lorry Frank: 'lyocul Color’ Photographer

by chy Wosk

Larry Frank. The name should
ring a hell ior most juniors and
seniors. Campus activist and
“Pterodactyl” (that's the old Grin-
nell underground, freshmen) photo-
grapher and Journalist, Larry once
helped erect two to three thousand
wooden crosses on central campus
in honor ot a visiting Marine rev
cruiting officer. You also might
remember him confronting theDean
of Men in the library, which was
”occupied" at the time by rebel
forces made up of students who
thought 11:00 was too early for a
college library to close.

lnstead oi a library, Larry is pre
sently occupying a charming frame
house in Grinnell. He recounted
some oi his pretty memorable past
in a recent interview at his Third
and High abode.

When Larry was a junior, he sent
samples oi his photography to Liber-
ation News Service, which supplies
Movement news that you can’t get
anywhere else to underground neWSr
papers across the country. The LNS
had received an invitation to send
reporters and photographers to Cuba
ior their tenth anniversary celebra-
tion oi the Revolution. Larry was
among those chosen to go. He ieit
Grinnell ior six weeks in January

oiisss. g _
He spent the iirst two weeks in

Cuba on a government-supervised
tour. a tour that Larry and the other
bits people believed was designed
to impress them with the steps tore
ward the government had initiated:
they visited larms, iish processing
plants, and dairies. At night they
were treated to Havana night clubs,
Complete with a man in one in
Liberace»esque garb rising up irom
the floor on a lift.

But after the official tour group
broke up, Larry went out on his own,
talking to people in and around the
city and countryside of Havana. He
encountered a wide spectrum of
opinions about the revolutionary Cu-
ban government, irom one man who
“slapped his stomach to show me
how well-fed he was, and proudly
showed me the bottoms of his kids’
shoes, which had no holes, " to highly
embittered slum-dwellers, who
shared bathroom facilities with 300
other people.

Meanwhile, Larry was busily taking
roll upon roll ofpictures. Twice dur-
ing his stay he was arrested on
charges oi taking pictures oi mili-
tary installations~charges which
were never substantiated. Each time
his film was confiscated with pro-
mises of its return, and each time
Larry subsequently never saw the
iilm again.

When he got back tothell.s., Larry
eagerly set out developing the rest
of his film. “When I pulled the film
out of the fix I knew something was
deiinitely wrong,” he said. All oi
the first eight rolls of film he der
veloped came out severely logged,
almost but not quite unprintable.
It was then that he realized that the
government had somehow gotten hold
of his film from his hotel room and

Chief Peters beams a smile alid strikes a pose with three old Grinnell friends,
Larry Frank, Krys Neuman, and Henry Wilhelm.

irradiated it, Only the most recent
rolls were intact,

Looking back, Larry claimshe was
“generally enthusiastic about what
was going on there, butlnave reser-
vations about their method." He
cited government censorship of the
arts and press, and indoctrination
(Che received the same Worship
Washington receives here) in the
schools.

Larry dropped out or Grinneli in
January oi his senior year. “i
needed something that collegedidn’t
have to offer,” he said, His only
interests at Grinnell, he claimed,
had been his photography and Ptero-
dactyl. Thus, especially in the 3th
sence of the multitude of indepenr

dents possible these days, he ielt
his goals lay outside oi school.
He decided to travel around the
Southwest, ending up in Calitcrnia.
There he joined the staff of a V0-
cations {or Social Change, a col-
lective or people living together
involved in providing interested job—
seeks with “alternative” vocations.
most of which offered only sub—
sistent Salaries.

He applied to the Chinese Coil»
sulate in Ottawa in April, asking
for permission to go to China to
take pictures, Amazingly, he re
ceived a reply letter granting him
that privilege. He quickly flew to
New York, then to Hong Kong, the
launching point for travelers headed

ior China. But once in Hong Kong,
he discovered his letter was a hoax
0! some sort, and within hours he
was back on his way to California,
U. A

He returned to New York in the
tall to try to build up a career as a
photographer, making contacts and
meeting people. Finally in January
at this year, Larry returned to
Grinnell, where he bought a house
which he moved into this summer.
He has now spent almost six mone
ths working on the two-story struc-
ture, putting in a porch, electri»
city and an elaborate darkroom (in
the basement be renovated) with
the word Pterodactyl stenciled on
the door,

At present, Larry is the Midwest

photographer ior “American Re-
port", a magazine oi concerned
clergy and laymen. Since assuming
this title, he has been sent out on
assignments to Minneapolis and
Washington to photograph demone
strations. A recent assignment took
him to Cleveland to take pictures of
the parents of the Kent State vic-
tims.

