Keith Kozioff

 

Seefﬁutual

by Anne Walter

I wish to take a few lines to make
some comments on the discussion
at this week's “Dean's Forum ”
A group of students with leader-
ship from the SGA cabinet took the
opportunity to question the govern-
mental organization ofGrinnell Col-
lege, a question that was spurred
by the abolition of the Division EPC
and an almost-surprise move limis
ting practica credit at the faculty
meeting early in the week,

I (personally) am oi the opinion
that there is a need to re-vamp
the current college governmental
structure, Formal student in~put
in college decision making is a re-
latively recent phenomenon and is
thus still merely a modification of
previous iaculty organization. The
structures have not been worked
out to the point where students op-
inion can be adequately iormulated,
expressed, analyzed or interpreted
by students and iaculty alike, and
then responded to ill the form of
appropriate actions

It is these inadequacies that cause
students to challenge any action
that comes from the faculty and ev-
en the various StildelltrfaClilty com»
mittees. With tilis observation, it
seems that this is the time that
students and faculty alike should
be thinking of new structures and
-new modes of exchanging opinion,
On Wednesday evening,‘only one
such mode was suggested-4| type
of community government.

What concerns me most about the
Forum meeting was the parnoia
expressed by students in the extr—
eme demand-tactic and inability to
“hear” what the faculty represen-
tatives were saying. if we cannot
display a willingness to work with
lacuity, i see no reason for them
to be patient enough to work with

photo by Ken Wlnakur

Personal Perspectiv 'l

Cooperation

us. We have at chosen to pay tui»

tion to come to Grinnell, 1 suppose
to avail ourselves Of the "experts"
that comprise the college’s taculty.
I don't Suggest that the faculty
is infallible,..l doubt that even they
claim this trait. However, I do
suggest that it might be worth our
while to, at minimum, consider
their opinions and interpretations
of situations as well as offer our
own.

For many, the crux of the ques
tions raised is in the power ofmake
ing ultimate decisions. Where shs
ould that power lie? And, if stud,
.ents do not share in that power
are they, in fact, second rate citi»
znes, Quite honestly, I don't know.

However, I would like to suggest
that the real issue is whether or
not can Crinnell College organize
itself in a way that is both respon-
sive to current interests and aware
oi long-range goals? is it possible
to be flexrble enough and daring \
enough to try new things as needs
arise in a manner that does not
jeopardize the basic fabric of the
College, I imagine that it is pos—
sible. It will be hard, but with
a certain amount of willingness
to work towards ireeing ourselves
of incumbering structures and to
work together, it must be possible.

At a time when the faculty and
students are concerned about the
quality of academics we can an-
tioinate some major changes in the
academic picture of-thls campus"
probably of a “tighteningrthe belt”
nature in response to a period of
relative freedom. I would hope that
we Students, faculty and administras
tiun alike can approach this task
with maximum trust so that we are
free to be creative and responsible
to the particular needs of Students
at this time

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May ll,,l973

KozloH-Views Public lnl‘ereslL

(Editors note: Keith Kozloff,aGrin-
nell graduate who was author of the
54:8 environmental column "Man
and Earth” the first pari of this
year, is now a full-time researcher
ior ISPIRG.

The iollowing article represents
his reﬂections alter four months
on the too, not only about ISPIRG
but about the public interest move
ment in general.)

by Keith Kozlnii

My involvement with public interest
research first began last Summer
when I worked for the Citizen Ac~
tion Program (CAP) in Chicago.
originating as the Campaign Again—
st Pollution, CAP is acoalltion of
citizens organized by a core oi
professional rabblerousers who use
tactics codified by the late Saul
Alinsky.

