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Show Former Utahn He works for a living legend WASHINGTON On the wall is a painting of a summer cottage. Sitting on the television set is a photo of a man and his little boy. And on the end table next to the American flag sits a picture of three brothers only one of them still living. The cottage is located at Hyannis Port. The man with the little boy is a United States senator. And it is the senator who appears in the photo with his two assassinated brothers Jack and Bobby. In the Capitol office of Sen. Edward Kennedy surrounded by items that remind the visitor of the Kennedy legend, former Utahn Wayne Owens works as administrative assistant to Sen. Kennedy. Being the senator's top aide, Mr. Owens attends meetings in Sen. Kennedy's place when he is unable to go. And last Wednesday while Sen. Kennedy was in Massachusetts, Mr. Owens went to discussions on the McGovern-Hatfield McGovern-Hatfield amendment 'in Sen. George McGovern's office. But preceding the briefing he talked with University of Utah students visiting Washington. "The demonstration at the Ellipse was superb," said Mr. Owens, adjusting his glasses. He had gone on that blistering May afternoon to observe the protest. pro-test. In fact, he had helped organize the 175 congressional observers who had gone to watch the 100,000 demonstrators. But Mr. Owens doesn't think that demonstrations only will change U.S. policy. Instead he believes that youth must organize, petition and raise money to insure the passage on congressional measures such as the McGovern-Hatfield resolution, which sets a Cambodian timetable, and the Cooper-Church Amendment, which denies funds for retention of U.S. troops in Cambodia. He also said that the students combing Capitol Hill and meeting with their congressmen have had a positive effect on Washington. Mr. Owens advocates those students in Washington turning their efforts once they returned home to educating the public in re-setting priorities to domestic strife, racism, poverty, education, crime Instead of war. "The people just don't understand Southeast Asia," he said. "They are used to winning glorious wars." A 15-minute walk from Sen. Kennedy's office stands the ultramodern ultra-modern Housing and Urban Development building. On the 10th floor, William B. Dockser spends his days working as the special assistant to the under secretary. And sometimes he performs duties for Secretary Sec-retary George Romney. He would agree with Mr. Owens. The students talking to government govern-ment officials had a positive influence on Washington. But their presence has also surprised him. "Today we've had visits from Utah, North Carolina and Duke universities," he said. "Those are schools we've never heard from ' before." "We are used to the Princetons and Yales in Washington," Mr. Dockser continued, "but the Utahs, Carolinas and Dukes are new to us." To Mr. Dockser, the appearance of these schools indicate the concern is spreading to more conservative campuses. It shows the whole country, he said, has reacted to the Cambodian decision coupled with the Kent State incident. And the results in many cases, have been disastrous. In fact, Mr. Dockser speculated that "if this country had been France, the government could have fallen." |