emerald
Vol 53, No 8
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Thursday, July 16,1981
Balance shifts away from literature
University pushes ‘write on ’ attitude
By ANN PORTAL
Of EmaraM
Editor’s note This is the last of a three-part series
examining renewed emphasis on student writing abili
ties
"We have long preserved our constitution, let us
make some struggles for our language "
Dr Samuel Johnson spoke out for writing more
than two centuries ago, but his attitude toward writing is
back in vogue
English Prof John Gage explains that writing has a
history of going in and out of fashion The current
emphasis on better writing skills didn't happen over
night, he says, but is the apex of a growing concern that
began several years ago
To a large extent, the current attitude toward
writing at the University reflects this trend
Although writing always has been taught at the
University, the percentage of writing and literature
courses offered by the English department has shifted
over the past several years, says Assistant English
Professor Kathleen Dubs, who directs the composition
program She says literature no longer dominates the
department
"More and more of our resources have been put
into writing," Dubs says
Even though the English department is offering
more writing courses, they always are full — one
popular new course. Practical Grammar, has been full
every term this year, she says
The University requires all students to take at least
two writing courses — or pass waiver exams — but
English Professor Nat Tetch says he thinks students
themselves are taking the initiative to improve their
writing
Students now are relatively open and accepting —
not hostile to attempting to improve skills," he says
Teich says more poor writers now try to stick it out
in hts 100-level course They may consistently receive
Ds, but they keep trying, he says
Emerald tile graphic
Most professors agree that while there is a definite
emphasis on writing at the University, still more could
be done Writing involves more than two terms of the
fundamentals of composition, they say, and should be
monitored and corrected in all University courses
This approach, called writing-across-the-cur
riculum, is one stressed by language theorists who say
a biology lab write-up should be just as well written as
an expository English paper.
But Teich admits that the number of students in
iower-level courses make written comments on each
student's paper difficult, if not impossible.
Dubs suggests that part of the problem is that many
professors are not competent writers. Writing is a skill
they all use in their work, but they can't teach it, she
says.
Students now are relatively open
and accepting — not hostile to
attempting to improve skills.’ —
English Prof. Nat Teich
So English departments are hiring writing
specialists who can teach writing, and teach it well.
More PhDs are graduating with training in rhetoric and
writing than ever before, and universities are grabbing
them, Dubs says.
“People are being trained to teach writing the same
way they used to be taught to teach literature.”
Dubs says she believes students who take Univer
sity writing courses definitely improve their skills. Even
the writing on evaluations at the end of the course is
better, she says.
However, University writing courses have a repu
tation for toughness that prompts some students to
fulfill their writing requirement at another school during
the summer, Dubs says
"We don’t simply pass people through because we
want to be kind or popular," she says.
Gage says he is satisfied that writing is taken
seriously at the University — there is a concern that it be
well taught. But good writing cannot be accomplished
by spending 20 weeks in writing courses, he says
“Writing is everybody’s responsibility because
learning to write takes so long — in fact is life long."
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Photo by Bill Wack
Strike two
Nurses at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital took to the picket
line Tuesday afternoon to protest the hospital's latest
contract offer The hospital's second strike in two years
mainly is over the proposed second-year pay increase
City council vote outlaws
sexual, racial harassment
By HEIDI SWILLINGER
Of Vm Emerald
The Eugene City Council
received an enthusiastic round
of applause Monday night when
it voted unanimously to make
racial and sexual harassment
illegal
The council amended the ci
ty's assault and battery ordin
ance, redefining assault and
battery as intentionally causing
physical harm to another per
son or placing or attempting to
place another person in fear of
imminent physical harm.
In addition, a new section was
added to city law books
prohibiting such intimidation of
another person, as well as des
truction of public or private
property “by reason of race,
ancestry, religion, color, sex,
marital status, sexual orienta
tion, age. national origin or
handicap."
Under the new ordinance,
violators can be fined as much
as $1,000
Distribution of racist literature
and threats against a black
family in Eugene prompted
Human Rights Council Pres
ident Baruch Fischhotf and
Willie Polite, president of the
local chapter of the National
Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, to urge
the council to amend existing
harassment laws last April.
The council directed the
Human Rights Council, the
Human Rights staff, and the city
attorney to draft an ordinance
addressing the concerns.
At the public hearing, repre
sentatives from the gay com
munity, Clergy and Laity Con
cerned, the Commission on the
Rights of Women, and the
Eugene Commission on the
Rights of Minorities testified in
favor of the ordinance
Adoption of the measure by
the council “will show the few
mean spirits in this city that it is
time to reconsider their views,"
Fischhoff said
Polite said the ordinance
"does not have the teeth in it the
NAACP wanted I wanted teeth
in it that bite The teeth in this
ordinance just gum a little bit.
“But we still want what we can
get
"It's something the commun
ity needs,” he continued, point
ing out that three weeks ago,
Eugene resident Martha Green
received an anonymous
threatening letter, similar to one
mailed to her last March
The March letter stated, "The
people do not want blacks to
live in our community.”
The latest letter, riddled with
misspellings, read, "Why are
you folks still here? Can't you
take a warning! Black folks just
aren't going to be accepted on
the west side of Eugene,
Oregon Best thing I can tell
ya is move out while you and
yere kids haven't been in no
trouble."
The letter was signed, ' A
concerned person."
"Even though (the ordinance)
is not going to stop people from
writing letters or making anon
ymous phone calls, I think it's a
statement we have to make,”
councilor Gretchen Miller said.
The new ordinance is similar
to a bill currently under con
sideration by the state Legisla
ture