Reviews Independent Study

by Greg Vranicar

In the paSt three years, stu-
dents at Grinnell have taken
advantage of the independent
study option with increasing
frequency. For several rea—
sons, especially the new
freshman tutorial program,
the trend toward independent
work will probabe accelerate
in coming years. The overall
effect of this trend is bene-
ficial, in my opinion, but the
college should examine and
come to grips with several
problems involved in indepen-
dent study. Let me discuss
briefly three unfavorable as-
pects of the present program.

No Incentives

Although independent study
is a definite addition to the
curriculum and an integral
part of the educationalpro~
cess, under the existing tea chi
ing credit policy, no formal
reward or credit is provided
to professors who sponsor
independents. Thus one of the
major problems of the pro~
gram is the burden it places
on these sponsors. To put the
issue somewhat more bluntly,
professors are not paid either
monetarily or by decreased
course loads for teaching inr
dependents--they do it as a
service and for the experience
of working closely with moti-
vated students on topics of
interest.

To, look at, the matter from
the point of View ofa budget:
conscious institution, there is
no "lineritem" for indepen-
dent study. In reality, hOW’
ever, the program costs
everybody: eachprojectspow
sor spends time and energy
that mnnot be devotedtoother
activities; all students bear
some cost since professors
with several independents
cannOt perform as well in their
classes; and students taking
independents do not receive
the benefits the study would
give withprofessors who could
devote more time to the pro
ject. The inconsistency of the
present system is obvious:
while supposedly encouraging
independent work, the college
does n0t provide incentives
for professors to undertakeit.

Cou rse A dvantages

Although the costs would be
substantial. the compensation
problem could be solved by
adjustments in administrative
and budgeting policy. A second
criticism of independentstudy
more directly relates to SIU’
dents and can only be solved
by changing present ways of
thinking about education. This
problem is what might be
termed an indiscriminate ate
titude toWard independent
work as opposed to normal
classroom courses. It seems
to me that more and more
students are comingtoassume
that almost any independent
study project is more valuable
“per so" than any regular
course.

Granted, there are many ad-
vantages of independent work:
close study ofa specific sub-
ject of particular interest,
direct work with a professor,
and use of materials and
methods not often employed in
regular courses. But course:
work also has advantages that
are lost while doing indepen-

25 October 15, 1971

dents. Normally ideas genera-
ted in an independent are not
discussed with Other students

[as they usually are in a class.

Breadth of subject—matter is
often lost in independentwork.
And, in many cases, coherent
approach is absent because
little planning of the entire
semester's work is accom-
plished. It is obvious to me
that many courses, even
though theyareplanned,struc—
tured, and for the most part
directed by a professor, are
superior to many student‘de-
signed and directed projects.
Few courses are so strucr
tured that they prevent all
student imput; in fact, most
professors accept and even
encourage independent work
within the broad outline of the
course. The point is thatetu-
dents should not assume. as I
feel more and more do, that
courses are necessarily limi-
ting and that independents are
naturally liberating.

Finally, independent study
often reinforces the autonomy
and isolation of each student's
academic activity. Because

there is usually reading in
common anddiscussionamong
students in the classroom,
ideas are quite frequently ex~
changed in a course. Vlith in-
dependents, too often dis-
cussion of topics never occurs
outside of faculty offices. Stu-
dents should take the initiative
to discuss their independents
with other students and pro-
fessors. In fact, departments
would do well, in my opinion,
to arrange meetings ofmajors
to discuss independent pro-
jects being undertaken by stu-
dents in that department. Thus
more systematic exchange of
ideas could occur concerning
possible types ofprojects and
methods of research.
Grinnell's liberal indepen»
dent study policy is one of the
better features of the educa-
tional program. The present
system is good, but like most
things here, it can be sub-
s/tantially improved.

Michelle Conway
Cuts line Cutting

To the Editors:

As I sit here in the dinner
line waiting for the doors to
open, I see my fellow Sm‘
dents casually sitting down

in front of me with their
friends. It's a fine thing that
people are so friendly. Noone
considers that “they" are
crowding.

I resent it. I don’t come 15
minutes early to be the fifth
person in the lounge and end
up thirtieth in line. I don’t
mind an occasional crowder;
perhaps they have a reason
for crowding. I don't know. I

The Scarlet and Black

The Doppelt Effect

by Ja ck Doppelt

Intramural foetball is a lot
of fun. Where else can you go
both ways and not be cotr
sidered a pervert? If that last
statement confused you, you
need a crash course in intra-
mural football terminology. I,
Professor Ludwigvon Beaten-
often, will serve as your in~
structor. The rule toguide you
is "winners never quit and
quitters never win."

Penalties are an essential
part of the game and a good
place to start. However, it is
a poor place to end because
games cannot endonapenalty.
Penalties in IMs comprise
about 50% of the playing time.
Once a penalty is called, there
will invariable be a five min:
ute breather. This is actually
a misnomer because both
teams don't stop arguing long
enough to breathe. This is the
point in the game where both
teams put aside their hOStll’
ities towards each other and
verbally trounce the referees.
Many students get their first
training in forensics in this
manner.

Intramural penalties are
classified differently from the
run of the mill fouls. Theyare
n0t marked off in yards, but
marked up in bruises. Of:
fensive fouls are those pre-
meditated blows to the body.
This is contrary to defensive
fouls which occur in self-

don't ask their reasons. The
habitual crowdersare the ones
who bother me.

It seems that there is a sys
tem-~one person sacrifices
and comes early and the others
come later. What is this --
are there that manyprivileged
people around? Where is the
list that says who may cutand
who can't? Did anyone think
that the reason people come
early is because they have to
be someplace?

