opinion_
Fact-finders start
on ROTC issue
University Pres. Paul Olum has at long last appointed and
empaneled a fact-finding committee to study the ROTC/sexual
orientation question.
The Emerald must confess to a certain impatience in this
matter. That impatience was not born of disrespect for Olum,
but was impatience toward resolving what may prove to be a
discriminatory wrong committed against a minority group on
this campus. This wrong may not be in strict violation of the
University's equal opportunity guidelines. However, it probably
violates the University's affirmative action guidelines.
Olum was anxious to ensure the committee did not take a
political posture or make policy pronouncements. In his letter to
the six committee appointees Olum emphasized they deal with
"simple, factual questions."
We echo Olum's concerns, structuring the committee's role
as fact-finders is important to establishing whether or not the
ROTC program violates University rules against discrimination
or affirmative action. The issue is not black and white, as much
information as possible is necessary for an acceptable
resolution.
The issue of possible ROTC discrimination is definitely emo
tional in many quarters. We, like other interested groups,
strongly object to any discriminatory practices being allowed to
take place overtly or covertly at this University.
We heartily approve of Olum's six appointments. He was
wise to retain ASUO Pres. Mary Hotchkiss' choice of law student
Alan Contreras and Sherri Schultz, ASUO executive assistant, for
an original committee. The appointment of John Lallas, ex
ecutive dean, Shirley Menaker, graduate school associate dean,
Richard Steers, management professor and James O'Fallon, law
professor and chair of the fact-finding committee, certify the
group will more than adequately serve its function.
Don't expect a quick solution to question of ROTC
discrimination. Olum has asked the committee to release its fin
dings by the end of 1984. Then the appropriate governing bodies
will evaluate the committee's findings and take necessary ac
tion. The wheels of bureaucracy are slow — if indeed they do
have wheels at all.
Law school chooses
the right policy
It's odd,, but apt that while the fact-finding committee study
ing ROTC discrimination is now sitting, the University Law
School has adopted a resolution for that school's placement
center to follow the University's equal opportunity policy.
University Pres. Paul Olum has concluded that the place
ment centers of individual schools do not have to adhere to the
equal opportunity policy as long as they do not violate the law.
This reading of the equal opportunity policy was prompted by
recent protests of specific recruiters who have a history of
discriminatory hiring. Ironically, it was FBI recruiters at the law
school who inspired the protest.
The equal opportunity policy states the University "affirms
the right of all individuals to equal opportunity in education and
employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age,
handicap, national origin, marital status, or any other extraneous
considerations not directly and substantively related to effective
performance, including sexual orientation."
The equal opportunity policy and the University's affir
mative action guidelines are two separate, distinct yet similar
policies — and therein lies problems for the University. As the
occasion dictates, either policy has been evoked. Consequently,
there are cracks in the University's strong front against
discrimination.
We commend the law school's placement center for choos
ing the more inclusive of the two non-discriminatory policies.
And we urged that other placement centers in the University
community follow suit.
But, eventually, the University will have to address its two
oolicies and either choose one or combine the two.
Oregon daily . _
emerald
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lean Ownbey
A mother's plea for the future
I am writing to you in the desperate hope that
you may be able to help — by printing my letter — to
let your readers know just how desperate I and so
many other mothers are here in England, about the
deployment of U.S. cruise missiles so close to our
homes.
letter from abroad
ann toms
We are not admirers of the Soviet Russian
system, but neither do we believe we are in immi
nent danger of attack from them — except in
response to these new missiles. They will make us
the world's most important target. In any nuclear ex
change we cannot possibly survive. The overwhelm
ing majority of British people do not want these
foreign weapons on our soil. We have our own
defense systems, our own destiny to follow.
I love my two children dearly (David, 21, is a fine
clarinet player and Mandy, 13, is doing so well with
her cello). They both deserve a future, and I look for
ward to grandchildren one day — yet all I can see
ahead is the grim spectre of death for us all.
