April 20, 1973

$8. 33 QEDitortal

03hr gnarl“ and ﬁlm:

A New Responsibility

Almost witout notice from students and faculty Grinnell
College last weekend took a major step into the area of public
responsibility by endorsing, through Trustee action, the prin-
ciple that the institution has an interest in maintaining society’s
well—being and should exercise that interest by voting its
conscience on proxy issues of corporations in which the
college owns shares of stock.

While Grinnell is not the first educational institution to
endorse such a policy -- Carleton, Macalester, and Yale,
for example, have taken similar steps -- the action is of ma»
jor importance in the effort to emphasize the responsibility
of educational institutions everywhere to take positive stands on
issues affecting the public welfare.

In a rationale statement to the Board of Trustees students
Terry Wolf, Brent Schondelmeyer, Curt Gorrell, and Barry
Zigas, the initiators of the proposal, noted that ”corporations
have had a pervasive influence in non-economic sectors be-
cause of their extensive size and resulting power. Corporations
cannot escape the fact of their public power nor the com-
comitant duty to exercise that power responsibly."

What is needed, they suggested, is a countervailing force
to corporate management, and “as legal owners of corporations,
shareholders have a unique capacity to fill this role." Educa—
tional institutions, which own $8 billion worth of corporate
stock, have special responsibilities since they are chartered
for the purpose of maintaining society’s welfare.

Furthermore, the exercise of proxy votes can have an effect
when the ballots concern such matters as the environmental
effects of industry, investment in South Africa, disclosure of
information, and influence of employees’ political views.

Members of the college community may disagree over such
issues as the extent of campus security and the abolishment
of a Communications department, but in the area of public
responsibility Grinnell can be proud that it stands unified in
favor of action to further the best interests of the society
around us. .

I 5’ ‘
Issue Fever

Late April and early May -- ah, times of nostalgia for Grin-
nellians of old, ‘who remember with fondness those days of
yesteryear when we turned the flag upside-down, conducted
peace marches through town, fasted in protest of the bombing,
or abstained from classes with idealistic fervor and forced
the closing of the school.

Spring fever at Grinnell carries with it the quest for an
issue, the search for activity to bring us out together into
the open air. In recent years, however, a change has come
over us: perhaps because of the feeling that we’ve done it all
before, the issues have been less intense, the protests more
routine.

Despite a last gasp at war protest last year with a few candle-

light marches and a canvassing of residents in town (who,
because of Grinnell’s small size, had probably been canvassed

before), the concocted issue of “academic pressure” brought‘

an equal number of students flocking to Herrick Chapel for
a replay of the oldtime mass meetings.

This year it's not even academic pressure We’ve not had any
mass meetings at all, and the closest we’ve come to burning
issues are debates over the housing situation and thefts on
campus -- concerns which, not to belittle the importance,
are as old as this venerable little college itself.

Along with our newfound apathy, the seniors among us are
reaching the point where their futures, desirable or not,
are beginning to be determined, and thus find themselves
caught between a creeping academic laziness and a guilty
complex born of letting it totally go. Underclassmen are
reaching the weeks when five papers are due imminently
with six days to do them in. And on top of it all, the Iowa
weather is strangely, sometimes incredibly, unpredictable.

Whether out of the quagmire of interests and emotions
another issue will arise, even experienced observers of Grin»
nell will hesitate to predict. But if it does, we hope that emo»
tions remain calm and cool heads prevail. Spring at Grinnell
has traditionally been a time of tension. This year, we’d
like to enjoy it for a change.

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Mayrent: Finds
Alston letter
‘Shocking'

To the Editors:

1 was shocked and horrified, per-
haps naively, to read Washington
Alston’s letter in last week's Sc»
arlet and Black. I can appreciate
that a black student might feel con—
siderable bitterness over the cur—
rent housing controversy. I can
understand that bitterlless and ans
ger could easily lead, in debate, to
exaggeration and overstatement
However, having perused the edi»
torial which occasioned Mr. Alston’s
letter, I cannot understand what
Gay Liberation has to do with any
past or present oppression of black
people, or in the world at large.
I won’t argue at this time what
kind of “degenerate mentality”
needs to restrict and prescribe
the kinds of emotional and sexual
relations which should and shall
exist among other people; whatl
would very much like to know is
what in the world “such moral
deprivation" has to do with “what
is good and bad lor black people,”
It seems to be blatantly ironic

lenarl: Social
Freedom

To the Editors:

First of all, l'm rather surprised
by Washington Alston's assertion
that there is widespread support for
moves to “legitimate Gay and les—
bian activ' ies on this campus.”
I was always under the impression
that l was in a small minority
in wishing to "legitimate" tlle eXr
pression or affection between peor
ple of the same as well as differs
ent sexes,

It appears rather that I am part
of a (white) oppressive majority
which seeks to impose its ”degenr
erate mentality”, presumably inthe
form of support for Gay rights,
on the black students.

I am firmly committed to acquire
ing the social freedom of all peon
pie to need and be needed by other
people of whatever. sex, without
shame or guilt. I shudder to think
of the probable fate of black gays
(James Baldwin, for one) when Mr.
Alston achieves his “moral free—
dom" from degeneracy.

His implied definition of degener-
acy curiously resembles that ofwl'l-
ich sent gays, Jews, gypsies, com-
munists, and other minorities to the
ovens of Auschwitz.

Paul Lenart

layman: The
Path Problem

T0 the Editors:

I find it interesting that even though
we've been asked to cut down On the
number of napkins used at Saga,
no one has found it worthwhile to
write about the rapid proliferation
of paths on this campus.

