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Helping the library help students
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ine HDrary is among ine Tirsi eiemems or a
University to suffer when administrators and ac
countants realize their debits and credits aren’t
going to meet at the bottom line.
University officials have done their dam
nedest to lessen the damage to our already un
derfunded library. And the physical education
department has sponsored fund-raisers.
But its easy to cancel periodicals. And cut
back on new books.
When the damage is done to a library, the
wound — like a fist in the gut — is invisible. The
pain is inside, felt but not seen.
Visitors see nothing missing, nothing cut.
They don’t see the thousands of books waiting to
be cataloged and shelved, the latest research
findings that can’t be purchased.
University Librarian George Shipman has
done a good job stretching his funds. He’s reor
ganized the library, and is adding a new catalog
ing system. But when the money stops coming, a
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A library not increasing its resources
becomes an archive, useful only to historians. A
stagnant library is like no library at all.
It's an insidious loss. No vociferous factions
invade Johnson Hall. No group marches through
Eugene. No picket-packers parade.
Yet we all suffer. There are few students who
don’t depend on the library. But as important as
the library is for students, there is no student
supported, student-organized group to help pre
serve this University’s library.
Which brings us to our point. We’d like to see
a student-controlled group — a “Friends of the
Library’’ — charged with working for students to
maintain a solid library.
It could be an ASUO-appointed volunteer
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Incidental Fee Committee, returning to students a
library yield on their investment.
The group could work for the library much
like, say, the Survival Center works for the envir
onment. They could give conferences, provide
information and sponsor fund-raisers. A giant
"save the library" bash highlighted by an Autzen
Stadium concert could bring in lots of bucks. It’s
likely that a ban on outdoor concerts will be lifted
in time for summer.
The idea is worth kicking around as an alter
native to those who propose giving IFC money
directly to the library — a practice we oppose. We
don’t want the IFC distributing operating funds for
University facilities, let alone department and
schools.
A University is only as strong as its weakest
link. We can’t afford to see the library — or the
University — weakened any further.
TV room transients
Recently an article appeared in the
Emerald on problems with transients in
the EMU TV room. It was suggested that
two solutions would be to (1) close the
TV room, and (2) require everyone to
pass through the Fishbowl before they
entered the TV room Neither is valid!
I have pursued the matter legally and
since the EMU is a public building, noth
ing can be done unless the transients
create a disturbance or assault
someone. They would then be barred
from campus. While I have no solution at
this time, I will be searching for some
means to alleviate the problem in the
future All ideas from readers on the
subject would be welcome. There are
many reasons for some form of control in
this area. One is the danger of verbal and
physical abuse which has already oc
curred The second is the inability of
some students to use the TV room
because of the repugnant odor emanat
ing from the person of some transients.
We all have an investment in the quality
of campus life and activites. Will the EMU
become another Eugene Mission? Will
students be exposed to constant pan
handling from transients? Will our TV
room, paid for by student IFC funds be
taken over by outsiders? Only you can
address the problem through student
government and public awareness.
Robert Barzee
Masters Candidate, education
Runaway IFC
The runaway IFC has struck again. On
Tuesday night it voted to cut the Univer
sity childcare center’s budget from
$74,000 to $18,000 and to make the
financial aid office responsible for dis
tributing $50,000 in childcare subsidies
to eligible student parents. The parents
can use these grants at any local child
care center.
The committee made this decision
despite the EMU Board s rejection of the
plan and nearly two hours of testimony
from student parents who opposed the
plan.
What is the IFC trying to do? It claims to
be ending discrimination against parents
who don’t use the University's childcare
centers. In reality, it has taken a giant
step toward destroying the University's
already struggling daycare program. By
adding another level of bureaucratic
involvement (You know what applying
for financial aid is like. Will parents have
to apply in March for grants to be used
the following September? How much will
it cost to process applications? Will the
cost come from the $50,000?), the IFC
will increse the cost of childcare. And
instead of funding the state and federally
licensed childcare centers on campus,
the IFC will be handing out money with
no control over the quality of the care on
which it is spent.
Jon Neiderbach cited a Children's
Services Division study which showed
that only 22 percent of University parents
use the campus childcare I wonder what
percentage of University parents have
school-age children who don't need
care, Jon. Or what percentage of parents
would use the centers if they weren’t
already operating at capacity. Instead of
spreading the money around in wasteful
little bits so that no one gets quite en
ough, perhaps the IFC should be looking
for ways to expand the childcare system
we have on campus so that more people
can use it.
As a result of Tuesday night’s decision,
the University’s daycare centers will be
wounded, perhaps mortally. Student
parents, who barely scrape by now, will
be hurt. But ultimately, it is the children
who will suffer the most when their par
ents are forced to seek out cheaper,
lower quality childcare.
Linda Audrain and co-signers
Law Parents Task Force
Mindless tirades
Socialism rears its ugly head again in
the form of Cathi Beavers’ April 22 letter.
Beavers likes to make a big point of
coming from a working-class back
ground. I’ve yet to see anything though
about her putting in 10 hours a day, six
days a week, on a green-chain, with the
sweat rolling off her body, the dirt clog
ging her pores, and the blood bursting
through her skin from dragging sheets of
veneer across her belly and arms. I
haven’t seen Beavers mention anything
about standing on her feet 16 hours a
day on a sweaty, sticky job while a for
eman constantly badgers her for more
production. Have you experienced any
of these things Beavers? I have.
Until you can show me you know an
ything about what I have experienced
personally, then I'll just chalk your empty
tirades up to another mindless student,
bent on tearing down the system that
provides me a way out after 14 years in
these sweat boxes.
You see, Beavers, I believe in the
American system. I’ve seen too many
people rise above their past to not
believe. If I had the space, I could cite
you countless instances where people
have risen out of a poor, impoverished
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background to positions of wealth and
influence. Just to name one local case, a
man who is the second highest ranking
executive in the mill I now work for
comes from a background that was even
more impoverished than mine. He went
through a childhood of near starvation
and deprivation. Today, due to hard work
and determination, he holds a position
near the top rung of our society.
Tell me, Beavers, what other form of
government gives a person the means to
accomplish this? Is it socialism, where
everyone begins as equals and stays that
way continually? Get off your high horse
Beavers! What kind of life is that where
there would be no incentives to accom
plish anything more than to just get by.
Our system rewards those with the guts
and determination to make something of
themselves. As for the rest, such as
yourself, well you can go along with your
little echoes of protest and criticism
while the rest of us will work to pay the
taxes that go to support your kind. After
all, somebody has to support you. That’s
what being a democracy is all about
Even the slothful get fed.
Jerry L. Peyton
Senior, finance
Sexual concerns
I am writing this letter for whomever
may be concerned with sexual in
adequacy in our society. I think in a lot of
cases there are women who disrespect
men and also think that men are no more
than a meal ticket and economic securi
ty. The economy of today is responsible
for prostitution and maybe for the homo
sexuality in today's world. This is
because it is an easy way of making easy
money without working.
I think that men compete for mas
culinty against other men. For this rea
son, women take advantage over men for
sexual and economic security. I also
think that men should not have to com
pete for their manhood. I think that
economic security and love affairs con
tribute to homosexuality. Women
through the ages have learned that they
can take advantage over men for sexual
reason; which in turn the men will supply
their needs.
I think that what I have written above
should be closely examined by some
humane organizations, because it is a
very disturbing problem
I think that prostitution should be dealt
with as a man who would rape a woman
and get sent to prison. Women who are
into prostitution should get tried for their
criminal standing in our society for tak
ing advantage of the men who allowed
themselves.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Stanford Brown
Eugene musician