Tuesday, May 18
Eugana, Oregon
Oregon daily
Volume 83
Number 154
emerald
Photo by David Cony
Sophia Hammond la on lha way to raallzlng ona of bar biggest
ambitions — graduating from a large university.
Older and wiser
At 81, she s almost ready to graduate
With a backpack slung over one shoulder,
spry, white-haired Sophia Hammond makes
her way around the University campus. At 81,
after 50 years of teaching, she once again finds
herself playing the role of student.
Hammond, a music major, has been at
tending the University on a part-time basis for
the past five years, working toward a bachelor
of arts degree. Enrolled in mostly language
and music courses, Hammond takes an active
part in the University choir. To attend classes
she commutes four times weekly from Spring
field.
"I often drive my '59 Ford, which, in
cidently. was purchased new," Hammond
says. “I'm the only one to ever drive it. That's
why it is in such good condition.”
Originally from Pendleton, Hammond at
tended several grade schools in that area
and graduated from St. Joseph's Academy
during World War I. Glancing out toward
the music school lawn, she remembers being
allowed to look out of the school windows to
wave to the boys on the train going off to
war
“Normally we weren't to watch out of the
windows, but this was an exception,” she
notes.
After completing high school, Hammond
sold her father's wheat ranch and traveled to
South America with a friend. For 14 months
she lived in Argentina and recalls even then the
people there were still very bitter about the way
Britain took possession of the Falkland Islands.
And they were already hashing over plans to
regain rule of the islands.
"You know how the British are,” she says,
shaking her head, "and I don’t think they even
asked Argentina about it!"
Following her stay in South America.
Hammond sailed to Europe and taught primary
school in Till’s Head, England. She was one of
three teachers in the small school near Salis
bury.
"I especially enjoyed teaching reading,”
she says. “It is something where you can see
results.”
Hammond resided in England for six years
before wanderlust set in again. She went to
China to act as a missionary and learn the
language. As a result of the Chiang Kai-shek
uprising Hammond couldn’t get into the city
where she was enrolled in a school for girls.
Instead, she was sent to the town of Nang-King
to study Chinese and remained there for a
year.
When Hammond took a course in Chinese
at the University, the rest of the class was
astonished at the way she had learned it in
China. "We were taught orally," she says with
pride. “No books at all.”
In 1929, Hammond returned to Oregon to
get her degree as a teacher. She received the
teaching degree from Southern Oregon Nor
mal College (now Southern Oregon State
College) and then started on her 50-year
stretch as a teacher.
During those 50 years, Hammond also
became an accomplished artist, working with
water colors, acrylics, and oils. She has placed
first numerous times in the Lane County Fair
and other local art shows.
In August of this year Hammond will finally
realize one of her greatest ambitions.
“I've already accomplished my first two
goals — finishing eighth grade and high
school," she says. "But I’ve always wanted to
graduate from a large college.”
By Betty Higginbottom
ASUO opens phone line to U.S. senators
By Ann Portal
Ot th0 Cmuntd
The ASUO is providing a telephone
today so students may phone the Oregon
offices of state senators to voice opin
ions about a proposal that could further
limit federal financial aid.
A vote on the proposal may take place
within the next two days, according to a
representative of the office of Sen. Mark
Hatfield, R-Oregon
The proposal, sponsored by Sen
Peter Domenici, R-New Mexico, would
reduce the number of students eligible
for the Guaranteed Student Loan pro
gram and halt the in-school interest
subsidy
Currently, the federal government
pays the 9-percent rate until students
leave college
The proposal asks that students from
families with incomes at or above
$40,000 be ineligible for GSLs, but still
eligible for "auxilliary loan programs."
However, Jeff Lee, executive director
of the Oregon State Scholarship Com
mission, wrote in a recent letter to Hat
field that lenders in Oregon have not
made a firm commitment to alternative
programs, such as the new PLUS pro
gram Congress should not automatical
ly assume auxilliary programs will re
place the GSL, Lee says
Under the proposal, families with in
comes of $25,000 to $40,000 would have
to pass a need analysis before becoming
eligible for GSLs Theoretically, an
independent student with an annual in
come of $24,999 could still borrow, while
a dependent student in a family with
several college students and a family
income of $30,000 could be ineligible,
Lee says.
If students must assume the 9-percent
interest payments while in school, fresh
men who borrow $2,500 during their first
year would end up paying $3,400 for the
loan when they graduate or leave school.
Banks would lose the interest they com
pound on government-paid interest,
which is paid quarterly, Lee points out.
High unemployment combined with
low state revenues have resulted in
decreased family incomes to support
dependent students, Lee wrote. Scarce
part-time work also makes it hard for
students to be self supporting, he added.
While Hatfield is reportedly in favor of
the proposal. Sen. Bob Packwood, R
Oregon, has not yet indicated a position,
so calling his office may have some
impact, says Dave Berns, ASUO legisla
tive assistant. The number for Pack
wood’s Portland office is 233-447T.
The ASUO phone will be available from
9 to 5 in EMU Suite 4. "Nobody should be
afraid to come in and just make the call,"
Berns says.
40 percent voter turnout expected
SALEM — Candidates in Oregon’s
primary election are making their final
attempts to sway the electorate before
voters step into polling booths today
About 1.4 million voters, close to 50
percent of the electorate, are expected
to turn out at polling places around the
state
Secretary of State. Norma Paulus.
the state's chief election officer, says
the electorate turnout should be
“between 49 and 50 percent." But Ray
Phelps, the state elections director
expects a turnout "in the low 40s " In
the 1980 presidential race, the voter
turnout was 61 percent.
The election will narrow the field of
candidates for governor, Congress, the
Legislature, state school superinten
dent and labor commissioner. Voters
also will decide five measures placed
lor
races Three contested statewide
judgeships will be on ballot, one each
from the Supreme Court, the Court of
Appeals and the Tax Court.
Only those judicial races in which no
candidate receives a majority will be
referred to the November ballot. Two
district court races in Multnomah
County have more than two candidates
each and could require a fail runoff.
Voters will also be picking can
didates in local government races and
deciding »oc I issues
Independents and candidates from
smaller political parties will appear on
the November ballot after filing peti
tions or being selected through the
state's party nominating process They
have between June 2 and Aug. 24 to
qualify for the November ballot.
Voter registration was reported light
last week by elections officials in some
of the state’s larger counties Registra
tion was possible up to 8 a m today at
each county clerk’s office. Late regis
trants will be given certificates which
they must take to their regular polling
place in order to cast their ballots
“You can register up until 8 a m on
the day of the primary (today), but
usually there are long lines,’’ says
David Spriggs, of the Lane County
Elections Division.
Voting booths wilt be set up in the
EMU for those in the University
precinct, which is bordered on the
north and the south by Franklin
Boulevard and 18th Street and east to
west by Kincaid Street and Moss Street