Pugs Six'

SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday, April 4, lm

 

} Leggeil’ Letter

(Continued from Page 5)

to circulate petitions questione
lng the method used by the
demonstrators and to express
concern over the way the news
media had handled the delilOn‘
stratioii.

In the meanﬂme, the Grinllell
demonstration, along with some
troubles at other campuses in
Iowa, led several members at
the Iowa legislature, then
in assembly in Des Molnes, to
speak out their thoughts on col-

logo and university “disorders"
on the ﬂour of the General AS-
sembly. The Attorney General
or the state, Mr, Richard Tur-
ner, was reported in the news
as saying that he was “inquir-
ing into the nude demonstra»
tion at Grinnell and the use or
obscene language at lowa City
and Ames to see it any laws
have been violated." Shortly
after this report, I was called
upon in my office by an Assist-
ant Attorney General who ex-
plained courteously that he and
several of his associates were
visiting the campus and the

 

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community to inquire him the
matter, They understood and
approved of my desire to COW
fer with the legal counsel of
the College hetore talking at
any length with them about the
matter. Alter such a cDIlier~
ence, and after further discus—
sion with the student deans, I
decided to halt any turtlier col-
lege procedures, to advise the
students to seek legal counsel,
and to consult with their par
ents.

(Both the College and the civil
authorities have standards 01'
behavior they expect from per-
sons within their communities,
and each authority has the
right to its own function. But I
do not believe that in this case
these functions can be operable
simultaneously.)

Tile presence at the Assistant
Attorneys General was imme
diately widely known on cama
pus through the wonders of
those communication devices,
more psychical than real,
which all Small cummunities
have. The Student Senate pass-
ed a resolution calling tor stu-
dents not to cooperate with in-
vestigntors, and those students
who had been circulating
statements and petitions disap-
proving ot the “demonstration"
ceased their ellorts. Part DI
the news account of this reac-
tion went as follows:

(A Grinnell student) said
plans to circulate petitions

denouncing the nudity inci-
dent were dropped because
state officials “intruded” on
campus.

He said he believes n ma-
jorily of Grimlell students
would have signed the potl-
tions but “now the campus is
really united against the at-
tomey general's ofﬁoe."

“They are not defending
the demonstrators,” he add
ed, “but rather themselves."

Thomas (Tom Thomas,
president oi the student body)
said he tell the majority or
the Student Senate agreed
with the principles or the pro-
test but not necessarily with
the tactics. l-le paraphrased
the sentiment this way: “I
might not have done it that

way, but I‘ll delend
right to do It."

The incident continued to be
the subject of news reports.
special features, and editorials,
and letters to me and staff per-
sons irom alumni, patents, and
interested on-lookers. In a few
days it became clear that the
investigators had identiﬁed the
demonstrators who would be
summoned belore a local jus-
tice oi the peace tor a prellm-
inaiy hearing on the charge of
“indecent exposure," a misde-
meanor under Iowa law. The
preliminary hearings were held
in Gl‘lnnell; the justice or the
peace then remanded the case
to the district court, which at
the point of this writing has
not yet met to hear it.

Attitudes toward this whole
case have been characterized
from the beginning by strongly
expressed and diverse opinions.
These opinions exist not only
in the student body and among
the [acuity but also in the com
munity, and among alumni and
parents. The following selec-
tions from letters addressed to
me by concerned alumni illus-
[rate the point;

Does Grinnell have extra-
ordinary success in recruit-
ing neui-otics, psychotics, and
exhibitionists, or are the lac.
ulty and administration ex-
ceptionally skillful in trans-
torming tairiy normal stu-
dents into kooks and jerks?”
Another questioned

“May I ask WHY a repre-
sentative oi Playboy was al-
lowed on campus and WHY
there was no one in authority
there to break up the meeting
when it got ‘out of bounds’?"
.siime toured for the college

“i hope the students can
see that the embarrassment
to the college tar outweighed
the damage to Ylaybay. ln
lhe meantime you can con-
sole yoursell with the tact
that at least the students
were not joined by iaculty
members, and classes were
not interrupted — nor did p0-
Iice have to he called, C01“-
pared to many other college
presidents you have much to
be thankful tor."

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still others sought to under-
stand the motives

“Grinnell students have
typically avoided any means
or protest which gives a lie
to their ends. Thus, recruiters
don‘t get locked in cars or
barred frum buildings, but

are confmnted with a mili-
tary cemetery in the middle
or the campus. Buildings
don't get burned down at
Grinnell when students dis-
agree with rules. Instead,
students energetically attack
the problem with more con-
structive means like discus<
sion groups, meetings with
administrators, symbolic rule-
breaking, and persistent per-
suasion Though students at
most colleges are very sus-
ceptible to the contagion oi
adolescent-type rebellion, pro.
Iesting the mast minor annay<
ances, the few Grinnell stu«
dents who saw lit to speak
out against the graduation
titual (last May) had the ma-
turity to see the reasonable.
ness in their president’s
gentle chiding, so that instead
or demonstrating over caps
and gowns, Grinnell seniors
made better use or graduae
tion by taking the opportunity
to protest against a fearful
and disgracetul war. A white
drive (pigeon) being need
from a graduate‘s gown was
a beautiful gesture, typical oi
Grinnell Ihiliking and prior-
ltles.

“The Playboy philosophy is
alien to everything that a
progressive coeducational col-
lege like Grimell stands for.
But it is so seductively put
forth in all the mass media,
that many men and women,
even at a college like Grill‘
nell, are subtly inﬂuenced by
it and blind in its implica-
tions. Therefore, 1 was great-
iy impressed that Grinnel-
Iians showed an awareness of
the significance of the Play-
boy representative’s partici-
pation in a sex education dis
cussion, and made a cour-
ageous 17 u b I i c criticism
against this hypocritical phil-
nsophy."

As I Write this letter, the stu-
dents involved are going
through the painlul, and expen.
sive, process associated with
legal action. I think it the
better part at wisdom for the
rest of us to remain concerned
but not impatient. This kind of
incident, like a few others that
have occurred on the campus,
is particularly susceptible to
the kind of attention the new!
media wishes to give it. We
have a lively, colicemcd, artic<
ulate student body (with an une
common number of talented
photographers aild ioumalists),
and the inevitability of occa«
sional sensational publicity is
a misiortune the College must
live with and must ask its
alumni and friends to under
stand.

The revolution going on in
American educational institu~
tions is real and pronounced,
and the constructive part of it,
which is the result of unglam-
orous and sometimes palniul
procedures, is not going to re-
ceive the same public attention
as does the exhibitionistic or
the generally sensational. Col-
leges can only hope that alum-
ni, parents, and friends will
continue to be supportive and
understanding.

 

