Page Two SCARLET 8 BLACK Student Newspaper oi Grinnell College 1201 Park Street Giinnell Colleql Grinnell, lawn sollz A wcrkly newspaper published ench Friday or the college year by the Grinnell committee on stu. dent Publications. Represented lor national ndvcn tising by Nitionnl Advertising Scrvtce, liic., Collego rubhshcrs Represcntntivc, lB Enst onth Street, New York 22. N.Y, Second class postage paid at Grinneli, lowa. subscription rntc 35m per school year. into paid subscriptions GPS Member at tlm Collegiate tress Sonic. :olron . , .,. MANAGING EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER , CIRCULATION MANAGER STAFF wmrcns parry Anconn Nell risrncr .. Stephen Wrrsh . bruce srrom , . Martha perkcy, Gordon christcnscn. siisnn Edwards, Anne rarrnr, Debbie Gentry, Jack cache-inner, Andy Isaacs, onvid kaulrnnn. Adrienne Luminous, Molly Mccnirc, sue lvtilicr, Pnul Nnthninn, .lctr Sulieckier, Gerald Swnnsoll, Ann rarioi, Anne Taylor. PHOTOGRAPHERS . Alnn Rernhnrdt, non Hooker, Leigh Senonrd. Dick rrcumnnp Editorials . . . LEGGETT’S SPEECH We waited for two years for President Leggett to make a definitive statement on student liie. Sunday at the open Senate meeting the president ended the waiting with a lengthy and broad- based commentary on campus living. Immediate student reaction must be favorable. Students who are willing to work within established channels to discuss the prolr items oi Grinnell will know the president’s position on Various matters. Students who real that the college is moving too slowly toward rule liberalization can make reaction to the president’s more conservative ideas a rallying cry for revolutiolL And students who are merely curious to know What our Chief administrator has to say about campus life are rewarded with a colorful speech. The prospect of having men and women on both campuses meets with our approval. It would be a first step in the alleviation of the inhibitions on this campus about informal coeducational ac» tivity, and would further more relaxed relationships between the sexes. The idea of separating students by class, however, is iii~con« ceivedi Although class dorms would keep upperclassmen lrom im- posing sophomoric and anti-intellectual customs on Ireshmen, they would also prohibit the natural contact between newcomers and more experienced students that leads to academic and social guidance and inspiration, Living in a freshman dorm with upperclass advisors could be likened to New Student Days, when entering students, although glad to have ii lew days of their own on campus, and group leaders to help them get settled, are anxious to see what college life is really like. Granted, upperclnssmen might be the advisors. but the student taking the job will, by Virtue of his position, be diner- cnt from other upperclassmeu. The naturalness of relationships between the sexes which is sought in mixing the campuses would be lost between the classes with separate class dormsi Our greatest dissatisfaction is with President Leggett’s position on open dorms. Restrictions imposed by the car rule and by lowa weather leave the dormitory room as the only place ior coeduca- tional privacy, or course, the study rooms and dining rooms of the Forum are available, but the “transparent” curtains and ster- ile decor make them unappealing. And dining rooms must be re- served in advance, destroying the spontaneity and casualness that is supposedly being sought in campus social life. It seems that most of the damage to the “ motional sensibili~ ties" or students witnessing “brazen illegal vi ting” is a result of the conflict between reasonable action and college rules, rather than the questioning of the action. If open dorm hours were ex- tended greatly (granted there must be limits imposed by our pres- ent residence hall pattern of two students per room), it is our con- lention that visiting would become more natural and intormnl, that it would involve groups rather than just couples, that the clandestine sexual overtones would be diminished, and that its acceptance by non-participating hall members would be without. reasonable objectioni Hopefully, the president’s speech will also remind pepople that changes need not be iorever in the planning stages. Leggeit wants to implement some DI the changes next Fall. II we Want to have a voice in these changes, we must act now. Encampment would be a logical place for discussions within the college community to Start. The Student Aflalrs committee will be Considering the changes and making recommendations. if we have sometllilliz to say about the way we live, or it we feel we ought to have more day, now in the time to speak up. SCARLET AND BLACK ulllitlllllitllllltllllllltllllltllllllltllllllmllllltlllllItlllIIItllllIItlllIlM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR filllllllllllllltlllllltllllllltlllIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltllllllillll EQUALITY OF THE SEXES To the Editor: A certain amount of flexibil- ity is desirable, but inconsis- tencies in a legal system ought to be avoided. The school has partially eliminated the double standard by its withdrawal of women’s hours, but one Can< not say that tlt school has adopted as its oifi a] policy the equality oi the sexes. The greatest inequality of which I am aware is in the p h y sic a1 education require ments. Men are required to take both intramural competi- tion and a terrifying course in physical fitness, requirements that do not exist for iemale students. if Grinneil College wishes to appear as a truly just institu- tion, it will have to discontinue this inconsistency either by the elimination of the requirements for men. their imposition upon the women, or the reinstltutlon of women’s hours. .1. A. Arleti CROSSETT ON GSM To the Editor: When I first read page one of last week’s 5&3, I assumed that the headline “Amnlphous Group Plans Movement" was merely another specimen of the lovely illiteracy which students oiten turnish to amused faculty members. Alter all, a group is, by definition, that which has form; “amorphous" denotes that which is Without form. As I read further, however, I began to see that the illiteracy was only a symptom of the confusion -— to use no stronger a term — which underlay the