Page Two

Letters . . .

client Defends

Gredit-Fails

Blasts Logic of Editorial ,

To the Editor:

The editor last week accused
the newly adopted credit-fail pro»
posal or being a “half-way” meas-
ure and implied that a couiplete
pass~fail system would have been
preicrable. 1 disagree,

There are several cogent objec-
tions to a complete passsfail sys
tem. For one thing, oi itselt, a
complete passsfail system tails to
provide a means tor distinguish-
ing excellence and makes selfras~
sessment ot performance on the
part ot the student diiticult, it
not impossible. in sure many
Grinnell students would find the
complete removal ot all measures
of relative achievement to be 0177
iectiooable. in addition, students'
grade points are a mayor consid-
eration ct employers and gradu-
ate schools. To abolish them com-
pletely might seriously hamper
the chances oi a Grinnell graduate
obtaining employment or admis-
sion to graduate study according
to his or her merits

Perhaps someday it will be post
lible to eliminate letter grades
completely and to replace them
with a system of short, individual
essays oi evaluation and with let
ters or recommendation suiticient-
ly influential with graduate
schools as to insure our students’
acceptance at merimd places or
study. Until the time when such
a system can he successfully in-
stituted at Grinnell, or at any li
eral arts college tor that matter
I see no alternative to the reten-
tion oi a system of letter grades,
at least in part. :

However, while i feel that a to» '
tal pass~fail system would be both
unicasible and undesirable tor
Grinnell now and in the foresee»
able future, 1 also believe that
there are limitations inherent inl
a grading system based complete-f
ly on letter grades oi sufficient'
import to justify the laculty's‘
adopiion of the limited, voluntary,
one course per semester “credit-
iail" measure. Within particular
courses the stress on grades too
otten encourages students to work
for the wrong reasons or in tlicl
wrong manner. The emphasis is
placed on the grade achieved
rather than on the knowledgei
gained or the intellectual skills‘
developed. The importance at-l
taclicd both at (rl'innell and aitcr‘;
Grillnell to a single number. lhe‘
cumulative grade point, relleclingi
grades in courses that vary cont
snlcrahly in signiticancc and in'
difﬁculty, can lend to grave dis

es and to the punishment o

i intellectually adventurous.‘
This cmpliasis on the cumulati c
grade point has frequently led stu: l
dents to select courses in whichi
they can get the best grades iath- l
er than those best suited to tliei
educational needs or most satis

‘ ' g to their intellectual curios

ll-

lsy removing this emphasis oi

gra s to a limited extent. the
faculty has permitted the studentsi,
greater trccdoui or choice in thei

NY—

selection oi courses. At the same
time, by retaining letter grades in
part, or entirely if the student so
desires, the taculty has provided
both the students and themselves
with adequate means to gauge the
individuals overall academic prog»
ms and has insured that Grinnell
students will not be illrlrented at
the hands of graduate schools and
employers.

As to the rest at last week's
editorial, I shall only comment
brietly, though probably more
than it deserves. Perhaps some
students will let their work slide
in their elected pass-fail course.
Not a tew let work slide in one
or more courses now Still, it the
student is properly motivated and
has elected to study a subject
which intrigues him, 1 see no
reason to tear “sloppy, halfrway
work.” The average semester
workload is well within the capac-
ity oi almost all Grinnell students.
it the student is insutticiently mo
tivatcd, whether he takes a course
on a “creditrfail” basis or not will
make little ditterence.

The logic of the editorial as a
whole appears to me to be inju-
dicious as well as unsound. The
rather peculiar position taken by
the editor was hardly calculated
to cioate the impression ot a ma.
ture student body among an al-
ready skeptical taculty and admin»
istration.

steve Kent

Music Lover Chides
Exuberant Cheers

To the Editor:

Gl'innell has had the great tor-
tunc to enioy some oi the best
musical talent in the world, not
simply in the classical field but
in rag: and folk music as well.
Through this process as well as
by more common mediums ire»
curds. radio and TV) many Grill»
nellians have developed a tine
sense of Judgment and appreclat
tion or musical talent.

