The Scarlet and BIaclglay 5. lens—page -)

 

This year’s issues:

a closer look

The end of the school year will soon be upon us, and now is
the time for the traditional rehashing of old issues,
evaluating our present status, and making declarations
about How Far We Have Come, Where We Now Stand, and
especially, Where Do We Go From Here? It may be
hackneyed, and it may be unoriginal, but we can't resist.

This year, there were no White Papers or administrative
reorganizations to monopolize our time. Instead, the in
terests oi the students have turned outward, and we seem
more concerned with problems that range. beyond the bounds
of the campus. We are groping to discover how our actions
here at Grinnell can somehow affect, if only indirectly, that
nebulous region known as the “outside world."

INVESTIGATING the college's investments in cor-
porations which have dealings in South Africa, rallying with
other college students to the cause of campus radicalism and
protest at Kent State, and discussing how to meet the future
needs of an increasingly complex world through the use of
appropriate technologies are manifestations of this new
concern. This past week alone, a boycott of Nestle products
and demonstrations of solar energy have received attention.

This emphasis on outside issues is encouraging and
healthy. A liberal arts college must never become so isolated
and ingrown that the members of its community suffer from

a sort of academic suffocation. It is the duty' of the liberal '

arts community to keep in contact with its surroundings,
and to realize that it is indeed a necessary part of the ”real
world." This we often tend to forgetithe terms “Grinnell”
and “real world" are often spoken of as mutually exclusive

WHILE GRINNELL’S broadening interests are en-
couraging, it is somewhat dismaying that follow-up on issues
such as South Africa seems to be lacking. Unless students
are prepared to put forth sustained effort, nothing will be
changed. Too many issues seem to peter out and die after
initial excitement has worn off,

Issues revolving solely around the campus itself have also
been met with initial excitement followed by apathy. Sup-
port for STOPI’l‘ dropped off‘ soon after the organization was
launched; the furor over the structures in the Forum Grill
dissipated as few {if any] students bothered to contact Dave
McConnell with suggestions; students effectively expressed
dissatisfaction with SGA around election time by
nominating themselves enirnasse, but failed to continue the
protest by vocalizing the exact cause of their displeasure

HOWEVER, students and faculty have kept up pressure
on affirmative action, and it appears that although the
college will continue to have trouble attracting black faculty,
the administration is committed to affirmative action. This
is an area where student and faculty pressure, if it hasn’t
exactly succeeded, has kept the issue alive.

It is clear that activism does make a difference. Next
year's concerns are impossible to predict—the past two years
have seen widely different issues come up. We hope that this
year's trend toward broader interests continues, and that
students follow up on these interests.

Lttl’t

,, m ’4/7/
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Blatt defends disarmament position

To the editor: In light oi the force-
l'ul and well-argued criticism
which appeared in reaction to my
last column in the 8&3. I feel [hall
was misunderstood and should
explain myscli. The column was
not intended to be a general ox.
position oi my views on nuclear
disarmament or the theory oi
public prolesl, but a speclfic
response to a particular situation. I
was merely trying to say that a
nebulous. non-specific protest
against arms proliferation, which I
look the disarmament component
oi the Rocky Flats protest lo he,
would be of little use in the battle
againsl nuclear weapons,
especially in this case

With secret SALT negotiations
going on now. the lechnocrats and
“isolated leaders” are especially
apt to regard such a protest as the
irresponsible outcry of illrlnl'ormed
extremists. Since the
policymakers don't know exactly
what the public is protesting
against in relation to what they're
doing. lhey will lend to disregard
any public input that does not fit
Into their neat conceptual
categories, which rarely include
moralle or broad policy direc
tions. The second point I was lrying
to make was Simply that the U.S
Should not make any moves toward
unilateral disarmament which
would upset the international
balance of terror. As I said,
unilateral arms reductions which

 

 

'The Scarlet & Black

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”WWW“ Czrionnisls

cam Denice. Ken Knmsiem, Jill McConkey, sum wiley
Photographers
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columnisls
Paliy aesi, David Blall, Nancy carpenver, Cums Cosl, aill Kowslskl, Doug
Schulu. Bruce Weindruch. Russ wlmck

Publlshed weekly except during holidays and vacation perlods by orinncll
college sludenl Publications and Radio Comminee, orlnnell. lows, sollz.

