Page Two SCARLET AND BLACK Friday, November 29. mo Where the Truth Lies . . . By DONALD STUMP Besides committing political suicide by promoting student self- determination, the student government has done one notable thing this year: it has struck a blow, untortunately a bit below the belt. for truth, They have shown as a falsehood the old truism that it is what one does which really matters, not what he says. Most oi the thrill of declaring home rule consisted of proclaim- ing desires, openly announcing the home rule — or rather, unruie -—Which had existed tie facto for some time, and saying to our- selves that it is legitimate. I am heartened to see that the Word is considered so important. 1 can only conclude from President Leggett’s letter to the Student Affairs Committee that he. too, takes joy in proclaiming his desires. Unfortunately. his countervrevolution is not as far along as the Students’ revolution, and his letter contains more in- domitable hope than realism or practical plans for turning back the tide oi student power. Some of his proposals are simply not well reasoned. He asks for more offrcampils housing both as a means or satisiying the desires of many students to leave the residence halls and as an “official response” to misconduct in the dorms. How can giving culprits something widely desired by students be anything but an incentive to break the rules? If this is to become the standard punishment for major violations, the Judicial Council will be throngeil by gieelul deiendants. To put the cap on the absurdity, the parenthetical comment that off-campus housing is already at the “current limit of available rental housing" seems to blast both proposals. If there is no housing left, how can more students leave? Should the college build or buy houses? Will the college not then be responsible for students behavior in them? Such coniusions are not so important as the crucial prob- lems with the President's suggestion that the college "create and maintain enough differences in the regulations of individual halls so that both present and prospective students of different expecta- tions and sophistications can be accommodated." the plan is to have each Student choose a hall with the regulations he Wants to lollow. It is implicit in the proposal that 1) the administration ought to cater to slildents' expectations, 2) students know how so phisticated they are. and 3) they will choose a hall of less sophis- tication, if they know they are better suited for it. Are these as- sumptions that an “accountable" college administration ought to be making? By trying to fit its halls to the expectations of students, even those not yet here, the college has made a radical shift in policy, It used to be assumed that students chose the college because it suited them, and then accommodated their lives to it. How far will the president take the principle oi changing the institution to fit the students? Will he change the curriculum to fit their expec» rations? How many students would then “expect" the Humanities or Social Studies requirements? Will the composition of the faculty and the policy of admissions be based on student desires? If Dr. Leggett does not come up with a reason why the principle holds for social rules and not ior academic policies, the facility ought to lsk for his head; and the Students will probably give it to them. On the sophistication of students, an old question must be asked: How does one know when he does not know? Most Students have touted homenile as a means of learning what is necessary to get along with other people. The plan of having options assumes that Students Will already know what rules are necessary for their happiness. Tile only consistent plan would be to let students make up their rules as they learn which ones they preier by hard expe~ rience. Furthermore, how many students would suffer the igno- minity or choosing less liberty than others have? If the President's plan for various options does not in practice boil down to having Freshman dom'ls and all the oll‘iers unre~ stricted as the college will allow, 1 will be pleasantly surprised in all these arguments, l have taken the letter more seriously than I think most students wtll bother to do. If students pursue their passion to eliminate Contradictions between their words and deeds, they thI act according to what they have said in declar~ ing home-rule and voting tor the option of 24-hour visitations. Why should they listen to the president when they have already pro< claimed he has no legitimate say in making their rules? He does not threaten them with proctor power; and he offers no better reasons to knuckle under than the assertion that “it is necessary now to admit we need to achieve a better balance than we have between the . . . interests of students, faculty and College Adminr istralion ' it will be an act of grace if the students now cheerily contradict everything they decided during the past ueeks while those ln Burling basement looked on in silence. Most students will not be able to stomach such concessmns as well as Schneii‘ov. Dr. Leggett has, i fear, multed his best chance to repent ioi havmg allowed students to ilout college rules. Now, although the administration has given no reason for stu- dents to retilm to the fold, either in the form oi coersion or per» suasion, i think that accepting the President's proposal