2 April 14, I972

The Scarlet and Black

London-Florence Semester
Otters Escape, New Views

by Merry Wiesner

“Even if you have a rotten program
and a rotten education you still win,
just because you are there.” So
Carlos Mendoza sums up the satiss
faction of most of those attending the
newest ACM program, the Arts of
London and Florence.

As the first group in the program,
those attending last fall had no defs
inite idea of what to expect, and felt
they played a role in defining and
developing the program. Each stus
dent was free to determine his own
areas of interest outside a core of
required study.

The original group of 44 split into
two, half beginning in London and the
others in Florence. For some rea—
son, which even those attending cans
not explain, groups tended to enjoy
more the city they Visited first.

The emphasis in Florence was
generally on art history, with one
course in Art History and one on
Florentine history at the time of
Michelangelo. Students generally
felt, however, that there was too
much structure on the Florentine
end. Elizabeth Aubrey walled, ”How
can you look at slides when all
Florence is out there?"

in London the academic emphasis
was on general literature and the
arts, and the courses there covered
a much broader spectrum. The pro-
gram was run much more loosely in
London, with graduate students from
the University of London serving as
tutors. Participants generally com-
mended the use of these tutors, for
they allowed each student more ins
dividual attention.

The real value of the program
seems to be the experience outside
the classroom.

There was a definite problem in
Florence with the language barrier,
and all participants recommended
at least a passing acquaintance With

ltalian before going on the program.'

The city of Florence lacked the
night life of London, but the amo-
rousness of the Italian man is not
simply a legend--Elizabeth Aubrey
noted that women just did not go
anywhere alone, even during the day.
Concerts and plays were easily
available, very cheap, and there
seemed to be almost a sense of
fustration about having too much to

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do. Susan Cirodsky denoted London
as a “student city”. She tells of
societies and lectures concerned
with every conceivable topic and
emphasizes her feelings With Samuel
Johnson’s comment~“When a man
is tired of London, he is tired of
life,"

Besides the opportunities which the
two cities offered, the students were
able to visit other places on long
weekends off, as far as their own
finances would allow them. Rome,
Vienna, and Naples became popular
places of exploration Transportas
tion between London and Florence
was left up to the students: many
conSidered this the best part of the
trip, simply “being on your own in
Europe.”

One of the criticisms of the pro-
gram was the lack of contact with
foreigners. Although the focus is On
the arts, not on foreign culture, there
was a feeling that more could have
been gained by living with individual
families; one student felt that ”we
were very much an American
colony.”

Another fault of the program was

its total dependence on the director.
There was a feeling of luck of co
ordination between London and F10-
rence, which may have accounted
for the affinity toward the initial
city. Next year, Grinnell's Richard
Howe will direct tlte program in
Florence, and although the emphasis
will be decidedly toward music, it
is hoped that his long experience in
the city will enrich the program
there The focus in London will be
on the theater, which this year's
returnees see as completely ops
propriate.

students voice the program as
extremely valuable because, like all
offsczimpus programs, it offers a
release from Grinnell and because
students change their View of Grill»
hell and the world upon returning
Susan Grodsky sums up her reac-
tions with “I found out how Aniei‘icau
I was. When I came back, aIlIwanted
to do was sit and study Hemingway
and other American writers,” And
Carlos Mendoza concludes, “You
see this place with a diflel‘ent out-
look and perhaps appreciate it more,
but I wish I were back there'”

3t Mouth/amt 7m

GUERRILLA THEATER
by Don Homolka

The Rapid Transit Guerrilla Theatre
performed before a large audience
last Saturday in the South Lounge,
With an excess otenergy and preachy
left wing analysis, and a fair amount
of humor mixed in, the group moved
through a variety of topics.

Flanked by a Women’s Lib flag and
n Viet Cong Flag, the group per
formed, sang, preached and
informed They opened singing,
using the somewhat worn out “Power
of the People” theme. They then
followed through with segments on
birth Control, health care, business,
ecology, Viet Nam, the phone com
pany, women and fashion andAmeri-
can influence in foreign countries,
Most. of the time the skits were funny
and quite entertaining, but they uSA
ually were marred by overly sim-
plistic moralizing.

A high point was easily the segment
on the phone company. In round
about fashion the group explained
how to make credit call calls on
other people’s accounts.

However, for impact, the dramatic
sessions that were pertormed before
both intermission and closing easily
won out In a stark method of narra-
tion and action, the group pointed
to the use of torture in first Viet
Nam, and then Brazil.

These had, and needed, no preach-
ing, and got their message across
much better than any of the other
segments in the almost two hour
performance.

MARSHALLTOWN THEATER

by Sylvia Wallace

on April 11, the Marshalltown
Theatre Workshop performed an
experiment With an experience en-
titled “Chamber Music". The Set-
ting was a meeting room ofa mental
institution where famous women are
held “hostage” because people think
they are sick. An unknown Woman
who plays records turns out to be
Mrs, Mozart; and her fellow inmates
were Ossa Johnson, Gertrude Stein,
Pearl White, Amelia Erhardt, Isa-
bella, Queen of Spain, Joan of Arc,
and Susan B. Anthony, The perfor-
mance of the actors were all superb.
The symbolism in the play was more
easily understood due to the fine
performances of the actors in their
roles.

