Poor women’s right to abort decided today
By MARY BETH ALLEN
Of the Emerald
Supporters ask for state money
Women could experience a return to the
days of coat hangers and knitting needles if
the Oregon Legislative Emergency Board
decides today to discontinue state-funded
abortions for poor women, according to tes
timony presented by a coalition of Eugene
interest groups. Women s groups and
other community organizations presented
humanitarian, constitutional and economic
arguments in support of continued state
funding at a press conference held Wed
nesday at Gertrude s Cafe.
The burden of funding abortions for
women on welfare and Medicaid fell on the
state when Congress passed legislation in
December restricting federal funds for abor
tions to very rare cases. The federal law
virtually wiped out Medicaid money for
non-therapeutic abortions.
In a compromise decision this fall, the
state legislature voted to take up the finan
cial slack of Medicaid abortions until this
month, when the Emergency Board must
decide whether or not to continue funding
through the 1977-79 biennium.
Barbara Corrado Pope of the New
American Movement, said, “We are con
cerned with the trends of events against
women’s control over their reproductive
capacity. We are particularly concerned
today with how the new federal law blatantly
and cruelly discriminates against poor
women. Because of these concerns, we are
joining with our sisters in the state to protest
against all backsliding on the issue of re
productive freedom.”
Mary Simon, spokesperson for the
Eugene chapter of the National Organiza
tion for Women, (NOW) said her group
supports free abortion on demand. She
said, “as stated in a nation-wide news con
ference, the spectre of illegal back-alley
abortions still haunts the lives of all women
because an extremely vocal and emotional
minority has been successful in restricting
the access of low income women to medi
cally safe legal procedures.
“We cannot allow this to happen in Oreg
gon," Simon continued. “It is a woman s
right to control her own body, not a
politician's to impose his morality.”
Sandy Gill of the Feminist Theory Collec
tive, explained that in the long run, it would
cost taxpayers as much as 10 times more in
welfare and Medicaid dollars if abortion
funding is halted.
“While the average abortion would cost
Oregon $240, the tax costs for birthing a
child and supporting a child and mother for
the first year is $2,200,” she explained.
Gill stressed that “parenting should be a
freely chosen responsibility which women
and men assume. It should not be coerced
by the state. Clearly, cutting out abortion
funding not only restricts the freedom of
poor women, but it is also an added burden
on the taxpayer."
Several women presented testimony
written by women who have had devastat
ing experiences with self-induced and il
legal abortions. Representing a physician’s
viewpoint, Sarah Hendrickson, a Eugene
doctor, said "I want to keep medical deci
sions between my patients, myself, and my
colleagues. Please preserve my freedom of
choice.”
In remarks after the press conference,
Pope said the emergency board is “really
split. According to her, seven members
are strongly in favor of state-funded abor
tions and the other seven are just as
strongly opposed.
Pope said Jack Ripper, North Bend
Senator who is still undecided about the
issue could be the deciding factor in the
outcome of today's session.
Supporters of the abortion funding are
urged to call or send telegrams to the
emergency board expressing their support.
ESCAPE program seeks volunteers by Friday
By CAROLYN BEAVER
Of the Emerald
Tomorrow is the last day to sign
up for ESCAPE programs in the
EMU main lobby and ESCAPE di
rector Susannah Malarkey says
there are still ‘‘lots of needs out in
the community not being met.’’
As well as fulfilling a need in the
community, being an ESCAPE
volunteer “is a good opportunity
for students to get involved,”
Malarkey says.
IFC appropriates $3,500
for women’s symposium
The IFC Wednesday night allocated $3,500 on reserve for the Women s
Symposium which will take place April 10-15. The money will come from
the IFC s unallocated funds which had totalled $7,000.
The funds will be released by the IFC upon presentation of actual
dollar expenditures consistent with the goals of the program. All events
during the symposium which charge admission are on a 75 percent
payback plan to the IFC. All publicity on the symposium will carry the
phrase "sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of
Oregon The measure passed the committee by a 6-1 vote with Tyler
and Benson casting the dissenting votes.
Occupation
(Continued from Page 1)
“when it’s time to leave and you
don’t, you'll be arrested.’’
