Friday. Soptsmbor l5. l957

A STUDENT OPINION

SHALL THE S'l'llliEliTS ENGAGE Iii REiloLllTION?

by ERIC moit

There has been some discus<
llou lately regarding student
aspirations for the development
of die Gi'irulell College Com-
munity. As indicated in the
statement of SGA President Ric
MacDowell at the Senate meet-
ing Wednesday. these aspira-
tions are far-reaching, com-
plex, and certainly greater than
just the open issue or even the
entire matter of student social
relations.

I hope i may be forgiven,
then, for focusing merely on
the subject of social regulations.
The broad nature of our total
aspirations makes it impossible
to deal With them all at olice.
We ought to begin where we
can, and by a series or dis-
tinct decisions move toward
(treating the type of community
we believe Grinnell ought to be,
The social issue is an appro-
priate beginning because it has
received much attention ill the
past and student opinion is
clearly unified behind a basic
desire for liberalization.

The administrators, however,
have not been noted to be ad—
vocates of a liberalized opens
policy, Students feel, with some
reason, that if anyone is going
to initiate change, it will have
to be We, since a continuation
of the status quo (i.e.. admin-
istration passivity) would be a
defeat of our aspirations, We
have therefore been engaged
in a debate over tactics where-
by we might hope to initiate
change. Revolution and discus-
sion, “student power" and “le-
gal means," have been pro-
posed. The “legal meansers"
have prevailed and we antici-
pate a senate proposal on the
social situation within a week
or two.

I must admit that i tend to
doubt that opens will be ex-
tended through legal means,
Administrators have not indi-
cated any approval for such a
policy, and if the free and open
dialogue which is supposed to
exist between students and ad
ministrators is a reality, it
would seem that we should un~
derstand each other pretty well
by now.

But before we engage all our
hopes in the “legal means.” at
Student Government, we ought
to question the assumptions of
the system which delincs those
means, In our attention to the
question of under which parti<
Cular regulations we would like
to live, we have ignored the
broader question of who ought
to enact those regulations.
Should we request that the ad
ministrators legislate for us in
ii certain way, or should we
request that they cease to leg
islate tor us altogether? We
need some basis of knowledge
and theory upon which to pro-
ceed.

our legal system. as described
in the Student Handbuok, is
founded on a resolution 0f the
President and the Board of
Trustees issued in 1963, which
says:

“The primary responsibility
for making and arranging

for the administration of rules
affecting student life proper-
ly rests with the administra.
tive oflicials and faculty 0!
the colleg (pg. 24)
i see two possible objections to
this statement. First, it con-
tains an error in the use of
the word rule; this points to
a possibly larger philosophical
weakness,

A rule, says Webster, is a
“law," “guide," “regulation,"
or “bylaw," “governing pro.
cedure or controlling conduct.”
I would describe a rule as an
institutionalized response to
meet a need for control. For
example, our library has a need
for controls over the use of
library books, and rules are in-
stituted to meet the need. Sim-
ilarly, rules tunction on an in-
dividual level, A person recog-
nizes a need for control of the
use at his tune, so he institutes
basic rules regarding his sleep
time, study time, recreation
time, etc. A person recognizes
a periodic need for cleanliness,
SO he institutes a rule that he
will take the time to take a
shower at appropriate intervals.
We see that not all “rules af-
feeling student life" are or
ought to be or could be made
by the administration, (a fact
for which 1 assume they are
grateful) and that some rules
must be made by each student.

It seems only fair, then, to
ask how we shall recognize Whu
ought to decide what constitutes
a need for control, alld who
ought to institute the control,
in any particular case. Spccb
fically, if a student feels he
does not need to be Controlled,
or that he can institute his own
Control, and an administrator
feels that the student needs to
be controller], and that he (the
administrator), ought to insti-
tute it, how is the Conflict to
be resolved? This leads to the
second objection to the stator
merit of 1963 — ln declaring
that they would be the indis-
putable judge of all such con-
flict, the President and "frus-
tees failed to provide any jus-
tiiication ior playing such a
role. I rather doubt that there
is any justification available to
uphold so sweeping a declara-
tion.

