First man finishes women’s program
By JOHN HEAL Y
Of the Emerald
“It's so hard to crack the male
barrier. Most privileges are still
left up to males and the power is
still in male hands. Until that
changes, I don't know It's going
to be a hard, long climb.” says
Merle Johnson.
Johnson, the first male to
receive a Women's Studies
certificate at the University, is
an ardent supporter of feminism
and what he terms a "feminist
perspective " His opinions echo
many of the thoughts of feminist
leader Gloria Steinem, yet
Johnson lends a unique light to
the issue of women's rights
He speaks from a female per
spective yet his roots —
biological and sociological —
are definitely male He has seen
society from two totally different
positions and can identify with
both But in the last two years he
has gradually shifted to a belief
that looking at society from a
feminist perspective is the only
viable means of moving women
toward equality
A book recommended to him
by his roommate • Germaine
Greer s ‘The Female Eunuch" -
was Johnson's initial encounter
w-mmm
Photo by Jtmmi Harris
Merle Johnson, the first male to finish the Women's Studies
program, believes that a move toward equality for women means
looking at society from a feminist point of view.
with feminism. Disturbed by
what he had read yet interested
in learning more, he took the
introductory Women's Studies
class, while continuing working
on his bachelor's degree in
psychology
"Before that I had no idea why
women were oppressed. It’s
kind of like a consciousness
raising thing, and you start
picking things out For instance,
you find out that the majority of
women work in service jobs.
You start looking around in the
world and you see that this is the
way it is. Women are on the
bottom part of the totem pole.”
explains Johnson. "There's
blatant sexism, like ‘Charlie’s
Angels,' but you can also pick it
out in movies like An Unmarried
woman,' who goes from man to
man ”
Johnson has received a “lot
of support" in his women's
studies classes from women,
but has been generally regard
ed by fellow males as a “curio
sity.” "Males have generally
been curious and then that's
about it They wonder why I’m
taking it, but (for) the most part
it’s (been) a neutral reaction."
Excitement and support have
been the two most common
female reactions, he says. “A lot
of them are really excited about
it. I get a lot of support in the
women's studies classes. There
are a few women who believe
they should be separate from
men and have no contact with
them. There’s very few of those
One class I had some problems
with that, but we worked that
out. But that's part of a growth
process too.”
He has been able to make the
transition to feminism with
much less difficulty than a great
majority of the men he has en
countered in women's studies
classes, he says. "I was a facili
tator (student teacher) for a
Women's Studies 101 class. I
had an all men’s group and. ..
they didn’t want to get into
talking about medical problems
like cancer You have to check
your body for lumps just like
women do and they didn’t want
to get into that.”
Johnson believes that men
must begin to look at society
from a feminist perspective if
they are interested in getting in
touch with their “real selves.”
Johnson looks forward to ap
plying the knowledge he has
gained through women’s
studies to the rest of society.
“Now, what I hope to be able to
do is apply it to the outside
world. I think that’s really going
to be hard because society is
set up not to take into account a
feminist perspective because
most things are from a male
viewpoint. It's going to be really
hard to challenge the male sys
tem.”
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13th A MLYARD
Art unfolds with solstice
By STEVE MYERS
Of the Emerald
Students walking on the lawn
west of Emerald Hall and south
of the Science Library today
might be shocked by the pre
sence of a large cocoon-shaped
object but they needn’t worry;
it's only an art student working
on her fantasy
Karen Herbst, a senior, will be
presenting a sculpture-perfor
mance titled “Flight Fantasy:
Prelude, A Time Chrysalis “ A
chrysalis is anything still in the
process of development and
Herbst plans to work on the
sculpture throughout the day in
celebration of the summer sol
stice, the longest day of the
year
The cocoon-like chrysalis will
also function as a giant sundial
and every hour, from dawn until
dusk, the tip of the shadow will
be marked with a piece of
Herbst's sculpture The art
pieces relate to a general theme
of time, growth and flight. She
says each hour of the day will
also have a different title, like
"Time Flys."
"The chrysalis will go through
a metamorphosis throughout
the day," Herbst explains. "In
the afternoon, it will be nothing
like it was in the morning
Visually there will be major
changes "
Her sundial creation will be
made of papier-mache and she
promises there will be a few
suprises for those who attend
the celebration. Herbst won't
say what she has in mind for the
chrysalis, but indicates that it
has to do with "growing an idea
on flight."
She says she got the idea for
the celebration while driving
through the Nevada desert, on
the way to Oregon from her
home state of Oklahoma. She
also says, as the title indicates,
this is only a prelude to more
works of art along the theme of
time, flight and growth
The only problem she forsees
is a possible lack of sunshine,
which would hinder the sundial
effect of the performance But
Herbst says a lack of sunshine
won't stop the metamorphosis
of the chrysalis.
"It has been cloudy for the
last three summer solstices."
she laughs. "Hopefully, luck will
be on our side this year and it
will be sunny."
Herbst invites anyone inter
ested to come and watch her
chrysalis go through its me
tamorphosis and help with the
summer solstice celebration.
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