Friday. December 6. I“!

SCARLET AND BLACK

Bruce Adams

Grinnell's Social Problem

Problem solved: The cause of “the
Gl‘innell SDClal problem" is individuality.
individuality is generally expressed in two
ways at Grinneli. Most students (60 per
cent) are passive individualists while a
healthy minority (35 per cent)'al:e active
individualists, ”PaSSlve" and “active”
will be defined after considering the
pressures that lead the student to choose
between them.

Grinnell’s social and philosophical posi<
tlon makes individualism almost ines-
capable. There are no permanent social
societies, athletic idolatry Suffers, and
honor societies have small enrollments.
The stutlent body has neither a common
ethnic, religious, intellectual, economic,
or social basis. Further, our stay is limited,
thereby inhibiting tradition.

Since the college offers no answers ex-
cept every possible answer in that omniv-
orous conglomeration ot interdisciplinary
cross»qualilaction, since teachers think
that personal prejudice will mislead stu~
dents more than blatant objectivity . . .
somehow believing that by suppressi g
their own feelings they will cause the stu<
dents to develop theirs, since “Well, there’s
something to that, but then on the other
hand" never ends, our students are forced
to become indiVldualists.

Now, active individualism, in healthy per-

spective, is fine. However, most Grinnell
students become passive individualists,
which is not so fine. it happens this way;
The College takes its young pedants,
scarcely out or high school, and woos their
pride by admiring their never, herctoinre,
equalled intelligence; “ . , highest Board
Scores yet!” out the new sludent soon
dearns that the intelligence that got hlln
through in high scnool won't wash at Grin-
neli, 'lo avoid shame (oi: all concerned we
are told the grading system is in poor
health With no chance for recovery. instead
honesty and personal integrity are pro-
posed by the College as a greater value
than the grade point AND all tlle illrdi-
gestcd bourgeois (or whatever) Values the
student brings with him to Grinnell, But
our College does not provide the needed
replacements of society and ideals.

Honesty and integrity outside of society
loses meaning. Society without generally
recognized guides is indetinable. w. 1.
Thomas calls individualism ”a stage ot
transition between two types oi social or-
ganization," Man naturally associates With
other men, Only when his principles will
not let him iraternize is he lorced to Willi-
draw. But the passive indwldual makes a

virtue of isolation, which is really making
a Virtue ot necessity.

Passive individualism is a prideful but
empty alienation from one’s iellows. Per~
sons unable to have satisfactory social in
tercourse will substitute a solitary. ideal
for a social one. They will View With satis-
iaction their uncompromising attitudes
which they think is the only way to preserve
their integrity, Passively individualistic
people, who cannot successfully interact
with Others, use individualism as their de-
fense mechanism, It is a mask of confi-
dence worn to deceive, hopefully, even the
wearer.

The passive individualist may misread
Thoreau, by thinking there is something
inherently good in being on one's own. Yet,
Thoreau did not move to the woods to get
away trorn people, he went because he
wanted to: he was not escaping from the
town, he was going to the forest, In his
treerfurnishcd Cloister he read books (about
people), talked to itinerant bums, and pur-
sued a vigorous society With his primi-
tive friends: the icons, the railroad, et. al.
Thoreau was no more alone than Custer
Was at Bull Run. ‘

A counter to passive individualism is ac-
tive individualism. While the passive in-
dividualist seeks to protect the self, active
individualisis express the sell. This expres-
sion is social. The active individualist re-
alizes that his own position gains strength
in the concurrence of like minds. So then,
many Griiineli students not laking the path
ot solitary passivity will actively stake and
dclend their beliefs. The danger of active
individualism is that some may express
themselves only because they reject the
contusion of their present situation. They
substitute cogency ior doubt, pretering to
find some meaning (any meaning) rather
than wander in a vacuum. To find meaning
they may overcompensate, narrowing their
views, excluding alternatives.

Grinnell students. if they are to socialize
must have common grounds on which
to meet. withdrawal or a narrow preoc-
cupation does not encourage social inter—
course. Individuals should know that assa-
clation is not necessarily a form at compro-
mise or merely a usetul and comtorting
prop tor their feelings and ideas. Grinnell
students, who hope to be of service to
others, must try to iielp each other. There
is a need to eslablish norms. There is a
need to see tilt: group as an amplification
of, not an escape irom, reality. Anti so, to
conclude on a [elicltous note: there is B
need to be silly too . , . together with some-
one else.

 

A Trend in TV Teaching

(ACP) a Mr. Novak is here,
notes RED AND GREEN,
State Teachers College, Minot,
North Dakota.

it you don’t know Mr, Nor
vak, just check your Video
tube and you’ll discover a
handsome young rellow who
runs around doing good in the
Ben Casey, Route lib tradition.
But, miracle ot miracles, he
isn't a brain surgeon or a Cor-
vette driver. he‘s a teacher! A
high school teacherlt And he
teaches Englisn!!! .

The doctor craze sparked
such releases as “The In-

To the editor:
Re: Nov.

c, 5&8

Overall I thought this was a
good looking paper. it was
surprisingly tree of mistakes
considering the fact that the
staff was working with a new
printer and the printer was ,in
the midst of special problems
ot his own when suddenly he
had to handle the 5&3.

i was not impressed by the

New 8&3 Discussed by Ludwig

The stories reporting student
symposium speeches, i thought,
were unusually well done.

