Gay Students: Advice

To the Editors: '
We havehtt got it all figured out
but we’re all working on it, by our
selves and together. There is no
formal counselling for gay people
at Grinnell, and we each found that
out the hard wayr-alone. Now that
we’ve tound each other, we want to
help others. But coming to a group
session on Tuesday nights doesn’t
suit everybody’s style. So if you
would rather talk to just one per-
son, male or iemale, talk to Di-
anne Ruyfl‘elaere or to Dick Vos,and
they will give you one ofournames.
it will all be strictly contidenllal.
We are not-trained counsellors, but
we want to help, if only by lending
an ear. We don’t have all the ans—
wers, but we can only try.

The Grinnell Gay Community

Priority of Poor

The recent kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst
should not reinforce our discontent with violence in America
as much as it should illuminate the plight of this nation’ 5 poor. ‘
The Symbionese Liberation Army has taken upon itself the enor-
mous task of confronting the American people with their own
shortcomings, namely the gross neglect of those in need.

In no way do we support the use of violence tactics to achieve
even peaceful ends and we regret the need for such actions to
achieve any ends. But we do acknowledge that the kidnapping
of a pretty, white, wealthy young woman apparently moved a great
many Americans to pity, and by Thursday of last week, over $1
million had been received by the Hearst family to aid in the ran»
som demands, and letters continue to arrive at a rate of nearly
600 a day,

t
We cannot help but feel that this great tugging of the heart
strings of so many Americans was caused by the fact that Miss
Hearst is an attractive heiress in trouble, and not by the fact
that those spending money knew it was going to be distributed
as food to needy families in California. Apparently Patricia Hearst
is being viewed as an innocent victim of aterrorist attack.

(Name withheld by request)
amt m that unﬁt n, a... that

Rosenfield Lecturer Gloria Emerson paid a surprise visit to the Scarlet

and Black newsroom following a dinner in her honor Tuesday. During

her two-hour stay in the newspaper office, she worked with staff writer

Elaine Carey in perfecting an in depth report on the admissions picture.

Three Ex-Students Explain Dissatisfaction _

ously inward. There's something

But is innocence an excuse for apathy? We deeply hope that no
further harm will come to Miss Hearst, her fiance or her family,
and that appropriate agreements may be reached through peaceful
negotiations and mediations by the SLA, the six activist group re-
presentatives and the Hearst family. The question is; Why must

. . . . Grinnell hear us! You will continuee
concerned 1nd1v1duals, whether labeled terrorist or not, resort

(Ed. note--The following letter was

to violent tactics to bring to the attention of the American people
and their government urgent and pressing national issues? Feeding
and caring for needly families is not a radicalpolitical move.
It is a humanitarian action which should be performed continually
and conscientiously, by our government, not by private citizens.

In essence then, this is a case of guilt by association, just as
Richard Little and Joseph Remior, two members of the SLA
accused of murdering Oakland School Superintendent Marcus Fosr
ter, are being held in the_maximum security section of San Quentin
prison under extreme conditions not even allowed for convicted

murderers. They are merely members of the SLA.

The situation unfolds as one of extreme misunderstanding in the
minds of the American people. Taking pity on the Hearst family
as victims of terrorists is simply not recognizing the issues at
stake. The SLA is forcefully bringing to our attention the fact
that there are millions of poor people in this country, over 4.5
million in the state of California alone, and that very little is being

done to help them.

In their minds, “helping them” does not mean pseudo poverty
programs and welfare but the redistribution of income. The con»
tribution of dollar bills and small change is not a redistribution
of wealth, especially when contributed as ransom. On the other
hand, little good could come of a program to give each poor family
in California $70. it is a symbolic, but irrational demand. Much
more radical programs are going to haveto be instigated to improve

upon the financial problems of this country.

If those Americans who have alded theHearst’sfeel this kidnapping
is a justified cause to warrant their support, one questions why
they haven’t sent money tofamilles of prison inmates, to families
of conscientious draft evaders, to the families of dead miners, or
even directly to the poor in the first place? Aren’t these people
worthy of their dollars? or is it simply that Patricia Hearst re-

presents too much of what is “good” in America to have her, or

her family suffer this ordeal any longer?

We are forgetting also that there is a war continuing in Vietnam
with American financial and military support. Are we to ignore
our country’s involvement like we ignore the poor? Aren‘t there
enough victims in South Vietnam already to warrentr our charity

dollars?

