Western Front - 1977 April 15

              VOL. 69 NO. 37,
CHOO CHOO — The Royal Hudson, a British Columbia steam
locomotive, was in Bellingham from noon until 6 p.m. Wednes­day.
The engine and the cars it pulled were part of a tour of the
United States, promoting tourism in British Columbia and cele­brating
Queen Elizabeth H's Silver Jubilee.
Below, two members of the tour, constable Neil Taylor of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Robert Heggie, holding bag
pipes, talked with an interested sightseer.
AS election time
Douglas
symposium
begins today
The William O. Douglas Sym­posium
begins today and con­tinues
through Saturday.
The seminar features a spe­cial
address by Cathleen Doug­las,
wife of the former Supreme
Court justice. Douglas' speech,
"William O. Douglas, the
Man," is scheduled for 11:10
a.m. Saturday.
Other featured speakers in­clude
Jay Murphy of the Uni­versity
of Alabama, who will
open Friday's general session
at 3 p.m. in AH 100. Books and
other materials will be on
display throughout the day in
the Fairhaven main lounge.
On Saturday, Thomas I. Em­erson
of Yale University will
discuss government secrecy
and the public's right to know.
Fairhaven instructor Bob
Keller, advises interested stu­dents
to attend the general
session today for an overview
of the symposium.
Keller also said about 250
people are registered for the
symposium.
Polling takes on new look
byRIPROBBINS
On last year's election ballots, many students
accused the AS of being controlled by an elite
group. The annual rebuttal to this charge is now
underway, with 10 board of directors positions
and 13 All-College Senate seats open. Elections
will be April 26 through 28.
"What's in it for you?" is the slogan for this
year's election, organized by Tony Mauher,
election board chairperson. "You" stands for
students, who Mauher said he would like to see
become more familiar with student governance.
Mauher said he is talking with Women's
Center in an attempt to -have more women
compete for AS offices. He pointed out that half
of Western's students are women, but this is not
reflected by AS board membership.
Working with the AS would be an excellent
chance for practical experience involving
bureaucracy and organizational procedure,
Mauher said.
New procedures will be employed in this
year's election. Mauher has arranged to bring
Whatcom County voting machines to Red Square
and the VU. The machines are being rented from
the County for $15 each.
Jack Smith, VU director, said he remembers
voting machines being used in 1971 AS elections.
He said the next election was done with
computer punch cards. Recent elections have
been by paper ballots.
Part of Maimer's strategy for increasing voter
turnout will be to put the Red Square poll under
the large "Sky Viewing" sculpture. The VU poll
will be among the merchant tables on the VU
plaza. Mauher said Richard Chesmore, election
board member, is working with Mama Sundays
to get musicians outside on election days.
"We wanted a flying elephant," jested
Mauher.
Students can run for office by first completing
registration forms which are available in VU 215
or 227.
Senate housework:
Ethnic Studies folds
Labeled a 'housekeeping' item on the agenda, the All-College
Senate (ACS).last week removed the last trace of the College of
Ethnic Studies (CES) from its rolls. Without discussion, the Senate
unanimously consented to reassign the ACS Constitutional
designation for ethnic studies representatives to an At-Large
status beginning July 1.
That is the time the CES will formally close doors.
Last spring, the Program Study Commission (PSC), recommend­ed
dissolution of the College of Ethnic- Studies and the
incorporation of portions of its curriculum into existing
departments. The PSC cited high costs and low enrollment as
reasons for the recommendation.
No comment on the representative change was available from
current ethnic studies representatives as neither were present.
CES student representative,Margaret Diddy, graduated winter
quarter and the faculty representative has not attended senate
meetings since last June.
ACS representatives are elected from four areas of Western:
student body, administration, classified staff and faculty from the
various colleges and schools of Western. Faculty, classified staff
and administration are holding annual elections for senators this
month. A total of 13 student senate seats are also open. Elections
will be conducted with the annual AS Board of Directors election
at the end of April.
CES journal renowned
Western's Public Information Office (PIO) is promoting the
Journal of Ethnic Studies, a world-renowned publication.
A year ago, Western's Program Study Commission (PSC) stated
the College of Ethnic Studies (CES) — point of origin for the Journal.
- had "not met expectations . . . in its . . . spirit, impact and
relation to the rest of campus . . ."
The PIO quotes co-editor Jesse Hiraoka, who is also dean of the
doomed CES, as explaining "The Journal is much better known
nationally and in other countries than it is locally." The PIO
reported the Journal, started in 1973, now has about 700
subscriptions, including 500 world-wide institutions.
In a Front interview, Dean Hiraoka explained the Journal
program is intact and would continue despite the termination of
the CES. He added that Rutgers University had expressed interest
in having the Journal.
Hiraoka said the Journal of Ethnic Studies is entirely supported
by subscriptions.
"Once a journal is established in a field, manuscripts pour in,"
said Hiraoka. He, along with co-editor Jeffrey Wilner, sort through
the poetry, fiction and reviews that form the core of the book. The
Journal solicits material from certain writers if a specific topic is
desired.
The PIO named Harvard, Princeton and the Sorbonne as
prominent subscribers to the Journal. It is circulated in Canada,
Africa, New Zealand, England, France, Switzerland and the
Philipines.
Last spring, the PSC, set up by College President Paul Olscamp.l
recommended that the ethnic studies program be abolished. The
PSC cited high costs and low enrollment as reasons for the
.recommendation. J