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.
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Applications for admission to the
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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
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TWO Food Vans
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^ Sandwiches
is Fresh Fruit
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Hot and Cold Drinks
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Library turnaround 9:30 am - 2 pm