This island is so beautiful, rich, fertile; my home
is so dear to me — I, like all my friends, feel I am just
not prepared to stay silent whilst this country is turn
ed into a scenario ot despair, it must oe possiDie tor
"civilized” peoples to live and let live side by side in
peace _ we don't want the provocative cruise
missiles — we don't require American interference —
let us take our own risks — they cannot be greater
than the risks which your weapons, controlled by
your president, expose us to.
Freedom is what America has always stood for —
but now we are asking who's freedom? And freedom
from what? What kind of freedom shall we have left
when the power of life and death, the future of our
country, our continent is under the thumb of so
meone else's elected president. Are we to live our
lives on our knees to a culture not quite like our own,
in the day to day expectation that our history is draw
ing to a close, that our children may be destined to
be sacrificed to the American Dream — or its anti
communist hysteria — or in "defense of U.S.
overseas interests"?
I am not anti-American, lots of my best memories
are of time spent with American friends. There is so
much to admire and enjoy which emanates from the
far side of the Atlantic — but if the Reagan ad
ministration persists with his ego-dominated,
hawkish attitudes it won't be long before the gratfitti
— Go Home Yanks — reappears on the ancient walls
of Europe.
Ann Toma lives on Weston Road, Totland, on the
Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom.
letters
Errors
Melissa Martin's article on
foreign language enrollments
(Nov. 21) contains several glaring
errors.
According to the Registrar's
fourth-week printout, course
enrollment for Chinese is 287,
comparable to Russian, whose
course enrollment is 258, and
Italian (247), though less than
Japanese, which is 356 (a signifi
cant jump from its last-year figure
of 285).
To say that only "some 65
students are taking Chinese this
year" is false, since first-year
Chinese students alone exceed
that number (77 registered at the
beginning of the term). Additional
students are taking second-,
third-, and fourth-year Chinese
literature courses and seminars.
To attribute this misinformation
to Prof. Gontrum, Head of the
German Department, adds some
comic relief to the seriousness of
the error, since Stephen Kohl,
(apanese instructor, is our depart
ment head. But I do not believe
that Kohl would have given out
such misleading information.
Misleading also is the chart ac
companying the article, in which
the course hours of one entire
language program are juxtaposed
with numbers of first-year
students of another without speci
fying which is which.
The Emerald reporter's playing
with enrollment figures does not
alter the actual figures of our pro
gram. Nevertheless, there is cause
for concern about the Chinese
program which has been short
changed for many years. For in
stance, whenever a faculty
member goes on leave, he or she
is invariably replaced with a part
time person who is paid coolie
wages.
In her letter to the Oregonian
(Nov. 20), Linda Walton, at PSU,
boasts that 120 students are
enrolled in (apanese this year. She
attributes the success to the dean
of Liberal Arts and Sciences and
other members of the PSU ad
ministration have taken firm
steps in very difficult cir
cumstances to show their
commitment..."
The same holds true for PSU's
Chinese program, which has more
than 120 students, according to
Wendy Larson, new instructor of
Chinese at PSU a PhD candidate
in Chinese Literature from UC,
Berkeley, she, by the way, was
among the 12 candidates who ap
plied at the University and were
not even considered. The dean,
according to Kohl, did not have
the extra $6,000 to hire a full-time
replacement for Lucia Yang, who
is on sabbatical.
When monetary values are plac
ed above the value of human
resources, then a language pro
gram can be permanently damag
ed. It is not unlikely that the East
Asian program at PSU will have a
"cutting edge" sharper than our
own, if we allow budge»ary con
siderations to interfere with
hiring.
Angela lung
professor, Chinese
Worn thin
I'd like to complain. Professor
LaRusso's 301 students are wear
ing thin the linoleum of the library
reading room. Where do you ex
pect us to realize funds to repair
the floor? A couple new copies of
Aristotle and Quintilian would
also be nice.
lamieson Okk ie
KMCM