Lockheed issue comes to peak in student protests

By Lauren Russel

Two groups of students with opposing views on Lockheed Martin's donation to Santa Clara squared off by the Mission Church last week.

A group of 10 to 15 students, some with white and some with pink bands on their arms, sprawled out, either alone or laying on each other, sleeping bags stored behind them, water bottles scattered among them, all sitting underneath a large white sign with "Four-Day Fast" written on it, protesting the school's acceptance of Lockheed-Martin's $50,000 donation.

Across the street on the third day of the fast was a group of about 10 to 20 energetic and active students stood across from the church, holding Pro-Lockheed and anti-fasting signs with phrases such as "Passive protesting doesn't stop terrorism" and "Denying scholarships is a luxury of the privileged" while they ate and offered free pizza to anyone passing by.

On Sunday, May 12 at midnight, members of Santa Clara Students for Peace Action began a four-day fast protesting the Lockheed donation. They stationed themselves next to the Mission Church, violating the free speech code of the school and resulting in a counter-protest by proponents of the donation.

Fasters had spent months deciding how to go about their protest.

In a printed statement of clarification, the fasters said, "The act is the best way we know to publicly and respectfully acknowledge the wrongdoing, in an attempt to encourage dialogue and critical evaluation around this and surrounding issues."

Both groups were violating the school's free speech code - a time, place and manner restriction in the student handbook. The anti-fasters left after being warned, but the fasters stayed put.

"We've been documented several times by campus safety who said I'd have to go in front of the judiciary for disciplinary action," said sophomore faster, Chris Hughes.

Punishments can lead to a number of possible consequences ranging from a verbal warning to expulsion.

The group chose fasting as their most meaningful approach to getting their message across.

"It's just that the act itself has integrity and compassion in it, because it's showing we're willing to make the sacrifice and take this act in a very sincere way," said senior fast supporter Patty Adams. "Also, the visibility of doing it at the Mission signifies the heart of the Jesuit university which is what this is for. So we're trying to put ourselves out there in a way that's not confrontational but symbolic."

Members of the university community expressed mixed reactions to the fasters' tactics.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Kitty Murphy, wrote in an email to the fasters and fast supporters, "You are providing this campus with a model for non-violent resistance, an invitation to critical dialogue, and an example of moral integrity, and I hope that the campus views your action as a call to its deepest values."

But many also disagreed. Nick Travis, a sophomore and one of the main organizers of the anti-fast protest, said they didn't agree with the use of the fast as a vehicle for protesting and wanted to have a protest for the opposite side.

"It's more the whole Lockheed, them not wanting to accept the donations for the scholarships, that's actually what we're protesting, not the fast," said Travis.

Some professors also opposed the fast.

"You are misguided in your policy, your logic and your response," wrote John Heath from the classics department.

Sophomore Jake Mintz, anti-faster and engineering major, agreed that their protest was more for Lockheed and pro-scholarships, accepting money.

"We felt that the situation was being blown out of proportion," said Mintz. "There was this small donation made with no strings attached that could really do nothing but benefit the engineering community."

Mintz wasn't the only one who felt that the situation was being blown out of proportion.

A flier was recently posted in Benson mocking the Lockheed protest, detailing how people weren't taking showers until the money was given back and that the smell would convince the school to give back the money. It said that their cause was sponsored by Philip Morris Co.

"I think there's a point where you just kind of need to respect the decision that was made, but at the same time we 're a university and people are going to speak out," junior Erika Larson said.

While signs mocking the protest hung in Benson, the anti-fasters ate pizza under the Mission cross, waving around their signs, offering pizza to passing cars and students moving from class to class.

"We didn't do it to poke fun at them in any way, it was more a way of making a point," said Travis. "We weren't trying to make it about food, but when you walk by and the only thing you see is that students aren't eating and that's how they decided to make their point, we decided that along with our signs, we would use the pizza as a way to make a point.

"It's not about the food, it's about the protest, and if you choose to fast as your means of protest, then we're going to pose the opposite view and the opposite vehicle."

Most of the fasters questioned the use of pizza in protest but were supportive of their opposition.

"My personal feeling is it's rather spiteful, but I didn't want to judge them," said Adams. "I'm trying to look compassionately at them and know where they're coming from and understand that they had a point to make too. I just question the sort of process they went through in deciding their tactics."

Sophomore faster Allison Cole supported the anti-fasters presence as well.

"I think it's cool that they're here," said Cole. "I feel like I have every right to be out here stating my opinion and they do too. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. The hardest thing to see would have been no one responding at all."

Other students found the fasters supportive of the anti-fasters presence as well.

"We didn't want to initiate anything, because we didn't know how they were feeling about what we're doing," Travis said. "But they did come over, and we did do some discussion on the topic, and they were very encouraging. Most of the people we talked with were very accepting of what we we're doing, congratulating us for coming out and speaking our minds. I appreciate the fact that they have a cause and they're willing to go out and fight for it."

Both groups found their time protesting valuable, whether it was over four days or two hours.

"I think we had a very productive time," said Mintz. "We were only out there for two hours, and there was an incredible amount of support from people walking by, from the faculty, from everyone who drove by and honked."

Adams agreed that their time spent fasting and supporting the fast was productive and felt encouraged by all those who sincerely engaged in conversation.

"A lot of people would come and say whether or not I agree with your cause, I'm proud of the fact that you're doing this, you're standing up and visible in a really commendable way," said Adams. "A lot of people don't agree with us, and blatantly say it. I don't think what you're saying is right."

As a result of their fast, Father Paul Locatelli, S.J., has agreed to meet with the group for 15 minutes this week. Locatelli has also announced that the people in the engineering department can refuse to use the money on their own, and they will find other money sources for those people.

But junior faster Evan Hughes is not satisfied.

"It doesn't eliminate our relationship and our compliance within the system with which we're calling into question," he said.