Tile Scarlet & Black, October 7, 1977—page 7

 

New addiction

inflicts Grinnell
Habit fattens SGA budget

By Colill Sacks

A barrage of expletives too harsh
to be printed on these pages ex-
plodes 'from the mouth of a
llustered 21- year old student
hunched awkwardly over a large
box full of electronic equipment,

He rights himself, pounds once
on the plexiglass surface of the
box, pauses, and then plunges his
hand into his pocket in search of
still another quarter. He is a
Grinnell College pinball addict.

Elsewhere on campus one can
not detect the addict. Some are
male, some are female. Some are
struggling, some are excellent
students They are often very
pleasant people. But then. without
warning, it happens. While musing
over the lines of Chaucer, or
contemplating Newton's Second
Law, visions of the lime silver ball
darting gracefully about suddenly
fill the addict’s mind. He is
helpless, Rationalizing, (I need a
break, he declares) he heads for
the meeting place of Grinnell
pinball junkies; the game room of
the Forum.

There, along with two pool
tables, he finds Grinnell College’s
pinball machines standing
majestically three abreast, their
lights ﬂashing silently in an-
ticipation, and their quarter slots
gaping.

Almost $7,000 in quarters will
pass through those slots this
academic year. Half oi that money
will go to the company that owns
the machines, and half will go to
Student Government Association,
Based on last year's intake, SGA
President Jon Niederbach
estimates that the machines will

' bring in $3,300 [or this year.

”We have to be conservative in
our estimate for budgetary
reasons.” he added. Based on this
estimate, pinball will account for
approximately 4 per cent of SGA's
$84,000 budget this year, The
company that distributes the
machines is responsible for
keeping the machines in good
repair, and for their occasional
replacement.

Asked ifhefelt any qualms about
the junkie dealer nature of this
relationship between students and

 

SGA. Niederbach replied, “The
money comes from voluntary
sources, and helps offset the air
fects of inflation for SGA.”
Niederbach pointed out that he
himself often indulges, although he
does not consider himself addicted.

Another high ranking SGA of-
ficial said, “I think it‘s great: a
vice that’s not illegal, immoral or
fattening."

Why do they do it'.’ Why will
28,000 quarters be “wasted” this
year on a game that cannot be
won? (Even free games won by
skilled addicts are eventually lost.)
Responses to this question varied.
“It's just a way to kill time bet-
ween classes," one player said.
“I’m not addicted; I just come
here occasionally.”

A veteran Grinnell pinballer who
freely admits his junkie status was
more outspoken. “I think it’s at
least partially a sexual trip,” he
said. ”You lean over this thing with
your hands on its hips, right? Then
once you get it going, the more
noise and action you get, the more
points you score. Also, as in sex,
the idea is to keep it going as long
as possible, and when it drains,
where does it drain? Right there,“
he summed up, pointing to the
Crotch of the machine.

A female occasional user agreed
in a somewhat more reserved
fashion. “I think its a sexual and
emotional release,” she concluded.

The psychological distinction
between user and addict is subtle,
but very real. Be wary if you
venture through the monolithic
black doors wanting to play just a
game or two Recall similar
thoughm with your first drink, your
first cigarette, or any other exV
pensive habit which presently
plagues you. If you fear for SGA's
financial status, turn a friend on to
pinball, But if by chance you do
become addicted, do not fear that
all is lost. Pinball addicts can and
dohold prestigious positions on
Grinnell’s campus. For example
SGA presidents past and present
have been known to succumb, and
one addict, well known among the
esoteric pinball community here,
writes for the sports page of the
S&B.

Gridmen crucify Ambrose

By Chris Sodoma
Last Saturday, the Grinnell
Pioneers, on a wet and muddy turf
won their second game of the year -

by downing St. Ambrose. in
Davenport, by the score of 35-0.

The Pioneers opened the scoring
in the first period on a 6 yard To
pass from QB Paul Crane to Dale
Lamb. Randy Reavis kicked the
extra point to stake Grinnell to an
early 70 lead.

Crane connected on two
more TD passes in the second
quarter. Crane’s first scoring pass
was a 13 yard strike to junior Steve
Bolesta. The second TD of the
quarter was scored by Fred Mes
Dougal on a well thrown 16 yard
pass by QB Crane. Both con-
versions were successful, which
gave the Pioneers a 21 to 0 lead at
the half.

Freshman Fred McDougal
scored two touchdowns in the third
quarter on runs of 1 and 38 yards.
Randy Reavis kicked both extra
points which made the score 3570.

McDougal again starred for the
Pioneers. McDougal has scored six
of the nine Grinnell TD's this
season. Crane had his finest per-
iormance ol the year, clicking on
10 of 20 passes, including three TD
strikes. The Pioneer linemen
continually ripped large holes in
the Ambrose defense, which

 

Addiction wins concentration

. l

\

of Grinnell intellectuals

Two pinball addicts, Doug tfooshall) Spin and Lisn Baldasar
gnpc ivondcroiisly at the Concentrated effort of uoug Mau.

(Photo by Chris Lower)

Women Win and sin'
Tennis team remains unbeaten

By Trish Fi gibboiis

“The team that wins together
sins together ” Such prolific words
flowed effervescently out of the
mouth of Coach Anna Wack as she
broke out a bottle of champaigne
in celebration of Saturday's
slaughter by the Grinnell women’s
tennis team.

