Deadly Halls of Ivy
Can Blacks Receive Good Educations?
By BARB FIELDS
or the Emerald
Editor’s note: Once a week
under the heading “Deadly Halls
of Ivy,” the Emerald will be
running articles and columns
dealing with educational reform
at the University. Today’s ar
ticle investigates the attitudes
of White students on campus
to the educational difficulties of
the Disadvantaged.
Can a Black student get a
good education at this Univer
sity?
This was the question asked
of students and teachers Mon
day as the Emerald gathered
opinions about disadvantaged
students on campus.
The “man on the street” in
terviews were done in connec
SARA LEE BENEDICT
. . everyone’s college”
tion with the two day confer
ence on “The University and
the Disadvantaged.” This event,
held Monday and Tuesday, fea
tured four major speakers and
several workshops.
The purpose of the interviews
was to find out what attitudes
University students have about
the discrimination against dis
advantaged students (Black as
well as other minority groups
and lower class Whites) and
opportunities of this group on
campus.
Discrimination Not So Bad
Although expressed in indi
vidual ways, the main thought
which seemed to be on the
minds of persons interviewed
was that the discrimination
problem on campus wasn’t as
bad as it has been reported to
be.
Most students felt that if
discrimination on campus exist
ed, it did not affect appreciably
the educational opportunities of
the disadvantaged.
“There is not as much dis
crimination as it seems or as
much as the Negro thinks there
is,” was the opinion of Bill Nor
ris, a graduate in the business
school.
Unconscious Discrimination
“I think Black people are be
ing discriminated against just
by the fact that people realize
they are different. I think many
people discriminate witho u t
meaning to,” added Jim Schwei
gert, a junior in the social sci
ences.
“Based on my experience,”
related marketing graduate stu
dent Tim Jerhoflf, “There is no
discrimination that I can see
on this campus.”
Specifically in the classroom,
Phyllis Whittier, a lecturer in
the English department said, "I
can’t imagine an instructor dis
criminating against disadvan
taged students. Universities are
supposed to be humane places.”
“However, I expect students
to take the initiative in seeking
extra help," she said. “I may
suggest that a student see me
about a particular problem, but
it is his decision to come or
not.”
Schweigert saw a different
side of this issue and comment
ed, “I don’t think that they’re
gettting the same quality of
education as the average mid
dle-class White student but it
is because they don’t have the
same amount of motivation.
They lose their drive when they
find out they are being discrim
inated against.”
Their Own Fault
An echo with a variation, Bif
ford Crane, a first year law stu
dent, feels that “If disadvan
taged students aren't getting a
good education, it’s their own
fault.”
One concept which was ap
proved of by all of those in
terviewed concerned the policy
of the State Board of Higher
Education to admit a certain
percentage of any given college
class under state scholastic
standards. These would be high
school students who do not have
a 2.25 high school GPA or have
not taken the “right” high
school courses.
“As long as higher education
is paid for by the state, all the
residents of the state should be
able to get a chance at college,”
was the feeling of Saralee Bene
dict, a junior in psychology.
Most students seemed to feel
Conference Panel Claims
University Students Suffer
By MARGARET CAMPBELL
Of tk» Kmeralrt
"What’s good for the Black
people is good for everyone.”
Harry Edwards of San Jose
State asserted yesterday that
“as long as the Black People
are on the bottom no one is go
ing to survive.”
Edwards was one of four
members of the panel presented
Tuesday during the “Univer
sity and the Disadvantaged” con
ference.
Speaking of change, another
panel member, Arthur Pearl,
director of the Upward Bound
program at the Universiay said,
‘There are no legitimate chan
nels of institutional change,
WEARING YOUR
SIDEBURNS
LONG?
Have them personalized
ADAM'S BARBER PARLOR
Across from Maxie's
344-1714
I ~
therefore anything is legiti
mate.”
Differences between the ille
gal and the illegitimate were
pointed out by Edwards who
commented that “any act which
grants a restricted power some
degree of power is a viable
means of change.”
Among the other members
there was open dissatisfaction
with the present university sys
tem.
James Garrett, author of the
Black Studies Institute at San
Francisco State stated, "The
university political definition is
to make the student a produc
tive member of society.” Garrett
continued. “But since all ex
pression of humanity must be
White to be considered legiti
mate, how can the Negro at the
university express himself?”
Pearl agreed: “The university
is totally obsolete, it no longer
turns out productive people.”
White students as well as Black
students are being deprived by
the system, since "the system
is defending the indefensible,”
according to Pearl.
