November 19, 2019

Page 1

www.UniversityStar.com

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2019 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 15

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

SAN MARCOS 10 REVISIT TEXAS STATE YEARS LATER By Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor

Editors note: This version of the article has been edited and formatted for print. To read this article in full visit www. universitystar.com. Quiet. Surrounded. Sitting crosslegged in the grass. There was no violence, no shouting and no one was hurt—not there. Nearly 9,000 miles away from the

"YOU ARE OUT THERE TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SEE YOU'RE MAKING A STATEMENT. OTHERWISE, WE COULD GO OUT THERE AND HAVE SANDWHICHES AT MIDNIGHT" -MICHAEL HOLMAN

Vietnam War, hoards of students clad in black armbands gathered near the Fighting Stallions to peacefully protest the war on Nov. 13, 1969. The students were given three minutes by then Dean of Students Floyd Martine to clear the scene under threat of suspension. Campus security began to rope off the area. Surrounded by a taunting and hostile crowd of fellow students shouting, “your three minutes are up,” students began to stand up. Three minutes passed. Ten students remained. The administration began to collect names: David Bayless, a Vietnam veteran; Annie Burleson, Paul Cates, Al Henson, Michael Holman; David McConchie, who is now deceased. Murray Rosenwasser, Joseph Saranello, Sallie Ann Satagaj and Frances Vykoukal, also deceased. All 10 were suspended until fall 1970 with their credits from the past year canceled. None of them knew each other prior. To commemorate the 50-year anniversary, the Honors College hosted a forum from 4-6 p.m. on Nov. 13. The same day was declared “Salute the San Marcos 10 Day” by Mayor Jane Hughson. E.R. Bills, Texas State alumnus, journalist and author, has been following the story of the San Marcos 10 since attending university. His book, “The San Marcos 10: An Antiwar Protest in Texas” offers a comprehensive history of the event from start to finish. However, his initial story following the San Marcos 10 was written for Hillside Scene Magazine in 1989. During the protests, Bill Cunningham, managing editor of The College Star

Members of the San Marcos 10 (left to right) Al Henson, Paul Cates, Murray Rosenwasser, Sallie Ann Satagaj, Michael Holman, Annie Burleson and Joseph Saranello stand at the Fighting Stallions Nov. 13 at Texas State. The group gathered at the stallions 50 years earlier to protest the Vietnam War. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON

(now The University Star) in 1969, was removed from the paper against his will for covering the events. Bills said the story is important because journalists were muzzled during the protests and still have the potential to be stifled now. “The work journalists, in general, are trying to do is heroic,” Bills said. “You’re metaphorically getting punched in the mouth at every turn trying to do your job.” DAVID BAYLESS Bayless did not have an opinion on the war until he returned from his tour and a friend asked him if he realized what damage was being done. “I felt used and abused (knowing) people had died for lie after lie,” Bayless said “We were not there to bring peace to Vietnam. We were not there to save civilization. We had all come in to take a piece of Vietnam.” ANNIE BURLESON Burleson said she was raised to stand up for what she believes in. This made it frustrating when the administration tried to enforce a free speech area between 5-7 p.m. at Old Main, which, “no one ever went to.” “I’ve always been and still am basically a pacifist,” Burleson said. “I’m against war—all war.” PAUL CATES Cates made the decision to stay at the protest the night before, no matter what happened. He did not know what triggered the decision.

“I was very sure we were going to be kicked out of school,” Cates said. “I knew that. I had made my personal decision the night before that come what may, I would stay when we were told to leave." AL HENSON When Henson showed up to protest, he had already heard talk of reprisal toward protesters. Henson said even though he was considered a hippie, he was unfazed by the jeers and hollers from his peers. “I didn’t have a lot of bad feelings about it all,” Henson said. “What was coming from the other side, I didn’t care. I was used to certain elements of the campus really looking down on my type.” MICHAEL HOLMAN Holman said the campus administration at the time was in the wrong by instructing the group to move. Dean Martine telling the students they were the problem did not sit right with Holman. “You are out there to make a statement and you want people to see you’re making a statement,” Holman said. “Otherwise, we could go out there and have sandwiches at midnight.” MURRAY ROSENWASSER Rosenwasser was especially close to the situation. He dated an editor at The College Star and was roommates with Cunningham, who wrote an editorial condemning the administration prior to SEE SAN MARCOS 10 PAGE 4

TUITION

Regents approve new tuition proposal By Sandra Sadek News Reporter A new proposal was approved by the Texas State University System's Board of Regents Nov. 14 to reflect suggestions from the Texas State Legislature. The new proposal for the student body

would increase overall tuition by 2.6% for the next two academic years—fall 2020 and fall 2021—as opposed to the original Nov. 5 proposal to increase tuition by 3.95%. Changes were made to the original proposal less than a week before the Nov. 14 vote, according to Deputy

Vice-Chancellor for Marketing & Communications Mike Wintemute. Student service fees—which pay for activities involving or directly benefiting students and are separate from regularly scheduled academic functions—will not be receiving increased funding as originally proposed. Student service fees

are generated from the number of hours a student takes each semester. Students are charged $10 per student credit hours and up to $90 per semester. According to Assistant Vice President of Budgeting, Financial Planning and Analysis Christine Black, the request for a revision came from the TSUS. SEE TUITION PAGE 3


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