Summer Session Kansan
Monday, July 23, 1979
KU demonstrations: A tale of two campuses
By ROBIN ROBERTS
Staff Reporter
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
That opening line from Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" was how Richard Cole, professor of philosophy, described the world in his best 10 years ago at the University of Kansas.
Cole, who taught at KU at that time, was one of several faculty members, administrators and students who told a tale of the life on campus of a decade late and the one of today.
Cole said more students were involved in protests a decade ago because of the issues that gave rise to "deep and personally significant" feelings.
"Students were draftable," Cole said.
"Aside from the moral factors, the Vietnam War was a matter of life and death to them."
"THAT'S NOT THE total answer," Miller said. "It was it, we were so many women."
"WE HAVE A dead generation of students on our hands," he said.
But Tim Miller, assistant professor of religious studies, said fear and self-interest were not the only reasons for the mass demonstrations.
Miller, a KU student 10 years ago, was a member of a liberal anti-Vietnam War group. Students for a Democratic Society. He said the war was not over with the end of the Vietnam War.
Last semester, Miller passed out pamphlets promoting free speech inside Strong Hall, defying an order by the KU administration. Eventually, a code regulating the distribution of literature inside KU buildings was altered.
"There are still serious social problems and I will willing to participate in protests to change things," Miller said. "The less people learned ten years ago was that protesting is very effective and it still has the same potential."
Ron Kuby, a May 1979 graduate, agreed that fewer protesters were on campus now but said that the people who did support them were more or less or more so than those of the Woodstock era.
Miller said he was mystified that more students did not use that potential.
“It’s important to lineate the types of support,” said Kuby, who was arrested during Commencement for carrying a banner which said, “KU Out of South Florida.”
"We don't turn out in thousands, but the protesters today are much more issue-oriented. They are much less concerned about having a good time."
But not all protestors of ten years ago were looking for a good time.
As Kuby was unveiling his banner at Commencement in Memorial Stadium, a former KU protector was preparing to deliver the invocation.
THE PROTESTOR, Robert Shelton,
chairman of the department of religious
studies, said recently, "I never enjoyed demonstrations. I think it's fatalized that
Shelton, who was an assistant professor here ten years ago, said he also spoke at a campus moratorium on Oct. 15, 1969 because he cared about students.
"I was aware that the government was not only involved with running an imperial war in Vietnam," he said, "but also a war against its own people."
He said he had warned students that FBI "stooges" were infiltrating demonstrations to incite violence and that the University was responsible for students' in all left-wing student organizations.
"PAINT OF MY function was to tell students not to get caught in a trap." *Shelton*
The percentage of students deeply involved in 1989 was not much larger than the percentage involved today, he said, but he added that students today should care about issues.
"We need more people to be awake and sensitive and care about people other than themselves. Even from a selfish standpoint, we should not care how many you may be in the same position someday."
BUT EVEN though the methods have shifted, he said, the issues have not.
"The U.S. is still supporting unjustifiable actions," he said. "The Iranian students tried to tell us for years that the Shah should be thrown out."
However, David Abrewey, student body president in 1969-1970, said students should be taught how to solve math problems.
"So many are condemning the college student today," Abrey said, "but it is not so."
"There were so many young people in Vietnam that it was easy to find good paying jobs."
Awbrey said the availability of good jobs plus the knowledge that others, not in college, were dying overseas made students unity.
"The ADMINISTRATION knew we were getting the good jobs and wanted us to forget about Vietnam and racism," he said. "But you don't make that deal. I think lot of it was guilt."
Besides being student body president, Awbrey was a member of SDS and admitted to throwing an occasional rock and to breaking the law during protests. He spent two weeks in a Lawrence jail for disturbance in the police station. He was set after the Kuwaitian burned in 1970.
Today Awbrey seeks social change through a Decatur, Ill., newspaper chain. Hawkeye is a graduate of
"Social change—I'm committed to fighting for it," he said. "When I look in the mirror each morning I ask myself what I've done for someone else."
'It was a lot easier to throw rocks than it
it is sit down and write an editorial. It takes better arguments today, not just emotional
AWBREY SAID ANOTHER reason students were more involved ten years ago was because the issues were more black and white.
He said protesters in the Midwest had grown up believing the United States was more human rights than business-oriented and that it was incapable of any wrong.
"We were frustrated idealists," he said.
