Student Govt. to Sue DC Police for May Day Campus Invasion
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]I Vol. LV., No. 12 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D C Friday, November 19,1971 .......... ' J • Student Govt. To Sue DC Police " t For May Day Campus Invasion Undergraduate Student Body Students awoke Sunday morn- "I never doubted this point" he President Roger Cochetti announc ing, May 2, to find the campus continued. "The real problem 'con ed Sunday his intention to sue the swarming with tired and angry cerns questions as to the best DC Police Department for its demonstrators. They had been strategy to use with regard to the actions during the antiwar demon evicted from their campsite at East future and also whether we had a strations of last May. At that time Potomac Park and streamed to substantive case on which to rest the Metropolitan Police invaded the Georgetown, seeking refuge. action. Anyway, we have now Georgetown campus, tear gassing By Sunday evening the campus decided not to pursue legal action." antiwar demonstrators, student population had doubled in size Cochetti said Sunday that his bystanders, teachers and University with dormitories filled beyond decision to sue the police was based administra tors. capacity as over 4,000 demon- on Article Two, Section Five of the The police incursion took place strators camped in the residence student government constitution during the May Day demons halls. which specified that "The President trations, called by antiwar leaders The police incursion took place of the Student Body shall insure to "shut down the government." Monday morning. that the rights of the Student Body ~ Police advanced toward the are protected." campus from Prospect St., firing a Cochetti emphasized that the ~ AF Veteran tear gas cannister into a small group decision was made after "several of demonstrators assembled near negotiations and several discussions Fills Vacant theLibrary. tennis One courts demonstrator at Lauinger was regarding the legality of the police Theons I augh toref f ugees f rom P otomac Park swelled the campus to I d f actions had particularly in light of unmanageable proportions before the DC Police invasion on May Day. Security Post byater the treate explodmg <;,r severe. canmster. burns caused ------the rights of students______ on cam--.:p=- us."_____ (Photo -= by ____ Pat Early).:...:. _______________________ Tear gas eventually spread by Bernadette Savard throughout the campus as the pro- S A h · R £' d News Editor testors were dispersed by the Bernard Gorda was appointed police. Students fleeing to Copley enate ut OrlZeS e e' r en urn director of security Monday, filling Hall for refuge were among the . the vacancy created by the resigna hardest hit when the gas trapped 0 St d S If. D·· tion of Christopher Vizas on Oct. 3l. thefninath~e~t~~di~!ted Sept. 20, n U ent e - etermlnatlon Gorda, a career Air Force offi University President the Rev. R. J. Henle, SJ, told Cochetti that he by Andy Lang after the bill's two co-sponsors, with a compromise measure sup cer, holds a bachelor's degree in ported by both opponen ts and criminology from the University of would not take legal action against Assistant to the News Editor Debbie Whalen (Guns '73) and John B. Kennedy (ColI. '73) asked supporters of the original bill. The Maryland and is presently working the Metropolitan Police Depart Abandoning an earlier move that ment. Noting that Cochetti had reversed its position on the right of for its reconsideration. The tabling new act (III-11-2) authorizes a on a graduate degree in administra motion, which only four senators University·wide referendum to be tion of justice at American Univer sent him a legal brief outlining dormitory self-determination, the opposed, will permanently kill the held on the issue of student rights. sity. possible court action, Fr. Henle student senate voted Sunday to said, "the brief which you sent to conduct a University-wide measure. The referendum will ask the Working in security and as a student body to indicate support criminal investigator, Gorda be lives me merely establishes the fact that referendum on the issue. Opponents charged that III-ES- we do have legal standing to take The senate voted to table "inde 1, which was passed by the senate for the position that "dormitory that the "Air Force security con self-determination is a privilege P cept is similar to Georgetown's." action. finitely" the original bill (III-ES-1) in an emergency session last week, established dormitory self-deter conferred by the Administration" Security requirements for George or "a right of the individuals who town, according to Gorda, include mination as a privilege granted by the University administration. In a comprise the dormitory." ~ protection, safety of personnel and \\ property and a minimum of inter statement issued Thursday, Nov. One of the fout- senators oppos ference with operations. 