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About The Grantonian (Portland, Ore.) 19??-???? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 1969)
4 THE GRANTONIAN January 31, 1969 Jadi and(aikioni Symbolize aye groups. As each generation progresses, the members of this generation adopt for themselves certain fads, fashions, and rules which are used as a sym bol of their age-group. Older generations tend to criticize the symbols followed by their successors; while younger ones cling to theirs, com plaining about the “backwardness”' of their predecessors. This is termed the “generation gap.” ~ The older generation, which has grown with their symbols and ideas, is not as susceptible to change as is sometimes wished by their suc cessors. But this is only to be expected. For, after living with such ideas as “Marriages should be kept within your own racial group,” “Dresses are the proper school attire for girls,” and “Short hair should be worn by boys” all their life, it is hard to change. It seems that the standards of acceptability are more liberal within each successive generation. Where our grandparents believed that “The woman’s place is in the home” and “Children should be seen and not heard,” our parents’ viewpoint was more generous on these subjects. And so it is with our changes of opinion. Sometimes called the “new morality,” the fads, fashions and rules set by the present “younger generation” are but another step in the direction of more liberal standards. No one should be condemned for the current disagreements over racial questions of standards of dress and conduct, for no one generation is to blame. They are the result of the continuous changes taking place iu the patterns of acceptability. And, as such, should be treated with patience by all who are involved. If each generation gives up a few of their symbols, a plane of common agreement can be reached. Very in-ter-est-ing Students voice candid views on sex Generals comment Ever since there has been an older and a younger generation, one topic that has been debated and discussed is the “gen eration gap.” What is it, what causes it, and how can it be narrowed? Who is to blame, if anyone is? “It’s evident that there is a definite generation gap,” declared Cynthia Ma son, a senior, “due to the lack of com munication and understanding.” She continued to say that if younger people would try to understand the older gen eration instead of constantly complain ing of not being understood, some prog ress might be made.” “I think it’s a little exaggerated,” commented Judy Corona, a senior, “but it’s there. I feel alienated from anyone over 50.” “A communication lag between par ents and their children causes the gen eration gap,” stated Lou Stein, a junior. “The way parents were brought up is a lot different from the way their children are being brought up, ’cause times haye changed,” she concluded. To remedy the situation, Kim Mar shack and Dave Powell, seniors, ex pressed their ideas. “It’s obviously both parties who are at fault,” asserted Kim. “If the parents would give a little and the younger peo ple would give a little, the gap would be bridged,” he said. “The students should listen to their parents instead of just shunning them. The students should take into considera tion their parents’ piont of view,” sug gested Dave. “Before you can remedy or eradicate something, you must first understand it,” explained Larry Wheeler, a junior. “What is the generation gap? It has been exaggerated, but the gap is an apathetic lack of understanding between parents and children. So, we must try to under- e Çrantonian Published weekly by the advanced jour nalism class of Ulysses S. Grant high school, room 203, 2245 N.E. 36th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97212. Phone 288-5975. Printed by Modern Typesetting company with a circulation of 3200. Second class postage paid at Portland, Ore. Subscrip tion cost $2.00 per year. Vol. 73, No. 17 January 31, 1969 Editor .................... June Ammon Page 1 Editor ... '......... Bruce Fishback Page 2 Editor........... . . . Marlene Feves Page 3 Editor .......................... Jan Kelley Page 4 Editor .. . . ............. Martha Ojard Reporters ..... Debby Liesch, Katherine McGregor, Kathi Robinson, Debby Ro- vech, JOyce DeMonnin Photographer .............. Joyce DeMonnin Advertising Manager .... Kathy Walton Circulation Manager .. Kathy McGregor Circulation Staff .... .Margaret Hadden Mary Ann Hutton j Advisor .................. .Willard Mohn. by Debby Liesch stand our parents better,” he added. In the modern world today there are three basic issues: religion, politics, and sex. This article will be devoted to the “Discord on Buses Explained” read the headline and inside the first para graph the “school of excellence’s” name appeared. As orie read further on into the story, it was found that “special bus” riders have been causing havoc and chaos on the “special bus.” Mel Lamberton, a Rose City Transit special agent, reported, from personal experience, that “some of the riders opened the emergency door and jumped out into the path of oncoming cars. Six windows have been broken in the past two weeks, and some students try ot get aboard without paying their fare, or without showing student cards. “Firecrackers have been set off in the aisles, and a woman who got aboard the student bus by mistake was hit in the face by a snowball.” Mr. Lamberton added that both black and white stu dents rode the bus. A police car has been stationed at the corner of 37th and Thompson, but, ac cording to Mr. Lamberton, “Something needs to be done on the bus. “Ending the bus service would'only make things worse,” Mr. Lamberton con tinued. “If it was discontinued, the same boys would make trouble for adult rid ers on regularly scheduled buses.” Perhaps they would, but if a special agent could be positioned on those buses running the lines that would be affected, the disruptive students could be appre hended more easily. Announcements in the daily bulletins have warned students of defacing city property, with the possible result of dis continuing the service. For it is a service, and it must be a pleasant one—getting a ride home. Cer tainly the “pride” for the “school of excellence” is not being exemplified by these students. Or are they exemplifying the lack of pride that many students seem to have? Hubert Shovlin, vice-principal, blamèd a “few ringleaders” and commented that he hoped they can be picked out and disciplined. He concluded by saying he believed most of the student riders would “like to keep things orderly.” Would they? topic of sex at Grant: the results of a “sex poll.” Representative juniors and seniors were randomly asked certain questions about their views on sex. As a great deal is heard about the “new morality,” students were asked to give their definition. A large majority of both junior and senior girls, and a large majority of junior boys, agreed that it was “freedom to do what you feel like doing.” One junior girl commented that she thought it was “a freedom everyone should have.” Another girl complained that the morals are so low they are “sickening.” Many senior boys said that the “new morality was no different than the old,” or else they asked what the “old moral ity” was. One senior boy explained that it was “free love.” A second question that was asked was “do you think teenagers are more pro miscuous today, than in your parents’ day?” The most common answer from the junior girls and senior boys was, “No —it is just more publicized and more out in the open.” Junior boys and senior girls agreed that it was more out in the open, but also said that there definitely was more promiscuity today. “What do you think about girls who refuse to kiss you on their first date with you,” netted various reactions from the boys. Half of the senior boys said she “wasn’t my type of girls,” and the other half said she was “the type of girl I’d marry.” The junior boys seemed to agree that “she didn’t want to take any chances, probably.” Both junior and senior girls agreed that whether or not they would kiss a boy depended on the boy and the cir cumstances. “If he wants to kiss me good night, I’ll let him,” commented one jun ior girl, while another said, “I’d rather thank him that way than the other way.” Junior and senior boys were asked if they would have an “experienced” girl as their wife. An overwhelming majority of the senior boys answered, “No, be cause I would have no respect for her.” A large percentage of junior boys agreed with the statement that “as long as she loved me, her past wouldn’t really mat ter.” “Do you think a boy would lose re spect for a girl if she made out with him?” was also asked. The majority of the junior girls said, . “Yes, because he would think he could get away with other things,” and “Yes—it’s so phony, and doesn’t seem right.” Most of the boys agreed, but one expressed the feeling that “she would only be showing affec tion.” In summary—the senior boys seem to follow the “old morality,” as did some junior girls, but the majority of the girls and junior boys believe in more freedom and less restraint. An old and mdch followed philosophy is that wisdom comes with maturity. Seems that this could be the cash!