Scarlet a Black, March 4. impinge t

 

Campus

attitude
about athletics

refreshing

The basketball team won a game this season! They
finished the season with just one win, but who cares?

In many respects, the character and fortunes of the
basketball team reflect the role of organized sports here at
Grinnell. Sure, this basketball season was unsuccessful if
measured by the winrloss record. But athletics at Grinnell,
fortunately, is not measured in terms of games won and lost.
Members of the team played basketball because they enjoy
the game and the chance to play on an organized level. As
senior Paul Defianeysaid, “Winning and losing really isn’t
an important factor." And it shouldn't be.

The opportunity for students to participate in all levels of
athletics, both organized and unorganized, is one of Grin-
nell's greatest advantages. For such a small school, Grinnell
offers an incredibly varied number of areas of intercollegiate
competition, for both men and women, in addition to in-
tramural sports, physical education classes, and informal
recreation IGORP).

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect, though, of Grinnell's
athletic program is the attitude in which it is approached by
the community. Grinnell does not emphasize its in»
tercollegiate athl tic program. ACM Conference rules
specifically prohibit the college from offering athletic
scholarships, and the college does not actively recruit
athletes. President Turner notes: “Intercollegiate athletics
are attractive to some good potential students; it broadens
the applicant pool. However, we are steadfastly adhering to
the amateur idealithey [Grinnell athletes] get no breaks
from the college either in terms of grades or classes.”

Clearly, organized athletics at Grinnell are “no big deal."
Those who choose to participate are afforded the opportunity
to do so free from the pressures normally associated with
competitive intercollegiate athletics. Those who choose not
to participate either as players or spectators, feel no com~
pulsion to do so.

It’s nice to win, but as basketball coach Art Peterson puts
it, “At Grinnell winning isn’t expected. You play and you
lose, butyou don't fall apart about it. It's enough to enjoy it
for the participation and the experience, as a part of our
education.”

It’s nice to know that Grinnell doesn’t have the pressures
of other schools to produce winners on the athletic level.
There’s plenty of pressure around here as it is.

What did Grantland Rice say again?

 

 

The Scarlet & Black

second rlass postage paid at Grinnell, to sum

 

Janet Pope
Mark Mayer

torn Arenbers

DBVIG Green

sieve siloerberg

oehoic Weiner

Margo calyetti a Caleb Sullivan
acth Wilcy

Dean Mellva‘ine

Jon Eibaum

RICK Peiran

wiiiiarn oeminoil

Editor

Associate Editor
News Editor
Feature Editor
Photography Editor
cupy Editor

Sporis Edl'ors
cartoonist
Advertising Manager
Clrculatlnn Manager
Business Manager
Faculty Advisor

Reporters
Greg Ahmann, Elaine Ashhaugh, Colleen eidus, oavid aiatt, Mary eranot,
Phil (Pica) Brown, Tim Cover, trana cielano, T'im DeCoster, susan DUHEY.
Nancy Gould, Dennis Hansen, she Henken, Brion Lee, Tom Lowcnoerg,
Chris Lower, aoo Meyer, Carolyn Miller, Bob Mitchell, Poi Muller, cnristy
Munson, Renae Reese, Mike Saisirh, Dave Songcnter, Lean Seldier, lohn
Strauss, Jlm Sirlckler, Kelhy vupcr, sill Waldner, Dave wick
Columnists

Mark s Anderson, Elaine Ashbaugh, Will Collins, Roo Curicy, Pei Ed
niunos, Peler Jaroti, Ruth Montgomery, Tom Palizcr, Ellyn Tostano

Photographers
sieve Boles'a, ooye Katnan, cnris Lownr, Hello Lukk, Nick Maiden, Dean
Mcllvaine, Denny Minami. ous Moreno, David Roscnbzlum, Gregg Smith

 

poblisnao weekly cxrept durinq holldays and varation periods by
GrinnellCollegeiSfuocanublicaitons and Radio committcc, Grinnell, iowa
still

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hiring procedure protested

To the Editor: It was a bad Joke.