11, the dissenting senators charged ing thp spnnt.e vote was Gary Responsibilities of the security that passage of the bill repealed Lanzara (Call. '72). Opposing t.he diTector include supervision of the senate votes that had established concept that self-determination was "the students' right to determine traffic, safety and security depaTt a student right, Lanznra :>aid t.hat their own life styles_" ments within the University. "man's education is not merely academic but social as well and thus One of Gorda's major goals as "The act," they said, "denies the right of self-determination of life the social situation that exists in security director is to "improve the the dormitories is certainly an image of the secuTity force." In styles and gives the administration the right to grant students the opportunity for education." - addition, Gorda wants "all of the 'privilege' of self-determination The senate observed in the new population of the University to feel when and if it sees fit." bill, however, that "the Under- safe and secure." The senate replaced III-ES-l (Continued on Page 9) "I'd like all of the population to ent~rtain a respect for their pro tectIve force," said Gorda, "and not feel that any of their freedoms are US Attorney Predicts being usurped unnecessarily." Gorda also noted that it is essential for the "girls particularly to feel safe in their environment." Dixon Indictment Near The "armed camp" image is one by Tom Sheeran G?rda would like to avoid along The Grand Jury investigation has Contributing Editor apparently centered around Dixon's wIth the "you can't go here, you Investigators for the US Attor can't go there" image. He also access to the activities budgets, ney's office for the District of which annually total more than noted his confidence in student Columbia have indicated that an work-study programs when com $125,000. f pared with present recruitment pro Bernard Gorda, an Air Force careerman, assumed the post of University indictment may soon be fourth Former HOY A editor-in-chief cedures and results. security director on Monday. (Photo by Pat Early) coming in the case of former James Duryea (ColI. '72) has Director of Student Activities appeared before the p[lnel, directed Robert J. Dixon. The indictment by Sgt. Daniel McCathran, an 'A Bit More Certainty' may be handed down as soon as investigator in the US l\'1arsh,t1I's next week. office, and Robert Ogren, an assis- Dixon, a 1966 graduate of the College and subsequently executive (Continued on Page 12) Agency Describes Draft Loophole assistant to the dean of the College, is presently being investigated by y: oung men who wish to drop only if a major national emergency students); 2-C (agricultural defer the Grand Jury of the District of theIr draft deferred status in favor occurs." ments); 2-D (divinity students); 2-8 Columbia to determine whether or of I-A classifications may still do RSN 125 has been set as the (undergraduate college students) not there is sufficient evidence of so, according to a recent statement year-end ceiling for 1971 draft and 3-A (hardship deferments). his alleged mishandling of student from the US Selective Service calls. Registrants who desire to take Requests for eligibilty must be activities funds to merit bringing System. advantage of the policy in 1971 made in writing and, to be included the case to a trial. as part of the 1971 prime selection The investigation is being led by According to Ken Coffey of must have been born in 1951 or earlier, have RSN's of 126 or above group, must be postmarked no later Seymour Glanzer of the Fraud ~el~ctive Service, "This policy was than Dec. 31. Division within the Major Crimes InstItuted in late 1970 and was of and not be a member of the extended priority selection group University Draft Counsellor Unit of the US Attorney's office. It P~rticular interest to young men John Daley commented that this is believed that any indictment WIth random sequence (lottery) (those whose numbers are called but who are not inducted by Dec. policy of the Selective Service does handed down in the near future I numbers above the highest RSN 31 and who thus are draft-eligible indeed "give people a chance to would come to trial early next ~all.ed for induction_ By dropping have a bit more certainty. It summer. ,. heIr deferments at the end of the until March 31.) actually happens that through this The University has acknow Year, they became part of that Local boards will continue to grant these requests even though procedure one can be virtually ledged that more than $80,000 of ~ear's prime selection group. On certain of never seeing military student activities funds is unac a? 1, they were placed in a second young men may continue to meet the conditions for which the service.