Page Two

SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday. February 23. I962

 

 

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Two editorials

The present deartll of candidates for the Student Gov-
ernment presidency is alarming. But perhaps it is just
what we need. For tlle J'irst tilne in a long time we are
hearing people ask “What should student government do '3,”
instead of “What can it do?”

For the first time in a long tilne we are hearing
people admit to some of tile realities of student govern,
ment. Namely, tllat we are students first, politicians sec—
(ind; that perhaps student government should not see how
much it can accomplish but What it should accomplish
\. thin its limits.

The controversy which has beell brought about by the
Fox alld Henderson letters has turned up some interest‘
ing points concerning the pioper role of the undergraduate.
'And these points seem particularly appropos at this time.

M' Fox would seem to hold that students should
think, just i lawyers practice law and politicians engage
in politics. This, We think, is a rather monastic View, albeit
a rather attractive one. Who wouldn’t rather contemplate
Pope or listen to Bach than attend a Student Senate nieetz
il] We certainly would.

Mr. Fox has his point and it’s a valid one. But we are
more inclined to rig ee with Craig Henderson alld Mike
Hor att, (W ose ”Grey Matter” column in this issue deals
with this vcr subject). We think college is, as Hendelu
son says, ”not a place for ‘tllinking' alone, but an oppor-
[unity [or the student to test . i . ideas of other men as
i 11 as his own, and when he has made mistakes to eval-
L te his action with intelligence.”

We think, as Horwatt says, “Knowledge should gen—
erate thought alid thought should lead to action, and ace
tion to more thought.”

Now where does all this put us ill relation to student
government at Grinnell? We think the point is this that
too many students behave as Mr. Fox would suggest And
too many take the philosophy of Henderson and Horwatt
too seriously. Both views are valid but there is a middle
ground that must be sought or student government here
will 1) atrophy or 2) go the way of the I\ lkenny cats.

We are presently suffering from a reaction from too
much government, too much action. And the pendulum is
beginning to swing ill tlle oppoSlte direction. From too much
1 ction we are going towards no action at all. The fact that we
may have no need for a student government convention
this year is evidence of this. No one wants to take on the
SGA presidency because the job. which reflects the char-
acter of the government it heads, has become to large a
task, too complex a position.

Again we point to the mid-g 'ound between sedentary
contemplation and frenetic actillty for activity’s sake.
.We must find that middle ground and return to student
government at Grinnell a practical philosophy of opera-
tion.

Government at Grilincll has accomplished much in the
past year. But unless we take stock of where we are go,
ring that work may be all in rain. The Student Govern-
ment Association was instituted as a cure for our former
inefficient Student Council form of government. We have
cured many of the weaknesses of that form, But there
is a point at which to stop — a point at which to realign
a revolutionary philosophy which w s instituted to pull
government here out of the doldrllms. It was necessary
that we began to see what Student Government can do in
order to escape such torpor.

But now is the time to stop alld decide what our stil-
.dent government should do.

Vi’e hate to write an editorial like this one. Frankly,
we do it only to warn our readers not to expect too much
of a society like the one we have at Gi-inilell.

“7e refer specifically to the recent thefts of a $150

'Polaroid Land Camera from the biology department last
Thursday and of between $150 and 00 from wallets 01'
athletes competing in last Friday‘s qlladiangular swim meet
here.
' We make this point: The 13007131us students and fac-
ulty who make up Grinncll College can never afford to or»
erlook the fact that a fen of their number might be quite
capable of theft.

And it would certainly be folly to think that dishonest
persons from outside the college community have any less
access to campus buildings and events than other nonrcol-
lege people.

Those who forget that no society is completely safe
from an occasional theft — and certainly not a soceity
so founded on the integrity of its members as is Grimlell‘s
— will continue to have possesions stolen. Be careful.

'Knowledge should generate thought, ihen action'

by N (c llorwatt

in this series, I haV contend
ed that ihe capacity for detachr
inc-iii is a nun which is rare
in society and that the place
where detatchment is most like
ly to be found is in the aca-
denilf: community.

Perspective IS less likely to
be narrowed by vested inlcrcsis.
since the Vested interests of the
scholar are few. Intellect .tcllds
lo sharpen liy expo re to ii
wider variety of opinion and
iiclier sources of knowledge.

