OBSERVER Vol. 20 No. 1 September 27, 1978 Front Page Richard Griffiths: Open Letter Michael Simpson Then and Now Jeanne Stanford Observer Tilts Page 2 Editorial Page A Letter From W.A.N.K. Tom McMahan [“ . Allocations sent (given? Thrown?) out by the Planning Committee have . .”] Michael Heller The Bard Audio Co-op Political Prisoners In The U.S.A. Arthur Carlson Page 3 An Interview With Dr. E. P. Skinner Adios Espanol Mary O’Connor Tanya Fayan Unity And Democracy Chris $7200 & Expenses Evan Hall Scott Porter Page 4 A Creative Contamination Marin Presents The Joys Of . Juggling Two Hundred Years Ago Today, Blues Roderick D. Michael Untitled Poem Annette Mahon Drawing D. Milne Untitled Poem Becky Heydemann Page 5 Foiled Again! John Rolfe Page 6 Music & Theater Review The Who Robin Trower UFO John Rolfe Upcoming Plays Adam Marre Photography News Briefs Moonies Return George Smith The Political Action Group Security At Fishkill? George Smith Page 7 De Mysteria Dan Eddy [“ . The reappearance of a word . That word is apathy, . .”] Asparagus Barks John Large Dr. Bish Page 8 Bard Rallies, Beats S. Vermont Soccer News Soccer Schedule Women’s Sports Sarah Robins The Gargoyle’s Voice Cross-Country News Cross-Country Schedule Winning Isn’t Everything Rod Michaels -.-- - -' ' Jj "Were it !lift for me to deeide whether we should have a . ''tn my youth t.hought 4 governmcnt without newspapcrs, of writlng a s.atirc on ·' or newspapers without a mankind, but now in my 4 govcrnmcnt, I should not age I think I should write hesitate a moment to prefcr an apology for them" the latter." ~ Walpole OBSERVER j Thomas J effcrso!l. _ ) ~~ - -·11 - The Official Publication of the Bard College Community - ·vaL. 20, NO. I ANNANDALE..QN·HUDSON. N.Y. SEPTEMBER 27, 1978 -· RICHARD GRI FFITHS: open letter u/t is ihperitive (sie} ... to win them over before they becotn:: contaminated by some of the returninq students. " Editor's~ote: . and a directive for all employees to put During the first week of classes, xeroxcd forward their best in helping the new copies of a controversial interoffice memo, students as they arrived on campus, and dated August 17, 1978 and signed by Ri­ to provide as much service as possible chard. Griffiths, were anonymously placed to aid themin their new environment. in the post office and the library. Other The memo used the word ''contaminat­ duplicates were also sent to the Q~~t:_y~, ed" in the phrase "to prevent contamin­ President Botstein, Dean Sugatt, Peter ation by some of the re turning students.' Amato, Vice-President Papadimitriou, Ri­ (This i\tcident is a typical e.xamp1e of chard Starkie and the Student Central just what that phrase meant ). " Committee. It was later discovered that "Physical Plant personriel fiave alway~ the memo was stolen from the Physical had a policy ofproviding service to the collegecommunity Plant Office. A dispute has centered a­ and particularly the round the choice of words of the first studcnt body, and wc are attempting to add paragraph: vitality to imprave that function, and especially by impravemerit of the August 17, 1978 dormitory living conditions, the overaH "To All Physical Plant Employees: physical facilities, and the campus in its Michael enitety, which is difficult with our lim­ Simpson College is opening on Saturday, Sep­ ited mcans. We are attempting to elim­ tember 2, 1978 with the 200 or so fresh­ inatc as much as possible a.reas that caus( men arriving on that day; It is inperative concern through improved maintenance, Then and now (sie) that we handie our responsibilities concern for annoyance, elimination of Allen had resigned and would he con­ to these incomirig students, and take ad­ unsightly areas, and most important, Most B:udians are aware of the tran­ sider taking her position?Wcll, Dean vantage of having the first day or two to preservation of college properties and sitory nature of the Bard population. Simpson thought about this m'?mcn~ous . help them around campus and roayhe the educational processes." . The community changes alrnost as easi· question all of tbirty seconds <lllJ rc­ even win them over before they bccome "ln the past. wc have experiencedon ly and frequencly as the leaves don new plied, "Sure". He made the decision of contaminated by some of the re turning this e am pus, cxcessive malicious dama­ colors. People remain at Bard for a his own volition and believes it was and students... " ges, theft of college as well as private ycar or two and transfer to another col­ is the right thing to do. After elcven Accompanying tlle memo was this property, theft of personal employee lege or perhaps leave school all together. months at Dallashestiil could not over­ warning: "Close attention to the first property, animal destruction, accusatiom Michael