The Cavalier daily. :: Thursday, April 3, 1969 :: University of Virginia Library

Classes will be made optional
tomorrow, according to a motion
passed by the Student Council
Tuesday night, as a day of mourning
for Martin Luther King, who
was murdered in Memphis last year
on April 4.

The motion, presented by
Charles Murdock, reads "Whereas
Friday, April 4, is the anniversary
of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther
King, and

"Whereas Dr. King was an
outspoken critic of racism and
America's war in Vietnam, and

"Whereas both the persistence
of racism in America and America's
involvement in Vietnam are national
tragedies,

"Then let it be resolved that
Student Council declares Friday
April 4 a day of mourning at the
University during which classes will
be optional and a Student Council
sponsored teach-in be set to
heighten awareness and increase
concern and action on those issues
that Dr. King tried so hard to make
America respond to."

Teach-in Passed

A motion to delete references to
the war and to emphasize solely
racism failed, but the portion of the
motion dealing with the teach-in
was deleted before passage.

A half-hour Memorial Service to
Dr. King will be held on tomorrow
night at 7 at the Zion Union
Church on Preston Avenue.

At the same time, the
N.A.A.C.P. annual membership
drive will be officially opened,
dedicated to the "memory and
unforgettable example of Martin
Luther King."

The Reverend E. G. Hall will
preside, and participating ministers
are Reverend Benjamin Bunn,
Reverend J. B. Hamilton, Reverend
H. Floyd Johnson, Reverend R. A.
Johnson, Reverend Walter Royal
Jones, and the Reverend Henry
Mitchell. Mrs. Charles Harris will
sing Dr. King's favorite song,
"Precious Lord." Miss Dolly Arnette,
chairman of the N.A.A.C.P.
membership drive, will also say a
few words.

In other business at the Student
Council meeting, Bud Ogle moved
that the Student Council devote up
to one hour of its next meeting to
be an open forum for interested
members of the University community
to comment, criticize and/
or praise the Council's role and
responsibilities.

The motion carried.

Support "Blast" Motion

Mr. Ogle also presented this
motion: "We firmly believe that the
forbidding of sale and/or distribution
by Lane High School students
of student oriented material on
Lane High School grounds is an
improper restriction of academic
freedom and is therefore destructive
of educational goals.

"We, the Student Body of the
University of Virginia therefore
urge against the decision to forbid
the selling of the newspaper "Blast"
on school grounds.

Mr. Ogle urged that the Council
consider this matter even though it
was outside the University, because
of its relevance to two of Mr.
Jefferson's major concerns, freedom
of the press and of speech and
education.

The editor of "Blast," Kenny
Cogland, explained that the students
had asked permission of the
principal to sell the paper and were
denied it without any reasons being
given - that in fact the principal of
Lane did not find the paper
offensive.

The "Blast" staff had gone
through the proper channels for
approval, Mr. Cogland said. He
added that the school's other
publications are sold on school
grounds.

Council To Send Letter

Mr. Cogland said that when
students tried to sell the paper, he
and another member of the staff
were suspended from school.

Rick Evans said that while the
case seems quite clear, it is only fair
to let the principal of Lane give his
version of the incident.

He then moved a substitute
motion, which carried, asking the
Student Council to send a letter to
the principal of Lane High School
requesting either his appearance at
a Council meeting soon, or a
written clarification of his position.