Continuing protests of the University of Washington’s admissions and hiring policies in 1980. Minority and disabled students joined to demand changes to the policies which they believed discriminated against them. An earlier protest and sit-in resulted in the arrest of 29 students (see photo 1069). Here the number of the detained has risen to 44. Overall close to 80 students were briefly jailed as a result of the actions of May 21 through June 3. Reporter Sharon Maeda wrote about one occupation of Schmitz Hall, “When everyone got to the third floor, they set up for a long sit-in. Cases of fritos and cokes were brought in. A few sleeping bags, books, a radio. A group of students set up conga drums and began to play.” (International Examiner, June 1980.) “Herm” Lujan, the Vice President for Minority Affairs, found himself in the cross-hairs of the protests. At the time many predicted his imminent ouster from the University. However, Lujan stayed on at the “U” until 1991. The projecting hand belongs to “Dancer with Flat Hat” by Phillip Levine, a statue that stands in the landing of the staircase leading down from the pedestrian bridge over 15th Avenue. Photo, Dean Wong, 1980.
