 

Senior looks back

A

To the Editor:

As a senior graduating mid-year
A‘on what is colloquially known as
T ”the five year plan," I have

probably been here longer than 95
per cent oi the students and 50 per
cent of the faculty, Not that that
would qualify me as a coma
mentator, but tenure might help
me get this piece in the paper. Four
and a halt years ago, in the [all oi
1972, I entered here: fresh, naive,
and uninitiated. I have taken
courses, worked in many campus
organizations, served on com-
mittees. etc. Now, 1 leave here,
with a diploma in hand. What do I
leave?
I leave a school whose new
president has interesting and
‘ somewhat progressive ideas, but
whose diplomatic and political
style is somewhat reminiscent of
King George 111. He has. however,
given us two ideas that may work
more oi a change on the campus
than anything else he Could ever
do. One is the inauguration of
“Skip Day," a day when classes
are cut {or the express purpose of
having some fun. This may become
as signiﬁcant a new custom as the
Grinnell Relays have already
The second eiiect is a rerkindling
of the fires oistudent activism. The
last time this campus spoke out as
strongly or as concordantly on any
”one issue was the McGovern
campaign of 1972. However, Mr.
Turner should remember that
student activism is only one hairr
‘ breadth’s away irom student
’ revolt. If the students feel that
“nobody gives a damn" what they
think, the next step is occupying
Nollen house. I don’t like the idea
myself, but anybody who thinks it
couldn’t happen here is a dreamer,
It has: I’ve seen it

I leave a school where the
campus media is getting less and
less attention. KDIC, where I have
worked since sophomore year, is
listened to less than half the
amount it was when I started here.

.Ti‘his year, out oi the iive mayor
positions on the Executive Board,
only four were filled by students.
The fifth, Music Director, is filled

va a townsperson. Tom Mason,
who simply wouldn't have gotten
the job if the station were as
popular now as it was, He is doing a
creditable, even admirable job, but
nonetheless it simply would not
have happened,

The Grinnell Book is dying.
slowly but surely The sum is being
found more in the trash cans than
in people's rooms today. ’l‘wo
possibilities are open. Either the
quality oi student support will

ﬁcteadily decline until they die or
malnutrition. or they will be
strangled to death by budgetary

., .»tbacks. Either way, an un.
pleasant death to two of the best
torums on this campus ior student
input, since one oi the iew groups
of people who can be trusted to
read the papers are the President
and the trustees. The same fate
could be KDIC’S a lot sooner than
that.

On the plus side, however, I see a
change in the makeup of the
student body. When I came here,
Nixon was in power and we were
all very serious, very committed
radicals. when McGovern lost, we

ed. not because of all the hard

 

work. but that we felt betrayed.
lost, and defeated. Radicalism,
student activism, was a united
front and one was looked on as
“weird” if one wasn’t an activist.
School Spirit (Gaspl) was really
unheard of, grass was the common
byword, levis were the uniform,
cheerleaders were untouchables,
and the common expression was
”Heavy.”

New, dresses have made it back
to the campus (It is not unlikely
that, on a given day, 1520 per cent
oi the women on campus wear
them), we have a campus
Republican party, and there is
even some talk about having
cheerleaders. The pub is suc-
cessiul; beer is once again the
natural Student intoxicant; and the
football team is beginning to win
again. In other words. we are
beginning to become a more ace
curate cross-section of American
life, with the freedom to be difv
ferent, even (God Forbid)
Establishment, Lifestyles have
become more diffuse and we seem
to get along better Wlth diiierent
people, instead of staying in our
own little groups. There even was a
strong recommendation to open
the Black Cultural Center to
whites. I think it might be a good
idea; I have never seen it. There is
even some evidence that there
might be a Women's Studies
program integrated into the
curriculum, which would be
marvelous.

I don't know if I like all that is
going on. Being a radical, the
campus's conservative swing is a
bit disturbing and the prospects oi
campus riots over Dentelrlike
changes by the administration is
more than a bit distressing
However. the one thing that can be
said is: Grinnell ain’t the same
place it was when i was young. I'm
glad It isn't; I'm glad I’m leaving,
but I know I'll miss the place. It's a
small place. but I really do love it—
and hate it,

P S. I note “1”) somEVSadnesS the
closing, on what looks like a per
manenl basis, of the KDIC Record
Service As a ioi-mer manager, 1
remember with some joy the
service to the community that that
record shop gave. I’ll miss it, and I
won’t be the only one Thanks
should go to Jon Schreibfcder and
Cathy Doane. as well as the other
fine workers, for a job well done,
Shalom. Bruce J. Green

Senior disillusioned

To the Editor: In considering
iuture goals ior Grinnell College,
perhaps one that should take
precedence is the total develop
ment of each individual. In recent
dealings with the administration, it
seems the individual has been
neglected due to rules justified
solely by their existence.