Just after 5 p.m. ASUO Pres.
Gary Feldman set up a confer
ence between Vice-Chancellor
Freeman Holmer and the occu
pants. The protestors issued a
"modified” demand that Holmer
put the divestment question on the
State board's agenda for this Fri
day.
Holmer decided he could not
comply with the group's demands,
reasoning it would be inappro
priate for the board to further dis
cuss the issue since they are sim
ply waiting for Redden s opinion.
At 6 p.m. Bob Bowlin, custodian
of Student Record’s acting on be
half of the University, informed the
protestors that they were violating
state, city and University trespas
sing codes. Eighteen protestors
decided to leave the premises.
After waiting for 30 minutes,
Sergeant John Parsons and De
tective Jack Cater of the Eugene
Police department locked the pro
testors in the office and waited for
officers to arrive.
Almost two hours elapsed be
fore fifteen policemen and two
vans arrived to take the protestors
into custody.
Shortly after 8 p.m., Captain
Larion of the EPD informed the
demonstrators they were violating
trespassing ordinances and gave
them the option to leave the prem
ises without being arrested. The
protestors refused, chanting “A
people united will never be de
feated.”
Persons arrested for occupying
Johnson Hall are: John Kaiser,
111 N. Garfield, Renee Romanoff,
717 Highway 99N, Mansoor
Ehsan, 214016th Way, Monica C.
Lazano, 941 Almaden, Cheryl
Stroll, 158 E. 14th St., Michelle M.
Bobzien, 3830 SE 64th, Portland.
Others arrested without known
addresses at press time are: John
Lanier, Richard Wenraub, David
Miller, Fereydoon Partovi, Abdol
Hossein, Farhad Lanklrani, Pat
rick J. Zurcher, Falamak Bardaei,
Teresa Dach, llene Gusfield, and
Kelley L. Cameron. Two others ar
rested were unidentified at press
time.
In 1880, women wore so few clothes, that a
lady’s whole attire including shoes and orna
ments was expected not to weigh over 8 ounces!
Jeans $8.00 - $14.96
SHANG DRAPER’S
DISCOUNT CLOTHING
539 E. 13th open 11 am - 5:30 pm
ESCAPE programs are divided
into three areas, elementary
schools, secondary schools and
community services. Malarkey
says several openings are avail
able in each area.
Tutors are needed for a blind
first grader, children in alternative
schools, and trainable mentally re
tarded children in elementary
schools. In secondary schools,
ESCAPE needs tutors for metal
work, drama, language, P.E. and
journalism students.
In the community, volunteers
for Switchboard, a refferal service,
Harmony House, a social program
for ex-mental patients, and the
Amity Foundation, a house
weatherizing service, are needed.
These are only a few of the posi
r
tions left. More information is a
vailable at the ESCAPE desk in the
lobby or in the office, Room 327,
EMU. Malarkey says ESCAPE
“reaches people on a lot of differ
ent levels because it's such a di
verse program. We help students
find a placement they want to do."
Malarkey says ESCAPE is very
popular with the community, “we
always have more placements
than we can fill. ESCAPE volun
teers are valued people, they’re
really appreciated. Most schools
and agencies are willing to give
the student as much responsibility
as they’re willing to handle.”
Students work in schools or with
community groups on a volunteer
basis, but University credit is a
vailable. Volunteers receive one
credit for three hours weekly work.
A weekly seminar is required for
first-time volunteers. The seminar
enables new workers to meet with
a student coordinator to discuss
problems and other occurances
during the week. “The coor
dinators are also resource per
sons. We don't put someone out in
a field and then abandon them,”
says Malarkey. Tutors receive
one credit for the seminar.
Also required is a field
placement-related project. Malar
key says in the past the projects
have usually been designed to
help the institution for which the vol
unteer works.
Malarkey feels the program is
worthwhile because “about 50
percent return fora second term. It
really makes a statement. They
know there’s something to gain.”
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The Officer Information Team on campus
30 Jan. - 3 Feb.
Interviews scheduled througn the placement office or see us in the EMU Century Rooms.