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THE SCARLET AND BLACK

April 16, 1971

Blacks View Benefits, Problems 0f Younlters

by Debbie McKnioht

Last year CBS members
Lawrence Wright, David Lee
wis, and Quentin Phea presen-
ted the Housing Committee
with a proposal for a black
floor. The Committee gave
its approval, but was over
ruled by the administration’s
substitution of a “cluster sys-
tem " throughout one hall. This
would letblackupperclassmen
draw speciﬁed rooms while
additional rooms were setas-
ide for black freshmenuThe
administration objected to an
all black floor because it
feared such an arrangement
would violate provisions of the
1964 Civil Rights Act.

In its working form, the CBS
proposal placed seventeen ups
perclassmen plus freshmen in
the Younkers this year. The
dorm was chosen because it
was coed and had enough'dour
bles to allow upperclassmen
who might want to room with
freshmen.

Freshman A djustment

This semester CBS again
requested a black ﬂoor for
next year and was refused on
the same grounds. The cluster
system, expanded‘toZZ upper-
classmen, will continue next
year. The number of black
freshmen enteringnext year is
as yet unlmown; an effort will
be made to place most ofthem
in Younkers. As the plan ends
its first year, excerpts from
a series of interviews with
black Younker residents sug‘
gest their evaluation of its
strengths and weaknesses.

Jon Gray expressed concern
of black upperclassmen for

freshmen. "Briprxothis year ,
tl‘ley'.were_placed in dorms

where there might be only
four or ﬁve other blacks. This
made their adjustment diffi'
cult. We figured that with a
lot ofblack people in one dorm,
orientation would be .shorter
and easier.”

Washington Alston also spoke
about freshman adjustment:

“It presents some kind of
challenge for black people to
get an education at an insti-
tution like Grinnell. The edur
cation I received in high schs
001 did not enable me to come
here feeling confident of my
self.

"Q-le thing i want to do next
year is provide a little more
concern and guidance for fr-
eshmen. Not to rule all their
activities, but at least I could
provide them an example of
someone who is making it at
Grinnell. It would give them
an example and more confi-
dence."

Celestine Bloomfield expl-
ained: ”We have to answer
questions Bboutaaidemicsand
teachers. The advice of an
upperclassman may deter-
mine whether a freshman is
back here the second year."

Lawrence Wright suggested
one freshman problems: "The
average black freshman is

and they're always stepping
on his toes."

“When 1 arms here," said
Linda Copeland, ”I had pros
blems because I was from a
black community. It was hard
to get used to having white
people come in and out of my
room all the time. lalso didn’t
have any upperclassmen counr
seling me until late in the year.
These are some things the cit
uster system helps freshmen
with."

Long Term Benefits

Besides freshmen orienta-
tion, the plan ms intendedfor
the long-term good of all
blacks involved.

“You can look at any group
on this campus and not one
has come up with any long
range program to help {ISSh‘
men or people in general,"
said Gray. "There are SA
workshops in August, but
they’re mostly to help with
immediate adjustment prob-
lems. As an SA, I saw nothing
long range about theprogram.
This living situation, though,
has long permanent value for

blacks."
Alsron explained his own rea-

son for living in Younkers:
“It's an opportunityfor blacks
to get together. Orr particus
lar needs for affection could
be met better as a result of
our being localized. If we
were spread out all over cam»
pus, not having anyone to
share feelins with would in-
crease our fears.

"This type of getting togeth-
er could carry back to the
community and make Grinnell
black people more concerned
there." ‘ ' >

About the value ofthe cluster
system, Wright said: ”It po-
ints up to black people how
white people react to black
people in concentration.
That’s one reason they won't
give us a black floor -- be
cause we'd be a majority, if
only on that floor."

Few people could think ofany
serious drawbacks in the clus—
ter system. Copeland men?
tioned, “About the onlypossi-
ble one is that since thereare
so many black people here,
these not living in Younkers’
might feel left out. But they
shouldn’t because they are
always welcome here."

Bloomfield protested what
she believed was a common
campus opinion: lThat be-
cause there are somany black

people in one dorm, we're al-
ways partying, which isn’t
true at all.

Wright also mentioned that
Younkers has hadseveralwild
parties and much hall dams
age, both ofwhichwerewrong-
1y blamed on black residents.

Race Relations

Concerning relations with
white residents, Gray said:
"There have been several ins
cidents. At first some white
people couldn’t adjust to the
noise level. There was an in-
cident in the TV lounge,which
was brought on by somebody
who didn't even live there.
Everybody has put up with
something."

Bloomfield suggested the grr
eatest difficulty: “At a house
meeting early this year it
came out that most students
on campus regarded the Youn'
ker cluster as an experiment
for white students as well as
black. It was originated tohelp
black students, not as an ex-
periment in better race relas
tions or as a broadening of
the Grinnell Experience.

“So whites got upset if they
weren't spoken to, and there
were conflicts about loud mus
sic that people took as racial
conﬂicts, which they
weren't."

