C.OLUM1.1A DAILY SPECTATOR
 

APRIL 27. 1968
 

Coiumbia^Spegtator
 

           A  Glimmer  of Hope

   Byyesterday  stfternoon, during the  fourth

aay of protest and   takeover   at  Columbia,

ttie  faculty  had  assurried  almost  complete

control oi'  peace-keeping  functionĸ  and nego-

tíations.  Bolh students and faculty haci simply

realized that the administration was incapable

of handlíng the situation.  The administration

tiad yielded  to  the  initiative  of the  faculty.

the  demonstrators  had shown enough willing-

ness to carry on talkĸ .all  day,  and the Major-

ily Coalition, whieh  is opposcd  to tho  tactics

oí  the demonstrators,  was  beginning to  look

lo the facully for answers.

   While the faculty, in its  controllingposition,

did  not bring about an end  to the dcmonstra-

tions,  it  did  manage  to  maintain  peace  on

Lne  campus  for  the day.   By last  níght, the

faculty  secmed to be settling in for a weekend

01 peace-kceping and negotiatĩne, by adoptine

plans  for  food-details, around-the-clock watch

es, and negotiating  eommittees.
 

   ĩt  seems  clear  iha  while  student control

of buildings may continue through Ihe w,.el_..i.d.

only  the  faculty  will  be  able  to bring forth

a  reasonable,  acceptable, and non-víolent

lution.   Interferetĸi:, vvhelher  it comes f:

meclclliiig  Ijy  thc  aclministration or  threats

from  the Majority Ct.alition, can only impede

the progress toward a solution.

   One  of the fundai.icuial eh:inges towardwhich

úoth  the  demonstrators  and  the faculty seem

to  be  rm.ving  ís  the  right   of  students  and

faculty  al  Columbia to  make decisions  et

cerriing  issues  such as  diseiplinary  acti,

Yesterday  afternoôn-,  the facuĩty worked oul

with  the  adminisiration  a preeedent  through

which  a  tri-partile  eommittee  would   make

reconitiii'ndations   cotioci'uing discipline  and

have  the  power  to  delegate  an appeal  l.ocly

which  would have  binding  power  to   deeide

on ctisciplinary appeals. Clearly this does not

go far  enough,  as  thc rejection of the  pro-

posal  hy  Students lor  a Democralíc Socicty

seemcd  to  indicate.  The actual authority oí

Ihe tri-parlite commitlee was vague andappar-

ently the  list of names does not appeal to var-

ious  student groups  involved in the protesis

   Last  night, however, there  was some indi-

catíon  that the faculty might  eonsider the est-

ablishmenl  ol" a bi-partíte board of studenls

:md laculty  which would  have binding author-

ity on  d:sci|.Iinary  decisions.  If  a new lĩsl

ul' names could be drawn up which would be

iimenubL'  to  all   Ihe-.major  groups involved,

then  ii  appcars  thal  both thc  structure  and

mandaLc  oi' such  a cummittee woulcl !ie  wholly

in  lĩne  with  the  type of renrganization  that

SDS and  olhers  see as necessary forthefuturc

of the University.

   The  establishmení  ol' a  bi-partitc committee

would  also  take the  sharp edge off the word

amnesty.  One  of  the  main   reasons  for the

plea  of  amnesty  is  lo get thp  University to

admit  that  what  the  demonstrators did was

justifiable. But if SDS is  to   ignore what they

call the  seat of illegilimate authority, as they

havc  been lorced to do by the administration's

abdlcation, then they clearly have  no  reason

to  ask  Ihal  administration   to justify  theit'

actĩon.  Instead  the demonstrators múst place

their   l'aith in  a  fairly constituted  bi-partite

board ,and convince that  board Ihat  they were

doíng whut was indeed jusliíicd.  Bul justifica-

tion  of  actions,  even  if  directed loward the

achievement of hiĸher goals,  can be  decided

onĩy  after deliberalion.  Acceptance of  such a

commiltce would plaft' signil'icanl powerintht

Iruly legilnnatc con.stiluents  of Columbia Uni-

versily.   and would bring  about the essenliiil

ehangc  whĸ.-ti both  sUidents  and facuity seem

to be demanding.
 

   not vandalism, but shamble-

.! :■ pur.ially truu until Thursday morn-

   ioj:, b;ii denĸjiĸii-iitnrs spentmo.tof

   Thtirsday cleaning up the oecupiod

   area.  As reported In yesterday's

   Spectator, no dam;ii.;e could bc dis-

   covcred Thursday afternoon.  ĩ'ost

   svriters woro repealing hearsay;

   they nevcr sent a reporter into

   the offices.

    Less  understandably,  the  New

   Vork Times chargedthedemonstra-

   tors wlth  "miiii.Lliv:::"  T.iur.ctcj-,

   and the Dailj \r.vs -vas cliar.rin.:

   thc same I'rlday.

    In  another arlicle Fríday,  thc

   Neivs muiluged to comptetel.s .ilail

   its  coverage  ot  student reactionto

   tli. d'.'ii;,.. i-.Li-.it ĩini -. In ll. i.itrrsir'.s

   by  reporter  Jo.seph Mod.-.r!,",s:.':-.i,

   Jeriy  Avorn  '69  tried  to  expla..

   ivhat  the  rcal  issues  behind  tlie

   protests werc  as he  sav,- them.

