Student Strike (1970)
In Spring 1970, tensions were high on college campuses throughout the country for a number of reasons: Nixon’s escalation of the Vietnam War by sending troops into Cambodia, domestic political repression of groups such as the Black Panthers, and on May 4th, the tragic killing of four student protests at Kent State by the Ohio National Guard. On May 4th, the SUNY Cortland House of Delegates voted to endorse a national student strike in response to the first two issues (they had not yet received word about the Kent State shootings). The following day a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 students gathered in the area between Old Main and the Miller Building to protest, while various political messages had already been spray painted on campus buildings. On May 6th, during a meeting of students and faculty in the Old Main auditorium, a group of students left the building and proceeded to occupy the Miller Building next door, chaining the doors shut. There was some debate among the more radical occupying students about whether or not they should destroy college property in the building, but the group ultimately remained peaceful. Upon hearing the news about the occupation, President Richard C. Jones’ initial desire was to involve the police. Faculty convinced Jones to change his mind and decided that he would not call the police to campus, although he noted that he did not have the power to stop them if they decided to intervene. In order to prevent legal problems for students, the president declared that the building had not been officially closed and therefore the student’s occupation was not illegal. The occupation was ended the following day when the College adopted the “Cortland Plan,” which allowed striking students to choose between two options regarding the remainder of the semester. The first option, for students who wished to remain on strike, allowed students to receive their current grades for the semester’s courses, and provide that they completed the coursework in a satisfactory manner. The second option was to continue classes as planned. Some students took the option to accept their current grades and left campus early. Others decided to remain on campus and continue strike-related activities including workshops and seminars about the Vietnam War, the Black Panthers, and the Kent State shootings, among other things.