"We couldn't believe what was going on. But when we did believe it, we wanted to change the world immediately. If we couldn't change it by Tuesday, we'd go smoke some more not."
"I'm generally disappointed in people my age," he said. "They think Vietnam was their contribution and now they can sit back and make money. Most of them have sold out."
But Awbrey said the Vietnam years made him realize that social change could not be inducted.
HE SAID THE involved students were defying the whole corporate structure of America then, but had sold out "body and soul" to it today.
"We were the best and brightest students of our time. We lived together, fought together, did drugs together, and screwed each other. We had fun, you none von you were usually involved in it all."
One of the few KU protests Awbrey did not participate in one was in Memorial Stadium on March 8, 1969, that forced the cancellation of the Chancellor's ROTC Review.
Awbrey said he knew he'd get suspended and that there would be better causes down the road. "They're not to be identified, join student body vice president Marilyn Bowman and 36 others in court."
"I was a campus activist by accident," he said. He said he had joined a crowd of protestors on campus and ended up holding bands in a circle on the stadium field.
"I WENT HOME elated because something had actually been accomplished behind me."
The students who were photographed by
KU police at the event were later given the option of a public or private hearing by the University Disciplinary Board. The option was granted by the student affairs dean William Balfour. Balfour is now KU's ombudsman.
After the hearings, Balfour was subpoenaed by State Sen. Reynolds Shultz, R-Lawrence. Shultz and his subcommittee, Federal and State Affairs, wanted released the names of the 21 who had private hearings.
But Bailour convinced them that the university should not go back on the option it introduced.
He said he was in on the decision to cancel the review with Chancellor Lawrence Chatham.
Shelton said he thought KU handled the protest effectively.
"WE WERE LUCKY to have people like Larry Chalmers," he said. "He was criticized for canceling the review but what people didn't know was that a large number of armed law enforcement officials were out and coming, waiting to come in and crack some heads."
Balfour said he suspected that FBI and KBI provocators had been at KU protests but denied having spies in student organizations.
"We had concerned students who kept us informed that they weren't smiles," he said.
The administration's reaction to protests today is about the same as it was back then, Balfour said. The police could have dragged him off the balcony of the Rabin speech last year, but didn't.
ON THE WHOLE, Balfour said, students are now more reasonable in making their decisions to stay at school and students a decade ago to expect the University to do something about Vietnam.
"The whole problem is knowing how far to so." he said.
He also said the University was doing research in psychological warfare for the department of Defense and for the CIA and agreed that communism should be feared.
help make up the next generation of U.S. leaders.
"They always tried to separate themselves from society," Awbrey said. But he said the University was responsible for training every type of individual that would
Awbrey disagreed.
Awbrey said the right-wing anti-commist philosophy was that Vietnam was good because it promoted business and imperialism.
However, Imperialism today is one of the issues that has become more acute. he said.
Awbrey said it would be hard to seek social change within the system because right-wing students of ten years ago were the ones in office today.
But one left-wing student at KU decided to work within the system ten years ago.
'In 1969, I decided to run for the legislature to represent Rep. Mike Glover, D-LA.
"IN THE SPRING of 1970 I was campainaging in rural Douglas County," he said. "I'd drive up in my little MG and all that those people would want to talk about was what I was gonna do about the blacks and hippies."
Glover said he thought these citizens, some of whom were armed, had been disappointed that his hair was not even longer, so they could take a swing at him.
John Wright, professor of human development and family life, said opposition to the protest movement was strong. Wright was one of those participants in the protest at the ROTC review.
He said the Kansas Board of Regents had contacted his department after the review and asked "What about firing Wright?" But Wright said Francis Heller, then chairman of his department, told the Regents they couldn't fire him because he had tenure.
WRIGHT, WHO CAME to KU directly from the Chicago convention and riot in 1980, said many of the students who came on hand were remained socially concerned and active.
He said that even though protesting was more specialized today, it was still noted
"How do you think Cesar Chavez is winning his fight for the stoop laborers against the United Fruit Company?" he asked.
"I don't miss the old days, but I think we need that level of awareness and commitment and I think we are going to get it in the 80s," he said.
William Balfour, however, said he was giddy protesting on campus had died down years ago. "It's not my fault," he said.
Prof to travel to Panama to study language, people
He said everytime he read about protests like Kubu's he got "bottleflies."
