University of Washington - Tyee Yearbook (Seattle, WA)

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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

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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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YAF challenges campus radicals in an awakening of the right Croups such as the Seattle Eight (repre- sented below) were precisely what the YAF opposed. ... if women want to work they should assume that responsibil- ity, said Al Zeller, campus con- servative and member of the YAF. The Young Americans for Free- dom is a conservative organiza- tion that some take as seriously as Women's Lib. In the past, it has challenged the rights of so- called radical movements. YAF, like other organizations, is also concerned with education on this campus in relation to the outside world. Over the past year it was very much concerned with class- room disruptions by radicals and the University taking a politi- cal stance on any issue. We must realize that education is a privilege, not a right. said Zeller. It is a contractual agree- ment with the University. We pay our fees to attend classes, there- fore, we have a right not to have those classes interrupted. I am opposed to violence as a means of demonstrations, but I will fight anyone who refuses to allow me to enter a class. The University has to remain in a politically neu- tral atmosphere. When it aban- dons this, there is no free investi- gation. While some contend that the presence of ROTC on campus constitutes taking a political stance, Zeller feels it is a necess- ity. It's for the defense of the country—merely a matter of pri- orities. YAF took part in a campaign for peace on campus by distributing blue buttons. The buttons were to serve as a constant reminder that the student majority opposes violence on campus, said Mike Sharp, chairman of the University YAF. It is sort of a moral con- sensus. Zeller believes that the majority of students on campus are apa- thetic, but he feels like the rest of the nation they are awakening to the sounds of disruptions. Spiro Agnew, according to Zeller, has his thumb on the pulse of the nation. YAF was also part of a broadly-based campaign to make the ASUW a voluntary organiza- tion. 28