For immediate release: 12/4/98
Contact: Professor Steve Balkin 312-341-3696 or Bill Lavicka 312-829-5562
William Lavicka, structural engineer, long time Chicago West Side resident, and member of the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, was forcibly evicted by two policemen from the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Great Cities Winter Forum on Civic Engagement .
UIC held its annual all day Winter Forum on Friday, December 4, 1998 at the Chicago Illini Building on Wolcott Avenue. This year's forum title was, "Civic Engagement in America: Trends and Challenges". At lunch time, Vice Provost Elizabeth Hoffman gave out the Robert Mier Awards for Urban Partnership. Robert Mier, an economist and urban planner, founded UIC's Center for Urban Economic Development and was Director of Development for Mayors Harold Washington and Eugene Sawyer. He passed away a few years ago. Also speaking at lunch time was University of Illinois President James Stukel and C. Peter Magrath and John V. Byrne from the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land Grant Institutions. There were about 350 people in the meeting room eating lunch.
After the speakers finished, Mr. Lavicka was waiting to ask questions but it seemed that a question and answer period was not going to be allowed. So Lavicka spoke from his seat, "Rob Mier would be turning over in his grave on what this UIC administration is doing to Maxwell Street. Why can't this University". He was not allowed to finish his sentence as he was grabbed by his arm and pulled outside the meeting room by two burly policemen employed by the State of Illinois. As he was pulled from the room, Lavicka exclaimed, "There is a First Amendment. I want to speak."
Lavicka, a bit shaken, in the corridor, said, "All day I heard from self-congratulatory speakers about how great this university is. They talked about cultural linkages, the first amendment, and the duty of a university to have positive engagement with the community. I had to speak out because it was such hypocrisy. I was stunned by how silent the UIC faculty was. They were patting each other on the back while their university needlessly and mercilessly destroys the old Maxwell Street neighborhood." Lavicka went on, "I knew Rob Mier, we were both Navy officers, Seabees, in Viet Nam. He cared about poor people. He understood cities. He stood for something different that this bunch."
Brian Mier, Robert Mier's son concurred. As Lavicka was being hauled away, Brian stood and spoke, "As Rob Mier's son, I want his name disassociated from this award." He then walked a few feet to President Stukel and called him a "scumbag". Brian was then told by a UIC official that "you don't own the award." Brian's reply was, "Then there is going to be a public and ugly battle over this."
Shocked by what UIC did, John V. Byrne of the Kellogg Commission, in the corridor, told Lavicka, "hauling speakers away by police is not 'the university way' for doing things."
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