Students express views, impressions
Week of drama at KU leaves confusion
One week has passed since KU experienced a wave of violence, tension and destruction unequalled in the history of the campus.
Reactions expressed by KU students to the events of that week ranged from shock and disbelief to disgust. Many confessed to being left in the wake of the upheaval with feelings of confusion and uncertainty.
"I'm one big question mark," said one coed shortly after curfew was lifted Friday morning. "I don't understand why this happened or who is behind it all."
Several days later, with the community and the campus returned to normal, the lack of understanding still prevails. While police and fire department officials puzzle over who set the fires and caused the disturbance, KU students sift through rumors, theories and a few scattered facts trying to figure out what happened and why.
The "causes," as such, of the five-day wave of fire bombings are unclear.
Why burn the Union? The fire set at Strong Hall might be assumed to be a strike against the administration, a fire in the Military Science building could be attributed to an anti-ROTC faction, and fire bombs thrown at the administration building at Lawrence High School would logically be related to the recent racial issue there.
But the burnings of the Union, a furniture store in downtown Lawrence and an abandoned school building in north Lawrence seem totally unjustifiable for the ends of any faction.
Some believed the trouble began with the racial tension at Lawrence High, others said it was a carry-over from the "academic freedom" issue after the Board of Regents passed over the promotions of two KU professors. Still others blamed the appearance of Abbie Hoffman for the upheaval. Some were willing to place the beginning of last week's incidents as far back as the ROTC demonstration last spring.
Why KU? Abbie Hoffman noted that KU students were "unrevolutionary." Lawrence, Kansas—almost a ludicrous setting for nightly arson attempts, bomb threats and a three-day curfew complete with armed National Guardsmen.
Those who advance the theory of outside agitators say KU was chosen for the very reason of its "unlikelihood" as the scene of a major disturbance. One fact is certain—the incident was national news everywhere.
And the impression they are left with is the same given by KU students — confusion over what appears to be senseless destruction. What issue or combination of issues prevalent in the past several weeks warranted $2 million damage to the Union?
Concern for KU's national image prompted remarks from many students. One coed said her parents tried to persuade her to transfer, not out of fear for her safety, but because of what prospective employers might think if she graduated from a "riot-torn university."
Students had numerous comments to make about the events of the week, ranging from what they felt when news of the Kansas Union reached them to praise and criticism of the way the situation was handled, particularly in reference to the curfew imposed by Governor Robert Docking.
For many KU students, this was the first time they had ever been under a curfew. There were those who refused to accept the gravity of the disturbance, and complained that the curfew "interfered with social life," or "infringed on my rights."
Parents will not get student grade report
The University of Kansas will no longer automatically notify parents of student's grades. The policy switch is due to the new code of student rights, responsibilities and conduct.
The grade policies are but one part of a section on confidentiality of records which affects procedures in the registrar's office. Essentially, the section describes a confidential relationship between student and university, and lists records which are kept and to
Balfour said it might be possible for students to indicate if they wanted their grades to be reported at registration and enrollment.
The curfew (said one student, was a mistake because it in itself became an issue.
William Balfour, dean of student affairs, said Wednesday that grades will be sent to parents only at the request of students. It had been policy at KU to automatically report grades of single students under 21 years of age to their parents or guardians.
whom the information may be given.
Still another said she thought it "showed the ineffectiveness of a curfew in stopping violence."
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Those who supported the curfew said that some show of force must be made to stop anarchy.
"People looked at the curfew
as an annoyance rather than as a protective device for their benefit," said one student.
And what now? Have the events of last week changed anything? Many students believe there has been a change—in the attitude of the students toward the University, in the outlook for the future and in themselves.
"It was interesting to note how students reacted in a more conservative manner than was their
normal nature," said a coed.
"Lawrence is no longer a 'refuge,'" said a graduate student, "but subject to the same tension as the entire United States."
For now, Lawrence and the University of Kansas campus are quiet. Students have the time now to sort out their thoughts and form their own conclusions to the five-day drama of last week.
What in the future? Time will tell.
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