The Scarlet Br Black De

, role—page 4

 

Letters to the editor

More alumni awareness of Mears debate necessary

To the edito Congratulations to
the editor and staff of the Scarlet
and Black for the excellent
coverage it is giving to the
trustees' decision to tear down
Mears Cottagka decision which
the alumniol’the college as a whole
were seemingly unaware oi until
the iinal question and answer
session of the alumni volunteer
conierence held on the campus
September 2930

The one hundred alumni from a
wide range of classes and
geographical locations were wined
and dined» and given much in
formation on the ﬁnancial needs of
the college, but until an alum asked
President Turner at that ﬁnal
session, “Is it true that Mears
Collage might be torn down?" was
that issue mentioned.

THE RESULT WAS an im-
mediate and loud vocal protest.
There was an equally loud outburst
when President Turner announced
the proposal to add a iourth story
to Norris. Certainly these protests
should have been listened to and
reported to the trustees, despite
the apparent consent given by the
alumni board of 19 members (as
reported by Jan German to
Professor Jordan).

Both some alumni I later talked
to at the alumni conference and
some I have talked to since have
uniiormly expressed shock at the
decision to tear down Mears
Cottage. It is a beloved landmark
not only to those generations of
mothers and daughters who have
lived in Mcars but to the alumni as
a whole, who regret the loss oi so
many traditions and buildings
associated with their days on the
campus

PROFESSOR n/u'll) Jordan's
two articles in the Scarlet and
Black are masterpieces not only
because oi his sensitivity to the

importance oi Mears historically,
but also of its intangible worth to
the college, alumni, faculty and
students. I only wish that copies oi
his articles could be sent to the
entire alumni mailing list

The letter to the Scarlet and
Black irom Roger Webb, 3
proiessional in the preservation of
historic buildings and their
adaptation to contemporary use,
should certainly be careiully
studied by the trustees and ad-
ministration. If Mears Cottage is
named to the National Register of
Historic Buildings (through the
foresight of John Burrows, ’77)
then certainly the possibility of a
federal matching grant Should be
considered.

T0 QUOTE Professor Jordan:
“Can the college aiiord to court the
negative publicity that will surely
follow if the trustees proceed to
destroy a nationally recognized
and a locally loved building?" I
would add, ”Can the college afford
to alienate many of its alumni at a
time when it is asking ior larger
than ever alumni contributions of
money?"

If the alumni were treated with
more sensitivity, if their OplniDnS
were sought, if a matching lurid
were set up, the dollars might roll
in for the preservation ol Mears,

CERTAINLY alternative uses
for Mears can be found Mears
Cottage IS more than a buildingiit
is a monument to Grinnell's early
vigorous; support oi' women‘s
education.

Why not turn it into a women's
center once again, as a living
monument to Grinnell’s support oi
women’s education? It Could be a
vital centerwne where Women’s
courses would be taught: women’s
conferences held: With guest
ro s for returning alumnae or
vi ng distinguished women

Piano vandalism strikes discord ‘

To the editor: I was very disgusted
this week by the senseless and
violent way in which someone
(probably a student) treated our
hall's piano. The piano, unlike
many on campus,.is a good one,
and has been used by the Mirecourt
Trio tor concerts in our lounge
Consequently. the piano was
locked to Safeguard it from the
abuse most hall pianos receive.
Someone was apparently
unhappy with this arrangement
and therelore took it upon them-
selves to break open the piano,
They were not content to merely
hacksaw the lock, however. for
they instead broke oIf half the
keyboard cover, thus doing cone
siderableNSlOo or more) damage.
AS a result the piano will

To the editor and the college
coiniinniily; I am enraged and
appalled at the blatant vandalism
which occurred this past weekend
in Younker lounge. Some person
or persons with a complete lack oi
respect {or college property
vandalized the piano which the
Mirecourt Trio uses in its dorr
initnry concerts
T e piano, now inoperable,
an estimate of the damage,
wh h will probably amount to
several hundred dollarS, It has
been rcmovcd irom the lounge lor
the remainder of the academic
year, and the rest oi the
Mil'ccourt Trio's dormitory con-
ccrts have been canceled for this

an the average, ihere are five
tight-handers for every left-

 

probably be removed, taking away
the opportunity to play on a decent
piano or listen to an occasional
lllirccourt Trio concert

I find this one of the most senr
seless, aslnine acts of vandalism I
have ever seen I once thought that
Grinnell students were reasonably
civilized and considerate, but now I
seriously wonder if this is the case

This and other similar acts of
vandalism make me sick to my
stomach, and sometimes make me
wonder ii I am living in a
“civilized" place with a “Come
munity” atmosphere

To whoever broke oil the
keyboard cover on our piano:
thanksiior NOTHING! Mike
llnistcttcr, ‘Younkci- “all.

year.