 

would leave our natlonal security
intact regardless or how lhe
Sovies responded. are perfectly
reasonable and desirable

TO THE nlent that my position
was misunderstood because of (he
limited nature and pedantic lone oi
my column, I have only mysell lo
blame. But to the extent that my
column was misunderstood due lo
the unwarranted and inaccurate
implications drawn irom il, my
statement about the dangers of
approaching a complex Issue
simply and emotionally is borne
out. Of coursc l believe strongly in
the necessity of delusing the arms
race and especially In lhe necd ior
public prolesl and conlrol ovcr
governmcnl. But does thls deny me
the righl lo disagree with one
prolesl and one method oi disar-
lnament? I may justly be accused
of malicious mlpicking, but lo
imply lhat I am an elitist and a ice
of disarmament is a little unfair

The people musi always watch
over and apply prcssure lo lhcir
elected leaders. for as Ms Barnel

 

 

 

 

 

 

. ,rand‘llls. Cleland say, the govern-

ment indeed cannot be trusted to
do what its constituents want. But
popular protest must send the
policymaking elites a clear
message. one they cannot
misunderstand, and must apply
pressure where it will be felt mosl
keenly I don‘t lhink the Rocky
Flats disarmament protest is
equipped lo do this The other
facets oi lhe antinuclear proiesl

there. however. could lurn out to be .

very elfecilve because lhey locus
on specxfics: radiation hazards.
reactor oliieration, and the like,

i\ or niu. protest against the
arms race or anything else allows
the policymaking elites the luxury
of thinking that they have the
situation well in hand and the
people just don't know the facts.
Moreover, a generalized protest

Pre—empted sho

To llic cdiloi': All over campus.
even in the editorial section of lhe
son. has been sung the praises of
KDIC and lhe improvements made
by ihis year's cxeculive board As
we may be again praising lhem ior
bringing us the ever popular suimp
llic Profs lhis past week, just a low
comments, I am one of the
originators and cohosts oi the
Afterdinner Theatre. usually heard
on KDIC Tuesday nights ircm 7’s,
and preempted this week, or
course. by Slump lhc Proin. Now. I
don't really mind losing an hour of
my air lime, perhaps it was the
only lime the prois concerned
could do lhc program. Nor do I
really lnind not being able lo
participate in what is usually my

Relays thanks

To the editor: Now that anomer
Relays is over. we want to lhank
those who helped with the spec»
lacle. in particular, those mem»
bers oi lhe Relays Committee
made everything work. Harvey
Leif, Derek Fields, Richard
Caplan. Greg Ynulz. Linda Cor-
nelius. Mark Johnson, Linda Webb,
Pal Kennedy. Blake Downcs and
Justin Halpel‘ln liyou enyoycd the
iilms. titular head or the actual
relays. please Stop lhese people
and let them know, Thanks also go
out lo all the oiiicials and to Kurl
Welsch who was the best torchr
bearer we have had since
Professor Grcy set his hair on ilre
a few years ago And as always.
[hanks to Tom Latimer ior his
continuing forbearance and aid.
Loi- Arnold null Pclcr Kariicy

 

that attempts to cover all the bases
loo onen leaves the participans
with a feeling that their dues to
society have been paid and that
nothing more needs to be done,
Public action on disarmament
needs to follow the paths oi definite
proposals such as those Ms. Barnet
outllned in her Open Space, and
must be consistently and iirmly
pursued.

I think ihlS whole controversy
has been a dispute over nuances
and tactics instead of basic values
or goals. and I regret that Ms.
Barnel finds me to be an
arislocraiic Cold Warrior and that
Shana—I mean Trenailhinks I‘m
apathetic and cynical, But perhaps
1 can make il up lo lhem when I
become an irresponsible populist
demagogue. David J.l.. Blatt

w causes static

show. What I do mind. however, is
linding out lhat my show is being
preempted by reading about it in
last Friday's ssh.

The Afterdinner Theatre is
expected to return this coming
Tuesday. Tim Finn

Praises
Food Service

To the campus community: The
Assomated Jewish Students Group
would like to thank Dave Mcn
Connell and the Food Servrce staff
for the fine work in preparing
Passover entrees and special
foods during lhe recent Jewish
holiday. The understanding and
Cooperation that they showed in the
selection and labeling of foods was
excellent throughout the holiday.
In addition, Dave helped with the
preparation of foods {or the Seder

ldinnerl in Gardner Lounge, all on
his own limc. We would also like to
thank the people al B&G [or their
help. it is very encouraging that
Grinnell helps us lo observe those
religious options which we choose
to value. Thanks Associated
Jewish Students Group: John S.
Schechter

Thanks again I

To the editor: 1 Want to (hank you
for the honor bestowed upon me at
the annual Grinnell Relays by lhe
Grinnell Relays Committee last
Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed the
numerous activities very much.
Yours sincerely, David J. Matiack,
'27 ' ' ‘

 

