emerald
Vol. 83, No 48
Eugene.Oregon 97403
Tuesday, November 10,1981
Campus thieves thrive
Security disturbed
over rise in rip-offs
By ANN PORTAL
Of Die Emarald
Thieves on campus seem to be taking just about
anything that can be easily carried away — and some
things that can't
Campus security recently caught three students
toting a dormitory couch across the University
grounds according to Karen Riley, crime prevention
specialist The students said they were taking the
couch to their apartment
Last week, three other students were arrested
for allegedly prying an entire U S Postal Service
mailbox from the pavement on the corner of East
15th Avenue and Moss Street
Although statistics on whether thefts are in
creasing are not yet available, the number of items
reported missing already is a "serious problem,”
according to Sgt Rick Allison of the Eugene Police
Department
Numerous" University students have been
taken into custody for various thefts, although none
have yet gone to trial, he says
What’s being stolen?
"You name it," Allison says Bikes, backpacks,
purses and textbooks are the most popular items
among campus crooks, followed by clothing, small
change left in drawers, jewelry, wallets, and car
stereos and speakers
Allison says he suspects the problem is much
bigger than police reports indicate, because many
robberies go unreported
“I think they don't want to take the time, and they
think it's useless anyhow," he says
But reporting crimes is important, Allison says
Campus security and the Eugene police are trying to
figure out robbery patterns so they can watch high
crime areas, he says
Also, many items are recovered, only to be
auctioned off at the end of the year because no one
reported them missing Thieves often discard purses
or backpacks once they get the money, Allison says
Dormitories, sororities and fraternities seem to
be particularly susceptible to thefts Internal theft
and burglars sneaking in combine to make the
residence buildings "hot spots," Allison says, ad
ding that the number of internal thefts in sororities
and fraternities appears to be "on the rise" this year
Two dormitories — McAlister and Clark — have
been hit more than the other dormitories, Allison
says Wallets have been taken from dorm rooms at
night even while students slept in the rooms
Graphic by Max DeRungs
The parking lot at the corner of 15th Avenue and
Moss Street — isolated and plagued by poor visibility
because of its rolling contour — is another popular
spot for thefts, he says
To combat the problem, at least one Eugene
police officer and two to four campus security people
patrol the University grounds day and night. Allison
says, and yes — the officers do catch thieves in the
act
Most thefts can be attributed to carelessness —
not locking doors, windows and desks, or briefly
leaving items in locker rooms or the library, says
Riley
Not all thefts have been crimes of opportunity,
however Allison says a thief who recently stole a
$1.000 video recorder from the fine arts building first
had to break a basement window and kick a door
open
"They're taking everything not nailed down "
Common sense stops thefts
Forget about guns and guard
dogs
The easiest ways to prevent
theft are just common sense —
applied consistently and
frequently
In addition to the campus
security creed — lock everything
and abandon nothing — Sgt Rick
Allison points out other ways for
students to slow down campus
thefts
• Check on bikes and cars
more than once a week if they're
not being used It's hard to catch
thieves with a week's head start,
Allison says, and some bikes
have been recovered that the
owners didn't even know were
missing
• If stereos and citizens band
radios can't be removed from a
car, at least cover or disguise
them, Allison says Portable ster
eos and CBs that can be kept in
the home when not in use are the
safest, he says
• Mark property, but don’t use
a social security number, Allison
says Social security numbers are
confidential and police can't
trace property using them
Students should use either an
Oregon Driver's License number,
or an identification number from
the state motor vehicle office, he
says Campus security and the
Eugene Police Department both
provide engravers
• Put your name in textbooks
— but only if you intend to stay in
the course No refunds will be
given on new books with names
written in them, although names
in used books won't hurt resale
value, says Otto Henrickson,
manager of the University book
store
• Report thefts, or anything
that looks suspicious Campus
security acts on all information,
even if it's anonymous, Allison
says
"We need as specific informa
tion as we can get," he says
He suggests students call
campus security, 686-5444,
before the Eugene Police
Department, but asks victims to
“just call somewhere — either will
get a response "
Enrollment of
blacks drops
Low total falls even further
By JULIE KURILO
Of the Emerald
Enrollment of black students at the University has
fallen by nearly 50 percent in the last five years, from
over 300 black students in 1976-77 to an estimated 175
blacks enrolled this year, according to Black Student
Union figures
Of this estimate, 55 black students were recru'ted
by the University as athletes this year, or almost 30
percent
Graduation rates mirror the decline Forty degrees
were awarded to blacks out of a total 3,955 in 1976-77,
and 19 were awarded out of last year's 3,476
Many factors are involved in the decrease, but
economic conditions act as a main force to push
numbers down
"Both federal funds and national support needed
for recruiting have been and are coninuing to dwindle,”
says Gary Kim, coordinator of the Council of Minority
Education.
"Scholarships, student loans, and financial aid are
al! being cut back."
The council, which recruits in urban areas such as
Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, is adjusting to
a 12 percent-budget cut. This will mean allocating less
money to recruiting and tutoring of minority students,
Kim says.
However, the barrier made by financial aid cut
backs is penetrable, says Louis Merrick, coordinator for
Special Programs at the Office of Academic Affairs.
"Theoretically, the financial aid will be going to the
neediest — if blacks are the neediest they will get it, if
not they won’t," he says
Reduced out-of-state recruiting programs also
have affected black enrollment figures, Merrick says.
He says he knows of at least 40 councils that work with
minorities in California, yet without the financing,
recruiters cannot reach the students involved One visit
per year is not sufficient, he says.
“You can't go just one day and say hey, come to U
of O,' you've got to get inside the recruiting cycle, be
known by name in all these councils, and that takes
money the University does not have "
Part of the large decrease may be due to poor.
recruitment in the past, Kim suggests
Students were brought from inner-city schools high
in black populaion but low in academic excellence, he
says In what Kim calls a “revolving door” effect, black
students arrived without the skills needed to keep up
with university academics, and after one or two terms
students would leave discouraged
The average white student scores 980 points on the
SAT test The average black scores 200 points lower,
Merrick says But he does not consider this to be the
core problem
“The problem lies in counseling the black high
school student to know what to expect, and the exis
tance of programs available to the student at the
institution,” he says, recalling a situation which
demonstrated the success of counseling programs
Through a special program, Merrick sent a student
who had attended an inner-city school to the Universtiy
of California
“This student had a zero GPA out of a high school
in Watts, and then graduated from the University of
California and was admitted to Reed for his graduate
work with a 3 8 GPA,” he says
Much of the low black enrollment is due to the fact
that less than 2 percent of the total Oregon population is
black, Merrick says. The history of Oregon includes
exclusionary laws that prohibited blacks from residing
in the state, and local Sundown Laws that prohibited
blacks from being in the city after dark.
“The low population of blacks in Oregon tends to
be directly related to the state's efforts historically to
intimidate blacks who may want to live in the state,” he
says. “These laws are typical symbols of this activity.”
"There is a problem with racism in Oregon today,"
Merrick says A survey conducted by Merrick last year
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