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Faculty Recomm

by Don Dagenais

By a vote of 4373573 members
or the faculty last Monday declared
their support of the recommenda'»
tion of the Executive Council that
the Department of Communications
be disestablislled.

The vote, which came after apv
proximately torty minutes oidebate.
constitutes only an “opinion” of
the faculty which will be relayed
to the Board of Trustees during
the Board’s next meeting in April.
The iinal decision is up to the
Trustees.

Debate over the issue did not
begin until nearly an hour alter
the meeting had begun, the earlier
portion being devoted to considera
tion of other business and lengthy
introductory remarks by President
Glenn Leggett and Dean Waldo Wal-
ker.

Approximately seventy students at-
tended the meeting, alter a show or
over two hundred at the first con-
sideration of the question twoweeks
ago. As taculty and students spoke
in favor or the department during
the discussion their comments were
frequently interrupted by applause,
but as the final tally was announced
the group showed little reaction.

Budget Constraints

comments during the course ol
the debate focused primarily on the
importance of Communications in a
liberal arts program and the consid
eration of budget priorities

The faculty makes such decisions
on the basis of its feelings about
the value ol academic programs,
Executive Council member Gregory
Guroii said, but is continually given
practical budgetary constraints by
the Board of Trustees.

Furthermore, budgetary decisions
do not involve ”clearecut, oneeone
-one tradeoffs“ between alternative
programs, Dean Walker pointed out,
but instead must be made On the
basis of general evaluation or pro—
grams since the college is presently
in a deficit ot over $1,100,000 and
is spreading its academic programs
dangerously thin.

Several students. however, pro-
tested the budgetary view at the
matter. Communications major Cam
Patterson argued that the faculty's
vote Should be entirely on the basis
of academic considerations and not
iniluenced by considerations ofcost,
and Brent Schondelmeyer said "It
hurts me that the cuts come out
of the academic area," rather than
from other facets of the budget.

Backbone
other students addressedthe ques-
tion or the importance of Commun-
lcatlons as part of the overall lib-
eral arts program. “Communica~
tions is the backbone of all liberal
arts,” said one Student. Another
noted that few academic disciplines
give practical training tor the rest
of life, and that Communications was
one of the few departments which had
something to offer in this area,
Changes must always come in the
academic area, however, pointed
out Biology Professor Guillermo
Mendoza. “There always comes a
day when you have to evaluate pro-
grams.” Recalling the aboli on
many years ago oi the Department
of Business Adminstration and the
Conservatory of Music, he noted
that hard feelings were felt at that
time as well, but that departments
were continually rerevaluated in
colleges and universities nonethe-

ISU Reioins Shite ISPIRG;

Neuehuuer Fired As Director

by Don Dagenais

lowa State University has been
reseated as a tentative member of
the state board of the lowa Student
public interest Research Group
(ISPIRG) and Executive Director
John Neubauer was tired from his
position in the organization, the
ISPIRG state board decided in a
meeting last Sunday.

Mark Vaught, a former Executive
Director of the Minnesota Public
Interest Research Group (MPIRG)
was named Tuesday night as the
interim Executive Director of
lSPlRG,

Vaught will serve the organization
without pay for a period of about
two weeks beginning March 12, and
will administer the organization with
the aid of State Board Chairperson
Mary Jane Wynn.

Neubauer was fired [or “adminie
strative failures” by a vote of llr
3—3, Ms. Wynn told the 5&3 this
week, and the reinstatement of the

The Grinnell Choir and Grinnell Singers presented a concert featuring a Variety
RAISE VOICES of works, including selections from Gilbert and Sullivan, last Sunday night in Herrick
Chapel under the direction of James Fudge. The group will present the same program
during a tour at Iowa and iilinnis over Spring break.

IN SONG

lowa state group is tentative pende
ing the board’s receipt of funds which
are presently being collected for
lSPIRG on the Iowa State campus

The withdrawal of Iowa State funds
from the state lSPlRG board several
weeks ago was in reality a with-
drawal of intention to contribute,
Ms. Wynn explained, since the funds
had not actually been collected. Ber
cause oi the groups present wille
ingness to donate the funds it is
collecting to the state group, Iowa
State has again been given a Vote
On the state level.

The changes in the ISPIRG organ-
ization should give the groupa“new
direction," according to Ms. Wynn
A “reevaluation of priorities” will
be taking place, and the organization
will likely increase the "intensity
of student-initiated state and local
projects.”

Emphasis will be on proyects be

(continued on page a)

a“

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1973

less.

Acknowledging the importance of
the study of communications in libs
eral arts, faculty chairman Philip
Kintner contended that ”the Come
munications department is not the
0an vehicle to teach Communica-
tions. That would, I hope, he a part
at every course at the College."
Discussion did not center around
the procedural question, although
SGA cabinet member Greg Dickey
did observe at one point that the
protest over the Communications
department was the students' wayot
expressing “disagreement with (the
Administration’s) basic leader—
ship.”

Written Ballot

several minutes oi the early dis-
cussion were devoted to a debate
over the balloting procedure. Be
cause of requests from several ia—

(continued on page 2)

photo by Ken Inoknt

NUMBER 24

Sends Communications Abolishmeni

photo lly x... Winoltllr

communications student curt Gorrell (left) and president Glenn Leggett
(right) addressed the taculty during last Monday’s meeting on opposite
sides or the question at the disestablishntent ot the Communications

Department.

Fund Cutoffs Hurt Student Aid

by an sob stall writer

Grinnell College stands to lose
about $300,000 of available funds
as a result of impending fiscal
cutbacks, President Glenn Leggett
said this week,

Most of these funds will be in
loans granted to students under
the National Defense Education Act
(NDEA) or as direct educationale
opportunity grants under the Oliice
oi Economic Opportunity (0E0).

