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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1982)
Monday, January 16 Eugana, Oragon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 80 -emerald Beer tests net profits EMU slights pub By Richard Burr Of th» EnwmM During the last seven years, in lieu of no University tavern, the EMU Beer Gar den has provided a way of meeting the demand for alcohol on campus Although the Beer Garden's affect on business varies from tavern to tavern, local owners have opposed the Beer Garden since its inception in 1975. The weekly Friday afternoon brew test cuts Duffy's Friday business by about 10 percent, according to manager Casey Baker. “The one day it was closed, we had one of our best days ” B.J Kelly's has not suffered any slack in business because of the Beer Garden, owner Doug Lee says EMU administrators are “delighted, from a revenue sense," about the suc cess of the Beer Garden, says EMU Di rector Adell McMillan Baker says he is not in favor of a University tavern because it would provide a service to only one-third of the student population His statement is based on the assumption that students are at the drinking age when they are juniors In 1975, a non-profit consulting cor poration made up of University graduate business students conducted a feasib lility study on a University tavern propo sal. According to the study, the tavern could make approximately $4000 in profits after taxes if the tavern were operated by an outside contractor If University-operated, the tavern could yearly earn about $29,000 in profit after taxes However, the risk would be greater than if the tavern were privately operat ed, the study showed University Pres William Boyd said he would veto any EMU Tavern proposal. The EMU Board then decided to with draw its proposal because of the pre sident's opposition, McMillan says University students could have ap pealed a Boyd veto to the State Board of Higher Education. However, the appeal would probably have failed, saysAlan Contreras, ASUO vice president of pro gram administration. University Pres. Paul Olum’s position on a EMU tavern was not available at presstime, but Contreras says every University president to his knowledge has been against such a proposal Adding an EMU tavern conjures up a few issues. Should the University en courage drinking on campus? And does the demand for alcohol exceed that pre sently being supplied by the Beer Garden? Several problems exist with a tavern proposal, McMillan says. They include finding a location for such an enterprise, allocation funds for the tavern's operation and securing legisla tive approval necessary for the long term capital investment. The proposal's approval would place higher education in the role of pushing alcohol to ensure the tavern breaks even, McMillan says. The tavern might also be considered discriminatory because it would only be accessible to students 21 years of age and older while occupying a large por tion of the EMU, she contends. The EMU Board is the only group hav ing the authority to ask for a campus tavern, McMillan says. Mirrors help storekeepers keep an eye on customers at all times. Photo by Bob Baker THIEVES UOB LOCAL PROFIT By Lori Lleborman Of Em»rmk) There is no question that students shoplift in the University area, but just how much merchandise students lift is not quite as clear “Everyone shoplifts," says Celia Silver, assistant manager of Kaufman's at 840 E 13th Ave. And students, she says, shouldn't have to suffer the slings and arrows of automatic suspicion. The fact that college students com prise 80 percent of the store's customers is irrelevant, she says. "I don't think that makes any differ ence regarding the amount of shoplift ing. Students are a key target but you can't pinpoint them." But shoplifting is one of the store's major problems, and the campus store encounters more shoplifiting than other Kaufman’s stores, Silver says. "The belief that it is because of the students is not valid. I think it’s because we have a reputation of not being very hard on shoplifters. We're trying to change that reputation and start crack ing down.” TO HELP CRACK DOWN, the store has called in the Community Officer Patrol team, a division of the Eugene Police Department. The special force is often requested by businesses to answer questions, point out weaknesses and consult on the sub ject of shoplifting, says Al Coleman of the COP team. “It’s not a student problem, it's a com munity problem,” Coleman says. The sheer number of people in the campus vicinity is the main reason for the high shoplifting rate, he says. "Whenever there are a lot of people in a small area there will be a problem. The density of people in the campus area is very high and so are the losses.” The losses are so high, Silver says, the owner predicts all Kaufman’s stores will be broke in three years if the chain con tinues to lose merchandise at the current rate. At the University Bookstore, annual losses due to theft are up to $80,000, general manager Jim Williams says. Because of these losses, the book store is “very, very firm with how we deal with shoplifting,” he says. THE BOOKSTORE POSTS ITS POLICY concerning shoplifters and em ploys student security guards to achieve one goal — deter shoplifters, not catch them, Williams says. One hundred persons are apprehend ed annually, however, and a high per centage are convicted, he says. The high conviction rate is due to the fact that "we are very careful in apprehension and interviewing of the shoplifter,” Williams says. There are two steps in apprehension, he says. The first is to prove probable cause for stopping the person. The second is to prove intent. Williams will then interview the person, and if he is satisfied the person is guilty, the case is pursued. The value of the stolen item is of little importance, he says. Shoplifting can be very expensive for the thief, Williams says, since the law allows stores to demand restitution for the amount of the item plus a minimum of $100. Why shoplifters take the risk puzzles Coleman. “Students invest an immense amount of money in a college education in hopes of getting a quality job, but then they tarnish their record by an apprehension or arrest," he says. PERHAPS AGE PLAYS A ROLE, Wil liams says. "College-age students don't feel as accountable for their actions," he says. "There is also a lack of real careful thinking. But you can surely find older people who steal. Who can say why." Silver is equally puzzled. "I don't know why they do it. Ninety-five percent of the time they have the money to pay for it," she says. “The COP team told us most people do it out of boredom." One drugstore security guard says, "It might be an obsession, they forget, have a problem, or were dared." Students are most prone to shoplift when they are drunk, says Rita Scarpelli, co-owner of the 7-11 store at 1316 Alder St. “Good, steady customers do things when they're drunk (that) they wouldn’t dream of doing when they’re sober," Scarpelli says. get-cutting inside today’s Emerald is a special report on the Oregon Legislature’s special session on the budget beginning today in Salem. Future issues of the Emerald will include Associated Press reports and staff coverage from both the campus and the capital. Series planned include Oregon economic diversification and a forecast of University school and department cuts.
