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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1978)
OSL sets legislative priorities By DANA TIMS Of the Emerald SALEM—Some old goals were reaffirmed and some new ones clarified at a meeting of the board of directors of the Oregon Student Lobby, Saturday. The board was getting its priorities in order and readying for yet another battle with a Legisla ture that, as one member said, "Gives us half of what we ask for and budgets us less than anyone else.” Some key issues from last ses sion will again be main areas of emphasis for the OSL, whose board of directors is comprised of student body presidents (or their appointed representatives) from the state's seven universities. Child care, public release of course evaluations and low tuition levels—all points of emphasis last session—will again receive top priority in the OSL's attempt to persuade legislators that students aren’t, as another board member intoned, "the second-class citi zens we’ve been made out to be." New goals include opposition to voting law changes, a tax clarifica tion that would save each member of a fraternity, sorority or indepen dent living organization $100 and support of minimum wage for stu dents employed by universities. In dealing with growing conser vatism among legislators, how ever, the OSL must face some hard realities. University rep resentative Jeff Warren told the board it may be difficult to find a sponsor to introduce the child care legislation proposed last session, when it flopped badly. He echoed the thoughts of Rep. Mary Bur rows, R.-Eugene, who termed the bill's chances, ‘dismal.’’ The board also opposed elimi nation of the Johnson Plan, a tui tion offset grant program that pro vides aid to 6,000 full-time stu dents. Elimination of the plan would channel funds to part-time students—who are supported by the OSL, but to a lesser extent than full-time students. In keeping with the board's de sire to stem such cutbacks, staff member Dan Garner explained, “We want to bring the bottom up before we start expanding." Additionally, the board agreeo to continue to support aid for stu dents with dependents, voted to send a board member to meetings of the state's community college student organization, COSAD, and reaffirmed the work plan upon which the OSL was founded. The work plan outlines basic goals, such as reducing financial, informational, procedural and en vironmental barriers to higher education. Yet, board members realize that all the goals in the world won’t make dealing with the new legislature any easier. “It’s going to be conservative," said Warren. And, he admitted, “It's going to be a problem for us.” FSO emerges with higher goals By DAGMAR OBEREIGNEN Of the Emerald The Foreign Student Organization is being lifted from dormancy and molded into an in volved, coordinating force that will unite foreign student organizations on campus, says its new director, Ahmed Gubartalla. Gubertalla outlined plans for the FSO at a meeting Friday afternoon with representa tives from foreign student organizations and members of the ASUO. The main business in the office will not be “Scheduling rooms and paying postage,” as was the case before, but the “Cultural and social interaction between all groups," Gubertalla said. “Without your contribution, the office can’t function properly," he added. Gubertaila wants to establish contact and stimulate in volvement from as many of the approxi mately 25 foreign student organizations on campus as possible. The organizations rep resent about 600 students. "I want to change the direction of the FSO from merely sponsoring cultural activities to taking stands on issues," he said. Gubartalla says he wants to make the of fice accessible to all foreign students. “The office has been hidden in both the physical and the psychological sense,” he said. ASUO representative Jag Yellesetty read a report outlining FSO’s “performance of duty" before Gubartalla's appointment. The report stated that maintenance of the organi zation had been “poor by general stan dards," with no system of accountability. The office had been used for “purely cleri cal purposes," said Yellesetty, and functions of the office were not clearly defined. “I found it extremely difficult to perform my duties when I took office.” reported Gubar talla. He said that no documented procedures for the office and no proper filing system ex isted. A lack of guidelines for dealing with the budget, which had been run on a 'discre tional” basis, Gubartalla said, made his posi tion difficult to assume. He said he vyould have probably "run away from it," if he hadn’t had office managerial skills. Gubartalla said he has opened, with the aid of his assistant Chris Watkins, new files on foreign student organizations at the Uni versity, and will maintain specific rules for procedure. One new rule requires all scheduling of rooms for foreign student group events to go through the FSO office. This method will en able the FSO to see what organizations are using the rooms, and how frequently, said Gubartalla. The group’s current budget is $6,876, but representatives felt that with the more am bitious outlook of the group and the large body of students represented, more IFC funds should be allocated to the FSO. Budget proposals for the 1979-80 fiscal year will be submitted in January. The office will provide "any assistance within our means to coordinate events for Wmr' . mm Ahmed Gubartalla, the new director of the Foreign Student Organization, discussed his ambitious plans to revamp the office to a meeting of representatives from foreign student organizations and the ASUO. Asserting that the office has, in the past, been “hidden," he said there is a need for the communication between foreign organizations and that the FSO should facilitate it. Emerald photo foreign student organizations,” said Gubar tafia. The FSO staff encouraged joint events in volving as many of the foreign student or ganizations as possible, and ASUO member Greg Halquist encouraged interaction with American students, so that the diverse groups get to know one another on a per sonal basis, instead of “reading about each other in newspapers." The office should perform as an active body, said Gubartalla, who encouraged indi viduals to come in the office, "even if they have no official business.” The FSO office is located in EMU room 205, and is open weekday afternoons. COUPON 1C? o' THINGS ARE WORTH WAITty That’s why there are waiting lines at Mr. Moto’s - Q Good Coffee In the Atrium q.| (tomrs.TtAi Tos p rine & Pastries 10th and Olive Open Daily 7:30-11:00, 9:00 a.m. Safi, 10:00 a.m. Sun. odkI Bring In this ad and Receive a Free Cup of Coffee When You Buy a Pound I___ SAN FRANCISCO THANKSGIVING 4 Days/ 3 Nights $1 cy oo per person 111 f double occupancy with Thanksgiving dinner at the SHERATON PALACE & Round trip on AMTRAK 'M from Eugene ^.«fc ii oni.n at. 11m. tn he. \ i' 100 VALLEY RIVER CENTER 484-7511
