Viking_Yearbook_64

It all started when about 250 demon– strators shouldered banners and marched around the U. S. Courthouse in protest of hearings by the Subvers– ive Activities Control Board against two men alleged to have violated the law by failing to register as Commu– nists. The marchers claimed the Mc– Carran Act under which the SACB operates is unconstitutional. The diversified procession included young, old, bewhiskered, apple– cheeked, unkempt, starch-bosomed , knowing, and naive individuals. Admit– tedly, they were largely from Reed and PSC. City news media were on the job with wall to wall coverage. Pictures wig– wagged from TV screens. Bulletins zeroed in on Radio. And the student image slipped heaven knows how many cogs-confirmed when the barometer of public opinion , "letters to the editor," registered storm warnings . Some stu– dents felt the press had unfairly played up the beatnik and college-age angle. There were even subtle hints of left– footedness, especially in "letters" col– umns. If students hadn't been the sub– ject of abject scrutiny in the nearing election, the incident might have sput– tered out like a penny firecracker.