DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-04-29 Daily Iowan Article: ""ROTC--the April 18 incident, the April 29 impression"" Page 4

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-04-29 Daily Iowan Article: ""ROTC--the April 18 incident, the April 29 impression"" Page 4

that room for hours trying to ( a "safe" place to have the mid
ershing Rifles (elite ROTC drill
conference
day afternoon Colonel Blimp had
ummer as about 150 yippies end 
convention his regularity, and his 
nion of the University
pies in Iowa City? choked Colonel 
packs up us guns and leaves campus. 
Any attempt to "discipline" any of our Brothers and Sisters will be reacted to accordingly. All the Power to the People! 
The Conspiracy Jeff Millbourn, A3, Des Moines

hair' dispute
the dispute while Colonel
was refusing to permit the stu
participate in some of the ac-
of the ROTC class, the student
express his disagreement with 
tical values expressed by ROTC 
aining seated when the national 
was played. 
observing this symbolic gesture
Shockey informed the student
such an act he (Colonel Shockey) 
ave the student expelled from the 
ity if it were in his power to do

from a member of the faculty at 
niversity! Apparently Colonel
is not much bothered by such 
as academic freedom or even 
ech. 
he expression of political beliefs 
hich the Colonel disagrees in a 
his department would deny
ident the right to obtain an edu
the state university of the stu
ome state. Mind you, no violence
volved not even any mild ob
n - just a peaceful individual 
against a political stance by one
isolated individual student. 
then is the organization to which 
University management accorded the honor of first use of the STUDENT Recreation Building. The incidents described above are simply blatant examples of the discrepancy between the values of the military and those factions within the University community allied with it, on the one hand and the values of a democratic university on the other, 
Beyond such examples lies what we in the New University Conference feel is a fundamental incompatibility between militarism and freedom. We see the present University ( and the society which it serves) in the camp of the former; we hope to move it into the camp of the latter, 
NUC dedicated as it is to the establishment of a democratic university chose to support students who acted Saturday to drive from our campus an organization whose members have expressed contempt for an individual student and for democratic ideals. That battle was won by free students; others will follow. 
Stephen D. Ford
Assist. Prof., business administration for the New University Conference. 

orrt, the military does not yet have
te control of the campus (Col. 
I would let you attend classes
tter what the length of your hair 
personal beliefs.)
ite the fact that in this particular
e the matter has been settled. I 
it nonetheless raises some im
questions for the members of 
udent body at this institution. 

ideration should be given to the 
of proper seperation of educa
nd military training, of the rule
administration plays in retaining 
and the interest these admini
have in the retention of ROTC.

ideraton should be given to the 
at Dean Stuit offered the opinion
ny student who showed himself
ng to alter his appearance (not
ation his mind) to satisfy the re
ents of ROTC should be willing
p the class. 

ROTC is not educational, then it 
ot being on a university campus
TC operates in a manner which 
s the efforts of the rest of the 
sity to turn individuals into think 
uman persons, then it does not
n a university curriculum
G. Sam Sloss, A4, Grimes

The troops' thanks 
To the Editor: 
As Commanding Officer of Pershing Rifles Second Regiment, I would like to point out two things which were accomplished by those demonstrating at the Regimental Drill Meet last Saturday:

Pershing Rifles Company B2 made approximately $50 from the demonstrators' admission tickets, This money had been put into the company's fund for future operations
By forcing the Regiment to displace to quarters until they (the demonstrators) cleared the building, the unit officers were given the opportunity to exercise their leadership potential. This displacement, and the return en masse to the Recreation Center were welcome challenges to the officers abilities. Both movements were conducted perfectly. 
I would like to thank the protestors for the above two achievements
For the man of the Second Regiment
Douglas L. Attig
COL,P/R
Commanding 

Secondly, Bo asserts that the demonstrators were justified in their actions because the administration has not provided a " viable forum on this issue". 
Is this good reasoning? Beller is asserting that the administration is at fault.
The ultimate result is likely to be violence until one or the other group is eliminated. Does anyone really think that is desirable? Jim Stellen, A3, Ankeny

Vote would veto minority 
In his "Opinions" column of April 21, regarding that anti-ROTC demonstration of April 18, Student Body President Robert Beller states " The issue is .. whether ROTC should be allowed on this campus and receive academic credit" He recommends a binding all-campus referendum, presumably with the hope and expectation that ROTC would be voted out of the University. 
I say the issue is whether academic freedom is to survive in the University or whether the majority of the students will determine that courses of study the minority are allowed to pursue. 
So long as our Constitution states that " to provide for the common defense" is a legitimate objective of our society students must have the liberty to pursue academic courses relating to this social objective. 
If the courses offered by the University are to be subject to the changing winds of the public and student opinion, we will truly have the tyranny of the majority.
If ROTC goes, what will be next? The College of Business Administration because its graduates serve business and industry from whom all pollution flows? The Center for New Music because it produces sounds the majority doesn't understand or appreciate?
Or maybe it will be the study of black history and culture because the majority of the students are white.
College of Business Administration Arthur H. Wulfsberg
Visiting Professor

