THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
80th Year, No.130
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Thursday, May 7, 1970
Chancellor's statement
Tomorrow, each individual student and faculty member will be visibly reminded of the alternative decisions our society must face. The day is aptly named, "A Day of Alternatives." I trust that the designation is not mere rhetoric.
Each of us should have the freedom to choose among workshops, classes, a festival, a laboratory, and listening to Senator Muskie. More fundamentally, we choose between freedom, to "do our thing" without interfering with the rights of others, or being coerced by any of the various forms of tyranny that urge freedom only if we agree with their specific values and methods.
Anyone who would attempt to impose a single ideology upon more than 17,000 students and 1,000 faculty members by any method other than rational persuasion threatens to destroy the University as an open forum for any and all ideologies.
I'm confident that the students and faculty members of the University of Kansas will insist that this forum remain open and free from coercion of any kind.
UDK News Roundup
By United Press International
Bunker to step down
WASHINGTON—Ellsworth Bunker, U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam, is expected to ask President Nixon to be relieved of his Saigon post as soon as the administration can conveniently decide on a successor.
Administration aides indicated it would be a difficult request to grant because the 76-year-old envoy is greatly respected and there is no automatic successor in sight.
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Resolutions to give a 'voice on problems'
The Student Senate voted two resolutions to give the student body a voice on problems "the University and society face."
One measure in Wednesday night's meeting in Bailey Auditorium provided for an open microphone at the proposed site of Wescoe Hall today from 12:30 p.m. Peter George, Tuckahoe, N.Y. law student, introduced the measure.
"This will provide open dialogue allowing all groups on campus to
express their opinions. As long as somebody wants to talk there will be somebody to listen," said George.
The Senate passed a resolution allowing for the organization of a student opinion poll in Strong Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. This action was passed on the recommendation of Bill Ebert, Topeka junior and student body president.
"A large number of students
are driven to express themselves on these issues," said Ebert.
The questions will concern U.S. involvement in Cambodia; the Kent State incident; and the University Senate Executive committee's (SenEx) decision on the ROTC review. Other questions may be added later, he said. The results will be sent to state congressmen in Kansas and President Richard Nixon.
(Continued to page 20)
Muskie to speak Friday
Senator Edmund S. Muskie, D-Maine, will speak at 8 p.m. Friday in Hoch Auditorium.
Muskie, the Democratic party's vice-presidential candidate in 1968 will discuss Nixon's policy in Cambodia, said Mike Dickeson, Atchison senior and president of the KU chapter of Collegiate Young Democrats.
Muskie's political career began in 1946 when he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives. Three years later he became Minority leader of that House.
In 1954, Muskie became Maine's first Democratic governor in 20 years. He was reelected in 1956 and two years later became the first popularly elected U.S. senator in Maine history.
Muskie's major legislative interests include; air and water pollution abatement, protection of the human environment; urban problems; international cooperation and efficiency; historic preservation and economic development.
Some of his accomplishments include: the Clean Air Act of 1963; Water Quality Act of 1965; Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966; Air Quality Act of 1967; Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1967; Amendment to Oil Pollution Act, 1967; Water Quality Improvement Act, 1968, 1969; Resource Recovery Act of 1969; Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1969 and Resolutions in support of the International Biological Program and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, 1969.
Rally results in broken ROTC windows
By TOM SLAUGHTER Kansan Staff Writer
A group of nearly 200 students smashed several windows and tried unsuccessfully to enter the Military Science building Wednesday evening.
The incident at the ROTC building followed a rally in front of Strong Hall at which members of the faculty and ROTC pleaded with the crowd to remain non-violent.
The rally began about 9:15 p.m. at Strong Hall. Nearly 1,000 students attended the rally that was announced in pamphlets distributed earlier Wednesday.
Following several speeches at the rally many of the crowd walked to the ROTC building, picking up rocks as they went.
The crowd, smaller now, milled around the building for a few minutes, then the barrage began. Nearly all the windows on the north side of the building were broken, and several on the east side were also broken. No estimate of damage to the building was available from University officials.
During the entire incident, the absence of police was conspicuous. Many students at the building, felt that the police stayed away on purpose.
A few students tried to restrain those throwing rocks, but their efforts were, for the most part, futile.
After several minutes of rock throwing some students began to leave. Many arguments broke out in the crowd, concerning whether the students should try to enter the building.
Several University officials and faculty members were present at the building. They were not harassed, and a few of the faculty even discussed the situation with the students.
At one time, the crowd talked of moving to the Chancellor's house to demand that school be shut down, but they remained at the ROTC building.
Earlier, at the rally, Lawrence Velvel, professor of law, spoke to the students. Velvel, who has been a controversial figure, told the crowd that the University faculty "truly suffers from the generation gap."
Velvel told the crowd they must put
"moral pressure" on the faculty to make them understand the issues on campus, and in the nation. Velvet said the government, "has in the past been a fine system," but, many people on campus and in government were, "putting their heads in the sand" concerning major issues. Velvel said it was up to the faculty "to meet the students half-way" in their demands.
Velvet also said that the University of Kansas printers were "supressing free speech" by refusing to print "Harambee" the newspaper of the Black Students Union (BSU).
Jack Pratt, who called himself an "outside agitator" from California, said that President Nixon opened the door for the situation that created the "Kent Murder." Pratt told the crowd that Nixon created the situation through remarks concerning dissent on college campuses, at the conclusion of his speech to the nation, on Cambodia.
David Jeans, Independence, Mo. senior and a member of Army ROTC told the crowd that he believed in personal freedom like the people at the
rally, but he felt his freedom was being infringed because he could not participate in the ROTC review that was to be held Friday.
One student summarized the crowds reaction to Jeans comments by quoting from Mao Tse-Tung, "They are for everything we are against, and we are against everything they are for."
Many students walked through the crowd asking people to come to a convocation to be held Thursday at noon. The purpose of the convocation is to decide what action will be taken Friday in regard to a student strike protesting the involvement in Cambodia, and the death of the four students at Kent, Ohio.
No arrests were made in connection with the incident at the Military Science building.
Beverly Pryce, Stockton, N.J. sophomore, and a KU Committee for Alternatives (KUCA) spokesman said KUCA was officially disbanded, because any action concerning a strike taken now would be determined by the students at today's convocation. "It's now up to the people," she said.