Michael Metz attended the U of I from 1965 to 1970. He came from a family with very traditional values, but he eventually became active in the Free Speech Movement and protests of the Vietnam War. He feels that his liberal arts education and conversations he had with friends helped him understand the injustices of the world. Metz also mentions that the people protesting were initially a small but powerful minority, but over time, the majority of students likely believed in their cause.
Phil Durrett attended the U of I starting in 1965, but left in 1967. He was active in the student protest movement, specifically in the protests against Dow Chemical. Dow Chemical attempted to recruit students to work for the company, but Durrett and others staged a protest to prevent the recruiters from doing so. He was initially expelled from the university but appealed and was instead put on probation. Durrett decided to transfer to Amherst instead of finishing his studies at the U of I.
Vern Fein graduated from the University of Illinois in the early 1970s. Since that time he has stayed in the community and taught. In this interview, he talks about his political activism as a student and how those experiences have shaped his life. Fein served as president of the Students for a Democratic Society and was involved in Students for Free Speech. Fein worked for the on-campus underground newspaper, Walrus, helped establish the Red Herring, and was pivotal in campus organizing.
