SCARLET AND BLACK

 

The censorship of “The Chairs" once again raised the sticky
problem oi censorship oi the arts, literature, and the press at Grin-
nell, While “The Chairs" incident is confusing, it did point out some
oi the serious problems we lace unless censorship is categorically

eliminated on this campus,

“The Chairs” is not an isolated incident of censorship or at-
tempted censorship here, and the son has knowledge of several
student projects that will appear this year which may be subject to
censorship under the current policy. We should not wait for the
issue to come up again, with the resultant contusion, hard feel-
ings, educational losses, and bad press coverage before we correct

the unsatisfactory situation.

There are many positive reasons for eliminating the concept of
absolute censorship, We will bring up some oi the most important

here:

The practice of censorship is poor educationally. The college
should not teach, by example or otherwise, that artistic or press
censorship is permissible merely because some people will become
upset. Last year President Leggett made a serious attempt to
have a student photographic exhibit containing nude pictures re-
moved on the grounds that “we are only trying to avoid trouble.”

The college should not teach that the proper way to handle con-
troversial issues is to "blot them out.” This attitude is very much
opposed to the liberal arts concept of education by exposure, dis-

cussion and learning

Obscenity in the arts and literature is a relevant issue in the
real world, Due to our upbringing, it is a diiiicult subject for many
people to talk about intellectually. Students want and need guid-
ance in this area, Resorting to censorship when something com
troversial occurs teaches nothing, and may easily have a negative
affect. We would point But that a coiiee hour discussion was held
alter the periormancs of “The Chairs” and that no one, not even
Meyer, said anything about the now controversial scene.

when the faculty seems unable to discuss such things in the
open, what are students to think? Students are given little help in
learning to think intellectually about controversial matters related
to obscenity when a faculty member is the first to yell "lewd and
gross." Due to the censorship, it will he difficult ior a student here
in ever see “The Chairs" with objectivity.

Openly discussing problems or obscenity would be worthwhile,
Eliseo Vivas, the Visiting Philosopher who gave the Fine Arts lee

, EDITORIAL—

(Continued on Page 7)

Friday, Oclebor I4. 196!

Guest Column

Student Theater

By
HELEN l.. KLEIN
HOWARD EARNED
MAXWELL HELFGO'IT

Our purpose here is not to discuss the specific
case of Dennis Rich and his production or “The
Chairs,” but rather to try to make some "valid
generalizations" about the responsibilities the
student director, his instructors, and the liberal
arts college administration have to the college
community and to one another, The peculiarities
and complexities of this particular case tend to
lead us astray and make us target that we are
dealing within a certain context — the college
community —— and with a spec' c population —-
the Students, iaculty, and administration 0! that,
college,

The student director is in a difficult situation.
He is an artistic agent —— a representative of the
playwright — and has n responsib‘ 'ty to convey,
with “artistic integrity," the aims and goals at
the playwright us he (the director) sees them
to be. But he has another rule -— that of student.
As a student, and as a student who is earning
academic credits ior his work, his responsibilities
are not only to the playwright, but to his instruc-
tors and, more generally, to the learning expe-
rience. In this learning situation then he is not a
iree agent, nor should he be. The student produc-
tion in an art form, but the student is an appren-
tice to his art. Whether he is to call the instruc-
tions and comments he receives from his instruc-
tors “censorships” or “constructive criticism”
and how he is to react to such comment and in»
struction depends largely on his own attitude not
only toward the art to which he is apprenticed,
but to the learning process in which he is in-
volved,

His situation is further complicated by the re-
sponsibilities he owes to the college administra-
lion. His work is sponsored by the administration
oi the college both financially and physically (in
terms of the space aiiorded the director ior his
production) In a less specific (but by no means
less important) sense, the student director be-
comes a part of the college administration when
he presents a production which is open to the pub
lie. The importance 0! "public relations” for the
Student is a much more difficult matter to assess
than it is ior the Broadway dimcwr who must be
assured a favorable box office response in order
to present his production In the college situation
the student must be sensitive to the kind or audi-
ence to which his performance is geared'—- an ex-
tremely difficult and very important feeling to
establish.

