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
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