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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1977)
The Emerald considers alterna tive transit methods in a special sup plement contained in today's paper Carpools, bike laws, plane fares, a Eugene canal and even skateboards a discussed in an exploration of ways to get around and out of the city Vol. 79, No. 36 Eugene, Oregon 97403 Friday, October 21, 1977 Sigma Nu use angers national reps By KEVIN HARDEN Of the Emerald ©1977 The extras have been selected and the filming of Na tional Lampoon Animal House is set to begin next week, but one fraternity may find the movie to be a little more than it bargained for. The Sigma Nu fraternity, which signed a contract with Universal City studios for the use of the Sigma Nu house as a backdrop for many of the movie’s scenes, has been contacted by an angry National Sigma Nu organization about the use of the house According to Bemie Williams, Northwest regional con sultant for the Sigma Nu organization, the participation of the local Sigma Nu chapter in the movie has raised some serious questions about the fraternity s image Williams, in a telephone interview from his Lexington, Va office, explained that the national organization's objec tion to the movie is with the portrayal of fraternity life. This movie is something that won't help Sigma Nu at all It only reinforces the bad image some people have of fraternities, Williams explained Williams and M E. Littlefield, the national Sigma Nu Executive Director, didn t know about the movie until Wed nesday, when they learned of the local chapter s involve ment through a National Panhellenic Council meeting in Tulsa. Okla Once the word was out, he said, the national organiza tion received several phone calls from angry Sigma Nu members across the country. Calls from Sigma Nu chap ters in more than 15 states were taken Thursday, Williams said. "The bad thing about this movie is that it isn’t Sigma Nu's image at all," he said." People all across the country take Sigma Nu very seriously and this movie will damage that image.” Although no policy on the use of the fraternity house as part of the movie was set before negotiations began in early September, Williams explained the national Sigma Nu or ganization has legal control over the house. The local alumni advisor to the University s Sigma Nu fraternity, Rear Aamiral John Dick, explained he supported the fraternity’s involvement in the filming throughout negotiations, but eclined to comment on the present situa tion posed by th . national organization. "We at the national headquarters are not behind this movie filming whatsoever," Williams said. "And we re very concerned with the decisions that were made by the local chapter without our consultation. "We re disappointed that the alumni in that area would let the movie be filmed in that local chapter house,” he said. The advisors were probably unaware of the implications the use of the Sigma Nu house would have. Williams specu lated. Williams and Littlefield have yet to see the Animal House script, but reports on the script received by the national office are not good”, he said. “I find it hard to believe that the University of Oregon would let this movie be filmed on their campus after it was turned down by three other colleges,” Williams said. ' Be sides. when you think of National Lampoon, you think of satire and comedy, or makinq fun of something that other people think is important.” The national office doesn't think the use of the Sigma Nu house was necessary to the movie s production. "They didn't have to use that house. The movie industry could have built another set somewhere to be used for the scenes,” Williams said. Several letters have been sent to the local Sigma Nu chapter by chapters from all over the country, he said. Some are even calling for the removal of the local Sigma Nu charter from the fraternity house. "This movie is supposed to be set in Pennsylvania, and we have a lot more chapters here in the east than out west, and some of the people here are very upset,” Wil liams said. Lynn Frates, president of the local Sigma Nu fraternity, was unavailable for comment on the national organization s actions. Although there is nothing the national organization can now do about the filming because of the contract between the fraternity and the studio. Williams explained he and the executive director will look into any action that can be taken. Right now our hands are tied." he said. “But, if there is any way that we can stop it. we ll stop it.” Teams feast in fast food race Photos by Steve Sher Fourteen coed teams stuffed themselves with bananas and jello during the Greek Week festivities Wednesday night. Winners went on to consume a two and one-half foot Grinder, donated by Giant Grinder Delicatessen. "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!" ERA panel says women are own enemies By JANIE L NAFSINGER Of the Emerald Women's worst enemies in the struggle for equal rights have been other women, Secretary of State Norma Paulus said Thurs day during a panel discussion on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Paulus joined State Represen tative David Frohnmayer, R-Eugene and Eugene attorney Therese Engelmann in discussing the question, “What Does the Equal Rights Amendment Mean to You? ’ The noon meeting at the Colonial Inn Restaurant, was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Central Lane County. ‘‘Women have kept women down," Paulus told the large audi ence at the meeting. She said people opposed to equal rights for women include professional women who don't want competi tion from other women, middle aged women who have been ‘‘trapped" in the traditional roles of keeping house and raising chil dren and people who fear equal rights will “destroy the American family.” Paulus said she believes pas sage of the amendment would strengthen, rather than weaken the family. She contended the ERA would have no effect on societal relationships between men and women. “It would only give women the same legal footh old as men,” she said. But there are still many attitudes towards equal rights for women that need to be changed, she con tinued "And it’s harder to change attitudes than to change laws." Frohnmayer said the ERA has exactly one purpose — it would view people not as members of a specific class, but rather as indi viduals. “It's a very fundamental notion ... very central to our legal tradition,” he said. Frohnmayer said the fear that the ERA would interfere with rights to privacy, such as integra tion of public restrooms, is a "myth.” The amendment does not take away any personal rights, he said, “It only adds another per sonal right to the Constitution.” Engelmann, a member of Eugene’s Women’s Commission, agreed that the ERA would not meddle in private relationships, but deal only with legal matters. She listed several legal areas that would be affected by the (Continued on Page 5A)
