Friday. March [1, I957 The Grinnoll REPORTER Page Thru Blcinshard promotes 'usefulness of thought’ By Paul Jones Dr. Brand Blanshard, Sterling Pm- ilessor Emeritus and twice chairman of the philosophy department at Yale Uni- versity, just wasn't cut out to be a practical man. This, he said during his visit here this week, was his basic reason [or taking up philosophy as a lite-work. But this does not mean that Blan< shard ieels philosophy is impractical. ,When asked about the role oi the philos- Photo by susrn kisser Brand Blonshnrd opher in contemporary society. he said, “There is too much emphasis on feeling and impulse in American society, too much emphasis on doing things on the spur of the moment; there is too little emphasis on quiet reilectinn, on giving evidence of direction by reflective thought." He remarked that even tho pragmatists, “though i don‘t like them too much, Still, believe in the usefulnesl oi thought." The role or the philosopher. then, is “to deemphasize indulgence ln emotion, and to answer the questions raised by the plain man in modern society." Blanshard went on to say that the philosopher is a iundamental part or the intellectual community. But “I would prefer to see competent professors at philosophy in every department. Unless the course is one dealing only with iacts and methods, a knowledge or phi- losophy is needed to answer the questions brought up in every classroom. The ultimate college, it it ever is started. should be one of all philosophers." when questioned about the relevance and s u c c e s s of modern philosophy (especially linguistic analysis and com< monusage analysis), Dr. Elanshard said, "On the whole, this type ni phi< losophy is running up a blind alley, i think it’s merely a passing iad in philosophy. 1 don't think this method can answer the questions or the com. mon man that need to be answered." Dr. Blanshard concluded by saying that he was extremely impressed by the intellectual community at Grinnell; “Out of 117 colleges that I have visited in the last couple ot years, I thillk that Grinnell stands out in iront of most ofthem.” Dr. Elanshard’s visit marks the third in the series oi visiting philosophers at Grinnell. Professor John Compton oi Vanderbilt who was here two weeks ago remarked then that it there is anyone left in America who can be classed on the plane at the systematic philos- ophers at the beginning of the century, such as James, Russell, Moors, and Santayana, that man would be Brand Blansllard. News perspective Double Jeopardy 0an By Suzanne Gelber At the present time it is the policy at the College to impose institutional pen- alties on students who have violated lo. cal civil law, even when the Violator! have already been subject to municipal discipline and when the civil offense 1! not a violation of college rules. The practice oi imposing such institu- tional retrial for civil offenses was severely censured by the Committee on Faculty Responsibility tor the Aca- demic Freedom at Students of tits American Association oi University Pro- fessors, (AAUP) in its statement of De- cember, 1965, on the Academic Freedom of Students in light ut the justihcetions the Col- lege protters in deienso at “double jeo pardy" a La. the college’s responsibili- ty to the town of Grinneli and the right or the college to temporarily suspend or dismiss any student Whose conduct or academic standing is regarded as "undesirable” — it is obvious that the AAUP statement has been largely lg- nored. On three separate counts elaborated by the AAUP committee. the college may stand justly accused oi anachronis- tic autocracy, with respect to the “dou- blo jeopardy" policy. First, the section 0! the AAUP statement which discusses the oft-campus freedom of students makes specific reierence to the conflict between institutional authority and civil penalties: Students who violate the law may incur penalties prescribed by civil authorities, but institutional authority should never be used merely to dupli- cats the iunctiun or general laws. Only where [he lnslltutian‘l interest! leggeii lakes trips: Seattle and Paris Saturday maria the commencement of Grinnell‘s annual exodus to freedom. But however eager the students are to queue up, they already lag behind Prey iderlt Glenn Leggett. who deserted the campus last Tuesday to begin his spring break. Unlike most or the emigrants, Mr. Leggett will spend his vacation work- ing. He began by traveling east to pre< sent a speech last Tuesday before the Iowa College Foundation at Davenport. Later, he flew to New York to meet with officials or the College Entrance Examination Board. When these meet- ings are concluded, Leggett will attend a conference of the Commission of Stu- denu and Faculty ot.the Association or American Colleges in the state of Wash lngton. After meeting with alumni and trustees in Seattle, Leggett is scheduled to give an address at the University at Washington. While at the university, he plans to visit his daughters. Aiter spring break, Mr, Leggett and his wife will take a two week vacation touring Europe. They plan to