We should not let ourselves
be awed by prejudices such as
tradition or power in lacing

'thls question. if there is sucll a

thing as “justice” or “right"
it ought to be applicable to an
actual case, As Rousseau said,
“. i . . force does not con-
stitute right, and . , , obedi-
ence is due only to legitimate
powers." (The Social Contract,
Pg» 9)

The question then becomes,
“What makes an exercise of
control legitimate?" At this
point, “objective truth" be-
comes nebulous if not nonexis-
tent, but there are some re-
spectcd philosophical principles
to guide us. i would say that
an individual ought to exercise
the greatest possible degree of
individual freedom. Restriction
of his freedom can be justified
only by the laws of the United
States, the State of Iowa, or

SCARLET AND BLACK

the city of Grinnell, or else by
democratic decision of an ap—
propriate group. while I realize
that in many areas of life at
Grinnell, “an appropriate
group" for such restriction is
the administration, in other
areas, it is not.

Regarding social regulations,
it seems that an individual's
freedom should only be re-
stricted if his freedoms were
in conflict with those of another
person. Then “an appropriate
group" ought to include those
persons and the other mem<
bers of their basic social (or
living) unit. At Grinnell, the
basic social unit would usually
be the members of a particular
residence hall, although on a
matter of wider concern, sev-
eral halls or the entire campus
might be the basic unit. If the
entire community were involved,
the iaculty and administrators
would participate also because
then they would be members
of the basic unit, Griimcll Col-
lege. Each individuals vote, in
any case, would be equal to
every other.

Perhaps other principles con-
flict with those I have sug-
gested. i would like to hear
them explained. But in the
past, the arguments I have
heard supporting the present
"legal system" have seemed to
be based on expediency rather
than philosophy, and l lind my
self believing our current rules
to have been made by force
rather than logic and upheld
by tradition rather than justice,
However, eacll of us must de-
cide for himself: 1 move be-
yolld this decision to a discus-
sion of the possible conclusions
about scltgoveriimcnt and strat<
egies ior change, and their im-
plications for Grinnell.

Some students may believe
that we do not have the right
to make our civil social regu-
lations. They might, if they de-
sired, petition the administra-
tion to be granted the privelege
of self-government.

Others may believe that We
have the right, but that We
should not use revolution or
radical action to gain the prac—
tical exercise of selfrgovern-

. ment ,There are a large num<

ber of things to be considered
about this. i think everyone
favors using the most peaceful
means possible for achieving
social change, but what if the
administrators turn us down?
What if there are then no
“legal means" left?

Judging from past experience,
I would guess that the majority
of us would continue to have
illegals as often as possible.
There would probably be no
more students practicing com-
pliance then as there are now.
We would still have to choose,
however, between a quiet non-
compliance aiid an outright rev-
olution.

Some would then say, as they
have in the past, that it would
be best to keep things quiet
and continue to have illegals
without really defying the sys-
tem. This would avoid the dis-
comforts of a revolution, but
has several dtsadvaiitages. 0c-

casionally, students are expel-
led or put on probation for
illegals, and it could be any
one of us in the future. At
present it is not possible to use
illegals for more than a very
limited range of activities.
There iS a chance that the
peace and quiet We have been
accustomed to will never again
settla over this issue. Probably
most important, 1 feel it is
detrimental to a student to live
in a situation such as Grinnell
has been and is, in which it
is presumed that all illegals are
held for sexual purposes, and
that the primary reason for
being alone in a room with a
person or the opposite sex is
to “make it” in private. Each
year's freshman class is be-
trayed by the upperciassmen
who let such a system continua.