This action is simply inexcusable
and should not be tolerated! Before
this, I naively considered any
Grinnell Collcgc student incapable
ol such senseless destruclion. I u as
deeply saddened to have bccn
proved wrong

The piano belongs to the
college's music dcpartment and
was placed in the lounge tor the
benelit oi all who enjoy the
Mirecourl Trio's periormances
there If any responsible student
uished to practice on the piano.
usually a note or Call to Mr Jensen
was suillclent to have the piano
unlocked

I hope this was an isolated in
cident and not a symptom of a
growing lack oi respect ior persons
and property on this campus. I
urge all concerned and responsible
members oi the campus come
munity to speak out against this
intolerable disrespect for college
property and blatant disregard [or
the rights and teelings oi others.
David Laitd- ...........

speakers

I believe the alumnae oi Grinnell
would respond, in the true spirit of
Grinncll—a spirit which has been
deep in the hearts of Grinnellians
over the decades and which only
those deeply committed to the
college with a vision that goes
beyond “economic considerations"
can grasp. Margaret M. Kicsel,
alumna.

Tom Johnson

Armadﬂlos

C‘mon, admit it, it’s been
bugging you for weeks. hasn’t it?
That tearing, provocative, elusive
question: armadillos, can they be
made safer? Well, the answer is
yes, and in our lifetime.

I know, you're skeptical, but just
think: in this age oi zip-lock bags
and aluminum chlorhydrate, an
age where they can send men to the
moon and Roger Jepsen to
Congress, the possibilities are
virtually mitloss.

DOES ANY OF thlS make sense
to you at all? Sure doesn't to me, If
you have iound the last paragraphs
to be in any way logical or sensible.
you‘re deiinitely ill, and I suggest
this course oi action: drink your
Discwasher ﬂuid and then Sit on
top oi a running dryer with at least
three dimes in it and read some
Freud, Works for me, and I had
SAT scores well above the national
meanireally!

Those lew 01 you who are still
reading must be asking your-
selves, “What the hell does all this
mean?" Well. nothing really, but I
have to pad this thing out to lull
length somehow. Besides. it's a
good way to get all the reel
coneheads who may be reading
confused enough so that they'll put
the paper down and go away, thus
leaving me open to really insult
them in latter parts at the column
without endangering my teeth. I’m
sure mostoithcm are gone by now. ,
, let's get down to issucs, Ready?

WHAT MAY TURN out to be an
exciting new campus trend has
been started in the Younker
“study” lounge. (Which, in
cidentally. I am pleased to add, is
now almost completely free oi all
that unsightly iurniture that was
carelessly dumped there at the
beginning oi the semesterithanks
to a few unselﬁsh students who
donated the time and effort to
remove it to their rooms.)

As you may know, the Mirecourt
Trio had been pestering students
all year by giving free informal

.study break concerts in the

Alum bemoans possible Mears razing

To the editor: As the Student who
ﬁrst suggested to the Dober iirm
that Mcars should be renovated, it
not restored and placed on the
National Register thereby
becoming eligible ior federal
support, I read With interest
Professor Jordan’s article and the
related stories in the November 10
issue.

I remember that the consultant
had not considered this possibility
until our conversation. 1 suspected
then, as 1 do now, that he had
already been informed that Mears
would be razed.

. . . VEESENllNG
THE

love music,

Younker lounge. These three punks
would just saunter in With their
iancy instruments, set up and
perform‘ Just like that, and
nobody even asked them, as far as
I can tell. And someone even had
the gall to set up free reireshmcnts
to go with all this.

NOW HOW ARE we expected to
study with all this calming,
tasteful. Just downright nice music
waiting through the hall? It was a
real problem. They'd moved right
in, had even leit their piano in the
lounge, and were threatening to
inflict yet another of these
evenings 0] culture and enjoyment
(echh!) on us Something simply
had to he done,

Well. someone decided to take
action: not passive. inefiective
whining but strong. aiiirmative

mil NT’lFF.

As one whom the president
wished “to turn loose on an iceberg
on more than one occasion."
lBaccalaureate Address, 1977) I
Feel conﬁdent that he won’t
welcome hearing from me again.

Yet I propose that once more at
the root of this maneuver lies the
desire oi this most impetuous oi
presidents I suggest that the
president has harbored, and
continues to harbor, the over
whelming urge to build a new art
building constructed in his own
time if not named alter him.
Pa la M. Edntundsi

action, They smashed in the
keyboard cover oi the Trio’s piano,
damaging the keys in the process.
Now these are the types oi people
I'm sure you’ll agree we need more
oi around here—the kind oi people
who flog houseplants and whose
idea oi playing with the dorm cat is
to smear peanut butter on elec-
trical outlets.

THANKS TO THIS brave act of
violence, Younkerltes and other
students who have been un-
fortunate enough to be caught in
the lounge during the Trio’s rude
ImpOSItions will be lelt in peace [or
the rest of the semester, and
maybe all year.

So take an example irom this
success story, Got a gripe? Don't
sit around bitching; get out there
and break something!

 

 

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