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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 1982)
A media spotlight shines on Weston's biology work and Bell's controversies By Debbie Howlett of tht Emerald James Weston calls it the “cascade effect.” Weston, a biology professor at the University who was featured a few weeks ago in Newsweek, says his sudden popularity is something of a fluke Holding a copy of Mosaic, a research magazine, Weston says that the Newsweek Science Editor probably ran across an article about his work in that magazine and decided Weston might be a good source Derrick Bell, dean of the University law school has a similar explanation of his new-found "no toriety ” Oregon magazine named Bell one of Oregon’s "rising stars,” a title Bell laughs at and compares to the ten “worst dressed" women list "Those women are not necessarily the worst dressed," Bell says He adds that the brouhaha surrounding the Pacific Northwest Resource Center reported in most of the Oregon newspapers, added to the attention Media men Both seem to wear the title with more than a little modesty and disdain In his cubicle office, shelves jammed with books, Weston, whose hair is slightly mussed, looks through his thick, frameless glasses Asked if he would consider himself a "leader” in his field of embryonic biology, Weston says "I wouldn’t.” He adds that he doesn't consider himself to be an exceptionally modest man but he's not sure why he was singled out from his lab “I was involved, certainly But my major role is to act as coordinator and supply an idea or two " Derrick Bell ± James Weston His work is often too complex for the layman, but Weston explains his ideas and theories easily with a good measure of patience. In fact, Weston seems more interested in explaining his work than in talking about the Newsweek article. Weston's lab researches cells and extracel lular materials, which he explains as “the neigh borhood ." In his lab, Weston trys to find out if one cell will transform into another, similar type of cell, if given the proper extracellular situation. To both Weston and Bell, their media expo sure is secondary to their work. Bell says he didn’t even know of the article until one of his son's teachers sent it home with him. "My positions in civil rights tends to be controversial I'm a black man in a mostly white situation," Bell says, in an effort to explain the Oregon article. Bell, a Harvard law professor for 11 years before coming to the University, is an easy media mark The Oregon article mentions that Bell oc cupies the position once held by Wayne Morris, but Bell says he isn’t trying for anything more than what he has now "That’s dangerous," he says, "you can become trapped." Bell's work at the law school has been a chain of controversy and tough times, first came the PNRC and charges that the University was re sponding more to private timber interests instead of students Then came complaints that FBI recruiters at the law school discriminated against homosex uals Bell’s sent a letter to the FBI informing them that if the complaint were true, they wouldn't be permitted to recruit at the law school To date, the FBI hasn't recruited at the law school. But does he deserve the title "rising star?" Bell says "I don't think so not really." RENNIES LANDING Try Our Breakfast Special!! Two Eggs Generous portion of Home Fries Toast or English Muffin & Coffee ONLY $1.50 Rennie’s Landing * 1214 Kincaid • 687-0600 REMEMBER B’S FAMOUS HAMBURGERS Come and enjoy sporting events on our BIG SCREEN 3355 E. Amazon Dr., Eugene 342-3575 NORTH BANK RESTAURANT & LOUNGE HAPPY HOUR FEATURING DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR ALL DRINKS EVERY DAY 4:00-5:30 22 CLUB RD. (on the bike path overlooking the river) 343-5622 GET A GRIP ON YOUR CAREER! AT THE 6TH ANNUAL CAREER EXPLORATION FAIR Find out about career opportunities, where they are and how to plan for them. Talk informally to professional representing 70 career fields relating to the areas of: • Finance • Science/Research • Education • Marketing • Management/Personnel • Government and • Media/the Arts • Transportation/Hotel/Food Public Service EMU BALLROOM WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3 Sponsored by: the Career Planning and Placement Center, ASUO, Alpha Kappa Psi, the Oregon Alumni Assoc , and SURC EMPLOYER PANELS 10 AM PANELS Marketing Transportation, Hotel and Food Media/Arts Service 11 AM PANELS Finance Science/Research Management/ Personnel Education LARGE GROUP FORUM - NOON-3 PM