The Senate passes the issue.
To the Editor:
As a cosponsor of the resolution to abolish ROTC in the Student Senate last year. I think it is important that people be aware of the context in which it passed. 
The senators who wished to abolish ROTC failed twice to pass such a resolution. Likewise those of us who preferred a termination of academic credit for military science courses and who advocated that the military should assume all institutional costs of ROTC failed to commandeer a majority. 
Together, the two groups, both advocating substantial change in the ROTC University relationship were a substantial majority. 
There is, however, no mandate to any group by last year's Student Senate to remove ROTC from campus. There is a request for a substantial change in the status of ROTC here in some manner. 
I would like to see at the very least an end to what is effectively University subsidy of military training on this campus. The military training on this campus. The military should pay all of the institutional costs of training including building maintenance, office staff and office supplies, which are presently paid for by the University. 
It shouldn't take much imagination to see that the military, with its $75 billion budget, has taken the University with its inadequate funding , for a ride. 
If President Boyd hasn't the courage to make such a decision this year, instead of accepting the decisions made by a biased Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, then he had no backbone at all. 
Beyond this very minimum action, there should be a discussion of the academic role for ROTC on campus. For the fall semester of 1968, ROTC showed a strong tendency to give gift grades.
Two thirds of the grades given were As and Bs, and in the majority of cases these grades raised grade point averages. 
When I think that students are admitted to graduate schools and medical schools in part of the basis of grades, and when I think that ROTC grades will make the difference in some cases between acceptance and rejection to such positions. I can only conclude that academic credit for ROTC has in fact, distorted, has prostituted the grade point system. 
There should also be discussion of the question of whether ROTC should be on campus at all. I feel that it should. It does provide an alternative to young men who wish to begin to fulfill their military obligations, and the on-campus location makes this form of service accessible to them. 
I hope that the discussion of the role of ROTC on this campus will continue in a peaceful and reasoned vein. I hope that in the future Col. Shockey will allow the administration to handle demonstrations in such a way as to minimize friction without requesting an input of police into situations such as occured this past weekend. And finally, I hope that President Boyd will have the guts to make some hard decisions in the near future on the basis of rational arguments. 
Patrick Greenwood, M2 317 N. Riverside Drive. 

Peace Sign 

DI April 29, 1990 4(of4)

Saving...

