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Student protests, 1972-1973

1972-01-30 New York Times Magazine Article: ""Metamorphosis Of A Campus Radical"" Page 9

"Metamorphosis of a Campus Radical"
N.Y. Times Magazine
Jan 30, 1972 
9 (of 12)

tals for assistance and organized a communications net with police and National Guard units. 
The "monitors" role sympathetic and protective toward the students, was welcome. As the strikers sat down in the highways which pass through the city and the traffic jams spread, the monitors calmed thwarted motorists, acted as buffer between the crowd and the police lines drawn to contain it. 
Then, as cried of "Strike!" echoed through the throng, the need for a program and leadership became obvious.The speakers huddled, urged all concerned to follow them to the Union and there, in the ballroom, a procession of candidates for a Strike Coordinating Committee offered themselves. The assembly shouted its endorsement, or witheld it, and when complete, the committee consisted of 10 students, predominatly radical, professing themselves militant but nonviolent. The elected student government headed by Bo Beller was this ignored, and toppled. The Hulk had formed a new one to climax its revolution. 
The strike was judged about 30 per cent effective, but in the balmy weather, the rally at the Pentacrest became continuous. Its concerns now turned to declarations of righteousness or, more precisely, to provocation and reprisal. 
Late one night a few students broke into the Old Capitol and did some damage, the campus cleared an made 227 arrests. Among those arrested were four blacks who had been hovering near the window of a downtown jeweler, and next day, in consequence, a band of 100 marched on the police station. It was warned off at gun point, while two of its members were beaten in plain view. The confrontation became silent and combustible, a moment in which anything might happen, but its spell was broken when one veteran radical said: "There's a time you fight and a time you don't. Let's go"
Those raw, unsatisfied emotions were still at large when, shortly after midnight on that same Friday, university president Boyd joined the procession of speakers on the Old Capitol steps. He spoke for 20 minutes in his forthright way, indicating an understanding of the students' feelings but explaining the legal complexity of an R.O.T.C. eviction. he urged them to complete the semester. 
At 3 A.M. with the campus restored to quiet, the monitors easing their vigil and going off to bed, the police chief relieving all but his skeleton force until noon, the night went suddenly bright. The Rhetoric Building, a temporary structure built in 1948, was ablaze. It lighted up all lower Washington Street, turning the facade of the huge Main Library bright orange. the fire department could do no more than save the nearby buildings. By dawn Rhetoric was a heap of ashes. 
Students came throughout the day, as to a lying in state to stare in awe at the charred steel of chairs and desks, the file cabinets still smoking, to murmur among themselves that the cause of the fire was unknown but surely no accident, and that two professors had lost the work of their lifetimes in the flames. 
Although the Student Senate called upon president Boyd to close the university that day, he offered an alternative plan that allowed students to leave the campus without penalty - and most of them did, gravely, feeling that keen queasy remorse which follows excess, and grateful the summer lay ahead for its cure

CANDIDATE- With sexism the central issue on campus, Sue Ross is being urged to run for student president. She sees gains at Iowa "against oppression of women."

Those who stayed went to teach-ins and, when they passed the debris on Washington Street, remembered Rhetoric  was no more than a wooden barracks and agreed that architecturally the loss was something of a blessing. 
It may not be significant that in the next election, the Hulk rejected Bo Beller's candidates, a coalition of long haired progressives, and chose instead Ted Politis, but Politis thinks it is. A long faced Greek boy from Ames, he is as hard nosed as Beller is reflective. "I'm more practical" Ted Politis admits. "The past was more on noise than results. Students didn't want the radicals. I was out there in '70 but there was only a core of fighters. Most of them were out to enjoy the fine weather. The rest were tired if studying and felt they'd been cheated by some Iowa City businessmen. They were going to end war by ending school... and then forget about it for a year. When they came back in the fall they were thinking about football games and ripple wine."
"Students have gotten more 

What would you call a brand new Las Vegas Hotel that is between the Flamingo and the Sands?

Saving...

"Metamorphosis of a Campus Radical" N.Y. Times Magazine Jan 30, 1972 9 (of 12) tals for assistance and organized a communications net with police and National Guard units. The "monitors" role sympathetic and protective toward the students, was welcome. As the strikers sat down in the highways which pass through the city and the traffic jams spread, the monitors calmed thwarted motorists, acted as buffer between the crowd and the police lines drawn to contain it. Then, as cried of "Strike!" echoed through the throng, the need for a program and leadership became obvious.The speakers huddled, urged all concerned to follow them to the Union and there, in the ballroom, a procession of candidates for a Strike Coordinating Committee offered themselves. The assembly shouted its endorsement, or witheld it, and when complete, the committee consisted of 10 students, predominatly radical, professing themselves militant but nonviolent. The elected student government headed by Bo Beller was this ignored, and toppled. The Hulk had formed a new one to climax its revolution. The strike was judged about 30 per cent effective, but in the balmy weather, the rally at the Pentacrest became continuous. Its concerns now turned to declarations of righteousness or, more precisely, to provocation and reprisal. Late one night a few students broke into the Old Capitol and did some damage, the campus cleared an made 227 arrests. Among those arrested were four blacks who had been hovering near the window of a downtown jeweler, and next day, in consequence, a band of 100 marched on the police station. It was warned off at gun point, while two of its members were beaten in plain view. The confrontation became silent and combustible, a moment in which anything might happen, but its spell was broken when one veteran radical said: "There's a time you fight and a time you don't. Let's go" Those raw, unsatisfied emotions were still at large when, shortly after midnight on that same Friday, university president Boyd joined the procession of speakers on the Old Capitol steps. He spoke for 20 minutes in his forthright way, indicating an understanding of the students' feelings but explaining the legal complexity of an R.O.T.C. eviction. he urged them to complete the semester. At 3 A.M. with the campus restored to quiet, the monitors easing their vigil and going off to bed, the police chief relieving all but his skeleton force until noon, the night went suddenly bright. The Rhetoric Building, a temporary structure built in 1948, was ablaze. It lighted up all lower Washington Street, turning the facade of the huge Main Library bright orange. the fire department could do no more than save the nearby buildings. By dawn Rhetoric was a heap of ashes. Students came throughout the day, as to a lying in state to stare in awe at the charred steel of chairs and desks, the file cabinets still smoking, to murmur among themselves that the cause of the fire was unknown but surely no accident, and that two professors had lost the work of their lifetimes in the flames. Although the Student Senate called upon president Boyd to close the university that day, he offered an alternative plan that allowed students to leave the campus without penalty - and most of them did, gravely, feeling that keen queasy remorse which follows excess, and grateful the summer lay ahead for its cure CANDIDATE- With sexism the central issue on campus, Sue Ross is being urged to run for student president. She sees gains at Iowa "against oppression of women." Those who stayed went to teach-ins and, when they passed the debris on Washington Street, remembered Rhetoric was no more than a wooden barracks and agreed that architecturally the loss was something of a blessing. It may not be significant that in the next election, the Hulk rejected Bo Beller's candidates, a coalition of long haired progressives, and chose instead Ted Politis, but Politis thinks it is. A long faced Greek boy from Ames, he is as hard nosed as Beller is reflective. "I'm more practical" Ted Politis admits. "The past was more on noise than results. Students didn't want the radicals. I was out there in '70 but there was only a core of fighters. Most of them were out to enjoy the fine weather. The rest were tired if studying and felt they'd been cheated by some Iowa City businessmen. They were going to end war by ending school... and then forget about it for a year. When they came back in the fall they were thinking about football games and ripple wine." "Students have gotten more What would you call a brand new Las Vegas Hotel that is between the Flamingo and the Sands?