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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1978)
opinion ours They who pay should employ Many students would be surprised to learn the University administration has significant control over spending of student money gathered in the form of incidental fees. They should certainly be distressed to learn that $27,000 of those fees pay the salary of an EMU director hired by the administration. Together with staffing and other procedural de lays in the University’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), these factors have injected an annoy ing uncertainty into IFC operations. That uncertainty stems from the lack of final administration approval of — or revisions in — the $1.5-million IFC budget, which is financed by fees of $32.50 per term from each full-time student. Much of the delay would be eliminated by the OMB expediting the filling of its staff vacancies and placing a high priority on completion of its IFC budget recommendation for for University Pres. Boyd, who has final authority over the budget. The second and, it seems to us, crucial consid eration of this matter requires a suitable response from the administration regarding funding of the IFC director. The IFC has forced the issue by budgeting $27,000 in its reserve fund rather than the EMU director’s account. If the administration decides to revise the budget by designating that money for the director’s salary, the IFC may appeal to the State Board of Higher Education. Regarding the EMU director, the appropriate answer seems clear: Either the University should finance the position out of the general fund or it should relinquish appointive power over the director to the student-dominated EMU Board. However, in light of the chronic budgetary squeeze facing the administration and traditional financing of the EMU director with IFC money, the administration should be given sufficient time in which to implement the change — say, within the University’s next biennial budget. The IFC would be wise to exercise restraint in this matter, since other dollar issues of student interest — particularly the graduate teaching fellows contract — are being pushed this year. If Boyd and his advisers agree to an early change in funding and/or appointment powers of the EMU director, the IFC should forego an appeal on revisions in this year’s budget. In the absence of an administration commitment to change, the IFC should press its arguments before the state board. greg wesson tabled indefinitely The Western World has always underestimated the power of the mind. The emphasis has been on ex ternal stimuli. Medical problems were solved by finding the right drug. Per sonal barriers were imposed by others, not a product of your own thinking. When Eastern religions invaded America, alternatives appeared. "What goes around, comes around" became an important truism for many. The feeling was that what you think it is, it is. If you want it to happen it will. It’s a positive situation when the former philosophy is tempered by the latter but becomes negative if a balance isn’t reached. Things beyond our control happen all the time and no matter how good our vibes are, sometimes the results aren't what we wanted. Mental birth control is a good ex ample. The idea the womb can be dosed to sperm by conscious effort brings skepticism if not outright rejection. A call to Susan Delile of the Lane County Family Planning Clinic rein forces that skepticism. “I don't know that much about it ’cause I deal with reality. The reality is it doesn’t work for most people.” Mildred Jackson and Terri Teague, authors of “Mental Birth Control ”, would disagree. “Mental birth control,” the two write in their recent book, “allows us to work out our spiritual path by drawing to us what we need: conception, when it is desired; or freedom from the demands of child rearing.” Teague and Jackson are off-base. To maintain the mind can control biological functions is absurd. Simply because we decide we don’t need air doesn’t give us the ability to live with out it. Regardless of our thoughts about food we need it to survive. Hormones can be released by the mind-a woman can miss her period because she’s afraid she’s pregnant. But the argument that one can think an egg infertile doesn’t make it. The authors concede those with doubts shouldn’t practice the system-confusion and doubt lessen our control over our bodies--but to train one’s mind to concentrate ex clusively on one goal is unhealthy. The inflexibility necessary for such thinking takes away the power to bend instead of breaking. It makes it impossible to say “that's life,” and deal with the unexpected as it comes. Another problem with the authors' system is we often have thoughts and desires we don’t know about. A woman may say she doesn’t want children but subconsciously desire them. Pregnancy seems a major price to pay for mental indecision. Heterosexual activity among fertile people requires birth control. Availa ble methods present hazards that must be considered. But to say “I’ll get pregnant only if I want to” ignores reality and leaves family planning to chance. heirs yours —/ Memory aid for public officials? Now that it's time for midterms agai n all of us become concerned about our memories. Last week I went down to a meeting at which Jan Newton discused her problem. She said, I have a terrible memory for peo ple. I just can’t recall Commissioner Wein stein. Can anybody help me?" It turned out that there were a number of people tnere with the same difficulty. They have formed a group, which anyone suffering from this syndrome can join. It's called Citizens Cooperating to Recall Weinstein. It s sort of like Alcoholics Anonymous, except they aren’t alcoholic, and they aren't anonymous. They feel that if they continue to list and discuss Weinstein’s achievements in office, which are a matter of public record, even tually they might be able to recall him. Among the most impressive achieve ments has been the promulgation of a series of trenchent aphorisms aptly charac terizing aspects of public service. He is second only to Shakespeare in his ability to coin the right phrase. For example: On County employees: “County people are too busy taking coffee breaks and naps." On CETA employees: “Hippy boys, sit ting around doing nothing." On road crews: “I'm tired of seeing one man with a shovel and four men standing around.” On Mayor Keller: “A tyrannical mayor with a big mouth." On Forestry: “Beware of tree planters." Consider also his remarkable record of public service Take the energy question for example: He has saved us from the grave and imminent threat of seeing naked peo ple in solar heated showers, and is a staunch promoter of nuclear power without safeguards. There are many more exam ples of his wisdom and his concern for our well-being but space precludes listing them here. For those still suffering from the inability to recall Weinstein mental block, let me suggest still another old standby memory aid. If you compose a song, poem or essay about him, or paint a picture of him, it will be a great aid in recalling him. For example: There is a commissioner, Weinstein, Who is very much smarter than Einstein. He knows that a solar heated shower Is more dangerous than nuclear power. So, we should build in his honor a fine shrine. Admittedly this poem does not have the high literary merit of Weinstein’s aphorisms. It starts out pretty good for the first two lines, but deteriorates progres sively from there to the end. However, I will leave it as a challenge for the literature buffs and writing majors on campus to try to im prove upon. Perhaps one of our music ma jors could use this as the libretto for a stir ring oratorio. Bayard McConnaughey, Biology Candidate aid hit Working people in Oregon’s Fourth Dis trict need only examine where Jerry Louseman’s financial support comes from to decide their choice come November 7th: Jim Weaver. The Committee for the Survival of A Free Congress, Citizens for the Republic & the National Conservative Political Action Committee are all anti-working people, anti-union, right wing, reactionary, busi ness dominated, Eastern based political organizations who financially support Jerry Louseman. Jim Weaver has consistently demon strated that he represents working people’s interests in the Congress. Lets keep him there! Sincerely, Irv Fletcher, Executive Secretary, Lane County Labor Council tetters policy The Emerald will accept and try to print all letters and opinion columns containing fair comment on ideas and topics of concern or interest to the University community. Letters and opinions will be run on a first come, first-served basis. Both letters and opinion columns must be type written, using 65 character margins, and should be triple-spaced. Letters and opinions must be signed and the author's field of study (or faculty status) noted.
