U.s. Pacific testing
grounds to protest the testing
of hydrogen weapons there.
As you have noticed if you've
read the papers closely, the Rey»
holds family has recenily sailed
from Hiroshima, whcie ihcy now
live. to Vladivostok, to protest
lhc Russian resumption of icsi.
ing. The Reynoldses' son after
long deliberation, decided to
join his family despite the like-
lihood of their being im oned
for entering without a Visa. or
on some more serious charge.

The ICU siudenfs held an
all-school convocation and for.
inulnted ii resolution support—
iiig the Reynoldsefi‘ voyage.
They are also laying plans hu-
a demonstration in Tokyo at
BURKLE -

Cont. p. 4, col. 2

 

l Elie Sanitg of Stones l

 

by John wind

Some people have
that i haven't done anything
this year but use up spice in
an otherwise interesting news
paper. To each of these people
I smile sadly, shake my head
and say nothing. Frankly, there
is nothing i can say. FO)‘ i
admit that I have used up sev-
el'al feet of column space with
rather quaint, but unrcaiilishok-
ii-ig dissertations.

Considering these criticisms
Very seriously i have decided
to turn Ovel‘ a new leaf almost
immediately. But first . . .

Lot it be put on the record
that students oi ,
Gi‘lnnell

icgc were
this week
Subrn'ilcl‘oscopic
denizeu of the
human intestine
served to make
Homecomi n g
’61, [its Homer
coming done
and life in gen-
eral unpleasant. War“

Two, this is a minor subject.
But pcople are walking around
with facial expressions usually
reserved for final time In an
entirely unprecedented action,
the hysterical studies depart-
ment postponed an exam, wait-
lng until the last minute- to ad»
minister their academic pana-
cea Ginger ale is becoming the
drink of the day. DDClOI‘S from
SUI were here briefly to find
oui if Grillnoll was nurturing
a new brand of bug.

I am exaggerating the scope
of the flu-like ill, but there
have been some noticable efr
Toots. There have been some

told me

drops in classroom attendance.
eic., but there has also been :1
change in attitude on the part
of the students.

I speak specifically about
the decorum of the troops at
the Bartok concert Wednes-
day. The Fine Arts Quartet
did, of course, a haul-Mu],
sensitive job. But in the luv
mediate foreground, Roberts
Theater was alive with pe0<
pie standing and leaving in
the middle of the perform»
ance, They walked, they mlk-
cd and did everything but
whip out a banjo and join in
the music.

There must be a correlation
between this almost prevalent
illness and the dazzling show
of bad manners two nights ago.
I refuse to believe that Gi-in-
nellians would behave in that
manncr unless they were sick.
or course, I didn't believe any—
one would laugh at the movie.
“La Strada," either.

At the end of the Quartet's
display of talent they dared to
bow to the audience three
times. After a smattering of
applause. they were left alone
in the big, new theater. The
crush of Grinnclllans on their
way out was truly a power that
exceeded all force of arms. This
surely was illness, not merely
poor taste, social pressure or a
sudden aversion to Bnrfok's inu-
sic.

So let this be known do the
week of the flu Soon the sick
will be well and everything
will come out all right. Taslc
wil improve, I mean,