:l'he Starlet 5: Black, Fehl 9, 1979 page 4

Turner should accept

reality, rescind veto

The administration’s recent rejection of the CSL and SGA
approved bathroom policy deserves attention for several
reasons~the least of which is the future of bathrooms at
Grinnell.

President A. Richard Turner's decision was at least ill-
advised and at most sets a dangerous precedent for the
future of student self-government at Grinnell. In addition,
the action raises serious questions concerning issues of
parental deception and student maturity.

DEAN OF STUDENT Affairs Jim Tederman's argument
that the policy could keep capable students away from
Grinnell is absurd. Any parent who believes a coed or dial-a-
john option poses more danger to a student's moral purity
than does the fact that dorm floors are co-ed and have no
visitation hours is naive.

Possibly these privileges would next be done away with
using the same rational.

BUT EVEN GRANTING Tederman’s objection, can one
justify using deception to allay student fears? And there can
be no argument that the current policy is deceptive.
Although the current policy states the de jure side of the
issue, it ignores the de facto situation of dorm life.

Experience in the past has been that bathrooms on co-ed
ﬂoors frequently became dial-a-john or co-ed regardless of
ihow helium: _vqtes._‘.'l“urner's reaffirmtion, of the current
‘policy will do i little to change this and blatantly
misrepresents the reality at Grinnell.

EQUALLY ALARMING though, is Tederman’s attitude
on the subject. His memo to CSL members says the policy
may “influence some parents to not allow their child to come
to Grinnell" “(emphasis added).

In that case, parental wisdom should be commended—
Grinnell College is not a place for children. In the past, it has
keen the implied policy of the college that students are
all ‘

fthe school recruits children.

IF THIS IS the case, and Grinnell‘ students are children,
then maybe there is justification for the administration
restricting the right of self-government. And Turner's veto
of a measure overwhelmingly passed by both SGA and
CSL must be construed as such a restriction

In addition, the policy of having RA's count pet and
bathroom votes reﬂects the same distrust for student self»
government.

The trend must be.stopped. Tumer’s decision sets a
dangerous precendent for the future of selfrgovernment.

GRINNELL STUDENTS are adults, capable of self-
government. The deception that the current policy per-
petrates on parents is deplorable. And the growing attitude
against self-government is unacceptable.

President Turner must recognize the reality of the
situation and withdraw his veto of the proposal.

 

 

 

 

 

lis,;6opobl€oi:clsmkmg for nonrandom, it'Seéms,

 

 

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Letters to the editor

Concerts chairman explains concert lines, delays

To the editor: I am glad that
students enjoyed last Saturday’s
jazz concert (Steve Kuhn) in South
Lounge. Along with the com-
pliments, l have heard two
questions about the concert which I
would like to explain for the benefit
of all: 1) Why did we have to wait
outside the Lounge until 3:30 pm.
for an a p.m. concert? 2) Why was

. the concert held in South Lounge

instead or Roberls?
The first question has a number

,of answers. First, the piano was

tuned early Saturday morning but
when Steve Kuhn arrived at 5 pm.
and played a few chords, he told
me that the tuning was un-
satisfactory and that it must be
tuned better before he would play.
(He also mentioned that the club he
played the night before provided a
tuner for the whole evening who
tuned the piano between sets—I
told him we Couldn't do that . . . )

After much searching, a tuner
was located who could come at 7
pm He tuned until a little after 8
pm. Piano inning, ideally, should
be done in complete silence, as
every slring must be listened lo
and examined, so we had to empty
South Lounge before the concert.

Also, me sound company from
Davenport that was needed to set
up the monitor system that Kuhn
requested, arrived at about 7 pm.
instead of4 pm. as was scheduled.
This was because the company had
many items stolen the night before
at a club and they had to go back in
Davenport to pick up needed
equipment.

Afters fast set-up, a sound check
was needed, as always, to ensure
lhal all monitors and speakers
worked properly and that the
mixture of instruments was
Correct. This also requires silence.
The sound check was almost
completed when the doors were
open at 8:31) pm, We all wanted to
start as early as possible,

The second question involves the
basic philosophy of the South
Lounge as well as practicality. The
Concert was held in South Lounge
for three reasons. First, the in

Plant killers?

To the editor:' In regard to ihe
plant-care service: ll l knew the
SGA planned to kill my plants over
break. I wouldn’t have given the
things to them. Thank yo

Chris .

timaie atmosphere of a South
Lounge concert is much more
enjoyable for the performer and
the audience, as compared to the
Sterile feeling of Robers. Second,
the reputation of South Lounge

.must .be preserved; if we want .

and nobody was turned away
(there was more standing room
available), and the second set
didn‘t even fill the Lounge. '1 still
believe that South Lounge was the
correct place to hold that concert.

In all, considering the. un~

; Nobodywas turned away,

and the second set didn’t even
ﬁll the Lounge.

quality acts to play there in the
future, we should book quality acts
in there now.

Third, the crowd was not ex»
pected lo be too large for South
Lounge. This was an accurate
prediction as the first set filled the
Lounge yet the doors were open

predictable hazards that one
always encounters with lop quality
concerts, I think that waiting 30
minutes was a small price to pay
for the quality of music that Kuhn
provided in the informal selling oi
South Lounge. Eric Christiansen

Meyer attacks McKelvey letter

in the editor: When Mr. McKelvey
accuses the college of invading his
privacy by printing his name on
the Dean’s List for last semester,
the reader is forced to assume that
the college's printing oi his name

caused harmful and troublesome

effects for Mr. McKelvey,

First, I believe that we all can
assume that the college unin-
lentionally caused these supposed
harmful effects.

Second, I ask Mr, McKelvey if
these harmful or troublesome
effects were created by his shy
character rather lhan by any of the
college’s actions, The public an-
nouncements of other Grinnellians
superior achievements aren’l
claimed to be invasions of privacy,

 

so why should the publication of the
Dean‘s List be any different?

If the college athlete must
perform before spectators, if the
college musician and dramatist
must give public performances,
and if the talented artist is virr
tually compelled to Show an ex
position, I believe the superior
academic must also display or
reveal his talents to the campus.

Last, I ask Mr. McKelVey if his
intentions aren’t ironically op
posed to what was written in his
letter, as the letter was far less
successful in recruiting sym-
pathizers for his cause than it was
in drawing attention to the fact that
he made last semester's Dean’s
List. Robert Meyer

Valentines Day

C

Say it
with
cookies!

DANISH. nno Will"

 

