University of Virginia Library

The Strike Book

A Perspective Beyond Pure Politics

By Fred Heblich
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Probably the most frequently
heard expression during last May's
Strike at the University was "what's
going on?"

In fact many people - and not
just first-year men - are still asking
"what went on?"

The rumors and misconceptions
surrounding the whole event are
numerous and confusing. The press
coverage was incomplete, and many
of the personal accounts of the
Strike are biased or dubious.

Obviously what was needed, and
fortunately what appeared, was an
objective, comprehensive treatment
of the subject.

"May Days," a fifty-page
booklet prepared by three students
who followed the Strike activities
closely gives the best account to
date of just what did occur at the
University during the early days of
May.

The strength of the booklet and
the strength of good journalism in
general relies on the ability of the
author to be factual and impersonal
in treating a topic or event. While
"May Days" has its faults in this
respect, although minor, anyone
who was connected with the Strike
activities will agree that it was hard
not to form a definite opinion, and
after taking this into consideration,
the minor lapses in an overall
excellent performance are
justifiable.

There was a tendency in the
press coverage to focus exclusively
on the political activities of the
Strike. On page 45 of "May Days"
Literary Editor Rob Buford writes
"People came together for a while."
This is the departure point for the
booklet in recording the events.

While certainly the political
events are not ignored, the booklet
is a fine blend of describing the
"extra-curricular" activities of the
students, along with their political
participation.

There are over 125 photographs
in the booklet which make it a
pictorial history, and brings it to
life. The accompanying copy stays
strictly within the confines of fact
and faithfully follows script written
during those confusing spring days,
factually recording each fact and
the names of the people who
played important roles at each turn
of the action.

Quotations are frequently used
by the authors, both to enliven the
Strike story and also to give it a
wider scope. Important portions of
the speeches made at the University
by William Kunstler and Jerry
Rubin are quoted, as well as words
uttered by persons ranging from
Eldridge Cleaver to Mr. Jefferson.

The use of quoted lines from
rock songs is quite important. If
one assumes that a culture
expresses itself through its art, and
that rock music is the art of the
American youth's sub-culture, the
whole story of the Strike has much
more magnitude. Also, the presence
of portions of James Kunen's "The
Strawberry Statement," and James
Lynch's essay "Disorder, Power,
and the Student" serve to expand
the scope of the booklet in the
same manner.

"May Days" does more than
record facts and names. It tries to
capture the atmosphere of the
University and its students while
the events were taking place. There
are descriptions of gatherings on
the Lawn, complete with song and
refreshment, as well as first-hand
accounts of the take-overs of Maury
Hall. The strictly human elements
present at all the Strike activities
are not left out.

Photography Editor Andy
Stickney has done a fine job in
selecting and preparing the
photographs which make up most
of the booklet. Format Editor Peter
Shea has likewise done an excellent
job of coordinating the copy with
the photographs and also making
the pages attractively arranged.

"May Days" makes no
important statement about the
events that happened in May. It is
no "Strawberry Statement," and
has no pretensions in that direction.
In the last few pages are found
portions of a widely read editorial
by the Richmond Times Dispatch
called "The University Bows" and a
collection of letters both pro and
con concerning the stance taken by
President Shannon and the
editorial.

The only appraisal made by the
authors is a sort of afterword which
begins with the assumption that an
appraisal is hard to make, and then
proceeds to put the Strike in some
sort of perspective, and venture
several opinions as to the future of
the forces that were present in May.

Besides accurately portraying
the Strike events and participants,
"May Days" captures some of the
confusion, emotionalism, and
surrealism which dominated the
whole movement.

"May Days" is already entering
its second printing which will
appear this week at Mineer's,
Anderson's, Lloyd's, University,
Noonday, and Newcomb Hall Book
Store.

"MAY DAYS" photo by Chris Dickey

May 1970: Demands Made and Answers Unheard

In a Forest of Uncertainty, People Came Together For a While.