University of Washington - Tyee Yearbook (Seattle, WA)

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Women's Lib: Off your Maidenform mentality ... Like the rest of the nation, the University of Washington saw in 1970-71 the rise of a somewhat vociferous if not powerful group of women concerned with liber- ating themselves from their pre- channeled roles in society. Lo- cally the group involved several groups—Women's Commission, Women's Liberation, and Radical Women. Some grievances of the movement were sound. But it also suffered from many of the presupposed assumptions that women are out to reverse the roles and take over the world. Because tea parties, fashion shows and babies don't occupy the entire mind of today's wom- an, Women's Lib to many seemed full of rhetoric and a complete denunciation of feminity. Ann johnson of the Women's Com- mission explained the ideals of Women's Liberation: The ulti- mate goal of Women's Liberation is human liberation. You elimi- nate the roles of men, creating a human liberation. Issues on campus of extreme im- portance to Women's Lib were the status of women students, faculty, and staff policies concern- ing hiring and firing and pay The campus Women's Liberation groups all supported Day-Care as a necessity to free working mothers and student mothers. Their efforts on the UW campus, at least, proved futile. 26

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AN END TO POVERTY, WAR, RACISM, SEXISM • • • The University of Washington, composed of over 33,000 students, could be called an amal- gamation of apathy. Any cause that garners the interest of one-tenth of the student body goes on the record as successful. Surveys taken show its radicals to be less radical, its conser- vatives less conservative. But even though apa- thy is the norm, most students would like to see fundamental changes in society. Most view the University as an important instrument of change. The University is a community in microcosm, says Eloy Apodaca of MECHA. What we do here will eventually prepare us for somewhere else. The diversity of a large university offers a stu- dent a chance to find a purpose—to do his own thing. Because for him, going to school is not enough. He must, somehow, relate to the world outside—a world threatenting his freedoms as an individual—a world reflecting poverty, war, racism and sexism. Liberation is-an abstract term that for some has yet to become a reality. For others, it brings with it a fear. Nevertheless, that is what each group on campus is working for: a liberation of some sort—freedom from forces opposing its ideals, freedom for mankind. All want to educate; some want the right of an education. 1970-71 was a year of somewhat more quiet enthusiasm than years past. It seemed even deadly calm after the explosive past spring. But nonetheless. Fall Quarter saw the emer- gence of more groups and counter-groups. One active participant described it as a year when people with an increased awareness moved into education—a year of more bomb- ings, fewer demonstrations, more leaflets—a year of a more definite direction in social change. Yet, for all the quiet, it was an uneasy year as forces continued to line up left and right, waiting for the first move. Radical women janet Meadows and Jill Severn speak at a rally protesting the lack of day-care facilities on the UW campus. This fall, noisy demonstrations were replaced by more positive work towards various goals. Here, a participant sleeps through a rally protesting the con- struction of Highway 1-90.

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and scholarship opportunities for women. A report on this area issued by the Commission found that there was an “exploitation of women on the campus. It re- commended that steps be taken to remedy this. However, by far the most vocal and publicized issue was that of a Day Care Center on campus. Women's Lib contends that child care is an important factor in the liberation of women. After losing the center established during the spring strike, several groups be- gan working toward a Day Care Center on campus. In October, about 150 people, consisting of a coalition of various groups, marched on Clark Hall to protest the space and funds given to the military by the University and de- manded that Clark Hall be con- verted into a Day-Care Center. A proposal set forth by President Odegaard for establishing a limi- ted Center was rejected as being totally inadequate. Others on campus saw no reason at all for a Day-Care Center. “I see no reason why I should have to pay for the care of someone else's children .. Women's Lib garnered the support of some men, also, as it aimed at freeing both sexes from preconceived societal roles. 27