The Midpeninsula Free University

MFU Articles Published by The Stanford Daily
1969

University Denies Use of Be-In Site

The Stanford administration has apparently decided not to allow a be-in sponsored by the Midpeninsula Free University to be held July 20 in the fields near Stanford Stadium.

SCORE, the on-campus affiliate of the Free University, applied to the Office of Public Events for permission to hold the be-in there.

Early Wednesday morning, Tim Coburn, graduate in genetics, and Tom Crystal, graduate in electrical engineering, went to talk to J. Thomas Bacchetti, director of public events. Public events at Stanford are defined as events which are open to persons not directly affiliated with the University.

Bacchetti told Coburn and Crystal that it was decided at a meeting of the President's staff the day before to impose a moratorium on new outdoor activities on University lands.

Coburn explained to Bacchetti that he would have to convey Stanford's decision to a meeting of the Free University and asked that Bacchetti put down the decision in writing.

Bacchetti wrote out in his own hand the following: It is my understanding that upon recommendation of the Director of Public Events all organized outdoors activities not previously approved will be temporarily suspended until such time as a review of policy concerning these activities has been completed.

Coburn and Crystal after seeing Bacchetti went directly to President Kenneth Pitzer's office. They gave his personal secretary the memorandum written by Bacchetti. Pitzer was busy with an appointment at the time. After consulting with Pitzer, his secretary referred the two from SCORE to Dean of Students Peter Bulkeley to answer their questions. The impression which Coburn and Crystal received at the time was that Pitzer read the memorandum and had no disagreement with it. Pitzer told The Daily last night that he does not recall having read the memorandum at the time.

Coburn talked with Bulkeley that afternoon. Bulkeley said that he was not aware of any moratorium policy. According to Coburn, Bulkeley indicated that the President's staff meeting had decided to get a lawyer to look into the legal problems involved in outdoor activities.

Yesterday Coburn visited Bulkeley again. Bulkeley asked SCORE to resubmit its application and on the new application itemize what SCORE planned to do at the site with regard to toilet facilities, cleaning-up afterwards, parking, traffic control, possible property damage, noise, and crowd control. Coburn plans to submit a new application, not necessarily for the same site.

Pitzer and other administrators have indicated that they do not think that the site near the football stadium is appropriate for a be-in. Bacchetti told The Daily that the application by SCORE was undeniably the catalyst for the Presidential staff meeting on the use of University lands.

According to Pitzer, those at the staff meeting agreed that the decision last summer to deny the Free University the use of the same field should be repeated on this occasion.

In August 1968, SCORE was turned down by the University for a similar event in the same place. El Camino Park in Palo Alto was the eventual site selected that time. But now the Palo Alto City Council has enacted an ordinance limiting to 25 watts the electric power used in sound amplification.

Yesterday, Bacchetti declared that he had misinterpreted the outcome of Tuesday's Presidential staff meeting. He said that his memorandum was the product of a misunderstanding. According to Bacchetti, all applications for the use of University lands will be considered individually, as in the past.

Bacchetti also indicated that the only area where the facilities are appropriate for a be-in is Searsville Lake, which is not operated by the University.

Bacchetti is meeting Monday with ASSU Financial Manager Dave Swift to consider revisions of the University's current general policies on public events, which have been in force since 1967. Swift was a member of an ad hoc committee head by former Dean of Students Joel Smith which was working on a new policy on public events during the course of the last school year. When Smith left to assume the presidency of Denison University, he turned over the committee's material to Swift.

Swift told The Daily that the Committee on Public Exercises was never consulted on Bacchetti's moratorium memorandum. Such policy decisions are usually within the purview of this committee.