art-time seaman
talks about aliens
By JOCK HATFIELD
Of the Emerald
Each day, millions of people
go to work, drive their cars and
watch the dock. But there are
some who experience less
common activities and are thus
termed “nuts.” They believe
they have viewed or communi
cated with extraterrestrial be
ings.
Viewing a flying saucer can
be a traumatic experience, ac
cording to David Hibbard, who
will speak Thursday at the
Eugene Public Library at 7:30
p.m. Those who have viewed
UFOs, he says, find it hard to
assimilate their experiences
into everyday living, and there
fore “seem a little different.”
Hibbard, a 38-year-old, part
time merchant seaman, is a re
searcher of the psychology of
"non-ordinary” experiences.
“The landing of extraterres
trial beings on earth could have
the same effect on our culture
as the landing of the white man
had on the culture of the Native
American,” he says. "The de
struction it brought was as
tounding.”
Hibbard hopes humanity will
become used to the idea of
UFOs to prevent nervous
breakdowns if they visit. “We
should be able to say to the
UFOs when they land, It’s nice
that you’re here, watch the grass
as you land. ”
Hibbard, tall with a broom
sized beard and large penetrat
ing eyes, describes himself as
a left-footed merchant sea
man. “There was a
philosopher who once said,
Do what you need to to live,
but do it only with your left
foot. ” With his right foot, Hib
bard conducts his UFO re
search, which combines 14
years of interviews and medita
tions of the subject of UFO
phenomenon.
On the basis of his un
documented interviews with
UFO observers, Hibbard
claims that psychic awareness
is often increased after a sight
ing. UFOs were always de
scribed in the same manner,
he says: “As ellipsoid lights
bouncing their way across the
horizon.”
After these contacts, accord
ing to Hibbard, the viewers
gained a new understanding of
space-time. “We agreed to
meet here at 4,” Hibbard says.
“That concept of space-time
brought us together. But that is
part of a much larger picture —
of dimensions in space and
time beyond our comprehen
sion.”
Hibbard has made only one
UFO sighting himself. “It was
the usual, ellipsoid, glowing
about 10 degrees above the
horizon,” he says. “It was mov
ing extraordinarily fast. In this
instance there was no psychic
contact.”
successfully based on a “con
ceptual model’’ that trans
cends “biological and social
limitations.’’
Many UFO groups, accord
ing to Hibbard, have mis
takenly centered themselves
around a "religious coming” of
the UFOs, rather than on self
improvement. “A potential re
versal on a large scale could be
Photo by Gregg Weed
David Hibbard
But Hibbard considers his
personal experience inciden
tal. His real interest lies in
quasi-scientific investigation
into the experiences of others.
His interest in the phenome
non began with a study of
groups that differ from the
mainstream, which he calls the
"emperors clothes syn
drome.” This interest was
gradually narrowed down to
the “UFO phenomenon.”
“Each of us tries to operate
in our culture, through day-to
day living,” he says. "But there
is another dimension to our
lives, and this kind of experi
ence opens it up.”
Hibbard believes once this
enlightenment is achieved,
human organization may be
a belief that non-terrestrial vis
itors will save us from our prob
lems and biological limitations.
It’s up to us to grow.”
Hibbard claims most disag
reements, including a disbelief
in UFOs, results from an unwil
lingness to disregard worn out
‘‘belief systems.” He urges the
‘ need to share in terms of
similarities to transcend biolog
ical boundaries.”
Hibbard admits he has had
no contact with the considered
authorities in the UFO field. “I
would make no distinction be
tween laymen and profession
als in the area,” he says.
“Every individual has the
power to find out for himself;
we don’t need to rely on so
called experts.”
•t
HEART THROBS
WILL BE HERE
SOONER THAN
YOU EXPECT
(Tuesday. Feb. H)
Student guide
to be out soon
By KEVIN HACKETT
Of the Emerald
Student and faculty and staff
telephone directories, which failed
to make an appearance on cam
pus fall term, will soon be distri
buted around the University.
The directory, also known as
the “Pigger’s Guide,” and the fa
culty and staff directory, are usu
ally distributed on campus during
the latter part of November. But a
change in the duplication process
used to compile the faculty and
staff directory has caused the
delay in the printing of both publi
cations.
In previous years, the Univer
sity publications department has
used a linotype printing process
for the directory. This year the
University switched to a computer
for compiling the faculty and staff
listings.
An entire new computer prog
ram had to be developed.
Catherine Lauris, University
catalog editor, says her staff was
unfamiliar in working with a com
puter and the conversion to the
new system turned out to be a
“pioneering experience." The
programs had to be redone sev
eral times before a complete and
accurate version could be ob
tained.
"It has been a real learning pro
cess,” Lauris says. "I was new at
working with a computer staff and
they were new at working with me.
Although there was a delay in •
the distribution of the directories
this year, the conversion to the
computer process should result in
distribution of the guide at eariier
dates in subsequent years, ac
cording to Muriel Jackson, direc
tor of University Relations.
She says her office has been
investigating methods for speed
ing up the publication process so
the directories could be made a
vailable earlier in the year. She
says only about a quarter of the
faculty staff listings change each
year. The computer process will
allow revisions in the program
from year to year without having to
compile an entire new program.
With the linotype process, the
entire directory list was reset
every year.
Jackson is hopeful that in future
years, the University will be able to
distribute the directory in “late Oc
tober or perhaps earlier.”
The delay in getting the faculty
and staff listings has postponed
the publication of the student di
rectories. Hal Smith, assistant di
rector of the EMU, says the EMU
annually distributes 5,000 stu
dents directories. Included in the
directories are the faculty and staff
listings.
Smith says Rice Directory Co.
of Beaverton has contracted with
the EMU to publish the directories
for free. Rice is allowed to sell ad
vertising space in the guide to
cover its expenses.
The student listings are com
piled at fall term registration.
Smith says Rice has had the stu
dent listings since early October
and has been waiting for the fa
culty and staff listings since then.
Willard Rice, owner and general
manager, says his company re
ceived the listings from the Uni
versity, adding that the student di
rectories should be available in
approximately two weeks.
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