As students, we ale exposed
to grcal ideas and superior
ihinkers. Within an academic
atmosphere, We cnioy a unique
vantage point from which in
view contemporary social prob-
lems

To the extent that we CK-
1)10it our unique situation — the
diversity of Opinion ruu wculih
01 data 7 we will be more
cquippcrl to make judgments
and take positions on social is-

olieﬂem

To the Edito

Or iliarily rm 2] preuy lnildr
mannered guy. Also somewhat
lazy. it takes a lot of plessure
to hif my boiling point. In the
three and one-half years that
rve been here, I've never got-
icn indignant enough to its a
“Letter to the Editor.” I 6 just
waited and Sure enough. sonic-
piip has lost his temper before 1
did, and saved me the trouble
of writing.

But now my ire‘ has been
aroused, my bOlling point has
been reached. Au intolerable
situation exists on campus, and
i am Stirling myself out of lny
lpihurgy to say something about
it

Every night ihc Cowles cafe—
teria bureaucracy sets up ihrer or
four extra tables at the back of
the room. Then, when the North
Campus herd surges in, a waiter
is posted to make sure that no-
body sits at these extra tables
at the back of ihe room. Finally,
since they c not needed, some-
one else ic down those empty
tables. a

As a result oi this, mm!
who wish in eat together are
often ibrceri to sit at widely
scattered pcinis. The cxnusc
given for this nunsensit l bcA
hnvibr is that other tables
are only hull—full. So what?

The fact remains that there
are more than enough tables
set up to accomodaie all groups
who want to sit together. And
if you're going to tear down
fully-set tables. you in gilt as
wcll wait until they have been
used. Docs ii matter in a disli-
washing machlnc- how many
dishes it washes?

Paul D. Samuel

sues.

With this greater opportunity
to broaden perspectives and
sharpen inlellects. we can cu.
joy the possibility of judging
somal conflict more objectively
than can many of those wuh
vested interests in th: outside
world.

in an age when the decisions
of one generation are ihe out
side world’s advantage that we
keep abreast of current events
and that we iniect our views in

to the of public
opinion thiougli appropriate
modes of political action.

By so doing, we make our
knowledge onernhvc On the one
hand, we cuniribuic to society
by Widening the spectrum of den
bate. 0n the other, our educa—
tion is Cnl'iched by applying our
knowledge to concrete situation.

It iS pficii argued that in or

dcr to act effectively. we must
opciate within ihc framev rk of
rpniplbie certainty. This is, to

say the lcnsi, a rather exorbitant

*pectation since, what is
knowledge but inference. “Ham-
let" illusllaies that we must all
ways not with uncertainty. Harm
let was unable to operate af—
lectivcly because he demanded
certainty before making dcc‘i»
SlOnS.

Most of our judgements and
consequently ‘Oul' choices must
be made wiih uncertainty. Our
efforts should be directed (or
ward minimizing uncertainty
and being prepared to act before
if is fab late to do so.

The claim 1 wish to make is
that students are in a position
to utilize the resources made
possible by their academic situar
tion for socmlly useful endeaw
ors. Knowledge should generate
thought and thought should lead
to action. and action to more
ihpughi.

 

@honghts out of Season

Washington, DC. has Come
a long way Since a Frenchman
with the snickery name of P. c
L’Enfant first laid out its broad,
muddy avenues. Today all iho
roads of the world politics have
ihcir nexus in die American
Capital.

The city is not only ihe focus
for the conduct of public: but
also for those who dispute the
way it is bean conducted. It is
the Mecca for protesters. Lasi
weekend the hopes and appre-
hensions of the American stu-
dent peace movement centered
in b ca on a strip of sidewalk
between Pennsylvania Avenue
and the world's moPt impol‘lﬂhi
architectural mediocrity, ll’iE
White House.

Tile recent journey of 11
Grinnellizus to swell the ranks
of thousands in n united peace
group demonstration, “Turn
Toward Peace,” makes me
slightly nostalgic. i think of a
similar exodus last November,
and i can't help reflecting.

The purpose of both journeys
was much the same. Both aimed
to rally public opinion against
nuclear resumption and the arms
race generally The situation oi
each. howcvcr, was different.
Our November sortie was imi-
iaied here at c niiell; it grew
sponlaneouslv. painfully, and
coincided with the canipusay'ide
debate on the Senate resolution.
Although we hoped other col-
lcges would follow us in Wash-
ington, we were going it alone.

