Pogo Two Student Newspaper of Grinncll Collage IZOI PARK STREET GKINNELL. IOWA EOllI An independent newspaper published wot-lay, except during holidays and exumi» nation periods, by the ammo Committee on Student Pubiicntions. Represented tor, nniionii iuivertlsiiig by National Enrico» iionil Advcrilslng Scrwces, 300 Lexington am, New York, N.Y. mun. second class oringc paid at Grim-ion, Ill. Subscription no soon per rchoni year. lion paid sub» ncriotions. Tho opinions expressed on the editoriii pages of the sun do not nocessnrily reflect the views o: the collcgc udmiiiistrntioii, the Committee on student Publications. or the student body. Writing is wholly without prior censorship irorn nhy agency, commit. tea, or administrator. lithrrnitn» Nrinn 5mm . nanny ANCONA STEPHEN wnnsn Editorial . . . TRADITIONS We, the undersigned members of the Grinnell College class of 1968, will not wear caps and gowns to any of the ceremonies re- lated to graduation for one or more of the following reasons: 1. In the tradition of liberal education we will not accept tradi- tional actions without rational justification. No reason has been advanced as to why this dress is necessary. 2. We consider institutional pomp meaningless. ii. We object to enforced uniform dress. 4. We object to the exclusion of student voice in the decision of this issue as implied by late notification. 5. $3.75 6. We object to bookstore monopoly. . 7. We consider such dress uncomfortable. inappropriate to the Iowa climate, and restrictive. Now that you’ve seen the petition, let's talk about it. Permit me to take the points out of order. Point 7 seems to have an immediate solution. Wear shoes. rocks or stockings, the gown, and nothing else. It's really very comfortable, and not exactly restrictive either. As far as appro- priateness to the climate, if somebody has found garments suitable for wear in tornadoes, let him step forward. To those people who objected to gi ng ,_ 75 to Smilin’ Sam’s ovil monopoly i say why not entertain competitive bids? We had competitive commencement announcements — why didn’t you or ganize and undersell the bookstore? Dr rent your cup and gown elsewhere? Point one: oh, contradiction of contndictionsl How can you call upon the TRADITION of liberal education to explain nonac- ceptanco of TRADITIONAL actions? If you still feel compelled by this point, I would suggest n short session with Mr. crossett. I ihinlr you will find that although you might be justified in not wearing a cap and gown, you won’t easily find justification for doing much else. I can find no provisions for enforcing uniform dress. Did you? By student voice, i presume you are speaking of the collective student. I’m sure that individual students still do have a voice in what they wear simply by not wearing the cap and gown. And, by the way, if you consider institutional pomp meaning- less, why are you going to commencement anyway? Let's just piclr up our degrees afterward. Rut here's the real scoop on commencement. Just like every- thing else at Grinnell, it’s not for the students. It's a fascist ma« nipulative plat to get money from alumni and friends of the Col- lege. You see all those caps and gowns disguise us, and remind the alums of what they looked like, and stirs memories and things and they cross Glenn’s palm with silver. Now, I risk you, is this bad? Since this protest is being staged by graduating seniors, sev- eral assumptions must be made. We candidates for the BA. have been here up to four years — we‘ve stuck it out, To stick it out, you must fall into one of these categories: I-you couldn’t get out; 2-you are a masochist; 3»you liked it. To the iirst, i say wait five minutes and it will all go away, like a nightmare. To the second, I say enjoy, you perverts. To the third 1 make my plea. If you liked it, there's n good chance you would want your younger brothers and sisters, or your children, to come here. They can't it the college doesn’t get coin. Because if it doesn't get coin, it will ily nwny train the world. So . . . wear your cups and gowns, turn on the alumn, get that cold cash rolling iii. If you feel the need to communicate to our President your sincere concerns about our old folks’ home, I’m sure a discreet button, or perhaps a few choice words as he welcomes you to the world of the alum,‘ will do magmilcentiy.‘ SCARLET AND BLACK More Editorials . . . MONEY AND INK Yes, this is on salt. No, Neil didn’t use up all the money. Yes, he thought he had. Seems that Steve (Business Manager) Wal'sh let the mock convention people borrow his adding machine, and he was totaling bills in his head. Turns out he counted a bill for over $300 twice, and in the final accounting, he found we had some loot left. Meanwhile. Neil had already planned to leave before com- mencement, and the new editor hasn’t been named yet, so here I and again. I wish I had had more time to work on this issue, and a staff to assist me. But finals week is a bad time to start anything. ex< cept maybe studying. I would like to know where Bill Gray put his column because I Couldn't find it. I wish J. R had come through wit-ii what prom- ised to be a very good feature. Great thanks go out to Roger (he’s everywhere, he’s every- where) McMullin, Information Service News Director, for his service in directing me to infomation and news. And iivo skins are due the multifaceted Mike Schwartz for his caricatures. I'd like to say more, but I have to hurry over to commence- merit. I’m first in line, and as Mr. Mendoza said, “you can make ll 01‘ break it." I’m going to try to make it. If I don’t, keep it to yourself. I’m an alumnus now.