1., ’0M iowrNSEG“ Vol. LXXVIIl Grinnell, Iowa. Friday, February I}, I: SCAfitET “The Misuse of language is not only distasteful in itself, it is even iniurious to the soul.” Registrar Reveals Grinnell Suffers From Limited ‘Withdrawal’ Symptoms In the dead of winter wild rumors often circulate the campus about the number of students Who withdrew or flunked out of Grinnell during the Christmas recess. Here are the statistics according to the records of the Registrar. A total of twenty-nine students withdrew permanently from Grinnell College after the first semester. There were seventeen voluntary withdrawals ( some of which may be transfers to other colleges) and twelve academic dismissals. In addition, 16 students went on either academic or personal leaves and‘twentyasix enrolled in oif-campus ACM programs. Five students com~ pleted their graduation requirements atmid-year, 0n the other side of the balance sheet, twenty-nine students returned from leaves. The total size of the student body at the beginning of the second semester was 1107, of which 593 were men and 509 were women. In addition there were a few special students and a few unclassified students. According to Dale Terry, Registrar and Director oi Adr missions, about one-third of the students who leave Grinnell for any reason before they have completed their requirements for graduation normally leave at midryear. Seventyone students left after the first semester. Last year a total of 176 students left for all reasons. The number of academic dismissals is higher than usual for midyear. Three or four is more typical. Terry expressed confidence that there would be fewer such dismissals than usual after second semester as a result of this. Ten years ago the yearly with- drawal rate was roughly fifteen percent of the student body. Between 1961 and 1966 with- drawals were fairly steady, Bowers Atquitted In Assault Trial The following is the statement of Judge Lincoln concerning the trial of the state vs, Edd Bowers: It is the conclusion of this Court based on sworn testimony that a reasonable doubt exists as to the alleged assault on the person of Lawrence Frank at the Main Lounge oi Grinnell College on December 18, 1969 by the defendant Edd Bowers. Therefore the Court finds the defendant Edd Bowers not guilty and costs of the action be charged to Poweshiek County State of Iowa. Dated this February 3, 1570. Edwin Lincoln Justice of Peace Grinnell Twp. Poweshiek County around twelve per cent per year. During the last two lull academic years the withdrawal rate has again been about fifteen per cent. At Grinnell one per cent oi the student body is roughly eleven students. Mr. Terry stated some reasons for the rise in withdrawals during the last two or three years. First, the number and capacity of ACM programs has increased. Second, the College has relaxed its policy on granting academic and per- sonal leaves, He indicated that there was an unusually high with drawal rate in 1967-68 (15.7 per cent) for a number of reasons. The high withdrawal rate was partly a fluke and partly an expression of uncertainty about the future of the college. The junior class, which entered in that year, shows a decided imr balance in males and femalesglw males, as females. The junior class is smaller than the senior class, which also reflects the withdrawals in 1967-63. “The great majority of trans» tags from Grinnell occurs in freshman and sophomore women," said Terry. Students have many reasons for trans- ferring. Some dislike the social Honorary Degrees Voted; Changes in Credit-Fail Program Last Monday, the faculty held their second meeting of this semester. President Leggett announced that the following four men will be offered honorary degrees at commencement this spring: Horace Mann Bond, and three Grinnell graduates: Messrs. Stoessinger ’50, Mathews ‘20, and Rew ’07. The President also noted that the current average faculty-student ratio was 1:10. In a conversation With the 5&3, he lamented the fact that a college the size of Grinnell cannot afford to maintain for; long this desirable state of affairs. The faculty decided to make several changes in the credit»fail option program. A student is now allowed to take courses in his secondary field with the credit- fail option. Also, courses in the ACM Urban Studies Program and the Colorado College Sum- mer institute may be taken on the creditrfail basis and can be applied to major and secondary fields, —_ Dean Wall announced that, for the purpose oi fulfilling requirements, Psychology majors may consider_ their field as being either completely within the division of sciences or half way between the sciences and social studies, atmosphere. Others wish to obtain more vocational training. Still others, “A" students in high school, find the academic competition more intense than they want Others do not like living in a small town. Transferring students tend to go to universities, which would be less expensive and larger. “But when students transfer to small colleges,” {said Terry,“they tend to go tu very good small schools." The college must get students to replace those who have with— drawn. Mr, Terry indicated that it takes four applications to replace one student. Since the college does not get many transfer students, it is difficult to restore balance in the various classes once it is lost, Mr. Terry predicted that the college will probably receive between 1350 and 1400 applications for ad- mission this year. About four hundred new students will be admitted. Applications to Grinnell have been increasing in recent years, according to Terry, even though at many schools the number of applications seems to be dropping somewhat. In- ad dition, the percentage of students who accept admission to the college once it is offered has risen considerably during the last five years. in 1965 it was 42 per cent; and this has increased by regular jumps, to 60 per cent last year. Terry indicated that in this respect Grinnell compares quite favorably with the other schools in the nation. Cafe del Faro. which has remained practically more than [our years, \ tonight under tlic direction of Jon St . unused for f'NQOI EAY TON— BtACK |970 — Plato No. 4 'The Battle of Algiers': Anatomy of in Revolution by Alan G. Nasser Instructor of Philosophy ,politics is the soul of everything." Lin Piao, Long Live Tire Victory of the People‘s War! During an interspace of silence, the interviewer John Swinton interrupted Karl Marx with the question “What IS?” The philosopher's reply was swift and emphatic. Struggle.” If there is substance to this Marxian social metaphysic, 'then Gillo Pon- tecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers is a stunning depiction of the ontology of revolution. We see. in an unprecedented application of cinema veritE to a recon- structed historical event, the heroic and dogged struggle of the National Liberation Front in the war for Algerian independence the French colonialists. You will find yourself unable to believe the disclaimer in the titles that Battle contains NOT ONE INCH of newsreel footage, Ponteoorvo used an Algerian, Italian and French cast (mostly non-professionals), and the only prop or set was the liberated city of Algiers itself, whose population cooperated as extras, The brutal, grainy black and white is masterfully employed to bring home the grim reality of these historical events, and me epic sweep of the director’s often handrheld camera renders Battle's scenes of mob action and terrorism sufficiently immediate to have prompted officials to ban this film in France. And no Won- der. Time said that Battle ”. . .could serve today as a blueprint for' revolutionists,” and Film Quarterly asked . .who is to say that The Battle of Algiers 1 open The will not provide a cinematic primer for what is to happen in American cities in the near future?” And Battle is not without its moments of wry irony, When French paratroopers enter the city to smother the rebellion, it is made clear that their com- mander, colonel Mathieu, was a hero of the Resistance "They call us fascists," says Mathieu, “forgetting that some oi us are survivors of Dachau and Buchenwald” a delicate reminder that yesterday’s liberals are all too oiten today's oppressors. The Battle of Algiers is, in a number of ways, a paradoxical film. For it absorbs you totally and completely, yet it never appeals to Hollywood’s stock cinematic formula of absorption, such as romantic acting techniques, flashy editing and cutting, and rapidly sentimental dialogue. It will drain you emotionally, perhaps as no other film ‘has. You will see Grinnell’s favorite formula film, The Pawnbroker. as a soap opera by comparison. The latter is full of ,iine actors and they act. Battle has actors, but no acting. The Pawnhrpher presens an entirely superficial treatment of a tragic situation, and tricks you into drinking that you have tran- scended your customary mode of awareness by manipulating your emotions with Hollywood's most familiar techniques. Battle contains no sentimental short cuts. There is no whitewash, no overselll Revolution is in fact the Please turn to page 5 coffee house will be open Friday and Saturday evening until student response indicates it need for more time.