SCARLET AND BLACK

m Open Letter to President Leggett

Ed. Note:

Friday. February 3. |957 Page Three

Texi of Leggeii Speech

Delivered to Wednesday
Senate Meeting

 

to he informed of and to understand as fully as

Ladies and gentlemen: I am
grateful to Mr. Faulwoll for
giving mo the opportunity to
speak to you, for I thought the
time had 00in when you would
like to hear from me directly
on matters that concern us all.
One of my purposes is a wish
to describe my attitude or posi-
tion on certain college prob-
lems which are of special con-
cern to you _ concerns such
asgwomen’s hours, open rooms,
in.general what we might call
the elements of student civili-
zafion. Another purpose is to
give you a progress report on
collage matters which are now
in preparation or conversation
at stages —— matters such as
building projects, curriculum
changes, and long-range goals
in general. The nice separation
between college plans and col-
lege problems is of Course arti-
ficial. The truth is that now
and tomorrow, you and I and
a number of other people are
involved in both matters to»
gether, and, ideally, our
rhetoric as well as our actions
ought to reflect the inseparable
feet.

Just: before Christmas vaca-
tion I addressed the faculty on
the state of the College, com-
menting on what 1 thought
were four major areas of con-
earn in a private, residential,
liberal arts college: (i) the
problem of increasing its fi-
nancial support; (2) the prob-
lem of improving the profes
sional life of its faculty; (3)

'the problem of relating our
commitment to general educa-
tion with the demands of pre
professional training; (4) tho
problem of maintaining and im-
proving the specinl educational
virtues of living in a residen-
tial college, Though I expect:

to touch at least indirectly on
all those matters tonight, I
want to begin with the ques»
tion of our residenceliall civil.
ization. and I think it would be
appropriate if 1 said to you
what 1 said to the faculty, and
then later, through the Alum-
ni 5&3, to alumni and parents.
You will agree at least with
the first sentence.

The events of the past oath
ple of weeks have been hard
on all of us, and it has been
difficult at times to keep our
humanity and humor ringing
clear . . .

The chief issue is whether
the college as an institution
has a right to judge whether
the ont-af-cllss behavior of
students is appropriate or in»
eppropriate to the education-
al mission the college sets
for itself. 1 think the college
does, and I am aware that it
is the president of the col-
lege who has to execute the
judgment . . .

1 am also aware that the
judgment should neflect an
institutional responsibility,
“that something it stands
for," which adheres to a col-
lege having a history and a
living purpose and as such
belongs not only to present
day students and faculty
but to generations of pre
vious students and faculty

\members.

Edmund Burke said it bet-
ter. so I, refer you to him,
mindful flint Thomas Paine
criticized him for “pit ‘iig
the plumage and forgetting
the dying bird” and that a
constant reassessment of
what we want to stand for is
necessary. I mean only that

See SPEECH on Page 4

 

P.E. Complex

 

Plans—

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Wm Latit-

Drlwlnfl of P. I, plan: by carol McConoohie

Representatives of this group met with
President Leggett Thursday to present and
discuss the following letter and its implica-
tions. The group will meet with Leggeti with-
in the next week and specific answers are
expected by the week’s end.

Dear President Leggett,

In order for there to be any chance of a mean-
ingful dialogue on the problems with which the
Griifnell community is presently faced, we feel
that the student body must be fully and frankly
informed on a number of specific areas of Con-
cern. We call on you to publicly answer, by
means of a published statement in the 5&3 or
address before the Senate, the following ques—
tions. It is extremely important that these ques-
tions be specifically and directly dealt with, and,
if there exists a sincere wish to discuss their
implications, there be a reply in the near future.

Our questions reflect a lack of student infor-
mation on campus issues which vitally affect us
and about which we feel we have a right to be
informed. We ask that you bridge the existing in-
formation gap which is causing students to ques-
tion the aims and motives of those who deter-
mine the direction of Grinnell life.

It, as you insist, this college is a community, it
follows that those who dwell in it have the right

possible the policies which govern the concern.
We present to you in this letter specific questions
covering Six major areas of student concern. We
ask that you reply to the following:

1. Question: What accounts for the extraordin-
orily large size of classes this semester? What
concrete plans are being made to remedy this
situation?

Comment: We deplore the existence of largo
classes which decrease the effectiveness of tin
struction by limiting instructional techniques to
lecture. thereby inhibiting open class discussion
that small classes encourage. We deliberately
chose to attend a small liberal arts college pro.
cisely to avoid the disadvantage of large, im-
personal classes.

2. Question: In your speech on Wednesday, and
in the report of the Faculty Committee on sm-
dent Affairs, the abolition of women's hours was
consistently related to the “problem” of open
dorms. How do you see the relationship between
these two issues?

