In 1972 a form of differentiated housing was implemented. Not well explained to parents and students, the open house rules were violated by residents of Morrill Hall, which led to the closing of Morrill’s lobby. Students across the residence halls coalesced in support of Morrill, demanded a role in the setting of regulations for residence halls, and called for greater attention to the Housing Task Force and its recommendations. Morrill students formed a Housing Union, and more than four hundred students marched in protest of closing Morrill’s lobby on April 13.
On Friday, April 14, the Student Senate requested use of Circle Park for a festival at which various local bands would play. Students working with the housing movement had requested the festival on Wednesday. The Student Senate requested use from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The Student Activities Office, under the direction of Philip Scheurer, granted permission in writing, but set the ending time as midnight. The announcement at midnight that the electricity to the loudspeakers would be turned off sparked the beginnings of a confrontation, and Scheurer extended the time until 12:30, and then again until 1:00 a.m. At 1:00 a.m., police moved in to clear a path for a maintenance man to remove the fuse on the power pole, and shoving between students and police ensued, followed by students throwing bottles and cans at the police. One policeman was knocked unconscious by a thrown bottle, and a second officer was cut by flying glass. The police sent for riot gear, and a rumor started that police were going to clear the park, an assertion branded untrue by Chancellor Dykes. By 3:30 a.m., only 17 people were left in the park, gathered around the band listening to music.
Also on that Friday, approximately 150 students marched in and out of streets—moving from the Presidential Complex to Clement Hall. About half the marchers then marched down Cumberland Avenue, blocking the street. Following arrival at Morrill, a group of about three hundred listened to speakers talk about union plans. The student union proposed a special “C Prime” housing designation, which was not implemented, but more “D” housing was added for the 1972–73 year.