Page Four

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saw our xchool year.

subscrlprian rare

. James Alexander Arlen
xulherlne Newklrk

hinrk Sablemnu, Benson smirn
. Jeffrey Scheckrel’,

aruc- Slrom

Douglas Earl

. Dleore rrikoon

cnriszopber Anderson, Nancy aeekeu. Connie Erickson.
John Gardner, John Gordiey chlo Graham. Stephen Grow.

Allan nun, Jcnllhan .Jenkini, Karen konne.
hui Rommln, Clndy Root, Lynn Selmers.
Yvor Sioakley, Fred: renter, Judllh Walla“

sheen: Brown, rcarl Kudou, aonni. Nelson

“Fallen cherub, to be weak is miserable”
John Milton, Paradise Lost

The president has made. an ingen-
ious but dangerous decision, for he
has polarized the alternatives for

‘ Richard Schneirov. Schneirov may
now accept the reward of off-campus
housing and yield to the will of a man
he has argued has no jurisdiction in
the case. Or Schneirov can refuse to
acknowledge the legitimacy of the
ruling and refuse to vacate his dorm-
itory, a place he probably does not
want to stay in, and face expulsion.
The president, however, in order to
avoid a massive exodus must now pre-
sent arguments why others who vio-
late the rule should not be allowed off
campus.

In making his decision Mr, Leg-
gett solved only the short-term prob-
lem of what to do with Richard
Schneirov. The president acted weak-
ly in a time that called for strength,
and it seems that he has begun to
yield to the limitless and unthinking
demands of students.

Richard Schneirov ought to have
been expelled. His co-habitation with
a girl for five days in his dormitory
room, and his persistence in this en-
terprise, even after he was warned by
his resident advisor, was a flagrant af-
front to the structure of rules at the
college. Throughout the case he be-
haved with haughtiness, a character-
istic which does not deserve the par-
don of anyone. The president has
helped Schneirov to be an example
for others who wish to try to flout a
rule and destroy the orderliness of
the campus.

The structure of rules at Grinnell
has broken down. As an example, it
has been the common practice for
those who run for hall president to
list as a qualification for this execu-
tive office a reluctance to enforce the
college rules. Furthermore, dormi-
tory after dormitory is declaring
“home rule” for itself, a policy totally
incompatible with the creation of a
community. The next logical step af-
ter “home rule” is “floor rule,” and

A Need for New Racks

On this campus, which does not en-
courage vehicular travel, there is a
shortage of bicycle racks.

Recently, a bicycle rack was placed
outside All ll. But the rack accommo-

then "room rule," a situation which is
mere de jure anarchy.

In his decision Mr. Leggett, a
man of good intentions, tried to pro-
vide for the time afterwards, when I
procedural change could take place.
But by the administration’s past re-
fusal to grant a liberal and. fair ex-
tension of the visitation hours, and by
its conscious laxity in enforcing the
old rule, it also contributed to its weak
position, which will make it difficult
for the administration to deal with
students in the future.

The unfortunate situation with
Schneirov gave the president the op-
portunity to be a leader, to guide us
out of the mist of disorder which en-
velopes us. But he chose to be simply
an administrator, and in passing up
his opportunity he may have speeded
us to that day when students will de-
mand control of the financing of the
college and the awarding of contracts,

Faculty members have chosen to
be academic to the current crisis, per-
haps because they do not think that
the crisis affects them. They may have
doomed themselves, however, by their
silence, and by their failure to give
strength to a weak administration by
their support. Having won this vic-
tory, the students will move on, and
they will attempt to usurp the facul-
ty’s power. They will demand control
of the curriculum and, ultimately,
power to hire and fire professors.

A tempest of confusion is arising
at the college, With the elimination of
rules, the living situation will inev-
itably become intolerable. The re-
placement of rules with ”considera-
tion" is a casting off of all order.

Richard Schneirov has had his
fling and President Leggett has made
his decision, It is false to say, as some
do, that Mr. Leggett did not have jur-
isdiction in the case. The Judicial
Council was deadlocked, and Mr. Leg-
gett was fulfilling his executive duty,
which ls more than most house presi-
dents do, by deciding the case.

dates only five bicycles, and there are
often more than five riders who are in
ARH at one time. At least two more
racks should be placed there. Addi-
tional racks ought to be placed outside
the entrances to the dining halls.

tellers lo the Editor

Crosselt's letter
Evoke: Criticism

To the Editorl

This is a response to Mr.

