Boston State Students Protest: Boycott Classes, Close Paper

Boston State College's student government and newspaper clashed yesterday as students boycotted classes in protest over the firing of two radical professors.

At a special meeting called yesterday by student body president Michael Saraceno, the student government voted unanimously to cut off funds for the paper, Outlook. The student group locked the newspaper's offices on the grounds that it gave too much coverage to the recent dismissals at the expense of other student interests.

Outlook had been devoting nearly all its space to speculation that the professors, Henry Allan and Blaney Lee, were fired for leftist leanings.

Debate on a new master plan for state colleges received extensive coverage and criticism. The newspaper held that the plan would seriously lower the quality of education at Boston State by increasing class size and weakening the faculty's tenure security.

The action to close down Outlook was taken while the paper's editors were at the Associated Press convention in Chicago. Outlook staffer Pat Garrett called the move an "underhanded and unfair" power bid by the student government.

The student government also declined yesterday to support the boycott of classes and picketing of buildings called by a student steering committee opposed to the master plan and the recent dismissals.

Saraceno reported classroom attendance was off by more than 50 per cent yesterday, but said that enthusiasm for the strike was low.

The steering committee called the strike despite a court injunction barring disruptions at Boston State and despite the inaction of the student government.

The injunction was issued at the request of college president Kermit Morrissey.