Half Time Banned

Saturday afternoon Grinnell iootball.,.students sit glumly squint,
ing at the dismal half-time scoreboard. Somehow the popcorn
tastes dry, the sun is too hot, and everyone feels a pressing need
to fill the silence with irritating coughs. Something was definitely
wrong. God knows we’ve lost before. Even the freshman sensed
it. The game was a total drag. A couple of people vainly scouted

the stands. Where were they?

The OE squad, the beloved masters of Saturday football harassr
ment, have departed unceremoniously from our midst. Where were
those who reduced the opposing team to blubbering fools? Where

Where were those who with a flick of a tongue and the snap of

a jaw could drive an innocent cheerleader to a nunnery? Who could
drive a jock to Burling? Who could plunge the entire athletic
endeavor into an exercise in depravity?

The point of Grinnell football is not excellence in athletics,
but an afternoon of enjoyment, entertainment and a break from
studies. The OB squad (obscene to some, obnoxious to others)
provided an outlet for pentrup tensions and was excellent therapy
for pre-suicidal behavior. We want it back! Stand behind your team.

We can‘t all be non—athletic supporters.

liv tg

The Liberal Mold

In recent weeks, Grinnell has had two opportunities to break
out of its homogenous mold. in discussions about the UFW spon-
sored lettuce boycott, a number of people with ”contrary" opir
nions did speak their minds, They report considerable harassr

ment for their trouble.

Today, a recruiter for the United States Marine Corps is ending
his second day on the Grinnell campus. Again, a group of people
citing “moral issues” have attempted to suppress a speaker
representing an opposing point of view.

Both incidents point out clearly that Grinnell is, on the surface,
an extremely homogenous community.

Dean Waldo Walker recently explained that, in selecting a student

body,

“Grinnell has an inherent weakness towards continuing

homogenaity because we are academically very selective and also

very expensive,”

President Glenn Leggett noted that “every president and deanl
know of is hoping that there will be an intellectual conservative

on the appointment listi”

However, a closer look at the situation reveals that neither the
Qrinnell student body nor the faculty is as one-minded as they
sometimes appear. Rather, the problem is one of freedom of ex-
pression. A particular point of view, once accepted on this came
pus, often becomes a “moral truth”, and those who disagree

become “immoral,”

John Adams, director of the Career Services Office, told a small
group of students at the/recent Dean’s Open Forun‘that this kind
of moral stand drives out diversity and causes the institution to

draw only its own kind.

And Dean of Records Charles Seller added that even the people
' on the campus who do hold different opinions will tend to hide them
because they do not wish to be continual underdogs. '
‘ Surveys conducted by the Scarlet and Black during last year's

general elections revealed that, despite the overwhelming feeling

for the McGovern candidacy on this Campus, there was a signir
ficant, measurable pocket of support for the Republican candi—

dates.

But, the pressure brought by the McGovern forces was so strong
that this pocket remained submerged, and the campus was denied

any meaningful dialogues.

Diversity does exist on the Grinnell campus. There are students
with other than the generally accepted liberal viewpoints. Some
are radical on the left. Some are quite conservative.

A similar diversity exists in the faculty. The flaming communist

and the violent conservative of a few years ago are gone, but there

are faculty members with equally strong persuasions in both

areas of the political spectrum.

President Leggett estimates that the College’s Trustees are
divided about equally between “liberals” and “conservatives.”

Our point is simple: the diverse viewpoints necessary for means
ingful dialogues on major issues exist here in the College comm—

unity.

What does exist is an atmosphere conducive to areasonable
dialogue. And until that atmosphere can be established, a major

part of the educational process is being missed,

Grinnell’s problem is not unique -- the same tendencies exist
at virtually every closed institution. However, Grinnell can be
unique if, working as a community, it can begin to foster an at-

mosphere allowing true diversity of opinion.
What true liberal could object to that?

THE GRINNELL SCARLET AND BLACK

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" We’re looking for a 'iew good men'and you cant find a football team?"

Kurz Calls 0n College For Recruiter Stance

To the editors.

i am writing this letter because
I am concerned about the Career
Service Office’s policy of recruit
ers on campus. Although last year
there was overt protest byanumber
of students about allowing a Marine
recruiter to actively recruit other
students, the entire community has
still not been consulted in regard
to an official pollcv. Today and
yesterday (September 27 and 23)
a Marine recruiter was once again
on campus, while many people still
oppose this policy. Now is the time
to demand that the issue be brought
out in the open,

Last year, after the Marine res
cruiter protest, a number of stur
dents were upset and said that the
banning of recruiters would be con-
trary to the doctrine of free speech,
They argued, just as the ACLU
does, that colleges can either wel-
come or ban all recruiters from
campus, but it is illegitimate to

Illtllli

lobin 0n Pub Meeting

To the Editors:

As a freshman unaccustomed to the
processes of college student govern-
ment, I believed that Grinnell'sSGA
must be quite a significant part of
campus life. After attending two
Joint Board meetings, meeting Prr
esident Well, observing some Joint
Board members in action, and see-
ing the interest of a few members
of the student body, 1 have indeed
come to the conclusion that this
year’s SGA means well and has
some very talented people involved,
To me, the SGA has shown an attir
tude Of concern for the welfare of
the entire campus.

