The Scarlet a Black. Ann 23, 1978—page 4

Why the survey?

This week's faculty survey raises a number of questions
concerning the future of this institution. Will Grinnell return
to a more structured curriculum? What will be the future of
affirmative action? How will Grinnell cope with a decline in
the communicating skills of its students'.7 How well will the
administration and the faculty work together to face these
and other issues which will confront the school during the
next two decades?

We feel that these are important questions that need to be
looked at carefully. That's why we undertook the surveyito
determine'and make public, in a responsible manner, the
issues and problems of the present in order that we may
better understand and deal with them in the future.

UNFORTUNATELY, not everyone sees it that way.
While a response rate of 71 per cent is quite good, and we feel
that indicates some confidence in the survey, we find it
discouraging that a number of faculty members seem to
regard the survey as simply another student ploy designed
to create a conﬂict on campus.

While we like to avoid ”in-house” editorials, perhaps it’s
time to review once again what we do and why we do it.

WE ARE A community newspaper, not a student toy. We
exist not simply to provide entertainment, not simply to be a
public forum. We exist, most importantly, to provide all
members of the Grinnell community with relevant,
meaningful information on issues that effect them. Our
constituency consists not only of students, but of faculty,
administrators, staff, parents, alumni and trustees. And we
feel a responsibility to all groups.

Implicit in a number of comments we received regarding
the survey was the feeling that the campus newspaper is
hardly the place to discuss such important yet sensitive
issues as.the college’s affirmative action policy or faculty
confidence in the administration. If not here, where'.7

THESE ARE concerns of the entire community and as
such, the community has a right to know. And we too have a
right, indeed a responsibility, to provide the community with
all relevant news. The 58:13 is hardly the New York Times.
but that does not mean we should restrict ourselves from
serious stories on important issues.

Another criticism raised was that the S&B survey was
“not designed to have positive results.” Of course not. We
did not design the survey with any particular result in mind.
positive or negative. To do so would have been ridiculous.
We designed the survey to elicit information about a number
of vital issues facing Grinnell. That is all.

THE CHARGE that the SELB, by instituting this survey,
is creating an issue is similarly invalid. We are not creating
issues, we are simply searching out and reporting on those
that exist. Certainly faculty members have the right to
refuse to respond to questions they do not wish to answer.
However, to imply that the 58:3 has no right to investigate
matters the faculty sees as inappropriate is to also imply
censorship. Hopefully, that's something we all want to
avoid. ,

As to the findings, little can be added. It is somewhat
disturbing to discover the faculty’s relative dissatisfaction
'with President Turner, and somewhat gratifying to discover
the faculty's general approval of the college's AA program.
It is not at all surprising that required courses are making a
comeback. We suspect that it is but a matter of time before
required courses return to the Grinnell curriculum.

THE SURVEY gives us an idea of where things now
stand. These results are not to be glanced at and then
forgotten. Hopefully the survey will serve to spur discussion
concerning the direction the college is taking, both now and
for the future.

 

Boycott Relays picnic dinner

The 6th annual

To the editor: unacceptable. l, as well as many

Grinnell Relays will be lacking in
its festive atmosphere dlle to the

modification ill the allrcampus
dinner As a lormcr Relays
chairperson, I realize that the
dinner is a rather cxpcnsive un.
dertaking (not to mention the labor
lnvolvedl. as is the Relays in
general We are very grateful to
those who have donated their
money, time or labor

The dinner lsa very integral part
of the Relays. sort of a “perfect
ending to a perfect day," The
substitution of individual sack
lunches in place of the traditional
huttcistyle cookoutris totally

others. am extremely disappointed
that Dean Walker was not able to
appropriate lhe funds for the
Relays dinner as he has in the past.
of course Mr McConnell couldn't
be expected to fulfill this unan-
ticipated deficiency in funds, but
the cost of his “aesthetic fortress"
would have paid for several allr
campus meals.