For example, because oi cir-
cumstances, I was unable to leave
campus and take advantage of my
off»campus study option until my
iinal semester, So alter the ap-
propriate song and dance routine. 1
was told that my proposal stood a
good chance oi being accepted
tkeep in mind l have already at-
tended this institution for seven
straight semesters, and have
finished my major). But then I

dropped a course which would put
me four credits short of
graduation. After an explanation
of my work load, I was told it was
,probably in my best interest to
drop the course, but to forget about
my last semester away. II I choose
to come back here ior my last
semester (and fulfill the residenc.
requirementl Iwould be allowed to
complete the tour credits in
summer school, but would not if I
choose to go ahead with an oil-
campus semester. The ironic part
is that three members oi the
committee expressed their con-
cern With the “conservative
nature” of this rule and felt it
obviously shouldn’t be held against
me. but didn’t know how the
“committee" would react.

Because of this, I have come to
realize (alas, a little late) that the
commitment to the individual is
lacking and bureaucratic red tape
is still as strong as ever In fact.
none of the members of the
Academic Standing Committee i
talked to were able to Justify how
or vthy this rule was so strongly
enforced. I am therefore led to
believe that they don't know either
So, boys and girls, let's sit down
and think about it, huh?

Anyway. I realize I haven't been
the first and won't be the last, and
because of this inctdent I have
decided not to come back to
Grinnell, Consider yourself ware
ncd iPélel‘ Petrossian

Dorm improvements

icontinued from page 1)
singles should really be a broom
closet, Any improvement would be
great."

A new innovation in furniture,
iurniture modules. comprised the
iourth proposal. This type oi
furniture would allow a platform
bed to be placed on a wardrobe
compartment. Attached to this
structure is a desk on which
several shelves are mounted, This
arrangement ieatures the option of
inverting the entire structure. thus
transiorming it into a couch

John Burrows considers this
furniture to be a welcome in
novation. “1 see people stacking
furniture now. These modules are
suitableior this type oi ilexibility."

On a general nature, the fifth
recommendation suggested the
i'eplumbing of all bathrooms and

HAPPY HOUR
3:30 To 6:30
Mon. thru Fri.

POOL. FOOSBALL
BUMPERPOOL PINBALLS

ELECTRONIC GAMES

Maury’s Lounge and
Recreation Parlor

919 Main
Formerly Wayne’s
Steakhouse

938 MAIN

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND.
HAVE A GOOD VACATION

' ' ‘ Enioy Your Break,

but Before You Go . . .

Enioy a Home Fixed

Al 8. RICK'S' Sandwich .,

Eyes Examined
Phone 236-7502

JENSEN

OPTOMETRIS’I'S ;
Earl J. Jensen; 0.0. ”-
Cluik J. Jensen, 0.0.

Across from Post Office

Closed Thursday p.ml" 1“ i

and Sat. p.m.

the addition of bathtubs and larger
dressing areas. Many students who
complained oi a lack oi privacy in
the bathrooms strongly iavored
this plan.

Proposal number six planned for
sectioning Cowles’s first floor
lounge to create student
residences, seating areas. and an
enclosed corridor to accomodate
meal lines in the now little used
area.

Termed (“satellite social
spaces," Dober proposed the
construction of kitchen facilities
and lounges in the empty spaces
between Dibble and Clark, Smith
and Langan, Read and Haines, and
James and Cleveland as the final
recommendation. Hopclully, these
satellites “ill remove the noisier
foodrrelated functions from the
dorms themselves Students were

generally enthusiastic about this
Innovation.

While Dober has finished its on-
campus visits [or the iirst
semester, the firm will return
during the second semester ior
more investigations and a iinal
review or the proposals Dober will
also submit a general report later
this month to the College

Second semester investigations
will center on basement study
rooms and storage areas, Gardner
Lounge, Loose and Younker
basements and the possibility of a
central storage area,

Defining the ideal result of
Dober's investigations, Assistant
Dean of Student ‘Affairs Susan
Green Crlm commented, “We
want to undergo improvements
that still allow all the housmg
options now available."

When you care enough to send the very best.

WOOD WAX 'N' PAPER

‘73] Main

McNAllY’S

Open 7 mm. to 11 p.m.
seven days a week

to serve you

TRY OUR BUILD UP
BANKROLL CONTEST

The Bunkroll is increased ‘100 each ineek

if ﬂier: is not a winner

1021 MAIN” . .. ..

 

