Friday, December 7. mo

SCARLET ,AND BLACK

 

} Leflers

(Continued from Page 4)

hall officer, trying to enforce
rules in a manner compatible
with both orderly hall life and
the freedoms of responsible,
adult students. However, the
liouse councils on which 1
served received no help from
students, faculty, or administra—
tion. Last year, frustrated and
disgusted, l withdrew from the
race for the ball presidency. My
hall now has a very fine presi—
dent, but many members, in.
cluding some hall officers, are
fiercely opposing his efforts to
enforce the rules. Weary and
trusted himself, he has found
that the administration will not
take sides, yet they expect him
to maintain his respect and
authority in his hall,

The tragedy is that the in-
transigeoce and ineptitude of
tl administration severely in.

h‘ it the efforts of such re-
sponsible students to remedy
this situation Most of the men
on North Campus are good stu-
dents, but they need help. How
can student leaders enforce
rules when administration poli—
cy is undefined, arbitrary, and
shrouded by doubletalk? How
can student leaders enforce
rules when the administration
undercuts their position by not
respecting their opinions and
suggestions? How can student
leaders enforce rules which we
all know are unreasonable and
too restrictive? They cannot!
Some have certainly tried, but
when the hopes for needed rule
changes are exhausted, when
the administration ignores the
pleas of good students and im~
plicitly insults our integrity,
then even those few find the
cause a hopeless and thankless
one.

Whether they will admit it
or not, the administrators base

their policies—whatever they
happen to be from time to time
—on the supposition that all
students are basically irrespon—
sible. They seem to think that
some moral depravity underlies
our cries for changes in the
system. They think we have no
commitment to the community,
that our behavior, if there are
substantial rule changes, will
prove intolerable. i am damned
insulted by this, True, some
students will abuse rule chang-
es, but must the majority be
penalized? Most students here
are fairly mature and respoii-'.
ble. These students are now be~
ing alienated from the present
system. As this happens, there
is no immediate check on the
behavior of the deviant few.
They will seek to violate the
rules under any system. The
administration must therefore
better accommodate the good
students and enable them to
handle the unruly few. Give us
your confidence and a system
that we can respect. and we will
prove that we can make this a
good and stimulating place in
which to live and study.

Headquarters For:

BLOUSES - SKIRTS
SWEAI'ERS - DRESSES

9

isktNNELL NEWléN

Page no.

 

Ami More letters . . .

Of course, this requires that
there he a Grinnell community
in which students. faculty, and.
administration are socially and
academically integrated, resolv-
ing community p r o b l e m I
through a deliberative process,
There is not now such a com-
munity, as the recent incident
of student suspensions proves.
The specific case brought to
the surface and reflecled im-
portant community problems
and tensions. Yet, the faculty
abrogated its community
sponsihilities by remaining pi -
fully silent. Far Worse, the ad<
ministration destroyed the most
important elements in such a
community’s social (abric fl
mutual trust and respect. Our
student Government is clearly
the best one we have had in the
past Iaur years. Steve Kent and
his colleagues have distinguish-
ed‘themselves in their respon
his and dedicated efforts to cm
operate With the administration
and to reflect programs and
changes conducive to a better
Campus community. Even so,
their thoughtful arguments and
pleas in this case fell on deaf
ears. Now then, how can the ad-
ministration expect students to
abide by unreasonable rules
when respected enforcing offi-
cers have no hope of evoking
understanding from school affi-
cials? If the student leaders
cannot effectively communicatu
with these officials, how are the
rest of us to do so" How
We possibly accept the adnli
tralion as part of a closelyrkuit
community, helping us when
Problems arise?

What makes the outcome of
the suspensions so intolerable
is the arbitrariness and vindic~
tive nature of the decision. For
four years, a member of my
hall received tacit permission
to have an illegal car, engaged
in a malicious form of prepping,
physically attacked our hall
president, and frequently eu-
gagcd in illegal opens, The ad
ministration finally suspended
this mediocre student [or a few
days. And now, three good stu-
dents are suspended for a full
semester for a first offense of
much less infamy. Where is the
justice or rationale to this7 I
don't know. My point is that
contrary to the administration’s
pleas, the rules and stated pen-
alties are not so clear-cut and
rigid as to prohibit the milder-
ing or a more equitable penalty.
The hitch is that the apprehend
ed students defended them-
selves in the wrong manner!
they told the truth. Rather than
engaging in the farcical game
of tearful confessions and ex-
punging their consciences of
guilt, they candidly and honest-
ly stated their disapproval of
the present system and its rules.
This was certainly a tactical
mistake, but. the Faculty Com-
mittee on Student Aflairs and
the admlnistration should not
have been so petty and intransi-
gent as to exact an excessively
harsh penalty on this account.
They did, though, and the result

