Page Four

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Editor'ul .

The Real Problem

The recent suspensions of three students for
visitation: violations raise a number of important
problems for the college community. Steve Kent
dealt ably with many of these in his speech
Wednesday evening in ARH auditorium. Such

roblems as the proposed change in women’s

ours, the need for a reevaluation of the visita-
tions policy, and the weakness of the college’s
counseling program require urgent attention.

But we think one problem above all others
pervades the whole situation and makes rational
consideration of these other concerns all but im-
possible This problem has to do with the old and
much abused concept of “in loco parentis."

President Leggett told the 5&8 in September
of 1965, "I don’t believe in the ‘in loco parentis‘
concept. The time is gone when the administration
of a college can regulate student morality; besides,
I look too young to be anyone’s father.”

Obviously, President Leggett has either
changed his View or else he is conveniently not
letting it affect his administration of the college.
There can be no doubt that the matter of the sus-
pensions of the three students is a clearcut case of
penalizing students for failure to conform to a set
moral code, determined by college officials.

The only real point to the regulation which
the students violated and which makes it an of-
fense for any off-campus men to have women in
their apartments is to forbid students an oppor-
tunity for sexual activity.

The question, then, is whether the college has
any business dictating a code of sexual conduct to
its students. The role of the residential liberal arts
college in developing the "total person" does imply
a responsibility of the college to help students form
habits of personal behavior which will contribute
to the fulfillment of their lives. Still, a responsibil»
ity to help is hardly a responsibility to dictate as
{is presently being done in matters of sexual con~

uct.

Surely, there are problems, perhaps grave
problems, in our whole society’s outlook on sex.

hese problems cannot be solved by blindly ate
tempting to prevent any kind of intimate sexual
contact between students. in the first place, such
prevention is simply an impossible task. Sexual
activity goes on despite regulations and will con-
tinue to go on no matter how the rules are al-
tered. ,

But more importantly, prevention, even if ef~
lective, does nothing to alter the basic misconcep-
tions and unhealthy attitudes which people have
about sex. If they do anything at all, preventive
regulations are apt to add to guilt feelings and
compound our sexual problems. Such regulations
do nothing to educate students about the implica»
trons and consequences of sexual activity.

It seems to us that the college’s role should
be one of education not embargo. if nothing else,
the college might aim toward the minimum goal
of enabling students, administrators and faculty
members to frankly discuss sexual problems with»
out blushing. The immensity of even this simple
task should give some indication of the gravity of

the problems relating to the sexual conduct of
Gunnell students.

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Scarlei and Black

GRINNELL COLLEGE
Grinnell, Iowa

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w, I
nor HANENBERG AND MIMI ANDERSON in a discus-
sian Wednesday about their fate after the appeal had

been reiscied Tuesday.

(5&3 Photos by Henry Wilhelm)

 

) Protest
(Continued from Page 1)

dents that the penalty was “un-
acceptable to the students and
to us as student leaders and by
many faculty,” Kent also said
that the penalty as later amend-
ed by Dean James Stauss to al-
low the students to get aca~
demic credit for this semester
and be suspended second semes-
ter was “in my opinion still too
severe a penalty, and a long
way from what i feel would be
a reasonable and equitable pol-
icy and penalty."

Beyond the particular cases
of the three students, Kent
felt that a number of other is-
sues had been raised in re-
cent Weeks which demanded
an expression of student con-
cern. Kent said, “We feel
several oi the implications
need to be dealt with in the
very near future." ‘

Kent pointed first to the is-
sue oi a change in women's
hours which he said seemed to
be getting “caught up in tho
bureaucratic process oi discus-
sion.” The student Senate has
already passed a resolution
calling for virtual abolition oi
women's hours and the resolu-
tion is now being considered by
the Faculty Committee on Stu-
dent Affairs. Student leaders
asked the Committee and other
administration officials for ac»
lion which would put the hours
change into effect by the be-
ginning oi the second semester.
The Committee and the Officials
have replied that nothing can
he done that fast,

Kent pointed also to the need
for discussion of a change in
the present visitation policy
which allows men and women
[0 Visit each other in their
rooms only on Sunday after-
noon. Administrative officials
so far have virtually ruled out
the possibility or a change in

this policy and have refused to
discuss the problem formally.
Kent said he felt the problem
was or “great enough conceni
that it. requires the whole col-
lege community to go into it in
some depth with an eye toward
changing the policy.” _

A third area to which Kent
hoped Wednesday night's dem-
onstration would draw attention
was the need for a reevalua-
tion of the college's counseling
program. Kent said, “We've
felt the need for this for a long
time." He Said that such a re
evaluation needed a “higher
priority” and that probably ma-
jor changes would be needed in
the present program

The suspension oi the three
students had particular impli-
cations for die counseling pro<
gram because the violation

of which they were convicted

come lo light as a result of
the psychological problems of

a fourth student.

