The Stony Brook Thursday, September 18, 1980 Vol
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The Stony Brook Thursday, September 18, 1980 Vol. II, No. 2 " RESS 4 Ir - --,- Ldp1 Allegations Concerning Civil Rights Review Uncovered as Doubtful This article was researched by Eric Brand and written, organizations are complying with affirmative action with his assistance, by Chris Fairhall. guidelines Sam Wade, an OCR specialist who was part of Allegations that the University faced the possibility of the team that visited the campus last spring, explained losing $30 million in federal funds because of that no serious problems as far as "discrimination" were investigations by an Office of Civil Rights review had no uncovered in the areas investigated. basis, a Press investigation has found. Claiming that he did not know "what the nature of the University President John Marburger said that two OCR investigation was." Marburger decided not to take considerations-affirmative action policies and Polity any risks, and freeze the Polity budget. He added, procedures-carried equal weight in his decision to freeze however, that "there were big things at stake." 3 until September 9 the $S million Polity budget. Big stakes is Marburger's reference to $30 million that This is counter to the previous supposition that the University receives from the federal government. administrators feared that an implicit threat in the OCR However, while the OCR can request that funds be review of Stony Brook to withhold federal funds would withheld from an institution. Wade declared, "In the time become a reality. I've been here I've never seen an institution not While Frank Jackson, Black Student Council president cooperative." and executive director and spokesman of PASBO, a Carl Hanes, vice president for Finance and Business, L; group, claimed at one time to ~h~·:i· eo minority students lobbying said he felt that "no response (to the OCR) would be have prompted the OCR review, officials of the federal perceived as a lack of concern on the part of the vl Q) agency have explained that the Stony Brook review was institution," and might endanger L funding. an ordinary, perfunctory investigation. However, when Wade was asked by The Press whether "Washington tells us which institutions to review," the OCR was notified of the Polity budget freeze, he explained Pauline Allbritten, an OCR officer. If the replied, "No. We weren't." Landing on a Dime directive had been prompted by one or more complaints, Marburger said on September 12 that he "never felt" One of the nine members of the U.S. Navy she added, "They would have sent them along." None that OCR sanctions might come into play if no action was "Chuting stars" parachuting team coming out of his have been received. taken concerning the Polity budget. Marburger had fall at Detmer Field in Setauket last weekend. The "Nobody complained," said Malcolm Agostini, former earlier proposed to Polity to provide conditional event, which was part of a historic festival in the affirmative action officer at the University. "The agency certification of the Polity budget only if the student Three Villages, was attended by thousands of from time to time makes visits to the University." government agreed to abide by the OCR some complaint community residents and tourists. The three-day "Usually these visits are related to recommendations. program also included a blacksmithing somewhere," said John Marburger. However, he added, So, while there seem to be no illegal activities taking demonstration, an antique auction, and a display of "It looks like these folks just come around from time to place, and as the student government has agreed to life for soldiers during the Revolutionary War on time." comply with requests from the OCR, all parties seem review' Iong Island. OCR officials have said that the "compliance was initiated to assure that the University and student Continued on page 5 On the Inside -- -- --- - - '5>' The support group for inmates at Riverhead discusses strategy - but what are they supporting? Page 3 Long-awaited Health Shop to open today p. 5 Santana rocks Jersey Shore Convention Hall p. 8 Physicist Michio Kaku The Grateful Dead and 35,000 loyal nomads informs a Stony Brook invade Lewiston, Maine. audience of nuclear p. 8 accidents in his blast Rolling Stones come to your emotional rescue D.9 of the industry. page 3 ----- r I II an I d _ I r Attentionw w IlI _ _,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,, r - - · - r-- ~ -- -JI- -- ~ ------ --- - - --- ----IL~LJ·JLCIL~·CCC~kCI~IY·HhlC~·CYII·C__-of--4 - - - Press Are You Ready for the forthcoming Photo Staff: CIVIL SERVICE EXAM? There is a meeting in If your skills are not up to par Room 020, call - 473-0050 - Old Bio, at 7:30 Jefferson Shores Secretarial School Monday night. 