It is time, in short, to recognize the fact that America is not and

should not be represented by Patricia Hearst.
-—D.T.H.~

THE GRINNELL SCARLET AND BLACK

The crrrnru Sni’llt .nu alien is punttshrd
weekly rrsrpt during recess periods hy the
charm College Commlllee on student Pithll-
riuans and delo Edllortnl opinions expresszd
'hereto do nntnreersartlv reprirtnt the Helix oi
the students. tarutty. stilt. nr admtnlsinllon
di crinnitt College Views unrrrsen tn stinru
cnlurnnr ire that. at the authors .nu not he
cesiartlv those of the stall nr management at
the Crlnnell Sonrlel ind Black

All rtints reserved neprnanitian of any n...
ertit vunnut advance written orrrntsrtnn is pro.

hunted.

Suhscrlpllnn ritti 55 so penvtnr nitnnt in...
shlei cnnntv. me her yen elseiherc in the
United stater; t in rates noun rruurst.

Office: Forum t crinntu Colleg:,crlnnell,
long arm re is tstiyztmtiinrtsisi
tannin Extension its. omit hours I to 5p in.
daily. in a in to noon Saturday

Pos’rMAs‘i‘ER Change of address ttnrn. :s-ts)
should he soul to Cirsulnilnn Department,
Mr Cllnnell Sclrlel and Blntk, orinntttcntrrt,
crinnenhw. sniit

Second this mutant pint. crinnetmm 501 it

sbirnn .lnho Wylie
MANAGINC EDI'IUR ntrnisshnnarlnrvir
Lupin :nnoiz, . , , . Lung, out
PHOTOGRAPHY nmzc-ron ...Dou( hitsrv
BUSINESS unmcnn .. , Laurie! viitnune
invenrisinc MANAGER , connte mt
CIRCULA1IDN.. ntvt Cniverl
countc Evin: net Dee natuit
Music Emma. . nrnercritn
srolws inn-on. nav. cnlvtrt
cAmooMs'r . Greg Tohtn
ruorochlirnzns red cnnviy,

Jeff nrr, nirltrr anlx, c w. Hobbs.

Nancy Ions buttintninfn, Dlvfdlordr
slum Rnh‘l‘ow

wironmvs Rich irnatt,
rtsth mutt, urid niutnerht, Marl. Blan-
thud, Jlm notnrt, shtrrian snout, biatnr
Cunt. net btncotdir, taur. wither, mitt
hirhtrniitr. lesslca th-nhet
with inner, Rabi): wirint.
Dave Schechterv .vnav Schwartz, nirture
stntth, sue Stein-Ill, Ahhi svinsnn. tnnn
'lurnhull

wAN'l ADS

COLUMNISTS. .
Dav! scherhtr

”Pal" Eur;
mun KanP-
Woods irnnantxnri, .
Rob Rainer
WASHINGTON bureau.
John ttiritr
rhornssionltt ADVISER.

Clndy .vantron (Chief),

thltun nrmlnnn

written by three former Grinnell
students.

In a cover letter which accompan-

ied it one of the authors, Melody ,

Childs, Said all three became dis—
satisfied and left the school.

"Although we all are attendingdif-
ferent universities, the impact that
Grinnell had on us continues tohau»
utus," she continued,

The three students wrote the let-
ter, she added, to “perhaps initiate
some discussionahoutthe couege. ")
To the Editors:

Subject. Grinnell College
Located at: Grinnell, Iowa 50112
Telephone Numbe (515) 236s6181
Approx. Population: student 1,200
faculty/professional l00
maintenance 100
Approx size: 60 acres covering
numerous buildings
Quality of students: excellent
Quality of staff: excellent
Quality of physical plant: excellent
Scholastic ratings: excellent
Purpose: indecipherable
BOB WHITE

I went to Grinnell College for a
year. 1 slaved, ate, balled, and se-
arched. Yei never Once did I find
concrete answers to the question of
purpose. After being away for a
year, I still feel that there is a
hell of a lot wrong with Grinnell.

MELODY CHILDS
I spent my high school yearssearr
ching tor the right college, Iv
ted Lawrence, Knox,Monmouth,An—
. tioch, Dennison, Carthage, Shimcr,
Carleton, Grinnell, and a number of
State universities. l finally decided
on Grinnetl, my decision based on
a love for the campus, and the fr-
iendly people I met while inter—
viewing.

As a freshman, I had a hope that
I would grow in the “Grinnell EXr

.perience.” l naively thought that
the “Griiinell Experience” meant
more that doing one ten page paper
after another.

CAROL KROHM
College, I hoped, would be some-
thing special—-a place to grow or
grow up. With these thoughts, 1
was easy prey to the promises of
a college where I could “develop
as an individual ” At Grinnell, I
found that instead of growing up
and out, I began to grow dangerr

about that ever present academic
stram, the lack oi spontaneity, and
those distances from real human
commitment that can make aperson
feel empty and out of touch. Cer-
tainly now, I know better than to
take the words ofa college catalog
with anything but cynicism. But
looking back, 1 still cannot forgive
Grmneil, and the persistent acar
demics encouraged there, for step-
ping in the way of my goals and not
allowing me the freedom or the
time to develop my mind and spirit
as l saw fit.

usesixsxxtsssxssss

We all came to Grinnell in the
year when the newspaper screamr
ed “Academic Pressure.” We were
as much the problem as the rest
of the students. We blamed our»
selves for our apparent lack of effr
iclency, and so we continued Durh—
ing ourselves out staying up to
finish all the papers.