Copeland said that after the
house meeting on the subject,
“white students seemed to
resent the fact that black stu~
dents weren’t here to get to
lolow them. Whites became
defensive."

“1 spoke to somebody ifI
wanted to, and I didn't ifi
didn’t want to," said Renee
Weldon. "1 halen’t had any
problems.”

Wright's comment: “I don't
care how white people act or
talk as long as they don't in-
terrupt my life style."

“Whites have beenhassled,“
remarked Quentin Phea. “Th-
ings are fine for us, but some
white kids can’t quite adjust.
This is one problem we force
saw in our originalproposal."

The administration’s rejecr
tion of a black floor received
only one qualified defense
'from Alston: “An allrblack
floor would facilitate the kind
of unity I've talked about, but
I can see where the adminis-
tration's coming from. They
want some interaction between
black folks and white folks."

Other responses were more

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critical. "Part of the reason

, you need an all black floor is

all the friction there has been
between black and white stud-
ents here," said Weldon. Ch‘
allenging the Civil Rights Act

argument, she added, "There
are two black floors atN0r[h*
western , one men and one
women."

”It seems inconsistent tome
that they say no to a black
floor, yet some dorms here
are all white,” Gray said.
“I fail to see the unconstitu-
tionality of a voluntary sit—
nation."

Copeland declared: “i think
the rejection was insulting to
people’s intelligence. Having
an all black floor is no more
unlawful than having a cluster
effect. Either way you mark
off rooms for black people."

”When you put three or four
black people in a dorm with
more than 50 whites, you en»
courage the unhealthy attitude
that whites can tell blacks
what to do. This is reallywhat
Grinnell College does when it
says, ‘you can't have more
than 20% black people in a
dorm or you'll make us look
bad',” Wright said.

General Feelings

All the people interviewed
will live in Younkers again
next year. Wright's comment
was indimtive of the general

feeling about continuing clus-
ters: “As long as it’s all we
get, we’ll take it." Final op-
inions of the success or fail-
ure of this year's arrange-
ment varied.

“It has been a social benefit
to all the blacks here," said
Copeland

"The cluster system is as
CIOse as we can get right now
to a black ﬂoor. Ifeel it has
definitely .benefitted black
people academically, social-
ly, psychologically - any way
you want to look at it. It’s
always good to be in a situa‘
tion you're used to," Phea
said.

Gray commented, ”Espec-
ially with the new C of HP
set-up, it seems only logical
that black people should be
able to come together in one
dorm to make at least a size-
able minority there."

"This type of thing will take
time to evaluate," said Al-
ston. “We didn't know quite
how to go about things. Next
year we’ll be able to use our
experience. I can't say yet
that it's been a total success
or failure. »

"In the community at home
black people don’t have any
control. Here we have some
voice. I would hate to have
this thing discontinued."

"Nobody can help you better
than your own kind," said
Bloomfield.

THE COLORADO COLLEGE
SUMMER SESSION

Julie M In
iugm a, 1m

UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTES

Organized m coopémlm mm Carleton, Gu'nnell, and Knox Cab
11;“. Each Instill“: mum u miss a! Inkgrulzd course. in which
rmdenls tam nine “Wiener man, Frequent kcrurrs by mun.
gushedmecraukbmenlnpu, and Independent mam 5m WW,

Urban Studies — Cities in Transition: An
analysis of urban politics, planning, design,
psychology, and literature, using metropoli»
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cal laboratory.

Geology-Ecology Field Studies: An ap lica-
uon of basic geologic concepts to the ’ltes
Peak region and consideration of ecological
concepts as related to contemporary
ecosystems. '

Film: A study of the history and theory of
cinematography with strong emphasis on
ﬁlm-making and experimentation by
participants.

The Garland of Apollo—Studies in Rena

sauce Creativity: An interdisciplinary exami-
nation of the artistic and creative society of
sixteenth century Italy with consideration
of painting, sculpture, architecture, litera-
ture, music, and politics as representative of
the cultural versatility of the period.

The Soviet Perple‘x: An examination and
analysis of the dynamics of Soviet society,
includin politics, foreign relations, litera-
ture, an religion, using an interdisciplinary
3p roach emphasizing history and politi-
c science. '

The New Africa—Culture and Politics Be-

low the Sahara: An interdisciplinary exami-
nation of the societies, culture areas, eco-
nomics, politics, religions, and arts of sub-
Sahara Africa especially in relationship to
features of post-independence nations.

THE LANGUAGE HOUSES

French and German: Students live in the
appropriate lah uage house, which provides
an atmosphere or informal use and practice
of the language with native-born facult and
assistants as well as with fellow stu ems.
Faculty land‘students take meals together
and participate in recreational and educa-
tional activities. Seminars, films, and guest
lectures are regular features of the langu-
age house rograms. Beginning, intermedi»
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age laboratory.

Complete Liberal Arts Curriculum
Hanyn Hahn School of Dance
Opera Worksho and Productions
Film estivnls

WRITE: Dean, SummerSsssion, The Colorado
College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

 

