opinion
More than a 'mutt'
Craft is a symbol
Christine Craft is not really the "mutt” she purports to be. If
she is a "mutt," she's a symbolic "mutt."
Craft has been going around the country on the lecture cir
cuit since she won her landmark sex discrimination suit with a
Kansas City TV station. Craft spoke to a group of media
representatives in Eugene on Friday.
The settlement in the case was a whopping $500,000, but
Craft hasn't seen a penny of it — and may never see the full
amount as the case goes through the arduous appeal process.
For some inexplicable reason Craft has been condemned as
an opportunist — accused of "milking" her sex discrimination
case for everything she can.
Condemning Craft as an opportunist is reprehensible and
seems to derive from the same mentality that labeled Craft a
"mutt" in the first place.
On the other side of the coin, Craft is a symbol of what can
be righted in broadcast or print journalism.
The charge of opportunism is really inappropriate consider
ing Craft's intentions to "help raise consciousness" on the pro
blem of sexual discrimination in broadcast journalism. She has a
very unique perspective on the problem.
Craft's opinion of broadcast journalism has changed very lit
tle since she was demoted from her job as an anchorwoman.
She called the industry without backbone, with mixed-up
priorities and possessing no sense of individuality.
Probably Craft's most apt and incisive charge against broad
cast journalism is that it goes for ratings over journalistic integri
ty. To increase ratings they hire "clone blonde" newscasters
who look and talk alike. Craft called her sex discrimination suit a
"feminist battle, a humanist batttle, a human rights battle and a
battle for journalistic integrity. Getting the news right had better
be our first priority."
Craft, while getting the news right, is having an impact on
righting the news industry.
Many faculty members
deserving of awards
We applaud the decision by the State Board of Higher
Education to honor outstanding faculty members at the state's
colleges and universities with cash awards.
The Faculty Salary Enhancement Award will distribute
awards from $2,500 to $10,000 to a select group of outstanding
faculty. The funds come from a $200,000 legislative appropria
tion effective through 1985.
Faculty salaries have suffered because of budget cuts in
higher education. Faculty pay increases have been sacrificed in
recent years due to a lean budget.
It's unfortunate there isn't more award money in the
legislative appropriation, there are more outstanding faculty in
Oregon's colleges and universities than a select few.
Best of luck to
the 'Commentator'
We were pleasantly surprised Monday morning to see a new
paper on campus. For some time we have thought it best that
students have a choice of, and an abundance of, information
sources.
Whether the Oregon Commentator, a new campus alter
native paper, will offer fresh and viable choices is a good ques
tion and something readers should consider.
We are concerned especially with the Commentator's
editorial policy. From Dane Claussen's “Publisher's Files"
comes this gem of a policy statement:
"Commentator articles will tell you what the other publica
tions on campus are unable to tell you because of inexperience,
incompetence, or narrowmindedness of their staffs. Our articles
will include the why and the how, and our editorial writers will
spew forth 1960s rhetoric without thinking.”
Hmmm. . .That might require a little thought before any en
dorsement is spewed forth.
Oregon daily m -
emerald
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LUTHER KING'S &RIMPAY OR DOYOU NOT FARTlCUlARLV CARE WHO'S BlRlWPAY IT IS?" ANSWER YESOR NO'
ASUO decides politics, morality
Does it ever bother you when those represen
tatives you appoint to office and charge with the
responsibility of expressing your views, don't? While
we all watch national events, some gross representa
tion problems are pretty evident right in our own
ASUO. So sure is the student government on campus
this year that they know how you think, that they
have undertaken of their own accord the right to
decide your morality and politics for you.
comments
sterling coke
Remember that big flap about Kevin Kouns'
speech to all the incoming students? Instead of
speaking on the role of the ASUO and ways for
students to get involved as NSHP requested, he
decided that the new students were better off know
ing about world problems and how incorrectly
America is handling them. That speech was given
with no polls taken, no opinion requests, nothing. It
was your representative's idea about what you
should think.
How about the stand on the registration bit and
student financial aid? The ASUO has made it very
clear how you should deal with this one. Do you
think it is the student government's responsibility to
protect the students' rights, or to make a political
statement on the issue? The ASUO decided to take
pot-shots at the registration process, calling it a vir
tual sign-up for the draft — of which there is none, of
course. By the way, how does the ASUO know that
100 percent of the students on this campus are so
adamantly opposed to the process of registration?
ASUO Pres. Mary Hotchkiss' "kitchen cabinet”
was voted into office partly due to a dormitory dislike
for the Greek system (something which is gradually
changing) and partly due to the work of the political
party SPA (Students for a Progressive Agenda), which
cornered a fairly large block vote. When the final tally
was in, the SPA group had won by a lousy 3 percent
or so. Yet this wa;: touted by the Hotchkiss group as a
"sweeping mandate for change." I particulary liked
the "end of student apathy" march that drew
perhaps 45 people. That is a sweeping mandate?
Enough of a mandate to justify the SPA people
deciding your politics for you?
So positive has the ASUO been of itself, that it
even took the liberty of placing its SPA party symbol
on those ASUO Magicards that we all have. While
that in itself is an issue going to Constitution Court,
how many of you knew that the SPA symbol on those
cards is the older logo of the Democratic Socialists of
America? How is that for representation, when a
socialist group on campus decides your politics for
you, both here and in Salem? And what happens
when Salem finds out?
Now, I have no qualms about the people running
ASUO; they are well-intentioned. But who gave them
the right to so omnipotently decide how I want to be
represented? I hope they will reflect all of our views
from now on, and not just the views of a few
extremists.
Sterling Coke is a junior majoring in decision
science and minoring in political science and com
puter science. He is media spokesperson for the Col
lege Republicans and has worked over the last year
>n several political projects for various groups, as
■veil as for the ASUO.
letters
Doin' time
As part of my sentence, my
|udge requested that I write a let
ter to the editor of the tmerald
telling of my experience. The pur
pose was to inform other students
of the stiff fines laid on bank ac
counts for making a false applica
tion for a driver's license.
A sympathy letter this is not and
I doubt if it serves as much of a
warning letter. I say this because if
someone really wants fake I.D.
they will take the chance at the
nearest DMV with the security
that the system is easy to beat. For
every person who tries to get I.D.
(tor convenience sake) but finds
himself with a court date, a heavy
fine and a slap on the hand, there
are many others who simply walk
into a DMV, casually request a
new "false" identity, and skip out
with a smile to a favorite bar for a
victory gin and tonic.
I am not endorsing attempts at
convenience I.D., but am merely
writing what I have seen. I have
neither statistics nor facts to back
up my rather narrow-minded
view; however, one fact does
loom heavily, submitting a false
application for a driver's license is
a Class A misdemeanor com
plemented by heavy fines.
Carrie Clark
Root of 'sin'
This letter is written in regard to
Doug Nash's shallow expose of
mentality.
Nash's article about the Stadium
Club typifies the attitudes and
viewpoints of the Emerald and the
ASUO. They feel that money is a
“sin" and the root of all evil. Nash
and the like do not realize and ap
preciate the generosity of the
private donors who built Autzen
Stadium. Perhaps Nash would
rather have the games played at
Hayward Field.
Tom Newberg
letters policy
The Emerald will attempt to print all letters remaining lair romment
on topics of interest to the University community.
Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and
the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned
in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or
content.
"Comment" is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by members of
the University community. "Comment'' columns must be limited to 500
words and typed.
letters to the editor and "Comment” columns should be turned into
the Emerald office. Suite 300, EMU.