In Dave Duschene’s column, “The Star is grateful to the JLS for all its ‘help’,” he says members of the John Lennon Society probaby think he is neo-Nazi. We don’t think he’s a neo-Nazi. We just think he’s a biased, reactionary journalist.

We can always count on Dave to give us free publicity by critizing us. Lately, however, he has also been rewriting our history.

In his column, Dave implies that the JLS had nothing to do with the firing of former NIU Pres. Wingfield. This is inaccurate and dishonest. Duschene was living in Grant South throughout Wingfield’s rise and fall, and it is very unlikely he could have missed the role the JLS played in the affair.

Moreover, in entry level journalism, students are told to research old news stories before they write on a subject. If Duschene would have looked through the Star’s archives, he would have found these stories:

“Organizations protesting Pow Wow Room Leasing”

“Protestors stage rally against service lease”

“Students say prevention of entering room violates rights” “Protestors’ right to carry signs at meeting violated”

“Inauguration goes on despite protests”

“Protests try to stop march of procession to celebration”

“Pres. blames press for unappreciation of NIU”

If Duschene would have researched those stories carefully, he would have noticed the JLS and members of the JLS were the driving force behind all those protests.

e would have also noticed a mysterious unrecognized organization called the Students for a Democratic Society that popped up twice. The first time was “The big Wow in the Pow Wow,” when SDS protested the sale of the Pow Wow by occupying it for two hours after it was supposed to close.

The second time (SDS appeared) was when they protested Wingfield’s inauguration and blocked the mall entrance to the student center forcing the procession of Regents, Administrators, and professors to go through the Normal entrance.

Who were the Students for a Democratic Society? A good clue was that JLS president, Jim Fabris, was a spokesman for SDS in both articles.

A standard movement ousted Wingfield. The Star, the SA and the JLS all played a role. JLS members risked expulsion and arrest to bring attention to the problems of Wingfield’s administration.

Certain people have tried to re-write history before Dave Duschene. You know who they were. If Dave is one of them, he said it, not us.

Jim Fabris

JLS member