purposes of the GSM (Grinnell Student Movement). One can- not tell whether to attribute to the newspaper’s grammatical incompetence or to the GSM’! own irrationality the statement of Ronald Steinhom’s purpose: “ ‘We a re trying to work through official channels now' to show the campus that noth— ing will be accomplished this way." Any doubts, however, are cleared up by the remarks or Michael Penzner, who “elab- orated" ~ as the 5&8 elegantly puts it ~— the position held by Messrs. Thor and Steinhoru. “As soon as we get an explicit refusal from the deans," Mr. Penzner says, “we have a rally point and can have a revolu- tion.” Observe the honorable and manly way in which the speaker has made up his mind in advance. Notice the gieeiui determination with which he expects — nay, even anticipates — a “refusal from the cleans.” As soon as the reiusal comes, “we can have a revolution.” I like that idiom “mye a revolue tioii”; it‘s sort of like a party, it real "blast”. Mny 1 close by saying that I run particularly amused by the notion oi an “iiniletgrouiit” newspaper which publicly nit- nollnces its existence, ltcli _, and editorial stall? Those soli- styled revolutionaries do not; THE MGlIllTAIN OR THE llALE By PAUL JONES There is a great deal of difference between being called wrong and being proved wrong. This is the conclusion to which I came after studying Ron Steinhorn's student opinion in last week’s son. Rather than merely call him wrong in tum, 1 am willing to continue the needed discussion by attempting to prove his analysis of ‘rule philosophy’ to be lacking in many respects, and unjustifi- able in others At the same time that I may not be cognizant of the justifica- tion and objectives of social reiorm, steinhorn and many others are also not cognizant oi the means, i.e., the means from justltica< tion to objectives. And it one does not know how to get where he wishes to go, how can he know exactly where he will end up? The fact or the matter is that my point of view was directed primarily at means, not justiiication or objectives. If i did not reel that there were both justification and proper objectives, I would say so i, too, admit that the administration has not pm duced a po on based on reasoned right, but, wrongly, one on authoritarian right. But again, let us not bypass the chance to extract this reas soned right it at all possible. And the proper objectives are obvi- ous: to achieve a reasoned balance of thought and action among all of the par . oi the community. Is there not, then, a dliierencs between having the naivete to ask for and want, and having the naivete to expect, a statement of policy? For there are many, instances when reason has been mistaken for naivete. Again, there seems to be little emphasis placed on developing reasoned means; which is it to be: principles before rules or rules before principles? That the administration's 'actions seem to be expedient’ on the basis oi ‘sporadic and inconsistent’ rule en. iorcement is not proof that the administration cannot effectively enforce rules, or indeed, that they do not have the right to one force miles; but, rather, this proves only that their actions do not seem to be based on principles. it is not that these actions are necessarily immoral or unethical, but that they seem to be amoral 0r non-ethical. It is a blatant error to equate Rousseau’s concept or ‘gov- ernment’ with the ‘academlc community’. it is one extreme to Say that Grinnell is not the real world, for it certainly is real; but it is another and just as damnable extreme to say that the makeup of this community is identical with every other type or communi. ty including Rousseau’s ideal community based on social contract. The academic community is diiierent; it requires a type of hierarchy, an academic hierarchy, but not the political stnlctures or which Rousseau speaks, This being the case, it is a miseappliu cation of principles to use Rousseau’s philosophy in respect to ‘rule philosophy' at Grinnell. And again, there were three diner. ent uses of 'community' evidenced in the article, all in reference to Grinnell College, but at the same time, all conflicting usages. It is necessary and good to realize that Grinnell is primarily an academic community, and that there is a difference between an academic, social, or political community. Perhaps, ultimately, the students are the ‘only ones able to legitimately exercise such a sovereign power over themselves'. But the ability to handle such responsibilities entailed in 50V- ereign power is also a criterion of legitimacy in an academic com- munity. To make this point clear and also to conclude, I also will quote from Rousseau, and perhaps with a bit more relevance: As soon as a man attains the age of reason he becomes his own master, because he alone can judge of What will best assure him his continued existence (Chapter 1, Book II). Remember the ‘as soon as‘ and how it is relevant to the mean- ing oi ‘academic community’. even understand the vocabulary oi their assumed profession. And yet it is their pathetic vaunr that they are capable of making their own rules. One is reminded or the poster put up last week in the campus post office, in which the GSM asks “Who decides principles?” As it principles were decided! We shall undoubtedly have a scandal this year which will outdo even last year's — and that one made the papers in Copenhagen, Denmarlc Think of it: little old Gl‘innell all the AF and UPI wires! Well, ii We do have a “revolution," at least the students will be able to \vithslantl the snecrs of those who say “Grilitiell? Where's that?" Tlitlmpllal’ltly our timer— pllctls GSM Students will be able to claim that they trove achieved even more publicity than Parsons College, on the sound principle, no doubt, that any publicity is better than no publicity. John Crosselt Classics PARENT WRITES I received a copy or the fol. lowing letter from my mother to President Leggett. She is one parent and alumna who is concerned for the growth of the Grinch community. Mariana Allvel] To President Leggett: 1 tin not envy your 10b, while at the chute time i no reel that the President ol a college has one of the most important yobs in this country today. This is a AtLlI‘IElJu— Continued on Page 4)