Responding to the qUestionr.

The academic pressure survey recently released by the‘
Dean of the College has to go down as one of the survey
extraordinaire that has ever made its way into the anxious
hands of any student who ever owned a number two lead
penci .

The survey was aimed at providing a basis on which to
discuss the haunting spectre of “academic pressure" in-
telligently. In his commentary piece in this issue, Dean
Walker state: “that the preoccupation with the discussion of
such pressure without the development of some hard data
concerning the problems results in its escalation." The real
question is. (lid the latest survey produce the “hard data"
do lied? There are some noticeable “soft spots” in the study
which detract from the overall quality of the resulting
product.

In the questionnaire, strident work was categorized into
three areasill number of examinations, 2) reading
assignments. and 3t other assignments. The questionnaire
was blatant in its specific nonrinclusions of student work
resulting from the writing of papers for particular courses.
The only question which was even tangentially related to
student papers was one which asked: “Did you feel there
were too many or too few written and oral assignments?"
The choices available were: Too many , Too few ,
Proper balance .

The survey may be a fairly accurate gauge of student
workload in the sciences where the emphasis is on
examinations, but is a distortion for those students in the
humanities or the social sciences. where large number of
papers are involved.

The questionnaire also contained many questions for
which the alternatives allowed were far from reasonable. An
example of this is a question on the student's overall
workload: “Did you suffer from an excessive workload at
any particular time during the semester?” Responses
allowed were either yes or no. The difficulty with the
question is that everyone occassionally has too much to do at
some point in the semester.

There are also many leading questions. An example of this
are a variety of questions dealing with an increase in
pressure, None of the responses allowed for the possibility
that pressure had decreased.

One question asked faculty members if they felt that pass-
fail courses would reduce academic pressure. A positive
response was given by more than half of the responding
faculty. This does not mean that over half of the faculty
would like to see the college reinstate a pass~fail option.

The document is an interesting one and should receive
thorough consideration. But, there is the disturbing feeling
that the propriety of the results is not as an overriding
concern as the fact a survey directed to a considered campus
problem was executed. Surveys of this type are more notable
for the effort that goes into them than for the information
that comes out.

Administrators possess greater faith in the results of
surveys than the skepticism entertained by professional
pollsters. The administration should attempt to be a little
more “academically rigorous" in their survey efforts, taking
advantage of existing expertise on campus,

Perhaps the administration could hire the staff of the
Institutional Grapevine as consultants, “If yes, when?
Middle of semester only , ...; Second half of semester

one-third or one-fourth regular intervals

Saga Fast:

'ﬂNot again,
Will”

To the Editor:

NOT AGAIN WILL

l was angered early this week
when I discovered that the SGA
Cabinet was working underground
in an attempt to influence the
forthcoming Hall Representative
elections

Members of the Collins cabinet
Ilave been approaching certain
members of the new dorms and
been encouraging them to run,
Collins has defended this policy to
me as a step towards ensuring that
“responsible" people are elected.
thereby implying that the ||n~
fellered process which elected
Collins himself to the a Joint
Boards cnnnol by itself produce a
responsible representative body it
is unfortunate that by allowing
these activities, Collins has laid
himself open to charges of ab
tempting to ”stack Joint Boards"
with people favorable to his ad
ministration,

The Cabinet's move is laudable,
but their tactics are deplorable,
How can they feel that their small
fraternity IS more qualified to
iudge the responsibility of can-
didates that the campus at large?
How can they be sure that their
determinations of responsibility
won’t [all along ideological lines as
well as moral and ethical ones?
Any attempts to improve the
quality of the Joint Boards should
have been directed at the campus
as a whole, not at a chosen few,

The Cabinet can counter charges
that they have tried to select a new
Joint Boards by saying that they
have contacted more than one
person in each dorm. This is true,
but it does not change the issue,
Out of the 60 to 100 Students who
drew into each dorm,

the cabinet could probably
choose half a dozen which would be
agreeable to the cabinet, If the
election is between two people
chosen by the machine, is it any
more open? The likelihood of
additional candidates declaring
themselves is small if there are
already two or more declared
candidates. Any effort to increase
the turnout which is directed at
less than the entire campus is open
to the suspicion of attempted
manipulation. whether or not that

. . Ideas with No ivarningsil‘irst

to Collins, who hasn't heeded
earlier warnings about openness
presented in an S it B editorial and
to the cabinet: stop trying to gel.
what you want unless you make
sure that it is what the campus
wants: second to the campus: take
some time with the coming clecr
tions, ask some questions, at least
make sure the candidates can talk
coherently; with talk of rein-
stilution oi some requirements.
major changes in the structure of
the curriculum, and cutbacks due
to the financial situation, it is
important that a strong and
reasonable Joint Boards is cone
vened on it) April, 7C. w. ilohlis.

Creativity
Day fun

To the Editor:
Iwholcheartedly agree with Bob
Jacobs (letter. (KB. 4718775) that
the only thing wrong wilh the
Campus Creativity Day held at
orinnell Friday. April ii, was that
il doesn't happen more often. in
such sharp contrast to the normal
dayrtorday life at Grinnell. it
pointed up both the need for just
sucll a celebration, and the
potential to make it as joyful an

occasion as it was.
7.‘\my niirgcr

founded mi

S88

I

To the Editor:

Last week’s 5&3 contained a
letter protesting the excessive and
inexcusable waste of paper in
connection with all-campus
stuffings The letter, signed by a
group of 26 individuals, specifically
reprimanded Dean Walker for a
memo, and addressed the
ecological. aesthetic, and
economic implications of our
unwise use of paper, We fell their
point well taken. and applauded
such constructive, thoughtful, and
practical suggestions.