that room for hours trying to ( a "safe" place to have the mid ershing Rifles (elite ROTC drill conference day afternoon Colonel Blimp had ummer as about 150 yippies end convention his regularity, and his nion of the University pies in Iowa City? choked Colonel packs up us guns and leaves campus. Any attempt to "discipline" any of our Brothers and Sisters will be reacted to accordingly. All the Power to the People! The Conspiracy Jeff Millbourn, A3, Des Moines hair' dispute the dispute while Colonel was refusing to permit the stu participate in some of the ac- of the ROTC class, the student express his disagreement with tical values expressed by ROTC aining seated when the national was played. observing this symbolic gesture Shockey informed the student such an act he (Colonel Shockey) ave the student expelled from the ity if it were in his power to do from a member of the faculty at niversity! Apparently Colonel is not much bothered by such as academic freedom or even ech. he expression of political beliefs hich the Colonel disagrees in a his department would deny ident the right to obtain an edu the state university of the stu ome state. Mind you, no violence volved not even any mild ob n - just a peaceful individual against a political stance by one isolated individual student. then is the organization to which University management accorded the honor of first use of the STUDENT Recreation Building. The incidents described above are simply blatant examples of the discrepancy between the values of the military and those factions within the University community allied with it, on the one hand and the values of a democratic university on the other, Beyond such examples lies what we in the New University Conference feel is a fundamental incompatibility between militarism and freedom. We see the present University ( and the society which it serves) in the camp of the former; we hope to move it into the camp of the latter, NUC dedicated as it is to the establishment of a democratic university chose to support students who acted Saturday to drive from our campus an organization whose members have expressed contempt for an individual student and for democratic ideals. That battle was won by free students; others will follow. Stephen D. Ford Assist. Prof., business administration for the New University Conference. orrt, the military does not yet have te control of the campus (Col. I would let you attend classes tter what the length of your hair personal beliefs.) ite the fact that in this particular e the matter has been settled. I it nonetheless raises some im questions for the members of udent body at this institution. ideration should be given to the of proper seperation of educa nd military training, of the rule administration plays in retaining and the interest these admini have in the retention of ROTC. ideraton should be given to the at Dean Stuit offered the opinion ny student who showed himself ng to alter his appearance (not ation his mind) to satisfy the re ents of ROTC should be willing p the class. ROTC is not educational, then it ot being on a university campus TC operates in a manner which s the efforts of the rest of the sity to turn individuals into think uman persons, then it does not n a university curriculum G. Sam Sloss, A4, Grimes The troops' thanks To the Editor: As Commanding Officer of Pershing Rifles Second Regiment, I would like to point out two things which were accomplished by those demonstrating at the Regimental Drill Meet last Saturday: Pershing Rifles Company B2 made approximately $50 from the demonstrators' admission tickets, This money had been put into the company's fund for future operations By forcing the Regiment to displace to quarters until they (the demonstrators) cleared the building, the unit officers were given the opportunity to exercise their leadership potential. This displacement, and the return en masse to the Recreation Center were welcome challenges to the officers abilities. Both movements were conducted perfectly. I would like to thank the protestors for the above two achievements For the man of the Second Regiment Douglas L. Attig COL,P/R Commanding Secondly, Bo asserts that the demonstrators were justified in their actions because the administration has not provided a " viable forum on this issue". Is this good reasoning? Beller is asserting that the administration is at fault. The ultimate result is likely to be violence until one or the other group is eliminated. Does anyone really think that is desirable? Jim Stellen, A3, Ankeny Vote would veto minority In his "Opinions" column of April 21, regarding that anti-ROTC demonstration of April 18, Student Body President Robert Beller states " The issue is .. whether ROTC should be allowed on this campus and receive academic credit" He recommends a binding all-campus referendum, presumably with the hope and expectation that ROTC would be voted out of the University. I say the issue is whether academic freedom is to survive in the University or whether the majority of the students will determine that courses of study the minority are allowed to pursue. So long as our Constitution states that " to provide for the common defense" is a legitimate objective of our society students must have the liberty to pursue academic courses relating to this social objective. If the courses offered by the University are to be subject to the changing winds of the public and student opinion, we will truly have the tyranny of the majority. If ROTC goes, what will be next? The College of Business Administration because its graduates serve business and industry from whom all pollution flows? The Center for New Music because it produces sounds the majority doesn't understand or appreciate? Or maybe it will be the study of black history and culture because the majority of the students are white. College of Business Administration Arthur H. Wulfsberg Visiting Professor The Senate passes the issue. To the Editor: As a cosponsor of the resolution to abolish ROTC in the Student Senate last year. I think it is important that people be aware of the context in which it passed. The senators who wished to abolish ROTC failed twice to pass such a resolution. Likewise those of us who preferred a termination of academic credit for military science courses and who advocated that the military should assume all institutional costs of ROTC failed to commandeer a majority. Together, the two groups, both advocating substantial change in the ROTC University relationship were a substantial majority. There is, however, no mandate to any group by last year's Student Senate to remove ROTC from campus. There is a request for a substantial change in the status of ROTC here in some manner. I would like to see at the very least an end to what is effectively University subsidy of military training on this campus. The military training on this campus. The military should pay all of the institutional costs of training including building maintenance, office staff and office supplies, which are presently paid for by the University. It shouldn't take much imagination to see that the military, with its $75 billion budget, has taken the University with its inadequate funding , for a ride. If President Boyd hasn't the courage to make such a decision this year, instead of accepting the decisions made by a biased Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, then he had no backbone at all. Beyond this very minimum action, there should be a discussion of the academic role for ROTC on campus. For the fall semester of 1968, ROTC showed a strong tendency to give gift grades. Two thirds of the grades given were As and Bs, and in the majority of cases these grades raised grade point averages. When I think that students are admitted to graduate schools and medical schools in part of the basis of grades, and when I think that ROTC grades will make the difference in some cases between acceptance and rejection to such positions. I can only conclude that academic credit for ROTC has in fact, distorted, has prostituted the grade point system. There should also be discussion of the question of whether ROTC should be on campus at all. I feel that it should. It does provide an alternative to young men who wish to begin to fulfill their military obligations, and the on-campus location makes this form of service accessible to them. I hope that the discussion of the role of ROTC on this campus will continue in a peaceful and reasoned vein. I hope that in the future Col. Shockey will allow the administration to handle demonstrations in such a way as to minimize friction without requesting an input of police into situations such as occured this past weekend. And finally, I hope that President Boyd will have the guts to make some hard decisions in the near future on the basis of rational arguments. Patrick Greenwood, M2 317 N. Riverside Drive. Peace Sign DI April 29, 1990 4(of4)