Cmssett, Cpncen‘llng his letter

in last week's SEE:

1. You misquoted Mr. Schnei-
rov (aCCldenfally or other.
wise) The quote in question
was not “I want her," but
"i like her "

.The issue in the case was
not "massive fornication"
(whatever that means), but
that of Violation of the col-
lege regulation on the coed
use of dormitorlebi- there
fore,

, Mr. Frank was justified in
ruling your statement ir-
relevant,

Mary Ellen Ruvelson
Ann Judith xlnchncl

Rothman Support:

Maior Grades Only

To the Editnri

The aim of a liberal educa-
tion is exposure to as many
fields of study as possible and
the development of a student's
ability in one particular field,
his major. This dlffers from the
aim of a technical education in
that the individual also benefits
through acquiring knowledge in
various areas.

One should be graded only for
his accomplishments in his ma-
jor field, not for that in his
other courses of study. A stu-
dent receives grades in his ma-
jor because graduate schools
need some means of evaluating
and comparing their applicunls.
Grades also help a student com-
pare himself to other students.
For these reasons grades can
be beneficial, Grades should not
be given in non-major courses
because a student takes these
only to improve himself as an
individual.

The purpose of required
courses is (0 make the student
more knowledgeable in courses
of study different from those of
his major. This is essential, for
u well rounded person is better
adapted to life and he is gener-
ally a more profound individual.
Yet it is detrimental to grade
someone while he is climbing
out of his cave, for rhis may
cause him to stay inside for
fear of failing in the new world.
Non-major courses should be
credit-fall. Under this plan all
“C" work or better would pass;
any work not up to “C" level
would fail. The student who is
not able to receive a passing
grade will not have a failure
enlered into his grade point av-
erage, but will have to repeat
the course until he merlis a
“C." Why draw the line at
“c"? Anything significantly be-
low "C" level work indicates
that the student has profited
little from the course; anything
significantly above “C" level
work often indicates knowledge
too specific to he of value.

Will a student put less effort
into a course if it is credit-fail?
It is true a student will prob-
ably put less effort into his
credit-fail courses, but that is
only because there is usually
less to be derived from courses
which are not going to be used
towards one’s major, imagine
all one could do with the rim.

and effort he would have! n.
might have time to do thing‘
which would credit him as I

individual but would not all“;
his graduation record. With rm
time saved one could read (
book, have an intellectual coup
versatlon, take a hike into tho
woods, or write an article foo
sen. Hopeiully, the ntuder'r:
does things for his own pleasu

which don't inﬂuence his cob
loge record. It is also hoped that
the student will take courses fo
the reward'of knowledge and
not to Increase his grade ave)-
uge. For these reasons, non-m0:
jar coursesshould be offered on

.I credit-fail basis.

Paul I. momma-r

faculty Comment On
Faculty Left"

To the Editor:

The President has discovered
I ﬁendishly clever solutioi
to me Schneimv case, and J.
ft would appear that we may
for the moment have a breath
lng spell — unless Mr. Schnelh
ov decides to honor his original
commitment to ilnd any verdm
other than “not gullty” as unt
acceptable. if he does act on
such a misguided sense or
punctilio, we may expect some
new affront to civilized proca-
ifurc — a takeover of 50m.
building, for example.

In the meantime. twenty-
seven members of the faculty
have finally Destined them-
selves to issue a statement to
the students of the campus,
Since the twenty—seven includo
many of the most eminent
names, and minds, on campus.
it behooves us to pay close at.
warm to what they say. one in
forced to conclude. however.
that the current agitation is ex.-
treme enough to have affected
even such fine minds and styles
as went into the writing of lheir
statement. Propping 11p the
statement is a set of confused
principles about the nature and
pu1pose of criunell as a llberal
arts college: first, that a liberal
education iS an end in itself
(p. 2); second, that n'llberel
education is a means to the
end of action and change (DP.
1, a). The gist oi the statement
is that students should re‘
duce their “activism" and gel
back to their studies.

it is difficult to see what
audience the signers had in
mind. 0f [heir own three calo-
gories — the neumtics, the dis-
torted ideallsts, and the uncer-
lain mass H none seems likely
to grasp the message and re.
spond. Certainly the “activists"
— the local S,D.S. members and
the staff of the Ptemdactyl _.
me not going :o read it sym.
pathetically, shake their heads,
and say, "Gee, Mr. thner and
Mr, Bowers are right. We ought
to be studying more and dem-
onstrating less." H o w e v e 1
Wrong such students may be
about the purpose of the Col-
lege, they are not in the least
uncertain about wh a: they
want: power. They have suc-
cessfully taken over the hallall
does anyone think that they
will stop there?

Student power is a realily,

LETTERS—-
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