on “opens” is the most reasonable course students can take. I share his hope that they will act in contradiction to what they have said about selfdetermlnation and visitation hours. it is more important in the recent crisis to make one’s actions true to the nature of the col- lege than true to past declarations. The old lie about deeds being the things that count turns out to be true in this situation. What will those who think that this column is simply an ex- pression of archaic absolutisrn say about that? i not only admit that an old truth lies, but the same old lie is true. The truth al» ways lies in equivocations. who grader 8c l'filark Student Newspaper at ennnell College Grinnell. lows VAS ET HUMAN, [846 ‘ R 0M lOWENSE (3“ An independent newspaper except during holidays and examination periods, student the Orinncll committee on » JAMES ALEXANDER ARIETI Editarri'vaIllef KATHERINE NEWKIRK Mmmgxilg Editor YVOR STOAKLEY Sports Editor JDHN GARDNER Annotate Editor MIMI ANDERSON Art Editor BRUCE STROM Business Manager published weekly. by Publications. Allan l-lirt, sanietnun. subscitptldn rate 56.00 Der rchool year. 1 Les Danseurs Africairls: Vulgar I By PAUL ROTHMAN Les Danseurs Afl‘lcalns, shown twice Saturday night, was the most grossly overrat— ed production Grinnell has presented this year. Although the production was somewhat enjoyable, many of its ideas and methods verged on a med- iocrity which forced the use of vulgar, nonpmfessional stage techniques. The initial act, ‘L'Oiseau Sarce,‘ set a pattem of plays which was main- tained throughout. Choreography was true and lifeless because it consisted almost entirely of a repeating series of simple claps and turns, foot stomping, and hip swiveling. The eliorts oi the dancers were often half-heart- ed and the movements of the dancers were not coordinated with one another. The ”Broth- ers’ ” cheerleaders did as well, it not better. The large num- ber of dancers on the stage doing sever-a1 diiierent things proved that strength lies more in numbers than in the adroib ness or any of its members. “Les Acrobats.” however, need- ed no camouflage, and each one was quite spectacular. The accoutrements were most exquisite but should have been used to accent the agility of the Danseurs rather titan to disguise their clumsi- ness. Specifically, in “La Super- Dame Dogon Masque” the masks and costumes could have been far more effectively dis— played with an intricate dance. The ineptitude was not only shown by the dancers. The mu- Slc was often lifeless. Its rare praiseworthy moments cannot be attributed to the vtriilosity of any one musician but rath- er to the effect of the iner- twining primitive beats of many individuals. The artistic use of bare breasts was indeed beautiful and gratifying but, I fear, its use was for the salacious ex- ploiiation of desires harbored in a temperate but pusillani- mous male audience. These brandished busts were a means of “selling" the show. My main objection to Le: Danseurs Africans was that the performers were used merely as props. They should have been the show rather than a part of an extravaganza. The atmosphere of the per- formance was one of abject aha sequloilsness. The dancers do not use the emotional ges~ lures their roles call for, but cater to the Uncle Tom dispo- sition that white, middle~class audiences love to see. In "The Funeral Ceremonies of the Dogons." the men play with their guns as ii they were toys instead oi assuming the vi- ClOiiS temperament of savage hunters. A work with the po— tential of becoming highly emotional while culminating on the theme or the unnervtng unknown dissipates wtth the foolish antics of these Mali Davy Crocketts. It is almost as if they are saying, “Black Power? not us. We are all good black folks." This pi-etentiousness was not only displayed by the danc- ers, it was even more evident in the fact that the guilty white audience refused to see any laults in the doings of black men even when the shortcomings were as obvious as they were in Les Danseuts AfricainS. Special Siudeni' Ra’res AVAILABLE NOW ON THE Midwest Education Review A Quarterly Uournal of zdueanan Edited and Published By DENNIS K. MURPHY ED. D. GRINNELL COLLEGE Single C°PY 75¢ subscription Year's s2.50 (Regularly $1.50 and $4.00) Contact Dennis K. Murphy Room 10 ARH Annex Nancy EEckELt, Paul Donald sruntp DOUGLAS EARL Circulation Manager William any. Lewis. Paul Rothmnn. Stephen crow. Mark Repartei I } Reaction (Continued irom Page 1) lance of Leggett's proposals. thinking that it would be a step backward to the “hypocrisy" oi the system before the SGA refer- endum. AWS Board President heathr er Foote Said that she saw "no point in arguing whether you like what Leggett says or not." She said that she would “ac- cept it as a temporary meas- ure," but continue to work for 24 hour opens, possibly for next year. She said that “ii good number" oi women house presidents will go along with the proposal. it appeared that the large majority oi house presidents were willing to go along wuh President Leggelt’s proposal. The main concern of both men and women house presidents, however. was over enforce- ment at the rule. Many house presidents were concerned with what kind of enforcement would be required, whether they would be required to eniorce the rule, and whether enforce- ment would really be possible. BEYME R'S King's Food Host U.S.A.