ZINN IN EUGENE
Dr. Howard Zinn, noted historian, politi-
cal scientist, peace and justice activist, and
author of several books, including A People’s
History of the United States, will lecture on
“Terrorism and War” in Eugene on Friday,
April 4, at 7 pm at the McDonald Theatre.
For nearly a half-century, Dr. Zinn has
been both chronicler of and participant in
major U.S. peace and justice movements. A
Jewish American whose working-class im-
migrant parents labored in poverty all their
lives, Zinn does not suffer from the delusion
that hard work is all that’s required to realize
the “American Dream.” Likewise, he is
keenly aware how past and present U.S. po-
litical leaders and institutions preserve our
nation’s wealth for the few and perpetuate for
tens of millions of Americans the concomi-
tant violence of poverty, hunger, and igno-
rance in service to so-called national inter-
ests.
Nevertheless, Zinn remains hopeful. In
his writings, teachings, and activism, Zinn
bears witness to the indefatigable spirit of or-
dinary people who successfully overcome
their oppressors.
“How often in this [past] century we have
been surprised,” Zinn proclaims, “by the sud-
den emergence of a people’s movement, the
sudden overthrow of tyranny. We are sur-
prised because we have not taken notice of
the quiet simmerings of indignation … of
protest … of resistance that, in the midst of
our despair, portend the excitement of
change.”
Zinn adds, “Isolated acts begin to join.
Individual thrusts blend into organized ac-
tions, and one day, often when the situation
seems most hopeless, there bursts onto the
scene a movement.” Ultimately, Zinn con-
cludes that to be hopeful “is not just foolishly
romantic. It is based on the fact that human
history is a history not only of cruelty, but
also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kind-
ness.”
Tickets for Zinn’s lecture are available at
the EMU ticket office ($6/stu., $8/public).
Call 346-0634 for further information.
— Bo Adan, UO Concerned Faculty for
Peace and Justice
RUDDERLESS COUNCIL
Eugene City Councilors met Feb. 8 for
eight hours to set a “shared, future-focused
strategic policy agenda” for the city — but
failed.
“I don’t think any of us would disagree
that the session did not meet its objective,”
Sue Diciple, a Portland facilitator hired to run
the meeting, wrote the council. “The dy-
namic of the council, as it exists now, is not
such that a collaborative process will work
effectively.”
After new members are elected every two
years, the city council traditionally meets to set
its high priority goals for the city. This is the
first time in at least a decade that the council
has failed to reach consensus on what broad
goals the city organization should pursue.
Diciple pointed to “process guidelines”
handed out to the council to facilitate the
BY PAUL NEEVEL
JAN CUNY
For the past three years, UO
computer science professor Jan
Cuny has served as a volunteer
Court Appointed Special Advocate
(CASA) for abused and neglected
children. “They have a terrific
training course,” she reports.
“After that, you’re appointed to a
case.” Each CASA volunteer is
assigned to a child in foster care
and remains with that child until a
safe and permanent home is
found. The advocate attends fami-
ly meetings, talks with teachers
and case workers, and writes
reports for the court.
“Kids have a lot of different
care providers,” Cuny notes. “No
one has the total picture except
the CASA.”
A New Jersey native, Cuny vol-
unteered in a big-sister program
as an undergrad at Princeton and
worked with abused kids while in
grad school at Michigan. She and
her husband, Steve Robinson,
adopted three older children while
she was teaching at UMass. They
moved to Eugene in 1993.
“Kids benefit from seeing the
same face in different situations over a period of years,” Cuny says. “It’s one of the most
rewarding things I do.” CASA of Lane County advocated for 148 children last year. More
volunteers are needed. Inquire at 984-3132.
8 APRIL 3, 2003
failed meeting. The guidelines included such
advice as: “be willing to listen;” “focus on the
good of the group;” and “manage your own
disappointment.” Diciple said “none of those
guidelines were successfully met by the
group as a whole.”
“I don’t think the guidelines are unrealis-
tic,” Diciple said. “Some councils, even some
that can be quite contentious, are largely suc-
cessful on all six points when conducting
their goal-setting business.”
Mayor Jim Torrey said at a March 12
council meeting that he found the fractious
meeting embarrassing. “I was [embarrassed]
as the facilitator was as I’m sure most of you
were. I’m glad we weren’t on television that
day.”
“I didn’t feel real good about the way it
came out,” said Councilor Nancy Nathanson.
“We’re going to produce flawed goals for
the next two years,” said Councilor George
Poling.
City staff developed a list of four possible
council goals from the Feb. 8 meeting that
they felt might have majority support on the
council. “I didn’t perceive there was consen-
sus around any of the four issues,” acting
City Manager Jim Carlson said. The four pro-
posed goals included: “Strengthen relation-
ship with University of Oregon;” “Address
the needs of the community’s most vulnera-
ble members;” “Address the needs for out-of-
school educational and recreational activities
for children and youth;” and “Ensure effec-
tive, efficient local government services.”
Possible actions under the goals included
such things as: privatizing city jobs; giving
free library cards to low-income Springfield
kids; and working with the UO to site a new
basketball arena.
“I’m really disappointed” with the list
staff came back with, Councilor Scott
Meisner said. “I don’t think it matches what
we discussed at all.”
Councilor Betty Taylor faulted the facili-
tator for wasting half the day with staff pre-
sentations rather than council discussion. She
said Diciple had focused on her own goals
rather than the council’s.
Taylor questioned whether siting a bas-
ketball arena was an appropriate goal of the
city council. “It would be embarrassing to say
that’s one of our goals,” she said.
Councilor Bonny Bettman said the city
should not subsidize the UO basketball arena
with city land and staff time as it did with the
Autzen Stadium expansion.
Taylor said many of the goals are sup-
ported by only four councilors but, by new
council rules, at least five councilors must
vote to even schedule a discussion topic at a
council meeting, adding, “I find it very
ironic.”
It’s not clear how the council will con-
tinue to work on its goals. Some suggested
another goals meeting after Dennis Taylor,
the newly appointed city manager, takes of-
fice this month.