Grinnell has one ofthebest chances
to be successful as any institution,
if it would only find a reason; one
that all would at least in part agree
try, one that would unify and bring
together. The present purposes of
Grinnell are all vague and seem—
ingly unreachable ones; “To pre~
pare for a better future,” "To
grow as a person,“ and “To be
Successful, ”

Grinnell was filled with lonely
people, striving and seeking for a
unique education. Grinnell attempt»
ed to be the “Harvard of the Mid-
west." Yet it is difficult to ima»
gine the reputation 'of Grinnell to
ever be on par with Harvard, The
professors taught too traditionally.
The classes dispersed wisdom to
the timing of bells.

Before we left Grinnell, we went
to see the president. He was per
turbed about the academics. We
suggested ways to change the sci
huol ie (a) discussing with the
faculty and demanding them to ass,
ign less written work, (b)lnvolving
the town in a work study program
with students, and (c) having a
certain day a week set aside where
there would be no studying, and
people would be free to grow in
other areas of their lives.

The president kept shaking and
wringing his handsandsaying, “But,
Grinnell can't fail.”

Students: Object Io Whistle Ad

To the Editors:

We are tndignent about the Inclur
sion or an advertisement tor a live
dollar rape whistle in last week's
s b B. while we acknowledge and
support the utilization oi rape whis-
tles we feel that the reaping oflarge
capital gain, especially through the
use oi sexist scare tactics and sug
gestive illustrations, denigrates our
sensibilities. We hold the s it B
responsible {or its compliclty in
such unconscionable advertising.

Margie Baumgarten
Janey Brunton
Susan Patterson

Peggy Shlnner
Bruce Tucker

(Ed. note-aAdvertising policy is
entirely separate from editorial pol—
1c .

Aydvertising is reinsed only if we
have reason to believe that: l).
the firm involved will not perform
the services it offers or 2). the firm
involved will not pay its advertising
hill

We have checked the firm in ques-
tion with the Greater Milwaukee Bet-
ter Business Bureau and received a
favorable report.)

to rail until you give and believeﬁ
in a reason for existing--a reason
which will give learning an interest
and excitement. Grinnell must be a
college willing to take gambles,
risks, and to try innovative techni-
ques, Grinneil has been a business
turning out a few neurotic, highly
schooled snubs. But with planning
and work, it could be a truly, su-
perior college.

So remember Grinnell students,
next time you're slaving at 3:00
A.M., strung out on speed, andwon—.
dering why this ten page paper is
necessary remember why you’re
at Grinnell, Don‘t blame yourself

if you cannot find a meaning.

As long as the students of Grinnell
allow themselves to be sold on the
idea that they are at fault person-
ally, and thus become guilt rlooen
and overtly victimized by a system,
that system will never be changed.
As long as there are those who
refuse to proudly acceptthemselves!
and their own'growth, and to cease
admonishing themselves, there will
be a market for insipid education
and the most lowly paranoid learn-
ing. Not only do you Grinnell stu-
dents hurt yourselves and do noth-
ing to improve Grinnell...You hurt
others who turn to the same con-
clusions.

If we drop~outs of Grinnell sound
cynical, it is because we are cyni-
cal. Grinnell College and theclaims.
it made of "growth, success, and
future preparations" were misre-
presented. These claims are harm-
in], because they give young stu-
dents false hopes.

Maybe you students can giveapur-
pose to Grinnell--ii so, good luck
and the best of everthing. it you
find yourseli as we did, gravely
unhappy, bitterlyconhlsed,andmor—
tally depressed--Leave and go to _
the “real world.” Stop blaming?
yourself and give up the myth of

the Grinnell fairyland.

Conclusion.
ience. (It
experience.)

Sincerely from Ex-Gi‘innellians,
Bob White

The GrinnellExper-
certainly was an

Melody Childs
Carol Krohmﬁ

RULES FOR
LETTERS

Letters to the Editors are wel~
come on any topic,buttheyrnust
conform In certain rules.

All letters ior Friday publi—
cation must be in our hands by
5 p.m. Wednesday. They must
be typewritten, doubled spaced,
under 350 words and signed(ai-
though we are glad to withhold
names upon request).

Letters which do nottollowth»
ese guidelines will be returned

0 the writer.

 

