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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1982)
Friday, May 14, 1982 Eugana, Oregon Oregon daily Volume 83 Number 152 -emerald Photo by Bob Baker Students lined up as early as Wednesday night, some sleeping on the lawn. In hopes of finding a "primo" dorm Dorm residents rush rooms By Ann Portal WHwEiMrtM Orderly but determined, dorm res idents descended on the housing office Thursday to try to secure "primo" dorm rooms for their on-campus accom modations next year Is Carson full already?" one girl asked anxiously as she picked up a ticket for the pre-registration process, which began Thursday evening The housing office has been promoting dorm registrations aggres sively this week, but office personnel were surprised to find students in sleeping bags outside the office Thurs day morning The students knew the sign-up began Thursday night and were willing to wait all night Wednesday and all the next day to be among the first in line, said Marge Ramey, assistant housing director To make it easier on the students, staff began handing out numbered re servation tickets Thursday morning instead of waiting until 5 p m as planned Students also received a sheet listing the time their number would be called Thursday or Friday night "People who spent the night here weren't going to leave when the weather got nice," said Tom Gavin, a graduate assistant who works in the housing office "Our contention is there's no reason to make them stand in line for eight hours." At the sign-up Thursday evening, students clustered around the maps of dorm rooms while rumors circulated about the number of filled rooms. In an atmosphere reminiscent of class regis tration, students stood in line and leaned against walls, waiting to ad vance into the sign-up room Students eagerly identified their rea sons for standing in long lines to get a certain room or hall. Right now, we look at a roof (outside the window) It's called the slums," said freshmen Karla Sorenson and Shelly Hampton. "I was ready to come over here at 9 a m.," Hampton added Both women picked Carson as their number one choice and listed the all women or single sex dorms as the least popular “I don't think I could handle living in an all-girl dorm," Sorenson said. "Co ed would be better," Hampton added In another line, two men had their own reasons for putting up with the wait Freshman Hugh Farnham had no problems with his dorm, but wanted.to move to an upper floor so his stereo would be safe if he brought it to school Another freshman, Rodney Jen nings, wanted out of Henderson Hall in the Bean Complex His room is "really dark” and has small windows, he said. "I heard a rumor that the design was transferred from a prison,” Farnham said. They had the design and thought they would save money.” Jennings had his eye set on Earl Hall and quickly ticked off its attributes: upper class, quiet, closer to campus In spite of the early demand, the housing office expects a decline in the number of dorm residents next year Rates have increased 9 percent — slightly less than inflation, Ramey points out She says the dorms need about 2,900 students to maintain the current level of services "Quite frankly, we think we’re going to have empty beds next fall.” Ramey says Housing's sign-up campaign has in cluded posters in all the dorms and buttons worn by housing personnel that say, “Do it today" As students sign up they get buttons that say, “I did it." So far, the registration of students who want to keep the room they’re in this year is up 100 percent over last year, Ramey says Unlike previous years, housing has opened up all dorm rooms and is not reserving any for incoming freshmen, largely because of the declining number of applications to the Universi ty "This year we decided to go for the bird-in-the-hand," Ramey says Anti-arms groups rally Saturday A demonstration against the build-up of nuclear arms by the United States and the Soviet Union will culminate in a rally at Alton Baker Park Saturday Citizen Action for Lasting Security is planning the rally, while Students for a Nuclear Free Future, First Step and the Oregon Nuclear Weapons Freeze Cam paign are co-sponsors of the nuclear freeze rally The demonstration begins at II a m at five neighborhood gathering points: the EMU courtyard, South Eugene High School, Washington-Jefferson overpass park, Wesley United Methodist Church at Oakway Road and Cal Young Road and in Springfield's Island Park at the west end of Main Street. Marchers will converge at Alton Baker Park at I p.m. to hear three speakers and to attend a Peace and Social Justice Faire featuring over 20 booths from local groups Karen Steingard, president of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, and CALS’s Olive Bower will speak to the marchers Congressman Jim Weaver, D-Ore., delivers the keynote speech Weaver and Rep Les AuCoin, D-Ore., are heading a state-wide petition drive against nuclear arms for the November ballot The petition asks the Oregon governor to inform the president and Congress that Oregonians support “immediate halt of testing, production, and fur ther deployment of all nuclear weapons.” On Sunday a "Footrace to Stop the Arms Race" will be held in conjunction with Saturday’s rally The five-mile run, starting at 8 a m. at Alton Baker Park, costs $7 to enter, which includes a T shirt Entry deadline is Saturday For more information call CALS at 343-8548 Local political scene interests ASUO officials By Rich Burr Of th» Emerald • iwu nouu umuiais, siuoeni politics are not enough With primary campaigns at full throttle, Dave Berns, legislative coordinator, and Alan Contreras, vice president of pro gram administration, have joined the campaigns of local and state candidates Contreras is a campus organizer for Susan Sowards, a Eugene City Council candidate, while Berns is distributing literature for gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongoski and "pounding the ground’’ for Jim Crest, a candidate for State Labor Commissioner. Both have been active in campaigns before. Contreras says he worked for the 1978 primary campaign of Bill Dwyer, a county assessor candidate, and Margie Hendrickson’s (D-Eugene) successful 1980 state representative bid. Berns says his campaign roots can be traced to New York where he distributed leaflets for mayoral candidates and the 1976 Jimmy Carter presidential cam paign. In 1980 he helped U S. Rep. Jim Weaver (D-4th District) as part of a "1980 Elections” political science class, which placed students in various Oregon cam paigns Concern for the community and cer tain policies motivated Berns to get per sonally involved. "It’s just a feeling you have in your gut about things in the community,” he says “You just have a desire inside.” For Contreras, it took the candidancy of Dwyer, a personal acquaintance, to get him involved "My philosophy is that if you don't vote you can't complain,” he adds. “I love to complain.” Both officers have done door-to-door campaigning Instead of writing cam paign literature, Berns says he chose grass-roots campaigning "to find out what is really concerning people.” ’’I think you become more under standing when it comes down to political diversity," he says. "You are more sym pathetic but you are not necessarily won over." The Weaver campaign sent him to Armitage, a conservative town, Berns says With a heavy New York accent and a liberal candidate, he received some "funny” responses, he says "By talking to them, I got a lot of feedback," Berns says. "A lot of people were negative. You couldn't have gotten that by writing." "You need to be ready for quickie questions like why are you for her?’ ” Contreras says, adding that such ques tions may seem easy to answer, but unless prepared, campaign workers may look indecisive and unsure of them selves. Time commitments to the ASUO have affected campaigning time differently for Berns and Contreras. Contreras says he currently has more free time while Berns says he is pressed for time. "The next couple of weeks is slackest because the budget book is completed, ” Contreras says. "It’s convenient for that reason." "As usual I'm 10-percent busier than I should be," he adds, saying he will con tribute three to four hours daily next week for Sowards. "I’m certain I'll be involved in Eugene politics for the rest of my days," Con treras says