Comment: There seems implicit in your state-
ment at philosophhy relating the women's hours
proposal to the issue of open dorms. Moreover,
there seems to be an explicit condition that any
change in women’s hours is contingent upon you!

See LETTER TO LEGGETI‘ on page 1

Book Review — Part It

A Sociological Look at Sex

By Melinda Ward

Ira L. keiss, in Premarital Sexual Attitudes
in America, divides America's standards into four
major categories — the double standard, permis-
siveness without affection, permissiveness with
affection, and a single standard of abstinence.

Reiss deals with each standard separately and
outlines each at their negativesvalue consequences
(pregnancy, venereal disease, guilt) and positive-
value consequences (physical and psychic sati
faction, aid to marital adjustment).

The double standard “entails using one stand-
8rd to evaluate male behavior and another stand-
and to evaluate female behavior, making it pos<
sible for a man and a woman to be judged quite
differently on the identical sort of behavior."
According to Reiss, it is our dominant informal
sexual standard. He also found that many men
approving the double standard often held absti-
nence as their ideal standard. Reiss maintains
that the double standard consists of two types;
the orthodox (premarital sexual freedom for
men and abstinence for Women) and the iranSi-
tiorlal (leeway is given to the Woman who is one
gaged or “in love”). Reiss feels that this stand-
ard gives rise to more conflicts and contradic-
tions than any other standard.

“it is evident that the feminist movement
with its platform of equality, greatly week-
ened the double standard. Furthermore, the
development of contraception meant that the
fear of illegitimate offspring and venereal
disease was no longer applicable as a support
for female virginity. Romantic Love also he
voted, in its later stages, on equalifarlan atti-
tude towards women. Women were in be loved
psychlcolly as well as physically. Love nnd
sex could be joined according to the later
knmanticists; this was opposed to the double
standard. Finally, the Industrial Revolution
and urbanism gave women greater opportu-
nities to exercise their new found rights with-
out the restrictions of small town gossip and
social controls." Nevertheless, the double
standard seems most popular, especially in
the lower classes, and conflicts with the cul-
tural changes cited above.

Another contradictory and negative aspect of
his Standard is the labeling of “good" and “bad"
women (after all it is the “bad” women who
make this standard possible). Sexual adjustment
in marriage may be more difficult for the ad-
herents of this standard, say! Reiss, because
the male's learned behavior will tend to be body-
centered rather than personcentered. A certain

amount of guilt may also be associated with tho
male's sexual behavior because before marriage,
his partner had always been an unrespected
"bad" girl.

Permissiveness with affection is just a step
beyond the transitional double standard. This il
a single standard in that “it accepts coitus as
right for both men and women when a stable
affectionate relationship is involved. This Stamf-
ard implies personcenfered behavior, rather
than bodyrcentered, since strong affection or love
is a prerequisite to sexual intercourse. The affeov
fion involved also tends to make the person:
cautious about pregnancy and venereal disease.

Because of the growing popularity of this pen
missive standard and the accent on affection, the
guilt in this case is not associated with sex or
with a relationship in which sex is an integral
part. (Permissiveness with affection is not to be
confused with trial marriage.) Reiss notes, “Peoi
pie who accept permissiveness with affection do
not usually intend their behavior to be a trio]
marriage—in many cases, the people concerned
are not definitely interested in marriage. Sexual
intercourse is viewed as an expression of their
feelings for each other and not usually as a test
of their compatibility." There does seem reason
to believe, Reiss comments, that a person adher-
inging to this standard will have an easier, mot!
satisfactory sexual adjustment in marriage,

A third current sexual standard is permissivo<
ness without affection which consists, Reiss says,
of two main kinds: there is the orglastic, “those
who seek highly promiscuous coitus with precau.
tionary measures of secondary importance,” and
the sophisticated, “those who seek physical pleas
ure in a more controlled and careful way.” The
latter type seems to be more prevalent as u Sits
ciolcgical factor and the former more often than
not should be reserved for psychological study.
This standard flies against many of our Convic<
lions, religious beliefs being the oldest. As Reiss
explains, it emphasizes body-centered coitus and
most often does not lead to marriage, However,
it is a single standard and it. keeps one from
thinking his sexual partner is “bad”.

The last category that Reiss discusses is absti-
nence. Even this standard has undergone a
change in the last century. A Swedish student
interviewed by Reiss noted that although Ameri-
can women abstain from intercourse, they will
engage in all sorts of sexual behavror up to that
point. Although this behavior prevents pregnancy
and the spread of venereal disease, it also leads
to frustration and psychological problems, we
cording to Reiss,