1 would like to urge those
students and faculty who are upset
\llth lhe new sack lunch program
to boycott the dinner (not the
Relays. Just the dinnerl. Hopefully
this outrageous change will not

, on. Shirlcy chnttn

 

 

 

Letters to the editor

Henak: support boycott of Nestle products

To the editor: A nationwide
boycott has been initiated against
the Nestle Corporation. Within the
next few weeks, the students of
Gi‘inncll College will be asked to
vote whether or not the
college should Join in this action
through a Food Service boycott of
all products of Nestle and its
subsidiaries. This referendum is
being sponsored by lowa-Pirg and
the Women’s Group. There are
some facts the students Should
know beiore they vote,

Nestle is a multinational corn
porallon based in Switzerland,
Through its subsidiaries, it Sells
powdered infant formula to poor
women in Third World countries
For this formula to be used safely
it must be mixed with the Correct
quantity of pure water The bottle
and nipple must be germ-free
Poor women in these un-
derdeveloped countries do not
generally have access to pure
water. Fuel to boil water and
sterilize the bottle is usually far too
expensive. Furthermore, the cost
of a week's supply of this for-
lnulavup to 62 per cent of the
minimum wage In Pakistan, 47 per
cent in Nigeria~iorccs the women
to dilute it. The result is
malnutrition and intestinal
disease. A Chilean study found a
three times higher death rate
among bottle-fed babies than
among breast-led babies

It would be logical lo ask' if this
stuff is so bad for them, why do
they use it? The answer to that
question lies in the advertising
practices of Nestle. it is the im.

mediate discontinuation of these
practices which lNFACT. the
nation-wide coalition initiating the
boycott. demands

Nestle is advertising its product
as better for a baby than breast
milk It isn’t Furthermore, il

Errata:

Last week‘s article on faculty
hiring contained lwo errors
Professor of Political Science
Edwin Gilmour informs us that
after directing the ACM lndia
Studies Program. accompanying
Students to india and taking his
sabbatical. he will retire Irom the
college. not resign as reported
Also. next fall Assistant Professor
of Religious Studies llarold
Kasimow WI“ lake it one semester
sabbatical. nota two year leave as
reported. We regret the errors.

plays on the mother's feelings.
making her believe her milk isn't
good enough. Nestle gives away
free samples of its formula. “The
Inducement to artificial feeding in
the place of breast feeding can
result. in as little as three days, in
the drying up of the breast as a
milk source due to hormonal
stimulation, the mother thus
becoming a prey to bottle milk."

AS Ralph Nader said in his
nationally syndicated column, this
is “corporate marketing in
misery " As Ncstlc is a Swiss
based corporation, the only action
we can take in an attempt to put an
end to such practices is a boycott.
It would also help if as many

people as possible could write to
Nestle. telling them why you are
boycotting their products.

As to the Food Service boycott, I
have been assured by Dave Mc~
Connell that this would not involve
any increased costs and that
substitutes are readily available i
would therefore like to urge
everyone to vote in favor of this
boycott

If anyone would like more in
formation, 1 would be glad to air
swer any questions. Also, there will
be a film and a speaker on the
Nestle boycott the night of May 2.
it should prove to be very in-
teresting Rob Ilenak

CBS applauded for weekend

To the editor: I would like to
congratulate css and all of the
students and faculty who were
involved in organizmg Black
Martyrs Weekend this year.
Highlighted by Angela Davis's
address on Saturday evening, the
entire weekend was informative.
thoughtproyoking and cnjoyab .
My hope is that the events of this
weekend will serve as a starting
point for a change in attitudes and
pattcrns of interaction on this
campus.

As Ms. Davis made more than
evident, Grinnell has been

 

singularly deficient in terms of
hiring minority taculty members
and attracting more minority
students to the school lamong
other thingsl, and ii is up to the
present students to see that this
trend is reversed, Now is the time
for communication and
cooperation between all of the
students at Grinnell Thanks to
CBS we know the struggle is far
from dead, and that it must be
carried on right here at Grinnell.
lrohin Connclly

 

 

The Scarlet & Black

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