Anita Herzfeld, assistant professor of linguistics and Latin American studies and director of the Study Abroad program, will lead a workshop on the role of Almirante and Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Herfield said last week that she would be going to Panama to conduct research on the creolized language spoken there. The creole language used at Tora is a mixture of English and Spanish.
"A creole language is one in which more than two groups of people get together and no common language is spoken. Hereditary traits are passed on by cutting. After the younger generation has learned the language, creole is formed. The language develops as more words are created."
"They use the same words as white people but their grammar is different. The lack of the verb 'to be' is the basis of this hypotheses."
No one has ever researched the language of the two Panamanian cities. Herzfeld said,
"The process of understanding the verbal system will be extremely difficult.
To understand the verbal system, Herzfeld said, she will have to record conversations and study the body movements that complement those conversations.
"To learn the language, I need to be part of the community." Herzfeld said.
For this reason, she said, she plans to live with a family in Almirante. When Herzfeld's research in Almirante is finished, she will travel her family on the island of Bocas del Toro.
Herzfeld attended a conference about create language in Brussels, Belgium, last
Hertzfield said she was surprised that 300 people came to the conference because she thought she was one of the few people working with creole languages.
"It was the first conference ever on multi- linguism," she said.
To fund her trip to Panama Herzfeld received a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship for overseas research from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Herzfeld already has written one book that will be published next year. It is about the creole language in Limon, Costa Rica, which was researched for her doctoral dissertation.
"WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE?"
Psalms 2:1 and Acts 4:25
"DEVOUTLY THANKFUL OUGHT WE TO BE FOR THE GIFT OF GREAT MEN. THEY ARE GODS NOBLEST, THEIR GIVENESS IS GREATEST, AND THEM MORE DEVOTUALLY PRAYT THAN ANY OTHER GREAT MEN may BE GOOD MEN. ONE HONEST STATESMAN — ONE HONEST SENATE — ONE HONEST SENATE, or CARINET OF ANATION, OR IT HEAD — IS WORTH MORE TO A NATION THAN ALL THE RICHES OF AMERICA. The Gods of Armenia and Navies” (Surrey) surely men, especially evil, greedy, and God-for-saken wrenches will mock this statement, and it is foolish to expect any other reaction unless Christianity produces a response to the Commandments of God, written there by The Holy Spirit of God. Heresin lies a responsibility and an opportunity for the true Christian
The writer once heard the late Dr. Campbell Morgan say that if one could stand on some high place and look down at the other, if they were in the same room there in the life would appear Giants towering over the others that seemed as pigmies. Some of these became Glants by using their superior intellects and energies for evil and selfish purposes that made them a great scourge and threat to humanity.
But consider those who became Giants because of their superior abilities and energies being used for great service and blessing to mankind. Towering up in the line is Nehshatri, the daughter of Moses, who was whom God testified: "Thee have seen righteous before me in this generation"—and Neohsa saved from perishing off the earth! Thee stands "The Friend of God," Abraham, the man who went when God directed, believed in Jesus, and loved him. He was a friend to a few more of these Giants who have been so
Other Gliens who appear in the line are isaiah; Jeremiah, God's Prophet to the nation; John the Baptist. The Apostos of Jerusalem all the same. Many more another. What made them such Gliens of blessing to the word? They sought the Lord, found Him, and did the Will of God. "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of God; but that he doeth the will of God." Matthew 16:31. You have seen that you have been the main ambition of your life? What is it now for the balance in time? Eternity is around the corner! in the 20th chapter of Matthew, Christ tells of men who had been idle ten hours of the day, but went to work at the Master's orders at
wonderfully used of God to bless their fellowmen; There is a story in the Bible where an old man who ever lived there saids 'The Men after God made me he mightly wielded "The Sword of the Lord," and played "The Harp of God" for blessing to mankind in all generations' (Athol, 1973).
Consider in detail one of these mighty Giants: John the Baptist. According to the last two verses of The Old Testament, "stood in the breach" at the time of Christ's coming and "was baptized on the earth with the earth of the curse the Angel had withheld 1 being your good tidings of joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour which
Consider John's message that kept off the curse: "Prepare the way of The Lord — Repent and bring forth fruity worths of repentance for the ax is laid to the root of the tree and if the tree have not good fruit it will be cut down and cast into the
"Let us devoutly pray that our great men will be good men!"
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