These stretches ofdlrtare disgust-
ing. Does walking on the patharound
ARH Auditorium instead ofusingthe
sidewalk really save all that much
time? At the most, It might save
twenty Steps and all of fifteen se-
conds.

Or is the path from the bookstore
to lhe library necessary when there
is a sidewalk which is not too much
longer? The area outside the book.
store is already well—worn, and at
the present rate of use, it will be
completely bare by May.

Admittedly, the sidewalks around
this place could have been laid out
better, but is that a reason for us to
disregard the way the campus looks?
I’ve been told that only It few years
ago, there were hardly any paths
around. I guess that the students
now feel that their lime is too pros
cious to waste, and instead trample
through the mud.

Terry Layman

that the same mind which demands

“moral freedom” for himself uses
as his example a “moral freedom”
which he would deny others. And
it seems sad, not to mention ir»
relevant, that a serious discussion
of a serious problem concerning the
Grinnell community at largecan find
no better argument than to attack
a group apparently totally uncon-
cerned in the debate and, moreover,
specifically unaffected by it.

It is a pretty well established
historical principle, I suppose, that
those who have been oppressed for
a long time often, upon gaining some
degree or liberation, turn uponsome
new minority, but in my innocence,
I never expected to find that kind
of attitude at Grinnell College.

Mr. Alston has opened my eyes,
and I'm not sure that I can, at
this time, sincerely thank him for
the service.

cherry Mayrent

Brooks, Roslker:
Ollended

To the Editors:

In response to Washington Als—
ton’s letter of last week, we find
ourselves equally offended by his
reaction to the issue at hand. The
characterization of “moral deprav
vity” and “degenerate mentality"
regarding homosexuals and those
sympathetic to their feelings is both
unjustified and not to the question
at hand.

The difficulties encountered by a
homosexual dealing with society
cannot realistically be paralleled
with those of the black person deale
ing with the predominantly white
community.

One group’s freedom, political or
otherwise, should never come about
at the expense of any other group.
We are not questioning the legi-
timacy of the cluster system as a
step for achieving moral and poli-
tical freedom for the black com-
munity, but we resent this kind of
vicious attack. Theimpositionofone
set of moral standards upon another
is the opposite of freedom.

We would hope that last wee '
letter does not represent the atti»
tudes of either the black community
or the college community at large.

Donna Brooks
Ellen Rostker

Frost: Black Clusters Needed

To the Editors:

The time has come to face racial
realities. No matter how much lib-
erals espouse racial equality, equal
opportunity, and judgment by merit
alone, there are definitely two races
with their distinct languages and
cultures on this campus. No am-
ount of liberal pablum is going to
change that.

Perhaps the arguments against the
cluster system arise from a com»
bination of liberal guilt and that
oldeage liberal dictum: minorities

can assert themselves as long as .

it does not require any sacrifice,
no matter how minute, by the ma,
jority community. The ridiculous
high standard of democracy does not
work in a political system in which
there is a culturally distinct mine
ority. Northern Ireland is a good
example. No matter how "benevoe
lent" the majority views itself as,
it still only grants the minority
what the former thinks that minor-
ity should have.

The black minority claims to need
the cluster system for the survival
of their sanity and culture. Per-
sonally, I agree, but their rationale
is irrelevant in terms of policy.

The minority wants a cluster sys—
tem and it is not up to the white
majority to judge that rationale.
They aren’t black, so they have
no way of knowing the real posi-
tion of black people.

, This sort of whitewash is cle-
arly a sham. it denies the cultural
integrity of black people. It also
ignores the fact that opportunities
for black people to live off campus
are severly limited by financial
realities and the refusal by many
renters to rent to black people.

Blacks 'are forced to‘ live in col—
lege»owned housing. Whites aren't.

In the end, all of the above aside,
is it not too much to ask for the
while majority to cede less than
5% of the rooms for harmony? Or
would you rather try to deny black
people their cultural integrity and
force on them the Standards of the
whitewash.

In addition, may black people are
here because there is a cluster
system-rib stop the cluster is to
slow down the inﬂux of black pear
ple and exacerbate the problems
of white, liberal arts ivorytower»
ism.

Bob Frost

Youno: Room Draw Woes

To the Editors:

I’m not a guy who usually complains,
But i had really hoped to stay in flames.

As well, my room draw number had decreed

That I was not to Settle down in Read.

I would have, if I’d had a chance to choose,
Accepted as my own a room in Loose.

And since last Sunday I have been a»grievin’

That when I got there, they had closed Off Cleveland.
My anguished body shudders through with pain,
When I recall I couldn’t get in Main.

And sure enough, I realized my worst fears

When I found but they’d filled up all of Mears.
Although I’m mad, I won’t name any names

or people who took all the rooms in James.

And though upon the table I was bangin’,

They wouldn’t let me take a place in Langan.

You should have heard the language from my mouth
When I was barred from Younkers, North and South.
The hot blood through my veins was madly coursin’
When I was told no men could live in Rawson.

And though I'd thought that it was Just a myth,

I was assured they’d used up all of Smith.

Ithen was told, to multiply my horrors,

They wouldn’t let no more get into Norris.

My face fell when I heard a chance remark

That every room was taken up in Clark.

1 would have mown them down, had I a scythe,
When I found out no men in Annex—Smith.

It seems to have been ordered by the fates

That there’d be no more spaces left in Gates.

1 couldn’t even satisfy my goals

By living o'er the kitchen up in Cowles.

And though 1 really do not want to quibble,

I couln’t find an open room in Dibble.

So thus it is, that through the draw's mechanics,
I’ve ended up entombed in Dibble Annex,

Sam N. Youno

 