One reason this issue was ap»
pealing, 1 later realized, is the
ratio of editorial to advertis-
ing. I counted only 149 inches
or ad5725 per cent. Don't see
how we can make ends meet
it this rate continues, but as-
sume you and Daum must have
something in mind.

terns." Thus, we can look for-
ward to more TV series on
teachers.

Dick Clark will play a dedi»
seated music instructor.

Elizabeth Taylor will be cast
as a history instructor.

Richard Burton will teach his
ology.

Everything will swing,

quality of pictures oi the folk
festival and of the Chinese
drama. itnink these examples
show that no engraving pro-
cess will make up ior basi-
cally poor photographs.

1 was curious as to why Lights
bourne who, I understand, is no
longer a student at Grinnell
is writing tor the 5&3

Merrit C. Lud ig
(Aministration member of
Faculty Committee on
Student Publications)

Ed Note: This critique on
the Nov. 22 5&8 is an ex-
ample oi critiques written by
iaculty members or the com-
mittee to the editor during
the past semester.

' contract

qu| Time

Board of Publications Decision
Creates Demand for Reform

To the editor

Tile failure of the Faculty
Committee on Student Publica-
tions to reappoint Jim Herzog
to a second term as editor of
the Scarlet and Black seems to
be a regrettable mistake for
several reasons.

The 5&3 is presently in the
process ot making a potentially
advantageous change or print-
ers. The appointment as editor
of someone devoid of knowl-
edge at the technical Clifliculr
ties involved in this change
seems rather curious.

The 5&3 is committed by
to continue printing
at the new facilities in Newton
ior one and onehalt years, but
the paper will not, even have
gained a solid foothold there
when the complication of a new
and technically untrained edlr
tor is added.

The apparent lack of consid
eration of the opinions of the
present SKtB' staff leaves the
board open for further criti-
cism. The refusal to rename
the present editor can be inter
preted as a stricture of the
quality of the 5&3. The start is
naturally indignant over this in~
direct attack, which is ulie
called-for.

Many on the staff reel re
luctant to continue working tor
the new editor ill light of this
criticism. Should the new Edl'
tor find herself without a
trained stait next year, a ma
jor problem, for the 53:3 and

for the entire college, will de-
velop.

Another interesting outcome
or the appointment at a new
editor is the fact that the
board’s vote was tive taculty
and administration members in
tavor of the new editor, with
four student board members in
{ever at retaining the present
editor. Obviously, the faculty
members are going to have
their way; the token student
represen tion is larcical.

One final criticism can be
levied against the board. On
the whole, the present board
could not impartially select an
editor because of ltS'laCk of ac-
quaintance With, or concern
tor, Journalistic considerations.
This fact can be illustrated by
noting that most hoard mem-
bers (and this pertains mainly
to iaculty members on the
board) made no attempt to
look into the qualifications, as
demonstrated by past perform-
ance, ot the person whom they
named editor.

Thei Faculty Committee on
Student Publications has shown
itselt to be a poor arbiter or
student iournalistic etiorts. The
board should be reformed to
give students control of their
own publications.

John \Volf
News Editor
Karen Adkinson
Feature Editor
J. Eric Jacobson
Ass’t Sports Editor
Wade Stevenson
Senate Reporter

 

Hidden Dissenters to SGA Policies
Sympaihize with Administration Stand

To the editor:

For over year the problem
of what rules Grinnell students
really want‘has been with us.
We have regarded the Admin-
istration as our black advere
sary, our Enemy. But is it
really? We hay: sought
changes in some or the most
controversial rules — drinking,
opensrooms, and to a lesser ex-
tent, the car rule. The officials
of the college were supposed to
understand how deeply these
rules intringe upon our Individ-
ual Freedom, to emphasize
with us, and to give us what
we want because we want it.

Yet how many or us have

sympathized, much less em-
pathized, with the position or
the administration, who is
charged with maintaining
Grinnell’s public image and
convincing fearful parents,
alumni, and friends of the
college that it is not an
amoral jungle, in order to
gain funds and support for
our progressive educational
program?

This year has seen many
changes, for example, the in
troduction of Grinnell Student
I. D. Cards, the abolition of the

10:30 night-check and the schol—
arship restriction, and, above

all, a vastly liberalized drink-
ing rule. "Other moderate,
changes are possiblei‘n the car
rule, in women's hours, and tho
signrout procedure.

Instead, however, the SGA
has chosen to press such con»
troverSlal issues as the still
temporary open-rooms pro-
gram, thus putting us all in a
very difficult position. First of
all, the suggested procedura'
seems to have latent opposition
in many quarters which has
been silent and which it seems
SGA officials have not made
great ettorts to ascertain. A
referendum would be desirable.

Secondly, such legislation
puts the student body in an un-
tenable position. Thirdly, the
p r o p o s e d open-rooms rule
places an unlair burden on
those who must enforce it.

We are living in this college
together ‘ students, taculty,
and administration, and as
such we students must at times
subordinate ourselves and our
desires to the unity of the
Whole. We have a responsibib
ity to understand as best we
can the limitations which a
rather closed community like a
college imposes, as well as en-
joying the freedom and oppor-
tunities it offers.

Barbara Furst
Ann Lousin

 