He is also hard at work on his own
photographic study at Poweshiek
County, which he estimates willtake
at least a tow years. ”What is nape
pening td lowa is typical to what’s
happening throughout the Midwest,"
Larry Said, citing the move of the
farmer to the town, the encroac ,
ment of the large mechanized farm
on the smaller, less modern farm.
Samples at his work can be seen at
the East Street Gallery.

Renting rooms to two Grinnellstu—
dents provides another source or
income for Larry, who calls him-
selt “the best landlord in Grill»
nell.”

Especially now that he is a home-
owner, Larry ieels he is being ac~
cepted as a part oi the Grinnell
community. He takes an active inr
terest in town affairs, as hedidwhen
he was a student at the college, at-
tending the Iii-monthly meetings of
the City Council Originally irom
Roslyn Heights, Lond island, he
finds peace in small-town life, which
is one of the reasons he chose to
come back. Larry envisions staying
here at least five years, though he
doubts he will remain here the rest
oi his days.

Dawson Proposes Public Events Fund

by Chip Shoistall

After a year and a half at Gr
hell, I have been surprised to find
that far from having a vide variety
or cultural entertainment, Grinnell
really suffers irom a deficiency or
cultural activities. This yearwewill
spend close to $26,000 on securing
popular rock, blues and jazz musical
groups. We will spend less than
$5,000 on contracting less “avante-
garde”, but traditionally cultural,
philharmonic orchestras, symphon-
ies, soloists, dance groups andtheaa
ire groups.

Part or this imbalance can be as-
cribed to the mannerin which student
money is channelled. This year, oi
the money obtained irom student
activity tees, $35,000 wasappropri-
ated to the Social Coordinating Com—
mittee. or this $35,000, about
$26,000 will be spent on both large
and small concerts. This sort or
expenditure is traditionallyaiunce
tion of the Social Coordinating Com
mittee. 0n the cultural side, $4,000
was set aside ior administration by
the initiative-Cultural Fund. on the
college side, $4,000 was assigned to
the music department iorsponsoring
cultural events

Unfortunately, for all practical
purposes. the Initiative—Cultural
Fund is inherently incapable oi se-
curing quality philharmonics, dance
and theatre groups, etc., due to its
low budget and late start. Tosecure
good cultural programs atminimum
cost, contracts must be negotiated
at least a year in advance. Thus, with
the Social Coordinating Committee
traditionally more concerned with
popular musical groups, and the
Initiative-Cultural Fund unable to
eiiectivciy bargain, the solicitation
of cultural activities is very dim-
cult indeed.

In an attempt to correct this strucr
tural handicap, Professor John c.
Dawson, chairman oi the Public
Events Committee, has proposed a
plan for the academic yearl9’12773.
His plan would call for the Cnmbinr
ing of $10,000 oistudent money and a
minimum of $5,000 oicoliege money
into a single large Public Events
Fund. Such a fund would be adminis
stered by a committee composed of
four Students and three faculty mem-
bers. In order to secure theSlDJJOO
in student money, this year's finance
committee has recommendeda cut of
$6,500 next year irom the popular
concerts budget, and a $1,500 de

crease in the Initia 've»Cultural
Fund budget. The additional $2,000
would come from surplus funds from
this year, 1971-72,

student concern over this plan
should be directed tirstatthedesir.
ability of cutting $6,500 from the
concerts funds, and second at the
committee composition. Presently,
exactly $25,710 is budgeted tor both
large and small concerts, With the
proposed decrease, totol money
available ior the 1972—73 concerts
would be $10,210. Basically, such a
budgetary reallocation would mean
about two iewer “largerscale'mon-
certs and two more theatre groups,
dance groups, or pnilharmonics, etc.

Regarding committee composition,
one pertinent point as yet unclear is
the question oi to whom willbedele—
gated the chairmanship oi the com~
mittee--student or taculty member?
Considering that under the proposal
2/3 of the iund money would come
irom student iees, it seems only proe
per that a student be appointed chaire
man.

One further consideration that
should be mulled over is the method

by which the students will be
appointed to the committee. The
proposal specifies two at-large stur
dents to be appointed by the SGA, the
Social Coordinator, and a cultural
events chairman (underthe auspices
of the Social Coordinating Com-
mittee and traditionally an appointee
of the Social Coordinator) to be slur
dent members. Are these positions
important enough to warranta spec-
ial election? If the Social Coordina-
tor remains an appointed position
should he be given the power to ap—
point another member? Such ques—
tions still have to be answered.

