opinion
Olum stands alone in position on budget
Last week the state’s revenue shortfall was
officially announced as $248.5 million. As a result
state agencies were told to cut their budgets 20
percent. This would be accomplished in 5 percent
increments over the next 18 months. This bad
news is becoming all-too-common for Oregon
education.
Those involved in aspects of higher edcuation
have repeatedly decried the budget reductions
But among the college and university presidents,
those who most keenly feel the shrinking state
dollar, there has been little vocal opposition The
presidents seem to be a cowardly bunch when it
comes to specifying what the budget reductions
will eliminate.
University Pres Paul Olum Wednesday went
on record citing the specific areas that higher
education will lose because of Gov. Vic Atiyeh's
20 percent budget reduction He stands apart
from other higher education officials in specifying
what will be lost by this latest round of cuts The
Emerald applauds Olum’s determination to stop
talking in general terms. Olum told the University
Assembly that the time has come to speak out on
the impact of the budget He accurately observed
that the people of Oregon do not react strongly
when they learn 500 positions will be cut We
agree that ”500 positions” appears merely as a
statistical phrase and less indicative of the pro
grams and schools that will be decimated by the
loss of faculty and staff
Olum remarked that to specify cuts may
cause trouble, but the Legislature ought to know
what will result in higher education from their
actions
Olum is in sharp disagreement with other
institution presidents with his clarification of the
budget cuts as programs rather than dollar
etters
amounts. He deserves a compliment for his intia
tive. The Emerald agrees the speculation on
budget reductions doesn’t accurately illustrate
the reality of higher education during and after the
18 month cuts. The presidents of the state system
need not be cowed to silence by the governor and
Legislature A concerted opposition by the
institution presidents will force the Legislature to
justify their every action
Olum says it is the widespread hope among
the institution presidents that the cuts will not
exceed 10 percent instead of the full 20 percent
This is an optimistic and naive attitude for the
presidents to possess Olum appears to take a dim
view of this attitude He doesn’t criticize his
colleagues — though his remarks imply staunch
disagreement
Olum wants program closures placed second
in priority instead of a salary freeze for all em
ployees next year. Once again the other pre
sidents disagree Olum stands at odds with the
other presidents on many key issues
Higher education in Oregon is in such a
vulnerable position that clearly a leader is needed
to oppose the Legislature Chancellor Roy Lieual
len, like the institution presidents, makes the cuts
and meets the percentile reductions almost in
stoic silence
Olum is correct, the time has come. The time
has come for a leader to emerge and specify what
will be lost at the hands of Atiyeh and the Legisla
ture No budget reduction should be allowed to
occur unprotested
k£ O^^KtfOUCM^
>£Bfo
Kt»VT*«
«£*
/CP
t
V/t
t
mjmw. agihg mA/f
What will you do?
White I am busy addressing Christmas cards de
scribing my hope for peace on earth, the Selective
Service is preparing for a national draft of men into the
military service The newly appointed head of the
Selective Service is Major General Thomas K Tunnage
also a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board
Draft Board members have been chosen to serve
on draft boards in every county of this country They will
be trained in the next few months to carry out their
duties What duties7 They will classify all drafted men
who request any draft status other than 1-A, available
for military service Just how soon will they start work?
That is the question
Meanwhile, proposals for a draft are expected to be
introduced to the 1982 Congress Senator San Nunn,
D-Ga, has written a National Service Bill which would
“probably require all of the four million men and women
who turn 18 each year to perform some form of public
service " according to NISBCO sources
It is likely that if our country prepares for war it will
find places to fight The burden of the price paid will fall
on those people between the ages of 18 and 26 What
are you going to do about it?
Alice Knotts
Wesley Foundation
Rabbit redux
On Dec 1, friends of mine wanted to ride to San
letters policy
The Emerald will accept and attempt to print
all letters containing fair comment on issues,
ideas and topics of interest to the University
community
The letters must be limited to 250 words,
signed, and the identification of the writer must be
verified when the letter is turned in to The Emerald
offices, EMU 300
The Emerald reserves the right to edit any
letter for length, style or content Publication is
dependent upon the space available
Francisco on the Grey Rabbit Loaded to the gills with
musical instruments and other luggage they were
waiting at the Dunkin Donut at 10 p m They had been
told by the Rabbit’s answering service the bus would
stop at that spot By 2 a m., chilled, wet, and discour
aged. they gave up waiting for the furtive Rabbit At the
Dunkin Donut they were told that, since the Rabbit had
been licensed by the ICC it was habitually late —
sometimes up to 10 hours Imagine the pleasure of
having to wait for a bus in the kind of weather we are
having?
Having associated heretofore such a customer
be-damned attitude with maiming motor companies
no longer obligated to recall vehicles that kill — or with
oil companies — I am dumbfounded Does licensing
induce the Grey Rabbit to run away from its present,
less affluent customers in search of bourgeois clover
fields ?
A E Brettauer
E. 23d Ave
gabriel boehmer
editor’s note
If you haven’t checked your calendar lately,
today begins Dead Week
Although Dec 7-11 appears to be much like
any other week of the academic year, there are
some striking differences in students’ behavior
that set this week apart from any other time
Beginning this morning, a baggy-eyed crowd
of students will mill outside the University book
store, waiting for the doors to open so they can
buy pick-me-ups to prop their eyelids open
through the day's classes
The Franklin Boulevard fast-food joints will
tack up signs telling coffee-drinking students that
there aren’t any free refills and not to study at their
tables for more than a hour.
Students who like to camp out in the Skylight
will line up outside the EMU before it opens to
jockey for one of the booths.
All of the sudden, it will become impossible to
find a seat at the library, not that it is ever quiet
enough to study there
Unlike many campuses where classes are
cancelled during the week preceding finals — or at
least where there is a moratorium on testing and
introducing new material in classes — some
University professors give finals Dead Week,
disregarding the exam schedule, and race to
finish the syllabus outline
At colleges and universities across the nation,
the week proceeding final examinations is a time
for students to catch a second wind after severe
exhaustion from getting out of bed for early mor
ning classes and crawling into bed after late night
diversions
That is, everywhere except here
At Princeton University, for example, students
pack their bags and books and head for cheap
hotels during the week before finals, called Read
ing Week there Unlike our own Ivy League cam
pus, classes are not held during Princeton's
Reading Week and students have a chance to
prepare for exams without the pressures of class
attendance
Unfortunately, the possibility of the University
scheduling a week before finals that is free from
classes is slim The University cannot afford to add
an additional week of classes, nor cut back the
number of teaching days. In fact, University of
Washington administrators are considering a plan
to shorten their academic year to compensate for
shrinking budgets
The University only pays lip service to the
concept of Dead Week. Administrators should
take a firm hand in enforcing a policy that would
forbid examinations or new material in University
classes the week preceding finals.