THE STUDENT
NEWSPAPER

0".““18 ’8 .IE'IEVDS

HSH'I'IOO 'I’IEINNIHD

 

Val. LXXVI

Grime“, Iowa, Friday,May 2, I969

No. 24

 

FLAG-FLIP MOPS, FLAP FOLLOWS

COLLEGE COMMUNITY
CONFERS 0N CRISIS

An estimated 200 persons, Including
lame 25 iaculty members and President
Glenn Leggett, attended a ireewheeling
meeting in the South Lounge last Thurs»
day (Apr. 24) to discuss the inverted
ﬂag incident earlier in the day.

At the meeting’s outset at ll) o'clock,
junior Tom Thomas read an explanatory
statement, which was printed tor the
protesters by President Leggett on Frl—
day.

Ted Glick then explained the day’s
events and threw the meeting open to
comments from the crowd, Various

I:

A referendum regarding ﬂying the
college flag at halt-mast has been
scheduled for Monday. (See story on
Page 5).

2::

opinions regarding the ﬂag inversion

were voiced, many of them in the form
of emotional outbursts.

“Flying the ilag upside-down is not
going to do a damn bit of good to save
the 30,000 men who have died in Viet<
ham," argued senior Pat Kennedy “1
think it was ridiculous!"

Robert D. Grey, instructor in political
science, gave an impassioned criticism
oi “acts that needlessly attend people,
just because they can be morally jus-
titled."

Swmging his arms in the air as he
spoke, Grey told the group, “I'm get-
ting awiully tired of being asked to
support any symbolic nct — whether
it's strippers or inverted ﬂags!”

Sophomore Jim Spell, who introduced
himself as a member at “the silent
majority,” defended the protestors and
concluded, “I‘m ashamed I haven’t done
anything against the war."

Senior James W. Wheat, In. whose
father is an Air Force oificel', rose to
condemn the protest and say that he
had called the police when he saw the
inverted nag

”That damn piece of Cloth you're talk-
ing about means more to me than any
damn one of you!” Wheat shouted. “I
called the police and I’ll call them
again tomorrow if the ﬂag is turned
upsidedownl"

“I called the police because I know
I have a bad temper and other people
have a bad temper," Wheat continued.
“If I hadn't called them there would
have been a damn big list fight,"

Wheat Said that when he first Called
the police station he was told to call
the deans. ”When I Called Dean (5.
Eugene) Thompson, he told me to call
the police,” Wheat said.

“You can go and demonstrate all you
want by carrying placards and march-
ing around, but keep your hands off the
flag because that’s my symboll" Wheat
exclaimed as he left the room.

“The autonomy, independence and
power of such institutions as Grinltell
is important in iighting the structure
of society,” Said Professor Alan R.
Jones (History). “You have to be very

DISCUSSION—
(Continued Page 2, Column 1)

 

Students Meet President

leggei‘t: "I Don't Approve "

Twenty students met with College
president Glenn Leggett late Thursday
afternoon (Apr. 24) to discuss with him

*an incident earlier in the day during
which the American ﬂag was ﬂown up-
side down by students and then removed
by Grinnell Police Chief Bill Peters.

The students who visited Leggett were
led by sophomore J. Theodore (Ted)
Glick, who, with another student, had in-
verted the tlag earlier as a protest to
the Vietnam War. Some of the students
sprawled barefoot on the carpeted floor
ot the president’s oiilce as they explain-
ed the incident to Leggett and asked for
his reaction.

“i guess 1 don’t approve at it,"
Leggett told the students “I thlnk
there are all sorts of ways to indicate
your teelings other than this. That’s
my moral judgment."

A student then asked Leggett it he
tell the Vietnam War is moral.

“I’m tired oi the Vietnam War,"
Leggett replied. “I wish we‘d get out
of it. If we don‘t get out of this war
soon the whole nation will be in

trouble. it already is in trouble,

“But that ilag represents not only
the Vietnam War,” Leggelt continued.
“I lost 35 or my classmates because
they defended that flag by righting a
country that killed 6 million Jews."
Earlier last Week Glick announced
that he would turn in his dralt Card to
College Chaplain Dennis W, Haas in
Herrick Chapel on May 1, a national
draft resistance day One of the stu-
dents asked Leggett to attend the rally
and speak in support of Glick's actions.

“I can't. do that because I'd be speak-
ing tor the whole college,” Leggett said.
“I'm an agent of the trustees, the iac—
ulty, the students, the alumni. and the
whole college community. I try to rep
resent them all."

Glick asked Leggett if he could take
a stand on the war by speaking at the
rally alter saying he was not represenb
ing the college.

“Isn't it possible {or me to personally
admire your Courage without agreeing

LEGGETT—
(Continued Page 3. Column 4)

COPS ON CAMPUS
COP COLLEGE COLORS

A major controversy erupted on cam<
pus last weekend when two students in-
verted the American flag on central
campus to protest the Vietnam War and
police came to Campus and removed the
flag.

The flag was turned upsiderdown and
ﬂown at halt-mast at around 2:45 Thurs-
day aiternoon (April 24L Sophomore J.
Theodore (Ted) Glick said that he in-
verted the flag with the help of sopho-
more Jeitrey er Gordon as a protest to
the Vietnam War,

The inverted ilag is an international
symbol or distress most irequently used
by ships in danger. Glick said in a state-
ment released Friday that ”the inversion
indicates the truly international distress
or a nation that blindly continues its
course in Vietnam and boasts Of all at-
ﬂuent society while millions suffer.”

Gordon, in a letter to the 5&3, Called

E

College Goes to Town

An estimated 250 students, resident
advisers, and faculty members took their
views on the flag incident and the Viet-
nam War to residents or Grinnell last
weekend.

Some of the members or the College
community approached Grillnellians on
downtown Streets, while others went door-
to-door to discuss the issues.

The eitort to communicate directly
with residents or the town was suggested
by college Chaplain Dennis Haas during
a discussion in South Lounge on Thurs-
day night.

Several students reported incidents or
harassment while they canvassed. Sopho-
more Lynda R. Lamberth Said that one
man in a business suit spit in her face
when she tried to talk with him.

Sophomore Henry C, Scheit said that
a pickup truck swerved and nearly in:
him, sophomore Mark Kass, and resident
advisers Dennis Donham and Tom Merle,
as they were crossing a street

Many students said they had diiilculty
communicating with town residents who
were attended by the ﬂag incident and
other recent protests on campus. Others
said that some Grinnellians were Willing
to talk with them,

::

his action “an impulsive reaction meant
with a more antagonistic rather than
constructive motives”

Shortly after the flag was inverted, A
crowd ot about so persons gathered
around the tlag pole. Several student:
and faculty members argued that GliClx'
should put the tlag bacli the way he
found it. Others defended his action.

Junior Roger Roe and sophomore Scott
Hanson appeared at the scene and tried
to turn the ﬂag right-side up. Senior Al-
bert Cloud prevented them from doing
so by grabbing the rope, a witness told
the SM}. A heated argument folIowed.
“We almost duked it out,” a supporter
of Click said.

hiter about twenty minutes Grinnell
Police Clllei Bill Peters appeared at tho

cors—

(Continued Page 3, Column 2)

 