For the last three weeks the
history faculty and Student
Educational Policy Committee
have been trying to find the right
person to fill the East Asian history
position which “ll” be open next
year. On February 23 the chairman
of the history department an
nounced the department’s
recommendation for the position.
The decision was greeted with
disappointment and frustration by
the EPC, for who was the butt of
the bad joke7~The EPC.

The history faculty was divided
evenly as to which of two can-
didates Should be picked for the
department’s first choice. The
final decision was left to the history
department chairman, who an-
nounced the candidate of his choice
the next day. Where did the EPC
stand? Solidly and unanimously
opposed to the candidate chosen
and in favor of the other candidate.
Where did the students most
valved in East Asian Studies
stand? Solidly and unanimously
opposed to the candidate chosen
and in favor of the other candidate,

How had the recommendation of
the EPC and other students been
taken into donsideration? Instead
of being considered as a respecr
table opinion to be placed on one
side of the departmental debate,
the student recommendation was
banished to the vague role of
“Helping each faculty member to
form an opinion.”

The history EPC and the small
Asian Studies communlty had
expressed strong reservations
about the chosen candidate's
qualifications for the position.
From what the EPC could draw
from the candidate’s statements
concerning her background, she
appeared especially weak in
Japanese and written Chinese. (All
four of the other Candidates inn
terviewed had a strong proficiency
in both Chinese and Japanese,i
The EPC and all the persons in-
volved in East Asian history or
language stressed the special
importance of a knowledge of the
two major Asian languages in
understanding Eastern culture and

Render gives
and
receives thanks

To the Editor: We would like to
express our thanks to Bob Render
for all the time and energy he put
into coordinating Jewish Cultural
Weekend Through his efforts,
many students and faculty were
able to participate in a Friday
night Shabbat dinner and learn
about traditions of Jewish culture,

We would like to extend a special
thank you to Mr. and Mrs Render
for traveling 350 miles to be here,
and for shlepping a trunkload of
bllntzes with them Thanks again.
Bob! Shalom, Mal-is Natkcr and
Shelley shrnk

To the It itol‘:

I would like to thank all those
people who helped me make the
annual Shabbaf Dinner the best in
history. Without them we would
have had peanut butter and jelly
for dinner: Marts Natker, Shelley
Saruk, Drew Bergman, Dave
Pursell, John Schechter, Liz
Strombel‘g. Rich Houston, Joy
Schlesselman, Jan Lussmyer,
Charlotte Slocum, David Kramer,
Jean Ward, Patti Howard, Harold
Ilorn, Pr f, Harold Kaslmow, and
Dave McConnell, A special thanks
goes to Mrs. Green of Worcester.
Mass. who provided the kugel
recipe. I’m sorry we could not
accommodate all the requests for
places at the dinner. I hope all who
attended enjoyed the evening as
much as I did. Robert Render

history Additional reservations as
to the candidate's expressed
Weaknesses in traditional Asia and
economics were also Stated.

But the advice was not heeded,
The students' ability to make
Judgments as to the qualifications
of candidates was ridiculed by
several professors, and the bad
joke began

It is not the first time that the
history faculty has been lnatr
tenlive to EPC recommendations.
Last year the history EPC‘S
recommendation for a European
history position was put in third
place on the department's final
list. and the faculty recommended

a

a candidate that was the secs
third choice. We cannot help but
think that a pattern is emerging.
After a while, one gets sick of
hearing bad jokes. What is the
point of having the EPC's if they
are mere tokens? If the EPC IS to
bed meaningful avenue for student
input the faculty must recognize it
as a responsible decisionmaking
body. Above all, students must
show their concern for the fate of
the arc, and push for their rights
to determine their own education
Bob Taylor, Barbara Straus. David
Clotfefler, Rick Peterson, Lynn .
Hertz and Sally Snapp Q

Strickler endorses
Neiderbach

To the Editor: Many students scoff
at student government, but the
administrative reorganization
affair has Shown that student
opinion can be meaningful when
effectively guided. For this reason,
the campus should take the up-
coming election for SGA president
seriously. That position
can be inﬂuential in promoting
student input and for improving
student life and education here at
Grinnell College.

