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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1982)
Eugenean joins in Italian anti-missile fast By Michele Matassa Of the Emerald “It was awful to be in Italy and not be able to eat all that good pasta." said peace activist Charles Gray during a Monday press conference in Eugene Gray returned Saturday night from Comiso, Italy, where he and nine other international representatives fasted for 12 days to protest a proposed NATO cruise-missile base The proposed base is crucial because West Germany said it would accept a base if another European country did first, Gray said The cruise missiles would make a nu clear freeze impossible because they fly below radar screens, he added “The Soviet Union would be much more unlikely to go for a freeze if there was a weapon which was unverifiable in the hands of its opponent," Gray said Gray's wife, Dorothy Granada, was attending a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned in New York when the in tended U S delegate to Comiso can celled Granada was asked to go but. because she didn't have a passport, Gray went in her place The hunger-strikers, representing seven countries, set three goals — the main goal being one hour of prime-time national television exposure — and decided to survive on nothing but spring water until their demands were met. Gray said The other two goals were meeting with Italian president Alessandro Pertini and the seven leaders of Italy's parliamentary parties The group, which was organized by local opposition including the former mayor of Comiso, achieved its three goals within two or three weeks. Gray said "I’ve never been involved in a fast that was that successful in terms of gaining its demands," said Gray, who has par ticipated in several hunger strikes this year totaling 45 days. Gray who lost 15 pounds during his Comiso fast, said he thought of his par ticipation as a "support strike" and that he "would stay until the end if the demands were gained within a tew weeks" but wouldn't stay until death "I don’t especially like to fast, but I'm willing to do it if it'll produce some results," said Gray While he fasted he felt a closeness with the many people who go hungry because of the arms race, he said Wearing a button saying Bread not Bombs," Gray spoke of how the strike began quietly, generating little reaction, but gained momentum as letters and cablegrams from all over the world ap plied pressure to Italian officials Gray said many Italians strongly op pose the base because it would make Comiso a war target, would use valuable agricultural land and would invite drug and prostitution markets when 3,000 to 5,000 U S service personnel move in Of 18 000 Comiso voters, 12.000 signed a petition protesting the base, he said Gray described the last day of the fast as a "cliffhanger" because the group wasn’t certain until the last minute that their demands would be met On the morning of the strike’s twelfth day a television station granted the group a satisfactory spot of 25 prime time minutes but not until that afternoon did a cable from the president confirm the other two demands, Gray said "It was a very victorious mood we all had on that twelfth day," he said Gray had to fly back to the United states before the group met with Pertini and the party leaders but did participate in a segment of the television program, he said Gray hasn't heard the outcome of the meeting with the president but says its purpose was to get credibility for the movement Italy’s president doesn't hold much political power, so the meeting itself couldn't produce much action, he said Meetings with the party leaders are scheduled within the next two weeks, Gray added Fast for Life, a San Fransisco-based peace organization, will hold a major international strike in August of next year if NATO doesn't concede before then, according to Gray University emphasizes recruiting By Frank Shaw Of the Emerald The number of students graduating from high school each year is declining, and as a result the University can expect declining enrollment during the next few years That means the University must turn its attention to the recruitment and retention of quality students, says Gerry Moseley, associate provost for student affairs Admissions director Jim Buch says his department has made only a tew changes in its recruiting practices The admissions staff is sending letters to all students who gave the University their Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, buying names of students who scored well on SAT and PSAT tests in the Western states and obtaining names from the state education department By the time the process is com pleted, admissions will have con tacted more than 30,000 students through the mail, Buch says Besides recruiting by mail, the admissions staff makes recruiting trips throughout Oregon and other ITT states, including Alaska and Hawaii, contacting about 12,000 high school students Admissions staff also are work ing on some new ideas, including using the faculty and staff to help recruit new students We asked faculty to provide us with the names and addresses of students they think should go to the University," Buch says The University is "more aggressively looking for the same kind of students," he adds This student is curious, well-mo tivated and well-prepared in oral and verbal skills The Student Recruiting Program also is new This program consists of 32 University students who will introduce high school students to the University Moseley says students will be the University's best recruiters "They (the prospective students) want to hear it from the person who is in the system,” he says "If you're buying a used car, you want to here about the car from the previous owner You don't want to hear from a used car salesman Moseley says the perceptions of some Oregonians contribute to the University recruiting problems The University is known nation ally and internationally as a high guality institution but is not seen that way in the state, he says. Moseley suggests making the students aware of the guality education they receive here When they go home for the holidays they'll tell their parents how happy they are, and their par ents will tell their neighbors, and so on," he says. Buch says the general public still sees the University in the same light as they did in the 1960s They think the typical student is a hippie-Marxist ready for revolu tion That’s not the type of student I see on campus," he says To combat the problem, "we have to be more attentive as to how Oregonians perceive us," Buch says Both Buch and Moseley stress the importance of a total University effort in attracting and keeping new students Getting students is not just an admissions effort,'’ Buch says And if it is then it's doomed to failure " Housing drops plan to raise dorm deposit Because of difficult economic times for students the Housing department has dropped plans to raise residence hall deposits for next year, said University housing director Dan Williams at Monday's Residence Hall Governance Committee meeting Many students receiving financial aid or Social Security might not be able to pay the proposed $250 deposit for fall term dorm reservations, Williams said The increase from the $40 deposit would have reduced the no-show rate for dorm rooms during fall term, he said Next year residents will be able to receive the name and address of their roommate, their room assignments and campus addresses during the sum mer, Williams said The RHGC also discussed a new alcohol policy proposed by the Bean Complex Area Standards Board that would allow students 21 or older to transport alcohol through halls and stairwells, which current regulations prohibit Students, resident assistants and area directors have expressed fears of such a policy contributing to noise and conduct problems, said Dick Romm, director of residence life and an RHGC member The policy will give legal-age residents more freedom and responsibility but won't cause such problems, said Pat Hanlan, Bean standards board president Williams sought RHGC input before he recommends a policy to University Pres Paul Olum clip (j use coupons! ... —A .41. • M..M.JL-M . 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