TheftProhieln innovated On Campus

By MICHAEL BRANDON

Grinnell College is losing thousands or
dollars R year due to theft, and in many
instances students are the culprits. Each
year thousands of volumes disappear
from Buriing Library, hundreds or dol-
lars Worth of silverware is taken from
the dining halls, large amounts of mer-
chandise are shoplitted from the College
Bookstore, and numerous items are
stolen from lounges, offices and resi-
dence hau rooms on campus

Must College officials are hesitant
about blaming students for missing pro-

perty and are reticent about reierring
to petty piliering by students as “theft.”
“The thing that bothers me,” said Col<
lege Treasurer Donald Lanibie in a
telephone interview, “is that 1 hate to re-
fer to it as ‘student theit,’ I prefer to
call it ‘College or student losses."'
Despite the loot that “outsiders” are
responsible to some degree for stolen
property on campus, quite clearly it is
a substantial portion ol the student body
that is accountable. ”It's really a shame
and it bothers me greatly," Lambie said.
“In a sense the student who steals is
stealing ironi himself by diverting mon-

ey that could be used to provide him with
a better education,"
Students Discuss Exploits

Many students apparently feel that they
are doing nothing unethical when they
steal from the College. Several students
who were interviewed recently spoke
boastfully and with great candor about
their shoplifting exploits in the College
Bookstore.

One couple that was interviewed esti-
mated that they stole several hundred
packs of cigarettes lrorri the Bookstore
last Semester alone. “We just stick a
couple of packs in my pocket or her

purse, take an extra pack alld pay {or
it to avoid suspicion, and walk out," tho
boy laughed, explaining that he "can't
afford to buy cigarettes every day."
Asked if he ever telt guilt about taking
cigarettes, he paused for a moment and
answered, “Very little.

One girl who was interviewed has an
entire bookcase in her room filled with
books she said she stole from the Book
store. she estimates their value at
“around seven hundred dollars." Accord-
ing to the girl, she, her boyiriend, and

THEFT—
Continued on Page 5, Column 1

 

GRINNELL COLLEGE

SCARLE‘E

EL 0

NOTICE

The next issue of the
Scarlet & llack will appear
the first Friday following
Spring Vacation.

 

.LXXVI

Grinnell Iowa. Friday, March 7, m9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large turnout votes in referendum to retain student government.

Senate Okays Primary and CBS Fast

in principal action taken Wednesday
night, the Senate set today as the date
for the son. Presidential primary (the
final election to be held Monday, March
10), designated the Concerned Black
Students as the recipient of the spring
fast money, and initiated action to de-
clare S.G.A. President Tom Thomas king.

The Senate set April 4 as the date
[or the spring fast. Ernest Weston, presi.
dent of C.B.S., told the Senate that this
date, one year from the death of Dr.
Martin Luther King, would coincide With
a proposed Black Weekend, to he held
at Grinnell in commemoration of Dr.
King,

other proposals for use of the fast
money had included donating it to the
participants in the Playboy demonstra-
tion, for them to use to defray legal
costs, After the fast action was finalized,
the Senate voted to set up a soup kitchen
for students returning from spring break
on Sunday, March 30. Proceeds will be

wan to the Playboy demonstrators.

he Senate also allocated $50 to AWARE.

In other C.B.S, activities, Weston re-
ported that present senior Howard Ward
has been hired as a partrtime Admis-
sions recruiter tor next year. A Black
couple is also being sought to work as
full-time admissions personnel, Weston
also told the Senate that he would be
present at a trustees meeting to be held

over spring break to discuss the ap-
pointment of a Black trustee.

News from the Student Affairs Com
mittee included the decision to limit the
number of students moving off campus
to approximately 100 again this yearl
The major reason for this restriction
seemed to be the economic necessity of
keeping 1,000 students in the dermis
tories. Plans for the possible conversion
of Loose Hall to o co-ed hall next year
were also disclosed.

During a final tlurry ol Senate busi-
ness, Senator Dan Cheifetz, commenting
on the inability of town students to at-
tend Forum events, said, “If I were a
townie, I’d be burning this place down."

