The following news article appeared in the Oct. 16, 1974 edition of the Daily Nexus. At the time, certain pornographic films were being shown in campus facilities, provoking an uproar among local community members.

Pornographic movies, while being the hit of UCSB students since the inauguration of “Deep Blue” last spring, are causing some public relations headaches for campus administrators.

Complaints from irate citizens have grown to a point where the administration is now replying with a two-page form letter, signed by Vice-Chancellor Stephen Goodspeed.

The letter, which originally appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press last August, reads, in part:

“Those of us who have spent a lifetime in universities and colleges have seen many changes both on campus and in our society. The university, of course, does reflect the tone of social change and the moral tones of our society. For many years, of course, there had been an acceptance and, indeed, an expectation that the university should act ‘in loco parentis’…”

“However, in recent years there has been, as you know, a gradual testing of our rather special place of authority in society by students and others…” The letter goes on to state a Supreme Court decision regarding “prior censorship.”

No Local Action

It also indicates that “it would be doubtful that the District Attorney could take action regarding films which were being shown with impunity the length and breadth of our state in almost every community.

“In earlier days we were free to impose our own standards within our cultural island,” it continues, but “this is no longer true.”

It ends with a plea for the citizen to “take a closer look at all the good things that are going on and that are being done by UCSB students in the service of their community and country … It is unfortunate that occasional unsavory aspects of campus life seem to appear more often in the public eye than do the quiet, solid works of the greater group of our fine generation of youth.”

100 complaints

Goodspeed acknowledged yesterday that some 100 complaints have been written or voiced to campus administrators, Regents, and even President Hitch. “A number of our faculty and staff have complained also,” he said. “It’s not just a passing problem.”

The vice-chancellor said that he did not enjoy having porno films on campus either (although he admitted having seen glimpses of “Deep Throat” and “Behind the Green Door”). “There are other things the campus could be known for,” he said.

Goodspeed mentioned that the UC General Council ruled that porno flicks could not be stopped, but as of yesterday, the Campus Activities office reported that no groups have applied to view one.