BUT, any governmental body must
maintain the respect of the govern
ed. People in elective offices are
chosen to lead the student body, If
I am to understand John Turnbull
correctly, this is not happening
at Grinnell. in last week's Scarlet
and Black he stated: “SGA has found
an appropriate place to hold its
meetings .In the murky, drunken
atmosphere of the newly opened
Pub.” ’

I attended the meeting Wednesday,
September 19, and can attest to
the truth of that remark ldoubt
if there is a worse meeting place
the SGA could have chosen The
lighting was inadequate. The speaks
ers could not be beanie-above the
cash register, Pub patrons, etc
And the atmosphere is simply not
conducive to conducting the impor-
tant business of (meaningful) stu-
dent government

AS an obscure, new Grinnellian
I can only offer my humble opinion:
Move the son meetings to some
more appropriate location

Greg Tobin
Gates Hall

pick and choose, This point of View,
to me, seems rather narrow and
inadequately developed. By banning
recruiters no one is restricting
freedom of speech. Civil liberties
are not even in question. It is the
activity of joining new members
to a violent or war—related organr
ization that l oppose. Let them
set up a literature table or hold
a lecture to express their views
(indeed this might even be enlight—
ening) just don’t even let them re-
cruit

Howard zinn, Professor of His»
tory of Boston University, clearly
articulates this when he says:
the actions of an individualorgroup
(unlike even the most malacious
or slanderous speech) have imme
diate and irremediable effects on
the lives and liberties of others,
must sometimes be restricted for
health and safety tothe public.’l‘hus,
we pass laws against murder, rape.
arson. Thus, we regulate the safe!
manufacture of harmful products”
We even restrict the restaurant
owner's freedom to choose his cus-
tomers by racial standards. To put
it more broadly: The whole of cri-
minal and social legislation is de-
signed to restrict some people’s
freedom of action (not their civil
liberties) in order to choose to
safeguard the health and happiness
of others."

He continues by saying: “The Uni-

versity makes moral choices all
the time...why can’t it regulate the
coming and going of corporations
(and military) into the University,
where the value of life and theissue
is suffering?” Indeed, i ask this
question. ‘

The famous historian, Henry Steele
Commagor, argues similarly by
stating that the college or univerr
sity is “under no obligations what-
soever to make the facilities avail—
able to what is not educational,”
Just as the university has always
engaged in making moral distinct-
ions, it can do so on the recruit-
ing question as well.

Mr. Leggett, Mr. Walker, and Mr.
Hamilton, Dean of Student Affairs.
faculty or Grinnell College, and stu—
dents of Grinnell College -- it is
now time for us to challenge the
passive policy of neutrality and
express our views on this, as well
as all, public issues. Where is our
conscience? Either we stand up and
accept our humanitarian obligations,
or we must “stand accused of mo-
ml delinquency.”

All members of the Grinnell
community are encourage to
express their views on any sub-
test by writing letters to the
editor.

Letters for publication Friday
must be in our hands no later

d d

Hansen Apologizesfor Conduct

To the Editors

For those Of you who haven't he»
ard by now, the weekend before
last I discovered sixty albums which
had been stolen from KDIC in a
a student’s room. I returned those
albums to KDIC that night. In or~
der to do that, I entered the Stu-
dent’s room without his knowledge
or permission. Putting aside legal
questions of “search and seizure,"
such an action can only be con-
Strued as an act of blatant dis<
respect of that Student's rights
and an insult to the college comm~
unity in general

Anyone who has met this student
must surely realize that there isn't
a malicious bone in his body. This
case is particularly vexing for me

since it is difficult for me to mine
gine him doing anything so crimi-
nal as ripping off three hundred
dollars worth of albums from KDIC.
(A little vandalism, perhaps, but
sixty albums???)

Anyway, I intend for this letter
to serve two purpoSes:

(1) I wish to apologize to the
college community for showing so
little regard for the student’s rights
in removing the records, and

(2) To notify the college that i
will be left out of any decisions
on the part of the executive board
of KDIC with regard to the dis
position of this case. i believe
that I have done enough to bias
the case as it is

John Hansen

Weil 0n Maintaining Faculties

To the editors,

I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to reply to Mr. Tobin’s let-
ter I quarrel with Tobin’s inter-
pretation of John Turnbull’s arti-
ole, as I do think that we are
leading the student bodytowards our
goal of active student participation
in the academic and social govern-
ance of the College. The SGA Cab-
inet received over 100 applications
for committee openings this year and
we regretted having to turn down
so many enthusiastic students.

however, i wish to respond to the
greater substance of Mr. Tobin’s
letter with the promise that as
long as i am sou president and in
possession of sound mental facul-

ties, there Will never be another
Joint Boards meeting in the Pub.
The lighting was poor, the beer
was flowing, and generally it was
nearly impossible to conduct a ser-
ious meeting. At the time when
the site of the meeting was first
considered, 1 did not anticipate these
problems and inconveniences. Ialso
wish to apologize to the patrons
of the Pub for interrupting their
convivialities. I hope this letter is
evidence of the responsiveness of
the SGA cabinet to student con—
cerns. .

Sincerely,

Scott Well,

SGA Praident

 