visit Rome, Milan, and Florence, before ioining the Kleinschmidts (Prolessor oi French, on leave 1967) tor a drive to Paris. New hall president Since last week's announce- ment of newly elected North Campus house presidents. South Younker has Elected Bill Shani as its new president. Illllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllillllllllllllllllll Bogart in ”The Big Sleep” lllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll By Dale orcyiuss Just about everybody knows that you don’t spit into the wind, you don't draw against the Lone Ranger, and you don’t swordsfight with Zorm. But just about nobody, even people who follow these great dicta, ever gets it straight that you don’t mess with Humphrey Bogart; and that, or course, is what Howard Hawk's The Big Sleep is all about. Bogey is called to the man- sion oi an aging, eccentric old millionaire to check out some busmess about the youngest daughter’s gambling debts. As soon as he arrives, he is vamped pretty temptingly by Lauren Bacall. Now this in itself is more than enough reason to see the film, but wait -- there’s more. Unruliled, Bogey takes up the case, only to iind that it involves blackmail, a murder, and all sorts or other exciting intrigue (including more oi Miss Bacall). How will it all end? Bogey wins, natch, but the inn is in seeing him back down the tough guys while he unravels the mystery. This is a classic example at the rougllrandrrcady mystery, See FILM on page 4 Uncle Sam’s Club— Photo by Susan Kacscr WORKING wrrH GRINNELL CHILDREN in afternoon and evening sessions, mem- bars at Uncle Sam's Club continue the organization's long-standing program at community service. Here, Ruth Ann Fay communicates with a young irtend. Catch - 22 as an academic community are dis- tinct from those of the general com- munity should the special authority at the institution be used." To be more specific. recurring college imposition of a fine on a student who has already been fined in the municipal court for using false identification to ob4 tain liquor is not only a clear example oi duplication or function. but an instance where the academic community cannot logically exercise special authority based on a distinction of interests. In such an instance, the College falls prey to the authoritarianism which is an irr herent danger in any powerful institus tion. in fact, invoking “double jeopardy” in cases which involve no violation of cul- lege rules places the institution in a po- sition unduly subordinate to community pressure. As the AAUP statement etu- phasizes with regard to the exercise oi inslltulional authority, “Institutional ao- tlon should be independent at community pressure." The college, then, has the ro< sponsibllity to function as an autonom- ous institution wimin the community. II this not the ”idea of the university?” It seems that Grinnell has confused the notion 0t its “Social responsibility” to all extent which belies what should be Lila “separate but equal" status or the edu- cational institution in nil its affairs. A third Objection to the “double jeo- pardy” policy rests on the total inado. quacy and autocracy oi Grinnell’s own calchsall, “Catch-22”, to quote both “13 handbook and the catalog- “The college reserves the right to require the temporary suspension or the permanent dismissal oi any stu- denl whose conduct or academic standing it regards as undesirable, Without assigning a deiinite reason. the college and its olficers Shall be under no liability whatsoever for the expulsion of unsatisfactory stu- dents." N0 statement in the handbook Dr cata- log contains evon indirect reierence to the extent or the college’s authority in disciplining Civil violations. What, Orin may justly ask, is “undesirable con- duct;" who is an “unsatisiactory stu- dent?" Does a petty cwil violation autor matically assign a student to the “un- desirable” category? Where has the col- legc established its right to exact Ii< nancial penalties for civil violations? One can do no better than to quot. once more from the AAUP statement: Offenses should be as clearly de- tined as possible, and such vague phrases as “undesirable conduct" or “conduct injurious to the best in- terests of the institution" Should be avoided. Conceptions oi misconduct particular to the institution need clear and explicit definition. While we are in the process oi estab lishing a community court. it is essen- tial to object to such inequities in the jurisdictional system as the “double jeopardy' policy and the solemn hypocrisy of “Catch-22 " It is not: enough, however, merely to register dis- satisfaction. Student protest is all too oiten “sound and tiny, srgntiying noth- lng," We must insist upon a clear and ex- plicrt definition not only of the rules which govern this community, but the philosophical precepts upon which they are based. in the event that such explica- tion is sidestepped by those who are ostensibly in authority, as in the ques- tion of the justification ot academic penalties for social violation. we must develop, practice and adjust our own dellnitions of conduct.