opinion
Time has come to protest $40-50 surcharge
The announced $40-50 tuition surcharge to
become effective Winter term passed through the
students' consciousness with hardly more than a
whimper of discontent A few student leaders
dragged out their battered soapboxes and haran
gued a gaggle of half attentive students with the
usual “Tuition surcharge yata yata yata
Students have grumbled about the surcharge
between pitchers — but, as far as joining together
and loudly protesting the $40-50 surcharge;
students have done nothing It hasn't even irked
University students that they’ll be paying $20-30
more than Oregon college students
The State Board of Higher Education meets
today at 9 a m in EMU Dad’s Room The state
board will be deciding on the surcharge for Winter
term, and will be accepting public testimony
Speakers for the testimony session have already
been selected, but it is at the discretion of the
president of the state board to allow testimony
from students at large This is the students only
opportunity to protest the $40-50 surcharge A
show of numbers may not sway the state board
because they are only indirectly responsible for
the surcharge However, a show of numbers will
be seen and heard in Salem where they are
directly responsible for budget reductions which
caused the surcharge Legislators can count, and
each protesting student is a lost ballot in the next
election The number of students protesting the
surcharge will cast a dark cloud over Gov Vic
Atiyeh as he suns himself on Waikiki’s white
sands
University students have become shamefully
docile In Puerto Rico university students demon
etters
Champions of education
A Special Session of the Oregon State Legislature
is about as much of a surprise these days as rain in
December, and for that matter so is the continuing saga
between higher education, human resources and
property relief The main problem is that in times of
economic downturn human resources and property
relief bring short-term benefits to the people of Oregon,
whereas higher education is a long-term investment
The lobbying effort will be an uphill battle, especially
with a new face in the crowd but the important thing to
remember is that we might not win. but we don't have
to lose either Seek out our champions of higher
education and refute our enemies Give them straight
facts with sob-story appeal, because you know that’s
what the human resources division is going to be giving
the bleeding-heart liberals Also, instill some motivation
in our administration and student government to
become more efficient (once is never enough) and who
knows, the students might even get the best deal for a
change
Brian Dunlap
Senior, political science
Religious holiday
I'm sick and tired of those Communists invading
this land of sweat and toil. Now they want to interfere
with Christmas by claiming it is a religious holy day Hog
wash! Christmas is the time that I spend my hard earned
money on worthless junk that nobody can use Heck
it's my money!
Now the thing that really fries my ass is starting the
Christmas season so damn early Christmas is the only
time of the year that I can repent for all the backstabbing
I've done the past year Now the commies even want me
to put on my mask earlier each year Hell1 Let’s get the
season over with so I can get on with business Hey,
speaking of business. I do reap a higher profit during
this season than any other Hmmm, maybe those
commies are not so bad after all Now wait a minute
Those God fearing Communists must be stopped Let s
cut them off at the pass and change Christmas to Xmas
before they ruin this holiday season Merry Christmas
Steve Ingham
Senior math
strated against a $10 hike per-credit charge The
demonstration turned into a riot with police and
university guards firing rifles in the air and using
tear gas and blackjacks to disperse the students
More than 6,000 students have been boycotting
classes in protest of the tuition increase But those
students are in Puerto Rico, not the Emerald City
of Eugene
A letter to the editor by Tim Mitchell, a senior
in international studies, described a recent epi
sode on this campus that illustrates how submis
sive University students have become Mitchell
says a professor entered his classroom and an
grily berated the students for their behavior during
the previous lecture As punishment the professor
insisted the students take a test while a radio
blared music “This he explained, would
show us what it is like when trying to lecture to a
bunch of high school students ’ ” The professor
then stormed out of the room
Mitchell says only seven students protested
the treatment and walked out All the other
students dutifully took the test with the radio
disrupting their concentration After five minutes
the professor returned, with the seven who walked
out, and said it had been a test of another sort
"I'm disappointed," the professor said, "that more
of you didn't walk out "
The professor's point, according to Mitchell,
was that it students would accept this abuse in a
classroom the state board needn’t justify this or
any future tuition surcharges
Time is at a premium for students during
deadweek and finals — why do you think the
powers-that-be historically schedule such deci
sions as the $40-50 surcharge for the end of term7
Protesting the surcharge is important enough to
close your books and take a half an hour to vent
your spleen at those responsible Public testimony
will be allowed, at the state board's option,
between 1 and 1:30 p.m today in EMU Dad's
Room
If you don't protest that’s your choice But,
when you have to pay $40-50 more at the window
in January remember it was your silence that
made it all possible
Sue
ijOAkJ ClO- &
we
*
Political dissident
Speaking as one who was present in the EMU
Ballroom the day ot the Victor Tomseth speech and
subsequent ribbon burning incident by John Kaiser arid
Nancy Whitley and also as one who has over tour years
experience in the fire service I was, to say the least,
quite saddened by the apparent miscarriage of justice
that has occurred in this case The ribbon burning was
an obvious example of a first ammendment protected
free speech statement and not first degree arson This
conviction is another slap to the face of democracy by a
criminal justice system that caters to the rich and
powerful ruling class" and serves to keep the poor and
the dissenters in line It is truly unfortunate that we
decry the false imprisonment of dissidents in a
communist" country, while at the same time we
attempt to imprison political dissidents in this country
Brad Passenger
Junior, psychology
Incomplete attribution
I am writing in regard to Debbie Howlett s article of
Nov 25 captioned "Student Questions University 's Link
to Corporation " Howletts attribution to me was accur
ate, but incomplete, and the ommission leaves the
possible rnisimpression that an exception is under
active consideration
In my conversation with Howlett, I stated the Ad
ministrative Rule that governs the use of University
facilities by private organizations I gave examples of
application of the rule and the basis on which the rule
allowed exceptions But I added specifically with regard
to Bio-Dynamics, that if direct corporate activity was
being conducted in University facilities under the
Administrative Rule the corporation would be directed
to terminate its activities on campus
John E. Lallas
Executive Dean
Return sign
At a time when small campus area businesses are
really struggling, someone stole the handmade sign
that hung outside our bookstore What a cruel way to
celebrate Christmas
Please bring it back We need it and you don't
Thank you
Sylwester and Acheson
825 E 13th St.
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