Letters
Correction
Editors note: Because of a
typesetter's error, an important
phrase was left out of an April 19
letter by Math Department GTFs
Dan Zwick, Charles Burbank and
Bob Damiano about the GTFF
University negotiations. Here is
how the paragraph in the letter
should have read:
Although fair and equitable
treatment of GTFs in all depart
ment should be a goal agreed on
and aspired to by the administra
tion as well as the GTFs, items
that deal with this matter have
been a major bone of contention
at the negotiating table. It is incon
ceivable to us that the University
has even objected to an anti
discrimination clause that would
ensure the rights of individuals in
cluding those not already specifi
cally protected by law. We feel it is
to the benefit of all GTFs, faculty
and the administration that a con
tract be worked out that emobides
the principles and speaks to the
concerns mentioned above, and
that it be signed and accepted as
soon as possible.
Article in poor taste
I feel called to respond to your
cover feature of April 18th,
“Holocaust Hotel." While the sub
ject was significant, the style and
references in it were in quite poor
taste.
While the nation is painfully con
fronted with the reminder of war
time atrocities in the NBC-TV
series “Holocaust,” and reminded
of the free world s complicity in
these events, we must not make
light of the sufferings of other peo
ple and nations. The significance
of the Holocaust caused far
reaching effects—even in today’s
society.
Lane County is currently facing
issues of civil and personal free
doms. If we do not heed the mes
sage of previous decades', then
we are forced to repeat their follies
and tribulations. I do not believe
the Daily Emerald wishes to es
pouse such dangerous ideals.
Eric Landau
United Methodist Minister
Center on Dying and Survival
Feldman’s contact
almost non-existent
The April 19 Emerald quotes
Gary Feldman, ASUO President,
as saying that the EMU Board has
been “terrible” this year and
hasn’t lived up to his expectations.
I’m not surprised that we haven’t
lived up to Gary's expectations
since Gary’s contact with the EMU
Board has been almost non
existent this year.
The EMU Board has attempted
since November to work with the
ASUO in developing another EMU
Tavern proposal. We started a
Revenue Proposals committee
and Feldman named three of the
five members. Two of the people
Feldman named never attended
any comm'ttee meetings and
were asked to resign in January
by myself. The EMU Tavern pro
posal won’t be finished this year
because Feldman’s administra
tion of the ASUO has been geared
more towards reacting after the
fact rather than, working together
with the EMU Board.
EMU Board and IFC member
Janet Eggleston’s comment that
“Every single member of that
Board is incompetent.” comes as
a surprise. Along with myself,
Janet helped to fill three vacan
cies last term from among qual
ified and interested people.
If Feldman and Eggleston are
sincere in their comment that
many staff positions in the EMU
should be paid by the University
rather than through incidental
fees, why have they kept their
opinion such a secret? The EMU
Board had budget hearings all
through February three times a
week and the ASUO was invited.
No one from Feldman’s office ever
attended. Nor did Janet Eggleston
ever make her feelings known.
But Spring elections are coming
up. Perhaps Feldman's best ac
complishment is that he’s proved
it is one thing to get elected, quite
another to do a good job. Getting
quoted in the Emerald is no big
deal; working productively with
others is.
Dusty Rhodes
EMU Board Chairman
Problems coming
During this next year the ASUO
will be faced with problems that
have been ignored and avoided
by the University administration.
Policies towards funds for student
programs, course evaluations,
and parking facilities must be
changed and updated.
First of all, the Incidental Fee
Committee needs money. They
are currently forced to pursue a
policy of financial conservatism;
allocating funds to existing prog
rams only, and allowing increases
in funding to barely match the costs
of inflation. We need room for some
expansion. There are organizations
that deserve funding but are unable
to receive it because of the financial
limitations of the IFC. There are
ways to increase the scope of
ASUO programs without raising al
ready high incidental fees.
For example, existing and fu
ture academic programs — such
as academic student unions —
should not be an IFC burden. Indi
vidual departments could make
funds available to these groups to
make up for the “student costs" of
departments’ commitment to re
search and not to instruction.
Also, there seems to be enough
support on the campus for an
EMU tavern. This is the kind of
practical and profit-making enter
prise that has student support,
that can be efficiently student
operated, and that will allow for
more student activities.
Students must also have some
way of evaluating professors and
courses. There should be some
way of knowing, before a student
enters a classroom, whether the
instructor will effectively teach the
class or mumble in a boring
monotone. As yet, the course
evaluations have not been re
leased. It costs the University ap
proximately $60,000 a year to
compile evaluations, and the for
mat does not lead to very conclu
sive information. Course evalua
tions should be released to stu
dents. We fill them out; we should
also have access to the results. If
they remain unreleased, the
ASUO should compile its own
evaluation, so that by any means
this information is available to stu
dents.
Parking facilities at this Univer
sity have long been inadequate
and a constant source of agrava
tion (tickets). Parking spaces are
filled by 8:30 (unless you want to
walk 20 minutes to campus). Peo
ple living near campus cannot get
out of their driveways because the
streets are so crowded with stu
dents’ cars. And to top it all off, we
pay $18 a year for the priviledge of
paying at least that much in park
ing fines.
The University hesitates to
budget for more parking, because
facilities are already included in
the city of Eugene's long-range
building plans. But, the need ex
ists now. The southernmost part
of the rarely-used athletic field on
18th could serve our immediate
needs while waiting for a ramp
(enlarged parking capacity) be
hind PLC.