Others would think a revolua
tion too costly in terms of
damage to our community and
our relations with the outside
world. it is true that a great
deal of bitterness might be
aroused by a student uprising
However, it may be that at
some point it becomes more
irresponsible to be silent than
to be obnoxionsly vocal. 1 think
those who speak of the neces-
sity of preserving our spirit of
community are well intentioned
but that they fail to realize
that there are some extents of
inequality and authoritarianism
beyond the limits of which the
concept and practice of com-
munity cannot be stretched.
Even a benevolent dictator is
prevented by his very position
from empathlzing with those he
rules. Perhaps the subject must
assert his dignity at the expense
of the ruler before they can
really engage in a community.

it has been said that radical
action at Grinncll would affect
the college's relationships with
outside groups such as parents,
alumni, trustees, potential stu-
dents, and donors. The implla
cation has always been that
this would be a damaging effect,
but perhaps we should not as-
some that unlll we have some
information on which to base
an opinion. And even if it were
to hurt Grillltell in terms of
money and public support, per-
haps the good a revolution could
do on campus would be worth
it. Money is vital to a college,
it is true, but there is much
more to a college than money.
Also, the way a revolution would
affect the outside world would
depend partly on how it was
treated by the administrators,
and if they were to permit
peaceful change, or to produce
satisfactory arguments against
student self rule, there would
be no revolution at all.

Some would say, or have
said, that a revolution could not
succeed. I do not see how it
could fail, if enough of us stood
firmly united. If enough students
truly believed it was their right
to be selirgovernlng, and if they
simply began to exercise that
right, the revolution would be
invincible. How many would be
enough? No one knows exactly
— perhaps if tivo or lhi'ee halls.
acting as individuals and as
,social, units. wera‘ to withdraw, .

J", .l v)- “iii

Page Flu

__._.

the system might be defeated“
perhaps it would require great-
er numbers, But I am confident
that if we decided we were gos
ing to have a revolution. we
would also have a victory.

t ALDRICH

Continued from Page 1
where her main concern won
with the development and priy
motion of automated health
testing.

Before movmg to Washington,
Steve had attended the Union
Theological seminary in New
York City, working towards a
Bachelor of Divinity degree.
While in Washington, he collect.
ed material for an as yet un-
completed thesis on Christian
ethics in the bureacracy.

When the Aldriches were on
fared employment at Grlnliell,
they were already considering
a change from their Washing.
ton positions. They were not
sure what they wanted to do.
but this opportunity at Grinnell
seemed to be a perfect interim
between positive jobs. They
were “delighted that the Dp‘
portuoity came along to be
closely acquainted with the de-
velopment of Grillilell,"

Myrna believes that her role
as Resident Advisor will bee
come whatever the people up
Volved will make it. She will
try not to get greatly involved
with politics of the hall or take
sides on issues, which “will be
difficult to do." She wants to
devote as much time to the stu-
dents and their problems as they
would like.

Myrna would also like to be
able to serve as a liasoii bes
tween the students and the fac-
ulty. She feels far enough away
from being a student not to
tliinli exactly like one, yet close
enough to remember what col<
logo was like. In this position
she feels that she can offer a
different perspective to plot»
lems.

So far, the Aldriches have
found their new situation very
enjoyable. Myrna has always
liked working with people and
enjoys getting out or the “ster-
ility" of government. Although
Steve is employed by the col-
lege as a traveling admissions
counselor, already several girls
have used the opportunity or
having an “older" man around
with whom they can talk over
problems.

) KRAUSMAN

Continued from Page 1
jobs: employment interviewer,
waiter, Yiddish teacher, toy
salesman, pepper-jar filler, Wells
Fargo guard, etc. In 1964 Kraus-
man went to U. Mass. He also
studied at Mt. Holyoke, the Val-
ley Film Center, Smith College,
and Amherst. His hobbies are
writing and talking. He holds
an MA. in playwriting whiclt‘
he considers more of a liabil-
ity than an asset (“If you have
a B.A. you may be able to
write, an M. A. it's doubtiul,
a PhD. is iatal.")

For more information call
ext. 509 and ask for Lope D’
Mould.