College of the Holy Cross - Purple Patcher Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

Page 31 text:

5 I I' yi' V '1'. Zim. if

Page 30 text:

L Q.. K Tr- KEEP RIGHT N J! Y!

Page 32 text:

academic careers on the line in the confrontation. lt was the senior chemistry major who sought an interview. It was the very human and humane dean of men who had to ask for passage, request the G.E. recruiter to leave and testify to what he saw. lt was the young professor and the corridor chaplain who sat in judgment. It was the wide-eyed, unbelieving assistant dean, witness to all night meetings, trying to comprehend what was happening to many of the students he knew, some whom had not only a malaise, but also a blackness and a conscience that could not be compromised. They were unusual daysg a peculiar weekend. Some students and faculty members returned for their Monday classes, found them empty and wondered what happened while they were gone - what really happened, They, like the people outside the campus, may never know. Was the issue the Marines or open campus or G.E. or racism? The local press called for a hard line, some alumni angrily wrote overtly racist letters, ending their financial support of the College. The president of a prestigious liberal arts college in the West remarked privately that, by his action, Raymond Swords was making the already precarious position of the college president even more difficult. But on campus, things were seen from an entirely different perspective. The view of the president was unique: he was concerned with what had transpired but his perspective was not completely circumscribed by the border of the campus. The crisis committee , a group of advisors organized before the G.E. incident, met with Fr. Swords intermittently from Friday after- noon to slightly more than half an hour before the Sunday announcement. The personalities in the room shifted from time to time, one person leaving now, others joining the group, including Dr. John Scott of the Worcester Human Flights Commission, who served as special mediator, and Ffev. Archie Smith, who joined the group early Sunday morning. The group was uncommonly candid in its discussions and more or less isolated from the events of the rest of the campus. Even as the students assembled Sunday in Hogan moved from a call for amnesty to strike to a free university, it became clearer as time went on that the decision would ultimately be that of one man alone. The decision to grant amnesty to the black students was reached early Saturday evening. Dr. Scott made his presenta- tion of the situation and gave his advice as to the appropriate action. Fr. Swords said little, occasionally asking for clarification, through it all he was a considerate host - making sure all had enough coffee. l-le was obviously tired from meeting all day with the Trustees and was, more than anyone else, aware of the gravity of the situation, including the implications and ramifications of any action taken. One of the Trustees was also there for most of the deliberations, giving his advice as a lawyer and making observations asa genuinely concerned and knowledgeable alumnus. It was not difficult for the group to reach a consensus. lt was apparent from what Dr. Scott had said that the Black students were determined to leave l-loly Cross, as they announced Friday at their news conference. It was clear from what Fr. Swords said later that he was impressed with the sincerity of those students he knew who were involved. While he might not have been able to understand completely all the ramifications of what was at stake, he realised that if a Senior Fl.A., on his way to law school, and a serious, Junior pre-med. could leave school, jetisoning all that they had worked for at l-loly Cross, there had to be some validity to the Black students' statement that they had been the victims of de facto racism. Late Saturday night discussion turned to the problem of the white students involved. There were a number of alternatives suggested, though no real consensus was reached. At 3 AM. it was decided to break off the discussion. Fr. Swords directed that the lights be left on, to avoid suspicion, all left Loyola by various doors to avoid the woman from the press in the vestibule. At lO A.lVl. Sunday, when the deliberations resumed, a definite shift in position occurred. Now, a member of the group, a man of amazing stamina, made a short statement that seemed to clarify the situation, endorsing Dr. Scott's original recommendation. After this, it was only a matter of time before most of the group had talked and reasoned its way to the final solution. One man played the devil's advocate throughout - he forced the rest to clarify, flesh out and support their position. After questioning each of the group privately and informally at lunch, Fr. Swords apparently reached his decision. The statement that Fr. Swords was later to read was written in sections, by different groups, to be edited and revised by him, The statement was designed to maintain the integrity of the judicial system and the dean of men's staff, and still reeadmit the suspended students to the school by Presidential amnesty - not a mitigation of guilt but a suspension of sentence. At first Fr. Swords had been reluctant to make the announce- ment himself, later he saw it was his responsibility. The delibera- tion had been an ordeal. For those who saw from the start what