of the beginning
and the

end...

Beginning at the end of the year can be both exhilarating and
depressing. it is inspiring in that it can provide a semesterrweary
student with a new impetus for finishing the last lap; and it’s
disheartening becausethe end is obviously around the next bend.
We, the new Scarlet and Black staff, are beginning that last lap.
This is our first issue and the next will be out last, for this year
that is.

There are a million things on this campus, in the town, within
this office that we would like to change or give new life to. As is
usual, the SGA and administration is busy making decisions
which will concern everyone in the Grinnell College community
next year. Registration is in full swing, and everyone is
discussing faculty evaluations, next year s academic pressure
problems, the structuring of courses, and maior requirements.
All budget decisions for campus organizations will be acted on
next week. Graduation is nearing We have travel plans to think
about.

But, all of us plod onto Burling, with titty books on the English
Renaissance tucked under our arms, muttering incoherently
about 20- -page papers and exams it’s a wonderful time of the
year for some charlatan to fool the entire campus population, for
any sharp devil can be sure that those bleary eyes in Burling will
not catch even the clumsiest sleightof-hand trick. If anyone,
especially anyone in any sort of position of College authority,
wants to pull a fast one, now is the time.

We, as students cannot reasonably be expected to iump out
from under our academic load, and become wary sentinels but, it
would be in our own best interest ‘f we could keep at least one
tired eye open, End-of-the~year revi Ions and make-overs always
happen. We have lost the Communications department, the
number of allowable practica credits, number of independent
protects offered at this time of year and faculty members have
been tenured or dismissed contrary to the will of the students at
the same time.

This year the honors system is being challenged, as is the
entire theory of independent study; even talk of requirements is
getting louder. We squawk and scream everytime it happens,
but, it is going to keep on happening unless Grinnell College
students start taking their power seriously.

Even though it is the end, everyone can try to begin watching
out for intringments on our traditional student rights. SGA, the
administration and the media services are starting next year
now. With a little luck and energy, the student body can keep up.

_—__————

Ediioriei opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views oi the
sludenls, Iecuiiy, sip", or adminisiraiion oi Grinnell College, Views expressed
by columnists are mm of me authors and not necessarily ihose oI Ihe sleII or
managemeni ot the Grinnell Scarlet and Black

f”? 0% Mark _
Genereux

sand“

and“

Grinnell democratic socialists unite

The recently united Democratic
Socialists would like to share our
platform with the Grinnell College
Community.

“I am for socialism because I am
for humanity."

—Eugene Victor Debs

We, the Democratic Socialists of
Grinnell, unite today to affirm our
support lor Democratic Socialism
in America and to further this
cause through constructive and
concrete communityprganizing
actions at the local level

We firmly believe that there is a
need to free our country irom those
who now hold economic and
political power, These people gain
their powers not. from the consent
oi the governed, but from the
chance of birth or from the misuse
of America's liberties. They use
this power not to secure people's
unalienable rights, but to repress
them, and they exploit America’s
potential and promise, not in the
national interest, but. for their own
greed,

The tremendous
inefficiency of the present
economic system must be
drastically cut. We believe this
waste and mefficiency to be a
result of the American capitalistic
monopolyoligopoly system; thus,
we feel there is, little choice but. to
depart from capitalistic economics
and strive forward towards the
promise of Democratic Socialism.

The Democratic Socialists of
Grinnell believe the economic
system of Democratic Socialism is
not an idealistic, unworkable
dream, We are united in a common
belief that it is Viable, that it is
necessary, and that it is attainable
here in America. Central to our
program is local action; the
concept of a consumcrowncd and
Controlled means of distributing
food and other living cssentials is
being put. into actual practice
through our cxpanding buying
club We are also concerned with
continued participation in the
lettuce, grape, and Gallo wine
boycotts of the United Farms
workers, and support for the
U.F.W,

Through projects such as these
and through various means of

waste and

Walker said

economic and political action, the
13,5. of G. hope to contribute to the
elimination oI poverty and
discrimination everywhere. In
addition, we support the goals of all
groups and peoples struggling for
their liberation from expoloitation
and oppression. 'On this campus,
this includes such groups as the
Women's Group, the Third World
Group. the Grinncll College Gay
Community, and the Concerned
Black Students.

Now is the time. We urge all to
join the struggle, The basic tenets
of the Democratic Socialists of
Grinncll include'

1) Support. for the nationalization
(through appropriationi of kcy
monopolistic and oligopolistic
industries,

2) Suppcri for a
redistribution of national income,

3) Support for consumer
cooperatives and buying clubs.

Honors
’lauded’

To the Editors:

I wish to commend Dean
Esenbach’s proposal for a new
“honors" program It is hard to
imagine a more divisive, elitist and
alienating policy. It is also ironic
that this new program is proposed
concurrently with the release of
the study on academic pressure
which indicates that many
students are forced inlo an over
concern and preoccupalion with
academics,

At. a time when the college
desparalcly needs to, in Dean
Walker‘s words, “minister to the
personal and social needs of the
student.” the introduction of an
institutionalized method of further
dividing students is truly
desirictivc, at worst, and, at best,
counterproductiveiﬁ‘d Hirsch

in his article on

major,

4) Support for coordinated
government planning of the
national cconomy,

5) Support. for the im-
plementation of this program
through peaceful, cvolutionary,
political struggle.

