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United Campus Ministry papers, 1970-1972
1971-05-28 'May Events, A Summary by Roger Simpson'
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May 28, 1971 May Events, University of Iowa From a Campus Minister's Viewpoint A Summary by Roger Simpson At a Church family-night program one night toward the end of May, when Fred Thomas and I were interpreting the Campus Ministry, a pointed question came from the audience. "What I would really like to ask is - where were you and what were you doing during the 'riots'?" I am never satisfied with the answers given: they always seem too simple, too disjointed, too incomplete. So while Sally Smith is writing a much more complete chronology of the events and of the way Campus Ministry responded, here is a brief sketch of what happened. . . . It began last year, May 1970, when peace protests erupted with rage and unbridled hostility at the murders at Kent State and Jackson State. Immediately we sought to fulfill a role of peace-maker, or reconciler. Our UCCM office was situated on the East side in the Dey Building (over Iowa Book, at Iowa and Clinton Sts., just 1/2 block east of Old Capitol). We worked to enlist and train peace monitors, using that office as the base of operations. For 4-5 days, 24 hours a day, teams of trained and disciplined peace monitors labored in 4 hour shifts, using two supplemental phones, teams of roving inspectors, and "pacifiers" (sustained by gallons of coffee and a grim determination to prevent violence). They consisted of students, faculty, campus ministers, clergy, and townspeople working in a magnificent spirit of cooperation and understanding. The efforts did help, and uncounted words of appreciation came from the University and the community. However, a small group of persons, with power lodged in the areas of business and finance, disapproved of such use of the Dey office. They were opposed to so many persons and "long-hairs" going in and out - AND OUR LEASE WAS TERMINATE. We sought all manner of approaches to counter, short of legal action, and lost. Fortunately, though Phil Shively was displaced along with Fr. Osborne (Episcopal) and the Christian Reformed Campus Ministry, equally good facilities were found one block south, in the Whetstone Building. IMMEDIATELY, THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND THE CAMPUS MINISTERS DETERMINED THAT THOUGHT AND PLANNING SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR FUTURE RESPONSE IN CASE OF OTHER UNREST. We were encouraged in this by student leaders, who told us in September that they highly valued our role and looked to us for leadership in the area of peace-monitoring, and as a source of accurate information and unbiased rumor control. A more adequate location was found in Center East (Roman Catholic center); a joint committee of Campus Ministers and town Clergy was formed to organize an "INFORMATION AND RUMOR CONTROL CENTER". Roger Simpson was asked to write up a document for the INFORMATION CENTER. This was accepted, and arrangements were made to put it into operations upon indication of impending crisis. Several "pre-alerts" were held during the winter when crises seemed to be building. During the winter months numerous efforts were made to effect improved relations between the town and the University, between students and businessmen and police. These included: formal discussions, by invitation, of issues of on-going crucial concern (housing, the injunction); calls in offices, telephone conversations, formation of special study committees (Social Concerns Committee of Chamber of Commerce, Scranton Commission Report Study); numerous interpretation efforts in and beyond the University area; conferences with police, U. officials, and city administrators. It looked like a rather quiet spring until... (over)
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May 28, 1971 May Events, University of Iowa From a Campus Minister's Viewpoint A Summary by Roger Simpson At a Church family-night program one night toward the end of May, when Fred Thomas and I were interpreting the Campus Ministry, a pointed question came from the audience. "What I would really like to ask is - where were you and what were you doing during the 'riots'?" I am never satisfied with the answers given: they always seem too simple, too disjointed, too incomplete. So while Sally Smith is writing a much more complete chronology of the events and of the way Campus Ministry responded, here is a brief sketch of what happened. . . . It began last year, May 1970, when peace protests erupted with rage and unbridled hostility at the murders at Kent State and Jackson State. Immediately we sought to fulfill a role of peace-maker, or reconciler. Our UCCM office was situated on the East side in the Dey Building (over Iowa Book, at Iowa and Clinton Sts., just 1/2 block east of Old Capitol). We worked to enlist and train peace monitors, using that office as the base of operations. For 4-5 days, 24 hours a day, teams of trained and disciplined peace monitors labored in 4 hour shifts, using two supplemental phones, teams of roving inspectors, and "pacifiers" (sustained by gallons of coffee and a grim determination to prevent violence). They consisted of students, faculty, campus ministers, clergy, and townspeople working in a magnificent spirit of cooperation and understanding. The efforts did help, and uncounted words of appreciation came from the University and the community. However, a small group of persons, with power lodged in the areas of business and finance, disapproved of such use of the Dey office. They were opposed to so many persons and "long-hairs" going in and out - AND OUR LEASE WAS TERMINATE. We sought all manner of approaches to counter, short of legal action, and lost. Fortunately, though Phil Shively was displaced along with Fr. Osborne (Episcopal) and the Christian Reformed Campus Ministry, equally good facilities were found one block south, in the Whetstone Building. IMMEDIATELY, THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND THE CAMPUS MINISTERS DETERMINED THAT THOUGHT AND PLANNING SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR FUTURE RESPONSE IN CASE OF OTHER UNREST. We were encouraged in this by student leaders, who told us in September that they highly valued our role and looked to us for leadership in the area of peace-monitoring, and as a source of accurate information and unbiased rumor control. A more adequate location was found in Center East (Roman Catholic center); a joint committee of Campus Ministers and town Clergy was formed to organize an "INFORMATION AND RUMOR CONTROL CENTER". Roger Simpson was asked to write up a document for the INFORMATION CENTER. This was accepted, and arrangements were made to put it into operations upon indication of impending crisis. Several "pre-alerts" were held during the winter when crises seemed to be building. During the winter months numerous efforts were made to effect improved relations between the town and the University, between students and businessmen and police. These included: formal discussions, by invitation, of issues of on-going crucial concern (housing, the injunction); calls in offices, telephone conversations, formation of special study committees (Social Concerns Committee of Chamber of Commerce, Scranton Commission Report Study); numerous interpretation efforts in and beyond the University area; conferences with police, U. officials, and city administrators. It looked like a rather quiet spring until... (over)
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