    "At first, I wasn't surc wheĩher

   I should talk to  the News at all,"

   Vvcn-ii said yeslk'i-ilnv after Ilii-^tnry

   appeared.  '-ISui I liuped  ll.J mayhc

   If I eíplaincd  thinĸs clearly enough,

   JÍCJIUL SOI't _.f 1'1'lillblc: VJCIS ul'Wt.u's

   ĸoing on hcre might tríckle  into the

   metropolitan press.1

     Aceording to Avor

   supports all domunds of the domon-

   strators except  tltat for amiiosly.
 

Mass   Media,   Massive   Mistakes
 

      .Continiicd from Page 1J

Dr. Kirh's.prfice,  Thesech
 

demo,ĸt..it_o:is) on campus vi

said; 'lt's just stupid.'*

  The ncxt two paragraphs ĩn the

tícws story quoted Avorn as "rue-

fully" complaining that thc timing

tif the demonstrations  would dis-

suade many applícants from at-

tending Columbia.

  "Thc reporter ashed me whether

I thought tliis ivould  ii.ivk' sucti an

effect, and I agreed that  it might.

But that is a very minor consider-

ation in the face of what  is really

at stake  here. It took up about two

minutes   of the  half-hour  talk

we had."

  Avorn, an editorofSpoctaĩor,also

suffercd at the hands  of the New

York Post. ColumnislJimmyBrés-

lin  came  to the Spectalor office

Thursday afternoon to flnd outsome

facts about IDA.  Aíter thu inter-

vieiv sv.is  uver, Brcslin asl.i'il  Iiicii

aboul  what  the demonstriitors had

lioii'.' i:i-.idc l.ow Library.  llaving

gotien inside Low Wednesday night

to see, Avorn told him that t
 


 


 

, sc,-,,ii,:ly
 

views  of  Uie need for studcnl and

faculty power In the face of a Uni-

versity administration  which  has

made  somc "terribly stupíd  mis-

takes" recently.

  The News ran Avorn's phnto with

i story under thc banuer headliues,

"Joe  College  Slunned & Angered

by DlsrupUons." Theypresented his

phrase citing  stupidlty in the  fol-

lowing way:
 

of the pre
 

I, (i„ (I,
 

Wedncsday mo.ning had dlscovered

some intercsting reporl.. lu Presi-

dent  Kirh's office.   Onc of these

sva. llie  l'rosidei.i's .i.py ní" ;; 1.1.7

report on  the state  of Columbia,

ti-iuii sviiich ii_ liad delctcil scveral

ĩacts about the  University's rela-

iioll .1 i[)  '.■-illl tilt' cocilcir.iiiily, .inci iii-

i-c.-ir'iiriili runiriicls csiili lln'Drjiiirc-

meut of Defense,

  "As a journalist,  I  fclt it was

my  í-e-pimsibility  to at least takc

down the  maicri;:! Lhr  •■!).-, ijuciijIo

hatl sIio'.sji iiic," Avorn said.  "At

the tjme, I had no plans "  on pub-

 lishing II. But if the  Prcsident wa.

suppressihg facts, it seemed that

there should be a record ofitsomc-

where. When llresliiUMMi.illyasked

me about  the deleted
 


 


 

Letters to the  Editor
 

        and  made the mistake ol

tclling him, off the record."

  The  neri  morning,  the  secret

material appeaivil in l.i-cĸlin';,('(il-

umn,  "A  Day  at Columbia."  It

was doscribod as having bcen found

the night' before by Avorn,  "when

tie ĸcnt through Presídent Grayson

Kirk's file cabinets."



   The  New Yorlt Times charged in

an  editorial  Thursday  that  thu

icmonstrators  were not interc-in!



ruptlon, and quoted student  parti-

clpation in the  Presidential cam-

pnign (a.s  did tlic l'asi I'ridi.y) ns

:i.i  r'iiiiuptc  nf  1h.iv  k, ;;o ilir(,.i;:h

"legitimate"  channels.  SDS has

proĩcstcd against the  gym a__d IDA

"loRally"  for several  months, even

though students have no institution-

ali-od  role in dccision-maliin:: nl

Columbĩa  .



  The Times printed Thursday that

íhi' íai-cilty  commitĩce had  votcd

" continuation  ot the  assoeiation"

with IDA.  This way an error: The

issue  was  never voted on  at thc

rhursday mcctines.  The News, the

mily  papci-  ío  rri,ur!   I'i-ici:,; ilini.

any faeulty membcr had stooci in

front of Ilamilton Hall and  othcr

ijiiil.|iiij.'i, got thc numbor wrong—

this reporter counted  515, the News

25—and did  not report why they

were there—to proteet students in-

side  the building from the police.



