tion.

We do feel that someone will read
and enjoy each section: sorry sports
fans, but you're not the only ones
reading this magazine, Last week, the
only sports stories we had were recaps
of games. Some of the sports haven‘t
even started yet; there is very little of
general interest to report.

So, when something had to be cut,
the sports rehashes were the first to
go. -

Also, considering our ample sports
coverage in the first two issues, the
response seems a bit hyperbolic.
Nonetheless, it beats no response at
all.

AS for the comment about ca italiz-

Claims ad slanders Sobel ,

To the editor: I was rather shocked
to read the advertisement concerning
the Dell's “celebratory sale" in last
week’s 5&3. To permit such an often-
sive advertisement to be printed in a
paper that is read by the entire Grin-
nell campus indicates not only a sign
of very bad taste on the part of the
S&B's advertising department, but it
signifies a lack of moral character as
Well.

I am referring in particular to the
manner in which Scott Subel‘s name

was degraded. i realize that the Deli’s
management may just have been try-
ing to make a joke with the advertise-
ment, but if this is the case, the joke
was in very poor taste, No one should
be subjected to this kind of public
humiliation, especially someone who
is not even present to deiend himself.
Regardless oi whether the Deli's ’
management intended the advertise-
ment to be a joke or not, the entire
situation signifies a lack of maturity
on the part of the instigators of the

ing reporters‘ names: we do. Check ’
any objective reporting story and
you’ll see this. As for our opinion cnlr
umnists, we have adopted a graphic
style of all-lower case letters. Sorry
you find it offensive. . ‘

By the way, Bob Mitchell is in Lon-
don, and is no longer a head sheep at
the 5&8.

advertisement.

Considerably more appalling than
the advertisement itself, however, is
the {act that it appeared in the sea at
all. Certainly the advertising depart-- .
ment could have asked the Dell to
come up with a less offensive adver;. .
tisement. At any rate. I sincerely harm;
that there isn’t a similar occurance in .
the iuture. The 5&3, and the advertis~
mg department in particular, has '
some explaining to do. Steve Pfﬂl‘ter‘ ;

editorially speaking

On courage and old-fashioned valued?

Coming out of the closet: even the phrase implies a daring act—something that demands quite; :
a bit of courage. Many students at Grinnell have demonstrated the courage to publicly proclaim
they are gay. But if estimates from campus gay leaders are correct, there are quite a few more-' 2
gays at Grinnell who are not willing to make that pronouncement.

Even those who are publicly “out of the closet" have reservations. Of the many people reporter
John Mandel interviewed for the focus stories, only three had no objections to being identified.

What objections did the others have? The most common was the fact that the “real world” is ’
still often incapable of dealing with homosexuality. ' '

No one understands everything about homosexuality—even the psychiatric community is con-
fused and divided as to what homosexuality really is and what implications it carries. '_ ,

Often, when people do not understand something, they pretend that it doesn’t exist. And for ' '
many employers, not hiring gays makes it easier to pretend that there are no gays. Thus, manr
gays are forced to guard their sexuality, to hide a very real part of themselves.

Grinnell College is a rather open and accepting place. This fact possibly makes it easier for
some gays to come out of the closet here. But not everyone at Grinnell is at least tolerant enough'
to let others be themselves, as our cover photo this issue graphically illustrates. Some Grin-
nellians would prefer gays to remain in the closet. ‘

And gays aren’t the only people at Grinnell who are asked to please remain in the closet.
Republicans, unabashed capitalists and others who do not come under the heading of
“enlightened Liberal” are frowned upon—though the admission of such tendencies does not hold:
as potentially devastating long—term societal repercussions as the admission of one’s homosexr
uality does. ,

It is amazing that any such prejudices still exist at a school that prides itself on “open-minded”
students, faculty, and administration. Is someone any less of a person for being a homosexual, or
for being a Republican? At the bottom line we are all humans: sexualities and political leanings
are merely chromatic differences of this basic humanity. And no person’s humanness is better
than anyone else’s. '

Grinnell College, as an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, .
should do eveything possible to make the college a truly open community.

Old-fashioned, preconceived notions must be rejected: situations must be approached with an '
open mind. Diversity should be embraced; the prejudiced ways of the “real world” rejected.

In keeping with this attitude of openness, the college should add a rights of sexual preference .
clause to the admissions and hiring affirmative action policiesvnot because of past transgres-
sions of gay rights, but as an affirmation of a person’s right to choose his or her own lifestyle.

In doing so, the college will openly encourage diversity, which is, after all, one of the keys to a

true liberal arts education,
September 2i, 1979

 

