DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-11 D.M. Register Articles ""Student-Worker Alliance Fails; Boyd Snubs Protest"" ""Protesters Mull Plans For Summer Action at U of I""

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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-11 D.M. Register Articles ""Student-Worker Alliance Fails; Boyd Snubs Protest"" ""Protesters Mull Plans For Summer Action at U of I""

                       DMR 5/11/71
Student- Worker A'lliance sails: Boyd Snubs Protest
           By Larry Eckholt
       (Register Staff Writer)
IOWA CITY, IA. - A small band of leftist University of Iowa students- dreaming of building a "student-worker alliance"- failed to gain the support of the students and the workers here Monday.
  Seeking mass support for a sit-in at the university's administration building, about 20 students radicals found themselves sitting at the door of U of I president Willard Boyd's office alone.
  Twice the protesters were snubbed Monday- once by the students and once by U of I officials.
  The sit-in was called to present Boyd with the radicals' demands- "ROTC Off Campus and No More Layoffs." They contend that the University is showing is showing compliance with the war in Indochina by allowing Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs on campus.
        Worker Layoffs
 A new issue is the number of campus workers being laid off by the university because of economic conditions.  The radicals contended in a leaflet distributed Monday that workers and students should unite because "we have a common enemy - the class of bosses that runs this country and everything in it.
  The "boss" the radicals wanted to confront Monday, President Boyd, did not confront the 

 STUDENTS-
Please turn Page Three

Protesters Mull Plans For Summer action at U of I

STUDENTS---
    Continued from page one
group as it gathered in front his office suite.  However, U of I Vice- Provost Phillip Hubbard and Boyd's assistant, Robert Engel, stepped out of their offices to what the group wanted.
  The only "confrontation" was between Hubbard and Students for a Democratc Society_SDS) spokesman Steve Carl of Arlington heights, Ill., who debated that burning campus issue: Who has cleaned out the most restrooms in his lifetime?

Carl Complained about recent job cutbacks on campus, stating that U of I maids are being forced to do janitors' work - "like scrubbing johns" -- without being paid janitors' wages.
  "How many of you have had to scrub johns," Carl asked Engel and Hubbard, a question which irritated Hubbard.
      Hotel Experience
  "I doubt that anybody here has scrubbed as many johns as I have,"  Hubbard cooly replied, adding that he had been a custodian at a local hotel when he was a young man.
  Engel and Hubbard then politely shut the door to Boyd's office and the protesting students were faced with no one to confront.
  The sit-in followed a noon rally where its organizers had hoped to muster widespread support among the student body for continued war protest.  No one seemed to care about such tactics as sitting in the U of I administration building with final examinations in 10 days.
About 250 persons watched a performance of the local guerilla theater troupe but when Carl called for a "mass sit0n" at Jessup Hall, only a band of about 20 militants followed.
  Inside the building, the group set up banners and placards stating their demands in the hallway leading to Boyd's office suite. They were careful not to obstruct access to the office.
       timid Chant
  When Engel and Hubbard appeared, the group began chanting timidly, causing an onlooker to remark, "They sound like the cheerleaders when Iowa is losing."
  When U of I officials left, the handful of protesters sat around for a short time discussing future action.
  " How many of us are going to be here this summer?" asked Carl. "I suppose we should start concentrating on what we should do in the summer. We can't be demoralized. We've got some good demands and should keep working."
  At that, the group marched out.

Saving...

DMR 5/11/71 Student- Worker A'lliance sails: Boyd Snubs Protest By Larry Eckholt (Register Staff Writer) IOWA CITY, IA. - A small band of leftist University of Iowa students- dreaming of building a "student-worker alliance"- failed to gain the support of the students and the workers here Monday. Seeking mass support for a sit-in at the university's administration building, about 20 students radicals found themselves sitting at the door of U of I president Willard Boyd's office alone. Twice the protesters were snubbed Monday- once by the students and once by U of I officials. The sit-in was called to present Boyd with the radicals' demands- "ROTC Off Campus and No More Layoffs." They contend that the University is showing is showing compliance with the war in Indochina by allowing Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs on campus. Worker Layoffs A new issue is the number of campus workers being laid off by the university because of economic conditions. The radicals contended in a leaflet distributed Monday that workers and students should unite because "we have a common enemy - the class of bosses that runs this country and everything in it. The "boss" the radicals wanted to confront Monday, President Boyd, did not confront the STUDENTS- Please turn Page Three Protesters Mull Plans For Summer action at U of I STUDENTS--- Continued from page one group as it gathered in front his office suite. However, U of I Vice- Provost Phillip Hubbard and Boyd's assistant, Robert Engel, stepped out of their offices to what the group wanted. The only "confrontation" was between Hubbard and Students for a Democratc Society_SDS) spokesman Steve Carl of Arlington heights, Ill., who debated that burning campus issue: Who has cleaned out the most restrooms in his lifetime? Carl Complained about recent job cutbacks on campus, stating that U of I maids are being forced to do janitors' work - "like scrubbing johns" -- without being paid janitors' wages. "How many of you have had to scrub johns," Carl asked Engel and Hubbard, a question which irritated Hubbard. Hotel Experience "I doubt that anybody here has scrubbed as many johns as I have," Hubbard cooly replied, adding that he had been a custodian at a local hotel when he was a young man. Engel and Hubbard then politely shut the door to Boyd's office and the protesting students were faced with no one to confront. The sit-in followed a noon rally where its organizers had hoped to muster widespread support among the student body for continued war protest. No one seemed to care about such tactics as sitting in the U of I administration building with final examinations in 10 days. About 250 persons watched a performance of the local guerilla theater troupe but when Carl called for a "mass sit0n" at Jessup Hall, only a band of about 20 militants followed. Inside the building, the group set up banners and placards stating their demands in the hallway leading to Boyd's office suite. They were careful not to obstruct access to the office. timid Chant When Engel and Hubbard appeared, the group began chanting timidly, causing an onlooker to remark, "They sound like the cheerleaders when Iowa is losing." When U of I officials left, the handful of protesters sat around for a short time discussing future action. " How many of us are going to be here this summer?" asked Carl. "I suppose we should start concentrating on what we should do in the summer. We can't be demoralized. We've got some good demands and should keep working." At that, the group marched out.