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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1981)
University students form committee Racism, violence spur support for blacks By STEPHEN KNIGHT Of the Emerald Prompted by racist threats and violent acts against blacks around the country, a group of white University students has organized the Black Libera tion Support Committee. It’s time for white progressives to help support black people’s struggle for justice and equality, says BLSC co-coordinator Gemma Grott. The BLSC plans to combat racism through educat ing whites about the condition of blacks, she says. “Most whites get their images of blacks from TV which portrays them in comfortable, middle-class families like the Jeffersons.” In reality, blacks had a higher standard of living in the 1960s than they do today, Grott says. The black unemployment rate is twice the white unemployment rate, and for inner-city black youths the rate can reach 80 percent, Grott estimates. The tight economy causes white racism to grow in this country, she says. “Rather than challenge the profits of corpora tions, some people are accusing blacks and affirma tive action for the high rate of unemployment among whites.” Racial tensions also are being increased by a renewed militancy among many blacks, Grott says. Many white racists saw the black riot in Miami last year as a prelude to a race war. But she claims the acquittal of several white policemen accused of beating a black man to death was unjust and went unnoticed. And Grott predicts blacks will rebell in the United States until they are treated with dignity and equality. She claims injustices in the judicial system have resulted in a high proportion of the black population being imprisoned. Grott says 80 percent of the women in California prisons are black. And she says one in every four black males is imprisoned during his lifetime. The BLSC will support black efforts for commun ity organization and economic development, Grott explains. But blacks themselves must lead and design a black liberation movement, she says. Black civil rights groups led by whites have had the tendency to com promise black goals, Grott says. The BLSC will raise money later in the term, and in May the group will organize transportation to the African People’s Solidarity Day Conference in Berk ley, Calif. For more information on the Black Liberation Support Committee, call 343-9130 or 683-9029. Emerald graphic Math degrees can equal jobs By MARIAN GREEN Ol the Emerald Editor's Note: This article is part of a series on the job-market outlook for University graduates. Majoring in mathematics is one good way to find pathways to many different jobs, says math department head Theodore Palmer. "A mathematics bachelor’s degree doesn’t necessarily lead to a mathematics job, but it’s awfuly good preparation for all kinds of jobs,” Palmer says. Business is one job area that employs many mathematics graduates, he says. “Most companies are impressed with math majors.” Palmer cited recent job listings by the Boeing Corp. Half of those jobs, which were engineer ing-oriented, called for a mathematics back ground, he says. Another job outlet for mathematics graduates with bachelor’s degrees is teaching in elementary and secondary schools, Palmer says. This teaching level “always has a shortage of people to fill math teaching jobs,” Palmer says. “That’s definitely a good area.” But Palmer cautions students that teaching jobs require earning state teaching credentials. For students who get mathematics master s degrees, Palmer says "there are a great many opportunities in public school and community college teaching." However, college and university teaching jobs are limited to graduates with doctorate degrees. Bachelor's degrees in math also are good pre-professional school training, he says. Law, dental and medical schools look favorably on applicants with mathematics degrees. In addition, mathematics graduates often go to graduate school in science fields. Math Prof. Robert Tate agrees with Palmer’s assessments, but suggests augmenting a math ematics degree with applied course work from other departments. “There are quite a few jobs if you take the care to add something applied," Tate says. He suggests students add courses in computer science or statistics to their mathematics cur riculum. "It makes a lot of difference.” Committee asks for award nominations A faculty committee is inviting nominations for an award com memorating a former University professor and administrator. The Charles Johnson Memorial Award, established by the Assembly in 1979, is pre sented annually to a professor displaying “the principles af firmed by the life and career of Charles E. Johnson." Johnson came to the Univer sity in 1952 as an accounting professor. He later served as liberal arts college dean and as acting president until his death in 1969. Johnson believed a liberal University should be "a place where it is possible to bring up for examination all ideas, good and bad, offensive and inoffen sive...in the firm conviction those of value will find accep tance in a free enterprise democracy,” he said. A five-member faculty com mittee awards the plaque to a professor who shows ‘‘across the board” involvement in teaching, scholarship and the academic community, says committee chairer Bryan Downes, associate dean of the community service and public affairs department. Nominations should be sent to Downes by April 22 and should include a statement supporting the nomination and any additional information useful to the committee. EAST COAST FLIGHTS $298.00 EUGENE TRAVEL * contact 687-2825 831 E. 13th Ave. Open Now Sat. 10-2 and Weekdays to 6 pm. Give your honey a stuffed bunny. m m or a stuffed chickey, goosey, doggy, or kitty. 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