opinion_
Eaton leaves legacy of success
When he took over as ASUO president in May
of 1980, Dave Eaton wanted to strengthen the
image of the ASUO, to lend some credibility to the
office and to become an effective manager of the
ASUO executive.
Eaton, who ended his reign at the ASUO last
week, has done all that — and more.
On his desk these days is a sign calling him
"an ex-important person." But the improvements
Eaton has made have forged positive relations
with students, faculty and administration that will
last.
He’s reorganized the ASUO executive, im
proved public and press relations, and given to
University student government a credibility it
lacked when Eaton took over
Eaton’s administration from the beginning
has been open and honest He hired a good staff,
and oversaw an effective lobbying effort under
Wilkins. He battled to stop the administration from
upping the student athletic fee but maintained a
professionalism with University Pres. Paul Olum’s
office that survived the struggle.
He managed to ride herd on an unbrideled
Incidental Fees Committee, vetoing its crazy
decisions when necessary and giving the oft-ar
bitrary commitee some clear-headed perspective.
In the process, incidental fees were trimmed about
9 percent for the coming year, stopping years of
rising fees.
Above all, Eaton has been an effective ad
vocate for students and student issues. The mu
tual respect with the University administration and
the Legislature has given University students a
stronger voice on campus and throughout the
state
Eaton realized early that his job would be a
difficult one. A realist, Eaton saw that making
changes is a laborious process that is best
completed by working with “the establishment.’’
He opted for the less glamorous but effective
route of working quietly with the administration —
resisting the temptation to make the ASUO
executive a one-man crusade against the admin
istration.
As a management major, he brought a unique
perspecitve to the job. His interest — unlike many
of his pie-in-the-sky political science predeces
sors — lay less with ideology than reality. It was an
effective perspective.
Eaton’s adminstration was not without its
faults and failures. But those were far outstripped
by the open, efficient, professional manner he
brought to the job.
Eaton is spending his last days at the Univer
sity working to make Wilkins’ job easier and the
transfer of power smooth. Let's hope the new
ASUO executive profits as much from Eaton's
example as the University has.
Minority reports
The governor has recommended a
7-percent increase in general fund
expenditures to the state system of
higher education for the coming bien
nium. This is an actual decrease after
being adjusted for inflation. Now the
Ways and Means subcommittee on
higher education would like to cut an
additional 10 percent, and has asked for
suggestions from teachers and students.
Mr. Larry Pierce (political science) and
Mr. John Moore (Oregon Student Lobby)
appeared before the committee and
suggested cuts (so much for never com
promising until the end, at least as
education goes) Mr Pierce basically
said that only the strong programs
should survive, and the weak ones
should be cut I agree with that; that
seems like good John Wayne/Ronny
Reagan American ideology. Then John
Moore appeared before the committee a
couple of days later, and suggested a
wide range of cutbacks and fee in
creases About the only one I agreed with
was to eliminate the gym suit service;
they aren't exactly designer athletic
wear. I don’t know Mr. Moore or who the
OSL represents, but I’m an Oregon
student and they don't represent a
majority of my views on current legisla
tion. So whoever the OSL is, file this
under minority reports.
Brian Dunlap
Senior, political science
Intern, Sen. Groener
Draft doctors?
For the past few years one of Ame
rica’s favorite hobbies has been singing
the blues about the alleged deterioration
of the all-volunteer force. Everyone from
Jerry Falwell to the weekend warriors in
the Army Reserve keep saying the same
thing: the armed forces need to be more
professional
Well, it seems like the government is
also in agreement In a recently released
report the General Accounting Office
has recommended that Congress should
set up a system for drafting doctors,
nurses, and paramedics into the armed
forces in case of war. The system —
already under study by the Pentagon and
the Selective Service System — would
probably include registration for medical
personnel like that required of 18-year
old men
I think it’s a marvelous idea. At last
America's elite minority, upper income
level doctors, would have a chance to
display their patriotism. Instead of prac
ticing their slice out at the goff course,
they could develop their motor skills with
a bayonet at basic training. Instead of
spending its time lobbying against na
nA A
'M" HOLDING HANDS' UMTS THE BEGINNING OF LIFE — NEXT THING WE KNOW SHE'LL WANT AN ABORTION!'
tional health care, the AMA could rally to
make sure that all its members are elgible
to be drafted.
My only suggestion is that the
government ensure other professionals
a chance to participate. Our military
should be as professional as possible
and therefore we should also include
lawyers, bankers, realtors (we re usually
fighting over land anyway) and members
of fraternities and sororities as they are
the breeding grounds of the profession
als of tomorrow.
David Isenberg
Junior, international studies
‘Frightening’
The arming of campus police is a
dangerous step now being considered
by the University president, campus
security and the Legislature. It’s terrify
ing for many reasons, but particularly for
the possiblity that a mistaken shot could
be fired, and an innocent person injured
or even killed
I view the move as bureaucratic
■'overkill" (if you’ll pardon the
expression) and wonder why the propo
sal was ever made. In general, American
youngsters are a very well-behaved
crew. In particular this campus deserves
its reputation for being “mellow.”
Maybe the administration knows
something we don't know; could civil
strife be on the way? Of course, there are
intruders from the outside world who
come on campus and commit crimes. In
any case, we already have the protection
and cooperation of the Eugene Police,
the Lane County Sheriff's Department,
the Oregon State Police, the Oregon
State National Guard and the U S Army if
the need for law enforcement or the
bearing of arms should arise. There is no
justification for campus security to begin
doing so. The proposal is expensive in
these times of economic hardship, and
inflammatory in its own right
Why has the idea of arming campus
cops come now? Perhaps with moves
afoot to reinstate the draft, the adminis
tration looks back at the riotous sixties
and says, "If we'd only had guns
then. . . ” I find the prospects
frightening
Eileen Raymund-Wooten
Secretary & student
Ally alienation
The response of the Women’s Sympo
sium (May 21 Emerald) to Sergio Antil
lano’s suggestion that their flyer was
racist raises some issues which should
be considered That a person did not
participate in the planning of the sympo
sium should not prevent him from
commenting. Discussion from the public
should be welcome and the newspaper is
a traditionally appropriate forum for this.
To say that he should have "gone to the
people in charge" implies bureaucratic
authoritarianism on the part of the
University and has no place in a
democratic society.
I do not understand how the comment
that no males attended the planning
meetings relates to Mr. Antillano's cri
ticism. In our struggle for a better society
we must be careful not to make enemies
of people who are striving for similar
goals By being sexist, ourselves, we
alienate a large portion of the population
that might wish to be our ally.
Hannah Sutherland
Instructor, American English Institute