In any event, these and other
problems will not be resolved un
less the ASUO makes a strong
showing in both the State Legisla
ture and in bargaining with the
University.
Mike Lockwood
ASUO Presidential Candidate
Junior, Economics
Stick to Satire
Jock Hatfield’s front page article
in the April 18 Emerald entitled
“Holocaust Hotel” seems to indi
cate that he should stick to the
brand of satire that he appears to
be best suited for and avoid fac
tual reporting. Among many fac
tual errors in his article, two stand
out particularly well.
First, the “bomb shelters" he
cites are not now, and have never
been, intended to be used as pro
tection from the direct effects of
blast and fire as was inferred. In
stead, they are intended solely to
be used for protection against nuc
lear fallout hazards and certain
peacetime emergencies.
Second, while the national
Community Shelter Plan program
has been seriously hampered by
fiscal constraints at all levels of
government over the last decade,
the fact that "in-place” protection
of the populace, as well as Crisis
Relocation Contingency Plan
ning, are the central thrust of the
federal Civil Defense program is
clear evidence that the govern
ment has not given up efforts to
ward public protection. I would be
^ery interested to see the 1973
“What the Hell" letter that Hatfield
cited.
If Jock Hatfield is in fact con
cerned about the state of
emergency preparedness in this
country, he should realize that ar
ticles such as his do nothing to
alleviate the tremendous apathy
in this country toward emergency
preparedness programs and only
discourage support for a remedy
to one of the United States'
grass-roots problems — survival
of the people of this country during
both war and peacetime
emergencies. Contrary to
Hatfield’s inferences, and popular
opinion, there is much that can be
done to reduce fatalities from the
current projections of 70 percent
in the event of the “unthinkable
nuclear holocaust” to projections
of less than 10 percent. Jt’s Jock
Hatfield's “give-up” attitude that
makes it next to impossible to es
tablish budget priorities at the fed
eral and state levels for full spec
trum emergency preparedness
education for all the citizens of this
country.
Rick Rouse
Graduate Student, RPM
Endangered duck
With due respect to other in
terest groups promoting the salva
tion of various animals (whales,
seals, etc.), we feel that currently
there is an endangered creature
much more relevant to the major
ity of University students. We
need to devote our energies to an
issue that touches us all—we can
save Donald Duck!
A campaign on campus seeks
to replace Donald with a recent
caricature striking the fancy of a
very few persons, namely its
creator and associates. Because
of their affiliation with the Emerald,
we have been under a constant
deluge of Mallard Drake
propaganda/advertisements, in
cluding no less than a full page
iron-on transfer. My, my, we are
impressed.
A major argument proposed by
Mallard Drake backers concerns
their opposition to Donald Duck
for being “a multi-national duck,"
whereas Mallard Drake is to be
preferred because he’s
home-drawn, so to speak.
The question we wish to raise is
this: exactly what’s wrong with
being well-known (as in multi
national)? Is it not a major purpose
of a mascot to be easily recogniz
able? What duck is better known
nationwide than Donald?
Therefore, we come to this: Are
there not advantages in having a
well-known mascot? Unfortu
nately, concerning Mr. Drake, this
may not be the case.
Careful examination of this bird
appears to reveal not so much an
original creature as it does a mod
ified, longer-beaked Daffy Duck.
Do we, a body already viewed as
deranged idiots” by certain
southern neighbors, wish to prop
agate further reason for that tag by
replacing Donald with a bird that
will be readily identified by non
UO students in 50 states as not
Mallard, but Daffy?
For 21 years officially and
numerous others unofficially,
Donald Duck has ably and admir
ably served this institution as our
mascot. There is no reason to re
place Donald, especially for the
satisfaction of a few, however ad
vantageously placed, individuals.
Don Loving,
Sophomore-Journalism
Kurt Williams,
Junior-Biology
Cute duck, but
The duck who goes by the
name of Mallard Drake and who is
vying for the position of “Univer
sity Duck”, is very cute — BUT he
is certainly not a mallard A mallard
drake has a grey back, white un
derside, green head, white neck
band, rusty-colored breast, and
bright blue speculum — as any
duck on the Mill Race will tell you
This candidate for University
Duck would heighten his credibil
ity considerably if he would
change his name, or his plumage.
Marcy Willow
Biology
Feathers ruffled
I am appalled
I have read and enjoyed the
Emerald for many a year. The
conciseness of its reportage, its
excellent use of pictures, its un
biased coverage of the major is
sues of the day — all have made
me proud to be affiliated with the
same institution that it is.
Why, then, forsake it all on a
bird?
Your unabashed support for
Mallard Drake as University Duck
makes a mockery of the journalis
tic ideals of unbiased reporting
and equal coverage of all view
points; ideals which you upheld so
well in your articles on the John
son Hall protestors, the anti
nuclear (excuse me, "nuke”)
forces and Measure 51.
As co-chairman of the RCYB
RCYB — Retain Class in Your
Bird committee — I call upon you
to drop your drakonian campaign,
stop decoying us and give equal
space to the pro-Donald people
Dump the drake now!
... damn right my feathers are
ruffled.
Eric Lee
Freshman, Journalism
co-chairman, Retain Class
in You/ Bird (RCYB)