College Delegates
Against Nunan Bill
Report To Council

Representatives From Sixteen
      Colleges Get Hearings
            At Assembly

            More than 170 student delegates went to Albany last Thursday to protest the passage of the Nunan Loyalty Oath Bill. according a report by the delegates from the Woman's division at. a special Council meeting last Friday. In this number were nine Brooklyn students, five of whom were official representataives.

            Delegates from sixteen colleges, three high schools and outside organizations like the American Youth Conference, the National Student League. the Student League for Industrial Democracy. and the National Student Federation were given a hearing in the Education committee at which Senator Mann and Assemblyman Devany, co-author of the bill were present.

            We are not asking you to to [sic] anything more than we have done ourselves," Mr. Nunan told the students. "We have all taken the oath to support the Constitution. So have thousands of school teachers and lawyers."

            Objections to the bill were based on several grounds, Miss Edna Albers of Sarah Lawrence College stated that "this bill will only serve to intensify radicalism and drive Communism into well-organized groups."

            A petition containing the names of 7500 student's was presented to the committee by opponents to the bill. Later about a hundred students met and voted to strike for one hour on April 18, if the Nunan bill was passed. At this meeting, held at Chancellor's Hall, Education Building, the Brooklyn College delegates refused to cast votes on any matters except:. those pertaining to the Nunan bill. "We did not feel ourselves empowered by the students to vote on any matters but those pertaining to the Nunan bill," explained Helen Friedland, president of Council and a member of the delegation, at the Council meeting.

            A delegation of fifteen students told Governor Lehman that the Nunan bill was a "distinct threat to freedom of thought and the whole principle of American education."

            John A. Lang, president of the National Student Federation, said that the purpose of this discussion with the Governor was to seek his veto of the Bill if it was approved by the Assembly.

            "It is represented here that many of the students do not wish a measure of this sort." said Governor Lehman, "I am glad to find that these representatives are bringing true evidence of what the students are t really thinking on the Nunan bill.

            "I am interested to find that certain conservative elements in the colleges are included among the representatives and in positions, such as fraternity men, football players, and student government officials." continued the Governor.

            Helen Friedland, president of Council, Harriet Kahn, treasurer of Council, and Ruth Fisch, editor of Spotlight

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May 20, 2004