crinncll is developing this type
oi reputation outside the campus.
with this in mind, it is interesting
to note that we would continue to
mitigate this by the plcbcian prac-
tice or giving evci-y visiting artist
a standing ovation, one or the
highest tributes We have Witt
ncsscd some excellent pertornr
ances, some iustitiably rating the
standing ovation. Let us make
this s n oi appreciation something
that ting artists will strive to

altzun.
Hank Ralilmv

SCARLET AND BLACK

Friday. January 28. I956

Kirsehner Reveals Disenclmntment
Wit/l Facts of Grinnell Existence

To the Editor:

Over in past tew years i have
become v y adept at browsing
through college catalogs and try-
ing to siphon out those institu—
tions at which i would he hap»
piest in this, my treshman, year.
Among the many bulletins and
handbooks i read was one in par
ticular which i would like to
quote at some length, because it
embodies everything i always
droamcd of in a college:

“The policy at [this college] is
to impose as tew rules as possible.
Our students are considered to be
responsible adults and are treated
in this manner.

“The college will interfere as
little as possible in the personal
lives ot students, but all members
at the college community are ex.
pected to maintain its excellent
reputation, civic as well as acar
demic. both on and oi: the caur
pus."

"ltesidcnce of students in col»
logo is needed to create a sense
of community to emancipate litu~
dents irorn adolescent interests,
to free them iroin prejudices. to
foster independence, and to pro
vidc new experiences. persper
tives, and aspirations."

“In such an [independent] at-
mosphere all members oi the com-
munity have the opportunityiand
the responsibility * to test the
merit of ideas in the light oi
ll'uth. assured of I'Especi for their
honest inquiry irom all other
members of the community."

I went on to read the objective:
at the college: _

"[This college] exists tor the
purpose oi shaping the character
oi each ot its students 7 to make
each student a ditiorent and a
better human being.” ~

Does anyone recognize this

haven of intellectual and personal
liberty? I don't blame you, fellow
Pioneers, but I would like to point
out that the aforementioned se-
lections come from the Grinnell
College Bulletin, and the Student
Handbook, 196566.

The atmosphere that pervades
this campus is one oi general dis~
trust by the administration toward
the students. The only reason this
attitude is allowed, possibly even
encouraged, to exist is that the
corresponding attitude of the slur
dents here is one of extreme
apathy. is it that Grinnellions
would rather switch than iight »
that is, stibiugate their personal
goals to the apparently over-rid
ing authority ot the administra»
tion — or is it that the college's
“excellent reputation, civic as
well as academic” attracts a cer—
tain caliber oi person __ perhaps
a superior student. but a medi»
one individual? However, all is
not lost, it only the administra-
tion would assume that perhaps
the student is not too far gone ior
salvation and that it is the admin»
isirction's duty to take the tirst
steps

Onl- College rorum was recent-
ly cited in two magazines as a
landmark in the correlation be»
tween architectural design and
iunction. In College and Univer~
sity business, Merritt c. Ludwig,
Vice-Fresidem ot Grinnell,
stressed that the design is condu-
cive to iniormal activity. Mr. Lud<
wig wrote, .. . a prime consid-
eration in design was to achieve a
place that would be especially
hospitable to good conversa-
tion . . I have not as yet found
any areas for “good conversation"
in the Forum. The television room
(labeled “Parlor“ on the iloor

plan) permits of no “good conv
versation" and is obviously used
tor what its colloquial name sug
gests, it it can be heard at all
above the din oi the adiaccnt
juke box.

Skipping the Grill for the mo-
ment. we tind ourselves in the
South Lounge. It looks harmless
enough: grand piano, comiortable.
looking chairs and hassccks, and
a plush carpet _ all conducive
to intoimal talk and relaxation.
But. Heaven help the misguided
soul who thinks that the piano is
there to be played, or that the
loungeseﬂeet is to encourage con.
versation. because anyone who
talks above a whisper or so much
as plays an arpeggio is booed out
by the people who have taken
over the South Lounge as a study
center.

Oddly enough, it is in the Music
Listening hoom that one may talk
in peace, where everyone is on
livious ot respect tor the _music
and for the people attempting to
inltill the supposed tunotion of
the room. Beethoven would prob.
ably do more than roll over in his
grave it he thought that he had
written music to talk by. .

Getting back to the Griu, it is
the area that comes closest to ful-
tilling the great need at this col»
lege tor a place to gather and
talk, but even it is far trom per.
leot. My idea 01 a place to relax
and meet with my ii-iends is not
a restaurant. sutticc it to say.

