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GRINNELI. COLLEGE

SCARLET & BLACK

"The misuse of language is not only dist-shtul n. stint. it it even iniurious to the soul." _ Plato

l'NﬂOI EAY TON

 

Vol. LXVIIl

Giinnell. lewd, Friday. May a.

1970

No, l4

 

Grinnell College Closes Doors in Protest

Memorial Service
Held On Wednesday

By Greg Butcher

President Glenn Leggctt, SGA
President Andrew Loewi, and
Dean Joseph Wall addressed a
liaslilyrcalled all—College Con-
vocation Wednesday on Central
Campus

Following announcements by
Loewi and an invocation by Rev.
Dennis l-laas, President Leggett
spoke about the week's events
and the College community‘s
response:

”Yesterday was a terrible day
[or all oi us individually . . .but
the College as an institution also
had’a terrible day. I do not
personally believe that the
cancellation of classes as a form
of protest was the wisest course
[or us to follow.

“We should be committed to
doing as much as we can to make
society better than it is, But i
think we have got to do this from
the solidly established home base
oi the college and devise a series
oi constructive proposals, oi
which this memorial service and
the visit oi iaculty, students, and
administrators to Congress, are
solid instances. otherwise, i
believe we will continue to go
from one ad-hoc determination to

another, and that irustration and
depression will continue to ac-

cumulate until this precious little
college comes apart at the
seams.”

Loewi tollowed President
Leggett's speech with a short,
terse address He said in part:

“It has become clear that We
are beginning to witness the
same kind of irrational
repression that occurred in Nazi
Germany. . .Yesterday tor the
first time this institution took a
stand on a political issue, It is a
big iirst step, but it is not enough.
it this institution is going to
survive as a place [or rational
inquiry, it must in the times
ahead commit itself to political
action on all fronts . , .I don’t
consider this service to be a
memorial to those. who have died
7 it may be a memorial to
America, ihope we can work to
Ensure that it is note"

Dean Wall gave the final
speech, in which he tried to place
the recent events in historical
perspective, citing a lengthy
passage irom Henry David
Thoreau Some oi his remarks
were as follows:

“These are tragic days ior us
as a College, tor us as Black men
and white men, ior us as
Americans, {or us as inhabitants
oi this small planet, which is
being polluted by industrialism
and deiiled by war. . .We con-
demn and we weep in our despair
and frustration. Condemnation
certainly is important but
despair is selidcstructivc."

All Advertisement Placed
In The New York Timcs
ADECLARATION
OFCONSCIENCE

As members of an institution
committed to reason and
morality and to the relationship
between private and public
responsibility, we, the majority
oi Faculty and Students oi
Grinnell College, joined by other
Citizens of the city of Grinnell,
vigorously condemn the recently
intensified aggressive action of
the United States in Cambodia
and Vietnam and the acts of
oiiieial repression so obvious in
recent days at Kent State and
other universities These im-
moral and irrational acts and
others similar to them threaten
the life of this institution and
other institutions of higher
education; they disrupt the
process oi learning, increase the
polarization of society, and
society’s potential for violence.
These acts must be condemned,
and we condemn them,

We urge all academic in-
stitutions and all citizens to take
a similar position and to join us in
making their voices heard in
centers of state and national
decisionrmaking, We are sending
official delegations to the
Governor of Iowa, the President
of the United States, and the
Congress. .We encourage others
to do likewise.

(Paid tor by Students, Faculty,
and Administrators of Grinnell
College, and by Concerned
Citizens of the City of Grinnell,
Iowa).

Campus radicals took control of [he ROTC building on
Tuesday and were joined by a curious and semi—participa-
tive crowd of as many as four hundred students at one
point. Chiei Peters graciously lent his car as a chair. A

good time was had by all.

Students Debate College
Shut-Down: Poll To Be Taken

Altcr eight hours of at times
stormy debate in two meetings a
set of proposals was drawn up to
be submitted to a student opinion
poll to be held Friday in the lunch
lines in addition a student strike
was Called,

in a twoehour meeting Wed-
nesday night a group or about 600
students passed a resolution
proposed by Tom Thomas.

“1. To continue discussions
with the specific intent to suspend
normal institutional activities oi
Grinncll College with Considerar
tion tor individual commitment
and ireedom ior individual action

Students Fast, Occupy
Chapel for Contemplation

Tuesday afternoon Jim
Demopulos, Grinnell sophomore,
moved into Herrick Chapel for a
period oi three days oi tasting
and thought. He was later joined
by others, who resolved to share
his time of living on bread and
water and searching the soul, and
by Wednesday morning the group
had grown to tour: Mike
O'Connor, Dave Walker, and
Anne Bendheim, all sophomores.