‘ NOTES FROM THE OlROlllJlR FILE A few recent sessions in the Des Moines Airport have convinced me that something must be done to protect students flying standby from being bumped off waiting lists by men flying military stand- by. After iili, isn’t that favoring the right-wing-military-industrial— complex? It seems to me that student activists ought to be given the same privileges as military men. of course, the same restrictions would apply to the activists. They would have to be in uniform. since activist uniforms are rather easy to come by, our new flying elite would be required to produce orders requiring them to travel (a note from S.D.S. headquarters would do). I’m sure that this move would put a little spice into the his line business, although we might have to get a Supreme Court rul< big prohibiting the airlines from releasing the contents or the orders. I |||IllllIIIlllIIlllilIIlmIIIllllIIitiilIiMilllmlllilillllilillllllillllllillllltllliiillllllilllllillllllllllllilillllllliiilllilllIIInilIIINllIIiitlllliiillllllllllllllllilliii LEGGETT ANSWERS CAP AND GOWN PROTESTORS [is several of you know, and as most of you may know, Wednesday noon 1 was given ii statement, signed by some 63 members of the graduating class, to the effect that they “will not wear caps and gowns to any of the ceremonies related to gradlk ntion for one or more of the following reasons:" The reasons, or objections, are essentially that the wearing of cap and gown is meaningless, expensive, uncomfortable, and undemocratic. As far as the College is concerned, these objections — which may or may not be true — are n matler of individual judgment and value. Certainly, except for the remarks of the invited commencement speaker, the graduation ceremony is a ritual, traditional pomp and circumstance; and participation in it is not a condition or whether or not h graduating senior gets his diploma. Accordingly, any graduating senior who finds the ceremony meaningless or offensive or inconvenient Should exercise his privi- lege not to participate in it, but rather attend as a spectator or not attend at all; and then obtain ills diploma alter the ceremony from the College Marshal, Professor Mendoza. The solution seems very simple to me. Believing that everyone knew that Commence- ment was a ritual chielly designed for tile parents and friends or graduating seniors, I am puzzled only by the question of why these matters cannot be approached with a sense of humor and a good natured attempt at understanding. —Glenn leggett _, May 14, I9 PREXY OBITS OVER FOUR- LETTER WORDS TALLAHASSE, Fla. (CPS)< Florida State University Presl- deiit John Champion resigned this week in the wake of a cen~ sorship dispum over the use of four letter words in the campus literary magazine, but the board of regents has refused to accept the resignation. Champion resigned after the arts and sciences faculty, rep< resenting the largest college in the university, held a special meeting to discuss the admin- istration’s censorship or student publications. The faculty tabled by a vote oi 175-165 a motion to censure the president and de- mand his resignation if lie would not reverse his decision to cen- sor an article written for the Legend, the literary magazine. The president announced his resignation only 30 minutes at- ter the faculty voile. “In view of this sentiment, i hereby tender my resignation, effective im. mediately," he said, His state ment also said, “it is evident that I no longer enjoy the con- fidence of a major segment of this university faculty.” The Florida board of regents, however, held an emergency meeting and refused to accept Champion’s resignation, Cham- pion has not responded to the board’s action, but many ob- servers think he will make his resignation stick. Others say he can be persuaded to stay. Three of Champion’s assist- ants resigned along with him. They were the director or uni- versity relations and two spe- cial assistants to the president. According to rules set by the board of regents, Champion is responsible for all student pub- lications. He had announced his decision the day before the sp6< cial faculty nicedng not to let a controversial short story en- titled “Pig Knife," appear in the literary magazine. The short story is about two uneducated Negroes who use a variety of iour letter words, on a limited basis, in their conversation. Champion labeled the article “filthy and obscene." The board of student publications earlier had cleared the article for publi- cation because of its literary Value. The board held that the four letter words added to ma mood and tone of the story. Hundreds of students have pro- tested against the censorship. Before Champion announced his final decision, the students held a 24—hour-a-day vigil in iront ot the administration building to await his announcement. After Champion‘s resignation, Acting President Laurence Chalmers appointed a student-faculty com- mittee tn study the publications regulations set by the Regents and make proposals for revi- sions. The students called a moratorium on their protest to await the committee’s report, which is due next week.