EATSIT

EASTIT is a protest publication written in the 1960s. The authors were jaded individuals who had a great deal to say about the state of the school during the time. The issues are often angry in nature and speak about certain individuals within the administration with whom the writers are frustrated or the administration as a whole. There are articles and editorials as well as cartoons that are often raunchy in their depictions. One shocking aspect of the publication is the Question section in which the writers answer a question, often related to sex, and posit a question that they will answer in the next issue. The administration was angered by the publication of EATSIT and there was a great deal of discussion surrounding the publication.

There are a great many aspects to EATSIT that can be classified as very postmodern in nature. The authors had a complete disregard for authority and wished to protest their viewpoints from outside the confines of the normal systems. Furthermore, they are purposefully shocking to their readers and attempting to do away with the old ways of propriety.

Excerpts from September Issue – 1968

This article discusses the Soviet Union’s intervention in Czechoslovakia and the U.S.’s actions in Southern Asia. It calls out the United States for being an oppressor in the world similar to the Soviet Union. During this time, comparison to the Soviet Union was provocative and inflammatory.

The first excerpt on this page is from Lao Tzu and gives the wisdom that the soft overcome the weak. The second praises the students at Columbia for fighting against racism and encourages Gettysburg students to do the same. The third discusses methods to combat the rule of no men in women’s rooms at the college.

This page discusses the topic of vegetarianism as well. There is also a continuation of an article from the president of Student Senate which encourages the magazine to offer suggestions rather than simply protest. There is also an advertisement that calls for the legalization of abortion and another which calls on those who question the existence of God.

Through the discussion of aggressive children, the editor here comes to the conclusion that humans are dangerous primates, still in touch with their animal side.

This page carries a poem about starting this magazine as well as a quote from Sophocles about importance of governance power. There is also a question and answer concerning what seems to be the treatment of people of color by the police as well as a rude cartoon on the side.

Excerpts from October Issue – 1968

The article on this page reaches out to freshman and tells them that they will inevitably be disappointed in the school. It is extremely negative towards the administration and culture and Gettysburg College. There is also a cartoon accompanying this on top.

This page includes the credits for the staff of EATSIT as well as a few short excerpts about an enemy on campus and orientation week. It is important that the staff did not choose to be anonymous because they believed in outright protest.

This page carries a rude comic at the top that calls out another publication for being ruled by the administration rather than the students. There is also a discussion of a man named Hoffman who the writers think is inept.

The first part of this page deals with explicit material in which the magazine answers a weekly question dealing with sex. They also mock the student senate constitution.

This page deals mainly with topics of revolution. There is also a Lao Tzu verse which speaks about the self and knowing the self.

The EATSIT Scandal

In 1968, President Hanson was concerned with EATSIT and saw the magazine as a situation that needed to be dealt with. This is the first of the papers concerning his actions.

Hanson discusses the “vulgar” cartoons in EATSIT and the criticism of college personas. He felt trapped because he did not want punishing them to become an issue of freedom of speech.

This part of the letter discusses the differences between this group of students and those who publish EATSIT. While the publishers of EATSIT do not believe in the established process of change, these students wanted to affirm that they do.

This part of the letter discusses the problems with the EATSIT magazine’s cartoons and content. The students show that the president was in a difficult situation in which he should seek legal help.

The students give a conclusion and a summary of their positions which contradicts the positions of the members of the EATSIT publication.

Some students created a petition to ask for student freedom to be maintained. This included the President of Student Senate at the time.

Freshman Issue

Litwick’s article here is aimed towards freshmen students and attempts to make them jaded early about their college experience.

This edition is dedicated to Che Guevera who was a revolutionary in the Cuban Revolution. This is a copy of a letter he wrote.

This page holds a cartoon which questions why people visit Gettysburg. It also speaks to freshmen about the issue of apathy that was often discussed at the school during this time.

EATSIT Newish Issue

This article claims that Steve Litwick, the editor of EATSIT, decided to turn over the publication to a new staff. This new staff writes that they will try to fix the damage that the publication enacted previously on campus.

This page recounts a battle for the recapture of the magazine from the new staff. Steve Litwick writes again and they share that they the magazine is again in the original staff’s hands.

They went straight back to answering the explicit question of the week. There are also various other excerpts littering the page.

Tis article discusses the first time a person took an acid trip which was on the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. It then goes into to criticizing the college’s policies and support for racists.

All editions of EATSIT may be found at Special Collections on the fourth floor of Musselman Library at Gettysburg College. They are in box R 3.25 entitled Student Protest Publications.