Western Front - 1969 November 4

              Letter protests parking fees;
recommends reduced rates
A storm of protest has been
r a i s e d over so-called
"exorbitant" parking fees on
campus.
The Off-Campus Inter-House
Council (OCIC) and the AS
president's office have sent a
strongly-worded letter to College
President Charles Flora seeking
an end to what they called a
"deplorable situation."
Their letter recommended
opening two peripheral parking
lots without charge and lowering
the $18 per quarter parking
sticker price.
The current parking fee
represents a 125 per cent
increase over the previous $8
charge.
The AS Legislature decided
not to endorse the protest letter
to Flora last Tuesday after
considerable debate.
Legislator Mimi Brooks
summed up the majority opinion
by arguing that the parking fee
increase reflects the need to
accumulate funds to help build
additional parking areas.
A high-rise parking garage has
been scheduled for construction
within five years, according to
AS Vice President Greg Baker,
also a member of the Parking
Committee.
The following are excerpts
from the protest letter sent to
Flora late last week:
"A vast majority of students
living off campus are not
well-to-do nor do they come
from well-to-do families. Many
are working for every nickel
they have . . .
"The two peripheral parking
lots, on Indian Street and on
25th Street, should be made free
lots on a first-come, first-served
basis.
"The remaining parking lots,
faculty, staff and student,
should be at least reduced to the
rate charged in the past
academic year . . ."
In addition, petitions are
being circulated by the OCIC
and the AS president's office
urging the parking committee
and the parking supervisor to
make changes in the parking fee
situation.
Intermingling the parking problem with
Halloween, tricksters applied a parking sticker to a
broom last Friday. "western front
Vol. LXII no. 13 Western Washington State College Bellingham, Washington 98225 Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1969
AWS supports abortion reform drive
the spirit of
visiting witch's
-photo by gable
A drive to promote abortion
reform, sponsored by the
Associated Women Students
(AWS) of Washington and Idaho,
is underway at Western.
The drive began after a
resolution to give support to
abortion reform throughout
Washington and Idaho was
p a s s e d at the A WS
Inter-collegiate State Convention
recently.
"At Western, AWS is
attempting to gain support
t h r o u g h donations and
petitions," Jennifer Marshall,
chairman of the abortion reform
at Western, said.
The resolution and petitions
will be introduced at the 1970
Washington Legislature by AWS.
"The idea is to get as much
support as possible," Miss
Marshall said.
"We hope we will have
enough support to get some
positive action."
Information and petitions in
support of abortion reform are
available in front of the Viking
Union daily.
AWS introduced 4 points in
its resolution:
1. There are 10 states that
currently have enacted revised
abortion laws.
2. Washington and Idaho
were not among these states.
3. The present abortion laws
governing the states of
Washington and Idaho are
outdated, a violation of
individual liberty, and restrictive
in delivering quality health care.
4. Criminal and self-induced
abortion is an important cause
of maternal mortality, physical
and psychological suffering and
infertility.
The petition states, in part:
"Therefore, be it resolved
that each local AWS chapter in
the states of Washington and
Idaho promote an awareness of
abortion reform (such as
Washington Citizens for
Abortion Reform) in any or all
of the following areas:
" 1 . Fund raising.
" 2 . Education of women
students.
"3. Lobbying in Olympia
and/or local areas.
"4. Speaking to groups.
"5. Endorse a policy that
abortions performed by licensed
physicians in accredited
hospitals should not be regulated
by the criminal codes of these
states, and that abortions be
regulated only, as are other
serious medical problems, by the
medical profession itself.
"(This resolution shall in no
way be interpreted as requiring
the approval or participation of
any physician or personnel who
have any personal reservations
regarding such procedures.)
"Be it further resolved that
this AWS convention send a
copy of this resolution to the
state legislatures of Washington
and Idaho."
Doan confident of favorable decision for pub
The Board of Trustees will
make a thumbs-up or
thumbs-down decision Nov. 15
r e g a r d i n g the proposed
faculty-student pub on campus.
AS President Al Doan is
confident that the pub, part of
his campaign promise last spring,
will get the final go-ahead.
Doan has talked with State
Liquor Chairman Jack Hood in
Olympia who added his support
along with a warning that "you
might get some flak from the
community."
If the pub proposal passes,
construction on the beer-wine
and sandwich facility will begin
in time for completion by
Winter quarter, according to
Doan.
Negotiations are underway to
lease the fourth floor of the new
Viking Union addition for the
pub.
Student government officials
have been assured that the pub
should bring a minimum annual
revenue of $18,000.
"We're not sure what we will
do with the money," Doan said
last week.
"I want the students to write
and tell me what they want done
with it—it will be their money."
Possible suggestions for
spending the money so far have
included improving Lake wood,
the student-owned recreational
property on Lake Whatcom, and
forming a pub co-op where
students patronizing the facility
would get a rebate every quarter.
Doan has announced an
interior design and environment
contest, open to anyone,
effective today.
The winner will be given a
$25 cash prize on Nov. 16.
Deadline for the contest is Nov.
15.
AS Reform Commission
to provide communication
Sue Beske, while securing a climber below, admires the view on Mt. Erie. See photo story page 8.
—photo by shannon
AS President Al Doan and AS
Legislature recently created a
new cabinet agency, the
Academic Reform Commission.
The Commission will provide
c o m m u n i c a t i o n and
coordination between groups
and individuals on campus who
are involved in educational
reform efforts, John Ward,
coordinator of the Commission,
said.
Two weeks ago AS legislature
granted the Commission an
initial budget of $2,000 to solve
the "immediate funding
problem," according to a
statement issued by the
Commission.
The Commission was
organized because the Student
Academic Advisory Board
(SAAB) was running into a
number of problems, Ward told
the Academic Council last week.
The coordinator appointed
by the AS President, will head
the Commission and will appoint
approximately 15 members
consisting of legislators, student
members of Academic Council,
former members of SAAB and
other interested students, Ward
explained.
The organization plans to
emphasize data collection and
information dissemination in
their reform efforts, he said.
There will be an open
meeting for those interested in
joining the Commission at 3
p.m. today in VU 008.
Applications may also be
submitted to the AS secretary
on the top floor of the Viking
Union or to Ward in VU 006.