After three weeks of exposes, rallies, demonstrations and meetings the Wayne Student Movement last week (May 17-18) elected three candidates to the Wayne Student-Faculty Council. Three additional candidates were elected on modified student power platforms.
The WSM has also been gaining support from the student boards of the various colleges at Wayne. The Liberal Arts Board, the Monteith Council and the School of Social Work Student Organization have endorsed the WSM six demands with qualifications.
The WSM demands for a student voice in the decision making process of the University have also received support from the Faculty for a Democratic Society and local unions. The National Student Association is expected to send a telegram of support soon—according to a report by NSA president Eugene Groves.
The most recent expose by the WSM was the discovery that a State Hall men’s bathroom was used as a trap for homosexuals on campus.
A peephole was cut into the wall in one of the lavatories and a movie camera was used to film homosexual activities. The Wayne Security Department in cooperation with the Detroit Police tried to use this evidence as a basis for court action against Wayne homosexuals. (It’s unconstitutional, by the way.)
The process was used as recently as a year to a year and a half ago, which is during President Keast’s administration. The Wayne administration denied complicity with the actions of their Security Department and said that the practice was last used three years ago.
Vice-president Edward Cushman said, however, that “I want to stress that this doesn’t mean something wrong was done. We feel we have an obligation to the parents and the students to insure that no one engages in illegal activity on campus.” Cushman wouldn’t explain why the hole had not been covered yet or why the air raid shelter leading to the hole was the only shelter locked in State Hall.
President Keast set up a five-man committee to investigate the WSM charges. All appointees were administrators. Several top Wayne administrators said last week, however, that the committee doesn’t really exist and was announced in the aftermath of the expose as a pacification measure.
Prior to the expose of the security department spying Keast spoke to Wayne students and faculty on Friday, May 12. During his address to the students, Keast answered the six WSM demands.
WSM leaders were generally dissatisfied with his response to their demands. The movement plans no further action in this quarter, but will be organizing itself and doing research for preparation for the fall.