Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

Page 22 text:

18 GALLERY itWe really need a museum facility to preserve the quality of the works, a temperature and humidity-controlled building with the proper lighting for the works shown. Itis on the Universityls list of priorities, but not at the top, maybe not Close to the top. If one was asked where the only' open public museum in Northwest lndiana is, how many would know that it is right here on VUts campus. Professor Richard Brauer, the director of the University Art Galleries and Collections, isn't hiding it. But with the works scattered throughout campus in Christ College, the Union and the library, it becomes quite obvious that VU needs a building in which they can house the works and also have proper preservation equipment regulating humidity and temperature. Brauer works out of a dimly lit comer of the library. Despite the drawbacks, he continues to work to improve and change the conditions. He is proud of the university's collection. Appointed director in 1972, Brauer quietly works surrounded by hundreds of paintings and frames, cluttered work tables and desks, file cabinets, little heat and tlorecent lights The Sloan Collection, which VU officially received in 1958, is the heart of the museum. The endowment to maintain the collection amounted to $150,000 in 1955. Since that time the holdings in the collection have multiplied. Brauer says the increased number of works is due to outstanding investment policies followed by the university-appointed Museum Council charged with overseeing the philosophy, uses and purchases of the collection. itBecause of their financial expertise as well as their commitment to the arts, we are able to purchase one or two major works each year. Through aquisitions and donations, the collection has grown from 380 works to it's present 800. The universityls large group of paintings by Junius R. Sloan forms the core of the collection. The artists son, Percy, inherited 700 of his fathers watercolors and oil paintings in 1923. Percy Sloan, who painted as an evocation but remained a supervisor and art teacher in the Chicago school system, had a strong need to affirm the worth of his father's work and his motherts sacrifices for it. Percy started his 27-year effort to establish an endowed selection of his fathers paintings in a permanent setting, after his mother died in 1923. He held onto the better ones and sold the lesser paintings to start an endowment fund. Through the sale of his house in the mid-40's, he established a trust for the fund and purchased other American works, especially by Hconservative Midwest artists. Sloan, who never married, was very concerned about where the collection would go after his death. Pursueing several avenues, Percy looked at libraries, colleges and museums. He was adamant that the collection be used for education 2 to teach the general public, to increase appreciation of beauty, especially the beauty of nature. The Knitting Lesson, Kewanee, lllinois, 1866

Page 21 text:

re Lu TRIKE IN THE SKY PATCO tthe Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organizationt has been deoertified by the government and many of its members are in serious financial trouble, but the union as a whole is still optimistic about getting their jobs back, according to Larry Phillips, vice- president of PATCOls Great Lakes Region. Phillips spoke at VU on November 4th about the air traffic controllers strike and about what PATCO is doing today. PATCO was formed in 1968, in response to tlatrocious conditions for air traffic controllers. The main issues then, as now, were working conditions such as equipment, retirement and the work week Phillips stressed that the Aug, 3 strike could not be avoided and was the result of years of frustration, including lack of support from Congress and Reagan. Concerning the strike, Phillips said that three main issues were at stake: 1t wages - $10,000 raise across the board; 2t earlier retirement requirements; and 8t a reduced work week, Although che distorted money issue was pushed and pushed to the publictl by the media, Phillips said that this was not the main issue. Hit all we wanted was money, we would have taken that and not had a strike, he said. The important issues, and those issues on which the government refused to negotiate, according to Phillips, were the working conditions. ttOnly one in ten air traffic controllers make it 20 years at age 50 and 25 years at any agef' he said, speaking of the current retirement requirements Phillips also noted that air traffic controllers in 25 countries in the world work less than 35 hours per week. nWe thought our people deserved it, he said When asked it the government's handling of PATCO was an Hobject lesson, Phillips said that there was Hno question abdut it t t , He tReaganl intended to make PATCO an example for other public employees. PATCO was a clear signal to the post office. Phillips noted that after the PATCO strike and its repercussions, the postal workers' union quickly settled its contract despite a threatened strike. The issue which seems to keep the air traffic controllers in the public eye is safety Phillips reported that the air traffic controllers in the Aviation Safety Institute, a private organization, has received twice as many reports of safety violations than it did a year ago. There are conflicting reports, of course, but Phillips cited several examples of llnear-misses including one in Florida where two planes missed one another by only 15 feet. The controller in question was a supervisor of Phillips, who was an air traffic controller for 13 years. He explained that most problems occur in the area of judgement. He also said that although some people may blame the air traffic controllers for putting peoples lives in danger, ttwe did not u'rge people to fly. We took the opposite position. Phillips feels that concern for safety will give the air traffic controllers their jobs back. tlThey'li have to smack a couple of 747's with 300 people on them but 1 .. hopefully its not going to take that, he said, Another problem which may bring the air traffic controllers back to work is a financial one. Phillips stated that the just-released figures on airline profits indicate great losses. According to Phillips, American Airlines is down 41 percent, United is down 54 percent and Delta Airlines profits went down 71 percent. Resort areas are also hurting, said Phillips, citing Las Vegas, in which tourism profits are down 26 percent. In addition to, and as a result of the financial losses, over 25,000 people have been laid ottt ttWelve spent more money on the economic impact than we asked for in the first place, said Phillips and predicted that it can only get worse with winter weather coming take a chance on a couple of craCk-ups, he said, Phillips stated that the union members are ready and willing to get back to work. HJust end the lock-out and we will return to work? he said. it may not be that easy, though. Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis has turned down this otter from controllers. Other problems for the striking controllers include a kind of secondary boycott by private businesses who rely on government contracts. North American Van Lines was one example cited by Phillips. One official at the company reportedly told Phillips: HWelre getting pressure from the government like everybody else. PATCO, however, does not have any documented evidence of this kind of ttboyoott of its members. Phillips also indicated other government action against the air traffic controllers. in addition to various legal actions against controllers, the government may also have pressured the media. The government is proceeding for its pound of flesh and getting it . . . at tremendous cost to the taxpayerf, Phillips reported that WBBM-TV had done two non-biased reports on the air traffic controllers and was planning a third. instead of the third piece, WBBM came out with a ttscathing editorial against PATCO, Phillips said. When contacted by PATCO, someone indicated that they had received a telegram from the FCC reminding them that their license was up for renewal Despite these problems, though, Phillips said that there is Still a lot of unity in the union . . , Of course, some that are losing their houses are not quite so unified as those who are faring better. He also said that the striking controllers and their families are hurting, there's no question about that, but Phillips did not indicate any regret about the strike itself. He said, ttWe had two Choices- to submit to the continued deterioration of our people's health or to strike, to stand up and say we've got to make the issues Clear .. . You reach a point where it you sincerely believe in something you've got to take a stand? W 17

Page 23 text:

Self Portrait, 1854 19