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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1981)
daily'Emerald Vol 83, No 45 Eugene, Oregon 97403 Thursday, November 5, 1981 ROTC control rests in faculty’s hands By ANN PORTAL Of Dm Emarald This article is the second of two parts discussing the University's ROTC program. The Reserve Officer's Training Corp doesn't drill on campus anymore In return, the University community rarely grills ROTC faculty or students Lt Col Steve Wolfgram says his experiences since coming to Eugene this vear haven't borne out what he was told about University students Although his uniform draws some glances when he goes to class, students rarely comment, he says "I think there’s a difference between being accepted and being embraced." he says However, the recent controversy over the Environmental Law Clinic and University neutrality reminded students once again of ROTC — a campus program since 1947 The neutrality issue questions the on-campus location of the Pacific Northwest Resource Center — a major environmental law clinic supporter The agency should not be located on campus because positions adopted by the center compromise the University’s neutrality, University Pres Paul Olum says Some law students recently countered that ROTC's presence on campus has compromised University neutrality for 34 years But Olum says ROTC — an academic program — can't be compared to the PNRC — a public agency functioning within an academic program "I think it's not right to claim 7 think there's a difference between being accepted and being embraced.' Photo by Mark Pynes Steve Wolfgram the same issue’s involved,” Olum says "One has to do with Universi ty neutrality on public policy issues The other has to do with the appropriateness of an academic program.” In addition, the University faculty retains control over the program and its curriculum, Olum says The faculty approved the program, and any changes must come from the faculty, he says "ROTC — whatever else you might think about it — is an academic program within the University," Olum says "I wouldn't touch that myself any more than I'd touch the Environmental Law Clinic.” Provost Richard Hill agrees with Olum that ROTC is controlled by the faculty, and that questions of neutrality should be directed to the faculty assembly Hill does say he's concerned that some of the ROTC curriculum is controlled by the U S Army rather than the University But that is a matter for the faculty to discuss — not the administration, he says. At least one faculty member would like to do something about the University's ROTC program Biology Prof Bayard McConnaughey has asked the faculty assembly 12 times in the past 14 years to abolish the ROTC program, and he says he expects to do so again this February McConnaughey says ROTC is an inappropriate academic program that violates University neutrality far more than the Photo by David Corey Paul Olum ‘ROTC whatever else you might think about it — is an academic program within the University. ’ PNRC because "the outside control is much more overt." Allowing the Army to teach the University s military science program is like asking the Catholic Church to teach religious studies, McConnaughey says, adding that the University should study the military, not train it Kicking ROTC off campus would have only a symbolic impact on the U S. military system, McConnaughey says. But he says he thinks it’s important to accomplish things on a local level Wolfgram says he understands students’ con cerns about ROTC's neu trality He points out ROTC is not a policy-making program" and that the Universi ty is allowed to reject any or all ROTC faculty members recommended by the Army. However, the University can chose only officers referred by the Army. University students are different from students at, for example, Oregon State University, Wolfgram says. OSU has a combined Air Force, Army and Marine ROTC enrollment this year nearly eight times that of the University University students perceive discipline in a different way and are more concerned about personal freedom, he says “This place is a marketplace of ideas and opportunities,’’ Wolfgram says "I don’t say my idea is the best It's not for everyone, certainly ” <=harges negotiations, By PHIL LEMMAN Of the Emerald Many issues used by Arab nations to criticize Israel have been blown out of proportion as an excuse not to enter peace negotiations, an Israeli diplomat said Wednesday Meron Gordon, vice-consul at the Israeli consulate in San Francisco, said the question of establishing a Palestinian state in the Middle East is a good example “If by some miracle the Palestinian question is solved tomorrow, many of the Arab states will find another reason not to negotiate with Israel,” Gordon said Gordon, speaking to about 50 people in the EMU Forum Room, said Jordan was intended to be the Palestinian state in the Middle East by the British when they ended their occupation after World War II He said Jordan's population was and is mainly Palestinian Arabs and it was not until Israel took control of the land from Arab nations in the 1967 war that the issue was brought up. Israel's relationship with South Africa has been twisted by some nations, Gordon said Israel ranks 28th among the countries that trade with South Africa, providing less than 1 percent of the volume of trade, he said However, at a recent United Nations session Israel received more than its share of criticism “During this session not one delegate asked one of the preceding 27 nations what is going on with your relations with South Africa?’ The question came directly to number 28, to Israel,” Gordon said "We get the core of the blame for upholding oppressive governments,” Gordon said "I think we should put it in some kind of a perspective before we say those things ” Gordon acknowledged that many problems face any peace negotiations "We have to overcome a very, very difficult psychological barrier on both sides You deal with a problem in which you, personally — serving in an army of one of the parties — participate in -wars and shoot at people "And suddenly you have to go to those same people and tell them okay, I don't hate you anymore, let's be friends.’ It isn't easy.” Photo by Bob Baker Meron Gordon