About 290 Grinnell students have
NDEA loans totaling $140,000 and
65 students have educational—oppo-
rtunity grants amounting to $50,000.
The two groups combined constie
tute about one-third of the enroll-
ment oi the college.

Some of the funds might be made
up under the new Basic Opportunity
Grants program enacted in the Hi-
gher Education Act Amendments of
1972. The latter program, however,
has not been funded as yet, and
there is currently a provision that
the grants cannot be paid until app-
ropriations for direct loands, work-
study grants, and supplementary op
portunity grants reach a certain le-
vel
D, Nicholas Ryan, Dean of Admis—
slons and Student Financial Aid. told
the 5313 this week that he is con-
tinuing to offer incoming students
scholarships and loans for financial
aid, and will continue to do so ale
though the college is presently une
sure of the source of loan funding
should the NDEA and 0120 pro-
grams be seriously reduced.

Ryan and financial officals from
other colleges are currently hoping
that the programs will not be ser—
iously cut back. The suggestion
has been made to the Nixon admin-
istration that the current programs
coiltinue to be funded through the
next year until the speciiics oi the

map. in inn 7 In

which is still in the early phases
of being established, can be ironed
out.

Meanwhile, if the programs arenot
funded, Ryan said, “the college will
continue its commitment to meet
the finanical needs of the current
student body.”

“This completely uncertain pic
ture with respect to federal funds,
plus the threat or impoundments
in almost any area, means that
We have to look to other definite
sources tor operating funds,” Lege
gett Said. “As a result, We are
already asking for a solid new
commitment from important sourr
ces like alumni, foundations, local
donors, and state government (for
increased tuitianvgrant tunds).”

Concerning the cutbacks in theOED
program, Ryan noted that the col—
lege would attempt to replace those
funds, if they are withdrawn, with
college scholarship money. Should
the Basic Opportunity Grants pro
gram be initiated, Ryan hopes that
students presently receiving 0E0

Bagdikian

by Ken Winokur

Ben Bagdikian,. former national
editor or the Washington post, and
author of the book The Shame 0f the
prisons was at Grinnell Moudayand
Tuesday lecturing and visiting with
students.

Although a journalist, Bagdikian
has done a great deal or research
on the situation of prisons, climax-
ing with a seven day voluntary pr-
ison term in Huntington State maxe
imum security prison in Pennsyl-
Vania,

Mr. Bagdikian's lecture in South
Lounge Monday night centered on
the topic of the Emergence or Pol-
itical Prisoners in American, Bag»
dikian stated that the term, politie
cal prisoner seems alien and mys-
terious but that it has been very
much a part of America since col-
onizatl’on,

There are three interpretations
of the term “political prisoner”
Eagdiklan explained Anyone who
is arrested and Jailed simply be-
cause he has opposed or attended
the government, but has not come
mitted any real crime, is consid
ered a political prisoner by most.
Some extend the deﬁnition to incl-
ude anyone who has committed a
crime ior political reasons.

The third and most broad defini-
tion includes all prisoners, regard-
less of the reason or the crime
committed. It is felt that the lilo-
tivation behind all crimes is inner»
ently political. The poor or noti-
white, in this interpretation, are
driven by economic or ra reas-
ons to commit crimes against the
status out)

Mr, Bagdikiah ieels that only those
who commit crimes for direct polls

aid would apply tor those iunds.
in general, however, said Ryan,
it is at the present time “too ear—
ly to know what the level oi tunding
will be."

In addition to the loss of finan-
cial~assistance programs, the col-
lege cannot count on receiving other
kinds oi tederal grants.

The college now has a total oi
$80,000 in National Science Founda—
tion research grants held by indiv»
idual faculty members, withanaddi—
tional total at approximately $5,000
in library grants and about $10,000
in miscellaneous other funds.

Leggett said that though these gr~
ants will be retained, it will be hard
to get additional federal funds for
these purposes if cutbacks are made
according to administration guide~
lines.

”The real point is that We are not
only losing immediate tunding but
also, if the cutbacks are sustained,
support of luture programs,” Leg-

(cuntinued on page 3)

On Prisons

tical reasons, as well as those who
commit no crimes at all should
be called political prisoners.

The number at political prisoners
in the US has increased greatly
in the last few years. Draft resis-
ters and demonstrators of middle
and upper class tamilies are now
going to jail along with the nearly
homogeneous poor sector of betore.
This increase, according to pagdik-
ian, can be attributed to the “re-
stricted view of the first amendv
merit by the high court "

Several manifestations of this ress
trictéd View have been noted by Mr.
Bagdlkian. Reporters, once respon»
sible only to slander and libel laws,
are now being sent to prison for
reiusal to divulge sources at their
information or because they refused
to submit notes and tapes to grand
juries.

Badikian tells of "secret trails"
that are closed to the public. After—
ward judges forbid lawyers, juries.
witnesses, and defendantstodiscuss
the trial Anyone who disobeys can
be cited tor contempt or court.

Although Mr Bagdlkian did not
agree that all criminals should be
classified as political prisoners he
does feel that most are. in a sense.
political victims Prison populations
are often 50% or more black. This
is partially due to the fact that
in a comparison belween eqtlalnum-
bars of white and llonuhitedrrested.
a larger percentage of nonwhites
are taken to court. Of those who end
up in court. a larger number or
nonwhites are convicted. sentenced
(instend of given probation). indthen
end up serving larger amounts or

(continued on page 3)

 

