Chelsea: 223 Expelled!

We're not writing our usual ROCK AND ROLL DOPE Column this time for a couple of reasons: Number one. we've been beset with frenzied activity since the glorious release of brother John Sinclair and two, we found ourselves in the middle of a strange rock and roll repression scene at a local high school that even seems to have parents uniting with students in opposition to the control freaks. And at this writing the big controversy continues to boil at Chelsea High School where 233 students were expelled when they went on a strike which they called a "last resort" effort to make their principal honor his agreement to have the Up play at their Christmas Dance. One of several small towns outside of Ann Arbor. Chelsea is the scene of this story, but it's already obvious that it isn't going to end here. no matter what happens. A few weeks back some brothers from U of D High in Detroit told us that their principal had read our first column, where we described what went down at our last gig at U of D when the teachers wouldn't let the kids dance and have fun the way they wanted to. The people from U of D said that when the principal saw the stuff exposed in print he vowed that the Up would "never play here again." The point being that this is part of a program, uptight school administrators all over are trying to choke off the people's music because (remember 1956?) they 're really afraid of its effects. But of course this isn't 1956, it's almost 1972 and people are getting more and more fed up with this crazy control virus that is trying to dictate everything that goes on on the planet-from Vietnam to Chelsea, Michigan-they 're getting fed up and speaking out everywhere, too. The freeing of John Sinclair and the latest incidents at Chelsea are the best recent local examples of the growing spirit of self deteriation that is uniting all kinds of people to put an end to the real, everyday repression that exists in our communities right now. The story is pretty well told by the documents reprinted the first is a leaflet passed out just before the December 15 strike, and the second is a letter sent to parents of Chelsea students by three members of the Student Council. We wanted to run the list of the 'Chelsea 223" because the courage to stand up and fight for the right to get together and listen to music is something that always has got to be applauded, but it wasn't available at press-time. Another thing that isn't mentioned is that Chelsea is in the jurisdiction of old Sheriff Harvey, and the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Department had already aligned itself with the school administration, against the people. in not allowing students to picket the school. The weird thing is that we really didn't know anything at all about what was happening at Chelsea H. S. until we started hearing about it on the radio (whew!). But we want to make it clear who's side we're on- we're going to do everything in our power to play at Chelsea's Christmas Dance even if it means renting a hall to do it. Unify to Build People's Power. -The Up STUDENTS OF CHELSEA HIGH SCHOOL HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF! Thursday night at a special school board meeting, the school board voted unanimously that the student council had a fair hearing with the administration over the issue of having the rockn' roll band the "Up" play at the Christmas dance. We firmly believe that the issue isn't that the school board turned down the "Up". it is the way they did it. It was a losing cause before we walked in the door as the school board already had its mind made up. The meeting itself was against us also with the board listening to the administration blow up the issue, bend the facts, and tell outright lies. The administration's case was the "Up" wouldn't play because, no. 1 , the light show they had the last time the "Up" played was obscene and. no. 2, there was un-american literature passed out at the dance. We (the students) came right out and guaranteed the board that there would be no light show or no literature at the dance and we wanted the "UP" one reason and one reason only, for good rockn'roll music. In other words, the only reason that the "Up" can't play is because of their political beliefs. this reason itself is "un-American and unconstitutional." The student council had a union contract signed with the band that we will have lo break. The administration didn't care about breaking the contract although earlier one of the administrators. Mr. Lane did given a student his consent to sign. They may be surprised when they get a civil law suit slapped against them. In closing we think the students should unite and try to set the administration and school board on the right tracks, if not for anything else, for the sake of democratic justice in our school. We think that the only course left is to walk out until the group is allowed to play. It's time that the students unite in order to obtain their right to hear good music. We have been pushed around long enough. STUDENTS UNITE!! ' STATEMENT BY THE STUDENT COUNCIL OF CHELSEA HIGH SCHOOL CONCERNING THE STRIKE In order to let our story be heard. we have written this letter to all concerned parents. Your child has been suspended from school for not returning to classes on the afternoon of December 15 . When Mr. Lane was asked by the student representatives to call a meeting with all involved parents, the students and himself, he refused. We felt he refused because he is afraid to talk to the parents and students as a whole. As the situation stands now, each set of parents will be called individually and will be given an appointment as to when they can come in with their child and talk to Mr. Lane. There are 233 students suspended. This is going to lake a long lime. On November 24 the students passed the proposal to have a group called the UP lo play tor the Christmas dance. On December I we received permission from Mr. Line for the group to play at the school. On December 3 the band was contracted to play for the school, for $200.00. On the following Monday Mr. Lane told us he had changed his mind and told the student council to break the contract. His reason was that his "superiors" had advised him to call off the dance. When the School Board and Mr. Cameron were asked about it. they said they knew nothing about it. The other reason given was that there was supposedly trouble with a private light show that accompanied the band when they played at Chelsea before. The light show passed out so called leftist pamphlets. In response to this the group was contacted and a guarantee was given to Mr. Lane that the group would simply play music and nothing else. He was guaranteed there would be no pamphlets. no light show, nothing but music. Mr. Lane still refused. On December 9 a special meeting with the School Board was held. Mr. Cameron recommended to the Board that they uphold the decision of the administration on the grounds that the group was affilliated with the Rainbow People's Party in Ann Arbor. In other words he recommended that the group be discriminated against because of their political beliefs. At the Student Council meeting yesterday it was brought out that this is not the first time Mr. Lane has blocked Student Council efforts. This was simply the climax of a series of events throughout the year. For instance, the Drug Committee received very little cooperation. The student committee was formed by the faculty, but was constantly hassled by Mr. Lane. The committee was not even allowed to circulate a drug survey in the school . . . The Student Council wanted to call a meeting to ask the students to quit messing up the cafeteria at lunch time. Mr. Lane wouldn't even allow that. The Student Council had been asked by Mr. Cameron to help keep the lunch room clean. The Student Council voted to have a strike as a last resort. Mr. Lane had been asked to either honor the contract or find a group of equal playing ability. He refused. Mr. Lane was told that Student Council members would accompany teacher chaperones in order to back them up in case of any trouble at all. He still refused. There was 110 alternative left but to walk out. The purpose of this was to bring the issue to the attention of all parents in Chelsea. We do not want to run the school. We just ask that it be run fairly. We urge all of you parents with your son or daughter to attend the School Board meeting Monday night. This on the only way the lines of communication will ever be opened. Watch the SUN for future developments in the Chelsea H. S. dispute.