Ohio University - Athena Yearbook (Athens, OH)

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OPPOSITE PAGE ABOVE: Crewson during the opening of the Lindley Hall Student Center. OPPOSITE PAGE BELOW: Crewson meets with Assistant Dean of Faculties Frank Borkowski and Executive Vice President and Dean of Faculties Taylor Culbert. LEFT: Crewson comes from the Presi- dent ' s Room in the Convo to watch the Bobcats play Miami ' s Redskins. Dave Williams 15

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of the short period of time he had been in office. He said he would be unable to answer some questions spontaneously, without being able to do research. Public opinion of Crewson varied, some of the comments about him were: He ' s a low key person, which I admire. I ' ll at least say he sure did have a knowledge about his community. He let things stagnate that should have been taken care of, and used his interim presidency as an excuse for every long term effect decision that he didn ' t want to make. I could trip over him and not even know it was him, and as for what he ' s accomplished, all I see is salad bowls in the cafeterias marked UFW or Teamsters. ' He didn ' t have the press conferences every week like Sowle did — which says something about the type of person he is. I frankly don ' t see what more he could have done. When the time came for the presidential selection, Crewson ' s calm again prevailed. He never seemed to want to be considered out of the race, but yet never spoke enthusiastically about wanting to continue as president. On April 29, 1975, the Presidential Selection Committee chose Charles J. Ping as the new president, leaving Crewson with four months until the end of his term. 14

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UFW Supporters Bring California Heat to Cutler Hall BY KEN LOVE It was nearly 90 degrees in the fields of California ' s Imperial Valley the balmy spring day that Doug Van Auken and Steve Barnett, complete with signs, literature and friends initially perched themselves on the wall outside Cutler Hall. Their presence there was an attempt to bring the heat of the California fields to the university administration as part of the Athens Citizens for the United Farm Workers ' demand for the removal of non-UFW table grapes and head lettuce from university dining halls. Their tactic was an indefinite fast ' ' and their specific target was university President Harry B. Crewson. When their hunger strike ended 11 days later, three persons had been arrested, the university had polled students on their produce preferences and promises were made for revised policy; later, several students were suspended from the university. BELOW UFW supporters march on Cutler Hall, including SGB member Bruce Mitchell (second in line) who was eventually suspended from the university for his participation in the invasion of the OPPOSITE PAGE: John Rosenbaum, a UFW supporter and a participant in the Cutler Hall raid, refused to leave upon the request of university security officers. Instead, he allowed his body to go limp, forcing security officials to have to physically remove him from the building. He was booked on charges of criminal tres- passing and resisting arrest; he also was suspended from the university. Jake Newman Even more important, claimed Barnett and Van Auken, a large segment of the university community had gained awareness of the situation in California and solidarity with the workers was established. After all, they explained, Cesar Chavez, head honcho of the UFW and inspirational leader of vast numbers of Mexican-Americans, had fasted 21 days in 1968 to dramatize farmworker conditions in California. Plans for the fast had been half-formed all through winter. During this time, negotiations with the university were being carried out by group president Pat Horner. Horner, Barnett, Van Auken and another member of the group met with Crewson several times asking him to permit the group, with the Student Governing Board, to sponsor a binding referendum on the question of whose union grapes and lettuce would be served in the dining halls. Crewson, however, echoing former President Claude R. Sowle, demurred, publicly stating that to take such an action would be an act of politicizing the university community, something which he felt he was not in a position to do. Crewson announced that the university would assemble an opinionnaire on the UFW question which would be distributed to students in the cafeterias. Crewson did not say who would be assembling the questionnaire or when it would be distributed. The support group criticized Crewson ' s approach to the matter, denouncing him for not allowing student input into the decision. They charged that the opinionnaire was likely to be a contrivance to reaffirm the university administration ' s position — that Teamster head lettuce and table grapes should be served. Horner said in reply to Crewson ' s earlier statement against politicizing the campus that the fact that the university currently purchases Teamster produce is a political act. How can he pretend to be so naive? ' she asked. With approximately 30 persons committed to fasting at least one day, Cutler Hall became home to Barnett and Van Auken. Many persons supported the stand that the Farm Worker ' s support group had taken, and numerous persons, previously uncommitted, joined the Cutler Hall wall ranks. On Wednesday, Crewson announced that the polling procedure would be carried out the following day. Thursday was to be the big day for the group. With the opinionnaire set for distribution that evening the group decided to hold a noon rally on the College Green. Speakers, including Professors Edgar Whan of English and Ted Hayes of government, Horner, Barnett and Van Auken of the support group and Mike Hunter, a local union leader, urged the crowd of about 200 persons to take action. Near the end of the rally, Horner stepped to the dias to address the clapping, chanting crowd, suggesting that the rally was not really over and asking the group to join her in marching to see Harry.