417 East Main Street Be There. Port Jefferson, New York Now Offering Beginner & Refresher Courses WANTED - Steno, Typing, Speedwriting, Bookkeeping Excellent Technical 6 weeks - TUES & THURS EVES 7-10 PM Artists PM) 675 hr. Secretarial Course (3:15-7:15 to do Graphics to the NOW! Come CALL office or call 246-6832 "-----------MW~h~~"U^`mu~"U~~~.=·--.=------ ^- I Opening Grand I at I The End of the Bridge I .hl Two Fabulous Shows at 8 PM and 11 PM wil Ii BLOTTO .. 75C D P 0 Hamburgers, R French Fries, AB I Onion Rings, TC BE A N and more. R K HE OF I RI 7ra $ I $2 A 11,,mav Page 2 The Stony Brook Press September 18, 1980 Rally Without a Cause? The Riverhead Jail hunger strike, supported by local groups, may not exist by Scott Higham and Jesse Londin Local activist groups are calling it "the largest and longest hunger strike in the history of the U.S., bar none." Jail officials have been denying that any such strike is going on. And visitors to the prison seem to concur. According to the Long Island Equal Justice Association, eight inmates at the Suffolk County Maximum Security Facility at Riverhead began a hunger strike August 21 over alleged medical neglect at the jail. Now the group claims 400 inmates are participating. But Undersheriff William McGuire of Riverhead said, "There is no hunger strike." He added, "One person did stop eating (last Wednesday)-he's having personal problems with his wife. We placed him under psychiatric observation. Visitors leaving the jail last week seemed to confirm that there is no large-scale strike. Three young women, who had been visiting their boyfriends, said they'd heard nothing about it. Remarked one, "I think they're getting fatter." A boy who was visiting his father said, "There's only two people striking that my father knows. But he feels the demands are reasonable." The issues of protest, as reported by the organized "We ha ve to keep the pressure on until this thing is cancelled." support of the prisoners, which is based at the Riverhead Community Center, and has been seeking help in and afterwards ate lunch." rights!" echo around the walls of the jail. Riverhead and on campus, now include delayed court Members of LIEJA, and other community groups such "We have to keep the pressure on until this thing is hearings and overcrowding. as the Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals. concluded." said David Shapiro of LIEJA. Riverhead Sheriff John Finnerty admitted that the contend that denials of a hunger strike are part of a David Mitchell, another LIEJA member, said, "We institution is "severely overcrowded," and acknowledged "conspiracy of silence" on the part of the jail's warden remember Attica and we do not want that to happen to -hat there have been legitimate complaints made about and Riverhead officials, designed to evade press coverage our people. They'd love us to riot-then they could bring ir. delayed court hearings. But Riverhead administrators or investigation of inmate abuse the guns and gas masks andwail on us. But this is 1980. and jail officials are calling the charges of poor medical "I don't know what they're talking about," said We're not that dumb. We want to spread the word. that's care "completely fabricated." McGuire. "The accusations are false. The press would be why the hunger strike. And community support shows the However. McGuire did acknowledge protest among a all over this place if any of it were true." He added. strikers they are not alone." small number of inmates conplaining about medical care. "Inmates receive visitors 7 days a week. We're not Finnerty commented that the "picketing stirs up the "Over Labor Day weekend, about five or six inmates covering up anything here." inmates. Some of them like the attention. It breaks the stopped eating. They would eat a meal, and then stop, and But each night, a caravan of cars bearing 15 to 50 strike monotony of prison life. But it is an annoyance because then eat again." McGuire contends that this never supporters leaves the Riverhead Community Center. and, the claims are not valid." blossomed into a full-scale hunger strike. blasting horns through the town, displaying a banner William Martinez, a 13-year-old Bellport resident who Finnerty also verified another incident. "Last Monday which reads, "Organize," arrives at the jail to rally in the has been involved with inmate support activity since the of (September 2) 70 inmates refused to eat breakfast, but front parking lot. For about an hour, bull-horned chants beginning, stressed, "We're fighting for them. They know strike!" and "Prisoners demand medical we re here." later that day they met with an inmate liaison committee, "strike, strike, Physicist Blasts Nuclear Industry by Scott Higham poor The Dresden accident was nearly eight feet. The reactor Nuclear weapons mishaps.