Jon Neiderbach appears to have
the necessary qualifications to be
an effective SGA president,
Through his extensive experience
in SGA, he is well versed in the
issues currently being dealt with,
And, he has a good base from
which to judge what SGA is
capable of accomplishing in the
future. >

He has time and again taken

}

firm stands on controversial
issues. I think this is a good in-
dication that Jon would be able to
stand up strongly for student’s
rights in dealing with the faculty or
administration.

A great deal of the SGA
president's effort is taken by time-
consuming organizational and
administrative details. Jon’s
diverse political experience gives
him an excellent background for
efficiently dealing with tho,
bureaucracies of SGA, the facultr
and the administration.

As a ”townie,” it pleases me to
find Jon very receptive to ideas for
improving town-gown relations. He
seems to have a good grasp of
small town politics and attitudes.

I encourage you to vote for Jon
Neiderbach for SGA President.
Jim Strickler

In search of Turner’s
accomplishments

by Pat Edmunds

It was only by coincidence. I
suppose, that Trustee Lowry's
letter to the editorshould appear at
the time when I finally decided to
take a stand in firm opposition to
the Turner Administration. Up
until the Davidson firing I, like
Lowry, was willing to give Turner
a chance and the benefit of doubt
after doubt,

In fact, I‘d become quite hard on
myself, repeating daily that the
abominations that Turner wrought
upon the language (”lower in-
testinal grinding” was one) were
only trivial offenses. The problem,
Iconcluded, was in me: I expected
too much of the president, I'd been
harboring delusions for years that
college presidents were eloquent
and inspired individuals cut from a
superior bolt of cloth.

“Words do not matter," i told
myself, “actions do."

Now it is true that for even the
most common folk the public
moments, the recorded thoughts
and speech, make up only a
fraction of a life time. And though I
raged for hours over the Mo
CIuskey-Dentel rcliil‘ing, While
some others rejoiced, as I Could not
but predict future disasters with a
president of such demonstrated
indecisivness in NoIIen House, I
regained my composure by
reminding myself that it is usually
only the sensational that makes
news. Murders, rapes, holdups
and firings make lhc front pages of
our minds.

Deep down we all know that
many good works are carried
quietly on without notice.

With this in mlnd I set out to
determine what good works the
Turner Administration has done
that may have escaped our eye I
asked a half-dozen facultv and
administrators, people I thought

 

might have the long view. I asked‘
Students, too, first year to final.
The anwer’was always the same.
As one faculty member put it
“You don’t know how many tim $
we’ve sat down and asked our
selves‘that very question.” He
thought for a moment and then
with a frustrated laugh, threw up
his hands and Said, “Beats me."

On my travels about—someone
once called me a bureaurat, on
account, I suppose, of my
propensity to travel the office
maze In this college—I find much
to my surprise, not one hopeful
spirit. Those normally of an.
equable temper are angry '
Ultimately they are sad. It is not
often that one sees the wise on th=*
campus wiuh reddened eyes and
Shaking bodies. While blood
pressures rise, morale may be
falling to an all-time low.

In fairness to the president, it
should be made clear that he,
unless someone may prove the
contrary to be true, had nothing
whatsoever directly to do with
Davidson’s firing. Yet one cannot
help but charge him with gross
negligence by falling to apprise his
new administrator, \IicerPresident
for Development David Murphy, of
the dangers inherent in firir ‘
women employees. A politic?
error of this magnitude should
never happen a second, let alone a
third, time. There's not enough
space this week to discuss the .
questionable ethics that lie behinrfss’
both men's {lclions

Suffice If to say, for now, that i
cannot liclp but wonder how the
generous spll‘il that moves o
trustee to write us from Chicago.
urging us to give Mr. Turncr and
lnscdminislrotion a chance, can so
completely escape that man and
one hc hired to serve him.

 

