Oregon daily emerald., September 21, 1972, Section II, Page 2, Image 57

ASUO President Bill Wyatt
Newcomer serves as chief executive
TF^i***; v. q, * > *
Photo by Jean
Hill VVvalt
o
COUPON
BUY TWO
79c ARBY'S SANDWICHES
•ROAST BEEF*H AM* PASTRAMI*
Get the third one
FREE
with this coupon only
open 10:30 am to 1:00 am
435 East Broadway
offer expires Oct. 31, 1972 '
COUPON-1
i&cReal OiegoTi
One thing Oregonians possess is <j restless
urge to wander *
Knowing and understanding Oregonians
and then needs is perhaps the most tmpor
tant Service we provide
CW? Iqtow it
like our owti nanje.
theore
•Oth and Lincoln
1 bankVSii
By JOHN PIPER
Of the Emerald
ASUO President Bill Wyatt is a
lot like many University students
in several respects:
— His hair is a little too long—
and it’s usually hanging in his
eves;
His attire usually consists of
tennis shoes, jeans, a sweatshirt
and an old, somewhat tattered
dark sports coat;
His attitude toward school
and after is uncertain—“I’m not
sure what I want to do when I get
out, 1 just have no idea right
now.”
But wvait is ainereni m a
number of important ways. He is
the student body president, chief
executive of the ASUO.
And his father is Wendell
Wyatt, Oregon’s First District
representative in the U.S. House.
Wyatt is a relative newcomer
to the University, having spent
two years at Willamette
University in Salem before he
"sorta dropped out” at the start
of his junior year and moved to
Eugene around Christmas of
1970. He “sorta actually just sat
around, did a little work here and
there,” and went to school at
Lane Community College for a
t erm.
Then he “sorta decided I’d go
to the University!’ which he en
tered in the fall of 1971. Most of
his time was spent working on a
voucher study, which is designed
to restructure the financing of
higher education.
It was University professor
.John Wish who suggested Wyatt
apply for membership on the ad
hoc committee on higher
education, of which Wyatt was
elected chairman during winter
term 1972. Through working with
the committee, he gained
valuable experience in dealing
with the state legislature.
He also picked up much of his
knowledge of the ASUO at this
time, as Jeff Jefferson wanted
him to be the number two man on
a Jefferson-Wyatt ticket for the
ASUO executive office.
When Jefferson dropped out of
the race, Wyatt found himself
"sorta holding the bag.”
At the advice of then ASUO
President and Vice President,
Iain More and Larry Salmony,
Wyatt chose former ASUO
Senator Fred Loveys as a run
ning mate, and the bitter battle
for the top spot between Wvatt
Loveys and Ben Merrill and John
Slew art w as underway.
Wyatt was definitely an
unknown in the race, as few
students really knew who he was.
Nobody knew me, if we won or
lost it would have been Fred's
fault. he says, adding that
hovey's reapportionment plan
probably helped their ticket to its
narrow 58-vote victory.
And Wyatt feels the fact that he
hadn't been involved in ASUO
government previously may
prove to be an asset.
"We really need a refreshing
look at what's going on,” he says.
There are so many rip-offs
around here in ASUO programs,
I in scared to think of how many
keggers we finance or how many
chicken dinners we buy.”
When you grow up in a
situation like this, as most ASUO
l>oliticians do. I think you tend to
■ >verlook things like that."
Uthough he is a political
newcomer. Wyatt believes he
’ as the knowledge and ability to
run the ASUO
I have the knowledge of
w t at s going on." tie says, adding
'hat there is "tin doubt in my
mind that I have the capability to
do the job.”
Wyatt says his interest in the
ASUO executive office first
stemmed “from my work with
Wish and what can be done by
student government in terms of
expediting legislation and that
sort of thing.”
“I’m really intrigued by all the
things that go on” within student
government, he says, digressing
for a moment to discuss his first
impressions of the ASUO
executive:
“When I first came here, I
thought of the ASUO president as
some god-like figure, who won
out in a battle of 15,000 students—
got the majority of their votes. 1
thought wow—that’s really
something. As I got into it I really
realized that of those 15,000
probably 200 actually knew who
the president was in terms of
actually recognizing him on
sight.” ^
Wyatt says he spends betwe^B
10 and 14 hours a day on the jol^
which leaves little time for such
things as studies.
He is required by the ASUO
Constitution to take 12 hours a
term, but says “I have a nice
understanding with my
professors—they really don’t
mind, they think this is a pretty
valuable experience and so do I
really.
“This one year experience (as -
ASUO president) is as valuable
as anything I could do in the
University, 1 think. It already has
been really, really worthwhile,
very practical work experience.”
Wyatt thinks he will eventually
get a bachelor of science degree
in political science, but doesn't
know when.
It will definitely have to be a
B.S., he says, as “I’ve taken first
year Spanish for three years now
and I think we’ve come to a
mutual agreement that we’ll
leave each other alone.”
Another hurdle to graduation is
the science requirement, which
Wyatt says he will compl^^
sometime after his term in oftflB
ends.
“I don’t like science,” he says,
adding that it is “quite ironic”
that his third-floor EMU office
overlooks the seemingly endless
blob of science buildings.
Wyatt is uncertain if political
science is what he wants to major
in. but he’s there.
“I’m not really sure I’m in
terested, I’ve just sorta ac
cumulated more hours there than
anywhere else. I have no real
high special interest. When I
started off in political science at
Willamette, for some reason or
another I simply assumed my
role would be to graduate in four
years with a bachelor in political
science, go to law school, be a
lawyer and then run for world
king or whatever, and it hasn't
really turned out that way and
I'm really glad.”
lbs future after college is also
uncertain:
1 wouldn't mind working in
Salem.” he says, "in the
legislature for a while as an
administrative assistant or
something of that nature. But it's
really tough to say. I have no
burning desire really at this
point."
Wyatt isn't one for planning
ahead, explaining that after his
year in office ends "I'll start
thinking about what else to do
This has already been a really
iiood experience and will con
ttnue to l*e a good experience and
after its o\or you know, its
• er ”
vu.iia.ued on Pavi V