Grinnell surprised themselves
and everyone else with its spec
tacular victory in the Central
Invitational, which had eight
teams participating,

This Invitational brought about
the clashing between two un-
defeated (in dual meets) teams:

allowed the Pioneer back-s to run Crinneli and Central. A previously

for 209 yards,
The Pioneer defense was out

standing, St. Ambrose ran 37 times
for only 47 yards. In the first three
games, Grinnell’s opponents have
rushed 86 times for only 92 yards,
The defensive secondary was also
spectacular. They picked off 6
passes and allowed only 86 yards
through the air.

Coach Edd Bowers was pleased
with the general play of the squad.
The coach thought that the team
played “smart ball." Bowers
praised the individual pera
formances of Don Petrich, who had
to solo tackles at delensive end,
and junior Chris Bowman, who
opened up large gaps in the Ame
brose defense.

Bowers also was extremely
pleased with the large student
turnout at the home opener against
Beloit. The Pioneers will need all
the support they can muster this
Saturday at 1:30 against Knox, who
was one of last year's tl‘l'
champions of the Wcstern Division
In the Midwest Conference.
however, the much improved
Pioneers could make it a long
afternoon for Knox in the first
conference game of the '77 cam-
paign

scheduled meet between these two

teams was cancelled due to rain,

Grinnell felt that Saturday’s
triumph displayed its dominance
to the fullest. Since Grinnell's
number two player, Sheila
Adenwalla, missed action, forcing
everyone but Paula Bancy
(number one) to “play up“ one
position. Grinnell came out on top
despite this handicap.

Not until very late in the semi
finals of the doubles did Grinnell
foresee a possible sweep of the
Invitational, With most of the
teams already departed in defeat,
Grinnell’s top doubles edged out
Central’s pair in an exciting 8~0
victory. This pulled Grinnell
ahead, with a 17716 lead. In the
doubles finals Grinnell‘s top two
teams faced each other,thus
automatically securing another
point for Grinnell and enabling the
Pioneers to complete the meet with
18 points. Host Central finished
second with 16 points.

Banchy took second in her
bracket and Susan Dcspaln
(number two) took first ill her
bracket. Despaln’s victory amazed
cvcryoiie, since she was playing up
one position. Amy rricdcn and
Mary llartnctl took first con-.
isolation» ~i

 

n» - their respectivei

& LliAnne Shearer

divisions. Banchy and Despain
also finished first in their doubles
division as did Hartnett and

_Frieden, LuAnne Shearer and

Trish Fitzgibbons also contributed
to the Championship with their
doubles play.

The tennis team demolished two
other opponents this past week.
Last Friday's dual meet against
Simpson offered the varsity a little
relaxation for Saturday’s ln-
vitational and allowed many junior
varsity members to play matches,
Margot Shindler and Susan
Maxwell played excellent tennis in
their first intercollegiate matches,
Grinnell won this meet. 3-].

Grinnell defeated Simpson as
easily Wednesday as it had the
previous Friday. Again Simpson
fell to the Pioneers by the score of
8—1. Everyone overwhelmed their
opponents and many now feel
Confident about the ACM meet at
Knox in Galesburg, Illinois this
Weekend.

All the teams participating in the
ACM meet have already been
defeated by Gn'nnell. Grinnell
hopes to continue its winning ways
because, after all. the team that
wins together, sins together.

Harriers
triumph

By Tim occostci-

The Pioneer cross country team
opens its five-mile season Saturday
as Grinncll hosts Simpson College
in a Parents' Day dual meet. The
race will begin just east of
Rosenbloom Field shortly after the
start of the football game

Tomorrow’s meet follows last
Friday's pow-criul victory for the
Pioneers at the Cornell Inaugural
Flight Race. Coe. Cornell. William
Penn, and Grinnell's Varsity and
‘3' teams participatedin the [our
and a half mile race at Mt. Vernon.
The seven separate flight races
conststed of all team’s No 1 run
ners competing against each other,
and so on through all teams No. 7
runners,

Grinnell won six of the seven
races and placed second in the
other, coming away with eight
points as compared to second place
Cornell's 16 points. Coe, William
Penn, and Grinnell ‘B' all tied for
third place with 27 points. In ad
dition, the Pioneers made off \vith
six of the shirts awarded by Cornell
to the flight winners.

Victorious Pioneers in the meet
were Terry Drew (No. l, 24:21),
Paul Reich iNo. 2, 24:09), Tim
DeCoster, (No, 3, 24:38), Joe King
(No, 4), Dick Gilbert (No. 5), and
Bill Strang (No. 7), Bill Brown
finished second in the sixth flight
race.

Next week Grinnell will run at
the Central Invrtational in what is
expected to be a two-team fight for
the Crown between the Pioneers
and Pella's runners, Central was
able to take the first seven places
against Grinnell in one race last
year, but at the Lés Duke ins
vitational, held two weeks ago,
Central edged Grinnell by the
narrow margin of 14 points. Coach
Ray Obermiller’s squad is con-
centrating on avenging last year’s
disaster, but will not ease up
during this week’s training as they
continue to push for this year’s top
priority—a conference cham-
pionship.

Guitar Vocalists

Grinnell College's

cat. 7 a 8 Greg Neighbors
Also front Grinncll College
Oct. H & I5 John Hayes

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formerly Wayiic's Steakhousk
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