Walter A. Netsch, Jr., partner.
incharge oi desi n for the Forum,
states in Progressive Architecture:
"It [the predominance. of bay~
window construcu'onl is a noun

KIRSCHNE R—
tContiaued on Page 7)

 

North Campus

To the Editor:

Sue Taylor’s article, “Leggett
Talks About Hall System , . iii
the January 21 issue of 8&3 is
evidence of the continued serious
thought being given the “North
Campus Problem” by President
Leggett and others. The residence
hall system, says Dr. Leggett,
"ought to be flexible enough to
provide for various kinds of slu~
dents " Agreed. However. it seems
that by the time any male reaches
senior status he has iallen into
one of two “distinct kinds," those
"seriously interested in prepar-
iiig tor graduate school and those
who are devoted to the residence
hall system " I can’t tail to be just
a little skeptical, (i know a few
seniors ntysell).

If what Din Leggctt says is
actually so, it must surely be a
sociological discovery of para»

Oversimplified

mount magnitude. 1 would never
have guessed that Gl'ilmell seniors
could be so simply explained.
OI cnul‘se. such a tidy diagnosis
01' [he problem, leads us to the
selfsevitlent tidy solution. We

need only put all those seniors,
“seriously preparing tor graduate,

school” in one hall. and those
“who are devoted to the residence
hall system” ln another. I would

recommend the following criteria,

to those junlors who are unsure

as to which residence to request: '

Grade points of 3.5 or better——
grad school group.

Grade points at 25 or loss 7
devoted group.

Others 7 have you considered:

the iourth ycar abroad program?
(You're not really a Grillncll type.
you know!)

Craig w. Allin

 

PHOTO CREDITS

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Art Has No Meaning: Dagan —
Dagan Must 60' Monmouth

Monmouth's art department has
removed an art exhibit by Ed-
wardo hogan otter an interview
with him was published in the Col»
lege paper. Oil his views towards
art Dagnl’l Snid, “Art has no
meaning. it is nothing. Artists go
to school and learn what to paint
li-oin others .; the only person
who was aliglnal was the iirsi one
who thought of art. We like cei'c
tain paintings because we've been
told to like them.” He also thought
that the pleasure from a painting
is derived [min its creation, “When
I add a COlUl‘ to [he canvas 1
do it spontaneously because I tcel
that the color is right in relation
to the other colors. The pleasure
comcs not born looking at the
painting utter it's tinished. but

from the act 0' creating the pal!"-
ing." As to his attitude to hie in
general Dagan said, “We should
run naked through lite. when they
(the sexes) would be ready to
move ahead to a more reiiiied
consideration. . a homosexual re.
lationshlp."

occause or these and other
views held by Dagan the Monmouth
art department removed his dis»
play on the grounds that its view
01 art contlicted with Dagan's.

The Draft

The Amheist student paper has
put out an issue pertaining to the
chair and its eilect upon their sin-

EXCHANGE—
(Contiuued on Page 5)

 

Seniors In Two Camps?

5To the Editor:

We were pleased to read in the
last issue of the such that next
year (when we become seniors)
no will be “seriously preparing
tor graduate school" or “devoted
to the residence hall bystem."
HOW interesting!

Chuck Mischke -
Boll Rohnelt

Jones Letter Asks

Intelligent Question

To the Editor:

Questions:

What is the dittercnce. ii any,
between intellectualism and intel-
llgencc?

is it more important to be mere-
ly intellectual or to be intelligent—
ly intellectual or is there any dll»
lerence?

Detine “intellectual," Now, (lee
tine “anti-intellectual”.

Should the iacnlty or adminis
tration have any part in making
as intellectual and/or intelligent?
who should take the initiative?

is it really a North or South
campus problem or a colmllunily

problem?
raul IL .loiieii

Students SeekingsSilenn
Face Plight, Says Letter

To the Editor:

I submit th limerick to you in
hopes that it will be published in
the Scarlet & mack. Its explana-
tion should be self-evident,

on Where Are the
"Sounds ot Silence‘lv
There once was a rugitive iron.

West
in s arch of a quiet studying

“nest".

Taking a companion's advice
That the library would suitice,
He soon could reply: "Surely
you jest!"

Erik Rasmussen

 

