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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1984)
,_PiTUi Food Service Beer Garden TODAY Featuring: SgJxicu&jO^ & In Yo’ Face 4-7 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom Budweiser on tap: Pitchers of Beer $2.50, Cups .75c Burritos 50c, Corn Dogs 50c wefts. JOY ASKEW CHUCK HAMMER RICHARD LANDRY DOLETTE MCDONALD JANICE PENDARVIS DAVID VAN TIEGHEM % HCXXX&t ONLY OREGON APPEARANCP “This Sunday Night” JUNE 3 8:30 p.m. HULT CENTER ■ SILVA HALL Reserved seats s1250 & $1150 Available at Everybody's Records and the Hult Center Box Office Supported by P C V A Reflections on death, meaning Perhaps it is because I'm now approaching the twilight side of the mountain of life that my thoughts more frequently center on the reality — and irreversible finality — of death. It is not a mor bid preoccupation, but rather a periodic philosophic pondering of the "situational mean ing" of certain lives which have ended during the past 21 years. Apart from wrenching deaths of na tionally visible personalities like )ohn Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, jr., — here at the University, there was also the head-on highway collision on June 17, 1969 which claimed the life of acting President Charles )ohnson. comments ron rousseve From a situational perspective, the 1968-69 campus ambience at the University (my first year on campus, incidentally) was anything but benign. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that the atmosphere then — unlike that of 1983-84 — was "politically turbulent." I shall not attempt to detail here the dramatic events of that tense '68-'69 academic year which journalism professor Ken Metzler has portrayed so vividly in his gripp ing book "Confrontation: the Destruction of a College President" (Nash, 1973). I mention the enormously stressful campus ethos that year in passing, because only by attempting to envision it in some way can one, 15 years later, gain an ap preciation for the courageous endurance and principled integrity manifested by Johnson during what turned out to be the last year of his life. And on what principles did he choose to take his stand? When I remember the man he was, the following convictions invariably surface as sources of the "meaning" Johnson was able to wrest from his short tenure as acting president of the University: Steadfast commitment to the concept of the liberal university as "a place where it is possible to bring up for examination all ideas. . . in the firm conviction that through this process those of value will find ultimate acceptance." Regarding student dissent, confidence in due process procedures and in "controlled confronta tion" — bringing all parties to an issue together for open debate in an atmosphere of relative calm. Overall, his administrative style was patient and consultative — reflecting an unswerving humanitarian nuance which prompted Glenn Starlin to refer to Johnson (in his moving eulogy in June 1969) as one who may have "cared too much in his desire for right and reason to hurry us to a better world." I believe that the important legacy of the late Charles Johnson remains intact on campus 15 years after his death. In short, it is an uncommon affirmation of free inquiry and critical questioning in defense of the kind of open university that is in dispensable to the vitality of a pluralistic, democratic society. Such a legacy places Johnson prominently in line with Arthur Flemming, Robert Clark, William Boyd, and now University Pres. Paul Olum — each of whom has also fostered a climate of intellectual openness and appropriate free expression here, when the simple expedient of forcible suppres sion might have been the easier course to follow. It is fitting that we keep alive the memory of the late Charles Johnson — for in honoring him we also honor this University. Ron Rousseve is a professor of counseling psychology at the University. letters Look closer In response to Rick Galliher (Emerald, May 24): If you'd take a little care and look at the bar graph painted on 13th Street, you'd see that it represents the proposed U.S. Federal Funds Budget outlays for the 1985 fiscal year. You present figures from last year's unitary budget which included Social Security under Fluman Resources. I do not know you. I don't know what sort of politics or politicians you believe in, but to label me and those who painted the graph as Communists is pre judice and clearly thoughtless. We are not Communists. We feel that our action was patriotic. We cannot believe that a president who chooses to fund suffering, torture and murder around the world over human needs could have compassion for the people of his own coun try. We expressed the budget in visual form because we want others to comprehend the ab surd imbalance of this budget. It symbolizes the hateful policies of the Reagan Administration. We are not worms and you're not a worm. Please transcend the "us and them" mentality and let's work together for peace and justice and stable future. Kathryn Kelly student campaign for disarm. Laughing In regards to the letter written by Ronald Harper: The only thing "seriously wrong" here, is with his reason ing. Harper claims that the minority of the students are be ing discriminated against. Very interesting hypothesis indeed. I take it if we gave in to his pleas, and gave the Commentator its funding, that the interest of the students would be satisfied. I got a bigger laugh out of this no tion than from that issue's episode of "Bloom County." I suppose that the 1,715 students who voted against the funding will be satisfied as well. I don't think so.... The Commentator had all year to win friends and influence people, and it obviously (judg ing from the vote) failed miserably in this endeavor. As for this publication being ex traordinary; the only thing I found extraordinary about the Commentator was how many different ways their writers and editors could dream up to put liberals down. Quite an accomplishment. In closing, I'd just like to say that I actually love the Commen tator, and that no bottom of a parrot cage is complete without a copy. John Chandler senior, telecommunications Clarify In reading the article "IFC doesn't challenge Hotchkiss' veto" on May 24 1 saw a quota tion from Tim Jordan, co-editor of Off The Record. He was quoted as saying, "We had to fight for an additional $200 for a publication that has been on campus for 18 years." What publication and/or which 18 years is he talking about? As the ASUO secretary for nearly two and-a-half years (November 1978 — March 1981) during the ad ministrations of Ramon Herrera, Scott Bassett and David Eaton, I can attest to the fact that no Off The Record or anything even vaguely similar existed during that time. Jordan, please clarify your statement. Donna Holleran office manager, English dept. Oregon doily emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald m published Monday through Fn day except during exam week and vacation* by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co at the University ol Oregon Eugene OP 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Pres* General Staff Advertising Manager Susan Thelen Classified Advertising Larry Swanson Production Manager Victoria Koch Controller Jean Ownbey Ad Sales. Pachei Bellamy Cmdi Blagg Laura Buckley Julie Bulrice David Kosse Jo Meek* Roberta Oliver Ricnaid Skeen Production Laurie Becharaa. 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