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)