  Thls  hastily-compiled list is not

complete—there weredistortions in

Jimmy Breslin's cohimninFriday's

Post on the side of the demonstra-

tors, for ejtample—but it ĩs re-

prcscntativc.  Al lcast one plus to

note—both the Tíme.  and ĩhe Post

printed artícles on the  hi.sto.-yoflhc

gym dispute and  IDA—subjects ft

papers
 

treated in depthbetoro.
 

ybotlv Co  lltititc
 

  /■;>•>

To the Editor;

  IVe feel that the events of the

past few days  may lead to the dc-

mise of Columbia University,  The

protest demoistrations eould lead

to  a  loss  of faculty and studcnts

and the collapse of thc fund drivc,

lĩveu now thure is little respect for

-inv linivcrsily iiudiurit.v, c.ccccl Ijy

the loss  of control over thc Uni-

versíty by these authoritics.   Be-

cause of their unwillingness to act,

any actlon by them now ivĩll prob-

iihly resiil: in ;i dccliiie  ;n i|,i;ilit.v

cJ:n.'n[i(,ii  ;ct Ci,liimb;a. Desiiilc (lic

vnlidily nl' síiiijc  of thc Sliidenis

for a Demo.ratic Society'sdemands

(severing  cií.ill  l'niversky ties iviih

liie  Ir.-titiiic iur !)_.euse .shalysis

and stoppinjí  nf g.vmn.isium  i-iiii-

struction), wc loathethetacticsused

iu  sccili'c ilicsc i.'cds. In ijarlirul.il-

we and 17tm uiher studenis ni.:_•.i

thc Insĩstence on a generai amnes-

ty for all protesting groups, sincc



ilis.ilic.lciirc i-. ilni.  Ihu  '.iulali.r

accepts the puuishment.

  Thus thc Univcrsity In the pust

few days  lias  obviously  bcen in-

capable of  niiiintaining an atmos-

phere on camp.i. neeessarj tin'.n-a-



sc« bocn  cl'l'i'clivoly car.rclird, lim

il lia.  Ijcc-ii .-11111  «111 he i:ii|'ii..siblv

fi'l- s'.i!d.'i-,ls lii  iliiilk abûat iinylliiii;;



over  there is a potentially esplo-

siv. siLuaiin.i n lla.-lemivhichcould

lca. U) '.'iijleinc .iicl llic ílc-ili-iiciiiiil

of  Unlvct-sity  facilities.   Classes

are, however, supposed to contlnue

             and the term  untU

            can studenls do work

            I pcrĩod? \.'e suggest
 

nated imm,?diately and that all stu-

dents bc _cnt homc,

               Vincent i.lfleri '69

            Warron B. Churg '71

            Michael M, Landa 'Tl

       Frederick T. Pugarelli '68

April 26, 1968



    ttitoterablo  Tactica
 

Ci.l'iil
 

1 ot tl
 

dcilc  ivith effectively, thoroughly

and immedĩately.  We consider thal

re-evaluation  of  the  University"5

futictions, both with respect to the

external  community and its  own

members is  a criticai necessity.



  It is obvious th.it Columbla  Unl-

vcrsity  is moi".i tliiin an academk

institution.  It functions as a  col-

lcge, graduate school, research in-

stitute, landlord, andemployer. For

students to attach the non-academic
 

May  1
 

SucicLy)  i.s  ivracked  by grave and

complo. problcms whose  natures

bear on the very prcmissjs tipoii

ivhich lliis  ivition  is foundud. Giv-

en the comple.vity of these prob-

lems, cspecially as they rclate to

Columbia, and the concomítant im-

:iUc.iii,r: Ihaí ;i,)..i:n|!,i'- ilr ■-i.l'.ition-H

exist, wc  r'i'.'l obllgated  to con-

front the hitolerabk' l.iclir'. <>f .SDS,

3nd  to look forward to a viable

alternatlve.

  Wc arc dedply concerncd  overthe

fact  that the  events of the  past

two  days have polariícd the  Col-

ainbia ciiiiiiiiiiaiLy  vvilhout reflecting

;hc viows  of what  we fcel is the

vasl u.i.ii.i'ily of conccrned  students

who nill iiu; sa.riíice i-alionalorder

for cmotional otpcdience,

  SDS by its coercive actions has

denied our right to jttieiĸ.l  clnsscs.

  Apparontly SDS  values an attempt

a! tlic siiliiiíciii  of li.iĸitimule prob-

lems through illejĩkimate  means,

  SDS  dcmattls  amnesty for all

members participating in the  cur-

rcal distinlmiccs  ai a  prcci.i-ii-

lion for settlement.

  Social protest,  in thc tradition of

iihamli ami Iiíiil;, eniails ihc neck's-

sity of assuming  respunsibilky for
 

liiii  private citizens  is an inap-

IJi'uijj-iace l'k's|),jir.c. ( 'i .llli.bia as a

lundlord should  bo attacked  as  a

landlord and not as an academic

institution;  onc   should thereforc

protest the construction of the gym

in Morningsidc Park a-i an ordiairy

cili/i.'ii, subject to the due proccss

of thc law.



               solutlons, left or
 

                 Jumes Meltzer

                    Paul Miller

              Jonathan Souweinc

                      Lee Zell



April 25, latíS



  Deiiiaiith  Piinishineiit
 

Roben 0. liarberi '70Lrw