We were astounded, as many
must have been, when four days
later. on Tuesday, we received the
allrcainpus stuffing from the staff
of several humanities courses, The
first page of the handout was
totally blank, except for the upper
third of one side of the paper, and
the lhird page only had print on one
side.

Apparently it will take more than
letters to the editor before some
people will be convinced, We ask
campus support in helping lo end
such waste.

*Quietllonse

ouiriai student newspaper ol Grinnell College

published weekly excepl during holidays and vacation
periods by Grinnell College, Sludenl Publicallons and
Radio Committee, Grinnell, lows sum.

Edilbr
Managing Edilor
News Euilor
Feature Edifor
Graphics Editor
subrls Editor
Carloonisis

copy Edilor
Wanl Ads

business Manager
Advertising Manager
circulaiion Managers

REFORTERSiTom Arenbere,
snelly Blair, Dave eraman, Mike
Brsvndick, eess eronslein, Mary
Brown, Mall Cohen. Al Cubbsge.
Tim DeCosler. Anne Deminotl. Bob
Handler, Pally Hero, Tom
Kirriakos, Helle Lukk, Mark Meyeri
Jean Mlillgan, Tom Fanlea, ianel
Pope, Pally Rose, Doug Schultz,
Feiercelverl,chris Davidson,Lynn
Voedlsch.

Brenl Schondelmever
Elaine CerEv

Mike winslon

Ted Price

Doug Halsey

Dave Calverl

Greg robin

Carin DuPree
Richard Cleaver
Jean Mill-can

Ruth Risc'on
John me
Henry Cornell, Kaly Dolly

spears REPORTERSiRicn
Arnold, Russ Damion, Katy oulty,
Rick Nionlingale. Dave Schechler,
Eve Hierschbiel,‘Peler Calvert

PHOTOGRAPHEﬁsimicnsel
Ggibbrl, Craig Hobbs. NancY Jones,
David Nordslrom, Roi) Tow, James
wnile, John Wylie

second class postage paidai crinnell, la SOIIZ
subscription so 50 per year
wilhin Poweshiek 35 so

A liberal hypocrisy

Tonight liberals of Gi'innell
College take part in lhe scmi-
annual farce called the SAGA Fast.
Students will donate 72 cents to
some vloi'thy charity by going out
and spending $2.50 on food [or
themselves, There are numerous
reasons for doing this. One reason
isthatitisagood nighttoeatout so
lhe meal missed is not wasted, A
second reason to go out is that
students know that SAGA [nod Will
be worse than usual on account of
the fast A third reason is that
some students have lell peer
pressure by the number collectors
in SAGA lilies and by lriends. to
lake part Unlorlunately there are
a few students who are inking part
for the fourth reason They urc
giving up their SAGA meal since
they are actually fasting This
article is dedicated to students in
the first three groups,

At the SGA meeting last \icek,
the pa sing or file SAGA ‘ast was
shown to he tradition. The usual

Open Space

debate, on whether to wait to
declare the date [or the SAGA
Fast, until SAGA had Specified the
specific amount per student lo be
donated, was not held.

The main traditional aspect of
the SAGA Fast is that it is the time
at the year wllcn kilid hearted
liberals of Grlnnell can Show their
concern for the rest of the world,
by eating a good meal. Students do
this by spending a small amount on
charity and going out and spending
roughly four limes that amount on
themselves.

The Concept of the SAG/t Fast is
that Students can donate a small
amount to charity at the same as
making the small sacrifice of
giving up a meal. With this concept
in mind, i made me suggestion at
last week’s SGA meeting that thc
SAGA Fast be held on steak night
so that more money per student
could he collected, I was told my
suggestion was naive, since n
much smaller amount of students

would be willing to participate, and
thus less total money would be
collected

With the SGA and students'
hypocrisy in mind I propose a
subtle change in the policy of the
SAGA Fast. I now suggest that
instead of the SAGA Fast being
held for one meal, in the future I
suggest that it be held for a whole
day, Instead of students going to
meals on that day they can go to
nutrition seminars that could he
held throughout the day, While
students fast. they can get a small
“taste" of what hunger is like,
while at the same time learn about
nulrilion. if enough students learn
about nutrition they will be able to
work logether to gct SAGA to in
crease the nutritional conlcnl of
food while lowering the bulk
carbohydrate content in tile food. it
Students were to gel SAGA to do
this, It would help the World [and
sllliation by saving food in two
ways. The first way food would be

saved Is that Students would eat
less [and to get their nutritional
requirements The second way
food would be saved is that if
students were aware of the
nutritional content of the food, they
should be less inclined to waste it,

Above |S a suggestion on how to
take the hypocrisy out of the SAGA
Fast. Work must be done now to
gel the change The reason is that
it is during the summer that SAGA
and Grinnell will renew SAGA’S
contract {or next year. In it. the
clause that stipulates a SAGA Fast
of one meal a semester must be
changed to one day a semester.
The best way students can work for
this change is to contact the
members of the Committee On
Student Services. They include Ms,
Hoth, Dean Tederman, David
Stein. Alberta Warfield. and Gail
Byrd Now is the time for Grinnell
students to change their reputation
ofone oi hypocrisy in one ofaction.

 

