Student Government PieSiden

hﬂark
Blanchard

Junior, Fords, N.J.

Mark Blanchard‘s primary
reason tor seeking the presidency
is his dissatisfaction with SGA
organization, the way in which
legislation is “railroaded
through,” that issues are dealt
with too quickly with not enough
thought. One example. he noted,
was the 515 increase in tuition
approved by the present SGA.
Rather than allow such measures
to be decided upon quickly,
Blanchard proposes that the joint
boards wait and vote on an issue
one or two Weeks following its
presentation to allow time to think.

Another of Blanchard’s concerns
is the present pet policy While not
prom ng anything, he ieltthat the
decision reached by SGA was not in
harmony with the students'
feelings. As president, he would
introduce a referendum on pets to
evaluate student opinion ef-
fectively, While he is not sure of his
own position regarding dogs on
campus. he emphasized the need to
look into th issue again.

“This is a very difficult
academic institution for a lot of
people here and I think people have
to get out and do different things to
keep their sanity here.” The best
way for people to do that, Blan-
chard feels, is to make use of the
practicum credit programs, He
sees practicum credits as en-
couraging the liberal arts program
in areas like PE and theatre, As
president, he believes that with his
close relationship to the ad-
ministration, he could more easily
present student opinion in matters
like practicum credit to President
Turner and others.

Blanchard's conception of sons
role in college activities center on
SGA’s position as the voice of the
students. “They (the ad-
ministration) have to listen to us,
they have to listen to what we say."

Blanchard's views of student life
in relation to SGA activities
revolve around the idea that SGA is
responsive to student needs and
desires. He also points out that
SGA cannm change ,studan’$~
titudes; rather it is the function of
SGA to voice student opinion ef-
fectively to the administration.

va
CoMns

Sophomore, Whitesburg, Ky.

“Students are not academic
beings, we’re human beings. But
the only way this school seems to
deal With us is in terms of
academics.”

a"?

Will Collins perceives Grinnell’s
academic and social attitudes as
heading in the wrong direction. He
recognizes the existence of two
types of pressures on campus,
academic and social. with respect
to social regards, Collins feels the
school is not capable of handling
people in any way other than
academically. He notices that the
pressures for people to enjoy
themselves is almost as intense as
the pressure for students to study.

The role of son and its president
to him is to be responsive to the
real student needs on this campus.
“SGA has the responsibility of
seeing that Grinnell College meets
the needs and demands of the
Students here.” SGA has the ear of
the faculty and administration,
and they are very sensitive to
student input, Collins believes that
as President he could bring to the
attention of the faculty and ad
ministration the attitudes of
academic and social pressures
placed on the student,

“This school has continued to sell
that myth that book-learning is the
same as education.” Collins sees
“real” education as manifested not
in pure academics but rather in
variousother activities which the
school presently offers and which
could be expanded, One method of
increasing student activity outside
academics that he favors is exc
panding the practicum credit
program. As it stands now, he sees
the program acting as a bribe to
get students out of an academic
mold, He would rather see the
program enlarged to allow people
to enjoy the work that they do.

Out of a deep
dissatisfaction with the way
Grinnell College has been
”chewing up" people, Collins sees
the presidency of SGA as an honest
commitment to be the voice of
student discontentt

sense of ‘

Jhn
Fmeman

Junior, Augusta, Ga.

Jim Freeman’s personal reason
for seeking the presidency is his
“concern and interest in the well-
being and preservation of the
School." Freeman believes that
Grinnall College must continue
doing what it is good at, namely
being a liberal arts institution. He
cited, for example. the need to
preserve the practicum credit and
independent project programs as
means to promote intellectual
curiosity, which he felt was a sign
oi a liberally educated person.

Along with stressing his strong
desire to serve and his ability to
listen and medi‘ate he claims that
since he is not presently directly
involved with SGA, he is not
“coopted in thinking in terms of
SGA.” He feels that his openness
to all outside channels of in-
formation and decision enhance his
qualities as a candidate.