Kent next pointed to the
“dual almost contradictory
role” or the faculty committee
on student affairs which has an
important part to play in policy
decisions and must also serve
as an independent judiciary in
judging violations of policy.

Kent recommended that the
faculty committee on student
Affairs be dissolved and re-
placed by a community court
system with both students and
inculty participating and that
another Committee on Student
Affairs composed of students.
faculty and deans be formed to
handle policy considerations.

Kent concluded that Wednes-
day nights' demonstration was
intended to “make vivid” the
students concern and to “torce
a particular policy decision,”
and to “impress upon people
the necessity of a reevalua-
tion.” Kent said he felt the vio-
lailon was in “the best tradi-
tion of the present student gov-

ernment." and thus reflected a
reasonable and rational ap«
proach to the problems at hand.
“After all,“ he said, “we are
certainly not advocating com—
plete anarchy."

Kent's speech was followed
by questions from the students
present. Most of the questioners
seemed equ ally concerned
about the questions of policy
Kent had raised, but some ex-
pressed the feeling that openly
violating the rule was too ex-
treme a step. Jeff Burnhan-i
suggested, “It seems to me the
demonstration is premature,"
and another student questioned
Whether the student leaders
might be jeopardizing their role
as negotiators.

The violation itself included
all but two of the AWS Board
members and all but four of
the CofHP members, as well as
four members of the Executive
Cabinet. One of the abstaining
AWS Board Members was out
of town and one of the abstain-
ing Coil-1P members feared he
might jeopardize his financial
scholarship if he participated.
The other four felt the violation
was too extreme a step to take.
The fifth Executive Cabinet
member, Bob Johnston, didn't
participate because it was felt
that as social coordinator, he
was not an enforcement official.

The need for some kind of
demonstration of the student
leaders’ concern became appar-
ent to the five members of the
Executive Cabinet earlier in the
week. The five include. besides
Kent, Bob Foote, CofnP Presi—
dent, Karen Lauterbach, AWS
Board President. Bond Faulwellv
Speaker of the Senate, and Bob
Johnston, Social Coordinator.
In discussions among them
selves und with other students
and friendly faculty members.
the Executive Cabinet finally
decided late Tuesday upon a
violation of the visitations rule
by the AWS Board and CDIHP.
The possibility of a mass stu-
dent violation was rejected as
irresponsible and uncontroll-
able. The Executive Cabinet felt
that the smaller demonstration
would be more likely to have
constructive effects as an evi-
dence of student concern.

The students participating
in the violation met Wednes-
day night shortly beiore Mid-
night in Gales Hill. Accord-
ing to college regulations it
was actually illegal for the
women to be in the hall after
10:30 pm so they were, in
effect, guilty of an offense
simply for stepping in the
door.

About 12:30, the student:
split into three groups, one go-
ing to the Clark Hall Presi-
dent's suite and the third re-
maining in Gates. They spent
the night sleeping on couches
and in sleeping bags on the
ﬂoor. The women left early
Thursday morning to return to
South Campus.

All of the women had signed
out in accordance with college
regulations, giving north Cam-
pus as their destination. Thus,
they are not technically guilty
of a violation of women’s hours
or oi illegal absence.

There has not yet been any
official college reaction to the
violation. College offices were
closed yesterday for the
Thanksgiving Holiday, and
President Glenn Leggett has
been out of town until today.

SCARLET

} Suspensi-
(Continued fro

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the Committee are
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mittee members ha
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that the penalty be
as to permit the
take their final exa
mester. ‘
The 5&3 was inf

TUESDAY NIG
torbsch, Rabat
Harold Fuicn w
Much discussion
for. the «lament

the voting membe
want to suspend the
prohibit them from i
final exams. ”Thes-
sirable students to h.
pus and we wan
stay,” one committ.
explained. But, the
told, "certain segm
administration" w
cept anything less
ration of the student
college. Some oi the
members feared th » .
be overruled by t
tration ii they did
the three students.

A member of the
told the 3&3, “1‘
should get rid or i
is inconsistent anv
wrong. The udniinisi
trustees are afraid
the visitation rule
fear of what mig.
the rule were taken
college thinks ft ha
native than to sus
tors of this rule.
rule does not do Wh
signed to do; it is n
and it is wrong,”
that the rule is on
Ind students should
of the posslble co
if they violate it.

large number
many of them inc
lining to the luclden

 

