The Committee does not consider itself or its fact-finding panels to be courts, and the discussion is very informal. Questions from members of the hearing panel alternated with sporadic discussion between May and Margolin and occasional questions from other members of the Committee who were present.

Political Power

Margolin persistently attempted to show that the students had not interfered with May's freedom during the incident-although he said at one point "if we had had power to stop him from reading [the statement] we would've done it." He later said he meant political, and not physical, power.

"Where were you attempting to go that you were prevented from going?" Margolin asked May early in the hearing.

"Away from you," May replied.

"Touche," Porte said.

Later Wilson asked Margolin, "Were you in fact, as the pictures suggest, among those near Mr. May, shouting and chanting?"

"Yes." Margolin replied.

Wilson then asked whether the demonstrators had intended either to make it difficult for others to hear May's statement or to make it difficult for May to read it.

"Our intention was to make OBU hear us," Margolin said.

Committee member Alan Heimert 49, Master of Eliot House, asked Margolin, "Do you fell the students inside that building should not have been apprised of possible consequences...?"

After some discussion, Margolin answered that it "was a matter of indifference both to them and to us. They knew what was going on; they were told by their leadership," he said.

Audible or Not?

Wilson then asked whether May's voice was in fact audible over the shouting. Williamson said that it was when May read the statement on the west side of University Hall, but that on the other side the shouting was "so loud Dean May could not continue" and a University policeman "held people back."

"Did you tell anyone to go away or shut up?" Margolin asked May later.

"No." May replied.

"Did you read the whole announcement?" Margolin asked.