opinion
Higher ed dra ws
another bad hand
The Legislature and Atiyeh have overlooked the
economic impact to the cities with colleges and univer
sities. Those institutions generate jobs and millions of
dollars for the economy of the cities. Loss of that
economic capability can kill a city.
But who loses in the shuffle of the budget cards?
Oregon students — as per usual.
Students’ concerns for strong educational institu
tions have long echoed the concerns of education ad
ministrators, and yet, the legislators are deaf to the
realities students and administrators address.
Students who graduate from the University in the
next two years will emerge battle-weary, and not a little
cynical. They have seen too many programs and entire
schools closed because of the legislature. This is, of
course, if the University gates aren’t chained shut before
June.
What is baffling is the state’s reluctance to institute
wholesale measures to increase depleted revenues. It’s
an arsy-turvy kind of legislature that will not increase
revenue sources when needed, but will over and over
again cut the budgets of its own agencies. Does that
spell suicide?
There are so many voices railing against this round
of cuts — and those voices aren’t being recognized in
Salem. Short of storming the statehouse, Atiyeh and the
Legislature must be made to reevaluate their goals for
Oregon. Perhaps it is time to toss the rascals out.
Meanwhile, Oregon students shouldn’t stand pat
with the aces and eights they’ve been dealt. It's advisable
to fold; there are better “card games” in other states.
The cards dealt Oregon higher education by Gov. Vic
Atiyeh and the Legislature in this latest budget fiasco are
aces and eights. That’s a “Deadman's hand” and an ap
propriate analogy for the plight of Oregon’s educational
system.
The State Board of Higher Education met Tuesday
and easily endorsed Chancellor Roy Lieuallen’s four
point package of budget cuts. The four-point package en
tails an additional $8 million in cuts from institution
budgets, the rescinding of a salary increase for state
system employees scheduled for 1982-83, the elimination
of about 425 academic members and 85-90 classified
staff, and nearly 5,000 students eliminated from the state
system.
The state system has been again unduly assessed
an untenable reduction in funding. Atiyeh and the
Legislature, by placing higher education among other
state agencies and demanding budget reductions across
the-board, are making education inaccessible for the peo
ple of Oregon. There is a point of no return in cutting
budgets. The Emerald sees the previous round of budget
cuts as the last possible without bankrupting education.
These latest cuts go beyond the bounds, and Oregon
higher education will never rebound from these
devastating cuts for years -- perhaps decades -- to come.
The Legislature and Atiyeh have overlooked the
economic impact to the cities with colleges and univer
sities. Those institutions generate jobs and millions of
dollars for the economy of the cities. Loss of that
economic capability can kill a city.
But who loses in the shuffle of the budget cards?
Oregon students — as per usual.
Students’ concerns for strong educational institu
tions have long echoed the concerns of education ad
ministrators, and yet, the legislators are deaf to the
realities students and administrators address.
Students who graduate from the University in the
next two years will emerge battle-weary, and not a little
cynical. They have seen too many programs and entire
schools closed because of the legislature. This is, of
course, if the University gates aren’t chained shut before
June.
What is baffling is the state’s reluctance to institute
wholesale measures to increase depleted revenues. It’s
an arsy-turvy kind of legislature that will not increase
revenue sources when needed, but will over and over
again cut the budgets of its own agencies.
There are so many voices railing against this round
of cuts — and those voices aren’t being recognized in
Salem. Short of storming the statehouse, Atiyeh and the
Legislature must be made to reevaluate their goals for
Oregon. Perhaps it is time to toss the rascals out.
Meanwhile, Oregon students shouldn’t stand pat
with the aces and eights they’ve been dealt. It’s advisable
to fold; there are better “card games” in other states.
letters
Disarmament
Before we take President
Reagan's nuclear disarma
ment proposals too
seriously, perhaps there
are a few basic facts we
should keep in mind. Let’s
not forget who scrapped
SALT II. Let’s not forget
who was and still is bent on
deploying the MX missle
system. Let's not forget
who ordered the stock
piling of the neutron bomb.
Let's not forget who has
publicly condoned the
possibility of a “limited”
nuclear exchange. And
lastly, let’s not forget who
proposed the deployment
of the Pershing cruise
missile in Western Europe
in the first place.
Now say, for example,
that we were in Reagan’s
shoes, and had all these
statements (not to mention
a million people marching
in the street of Europe)
under our belts, wouldn’t
we try to brush up a little
bit on our public relations?
Sure we would. In fact, we
might even call in the
foreign journalists, go on
television to do it; just like
Reagan did on the morning
of Nov. 18th.
Face it folks, Reagan is
not serious about arms
control. His appearance
Nov. 18 was just a last
ditch attempt to improve
his rapidly deteriorating im
age abroad. Why else
would half the disarma
ment groups in Western
Europe be laughing it off as
a joke?
Christian Gunther
Junior, sociology
Rude Show
I enjoyed my first light
show presentation on
Thursday night when I at
tended the Laserock 2 con
cert. I would have enjoyed
it more but I was unfor
tunate enough to sit behind
two groups of ill-mannered
louts who were sitting in
the second row of the mid
dle section of seats. Ex
pressions of enjoyment
would have been fine but
such was not their typical
behavior.
One pair evidently con
sidered themselves self
appointed critics and
repeatedly made loud
smart aleck remarks and
snide cracks. When I quiet
ly asked them to refrain so I
could enjoy the show, one
responded with his glands
instead of his microce
phalic brain and threatened
to “punch me out.” I then
went for an usher but at the
usher’s inquiry, they lied
and said they had not open
ed their mouths.
The other group beside
them evidently thought
they were at home wat
ching TV During the
quieter, more subtle parts
of the music/light show,
they indulged in idle chit
chat, as though these parts
of the show were like the
commercials on TV which
everyone ignores. Or
perhaps they thought they
were in their favorite bar
and the show was just
background music for idle
conversation.
I would suggest that
such rude, inconsiderate
slobs stay away from such
events if they can’t behave
decently. Or, if they find the
show not to their taste,
leave quietly so that those
of us who want to enjoy it
without such ill-mannered
disruptions, can do so.
Ruth Alsworth
Senior, CSPA/Psychology
Law library use
A December 1 article in
the Emerald identified the
School of Law Library as a
study area for general use.
This is clearly erroneous,
as demonstrated by the
regulations posted at the
law library entrance. The
posted notice provides
that: “The Law Library is
not available for use as a
general study hall Persons
not affiliated with the
School of Law are welcome
to use the facility. Space is
insufficient, however, to
allow use beyond these
limited purposes."
There are compelling
reasons for this regulation
Law Library space is
limited: the library has only
264 seats to accomodate
more than 500 law
students. Use of the library
as a non-law general study
area thus interferes with
the legitimate use of the
facility by those in need of
the library's special
resources. Because of the
special resources available
in the Law Library, law
students are required to
pay an annual resource fee
of $400. This burden is not
shared by non-law
students. This extraor
dinary cost to law students
justifies their exclusive use
of the Law Library.
Use of Law School
facilities by non-law
students creates particular
problems at this time of
year. The Law School
operates on a semester
system, with final exams
running from Dec. 7
through 18. Exams are ad
ministered in the library as
well as in classrooms. For
this reason, the Law
School building is closed
to non-law students during
exams.
For these reasons, we
would appreciate it if the
Emerald would correct any
misconceptions created by
its initial article, and urge
University-wide coopera
tion in respecting the rules
governing non-law student
use of our facilities.
Seri Wilpone and
Allison Blakiey
Students, School of Law