CAP’s purpose is to bring about
social change in the Chicago area.
it is probably unique for two rea-
sons: First, although its member—
ship is mostly middle-aged and
middle class its leaders come from
diverse backgrounds ranging from
a former national secret or for the
SDS to a member of the John Birch
Society. Second, CAP combines its
tactics of harassment with a re
search component (under the dir~
ection, incidentally, ofGrinneligra-
dudte Henry Scheff)

CAP has the abilitytooutdoChicago
politicians in any confrontation. The
CAP spokesman, a voiitile Catholic
priest. is usualiysurrounded by eldr
erly ladies demanding their rights
as American citizens. They provide
an effective butter zone against
overzealous policemen,

CAP‘S organizers are so adept
at making Mayor Daley's ilunkies
emerge in the media as the stooges
they are that machine bureaucrats
decided last summer to study CAP’S
tactics. At the time, CAP was en,
gaged in an all out battle against
a Costly and unnecessary Crosstown
Expressway, a pet project of the
Mayor’s. it was learned, irom an
anonymous source, that two of the
city’s architects who were designe
ing the expre‘S’Sway 'were assigned
to read and make a report on
everything written by Saul Alinsky.
So far, constant pressure has grou»
nded the expressway plans.

Meets ISPIRG

i became acquainted with the Iowa
Public Interest Research Group
(ISPIRG) last fall while 1 was trying
to iigure out a way to iorce my
landlord to repair the oven in my
apartment. The Grinnell ISPIRG lo-
cal board was initiating a study of
leasing practices in which I as-
sisted.

My knowledge of tenant/landlord
relations resulted recently in a
phone call I received from a pros-
pective landlord. Not immediately
realizing that l was a former stu-
dent, the caller voiced her concern

that students might throw their beer '

calls on the lawn. I must have been
a bit too charitable toward students

in my response because she even»
tually guessed the truth.

Since I started researching for
ISPIRG in January, I’ve Iound that
public interest issues are consid»
erahly different in Iowa than in Chic
cago. CAP is, by necessity, otten a
belowrthe~belt operation. The inept,
sleazy tricks that are commonplace
in the Daley Machine make Witter-
gate look like a Sunday alternoon
tea.

Not so in Iowa where the corrupr
tion is at least less blatant and
the issues more subtle, Consequene
tly, I have had to abandon the tac-
tics I was accustomed to, which in—
cluded deceit, impersonation, and
petty thievery.

Researching for CAP or ISPIRG
demands a certain amount of var
satility in being able to relate to
dillerent types of people and situar
tions.

iSPIRG is probably the oniyorganr
ization whose lobbyists sometimes
commute to the Captiol via a semi—
truck which they hitchedaride from.
Interviewing farm leaders, soli-
citing cnllege professors for donar
tions, or attending government com.
mission meetings are all part of
a day’s work.

One oi the high points in my as-
sociation with ISPIRG came during
a meeting I attended Conducted by
the Iowa Water Quality Commission.
The Commission’s chairman is (little
inutive Robert Buckmaster, a come
petent if, as his detractors claim,
rather arrogant administrator.

During the meeting, a spokesman
for a group of farmers nervously
rose to his feet to complain about
waste overflow from a neighboring
feedlot. The runoff from theleedlot,
he drawled, had been running by his
place [or several years (100 cattle
produces about 1500 tons of manure
every year). Buckmaster interrup-
ted him to explain that state envir-
onmental engineers were investigab
ing the matter.

At this point, the iarmer began
quivering with anger and shufﬂed in
the direction ofthedapper Euckmas»
ler while brandishing a brown paper
bag. Now it was the commission»

er’s turn to become nervous as he
insisted that the farmer return to

his seat before the problem would
be discussed further.

Rather than complying with this
demand, the riled nayseed approa—
ched the head of the table, where
the commissioner was now cowering
and sputtering in his chair. While
towering over Euckmaster, the far-
mer thrust his hand into the bag
and displayed to all a glass jar
filled with a dark, viscous liquid.

“This is the stuff that’s been
running through my place tor the
last three years," he stated, “Would
you like to smell it?” (Shades of
Saul Alinsky)

"No, “snapped the sumewhatrelie~
ved commissioner, “We will not be
swayed by threats." But be dis-
patched two engineers to converse
with the aggrieved party in private.

continued on page 6

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