Once such mechanical questions
are suitably solved, i believe that it
would be in the interest of the entire
student body to support the passage
of this proposal. Mr. Dawson’s plan
promises an expanded entertainment
spectrum on campus. lmportantly,
it provides the large amount of
money needed to negotiate quality
contracts in advance, and as well,
allows Grinnell to become an effec~
tive bargainer with other area Coir
leges. i hope you recognize thatthis
proposed structural change will help
satisfy the need for increased diver»
sification in entertainment at Grin-
nell.

Music Students Reveal Their Independents

considerable success

by David Nicolai

independent study protects being undertaken
in the music department this semester display
the students' wide array of interests and a
willingness on their part to go to any length
to learn more about the field oithelr interest,
In this article, the fourth in a series, some
of the most interesting music independents
will be examined.

Mary Marquis is pursuing a study ofwomen
in American music under thedireclionoIMr.
Eric Jensen. The basis of this loosely struc-
tured independent is a women’s program on
KDIC which is broadcast at 7:00»10:DD p.m.
every Friday. with the help oi Bonny Gilden,
Mary prepares programs which ieature ie-
male musicians, mainly vocalists. whose
themes deal with women’s unique perspective
on life.

Past shows have dealt with Such topics as
ballads illustrating the oppression gLWomen
in such social institutions as courtship, mar~
riage, and childbearing, black female blues
singers; country-western music asa cultural
expression oi women irom predominantly
lower-income backgrounds; maleechauvinise

45 December 7, 1971

tic music; and a program blending music and

the poetry oi women showing feminist cone
sciousness.

Through the research She has canducted {or
these shows and other aspects otherproject,
Mary feels she has gained a knowledge ufthe
utilization of media in women’sactivities and
has reached a new understanding of women,
and the importance oi music as a cultural
expression oi people's lives rather than
merely as an abstract art iorm,

Mark Siegirled is studying the history and
musical literature of the classical guitar.
Mark, who has taken lessons on the instru-
ment {or five years, organized this indepen-
dent because of the lack ofqualified teachers,
music, and books on the classical guitar on
campus. Under the direction of Mr. James
Wyly, he is concentrating on theSpanishlute,
or vihuela, which is the ancestor of the mods
ern guitar.

Mark has attained all his information and
music independently; his main reierence is
an unpublished dissertation on the subyect.
The culmination of the project will be :i
recital oi sixteenth-century solo pieces and

The Scarlet and Black

songs which will be played from the original
transcription tor the vihuela, but willbepei»
iormcd with a classical guitar, due to the
unavailability of vinuelas.

Bob Ruhl is constructing a Hubbard one-
manual harpsichord kit (Hubbard is the man
who produces the kits and one-manual indi-
cates one keyboard). The kit, which Costs
$700, and other necessary equipment are
being purchased at Bob’s own expense. Mr.
Wyly, who is guiding Bob in his study oi
the historical aspects oi the instrument,
also gave him harpsichord lessons last
school year.

Bob uses library resources to research
the harpsichord, which reached its peak
of popularity in the seventeenth century
He says that musical knowledge, histori-
cal knowledge oi the insirument, and technie
cal knowledge are all important in building
a harpsichord.

Jeff Gwiliiam is undertaking the design
and construction oi an electronic music
studio. The studio, hopeiully to be a pel‘a
manent part of Grinnell’s music facilities,
is now being used by Mr, Jensen's Twen-
tieth century Composers' Workshop, Mr,
Jensen reports that his students have had

composing avant»
garde and popular music in the studio,
either using the equipment as sound sources
or ior treating sound and music on tapes.
the circuits, sequencer, and connection
panel, which facilitates the connection of
any oi the components oi the studio to pro
once an incredible variety of Sounds, are
all oi Jeff’s own design. Now that the equip-
ment, costing about taboo-0,000, has been
purchased, the main expenses will be elec—
tricity and tapes. The purpose of the studio
is to produce any sound conceivable. either
through electronics or external treated noise,
Directed by Mr. Fudge, Floyd Slotterback
is practicing choral conducting while servmg
as Student director of the Concert Choir.
This independent is well—suited to Floyd’s
vocational goals, as he plans to receive a
graduate degree in this field and return to a
college campus someday as a choirdirector.
The climax of his efforts came with the
Christmas concert on December third, at
which the choir Sang five pieces Selected
and directed by Floyd, ranging irom sixe
teenth-century to contemporary music. Mr,
Fudge directed the remainder of the concert.

 