0 is that it is now ever more diffi-

cult to communicate with the
administration in an open and
serious manner, especially in

disciplinary cases. Further, the
apparent accent on retribution
rather than on understanding
and correction is entirely alien
to the ideals of our academic
community. Even the “real"
world, of which our administra-
tors have a passionate fear,
sympathlzcs with this ideal.

What we have, then, is a prets
ty damn good student body
which is indirectly being blamed
and held responsible for the
deeds of the unruly few, yet
we must live in the wretched
conditions they have created be
cause we are not given the con.
fidence and the system with
which we can demand adult be.
havior on their part. Even good
students cannot condone arbi-
trary policy and bad rules. Until
radical change occurs, our social
problem is going to persist as
an obstacle to a good campus
community and academic a.
chievement. The most crucial of
needed changes, however. is
less that of rules and more a
change in the administration’s
attitude toward students. Most
of us are mature and responsi.
hle. We must be treated as such.
We demand a community based
on mutual trust and coiifidenoe,
not on fear, misunderstanding,
and doubletalk. Only with a
community based on cooperat-
ion and consensus can the ad
ministration expect students
forcefully to maintain high
standards of conduct and order.
Good rules and the administra
tion’s confidence and support
would keep more good students
on campus and greatly faoilate
rule enforcement.

In the present situation,
however, even student leaders
can make little or no headway
in talks with school officials.
The student body must now
either resign itself to living
with the problem or resort to
civil disobedience. The former
is intolerable for all or us, the
latter despicable. Meanwhile,
the good students of this school
are disappointed and deinore
alizcd. 1 am so disappointed in
the unruly few and the intran-
sigent administration that, un-
til appr iable changes are
forthcoming, 1 can never recom-
iiiciid this school to other stir
dents or ever give it a penny
of my money. This is a harsh
condemnation coming from one
whu came here proud of Grin-
iicll College. So, beware, ad-
ministration, lest tliis disaffec.
tion with Griiincll spreads
throughout the student body.
Goud students who are well—
ctlucatctl and socially mature
are your product. You have a
fine faculty, but Without good
students you have nothing It
is time that you grow up and
join the adult academic coni-
mlinily and give your good stu-
dents a fair deal. We will wait,
for the decision to be made is
yours alone.

Unfortunately, my class which
will soon depart, leaving not
with anger, but with disillus-
ioiiinent and disappointment.

—Richard H. Heilbron, Jr.

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Disturbed . by
Suspensions

To the Editor!

So much has been said and
written about the recent sus-
pension of three Grinnell stir
dents, the subsequent demon-
stration by student leaders, and
the repercussions of both ac
tions, that it is no longer possi-
ble to treat the whole subject
in a single letter. Several facets
of the case disturb me; 1 would
like hero to discuss one of
them.

Last Sunday President Leg-

gett announced that he would
uphold the earlier suspensions
of the three students. The presi-
dent defined suspension as ”-
leave of absence prohibiting
residence at the college." He
left open the possibility, bow-
ever, that the three may enroll
at another college or university
as Grinnell students on leave,
or that they my part pate in
one of Grinnell's olfrcampus
programs. His reason for doing
this, as quoted in Monday's
Des Moines Register and on no

LETTERS—
tConttnned on page a)

 

l. Urn...uli...now that we know
each other a little, l was won-
dering if, ult, you think in th-
type of guy you could go for?

I could go for a
real swinger.

s. I know some daring chess
openings.

I want a men who’s

5. I spend a lot of time In
the libutry,

My motto is [on today
and fun tomorrow.

 

2. l have an exciting pipe
collection.

I want to be where
the action is.

4. I mad all about it in The
New York Timer.

1 want to do ‘ln' things
with in’ people
iii ‘in’ places,

‘ m e

d. Then I guess you wouldn’t be
interested in sumeone like me
who has londcda good» aying
job that will let his land y
live well and who. in addition.
has taken out ii substantial
Living insurance policy irono
Equitable that will rovide
handsomely for his and, if,
heaven forb- anything should
happen to him.

How's about showing
me that pipe
collection, swinger?

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