Edwards, in agreement that all
students are suffering at the
hands of the system, said, "Black
student changes are not going
~ I
RAMSEY
LEWIS
IN CONCERT
MacARTHUR COURT
Sunday, May 5th, at 7 p.m.
General Admission Ticets $2.00
Reserved Seats $3.00
Tickets on Sale at the EM Main Desk
to benefit White students un
less they wake up and over
come the novocain effect.”
In reference to the awareness
of the Whites, William Sommer
ville, assistant to the chancel
lor at the University of Califor
nia defined a liberal as "one
who acts when a crisis arises.”
Garrett, on the other hand,
classified a liberal as someone
who promotes change within
the system. "The liberal is the
person who wants change but
doesn't want to be personally
stirred or touched.”
Pearl, speaking for the entire
panel, stated that it is no long
er possible to sit back and ride.
"If you don't get involved and
initiate change you will still be
moved.”
Two alternatives are open to
the White, according to Garrett:
either carry out Black demands
or kick all the Blacks out of the
University.
ihe question involves more
than mere change in the college
community. Edwards sees the
struggle as the survival of the
Black people.
In terms of power he said.
"The Black people had the pow
er to endure suffering in 1960.
the power to disrupt in 1965,
and now in 1968 the power to
control and to ultimately take
over to our advantage.”
When questioned concerning
the vote as power, Edwards stat
ed, "The whole process is mean
ingless: voting helps perpetu
ate the myth of the system.”
HOT PIZZA
PlEIBO'S
CAMPUS AREA
DELIVERY SERVICE
Check Our Schedule
Call 726-4415
that their disadvantaged class
mates deserved a "break.
Ideas were expressed that,
given a change of environment
and a chance to mature and get
used to the system, most dis
advantaged students would be
able to do at least average
work.
"They have to have special
treatment because they were at
a disadvantage in high school,'
said Judy Goodman, a liberal
arts sophomore.
Crane thought it was a "great
idea because many people don’t
have a chance to adequately pre
pare for college.”
BSU Unknown
Many other students were
concerned that this program of
admitting persons who were be
low standards was treating the
effect and not the cause of a
bad educational problem.
There seemed to be little
knowledge of the philosophy
and workings of the Black Stu
dent Union (BSU), or the de
mands they have presented to
the administration.
Jim McClain, a senior in politi
cal science had this to say about
the BSU: ‘‘They show a more
radical viewpoint. I don’t know
how representative they are of
the Black population on campus
in terms of how many Black
students are in it. I think they
have been discriminated against
for a long time and now the
pendulum is swinging the other
way.”
Hollering Athletics
“As far as their demands go,
it almost seems as if they are
throwing in a lot of extra things
so that they will have something
to compromise with in order to
get the goods they really want,”
he added.
Jerhoff (the second person
quoted in this article) said "I
think probably they are holler
ing about a lot of things where
they do get good treatment,
primarily athletics.
“They are hollering about the
wrong things. The things they
should be concerned about are
equal job opportunities, equal
acceptance into departmental
graduate work and other
things.”
Schweigert said, "The BSU is
useful to the Black student. Al
though it is a bit radical, it is
a necessary radicalism that will
point out discrimination on cam
pus.”
The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub
lished Monday thru Friday, Septem
ber to May, except during exam and
vacation periods. Bi-weekly June thru
the first week of August, once a week
the last three weeks of August, by the
Publications Board of the University
of Oregon.
Second-class postage paid at Eu
gene, Oregon 97403. Subscription rates
« per year, S3 per term.
i
Gil Dunaway, a junior in
speech, spoke out against this
radicalism, saying, ’‘I don’t like
the radicalism. It shows as much
discrimination as does that of
Whites against Blacks. Instead
of bringing people together, it
pulls them apart. If they had
a Black and White Student
Union, I’d like it.”
BIFFORD CRANE
. . own fault”
Car Buffs do it!
Inglish £eather„
■ l*or men who want to be where the :
action «. Very racy. Vary mascu- i
:IHW. ALL-PURPOSE LOTION.
t*2J50. *4.0Q, *6S8 Prom the com-1
plate array of ENGLISH LEATHER
' m*Ri» toilBtries. *|
A l»OOUCT or MtM COMPANY, INC., NOtTHVAlI. N. I. 0*0
M
A
Y
6
Eugene's excellent public school sys
tem is one of the University's great
est assets. Our schools help make
our community a good place to live
and work. Support the public schools
by approving the Eugene School Dis
trict 4 budget.
VOTE YES ON MAY 6
Pel. Adv. Lay Citizens for the District 4 Budget
Mrs. Edwin Smith, Chairman
2695 Emerald St., Eugene