Defends Grad School Council

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The Graduate Student Council, whose election procedures were recently attacked in your columns by a J. Peter Prins 1G, has been the first to admit that it very often does resemble a "creative minority" in the Toynbean sense. We are hot unaware of the disadvantages of this role, however, but find it forced upon us by the lack of cohesiveness in graduate life.

Only about 300 of the 1900 students live in University dormitories; the rest are bestrewn from here to Harvardevens; they never meet in any one place. This dispersion severely limits the physical act of campaigning, the lack of which pains Prins. (It also limits the acquaintanceship of most of us to students within our own fields.) Beyond this, the nature of questions like tuition rises and examination systems precludes a candidate's taking a stand without the extensive research and investigation that preceded the Council's own recommendations on these matters. Democracy is not just campaigning on issues, and there are few, if any, real "issues" here. The really important thing is to find people to work on what problems there are and to reflect the opinions of their fellow students. What is needed is continual contact with and pressure from an interested student body.

Prins may take heart, however, in the fact that relations with students are improving through our connections with departmental clubs, wider publicity in school-wide mailings, and the Graduate Bulletin. With the construction of the new graduate center, they will improve even more. There is nonetheless a real apathy on the part of graduate students towards the problems of the school as a whole. Even Prins, for instance, despite the zeal that spurred him to write his letter, has not to my knowledge volunteered to assist any of the Council committees, though the opportunity was offered to all students at registration. We admit that our relations with the student body are not so close as they might be, and we should welcome additional help in improving them. It is devoutly to be wished, therefore, that next year instead of burying his talents, the polemical Prins will condescend to help us in productive work. Richard N. Swift '44, 3G