The hunger strike is over, but the fervor of The September 29th Movement continues undiminished.

About 30 members of the Movement gathered on the steps of Beardshear Hall Monday, the second anniversary of the Movement, to hold an informal press conference.

Milton McGriff, spokesman for the Movement, told the crowd on the sidewalk, “Allan [Nosworthy] sends you his love and thanks you for your support.”

McGriff said Nosworthy, who went on a hunger strike last Monday, has resumed eating because he had a low level of potassium in his body and was “not far from irreversible damage.” Nosworthy was hospitalized Saturday with stomach pains.

When asked if eating again went against the conditions stated in the letter from Nosworthy published in the Daily on Sept. 22, McGriff said it did not, citing a section in the letter that said the strike could end as a result of hospitalization.

In fact, the letter states: “The end of this hunger strike will come when ISU, through President Jischke, signs a document which, for the most part, states that ISU will meet the requests and time frames listed above. Or, the end of this hunger strike will come with my passing.”

The meeting continued with a speech from Lang Tran, representing the Vietnamese Student Association.

“There comes a time when we must take a stand,” Tran said. He announced the VSA’s “full support of Allan Nosworthy and the September 29th Movement and their requests.”

Tran, a senior in computer science, said the VSA was breaking away from its silence as a “model minority” with the new commitment and said the VSA will also sponsor a sympathy hunger strike.

The strike began today at 8 a.m. and will last until 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1. Participants are asked to abstain from food and drink only water.

Next to speak was Grif Kolberg, a senior in finance representing the Asian-Pacific American Awareness Coalition.

Kolberg said his group was also backing Nosworthy and the Movement. He said APAAC is concerned about the underemphasis of Asian-Americans on campus. “It’s not only a black-and-white thing,” he said. “We need to make a joint effort.”

Brian Johnson, interim chairman of the Movement, then read a letter addressed to Jischke, which the members of the Movement hand-delivered after Johnson read it aloud.

The letter emphasized Jischke’s unwillingness to meet with the Movement and conflict resolution expert Frances Kendall and asked Jischke, “Will you agree to a conflict resolution expert? If so, will you agree to Frances Kendall?”

It also voiced complaints that Jischke had not answered repeated correspondence asking for clarification of the term “facilitated discussion” as it relates to the future of talks between Jischke and the Movement.

McGriff said facilitated discussion, as the Movement understands it, is not acceptable, because it gives Jischke unilateral power to make decisions.

John McCarroll, director of university relations, said Jischke cannot relinquish his power to another individual or group.

McCarroll said efforts have been made by the university, and an outside contact has agreed to meet with both the Movement and Jischke.

Pascual G. Marquez, senior conciliation specialist with the community relations service for the U.S. Department of Justice, has agreed to meet with both sides. McCarroll said Marquez has been in contact with Jischke and the Movement.

McCarroll said Marquez sent letters to both Jischke and the Movement.

“In this letter he mentions four dates in which he and Jischke can meet with the Movement,” he said. “It encourages McGriff to meet with them.”

The dates include Oct. 22, 29, 30 and 31.

The letter was received by Jischke on Sept. 25, McCarroll said. He said Marquez has yet to receive a response from the Movement.

“The willingness to meet is there,” McCarroll said. “It’s really a matter of McGriff and the Movement to respond at this point.”

When Johnson finished reading, the assembled members marched up the stairs of Beardshear Hall, into the building and through the halls to Jischke’s office. Johnson, at the head of the group, laid the letter in its envelope on the desk of Executive Assistant to the President Charles Dobbs, who said he would give the letter to Jischke, who was gone for the day.

The members of the Movement returned outside to close the conference, where they stood facing Beardshear with their heads bowed. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “But, if not” speech played over the loudspeakers as it has every day since the strike began.