We would like to close with a list
of members and friends:

Armo Armajani, Bill Barr,
Charlie becker, Nick Burbules,
Rhonda Casady, Michelle Casey,

Sylvia Cate, Robin Chazdon,
Robin Cowen, Lisa Feldberg, Peter
Guthrie, Tracy Huling, Scott Hunt,
Bruce Kati, Kathy Kramer, Cady
Landa, Adam Levine, Don Marlin,
Charles Martin, Sarah Megan, Jon
Neiderhach, Lynne Nuber, Wayne
Passmore, Jim Pringle, Sue
Reeds, .iim Schultz, Ron Spritzer,
Susic Stevenson, Rich Stohlman.
Terry Seigenthaler, Dave
TenEyck, and several students
helping an the food coop,

World
weekend

To the Editor:
The World Understanding
Weekend was quietly successful, 1
hope the weekend had somc kind of
meaning for somebody, Special
thanks to all of vou. and Very
special thanks to SAGA and Pizza
Hut who supplied all my energy
Again I send my very bright smile
to all of you.
—Y0l| oug iin
Greyhound bound students
leaving Grinnell this spring
should be sure to purchase
tlckcts early (now is not too
early) in order to secure a place
on the bus Also, any extra
luggage being sent should be
sent as soon as possible to avoid
the last minute pile-ups and
hassles that occurred before
winter break. Extra buses have
been ordered, especially for
runs to Chicago, but. if students
reserve their places early, a
better idea of the number
leaving \vlll help ensure the
right number of buses,

 

Fund academic initiative

Open Space

Independent research is an
important part of a liberal arts
college, The ability to careiully
investigate a given area and
critically evaluate what. is found is
a necessary facctof a welrrounded
education. However. students at.
Grinnell, who want. to expand and
do a project for a senior seminar,
independent study, or other upper
level course which requires money
for transportation or related exp
penscs, find themselves slrapped
for funds and thus lose the in-
centive for carrying out their
plans. One possibility lor providing
such needs is an Academic
Initiative Fund.

The students benefitting most
from such a fund would likely be
those in the Humanities and Social
Smences, Their research which
often Involves field work outside of
Grinncll, or the use of primary
source materials which Grinncll
lacks. provides an invaluable
academic cxpcrience that should
be encouraged, The College can
already provide most of the
research tools of the scientists by
furnishing them with laboratory
equipment and facilities such as
the computer and bio preserve
which enable them [0 do most of
their research on campus. The
oiher.kind or research requires

that the student go wherever the
materials may be.

The advantages of such a fund
are numerous Not only would it
encourage individual growlh of
participating students, since
participation in a challenging
project would be helpful in
preparation for postgraduate
work or study, but it would also aid
the rest of the school though the
knowledge returning students
could share with iheir peers,
possibly in the form of
colloquiums The presence of an
Academic initiative Fund would
also improve the quality of some
seminars, making them a real
capstone to the' student's four
years at Grinnell. A fund of this
type would serve as a catalyst for
innovative projects, and thus exert
a pull effect on the students, rather
than lhe normal push effect that
professors provide.

The opportunity for creative
research would also provide a
needed stimulus to Grinnell's
academic life, and would provide
breaks in the day-today problems
of academic pressure, The ops
portunity for a trip out of Grinnell
for a research project should be
open to all students, regardless of
their financial situation. As Dean

academic pressure in last week's
5&5, “It is surprising how
refreshing an evening away from
town can be.”

There would certainly be some
problems in the implementation of
an Academic Initiative Fund, but.
its probably benefits make the
effort worthwhile, The success of
the socially oriented Initiative
Fund of SGA is an example of how
smoothly this type of Iunding can
Work. (The Initiative Fund
Committee distributes money, as it.
deems necessary. to those
organizations or individuals which
apply to it for financial assistance
for mainly social events) The
Initiative Fund has pl’oven to be an
Important part of social financing,
since ii provides the monelary
support to students who have
creative ideas

The money granted by such an
Academic Initiative Fund should
not be granlcd indiscriminately,
and guidelines for its usage would
have to be developed. One possible
avenue for implementing this fund
would be an allrcollege or
divisional committee, comprised
of an equal number of faculty
members and students and funded
through SGA and College

treasuries. The applications ioi mu
could then be made to this com»
mittee by students prior to the
start of their proposed projects,
and proof of expenses could be
shown at the end of the project, The
applications for aid would have to
be oilimited size, since such a fund
could obviously not provide
Watson-size stipends.

The Academic initiative Fund
would be a step toward en-
couraging academic creativity on
campus in recent weeks, the
campus gossip has been filled with
academic questions: Should we
have a new honors system pars
tially based on comprehensive
examinations? What. are the
problems of Academic pressure”
Arc requiremcnls really coming
back? Hopefully, the “college
community” will not take the
“easy" way out and tighten up the
curriculum, but will maintain its
traditional search for new ways of
education that provide stimulis for
student creativity. The in
dependent research and individual
initiative that such a fund would
encourage is a better approach to
liberal education that required
courses that “neatly" round out an
individual and prepare one to “test
well."

 

