University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - Periscope Yearbook (Eau Claire, WI)

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Burke promotes political activism to gain equality, power £or women Women’s role in politics was the focus of Yvonne Brathwaite Burke's speech at UWEC in March. Vice-chairperson of the 1972 Democratic Convention and the first black woman elected to Congress from California, she said that women must take a more active role in the policymaking process. She also talked about issues involving women on the political scene. Burke said her hope for 1976 was that women would not be the last to be called upon in high strategy positions. Women are not well-represented in positions involving the formulation of legislation now. and they need to gain more consultant and technician positions, not just political office positions, she said. Total representation can only be achieved by huving more women active in politics, she said. There are only 19 women in Congress and no woman Senators. If you don’t have total input.” she said, “it is not representative, and we cannot react to a crisis. The best opportunity for women to get involved in politics is at the local level. Burke said. Women are becoming more involved lately in local boards of education, city councils and lawmaking bodies. It is necessary, however, for women to be involved at all levels of government. One current problem is in the area of appointments for women. The Supreme Court is an example of this discrimination. Burke said. There is yet to be a woman on the Supreme Court. 'This is the first time I have heard of anyone talking about age when appointing a judge. she said. “A woman can be too old. but nobody worries about an old man when it comes to a Supreme Court judge. Another issue is employment discrimination. One-third of employment discrimination involves women. she said. And. though many problems are resolved, it is only because people give up. not because of action taken.” A large number of complaints are from university women. Instructors are women, but there aren’t too many women who move higher up (administration!. And if they do move higher up. they don't get paid as much as men do for the same job. Burke said women are not common in the hierarchy of large corporations. Women are only on the board of directors of a large corporation if there is a crisis or if the department is on the way out. Women are in the forefront in the peace movement, Burke said. A reason we need women in politics is shown by the fact that 51 percent of women polled in 1971 backed the McGovern-Hatfield Amendment, which would have called for a withdrawal of troops from Viet Nam, she said. In the question answer session after her speech. Burke said that attitudes about women’s roles are changing. In the 1960s. the idea in America was that women stayed at home. She said part of the changing attitude is. among other things, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) issue. Burke said she has given up on any chance of the ERA passing this year because of the recession, job competition, and the organized movement against the ERA. People are concerned about uni-sexual bathrooms and these things. Burke said, but these are not true. She added that moat objections to the ERA are unfounded. Burke said that in a recent poll, 55 percent of the people said they would vote for a woman president. Women can be elected now because people want to relieve our social ills. Election reform and means of selection reform are two thing that are necessary for women to gain in power. Burke said. 23

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demic Career Advising. HEALTH SERVICE You didn't feel well. Besides having a cough, you felt nauseous, light-headed and run down. It was time to find out just what was bugging you. According to Dr. William Mautz. one of the two Health Service physicians, it was probably just that—a bug. But it was part of the Health Service’s function to take care of students who came in with health problems they wanted remedied. The Health Service has given physical exams and since March 1975, has prescribed birth control methods to women requesting it. It also offers pregnancy and veneral disease testing. The Health Service staff consulted with other professionals on certain cases, worked with the Counseling Center and had a psychiatrist on call. Flu shots and skin tests were available to all students and faculty. Allergy shots were also given. Although a nurse was available in the Murray Hail office on nights and weekends. Mautz said students seemed to prefer to go to a hospital emergency room, which cost money. ACADEMIC CAREER ADVISING You re tn college but perhaps didn't know what you wanted to major in. You had no major and no adviser. Or. maybe you read about a course in the catalog. It sounded great, but you wanted to know more about the course. Academic and Career Advising handled these and other academic problems and questions. The office staff worked with students who had no major and acted as advisers to these undecideds.” They helped students discover their interests. 120 OFFICE OF ACADEMIC I CAREER ADVISING AMSn TO out STUttNTS WALK INI They work with handicapped students. They also organize and run the summer orientation program for freshmen and transfer students as well as hold departmental dialogs throughout the school year. Sarah Harder, adviser to older students, is responsible to UWEC students over age 23. 22

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Question:howmanypeoplecanyou£it The enrollment this year reached almost 10,000 students—a record for the school and quite a contrast to past years of 7,000 and 8,000 enrollments. Was it noticed by the students? Were there longer lines in the Blugold room, fewer tables available in the library, more people in classes? Were parking spaces more scarce? '7 haven't noticed that anything is really much different this year than last, one Blugold patron said. Sure the lines are kind of long but they were this way last year too. ” We sure could use another parking lot. A week before exams, you just can't get a place in here (library) if you don't come before 6.00. I'm not paying this ticket. I had to park in this faculty spot to get to class on time. Considering more students probably use the library than any other building on campus, you'd think they could find more room. According to James Bollinger, assistant chancellor for administrative services, UWEC is equipped to handle between 10,000 and 10,500 students provided they’re divided into the right areas. The only place that was really pressed for space this year was the library, he said, and in the next few years, more space will be opened up. Space was also tight for the recreation and athletic programs. Chancellor Leonard Haas said. He didn't believe, however, that crowded conditions changed students' desire to attend UWEC. He said he thought students must be satisfied here because they have recommended the school to others. Word of mouth has been the best recruiter. Parking a problem But students have complained this year about particular inconveniences due to the high enrollment. One complaint is that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible to find adequate parking space on or near campus. Wallace O’Neill, director of Safety and Security said car pools should be used to relieve the problem. Last year, cars were parked on streets in the vicinity of campus up to three blocks away, he said, but this year they are being parked five or six blocks away from campus. We know these are student and faculty cars because they have stickers on them; they just couldn't find spots in the lot.” O’Neill said. This year, a special car pool rate was advertised by Safety and Security. In order to alleviate the parking congestion, the office en- 24