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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1970)
Aiiva NO0 3 y o University of Oregon, Eugene, Monday, October 5, 1970 Vol. LXXII, No. 18 No suspects yet in $50,000 PLC bombing By ART BUSHNELL Of the Emerald Eugene city police reported Sunday they had no suspects in the Friday night bombing of Prince Lucien Campbell Hall, which caused an estimated $50,000 damage to the building. Materials gathered from the ground floor scene of the explosion, whch occurred at about 9:20 p.m., have been sent to the department’s crime laboratory but as of Sunday there had been no arrests. No one was injured, although one campus security officer and almost a dozen faculty members were working in the building at the time of the blast. No warning was received prior to the blast. Eugene police officials have not yet determined what caused the explosion. However, Oakley Glenn, new chief of the University’s Office of Campus Security, declared the explosion was apparently caused by “some kind of explosive device.” According to Eugene police Lieutenant Patrick Larian, the explosion originated from a ground floor lavatory. No fires occurred. Sgt. Larry Spencer of the Eugene police, said Sunday night he was “not even sure they have verified that dynamite caused the explosion, that was just a smell in the air when people arrived at the scene. We have not determined the types of explosives used and nothing has been received back from the crime laboratory.” Although structural damage had been feared Friday night, University Business Manager Walter McLaughlin said engineers had been called in over the weekend and their preliminary investigation had shown it “safe for people to be back in the building” and had found “no noticeable structural damage.” McLaughlin would not revise the $50,000 damage estimate made by Eugene Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Stronach until engineers and architects had had a chance to thoroughly examine the structure, and process he estimated might take up to two weeks. The University Business Manager said with damage to “cracked plaster, wires, plumbin and everything else” there was “no way to give a reasonable estimate until after the professionals go over the building.” The weekend examination of the building took place to ascertain whether or not it would be safe for University personnel to return to work in their offices and for classes to be held in PLC today. McLaughlin said as far as the engineer could deter mine, until the rubble on the ground floor is cleared away and further examination is possible, there was no structural damage. Continued on page 9 Campus violence main topic of Government Day By HARRIET FOTIS Of the Emerald An over-riding concern with campus disorders and student violence heightened by Friday’s bombing of PLC dominated the discussion between University representatives and state and local of ficials at Saturday’s annual Government Day. Government Day is a University sponsored event to promote discussion between lawmakers and the University community. In his opening remarks to the legislators, University President Robert Clark called the bombing an “outrageous act...that can only create frustration and anger in the people of this community and state.” The expression of shock and deep concern in the faces of the students present at PLC in the aftermath of Friday’s bombing was a “moving experience” said Clark. ASUO President Ron Eachus, in an swer to a legislator’s question, agreed with Clark that “the majority of students were shocked and surprised that it (the bom bing) did happen on campus.” In his prepared text for presentation to the 150 persons gathered for the day’s activities, Clark asked the legislators to try and understand some of the sources and anxieties of student unrest. Clark said that even though “in a recent report Oregon was listed among the half-dozen states in this country with the lowest incidence of campus protests...that is not to say that our students are com placent.” Clark said that he liked the radicals. He finds in them, “a rugged honesty, a contempt for hypocrisy, a willingness to challenge and test ideas, a rebellious spirit that will produce men and not sychophants, a compassion for the op pressed, a commitment to values that can, if it does not go awry, make a better society.” He attributed the limited amount of violence and disruption on campus last year to the efforts of University faculty and students who, “would not support or condone violence or disruption.” The University, Clark said, is more effective in resolving nonviolent disrup tions than law enforcement agencies. He agreed with a recent remark by President Nixon in that “the university if it has the will, is more competent than the govern ment to deal with these cases.” In the discussion period that followed President Clark’s remarks, ASUO President Ron Eachus told the gathering that he could see no reason why the left or right would want to bomb PLC. The poverty programs at the University were also discussed briefly. Clark said that he considered “The most serious domestic problem to be the plight of the minority people.” He spoke of the minority programs in progress at the University and explained to the legislators the desperate need for funds to help support the programs.