Taber goes back to the fast lane
By Steve McCurdy
Of the Emerald
He sits with a cigarette in one hand and papers in the other.
His blue suit and polished black shoes break the conventional
but casual dress code of most University professors. He appears
fidgety, rolling his pencil between his hands and moving papers
around on his desk top.
A student knocks and enters his office with a late assign
ment, but Bob Taber, assistant journalism professsor, will not
accept it. The paper is late, and Taber will not make any
exceptions.
“I’m just preparing the student for the working world,”
Taber says.
Taber, who has taught at the University since 1980, will go
back into the "working world” this July as director of manage
ment development at a New York-based national trade associa
tion. The Association of National Advertisers has a staff of 25,
researching ways to make advertising more effective, Taber
says. He adds that his position will include consulting top
advertising companies in the country.
"My job is like teaching because I will be designing
seminars, workshops and the like for clients involved in the
company,” Taber explains.
Taber applied for the job when a colleague from a previous
job in Seattle contacted him about the available position and
told him teaching and professional experience were the
prerequisites. „
Taber says the school environment is not competitive
enough for him, adding that the only incentive in teaching is ac
quiring tenure.
"Why work harder if there is no incentive to do so? You
don’t get paid any more, so why bother? This attitude is per
vasive among some faculty, and it is understandable,” Taber
says.
"Because of a lack of direction, there is little pressure to
make things happen. I’m an achiever. I like to make things hap
pen and change,” he says.
"In the ad business one is able to work with more money
and more professionals. I like that aspect because with that com
bination,. one is able to accomplish a lot.”
Taber adds that his change in jobs is also motivated by his
need to live in a more progressive city than Eugene.
After Taber finished his undergraduate degree at the
University of Idaho, he transferred to graduate school at the
University in 1971. He says E.ugene seemed like a good-sized
city.
Taber looks forward to the "challenge” of working in New
York. “You have to be sharp, quick and have lots of energy. It is
continually stimulating,’’ he says. “You are always surrounded
by sharp, enthusiastic people. In New York you have to have an
edge in life, and you cannot keep this edge in this kind of
environment.
“Besides, I’m too young, career-wise, to stay in this kind of
environment,” says the 35-year-old professor.
Taber adds that the job offer was hard to turn down, since he
will earn more in one year at the association than he would in
But Taber admits that teaching was something he always
wanted to do.
After receiving his master’s degree from the University in
Bob Taber
-j
JL-J
1973, Taber spent five years as an account executive at advertis
ing agencies in San Francisco and Seattle. In 1978, he moved to
New York and worked for N.W. Ayer, the oldest advertising
agency in the country.
In May 1980, Willis Winter — one of Taber’s former Univer
sity journalism professors — told him about a teaching job at the
University, and Taber took it.
“Originally it was a temporary job for a year. But I liked it.
And apparently they liked me, so I stayed,” Taber explains.
“But it’s time to go back to work,” he adds.
Winter is heading the search committee for Taber’s replace
ment and says that no one has been hired for the position yet.
But Taber says his career in teaching may not be over for
good. “If 1 do decide to teach again, it will probably be to
retire.”
EMU budget to
face IFC action
The EMU and its various pro
grams met the Incidental Fee
Committee on Wednesday to
discuss the organization’s
1985-86 budget request — a
figure representing more than
$1.2 million in student fees.
Last year the IFC allocated ap
proximately $1,227,045 to the
EMU, the larger percent of
which went to its administra
tion and house branches. The
EMU’s current request, to be
decided at the end of tonight's 5
p.m. hearing, does not yet in
clude subsidies for on- and off
campus child care facilities,
which totaled $45,000 in each
of the past two years.
Groups within the EMU’s ad
ministration to approach the
committee included the EMU
Main Desk, seeking $13,533 for
next year; the Craft Center, re
questing $14,350; Club Sports,
whose new budget request is
$47,453; the EMU Board, seek
ing $3,919; and Program Ad
ministration, asking for
$296,647; the Cultural Forum,
requesting $72,720; and the
Program Consulting Office,
seeking $4,990.
While the EMU’s Food Ser
vices, Recreation Center and
Print Shop are included in the
budget, no funds are being
sought for next year as the
groups’ projected incomes
either meet or exceed their pro
jected expenses.
At today’s hearing, the com
mittee will review the Outdoor
Program’s budget request of
$20,860 before voting on the
EMU’s overall budget. The
meeting will be held in Room
337 EMU.
et al.
MEETINGS
PRE-LAW STUDENTS: There is an im
portant meeting today at 4 p.m. in Room
164 Oregon Hall, regarding the internship
program in Lane County law firms for in
terested students.
WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS meets
today at 4:30 p.m. in Room 307 Allen Hall.
It is important that everyone be there to
discuss this month's program and officer
elections.
HAWAII CLUB MEETING tonight at 7 in
Room 112 EMU. We will discuss our ban
quet, elect new officers, etc.
ASKLEPIADS meet tonight at 7 in the
University Inn lounge. The meeting will
include discussion of a new date for the
Portland trip.
LECTURES
ASUO PRESIDENT JULIE DAVIS will
give a slide show presentation on her re
cent visit to Nicaragua today at 11:30 a.m.
in the EMU Forum Room.
ROBERT SANFORD will present a lec
ture titled ‘‘Men and Women: Sex and
Power” tonight in the Carson Hall Gold
Room at 7 p.m.
MISCELLANEOUS
MEN AGAINST RAPE will present a
movie tonight at 7:15 in EMU Century
Room B. The movie will be on acquain
tance rape.
Deadline for submitting Et Als to the
Emerald front desk, 300 EMU, is noon the
day before publication. Et Als are run only
once, depending upon space availability.
Events widi a donation or admission
charge wilt not be considered. Events oc
curring nearest the publication date, and
campus-originated events will be given
priority.
Weekend
Special
$2700
200 FREE MILES
Pick up on Friday,
Return Same Time
Monday
A-WAV
RENT A CAR
683-0874
#7 Coburg ROad
Some Restrictions
-emu
What do the EMU
Skylight Refectory (
and an Italian vt
restaurant in Rome
have in common?
0 Fc«e OtaBaa food pxepaied (twk (hub)
0 Relaxing. pleaMud abnMpheie
'0 Red & utkiie checkered lahleclolkd
1^* /l ..I «v«.. ai fig fl ty a..« n.l / |»f|» ll tlHiyi
1 n vtcttr uk TvtWuJt VvuWvJtufn
STEP UP TO THE
SKYLIGHT REFECTORY
AND DISCOVER THE
FLAVOR OF ITALY
Check CLASSIFIED section
for today’s special!
Fine, quick cuisine at
reasonable prices
International Desserts Too!
Located a cloud or two above
the EMU Main Desk
Open: Mon -Fri
10:30am to 2pm
-UO Bookstore,
e hnrottd in
Come in and meet
STEVE SOLOMON
Author of
Organic Gardening West of the Cascades
Grow ing Organic Vegetables West of the Cascades
Owner of Territorial Seed Company
WEDNESDAY MAY 1 12:00 to 2:00
• Autograph Party • Seed Packets for Sale •
• Pep Talk on Gardening •
• Drawing for May Basket •
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE
895 East 13th Ave. 686-4331