Maybe weshouldassignpeo~
ple a time to come so that
there will be little or no line.
At any rate-«here shouldbea
little more consideration from
everyone. That's all it takes.

~Michele A. Conway.

Huxtalile Explains

New Regulations

To the Editors:
In an effort to acquaint the
rest of the campus with the

‘ new Moral Regulations adop-

ted by Loose Hall, [have taken
it upon myself to spell out
exactly what these new rules
RIG.

First, with regards to inter-
visitatlon. Loose Hall has set
the following hours:

Sun -Thurs. 12 p.m.rll) p.m.

Fri-Sat. 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.

7 p.m.rlZ a.m.
These hours will be strictly
enforced.

Also, we have adopted a few
basic rules which we feel are
only matters ofcommon cour~
tesy to hall residents.

1. All gentlemen muSl regis-

ter with the housemother.

2. Feet must be kept on the

floor at all times.

3. Doors must be left open

18".

The following Loose resi-
dents will be empowered to en-
force these regulations:

Linda Conforti. permanent
house mother

Craig Hobbs, permanent
deputy house mother

Norm Albrecht, temporary
morals chairman until the
electlon of a permanent one.

I M Chicken

defense and can be termed
necessary roughness. cher-
thelcss, both result in identi:
cal penalties: PAIN.

Definitions will aidthose who
stand on the sidelineswonder‘
ing why masochism is played
with eight men on a team.
Nathing will aid those already
on the field.

Sidelines: The secondary
bruises and cuts one incurs
aside from the hairline frac-
ture.

Ruffing the Kicker: This is
a defensive foul, as I dese
cribed earlier. The one whois
kicked retaliates by roughing
up the guy who imbedded his
foot in this poor soul‘s leg.

Interception: Catching a
punch right before it touches
down on your jaw.

Rollout: When two obtrusive
monsters sandwich you be—
tween their tentacles.
Dropping into the Pocket:
What you do with your watch
after it has been ripped off
your wrist.

Touchba ck: A demure euphe-
mism for a clip.

Clip: When you’re hit in the
back by a misplaced elbow.
knee, or other dangling limb.

Conversion: The process of
replacing your original tooth
(which is now buried some
where on the 30 yard line) with
a false tooth.

Goal Line Stand: What a
player with foresight will do to
avoid getting hurt.

RA’s Pamand Paul Wrightman
will assist students in coping
with these new rules.

We hope these rules will be
self—explanatory and we for-
see no problems in promoting
a happy, clean living situation
this year. And as Betsy Dane
forth said, “We just love
Loose morals."

Bob Huxtable

Malls Questions
Faculty Action

To the Editors:

At a recent faculty meeting,
the White liberal guilt com-
plex once again showed itself
through the facultyapproval of
the addition of a CBS repre-
sentative to the allrcampus
EPC. This proposal was ac-
cepted with a minimum ofdis-
cussion, upon the suggestion of
Dean Kimbo.

I find it rather amazingthat
this event caused little debate
among the white members of
the campus community. Al~
though few would argue that
the EPC should be sensitive
to Black student desires on
academic course offerings
and faculty appointments, the
logic in having a student re-
presentative from CBS in con-
junction with those repre~
sentatives from the divisional
EPI‘s and an all campus elec-
tion seems to be faulty. Un-
like the divisional EPCS, CBS
is a student organization which
represents a racial minority
view on campus; it is not an
institution directly concerned
with academic studies. The

The Grinn ll
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Slant Off Tackle: The posi-
tion of your bodynsyou crumr
ble to the ground after greet-
ing the tackle.

Downs: They range from 1st
to 4th and repeat this pattern.
In boxing, there are ten counts
when you are down and then the
torture ends. But in foetball,
you're caught in a perpetual
endurance test.

Too Many Men on the Field:
A penalty for battling under
unfair odds. Even in gang—
land street fights, honor de
mands a one~on~one dual.

Delay of the Game: A col:
lective decision by a team to
spend a few extra seconds
recuperating from the last
play.

Dive right: A decision by a
player to make a deal wiLh
the opposingteam thatensures
him a continuation of health.

Flag Football: An excuse to
rip the other guy's shirt.

There are just a few essenr
tials a spectator needs to
comprehend 1M foOtball. I
have purposely timed this les:
son so that it coincides with
the "end” of the IM foOtball
season. I don't want you test
ing your knowledge at a real
game. I don’t think you’re
ready for it yet. To toughen
your guts, go watch a fire
or a bullfight. And then come
on out to the old gridiron.
To Danny Moss who said I
wouldn't mention him in my
column; hello Danny.

all-campus representative is
not confined to representing
white students. The blackstur
dents were eligible to run and
vote in this election as wellas
the departmental and divi-
sional EPC elections.

I write this letter with the
knowledge that there is little
that ca n be done about this
particular situation; “the die
is cast", so to speak. Yet
this appointment isa symptom
of a far deeper illness. After
speaking to a number of 'pro-
minent' and vocalmembers of

the campus community, all of
them expressed some un-

easiness about this appoint
merit, shrugged, and said
"What can you do?" A great
deal can be done if the White
members ofthis campus would
not be afraid to fight in what
could be a touchy and senslr
tive issue, butthe fearofbeing
called a racist createsawhite
counterpart of “Uncle Tom~
ism” that can be nothing but
detrimental to inter—racial
relations on this campus.

I would suggest that the
members of this campus put
a little more logic in their
quest to have the black SKU’
dent's voice heard and reflec-
ted in Grinnell academic and
social policies, that the white
students and faculty members
net allow themselves to be
taken advantage of simply be:
muse of their belief in ori-
ginal sin, and that the black
students and faculty n0t take
advantage of the majority's
timidity.

Sincerely.
Laura Malls

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