Polls Draw 802

one organises nonrandom

By ED HIRSCH

In a massive ‘Vote of confidence’, the
Grmnell student body decided by referen-
dum on Wednesday to retain stu-
dent government at Grinnell. The
vote totals for the reler<
NEWS endum which read, “Re<
ANALYSIS solved: The Student Gov-
ernment A s s o c iation,
with the exception oi the tinance commit»
tee, should be abolished," were as fol-
lows:
Yes—290, No—507, Maybe75, TotalliEOZ
Bonnie Tinker, the senator who made
the motion tor the referendum, comment.»

ed that the purpose of the referendum .

was not accomplished. She made the
following statement, “The purpose of the
referendum was to motivate students
into questioning the relevance of SGA
as it now exists. I believe the student
reaction was mostly superficial and few
gave real thought to the purpose and es-
sentiaiity of SGA.”

Mike Sehestedt feels that the refer-
endum was in actuality brought about as
a personal reaction by the senators who
felt they were unappreciated by the stu-
dent body. He also stated that the refer-
endum was triggered by a lack of con<
cern about the presidential election and
the results indicated "no great passions
are being stirred by the election."

It is the opinion of this reporter that
the resounding ‘No’ vote does not necess-
arily represent student confidence iii the
present SGA structure. It does not nec-
essarily express a beliel that student
government has a definite purpose of
which students are aware. it may in
fact represent a vague fear that a stu—
dent body wnhout a student government
would exist in a state of chaos.

There is also the possibility that the
vote is merely a manifestation of a

 

Committee Discusses Housing Options

The Student Affairs Committee met
Tuesday, March 4 to continue discussion
oi the use of offcampus college owned
houses, the number at students able to
live in oil-campus apartments, and fur-
ther changes in the dormitory structuro
for next year.

The Students Affairs Committee is
now receiving written applications for
the use of olfacampus collegerowned
houses. While the large number of stu-
dents living on campus necessitates more

gradual change within dormitories, the
off-campus houses offer great potential
for innovative living learning experi<
ments. The number of students able to
reside in otfvoampus apartments depends
to a large extent, on the proposed en-
rollment tor the fall semester.

For ﬁnancial reasons, the college must
maintain a certain minimum number

COMMITTEE—
Continued on Page 9, Column 4

common belief that student governlneni
serves as some apparent communication
channel, although it also seems that
many students realize that in a school
the SlZe of Grinnell, individuals can meet
with faculty and administration without
the representation of a student govem
ment,

The 'no‘ vote might in fact be an in-
dication that few students gave the
question more than superficial thought
and that even the fairly sizeable ‘Yes‘
vote was only a reaction against the
present senate, rather than a meaning
in! question of student government’s ace
tual purpose.

It may be the case that not even a
referendum has caused any real thought
as to the purpose and relevance oi SGA.
If this is true, then SSA seems doomed
to another year with an apathetic stun
dent body.

Black Artist To Give
One-Woman Show

At 8:00 tomorrow night in Robert:
Theater, actress Vinie Burrows will pros
sent her onewoman show, “Walk To-
gether Children," a chronicle of th-
American Black experience consisting of
a wide range ol prose, poetry, and spirit-
uals. Miss Burrows describes the past
and present conditions of the American
Black man, including, among other se-
iections, both the delicate wit and beauty
of Langston Hughes and the indelicato
pain of lemi Jones. Miss Burrow's
performance received rave reviews dur-
ing her three week engagement at the
Greenwich Mews Theater in New York
last fall, where she was described a:
“magnificent," “captivating," “gutsy,
lunny, ironic, apocalyptic , . . " Misl
Burrows is a veteran of Broadway, offs
Broadway, television, and radio, and
Grinnell is fortunate to have the oppor-
tunity to enjoy the work of such a widely,
acclaimed performer.

in addition to Saturday night’s per.
forlnance, Miss Burrows will give a
series of dramatic readings at the col-
lege’s Sunday worship service at 11:00
in Herrick Chapel. The worship service
is open to the public without tickets or.
advance reservations, but admission to
“Walk Together Children” will be limited
to activity card holders. Tickets are now
available at the main desk of the Codes.
Forum.

 

