opinion__
Terminate semester switch propsal
On paper, it’s a great idea.
But that’s where the attractiveness of switch
ing the University to the semester system ends.
Students who have operated on both systems
know that having four shorter quarters rather than
two long ones is a better way to learn.
It's finals week in the law school right now,
where they’re on the semester system. Students
there are being tested over material learned in
January, when the semester began. It may work
for learning law, but five-month semesters just
isn’t the best system for undergrade tes.
The proposal’s disadvantages stack up
decidedly against the switch.
Summer begins near the end of June, not the
midde of May. And it stretches well into
September. Adjourning in May and beginning in
August would make returning that much harder,
the lure of nice autumn weather that much more
irresistable, and the urge to neglect studies that
much easier.
The argument that suggests students will
diligently learn and study more — and that profs
will teach more — in a 16-week term hints at
naivete. Considering the typical undergrad, such
a switch would mean not extra time to study
harder, but a few extra weeks to goof off between
exam periods.
Moving to a semester system would also hurt
students who depend on brief immersions in a
variety of subjects. By eliminating one-third of the
different topics studied, it would make constrict
the focus of those who seek a broad-based
education.
The plan does has some advantages. With
fewer registration and grading periods, money
would be saved. And a longer Christmas break
would let hard-working students make some quick
bucks. But the long interim periods would be a
waste for students who don’t have Christmas jobs.
The switch would also add to the hassle of
transferring from other universities and commun
ity colleges. That added difficulty might even
mean the difference to fence-sitting transfer
students between the University and Oregon State
University.
The beauty of the switch would be the sav
ings. And in these days of belt-tightening fervor,
that’s a valid consideration.
But the savings don’t outweigh the disadvan
tages — disadvantages like sitting in a sun-baked
classroom wishing like hell to be spending an
Oregon Indian summer doing something — an
ything — else.
vars
Explain delays
I read your recent article on computer
registration with hopeful anticipation
and was surprised at the patent con
tradictions between the sta'ements of
University administrators. Piul Civin is
quoted as saying “despite general
agreement that the system should be
implemented, additional higher educa
tion funding cuts will hamper progress,”
while a few paragraphs later Pres. Paul
Olum states that the system will save
money "because we won t need as many
people processing information and it will
reduce costs of registration.” The cost
savings from computer registration
would be huge and would include the
value of the wasted time of students, the
savings that would result from rational
departmental planning, and the value of
all the staff time used to register students
in Mac Court and handle later problems.
I will be sorry to see Mac Court regis
tration end because it will deprive me of
the best example of inefficiency for my
beginning economics class, but it is
really time that people quit dragging their
feet and gel a system in place that most
schools ha^e been using for at least 10
years. Can our financially troubled
University really afford to wait any
longer? At the very least, I feel that the
University community needs a better
explanation of the delays than it is
receiving.
Ross Anthony
Assistant professor
Economics department
Oppressive dance
The message of the Organization of
Arab Students that was presented in the
International Night regarding the
“Middlf Eastern” dance was badly and
unseri jusly conveyed. The belly dance,
which is unfortantely seen by many
Americans as an art, is considered in the
Arab world as one form of women’s
oppression. Such a dance should not be
performed on a respectable university
stage What would an American woman
feel if a strip dance was performed as an
art representing her culture?
We as Arabs do not consider such a
dance a form of authentic Arab art
because it is a misrepresentation for the
role of women in our society
The real Arab women are not the ones
who are lying on the floor to stimulate
and arouse men in such a disgusting
manner Our real women are the ones
who are trying very hard to change the
mystified conceptions of the role of
women Our real women are the ones
who are fighting to liberate themselves
and their society from the chains of
mim
oppression, conditioning and back
wardness in order to acquire a better and
humane life for both men and women.
Khalid Al-Same
Organization of Arab Students
Yea John, Rijken
Residents and voters of Lane County
— and especially House District 44 —
have been betrayed by a majority of the
State Representatives who supposedly
represent districts in Lane County.
Two of the seven Lane County
delegates deserve praise for their “no"
vote on HB2001, the legislation that sets
new boundaries for House districts.
Those representatives worthy of our
continued support are Rep. Peg John,
D-Cottage Grove, and Rep. Max Rijken,
D-Newport.
Rep Peg John made a superb speech
condemning the plan that would have
created a montrosity of a district that
extends from Highway 58 in Lane County
to Canby in Clackamas County.
Not only those of us who live in present
House District 44, but all of Lane County,
should be proud of Peg Jolin. She was
one of only five who opposed the plan —
five who refused to knuckle under to a
"political" solution that served the
House incumbents but not those whom
they are supposed to represent.
Now that HB2001 has gone to the State
Senate for action, I urge you to write the
Senators from Lane County demanding
that they oppose the splintering of the
Lane County delegation in the legisla
ture.
The Senators are Fadeley, Isham,
Kulongoski, and Wingard. Write them at:
State Capitol, Salem, OR, 97310.
While you're writing, include Peg John
and Max Rijken at the same address and
tell them how much you appreciate them
and why.
Bill Rogers
P.O Box 109, Vida
A piece on ‘ass’
I realize that it’s probably far too late to
do anything to change the situation, but I
must draw your attention to the wide
spread North American misuse of the
English word "ass’’ (your May 11 article
“Eugene’s Best Butt"),
An ass is an animal (genus Equus),
also known as the donkey. Because of its
reputed obstinacy and slow-wittedness,
the word is often used, correctly and
acceptedly, as a metaphor for a doltish
person. E g “The fellow's an ass." One
is hereby comparing the subject to a
rather stupid animal, not to that part of
the anatomy upon which one sits The
correct, if indelicate, word for the butt
ocks), and which is persistently mis
pronounced by North Americans, is arse
I suspect the error arises from two
sources. (1) The North American
preference for the short “a” sound
generally pronounced long "a” in Stan
dard English. Consider “grass,” “char
ade,” “bath,” etc. (Ask a Southern
Englishperson to say "Grant’s Pass!”)
(2) The aspirate “r,” widely used in
Standard English and almost indistin
guishable from the long "a” sound. E g.
“farce,” "cars,” “arsenic,” etc. Given
these two regional variations in pronun
ciation, it is understandable, one sup
poses, that “arse" would become “ass”
in the general American dialect. However
popular usage does not — in the
long run — make for correct usage;
the word is still “arse,” and should be so
pronounced, using, of course, the strong
American “r” thus — “aRse.”
Finally, while in Rabelaisian vein, I
should point out that this erroneous
articulation makes comic nonsense of
the expression “A piece of ass.” You are
talking, gentle reader, about a lump of
horse meat. Now a piece of arse, on the
other hand
Harry Seddon
Graduate, history department