The recent protesters Joined a
large group, up to eight thous-

Jazz conceri' reviewed

Poor piano jinxes MJQ's otherwise

by Ron Turner

Last night's pci-fbrmancc by
the Modern Jazz Quartet was
inhibited by only ciip fncibr: a
poor piano. Tlic ri'itiSEC of the
MJQ has been called “Jazz in
sober sui But last nighl, at
least to a ceriain extent for
John Lev. s it was JaZZ in a
stl‘altrlacl t

A post-concert musing by
bassist Perry Heath conﬁrmed
this opinion: “The piano did
not allow a fair repr‘escntnr
tinn of the Modern Juzz Quar-
tel." However, in spite of the
piano, the Quartet members
displayed their talent for pre-
cision ensemble playing and
were re lied accordingly
with a warm reception from
the Gi‘innell audience.

Their first number "Ralph'
New Blue presented vibror
harpist Mill Jackson's ﬁne solo
technique and Lewis‘ deceptive
simplicity at the piano, "FHA
gate," one oi” three from the
ballet score of “Original Si "
exhibited the excellent compo
tion and arranging ability of

The main theme alterna-
ed between conirapullial and
unison exprossrun,

“How High The Moon" rc-
ceivcd the biggest hand of the

evening. The highlights of
this piece were the an lib
vihrahuip introduction, the

[lowed buss line. and n double
time solo by Jackson which
was probably his most inspir»
ed rciiirihuiion to the coiicerf.

“Pierrot" an extract from
another Ullginal suite by Law
was a dainty thing ending in a
moving excliungc of lilies be
tween Heath mid Jackson. A
funky blues called "Bel" w
Lewis and licnfh in unison
rhythmic patterns behind Jackr
son. allowing him much freedom
to demonstrate his mastery of
the vibraharp. The set ended
wuh “Odds Against Tomorrow"
which included a more Vigorous
offering from Lewi in an up.
lelnpo iiiiei-lude.

The second half of flip con.
ceri began wiih Duke Ellington’s
“It Don‘t Mean 3 Thing" The
last high no the piano
brought a grimsce from her .
Tile Quartet “as loudly a
plauded for Ornette Coleman
“Lonely W'olnan," a powerful
number in which more “as
heard from drummer Connie
Kay. Heath’s tasteful solo got a
smile from Lewis as the entire
group seemed to put iorih more
effort.

By Larry Smuclfer

and, I understand The Comment
of national SANE‘S Sanford Gotr
tlieb before the protest rally
last week, that Grinneil's audacA
ious November was spiritual
ancestor to February's mass
movement. is gratifying to me.

Gi-iniiell reacted weakly to
last week’s delegation. A rally
(My apologies to Ezra Found.)
for the group theﬂ‘uesday night
before departure drew. on my
estimate, one-eighth the number
of students who assembled for
a similar function in November.
There was no clapping. I don't
really know whether to aurib
ate the wider interest last fall
to an innate Grinnell chauvinism,
a hangover from the “Rah, Rah,
Sis-boom-bah" days, or a genuine
campus renaissance. I like fo
think ihc latter, but i don't
know. '

irhe ll travelers probably
discovered that the pipe con-
trolling the water fountain in the
White House law-ii stands naked
before Mecca. Maybe the crowd
obscured the pipe. They undoubt-
cdly discovered other pickets
smiling madmen hoisting fuzzy
lettered placecards reading “Gov
ernment Poisons Oatmeal: The
Second Christ," and the inevit-
able Washington chapter. Young
Americans for Freedom,

',A word to the returnees.
Watch your emotional reservoir.
Washington and the aftermath
will drain off some of it. There‘s
THOUGHTS
(Could. p. 8, col. 1)

top performance

“Piazza Nnvuiin" featured a
subtitled pianoVbass chani, fin.
ger cymbals, and a light vibra—
harp obbligato. The variances
in both tempo and mood pro-
duced a \'e_ enective offering.

The sad “\Vl . Are You Blue"
was contrasted by ‘ nll‘nal
Dance“ in which Jackson played
humorous discords and play—
fully came up with a ﬁne solo.
The last scheduled piece. "Bag's
Groove." produced.a Very soul»
iul improvisation by Jackson.
the composer. ,

Although ilie average listener
probably found much similarity
and redundancy in the concert.
lhel'e was considerable variety
within this unity. The group
was well coordinated uiul. as ii
result, the ensemble playing
was excellent.

The burden of the solo work
was car ed primarily by Jack
son. mainly because Lewis w
flusiraied v.iih the Steinway,
in spin of uieir apparent com—
placency, ihe Quartet did per.
form wiih a high degree of
continuity,

Perhaps now more people will
become aware of Lhe fact that
jazz is not just a raucous, iii.
cohernnf conglomeralion of iso-
laied. meaningless sounds.

 

