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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1984)
Changing of the guard Mary Hotchkiss reflects on a year in office • • • By Jim Moore Of the Emerald A year ago the current ASUO ad ministration took office amidst a media's delight of fanfare; there was an ex Mary Hotchkiss hilarating, narrow victory in a near record voter turnout, a costumed march to kill apathy and the celebrated tearing down of room dividers in the Executive suite. And ASUO Pres. Mary Hotchkiss ap peared to thrive on the attention as she displayed boundless energy, seemingly ready to tackle each future challenge. But as the year's end nears and the May 25 inaugural of newly-elected ASUO Pres. Julie Davis approaches, Suite 4 has been conspicuous by the absence of Hot chkiss. Not even the recent elections stir red much activity from the student body president. But her reduced involvement has been by design, she says. Activities are winding down and her administration is just trying to wrap up loose ends, but more importantly, her reduced involvement allows others to be more involved, she says. "Part of our (ASUO administration) job is as a learning experience. I've spoken out, I've learned how to do it. Now it's somebody else's turn,'' Hotchkiss says. Such an attitude may seem out of character for Hotchkiss. This is the woman whose speaking abilities have grown in a year that demanded she speak about a sign in the EMU lobby, and address the State Board of Higher Educa tion in a plea for funds. Whether gathering support or anger ing some faction, she has hardly been an apathetic student. Even her appearance seems out of character. She now sports a short, effi cient hair style, much more establish ment than her former long, straight hair. Instead of an earthy, loose-fitting blouse and jeans, she attends an interview smartly dressed in an executive-like blazer, although she proudly points to rose pin on her blazer, a symbol of the Students for a Progressive Agenda. Surely this isn't the same fiery Mary Hotchkiss that became the first SPA can didate to become ASUO president. That Hotchkiss would never shun the limelight. But it is the same person, she says. The involvement, the speaking out, the issue battling have been the product of the whole of the student government, not necessarily the whims of Mary Hotchkiss. "I've been a spokesperson on issues, but it has been individuals that have car ried things out, not Mary Hotchkiss car rying things out," she says. She once said that her total time spent on the EMU sign issue was less than four hours, but the controversy the sign sparked made it seem that her time was consumed with the project. And she doesn't understand why students have not recognized the efforts and ac complishments of her staff. “I think the quantity and quality of the work out of the office says not one per son could do it," Hotchkiss says. She smiles when reflecting on the ups and downs of her year as president, and acknowledges no defeats. "We planned long-term goals," Hot chkiss says. And those are in place with the increased University involvement in the United States Student Association, the purchase of a micro-computer system and the recently completed com prehensive campus survey that is available for the new executive. Now, though, the lessons and challenges of being the ASUO president are almost over and she seems to an ticipate the end. "I'm taking a break," Hotchkiss says. In June, she says she will return to her native New York state to "work as a nurse, write poetry and be a mother." There she goes again, stepping out of character. .. .while Julie Davis makes plans for the future By John Heldt Of the Emerald As the school year winds to a close and her May 25 inauguration date ap proaches, recently elected ASUO Pres. Julie Davis is taking steps toward making her administration a reality. One of the biggest steps is forming her staff, and part of that problem was solved Friday with the naming of Incidental Fees Committee member Marc Spence as vice president. Spence also is a member of Davis' hir ing committee that includes fellow University students Betsy Boyd, Mitch Vance, and Gary Okazaki. “I picked these people because I thought they would be good judges of character, work well together, and select a balanced staff from the whole spec trum of students," she says. "I'm looking for people who will work effectively with various groups and not just talk at them or to them. I want students who are excellent com municators and hard workers," Davis says. Meanwhile, the new ASUO president is hoping to avoid many of the problems associated with the transition period by leaving the organizational framework of the executive office much the way it is. "Some of the normal pains of a transi tion are being eased because I am main taining the same office structure," she says. Davis says one of the problems the Mary Hotchkiss administration faced last year was that of receiving little help dur ing the transition from the outgoing ad ministration of C.J. Balfe. "There was no one there to ask ques tions and the new people had to spend a lot of time learning the ropes," she says. But Davis will work more closely with the present administration in the coming days and may even keep some of its peo ple on her staff. Once the transition period is over and Davis assumes power, she faces several problems and priorities. Among those are what to do with the United States Student Association. Davis originally opposed for administrative reasons the ballot measure which asked for student funds to subsidize the USSA's activities. But in light of the measure's passage, she said her ad ministration would support the organiza tion as best it could. Friday, Davis met with USSA field organizer Bob Bingaman to discuss mat ters concerning the organization, in cluding its conference this summer in Eugene, and the ASUO's role in it. Another priority is the role of the ASUO publication, Off the Record, in the coming year. "It will continue in its present form," she says, adding that the focus of the paper will be to publicize events and ac tivities of the ASUO and also serve as a vehicle for transmitting information on such things as the student lobbying effort. Davis says that she has questioned the publication's usefulness in the past because of its relatively small circulation, but she will support it nonetheless because "it will need some time to develop, just like anything else." Meanwhile, Davis believes her law education may give her an edge in another priority — lobbying for funds. "It has made me more familiar with the administrative and legislative process and (as a law student) you develop a sharper sense of timing to when and where the lobbying effort is most ap propriately carried out," she says. Other priorities she notes are increas ing voter registration before the November elections and eliminating much of the student apathy on campus. "I think there is a tremendous amount of untapped energy out there among the various groups of students," Davis says. Julie Davis In at least two areas,"Davis will carry on where Hotchkiss is leaving off. Her ad ministration will continue to explore the possibilites of a self-insurance program for the University and also maintain sup port for the South African divestiture suit. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Applications for admission to the professional program Fall 1984 are now being accepted COLLEGE OF PHARMACY For information call 754-3424 or write College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 Ultrasonic pen cleaning to make your technical pen work like new! At your Bookstore in the Art Dept Food Service Now there are TWO Food Vans to serve you Freshly Baked Croissants ^ Sandwiches is Fresh Fruit Yogurt Hot and Cold Drinks Look for our new food van at Chapman Hall. 8 am - 2pm We're still at our regular location at the Library turnaround 9:30 am - 2 pm