It was apparent to those who
dropped in to talk to them that
they saw their action as an
alternative to what was going on
at the ROTC building. When
approached ior comment they
were quite reluctant to grant
anything like an interview, since
it was not their stated intention to
set an example.

Jim pointed out that the think-
in started out as his own “ego
trip,” an attempt to get away
from the roar outside and think
by himself. All four felt that
getting away irom the group
mentality ,was a good thing,

getting away to a place Where it
is possible to think things out and
make personal decisions.

Mike said he wanted to do some
thinking about where he was
going, what he was going to be
iive years, ten years irom now.
He also had decided to get away
irom what he reierred to as hasty
action and “do a little thinking in
this nice, big, quiet place."

Anne emphasized their in»
tention to be themselves and not
an example to others. She ad
mitted the practical impossibility
oi this, but tell the action
nonetheless more important than
the example. She said, “The
people around here who think
don‘t know what to do. The people
who don’t think don‘t know
either, but they do it anyway.”

When pressed ior a statement,
they quoted a song by the Moody
Blues:

“Gazing past the planets,
Looking ior total view,

HUNGER ARTISTS~
Continued on page 3

or Grinncll College students and
iaculty,

“2. That students meet tomorr
row at 9:00 AM in Roberts
Theatre to draw up a speciiic
proposal to be presented to the
students ior reierendum vote and
to the faculty.“

Andy lnewi called the meeting
loordcr at aboutB:30; whereupon
a collection was taken to help de-
lray the cost or sending ,d'elega
tion irom Grinnell College to
Washington, D. C.

Tom Thomas, just back irom
Ohio, where he had talked to a
iew people connected with the
Kent State incident, gave a briei
outline oi the iacts, as he knew
them, about Kent State, about
Cambodia, and about the actions
oi other colleges across the
nation. He then argued that the
present situation required the
commitment of the institution to
“non-violent action” in order to
“put pressure on the Nixon ad-
ministration to change its
policies.”

Much debate iollowed, on both
sides oi the question. Various
suggestions were made: that
Grinnell Closc completely tor the
duration oi the year, that classes
he allowed to continue on an op»
tional basis ior those students
who wished to continue their
work, that classes be cancelled
completely and workshops in
volving townspeople be held on
the campus about the present sit-
uation at Kent State and in
Cambodia, and that the school
remain open tor the rest or the
term, those studcnts who wish to
participate in the demonstrations
to make their own arrangements
to complete or not complete
Course work as they see til. it was
agreed that a iinal desision about
the matter would be withlicid

DEBATE—
Continued on page 4

On Tuesday oi this week, the
iaculty voted to suspend classes
ior two days in protest oi the
recent events at Kent State
University. The statement at
protest. included here, also
condemned this country’s in~
volvement in Cambodia and
Vietnam,

Earlier in the day. the Senate
and a group oi about three
hundred other students met in the
South Lounge to drait and discuss
the resolution at protest, An
amendment to the resolution was
proposed which would have in-
cluded a demand to tree all
“political prisoners“ including
Bobby Scale. The amendment
was voted down by a narrow
margin,

President Leggett was present
at this meeting to suggest
possible changes in the resolution
which would make it more ac-
ceptable to the iaculty, The
assembled students then over-
whelmingly voted to accept the
resolution.

Minutes later the iaculty
convened to debate the
resolutions A number or amend-
ments were oiiered, including
one which would have
speciiically condemned student
violence as well as “official"
violencel All the amendments
were rejected.

Mr. Horton, however, did
propose an addition to the
resolution which was to send a
delegation of students and [acuity
and townspeople to Washington,
D.C, to protest personally. This
addition was accepted. The
faculty then overwhelmingly
voted to accept the resolution.
The vote was 71-6 Wim 9 abr
stentions.

According to the resolution, all
campus iunctions, excluding the
operation oi the dining halls and
the residence halls would be
suspended for the remainder 0i
Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Resaluvlmi
As members of an institution

committed to reason and
morality and “lo the relationship
between private and public
responsibility," we, the majority
oi Faculty, Students, oi Grinnell
College, vigorously condemn the
i- only intensitied aggressive
uclimi of the United States in
Cambodia and Wet Nani and the
acts oi oiiicial rcprcssion so
obvious in recent days at Kent
State and other universities.

Tlicsc immoral and irrational
acts and others similar to them
threaten thl: lite of this institution
and other institutions oi higher
education; they disrupt the
process oi learning. increase the
polarization oi society and its par
tential tor violencc. These acts
must be condemned, and Crinncll
College as an institution cone
dcmns them Be it resolvcd that
r‘privale and public responsibil-

SHUTDDWN—

Continued on page 3

 

