KWSNN COMMENT
Tripping over hurdles
This editorial was not my first choice.
My first choice was pre-empted by the University of Kansas Printing Service, protector of campus morals, and my second choice was nixed by the Kansan Board.
Following yesterday's meeting with the Black Student Union (BSU) and KU's administration, the Kansas's managing editor, campus editor, news editor and editorial editors decided to kill a scheduled page and to print the poem from the BSU Harambee which had caused the KU Printing Service workers to walk off the job and demand a ruling from the Attorney General.
We decided to print the poem in direct violation of the Kansas Obscenity Guidelines to show our support for the BSU, which has asked the yet unanswered question, "Why has the Printing Service refused to print 'obscenities' for the BSU which they had printed for at least two other campus publications?"
The Printing Service quickly refused to print the poem. Refusing to make a new editorial page, I wrote a three-sentence editor's note which was to be the only print on an otherwise blank editorial page. The editor's note, which merely said that the Printing Service had adjudged us obscene and that freedom of the press does not exist here at KU, was ordered removed by the Kansan Board yesterday afternoon, with editor Ken Peterson and news adviser James
W. Murray dissenting. The other members of the Kansan Board are Lee F. Young, acting Dean of the School of Journalism; Melvin E. Adams, associate professor of journalism and business adviser; and Jerry Bottenfield, business manager.
The Kansan Board said, in effect, that it would have ruled against publishing the poem as a violation of the Kansan Obscenity Guidelines even if the Printing Service had not axed it. The Kansan Board, our readers should know, has obligations to legislators, alumni, etc.
The Kansan's obligation remains, however, to the students, including the black students whose newspaper was snubbed by the Printing Service.
In coming issues, the Kansan will be speaking in more depth about the BSU's attempt to issue its paper and about the reaction of the Printing Service, KU Administration and Atty. Gen. Kent Frizzell, whose opinion is being sought.
In the meantime, we recommend you all buy a copy of the Harambee, now on sale after the BSU took the paper all the way to Wichita to have it printed.
In fact, buy two, and send a copy to a legislator, alumnus, etc.
—Love and Peace, Mike Shearer
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