The third responsibility is, then, to the college
community as a whole, not only to the audience
but to the sensibilities of the community and the
attitudes which prevail among the student body,
in the “outside world," and among the iaculty as
well. We grant that this kind at anticipation and
clairvoyance is a dilficult task for an expert, let
alone for an amateur. But we also feel that spe-
cial care must be taken in this area,

The aims at Grinnell as a liberal am institue
tiun hopefully are not solely geared ior the stu.
dents, or faculty, or administration, but ior all
three. This necessitates the establishment of a
true academic community in which all parties
are active, interested, and aware of the respon-
sibilities each has tor the others. The purpose oi
independent study is to allow the student to devel-
op his i-esponsniilities in a mature and thought.
iul way. It is up to the administration and the inc.
Lllty, as well as the student, to be aware of both
the problems and rewards of such a program
and to approach both in a responsible iashiun.

 

letters . . .

Cicero Spurned

To the Editor:

This college proudly main-
tains a great injustice to one or
the great shapers of intellectual
thought in Western civilization,
namely to Cicero. Around the
top oi the former library, Car»
negie llall, are the names or
those who led us to our pre-
sent state of intellectual de-
velopment. Noticeaiiiy absent
from these is the name,
"Cicero". This would not he so
had were there a proper substi-
tute, but the closest we get to
“Cicero" is “Caesar”, certainly
not a comparable shaper oi in—
tellents.

This, lhough, is only an i
inflict! in words, and ever

ody would agree that an in-
justice in deed is tar more
serious. The injustice in deed
is also present at Grinnell,
though in a for subtler way.
One of Cicero's finest beliefs
is that. meals should not occur
merely for the energizing or
the body. but that “convivium”
should be present in them. The
actual eating should be subordi-
nate to the pleasure of the
company.

In Grihnell the opposite
view is held, as is exemplified
by the strict, cold, harsh rule
that one who does not have
n float hour class may not eat
with a friend who does. There
are, allegedly, reasons ior this,
but i believe the upholding or
the rinciple of convivium is
wort the minor alterations
necessary for it.

Grinnell ought not to inflict
such a hard punishment as it
does (as it did to me), a heavy
fine, to those who accept this

idea of Cicero. Rather should
Grinnell change this unholy
Policy.

iJames Alexander Arieti

Folly?
To the Editor:

1 have been reading the spe
cial issue 01 the sen devoted
to this year‘s encampment, in
which various “student leaders”
have expressed their stances,
hopes, and demands. The sen
quotes President Leggett as be»
ing ”ecstatic” over the encamp
ment; and if “ecstatic" be tak-
en literally, as meaning “beside
oneself", i too, am ecstatic #
though scarcely with joy. 1 have
not been so depressed since 1
graded my last batch of blue-
books.

All or the statements are
prime examples or bad logic
enshrined in worse grammar.
We have clearly failed, as an
educational institution, to
teach students how to think
clearly and correctly; unit,
worse, we have railed to teach
ihern even how to ask the

kt questions.

To detail the lollies of each
piece would take lsr too much
space: hence I am altering to
consult with any oi the authors
who might wish to, in order to
show the flaws that mar each

argument — or rather utterance.
Such a course precludes, alas,
exposing the folly, but the sen
has already performed that ser»
vice merely by printing the
Pieces,

1: these are the views or
students who are leaders on
campus, one can only place
wine’s trust in the unspoken
sanity or the masses. Such

 

Scarlet and Blue

GRINNELL corneas
Grinncll, Iowa

A weekly newspaper published rndny or the colleoe year by crin-
ncll Committee on Student publications, Represented tor national adver-
tising by National Advertising Scrvlcc, lllc., College Publishers Retiree
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puid nt Grinnell, lowa. subscription me :5 oil per school your. law paid

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em'mn W,
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failure on the part of the ill-
teuectual aristocracy is
enough to make one turn
"liberal".
in accordance with my gen-
erally conservative tendencies,
(sic) I shall ask the line to
form on the right.
—John Crossett
Classical Languages

ResponSlbllliy
To the Editor:

Having lived on this campus
for over two years and having
seen and had personal experi-
ences with what i will call, ior
lack or a better term, nonre-
sponsiblluy on the part of so
many of my lellow students, I
find myselt in a state of super-
consciousness and elation at the
proposals resulting trom this
year’s encampment.

As a ireshman i expected to
lind college men and women
people who would be willing
and able to carry responsibility.
1 found instead a grotto ot peo-
ple who, lor the most part, were
able, but unwilling to be respon-
sible, Perhaps I ought to be
more specific about what 1 mean
by the term "responsibility." 1
mean sincerely interested in
events and things going on a
round them and not accepting
them passively; wanting to give
at themselves to help othrrs or
to do anything at all, but hav-
ing some drives other than just
seeking good times; being self-
reliant and not needing super-
imposed sign posts telling them
what to do and when to do it;
and generally being able to
conduct themselves in an adult
and mature manner.

