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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1974)
Amasha, Gregg acquitted in seven-hour session By NANCY HERMAN Of the Emerald The announcement of the acquittal of Tony Gregg and Eseway Amasha made by the chairer of the student court, George Dawson, assistant dean of the University Law School, received a 20-second applause of relief and approval from ap proximately 40 spectators at tending the end of the proceedings Wednesday night. Gregg and Amasha had been charged with “intentionally obstructing and disrupting” the 55th Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association con ference luncheon in the EMU Ballroom Feb. 15. They had been part of a demonstration protesting the use of “scab” lettuce in University facilities. The defense was presented by Mike Goldstein, a second year Faculty Senate okays women’s studies plan By SHANNON PRIEM Of the Emerald The Faculty Senate approved the University’s Women’s Studies Program at a meeting Wed nesday but not without taking part of the heart from it—-the director and staff. The original proposal, which was defeated 17 to 8, called for a director and staff which would cost the University about $30,000. Instead, they approved an am mendment calling for a Women’s Studies “council” by a vote of 18 to 7. Paul Holbo, acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts, argued the University couldn’t afford new programs with paid direc tors. “The margin of quality is diminished if not altogether gone,” he contended, “and what one program secures can only be obtained at the expense of others.” Art and architecture dean Robert Harris disagreed with Holbo, calling it “irresponsible” to consider establishing a program without a paid director when other programs have them. Also speaking in support of the original proposal was Dina Wills, a graduate student in speech. Although she claims she un derstands the economic hard ship, Wills says she still feels, from her experience, that the program needs a director who is a “strong advocate of woman studies” and who will coordinate the program. “They’ll say, ‘talk to Joan Acker’ (an associate professor of sociology involved in women’s studies), but Joan is worn down to a nub,” Wills exclaimed referring to the current program condition that has led to a need for a strong leader. Wills feels that the program will be “stronger now because of a permanent council. ” The women’s program would offer a certificate to students completing 93 credit hours, in cluding 21 hours of course work in women’s studies. Many of the courses now exist at the University but aren’t officially grouped into a program that would award certificates in the area. Women’s studies courses, as described by program advocates, are those “which stress women’s role in various disciplines, academic and otherwise, in order to balance the male-oriented education which both sexes now receive.” The senate also approved, 25 to 0, to abolish the General Social Science Program. Malcolm McFee, associate professor of anthropology, speaking in support of the suspension, told the senate that the program, according to public opinion, now seems to yield a “garbage can” degree and that the program needs a complete over-haul and total commitment for improvement which he feels is unavailable now. A better “opportunity degree” needs to be devised, according to McFee. The program will continue two more years to accommodate currently enrolled students seeking degrees, he said. o:w.*aw.v.v.v, R I IFC polls 1 I * B %open today % Incidental Fee Com mittee elections will continue today with polls opening at 9 a.m. and closinjg at 5 p.m. Over 1,000 University students voted Wednesday, a substantial increase over the 848 first-day voters in last Wednesday’s primary. Students can cast votes at any of seven polling places: the main lobby of the EMU, the ad ministration building, 150 Science, Commonwealth, the Bookstore, 180 PLC and \ the Hamilton-Walton \ crosswalk. I 1 1 law student at the University and Harold Daughters, a member of the University legal services. A plea of not guilty was given on the grounds that the demonstration “did not directly and significantly interfere with the scheduled event, that there was no effort to harrass those par ticipating in the luncheon, and that it was intended solely as a communication.” The student prosecutor, Gene Cyrus, contended that the two acted “together and with others knowingly and intentionally disrupting a Uuniversity func tion” which is against section B 2 j of the Student Conduct Program. Witnesses he presented who attended the event stated the function was disrup ted. The trial, originally scheduled to be held in room 10 Gerlinger Hall, was moved to the Dad’s Room of the EMU because of lack of seating accommodations for the 150-plus crowd that came to witness the proceedings. The prosecution began by presenting eight witnesses, in cluding Director of the EMU, Richard Reynolds; Journalism School dean, John Crawford; members of the School of Journalism staff; the University choir director and Donald Lee from the housing department. Each witness, with the ex ception of Lee, could identify Gregg as either having been in the demonstration or of possibly participating. Amasha was positively identified by one witness. The demonstrators were said to have marched around the room, chanting and stamping their feet. Gregg was described as a leader of the group, carrying a flag and going to the choir director to request the choir stop their performance. Ten witnesses for the defense described the demonstration as legitimate, orderly and a justified use of the right of ef fective free speech. Eliseo Medina, national director of United Farm Workers and Mel Kang, also involved with the United Farm Workers, gave background on the union’s goals and justification reasons for the demonstration. Dawson made a statement after the announcement of the court’s decision, that the panel felt the proved conduct did not meet the level of conduct prohibited. He added that he did not condone the activity but felt it did not violate the code. Grant Stevens, a member of the court panel, added that “the intent was not significant disruption” and agreed with Dawson’s statement. Jeff Ring, also a member of the panel, agreed and concluded by stating “the real question was the intent to disrupt.” Photo by Norman Choi A member of a guerilla theater performance in front of Johnson Hall Wednesday masquerades as “scab” lettuce in support of Eugene Coalition demands. The coalition has asked for the removal of all non union lettuce from campus food lines. See related stories page 3. Home Ec Department Out of the frying pan, straight into the fire? By JOHN KNOWLTON Of the Emerald The Department of Home Economics should be discon tinued at the University. That is the recommendation approved by the Academic Af fairs committee of the State Board of Higher Education Wednesday in Portland. The committee’s 2 to 1 recom mendation will be put before the full board at its March meeting. Committee chairman Elizabeth Johnson voted against the recommendation while George Corey and Marc Maden favored it. According to the recom mendation, particular Home Economics courses deemed relevant to other academic areas within the University by President Robert Clark would be transferred to those areas. Also Clark would have the two tenured faculty members in that department reassigned to “ap propriate instructional areas or other responsibilities within the University.” Johnson said she was opposed to the recommendation from the outset. She said she had received letters from all over the state from women and University alumni in support of retaining the Home Ec department. The committee chairman also voiced her concern that the University had “already dropped the department before it came before the board.” Clark said he had consulted on the matter with various members of the University and with three special consultants from outside the University, but that the department had not already been moved out. “That is what we are proposing to the board today,” he said. Clark said the University’s Home Ed department, which is the onlyjion-major department in the College of Liberal Arts, could not compete with the high professional standing of Home Economics at other universities. In addition, Clark said the University had been considering such a move ever since the Hearing Panel on University Priorities (HPUP) recom mended dropping the entire Home Ec course offerings from the University curriculum two years ago. “But I think moving these courses to other areas of in struction...is an appropriate one.” Head of the Home Ec depart ment Margaret Wiese, told the committee she didn’t feel discontinuing the department would accomplish anything. She said that student opinion on the matter had not played an important enough role in the decision, that transferring Home Ec courses to other departments may result in a mis-emphasis of subject matter and that the University had not shown that any money would be saved by discontinuing the department. Clark said students wishing to • (Continued on Page 6)