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The $ PECT^UM Volume 20, No. 39 State University of New York at Buffalo Grievances presented F riday, November 21,1960 Black athletes boycott by Mike Engel Asst. Sports Editor come about, then the grade that has already been accorded should be changed accordingly. “We demand, in view of the increasing prominence of black athletes, the admittance of some black staff members on the coaching staff at the State University of Buffalo Eight black basketball players at the State University of Buffalo announced at a press conference Wednesday night that they were boycotting the team and had presented the Athletic Department with a list of three grievances and six demands. The following is the list of grievances presented: “We demand that any student in EP1S, Upward Bound or any other program have full knowledge of that program as well as have full knowledge of the award he is getting from the Athletic Department.\ “I. Some of the black members of the freshman basketball team were recruited under false pretenses. They entered the University under the auspices of the EP1S program with the understanding that a portion of their cost would be taken care of through the Athletic Department. As of this date the Athletic Department has not fulfilled their part of the agreement. We feel the money the Athletic Department has rflanipulated from the EPIS program could have been used to bring other black brothers and sisters into this University. “2. We feel the Athletic Department have shown gross insensitivity to the problems of the black athlete. A case in point is one involving two black members of the freshman team who were stranded in Binghamton, N.Y. and after having called Ed Muto (the freshman coach) for assistance they were told to ‘thumb it.’ After having been told that we could feel free to bring our problems to the coaching staff we feel that Coach Muto’s ‘thumb it’ was a half-hearted attempt to solve the problem. “3. Some of our black freshman basketball players were told they would receive money every two weeks to take care of their miscellaneous needs, such as travelling and clothing. Another was told by Coach Norbert Baschnagel to purchase contact lenses and that he would later be reimbursed by the Athletic Department.” ‘No positive response Bob Williams, spokesman for the group that included himself and Robert Cabbagestalk, as well as six black freshman players, indicated he had received \no positive response” from the Athletic Department, and that negotiations concerning the demands had been going on since Nov. 12. Mr. Williams, in reply to a question on what the group intended to do if their demands were not met. said tersely, “We’re going to continue to boycott.\ The boycott has the support of the Black Student Union as well as of Julian Peasent, who heads the EPIS program. Mr. Peasent says the “money being used by the University for supporting them (the boycotting players) under the aegis of another program could have been used to bring in more black brothers.” He feels the Athletic Department is not concerned enough about activities off the court and that the parties “ought to get together” to resolve their differences. Cappiello comments Dr. Lawrence A. Cappiello, Interim Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation, said “We are attempting to evolve an athletic grant-in-aid program that will fit within the rules of the University and the NCAA and at the same time will meet the needs of students as individuals. Such grant-in-aid programs, like all other University programs, must come under constant review in order that they keep pace with current student needs and University capabilities. We try to be as fair as we can to all parties.” Dr. Cappiello also indicated that he would study the grievances, and would see what he could do to alleviate all concerns. Coaches’ resignations demanded The following demands were also announced Bob Spokesmen of the boycotting players, William indicated that Williams ne 9°tiations concerning the demands had resulted in “no positive response\ by athletic officials. “We want a fair treatment for athletes regardless of race, creed, or color and we ask for the resignation of Dr. Len Serfustini, Ed Muto and Norbert Baschnagel of the coaching staff. We also ask for an immediate investigation. “We demand that all members of an athletic team, black, white, or Puerto Rican, be made financially stable in all respects, and scholarships should be issued from the Athletic Department as a supplement to their other financial aid to guarantee their financial stability. “We feel an apology is in order to those members of the basketball team who have been outwardly neglected or shown indifference to. In an interview, Mr. Williams clarified the issues of the boycott. “Some basketball players have been recruited on false assumptions. They were under the assumption that while attending the university, their financial needs would be taken care of; however to their dismay, their financial needs were not provided for entirely,” he said. “We demand that anyone who had been a member of an athletic team at this university be given the grade in physical education that had been promised. If this has not “Economic needs of all blacks of the University are not being taken care of completely. The EP1S and the Upward Bound programs have only touched the surface. Therefore a lot of black students have to get jobs in order to supplement educational and domestic needs, which the University has not adequately provided for. This is especially true of the black students involved in extra-curricular activities.” The association of black basketball players has investigated the situation and feel the black athletes have not been adequately taken care of by the Athletic Department as they had been led to believe they would be by members of the coaching staff.” EPIS money used Said Williams,, ‘The following is what we have discovered -“Some black basketball players were led to believe they would be receiving athletic scholarships but instead received monies from the (EP1S) program. The state-sponsored funds that could have been used for other black students who were denied admission to the University because of the lack of EPIS funds, which were used by the athletic department to subsidize the black athletes. We feel that this manipulation was unfair in that sense. ‘“Scholarships should be given out in view of the financial need of each individual player, inasmuch as the majority of black students come from deprived families, this means that each black competitor should receive some form of financial assistance from the Athletic Department. The University, as well as the Athletic Department, are fully aware of its students, black as well as white. “‘As students are awarded positions on an athletic team, we feel that that respective department should take it upon itself to see to it that these students are financially taken care of. These financial needs should be provided through grant-in-aid scholarships and Athletic Department work-study jobs.” On* of the list of demands presented by boycotting black basketball players called for the resignation of heed coach Dr. ten Serfustini (with ball), freshman coach Ed Muto and Assistant Norb Baschnagel. Under fire
