Robyn Herr

Template:TOCnestleft Robyn Herr

Protesting CIA recruitment

In 1989 the CIA conducted “business as usual” in the Student Center Ballroom Monday afternoon, interviewing minority candidates seeking jobs with the agency, but outside in the plaza, the Progressive Student Network organized a rally opposing the presence of the CIA on the campus. Robyn Herr, president of the PSN, said the rally was the beginning of an awareness campaign informing students about how the CIA works. “They are supposed to come back here in March,” she said. “We want to have people aware and show them that we don’t even want them to come back, period.” The CIA routinely conducts interviews on college campuses and is usually met with opposition, PSN member Sheri Wander said. Speakers, such as PSN member Pat Wright, took turns addressing the crowd of 50 about CIA operations. “One thing we should understand is that the CIA doesn’t gather intelligence,” he said. “It distorts it through the media as it leaks misinformation.” Peace activist and KSU graduate Ruth Gibson said the public should be aware that the CIA is violating the Constitution with U.S. tax dollars.

“You don’t have to respect what they do, but they do have the right to be here.” Wander said because of the crimes they commit, they should not be allowed on campus. “Free speech doesn’t apply here,” she said. “The CIA is here, and they are murderers.” Shortly after 2 p.m., several student protestors entered the ballroom where the interviews were being held and tried to distribute literature to the candidates and CIA employees. Tom Albanese, a member of the PSN, said although several of the protestors who entered the ballroom were PSN members, it was not an act supported by the organization. Albanese said they walked in to the room and went up to the CIA table and said they didn’t support the CIA. “We said ‘as individual students, we don’t condone CIA activities,’ ” he said. “Then we went to where people were seated, and we asked them to read the pamphlets. “We didn’t force anything on them. We just asked them to read it.” While they were talking with those waiting to be interviewed, Albanese said they were taken from the ballroom because they were not properly dressed. “At that time some people with the program escorted me out by the arm to the door,” he said. “The only thing they said is that I didn’t have a suit on.” Albanese said university code forbids them from distributing pamphlets in a room scheduled for another activity. After the group left the ballroom, Stacy Semenczuk, Niki Pszonowsky and William Blake, who are Student Activities employees, discussed the issue with Albanese and several others. Blake, director of Greek Affairs, said there are other ways to voice opinions that wouldn’t be as confrontalional. He said they weren’t trying to find other options. “There are other avenues you could try,” he said. “But you haven’t even given them the chance to fail.’’ Albanese said the reason they chose this course of action is that they didn’t have time to go through the university channels because the channels took time students don’t have.

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