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Oregon Daily
Emerald
Friday, December 12, 1986
Eugene. Oregon
Volume 88. Number 72
Criticism led to firing,
says guest instructor
By Shawn Wirtz
Of the Kmereld
A former board member of the
Oregon journalism Education
Association who taught a class
at the University claims he was
fired because of a controversy
over the University's annual
high school press conference
despite a verbal agreement that
he would teach winter term.
As a result of an Oct. 3
Oregon Daily Emerald article in
which Greg Howard criticized
the journalism school for not
cooperating on a joint con
ference with the OJEA, he
received a letter from Associate
Dean Ken Metzler notifying him
that he would not be rehired
because of differences between
the OJEA and the journalism
school, he said.
‘‘1 think it's because we took
the high school press con
ference away, and 1 had the
audacity to talk to the Emerald
about it," Howard said.
After conflicts with the jour
nalism school, the OJEA hosted
the conference at Oregon State
University for 853 high school
students. The University held
its own conference without the
OJEA and drew 382 students.
“I don’t characterize it as a
firing in any way," said Jour
nalism School Dean Arnold
Ismach. "He was not fired
because he did not have a job or
a contract with the school."
Howard admitted he did not
have a written contract, but "it
was clearly understood 1 was of
fered the job or there wouldn’t
be all this contact," he said.
Last winter, Metzler asked
Howard if he would be available
to teach his class again the next
year, and he agreed. Howard
said. "Obviously they don’t
value verbal contracts very
much," he said. Metzler declin
ed to comment.
When the OJEA decided to
move the conference to OSU,
Howard resigned OJEA position
because he "saw a conflict of in
terest" between being a member
and teaching at the journalism
school, he said.
"I wanted to make sure when
the OJEA teachers went off to
OSU for their press conference.
I wasn't in charge of it." he
said. "Had I then stepped in
and offered to do the thing here,
then everything would have
been fine. I would be on. there’s
no doubt in my mind," he said.
Howard spent 200 hours
organizing last year's press con
ference for the OJEA and sug
gested to Ismach that the
University hire someone to run
it this year, he said. Howard
would have applied for the job.
but mainly "I was concerned
about the quality." he said.
The University's last director
of the Oregon Scholastic Press
(OSP). Mary Hartman, used to
organize the conference as well
as publish a bi-monthly
newsletter, oversee OSP
scholarships and distribute Eric
W. Allen awards.
In the Emerald article. Ismach
said Hartman devoted much of
her free time and was not paid
for many of the things she did.
Hartman, however, said in a
telephone interview that she
was paid for those services.
"Apparently what they did
was let go of a position that
Turn to Criticism, Page 4
Policy change allows
gay, lesbian students
to file grievances
By Sarah Kitchen
CM tkr t mrreM
•Oil. Office iif Affirmative Ailion h.is rucimllv had .*
policy changi* Itial will allow it tu represent and counsel
students with sexual orientation grievances
finli) the new |mliiv, which was passed last month liy
University President Haul (Hum. the office could not give full
representation to gay or lesbian students who hail discrimina
tion inquiries or grievances
The change was initiated by l.ucitle Kaplan. Office of
Student Advocacy director, who spoke to Bean Cumruda. Of
fice of Affirmative Action director, about the fact that gay and
lesbian students had nowhere to go for help with a formal
grievance.
"In September I learned, for reasons that are still unclear
to me. that the Affirmative Action office was unable to treat
cases like that in the same way they are able to treat
discrimination cases for race or gender, etc..” Kaplan said.
Kaplan and an assistant. Ann Morrisson. researched into
the history of the discrimination policy and the role of the
OAA. After that. Kaplan formed several arguments that she
hoped would convince the University administration, which
Tuni la Office, Page 9
Photo by Mkhool Wilhrlm
Protesters Scott Seibert (left) and Mike Kennedy (right) talk to author Ken Kesey about
comments he made in a magazine article, which they say are dist:riminatory.
Activists protest Kesey's award,
calling author's comments bigoted
By Scott Maben
Of I Hr Kmorald
Two gay activists protested Thursday
night's presentation of the University's
Pioneer Award to author Ken Kesey, claiming
that a magazine article containing statements
from him discriminated against homosexuals
and people with AIDS.
Protester Mike Kennedy of the (lay and
lesbian Alliance said Kesey blamed the AIDS
virus on homosexuals having sexual inter
course with animals in a |une IttHti Esquire
magazine article.
But Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest," said the article misquoted
him, attributing comments to hint that actually
were made by others at a two-day panel
discussion.
“Kesey’s whole altitude toward homosex
uals is disgusting." Kennedy said. “It's enrag
ing knowing that he's perpetuating these false
stereotypes — gay promiscuity, etc."
Kennedy said remarks in the article in
dicate Kesey is a bigot, an accusation UAI.A
printed on flyers along with an excerpt from
the article
Kennedy and former Lambda (-hi Alpha
president Scott Seibert stood outside the EMU
ballroom handing the flyers to guests atten
ding a recognition dinner honoring Kesey and
four other winners of the awards.
Word of the demonstration brought rein
forced security, but Kesey arrived after a book
signing appearance at the University
Turn to Kesey. Page 4
Herpes victims deal with stigma,
work to remove social taboo label
By Luc inda Dillon
Of Che fnirmlil
Editor's note: Because of Ihe sensitivity ot this
subject. some sources will be known by their first
names only.
Herpes.
Most people don’t even say the word aloud,
and those who do rarely deal with the virus in its
medical context. Although the term can refer to
something as common as a cold sore, more ofteh
it is known as the sexually transmitted virus that
is genital herpes
People who have contracted the virus say it is
a constant luiltle to educate ignorant people about
herpes and to dispel myths about its causes,
severity and implications.
When Ann, a University junior, sought treat
ment for what she thought was a troublesome
yeast infection, a local gynecologist told her she
had genital herpes. The virus has no known cure
and affects upwards of 70 million Americans, ac
cording to the American Social Health
Association.
Her doctor was sympathetic, but made no
suggestions about where to turn to get answers to
Ann's many new questions.
Until March of last year, there was no sup
port group where people with herpes could go to
work out their feelings about the virus. Than two
independent groups joined to form the Herpes In
formation and Support Group, which now meets
every two weeks at Sacred Heart General
I lospital.
Carolyn Pursley and Sharlene Simon are cur
rently coordinators of the group. Pursley has had
herpes for 10 years and thinks the group acts to
deal with the severe trauma of getting herpes
while addressing the societal implications versus
the actual physical symptoms of the disease
"There is such a God-awful stigma attached
to this virus, yet it's not fatal and it's not extreme
ly infectious," Pursley said. One of the goals of
the support group is to break down some of those
stigmas and to make people feel comfortable with
their own situations
When Simon contracted herpes a year and a
half ago, there were no local support groups. "I
worked through a lot of it on my own and ac
cepted it as an inconvenience in my life, but not
much more than that."
Margaret Hailey, a nurse practitioner at the
University Health Center, says 55 students have
been diagnosed with new cases of herpes since
the beginning of the term. "We gel perhaps one
Turn to Herpes, Page 5