Interview with Janis Wrich

Partial Transcript: Um, this is Jordan Craig. Uh, the date is October 19th, 2017...

Partial Transcript: If you want to go...

Segment Synopsis: Janis was involved in the anti-war movement for a number of years leading up to the Dow Demonstration. She was involved in an anti-war newsletter program. On October 18th, she was in the Commerce Building. It was easy for her to escape because she was near an exit.

Keywords: Commerce Building; Dow Chemical Company; Dow Demonstrations; Vietnam War; journalism; napalm; protests; student activism

Partial Transcript: As the police started coming in, and I could hear people being beaten over the head...

Segment Synopsis: Janis discusses the police occupation of the building. She remembers hearing Billy clubs and screaming among her peers as the police attacked them. Janis does not remember how she escaped the building, but she remembers that once she left the building, students (both protesters and bystanders) were tear gassed. Janis states that the experience, as a whole, was “sad” and “frightening for all of us involved.”

Keywords: Dow Demonstrations; billy clubs; crowd; panic; police brutality; tear gas

Partial Transcript: Yeah, I imagine. So, I guess I have a question for you."

Segment Synopsis: Janis believes that student radicalism intensified after the riots. A large rift occurred between students and University Administration: this rift led to several strikes.

Keywords: Dow Demonstrations; UW Madison; campus climate; polarity; political activism; radicalism; student activism

Partial Transcript: So, were you involved in the strike, too?

Segment Synopsis: Janis was involved in a strike against the UW Administration but does not remember what occurred during the strike.

Keywords: UW Madison; University Administration; protest; student activism

Partial Transcript: In 1960- maybe 63 or 64- there was a history grad student...

Segment Synopsis: Janis discusses Don Bluestone, a History graduate student in 1963-1964. He had a booth in the Student Union where he told passerby about Vietnam and warned them about potential US involvement in the territory. Janis believes that knowing about Vietnam was when "it all started for a lot of us," which started years before 1967 and Dow.

Keywords: Don Bluestone; Memorial Union; Vietnam; Vietnam War; politics

Partial Transcript: I don't know if I have any more questions for you, specifically...

Segment Synopsis: Janis talks about economic and age diversity within the protest movement – something that was heavily ignored by the media surrounding the Dow Demonstrations.

Keywords: Dow Demonstrations; UW Madison; age diversity; economic diversity; media; misconceptions; student activism