Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1982)
Video madness EMU recreation center supplies students, faculty with daily electronic 'fix' Object of game is to shoot as many Robots as possible and escape from room. It's the only place on campus where bleeps and obscenities are the standard, accepted form of communication It's also one of few activities on campus that still costs a quarter. For a large number of mostly male students, faculty and even administrators, the EMU Arcade is a cheap, exciting, electronic answer to the frustrations of hit ting and balancing the books For Mai Fiese. manager of the recreation center Bowling, now the second most popular activity, used to outdo the machines 2-to-1 just six years ago, Fiese says Yet Fiese thinks the machines aren't doing nearly as well as they could be Part of the reason is students just don’t have as much money for recreation, he says But another reason may be that the EMU doesn’t have the most popular machines, Fiese admits What games are missing? Student video fans rattle off Pac Man, Tempest, Galaga and EMU Rec Center, the 11 pinball and 14 video games are hard cash The contract year for the machines, which ended in Donkey Kong as a few of the new machines that haven't appeared in the EMU Also contributing to lost revenue is March, brought the EMU Rec Center a profit of $47,000 — 62 percent of the quarters dumped in the machines "There's some people that come down here every day — you can set your watch by them,” Fiese says The players begin arriving at 7:30 a m., when two men show up each morning for their daily "fix” of video he says On a busy day. the recreation center cashier goes through $500-$600 in quarters, he says Players who used to get four quarters now ask for $2 to $5 worth, he adds Some people drop as much as $25 a week on the games, "but maybe that's all they do," Fiese says The games currently are the biggest money maker in the the deteriorating condition of the machines, Fiese says "It's not that the people don't want to come down here and play It's just that they won’t come down to play a piece of junk, ” he says. "The recreation dollar is getting stretched awfully thin We can only compete with what we have.” The EMU is beginning the second year of a three-year contract with Canteen Company of Oregon, which provides and maintains all 25 machines Company representative Harvey Zeugin says the machines are “rotated all the time — as necessary." However, in the words of a once-a-day video player, "They've taken out the most Eyes riveted to the game, this weary student battles a tireless, electronic opponent. popular game every time " In January, the recreation center had to build a wall around the machines Thieves were entering the EMU and breaking into the machines at night, Fiese says “They have to bust it to get into it — and they bust it good " He says the EMU lost a "sig nificant” amount of money Luckily, Canteen repaired the damage In spite of failing to achieve the profits he would like, Fiese admits the machines are a pretty good deal "It's pretty much gravy for us," he says "We re doing all right " By Ann Portal Photo* by Mark Pynes Child care, club sports face EMU review The budgets for the University Child Care Center and Club Sports were the subject of testimony before the EMU budget committee Thursday Student-parents spoke of the need to keep the child care center intact, calling the on-campus center "care you can’t get anywhere else ” Another parent said the service is “first class care” that is “good for the kids ’’ Though the program currently serves approximately 170 parents, EMU Board chairer Bob Needham said the committee should "scale down" the program The toddler program is currently operating at only 72 percent of capacity, said Mary-Curtis Gramley, child care coordinator. The number of children entered in the program is expected to decrease in the future with declin ing enrollment, she said Several club sport members testified in defense of the program in their respective activities ‘ The University is getting a heck of a deal," said Scott Chesnut, crew member, referring to the $52,000 the University put into the crew program “Our club sports are quite reputable and are definitely improving ” Club sports serves some 600 students, including teams such as crew, water polo and rugby The major expenditure the budget committee questioned was a food subsidy for those teams that travel The IFC has a policy against subsidizing food and the board should consider such a policy, said Karsten Rasmussen, budget committee member and IFC chairer But the program is directed toward on-campus students who will generally have to pay out-of-pocket expenses to participate in the off-campus trips if this subsidy is eliminated, program director Sandy Vaughn said r B vino's B SPAGHETTI TINO’S • Full dinner menu • 23 varieties of Pizzas • Whole wheat and white crust • Pizzas to go -cooked and uncooked 15th and Willamette New Hours. Mon.-Thurs. 11:00-Midnight Fri. 11:00-1:00 a m. Sat. 5:00-1:00 a.m Sun. 5:00-11:00 p.m. imported Coffee &Teas 764 E. 13th Ave. *Kinko’s* 344-7894 Spring Semester in Sweden *83 Swedish Architecture A Urban Planning Scandinavian Art Mia lory Communications Arts In Sweden Education In Scandinavia International Politics Sweden's Economy Past A Present Social Walters Policy in Sweden Women and the Family In Sweden Energy. Environment, and Society Swedish Language For further information write to ISU. or contact our representative in the U S International Swedish University Programs al Lund University Skomakaregatan 8 S-223 50 Lund SWEDEN Tel 046-11 77 20 Mrs Joanna Wallin 645 Lincoln Drive Idaho Falls. Idaho 83401 Tel (208) 523-1039