Freeman’s platform covers a
wide range of topics. He is cam-
paignmg to ensure that the dorms
are made as safe as possible, to
carpet Burling to make it con-
ducive to study, and to isolate the
circulation desk in order to
eliminate noise from the rest of the
library. He is also requesting that
once improvements on Burling- are
completed, other places of study
such as ARH and Carnegie he
closed down earlier at night to save
electricity,

meconcetr]
the budget. He favors greatu
allocation for more and bett
movies. and to ensure more
popular concerts that will
more favorably with ancient
tastes. He wants to make sure th-nt’ ‘

Ithe moneythat sch-beg ’ in“
reach as man)“ an: '

possible. As president, he wring
for a general reevaluation of
budget allocation,

meet .‘I

John
Loni

Junior, Denver, Colo.

John Lom sees the SGA as the
rallying point of the students at
Grinnell. He feels that SGA should
be particularly strong now due to.
the arrival of the new president
who needs to be aware of student
views and ideas.

The candidate revealed his
solutions and alternatives on other
issues that he is concerned with,
like extending practicum credit to
reporters for the $813 and science
lab assistants. He also suggests
that in terms of academics,
students should be aware at
registration when certain papers
will be assigned or tests given for a
particular course, For calendar
activities, Lom points out that
everything that goes on is usually
bunched up on the week—ends. He
suggests that parties be scheduled
possibly on Wednesday nights.

“We should make sure not
only that soA take a strong stance,
but that the EPC’S should become
strong and they should take a more
influential part in hiring and firing
of faculty.” He points out that the
School is losing quality faculty
members and retaining those that
should not even be here.

Lom feels that the majority of
the Siﬁrdollar increase in the
student activity fund should be
altoehted in raising the quality of
campus activities like concerts.
The ii'lcrease also ought to be used
to help finance the Initiative Fund,
the’New Time. the Third World
Gmup. and the Gay Coummunity.
He sees these groups as substantial
manizations and feels that it is a
shame that they are not getting
enough financial support.

One other point of interest in
Lom's platform is that he is looking
or an alternative to Saga. He
wants to ‘find a higher quality food ,
service. If that is not possible, he
favors attempting to improve the
present kitchen facilities.

Scarlet and Black, February 21, 1975—pl 3

tial Primer

Ted
Pnce

Junior, Wayne, Pa.

The primary issue in Ted Price's
campaign is stressing the need for
more studcnt power and input in
the College’s policies He points out
that there is little student opinion
reflected in faculty and ad-
ministration decisions. One
proposal he has for this is the
creation of an All-College
Government system where
representatives of students,
faculty and administration can
meet and legislate. Another
vehicle for voicing student dis-
satisfaction would be the creation
of a Student Academic Grievance
Board which would monitor the
action of another of Price's
proposals, which is to have all
{aculty members submit a syllabus
to their classes within the first two
class periods of the semester, and
not to deviate from the syllabus
unless it meets with class ape
proval. He feels that by having the
explicit syllabus available,
academic pressure could partially
be relieved.

Price sees the way student
opinion is received by the board of
Trustees as presently social which
he feels is not conductive to
gauging opinion properly. He
suggests putting two students on
the Board in an advisory capacity
“so the Trustees don‘t panic" for
one or two years. After that period,
then students would be granted the
right to vote along with the other
Trustees,

Other programs that Price is
interested in involve increasing
student role in granting tenure and
having weekly SGA meetings,
Price sees the role of the SGA
president as an arbitrator between
students and administration, While
stressing that the son president
needs a working relationship with
the‘administration, he adds that
the president should keep a certain
distance to avoid being too close to
the higher power attitudes.

Voting, for candidates will be conducted Wednesday. Any candidate receiving over 50% of the votes cast will be declared

the winner. If no candidate receives 50

getter: Friday.
oucoobd”

‘ Step up to

0 .
JD's RESTAURANT
. COCKTAIL; LOUNGE
. Elevated lit 022 1/2 Minn

.LUNCH‘ Mon} thru Fril on:
NERfMon. thru rhurs.,,«ip,ni
to ll pm' Fri., Sat, 4pm

.to 12 p - .

Grinnell
Office Supply

Across from the Post Office

% in the Wednesday balloting, there will be a runoff between the top two vote-

Inlerviews by Bob Handler

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SAWNGS

 

