Oregon daily emerald., April 13, 1981, Page 10, Image 9

Students face bite-the-bullet options
By HARRY ESTEVE
Of the Emerald
As the saying goes, money
doesn’t buy happiness. And it
doesn’t seem to buy much else
these days, either.
Coping with diminishing
spending power has become an
everyday headache for most
Americans, a malady to which
students are by no means im
mune. And as times get harder,
low-income and self-supporting
students have less to look for
ward to than most.
As probable victims of current
government spending cut
backs, students face reduced
financial aid availability and
restricted food-stamp and wel
fare eligibility, as well as the loss
of other social service pro
grams.
These cuts, in combination
with pending tuition increases,
are bound to make life even
more difficult for students who
already find it tough to get by.
Most University students are
supported either by parents or
some form of financial aid. But
siegmund’s
Cleaners
FAST SERVICE
ON
ALTERATIONS
Siegmund’s Cleaners
821 E. 13th 345-6321
KONA CAFE ^
Breakfast Served 7:30-11:30
Monday thru Friday
Two Eggs, Hashbrowns and Toast .1.75
Ham and Eggs, Hashbrowns and Toast .2.60
Diced Ham and Eggs, Hashbrowns and Toast .2.00
Huevos Rancheros .2.25
...plus a selection of omelets and tropical juices. Homemade
coffeecakes and pastries are baked fresh daily in our kitchen.
START YOUR DAY AT
THE KONA CAFE!
Lunch and dinner served daily also. 345-0214
"On 13th between the Bookstore and Duffy's.”
[com
k®
CONAVFV
PRO 1200
The Pro
is a Deal!
This high-powered, lightweight
1200 Watt dryer has 2 heats, 2 speeds
for flexibility. Keep the style you got in the
beauty salon with the dryer designed by
the pros for the pro.
Available on the Main Floor
in The Cosmetic Department
Only at the UO Bookstore.
13th & Kincaid
— Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30
BOOKSTORE Sat 10.00-2:00
Textbooks 686-3520 • General Books 686-3510 • Supplies 686-4331
as inflation and decreased
government spending take their
toll, these traditional means of
support may soon be in short
supply.
Regardless, students find
ways to make ends meet.
Susan Silburn, a 24-year-old
recreation major from Australia,
is among the many students
who must support themselves
as best they can with part-time
jobs.
Silburn says her financial dif
ficulties began almost immed
iately after arriving in the United
States nearly two years ago.
After about $1,000 worth of
clothes and money were stolen
from her, Silburn realized the
money she had saved to pay for
her American education would
not be enough. A stroke of luck
helped her find her current job
with the EMU food service, she
says.
In a typical month, Silburn
works about 80 hours and
brings home approximately
$250 in wages. After rent, she is
left with a little more than $150
to spend on a month's bills, food
and entertainment — a skimpy
amount by anyone’s standards.
"It’s definitely a disadvantage
when you consider all the
students who don’t have to
work," Silburn says. "I’d rather
not have to." But that’s as far as
her complaining goes — she
says juggling work and classes
has been a good experience.
By combining frugality with a
conservative lifestyle, Silburn
can afford her living costs. A
federal research grant helps
cover her tuition. "I don’t buy
textbooks,” she says. Instead,
she uses the reserve book room
of the library and the Universi
ty’s resource center to get the
information needed for classes.
This method of study apparently
hasn’t posed any major prob
lems. She says she has yet to
receive a grade lower than an A.
"I walk to school, so I don’t
pay for transportation," she
says. Economizing by buying
only second-hand clothes and
never eating in restaurants, she
saves her leisure dollars for the
only social activity she spends
money on — drinking.“That’s
the cheapest thing you can do,”
she says.
Even students lucky enough
to receive parental support of
ten live on monthly sums ordin
arily considered substandard.
Business and history junior Eric
Sandstrom is one of them.
Sandstrom, who gets $230 a
month from his parents, chose
fraternity living as a relatively
low-budget alternative.
Using the money his parents
send to cover Chi Psi’s monthly
room and board, Sandstrom
works summer, winter and
spring vacations to pay for his
tuition, fees, books and in
cidental spending.
He says his partying “is taken
care of by the fraternity,” and
that keeps expenses down. “I
try not to spend money on
stupid things like going out and
drinking a lot.”
“It’s also good to stick some
money into a savings account,
say a couple hundred dollars,
for emergencies,” he says. Time
certificates are best, he thinks,
because “you can’t get at them
Graphic by Sioux Anderson
for six months.”
Even though a part-time job is
often the only way to come up
with the extra money many
students need to continue col
lege, Eugene — with an unem
ployment rate two to three
points higher than the national
norm — is notorious for its tight
job market. Future student em
ployment predictions look even
worse.
According to Ken Masterson,
of the campus branch of the
Oregon Employment Division,
“job openings are very scarce
right now.”
“People seem to be holding
onto their jobs,” Masterson
says, explaining the dearth of
jobs. “Anyone who is prudent,
who has a job in this area,
should hold on to it.”
One emergency option the
University provides for those
who find themselves in dire
straits is the short-term loan.
According to the business of
fice, 8,100 students took ad
vantage of short-term loans last
year — to the tune of approx
imately $1.4 million.
Through this program,
students can apply for up to
$150 and receive the money the
next day. Short term loans must
be repaid within three months.
0^NLA%
1^ ... A Magical Place ^
THE SALE
YOU'VE BEEN
WAITING
FOR!
LOTS OF
STOCK
40% OFF
APRIL 13-18
BOOKS, RECORDS
AND TAPES
Monday-Saturday 10-6
790 E. 11th Ave. . 485-4848