daily' Emerald
Vol 83. No 30
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Thursday, October 15,1981
Law center dispute heats up forum
By DEBBIE HOWLETT
Of Hm Emarald
The debate over the neutrality of the
Pacific Northwest Resource Center
heated up Wednesday during an open
forum, with University Pres Paul Olum
responding to students' questions and
accusations
More than 300 students and faculty
packed a law school lecture hall to
voice their opinions and emotions con
cerning the fate of the controversial law
school program
Signs proclaiming "Support
academic integrity, keep Aaron Jones
out of University policy" and "Propriety
Holly Hummel
Emotions soar as Olum meets
students, faculty in open debate
does not equal timber interests” set the
emotional tone of the debate on
whether the PNRC appears neutral in
matters of public policy
Olum has been accused — along with
several other University administrators
— of yielding to pressure from timber
interest groups and state legislators
who propose the PNRC be moved off
campus
Students at the forum were "hostile,
but decently hostile," Olum said "I was
a student once too I understand their
feelings ."
In his opening address, Olum stated
"there is no fakery involved" and the
problems involving University neutrality
are "sticky ”
He added that he has waited to make
his decision until he had an opportunity
to discuss with faculty and students
exactly what should be done
Emotions ran high during the two
hour forum At one point, Olum’s voice
cracked with frustration as he told the
audience, "you persist in willfully dis
torting what I say "
Several times, the audience burst
into applause in support of statements
favoring an on-campus location for the
PNRC
Ellen Mendoza, a law student who
has opposed efforts to move the PNRC.
received the first round of applause
when she said "We are the ones that
care about that program, not Aaron.
Jones ”
Jones, owner of Seneca Sawmill Co.
in Eugene, last year threatened to pull
out a $250,000 donation to the Univer
sity for a new basketball pavillion if the
PNRC was not moved off campus
In response to a charge that he was
influenced by outside pressure, Olum
said, "Of course I listen to people, but
when I finally make a decision — if I
havo to make it — then I will consult my
own beliefs and principles "
Holly Hummel, another law student
who opposes the move, said she
thought Olum attended the forum only
for the sake of appearance
"I think the decision (to relocate the
PNRC) was made long ago. Hummel
said
Olum said he talked Wednesday
morning with the National Wildlife
Federation — the major source of
PNRC funding — and asked if it would
• be possible for the PNRC to stay on
campus and take all cases, not only
environmental advocacy positions
They told me that they could not do
that," he said
After the forum, Olum said that the
NWF has not decided if funding will be
continued if the PNRC is moved off
campus.
However, the NWF is not adamantly
opposed to other alternatives. Olum
said.
Midway through the forum, emotions
reached a peak when Mendoza rose to
leave, saying, “We have been trying to
convince Mr. Olum for two months . I
for one am tired of trying to convince
him. If he doesn’t understand, that's too
bad
“It’s also too bad for us because we
depend upon his understanding
Mendoza's statement was greeted by
more applause
Yet for all that was said at the forum,
the issue remains unresolved The
question of the PNRC’s location still is
in the air and Olum says he is not sure
when the issue will be resolved
Photos by David Corey
Paul Olum
Judge decides
discrimination
is class action
PORTLAND (AP) - U S District Judge
Helen Frye certified class action status
Tuesday to a suit alleging that Oregon s
eight public colleges and universities
discriminate against women faculty
members on the basis of sex
"For the purposes of this ruling, the
plaintiffs have made an adequate show
ing that the (State Higher Education)
Board heads a statewide system that
practices sex discrimination," Frye said
in a written opinion
Portland attorney Don Willner, who
represented the original 13 plaintiffs in
the case, said he believes the case is the
first such statewide or system-wide sex
discrimination suit representing faculty
women to receive class action certifica
tion in the country
The case was filed in April 1980 on
behalf of 13 individual women faculty
members from the University, Oregon
State University, Portland State Univer
sity, Western Oregon State College, and
Oregon Health Sciences University
The lawsuit alleges that the state
schools discriminate against women
faculty in pay, promotion, tenure,
professional duties, sabbatical leave,
grant-application support, administrative
and adjunct appointments, salary sup
port and qrievance mechanisms
Continued on Page 3
Repaired campus bells resound
-'«Wt
The Carillonic bells that strike the time
from the roof of the EMU are working
again, thanks to University chemistry
prof Donald Swinehart
The bells, which were given to the
University by the classes of 1943 and
1953, had been out of service for about
three years before Swinehart decided to
test his clock repair skills
"I was looking for something more
sophisticated — there are no bells in it,'
Swinehart said
The chiming mechanism turned out to
be a set of brass rods struck by a
hammer-like devise and electronically
amplified The sound is delivered
through large speakers on the roof of the
EMU
Swinehart said EMU officials told him
several repair experts — including a
representative from the manufacturer —
had declared the bells unrepairable
Undaunted. Swinehart and chemistry
student Mark Tarka took their tools to the
third floor of the EMU where the striking
mechanism is located
After determining how the bells
worked, the repairs turned out to be only
minor adjustments of the chimes them
selves, which took no more than 30 min
utes, Swinehart said
He then went to work on the clock
mechanism
Investigation proved the necessary
repairs were as minor as the repairs on
the bells With a few free parts sent by the
Photo by Brian Bubak
Prof Donald Swinehart corrected the campus chimes, which actually are not bells,
but a set of brass rods
manufacturer, Schulmerich Electronics.
Inc., the bells ring once again.
Swinehart said he has been interested
in clock building and repair for the last
five years He recently repaired a clock in
Gerlinger Hall thought to be nearly 220
years old, and in his office he keeps track
of time with a grandfather's clock he built
himself.
University students seem to enjoy the
new addition to campus atmosphere
Rick Silver, an education junior, com
mented that the bells were confusing at
the begining of the year But now that he
has figured out what they are, he says he
is pleased
' For me it works out great — I have no
watch.”