Simpson, our'new Dean of come that strange, magnetic pull that paragraph of this memo will reveal ~he and unjust confrontation spirited by few · Academic Affairs, feels Hke just such Bard has on many people. It was diffi­ attitude of Dick Griffiths towards s tu­ mcmbers of the community. This, ex­ an attrition statistic. He too lcft Bard cult to stay away from his niche at Bard. den ts, something often camplained of actly, is wha~ is' meant by pteventing · after two years ofbeing a part and full J\P,r{ }Vha~ c;xa,ct)y Jrew him bac:..: tö and now evinced. The fa<::t that th.is · contamination, and direction in the a­ time elassks professõ'r and ad hoc par­ Bard?The interaction and symbiosis be­ memo is addressed to all Physical Plant voidance of the samc." tidpation in the administration includ­ tween Leon Botstein and the Bard in­ employees shows that Mr. Griffiths' per­ -" Älth~ugh, we are not responsible 'for ing the formulating and planning of the ,stitution. He feels there are many pro- sonal bias has become Physical Plant the security of the campus or the dici­ Immediate Decision Plan. ductive intercsts, communications, ideas, .eolicy:'' ~ pline of the campus, student life, rec­ I~ December of1976 the Univcrsity and most of all, P,eople at Bard and that 'When questioned about the intcroffice .reation, teaching education, ~irectly, all of Dallas offered Dean Simpson a ten­ the personality of Bard and Leon Bot­ memo, Mr. Griffiths adinitted that it was of these necessities are available with ured rosition in classics. As he was or­ stein mak~ for a bcneficial exchange. issued from his desk. Ciarifying his po­ some form of physical plant input and iginal y from North Carolina anoffer to He welcomcs conflict betwcen the stu­ sition, he expiained that "contaminated" endcavors, since we ~re responsible in return to the Sun Belt was quite enticing, dents and administration as this kind of has positive and negative connotations­ keeping the building dean, serviceable, His teaching up until th en had mainly inter~ction is necessary if Bard is to con­ and that he was implying the former mea­ and furnished for your use, and we are been concentrated in the northeast , tinue to develop and evolve. {t is this ning.in his memo. Mr. Griffiths felt the responsiblc to provide recreational fa.­ -Dartmouth, Smith, and Arnherst, among characteristic of movement and intensity · theft was "really iow" a~d compared it cüities, and it does effect your student oth~rs, and so this new location would that D<!an Simpson missed durit1g his to "amini-Watergate". Below is Mr. life, and the diciplines do effect your provide a regional change. Hc left for stay at Dallas. He finds Bard an exciting Griffiths' open letter to the community li ving standards and Hving in general. lt Texas expecting to stay. challenge and will remain for at least the. coneerning the memo. His letter has not is these misuses by few individuals that During his year at Dallas he kept in next fivc ycars . been deleted, editcd, or alterec! in any wc wish to avoid contamination. touch with his Bard associates. The Of Bard Dean Simpson says, "I am way. Perhaps, the word contamination, is im­ connection had not been complctely whcre I yvant to b~." To Dean .SimJjs~m severed. One day he answered the phone "I am writing to properly used, or is much too harsh, but the Bard community says: welcome; ask that you print my only to hear President Botstein's voice comnients, the fact of the rnatter is that we are in­ back, and wishes you many creath•e in their cntircty, to expiain inquiring whether he was seate d: Grace and make clear the polides of the Physi­ te.rested in promoting better relation­ . years. J eanne S tanford cal Plant Department and how they .relate ships, and wish to ·avoid indden ts, and toa recent attempt, by one or two in.divi­ wish to avoid watite, all of which would duals, to smear the departmen t by re­ provide more ~e, materials, and money to be used in mare productive measures OBSERVER TILTS sorting to an underhanded method of dirty tricks. Ordinarily I would ignore to benefit the entire college community, accusations and attacks, as irresponsible, . and of !Vhiclt. vou get the direet benefit. Thirty to thirty-five students attended Several upperdassmen proceeded to de­ the and aecept them believing the individuals It is no seeret that this is accomplisheJ fust forum meeting eady last week. bate ovcr the necessity ot a student news Tony Bennie, chairperson of responsible did not seek the facts or had in personnel by higher standards, moti­ the student publication, whereupon a resolution was vation; direction, Judiciary Board, called the meetirig to or­ personal motivation, and that acceptanc~ and a spirit of coop- passed makingastudent news publication .