Editorial
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Students’ activism
a force for change
Campus activism nationwide is again showing that
students make a difference in affecting political change.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the growing anti
apartheid movement and the intensifying divestiture
campaign.
This activity has enabled other social issues to gain
strength among students.
Campuses across the nation, including the University,
are witnessing growing student involvement in efforts to
maintain financial aid availability, halt proliferation of
nuclear weapons and ensure that minorities continue to be
represented in college programs.
While the majority of campus protest has centered on
“liberal.” or “left-wing” concerns, a small but growing
conservative student movement has also arisen. In part a
reaction to the dominance of the student left, as well as
representing genuine right-wing political sentiment, this ac
tivism takes many forms.
At the University, it is best expressed by the outspoken
views of the Oregon Commentator. Nationally, similar
publications have arisen on many campuses, as have
Republican and conservative organizations.
While issues addressed and political preferences remain
diverse, a common thread is woven through all students' ac
tivism: the desire to see a more just world. Events concern
ing South Africa offer a striking example, and underscore
the effectiveness'of this political force.
To date, about $400 million of South African-linked
' stock has been divested from 84 colleges or universities.
Since massive campus rallies erupted last spring, more than
50 schools have divested all or part of their investment.
■•■ ’Students have been instrumental in forcing the sale of
$5 billion in South African related stock in state and city
pension funds. The.private business sector has not been im
mune from this pressure.
.,‘Last week. AT&T announced it would end most business
dealings with. South Africa, including purchases of
’platinum, which.represents the largest single U.S. import
from South Africa! AT&T agreed to these and other actions
■ under pressure from employees and shareholders.
Several days later. South African President P.VV. Botha
announced that pass laws, which control the movement of
blacks and determine where they can live and work, will no
longer be enforced by the government. Botha’s announce
ment is welcome, but it left many issues unresolved.
Black access-to adequate housing remains dubious.
Removal of pass law restrictions will not apply to one-third
of the black population forced to live in the so-called
homelands. Clearly, such reforms won’t end apartheid.
But the decision is another sign of what can be achieved
through direct pressure on South Africa. Concessions in the
last several years, however small, have come only as a result
of sustained public — and student — outrage at the con
tinued atrocities of apartheid.
Most of the decisions by college trustees to divest
holdings linked to South Africa are the direct result of cam
pus protest. High visibility tactics, however '‘disruptive,”
remain an effective tool in the struggle for full divestment.
Thus the rise of teach-ins, pickets and civil disobedience.
We applaud the decision to rescind pass laws as well as
other reforms. However, only the full inclusion of blacks in
to South African social, political and economic life should
cause an end to student activism on this issue.
Oregon Daily
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Letters
Most appalling
One of the most appalling
ideas concerning education
ever to arise is upon us now:
degree sharing. This is the idea
that a working spouse who sup
ports a studying spouse is due
half of the degree, including
half of the expected lifetime in
come earned by the degree
holder should the couple split
up.
Somehow by the mere fact of
marrying, for example, an aspir
ing doctor or business ex
ecutive. the supporting spouse
is said to have the same finan
cial value on the open
marketplace as the holder of the
degree. Earning a degree re
quires intellectual effort,
something which cannot be
shared. Nor cam knowledge
gained from studies undertaken
be shared; it must lie learned.
As soon as a supporting
spouse gains through osmosis,
or whatever, the knowledge the
degree holder has by simply be
ing involved with the spouse,
then degree sharing will be
viable — not until then.
The only valid way of
dividing up the income in such
cases is to figure the real earn
ing power of the supporting
spouse and pay accordingly.
The danger to our society of
paying doctor's wages to pro
vide for maid services and
minor accountant duties cannot
be exaggerated. What about
emotional support rendered
etc., one may ask. flow much is
love for sale worth?
Anne Summers
. Student
False image
It was nice of William
Homans to write an article on
the Songwriter's Showcase for
the April 1H Friday Edition.
However, a couple of errors
made the article less valid than
it should have been. With jour
nalistic accuracy and the image
of the showcase in mind. I will
correct them
In the second paragraph I am
quoted as saying "Like Mick
(agger said, 'it's the singer, not
the song.' " What I actually
said was the (agger statement
was usually..correct, but in the
showcase we reversed it for a
night and made the songs the
focus of both artist and
audience.
Following that misquote.
Homans reviewed the showcase
as a musician concert rather
than a songwriter’s evening,
therby missing the point and
giving a false image of the
showcase to Kmerald readers.
In our group the songs are the
meat and the performance is the
gravy. It's the only time
amateur musicians who write
songs can show their art on
their own terms. We need to
perpetuate this condition by
booking more programs and
assuring the flow of correct in
formation about our endeavors.
Obviously, professional musi
cians make the showcase all the
more attractive.
Percy Hilo
(kiordinator
Songwriter’s Showcase
Balancing act
On April IB. petitioners
working on the Economic Con
version Initiative were criticiz
ed in a letter by Todd Saunders.
In his letter, he inferred that
sinc e petitioners frequently Hive
.out literature! in response! to
questions rather than length v
verbal replies, these: cam
paigners are* .apparently just
lookingfor ' * sh e e p
■who. be I i e v I! whatever
they‘re told."
As the campus campaign
coordinator of the petition
drive. I am sorry that he
developed such a bad
impression
Questions are certainly
welcome. Hut it a question re
quires a long answer contained
in literature, distributing
brochures is advantageous. To
ensure that K2.521 valid
signatures are gathered by July,
petitioners must closely super
vise! all individuals (frequently
.t or 4 at a time) as they sign
Staffing a table dearly requires
efficient education which does
not distract from supervising
signers.
Thus, when Mr. Saunders
asked about the initiative's ef
fect on attracting business to
Oregon, he was given a
brochure which explained:
"The question of other com
panies locating here is difficult
to gauge, but most economists
say that decisions to locate are
based upon more tangible! lac:
tors, such as: level and method
of taxation, availability of
suitable land and services,
quality of schools, cost and
quality of labor, and livability of
the community."
Also, it emphasized the in
itiative would only affect
businesses producing com
ponents unique to nuclear
weapons, not basic high-tech
prod ucls.
Far from looking for “sheep.”
we are simply balancing educa
tional efforts with the urgent
need to put the measure on the
liallot.
Steve Kasner
History
Friday. April 25. 198H