The play director was Dixie Knapp
Jorgensen and his assistant was
Betty Sunday, who also gave an im-
pressive comical monologue in the
role of Queen Isabellai The lighting
was adequate, if not exciting The
costuming was really appropriate
and added to the effectiveness of the

play.

last ROTC Cadets Have Different Goals

by Lynne Ogawa

Besides being Gregs, about the only
trait Greg Vranlcai‘ ’72 and Greg
Bombinski ’72 share is that both are
the last ROTC cadets on campus.
However, even their involvement in
ROTC is not much of a meeting
ground, for their feelings about the
Air Force are very different.

When Greg V»Car, as Greg
“Bomber” calls him, committed
himself to ROTC and a four-year
hitch in the Air Force, it was mainly
for educational benefits and to avoid
the draft, The lottery system was not
in effect at that time and Greg did
not want to be drafted into the army.
As it turned out, he didn’t have to
worry.

Educationally. the Air Force grants
academic leaves freely and Greg v.
feels he Can complete law school he—
lore entering active service. In ad
dition, ah ROTC scholarship pays for
all his college fees except room and
board. Recently, a subsistence
allowance was added to his funds It
was this scholarship offer that made
Greg V. commit himself to the Air
Force a year early Usually, cadets
contract at tiie beginning of their

Junior year.

With Greg Bombinski, ROTC meant
and still means only one thing
flying, Greg wants to become apilot
"J‘There's pilot types and none
pilot types and i think I'm a pilot
type."~sand ROTC is the means,
“a stepping stone,” I’m not looking
forward to the Air Force as much
as I am looking ioruard to learning
how to fly."

Being in ROTC did, though, make it
easier for him to get married during
the summer Greg B. also receives
a scholarship and feels being in the
Air Force gives a certain degree of
financial security.

Greg B. starts active duty right
after graduation, his flight training
class begins on June 20in As he
plans to fly, his hitch Will last six
years. Training will take ab weeks
and cost the government approxis
mately $200,000. “That’s quiteabit
or education,” says Greg.

Eventually, Greg hopes to fly for
a commercial airline and With six
years experience on his back, he's
optimistic about his chances for a
Job. A commercial pilot can log
only 70 hours a month so Greg has
to find some other occupation in

 

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addition to flying, but that's a minor

consideration now. “Hopefully, in
the six years, I’ll pick up something
else.”

Until training starts, his wife,
Lynn, graduating and two horses are
Greg’s major concerns. The Born»
binskis live on a live-acre lot on
East Street where the horses occupy
the two»acre backyard. One horse
is Greg’s, bought from one of the
bal‘bers in town last fall, and the
other is Lynn’s, hers since 1unior
high school nine years ago. Before
they leave, Greg will sell his horse,
but Lynn’s is “part of the family"
and will move with them to the base.

While Greg is. has no misgivings
about being a Cadet, not so with Greg
V, Greg v, says, “ROTC least
describes what I'm interested in and
concerned about." His background,
a small rural community ofstanton,
Nebraska, was a factor in his de
cision to join He says, ”There isn’t
political consciousness in a small
town" and he grew up “with a com-
pletely different concept of Ameri-
ca” than he has now. Grinnell
“changed radically my conception
of What it is and what its problems
are.”

Greg considers the spring of ’70

, posit ior next year, He pro»

. bably doesn’t know where i am
either. I hope he paid the right
school.”

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with Kent State and Cambodia cru-
cial in his metamorphosis, but by
that time he was already contracted
to the Air Force. l-lis regret was
compounded when he had to attend
military camp after going through
“the whole radical thing of closing
the school.”

However depressing the thought or
military camp Was, the actual four
weeks in Utah reconciled him a bit
to being in the Air Force. “It wasn’t
as regimented as I thought" and “be
ing in it destroyed some of the myth
that there's no place for criticism in
the Air Force, Ijust found much
more diversity than i thought exis—
ted and found much more allowance
for it.”

Greg v. also found ROTC at Grin-
nell more tolerant than expected,
He'd criticize the Air Force in al-
most every ROTC class and “Was
surprised that they allowed as much
dissent from the line as they did.
Maybe it was becuase l wasn’t doing
anything really radical, just talking.
They weren’t ready to kick me out,
but they thought i was mixed up,
wrong.”

presently, Greg plans to go into
the Air Force after laW school.
“l’m not feeling real good about it
now, but I’m resolved. .I thinkI
made a commitment and to go back
on the commitment would be diffi»
cult." Greg speculates he'd wind
up in piil or enlisted if he tried.

He is still opposed to the war in
Viet Nam and the military but ens
visions the Air Force as a good exs
perience and a chance to change
military thinking and methods. In
addition he would have completed
law school and be in a position to
use his training While serving his
term, ”I really think I‘ll learn a
lot there,” Greg says. The environ—
ment would be radically different
from Grinnell and law school. ”And
that's good if you want to learn."

After the Air Force, Greg would
like to practice law in ”a socially
useful” way, like helping people who
don't have lawyers Politics is an»
other strong interest and Greg feels
working with laws and people affec-
ted by them is the best way to get
into it,

To Greg and Greg then, ROTC em-
bodies different things. For Greg
Bombinski, his involvement with
ROTC is clearcut and purposeful:
“I have a special goal, in mind that
I know I have a chance to achieve.
The Air Force always needs pilots
and navigators," As for Greg
Vranicar, he is resigned to rule
filling an obligation he regrets malts
liig: “If I were presented an option
to get out with little or no strings
involved, I would, although I am
more resigned to it now than
before.” Greg and Greg present
two entirely different facets ofROTC
but together, they signify the end of
ROTC at Grinnell.

 

