Portland State Magazine Winter 2007

More than 25 years ago, Ron Campbell and a group of other Portland State College students painted their own crosswalk on Southwest Sixth Avenue. IN 1968, VI Kl NG Hall (now known a che Ondine) was a privace coed residence of abouc 535 Pordand Scace allege students. Among those living in che hall was a wheelchair-bound scudem, Jay Wardlow. One fall day, an inattentive driver clipped Jay and knocked him out of his wheelchair as he was crossing Sixth Avenue. He was not injured, but other angry scudents and I wanted to do something. We contacted Cicy Hall and were told chat a crosswalk light would cost $1,500 and was noc sched– uled to be inscalled at the intersection of Sixch and Hall any time soon. We decided to take accion on our own. Ac least 20 students were involved in paiming a crosswalk at 3 a.m. Using military precision, it took only a few minutes. We did have barricades and ocher ways to divert traffic ... but chere was really no traffic in the middle of che nighc. We tried to make the lines look neat-and not painted by cudents– but we used really cheap whice house– hold paint that refused to dry in the miscy early morning. When the inter– state buses came into town about 6 a.m. their immense tires picked up the pigment and laid it back down some feet away. You could see the paint trai l fade off down che street. Cicy officials were mad. When the local TV news picked up the story the media highlighted the incident with Jay. Cicy Hall contacted me, demand– ing char che students who appeared on TV come to a hearing ac che Cicy Hall building before che traffic planning people. A police officer delivered the "request," and, yes, we were apprehen– sive of the outcome. It turns ouc we were reprimanded, buc as a result of our accion, d1e craffic signal light for d1ac locacion was given immediate prioricy and was in place in a short time. They bawled us out, but in essence chey felc embarrassed abouc the sicuation. I, as leader and head perpecrator of the action, was disciplined by Pordand Stace. At che time I was a candidace for scudent body presidenc. Because of my involvement and my loud mouch, my name was caken off che balloc. Thar was okay; I really did noc care then, nor do I now. All of us enjoyed our ace of rebellion, and it caught us a great lesson: Some– times it is better to act and chen get permission from che "decision makers." This incident helped me decide to go to law school. I was a trial attorney and advocate for college scudents and others for 16 years. Today, I am a professor of business law ac orth Carolina Scace Universicy. Lool<ing Bacl< THE CROSSWALK INC I DENT 1968 BY RON CAM PBELL '6 9, MA '70 ''All of us enjoyed our act of rebellion, and it taught us a great lesson: Sometimes it is better to act and then get permission from the 'decision makers. "' Maybe you have your own great photograph or a story to tell from your time at Portland State. We'd like to put it on this page. Contact us by e-mail at psumag@pdx.edu , or fax at 503-725· 4464, or mail us at Portland State Magazine, Office of University Communications, PO Box 751 , Portland OR 97207-0751 . Please limit your submission to no more than 300 words and only send us photographs we can keep. WINTER 2007 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 29