I leel the proposals presents
ed by the executive cabinet, by
creating an atmosphere of
“ireedom” would lot-co students
to accept responsibilities which
they did not have to deal with
previously. And from this would
develop my higher concept oi
the “responsible student."

I don’t tool that 1 am being
too idealistic about this, judging
from the very positive reactions
of so many of the students and
the general aura of excitement
which is pervading the campus.
And this is not the excitement
of “on BOY! i No women’s
hoursl A iiltyeighl hour visitae

tion week!" It is the quiet e
citement of students who com<
prehend the reasons for these
changes and see the vast po-
tential which these proposals
have for making something
more of this campus than a
place to go to classes and live
find are caught up in a de-
sire to be at art of this in some
way, even i only sitting down
nnd talking it over with others
who are also caught up in this
“feeling.”

1 only hope that students who
feel this mood, as I feel it, will
not let it subside as the novelty
wears off but will sustain these
trends and carry them over to
other facets of campus life,
making Grinnell a more Vibrant,
alive, interested, and nesponsr-
his community.

Hsteve Gausehcck

Grade Escalation

To the Editor:

That the {acuity chose
not to bother the student
body with the_propo_sed 35
grade change indicates Just how
much the faculty regarded stilt
dent opinion on the matter.
That we now have a 3.5 grade
indicates the faculty’s reiusalto
examine realistically and anti-
cally the anachronism of grades.
It indicates a departure from
the progressive, partial pass-tail
system introduced publicly last
sprln . Perhaps by taking one
step stimuli, the faculty be-
lieves it can take two steps ior-
ward. But playing this kind of
calypso movement could well
clip the value 0‘ a Gl'lnnell ed-
unalion.

Another grade means not only
more emphasis on grades but,
lcr many students, simply ano-
ther grade to grub for. Now if
grades adequately reflected the
value the student obtained
from the course, then grades
could be justified. That they
don't, that they oiten encourage
supel ciality and competitive
innnity, hardly needs explana-
tion here, But what does need
explanation is why the iaculty
is practicing grade escalation.
Perhaps the faculty believes
that increasing the grade pres
sure Will iol'ce the student to
negotiate for knowledge, Un-
lortunately, the student may
just negotiate for more grades

— which might embarrass the
laculty. Why not, ior example,
a 3.25 grade, This would be the
diiference between “very good"
work and “Sllpel'lul‘”_work; we
could call it “percenuve” work.

. . . one can hope the taeulty
will reexamine its policy on
grades and invest the student
with a little more academic re-
sponsibility in hls junior and
senior years. Specifically, l oro~
nose:

1. That grades be retained for
freshmen and sophomore cours-
es, and tor upper level courses
outside orie’s major, _

2. That in junior and senior
courses within _ one’s major.
grades be abolished. instead,
the nroiessor shall submit an
explicated written evaluation of
the student's work in the course.
The evaluation would be sent to
graduate schools, which would
thus be able to evaluate not
only the student‘s work more
precisely but also the profes-
sor’s ability. Certainly, all this
involves more paperwork and a
burden on the professor. But
(a) the evaluation would . be
more precise than. a numerical
grade, and (b) it would en-
courage the progesspr to pay
more than a polite rnterestm
his suident as the latter begins
to concentrate in the tormer's
field. And perhaps the quality
of bout would improve.

3. That if this method of eval-
uation is too burdensome on tho
proressor, it would be confined
to the senior year. That year,
after all, is the most important
in terms of the student's work
and the professor’s guidance.

There is nothing really rad-
ical or new in these tentauvo

roposals. Some kind of_ system
like this is both a practical and
logical way to evaluate a stur
dent’s education, especially for
a small college thnt prides ,rt—
sell in its unique virtue of size
and hears itselt called “one or
the most outstanding liberal arts
colleges” by The National 9h-
server. Some kind of discussion
—or “dialogue” to use an aca<
demic clich%alnng these lines
necessary. And some kind at
thinking — hard or solt or even
malloab e — by the faculty and
administration is necessary
Grinlieil is not a university and
thus does not have a {rat race.
But that does not preclude r
rat race—Don Winner