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Students miss opportunity to question fees
If you have to pay more in the way of special
fees, fines, penalties and service charges for the
1982-83 school year don’t become too irate. Of
course, you can get mad — although it will be way
too late.
Last week testimony from the University
community was solicited at a hearing in Johnson
Hall. This was to be the opportunity for response
to the 61 page schedule of fees, fines, et al. But
only seven people attended the hearing. Those
seven people were the only ones who were con
cerned enough with the rising costs of special
fees to take the time to voice their opinions at the
hearing.
It’s something of a not reaping of what you
don’t sow situation — if you don't demand clar
ification for fee increases, or, at least question the
setting of a fee level, then you can’t expect fees to
decline or to reflect the realities of your economic
circumstances.
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The administration, being bureaucratic,
semantically so, as large governing bodies tend to
be. calls them “surcharges.” That's rather a
melodious word — "sur’charj.” It sounds much
softer than the terse "fee" even though it means
basically the same thing Well, almost the same.
A surcharge is to overcharge, to overload,
overburden, and to fill to excess or beyond normal
capacity. That's not how the University
administration intends the word. They wouldn’t
deliberately levy a charge that overburdens
students No doubt they are using the word sur
charge in the context of an additional amount
added to the usual charge. But that implies the
additional amount is not a permanent increase in
the normal fee charge
What exactly are the revised fees? They range
from a mundane 25 cent charge for opening a
chemistry laboratory when the student forgets
their key, to a bizarre (but certainly justifiable) fee
schedule in the animal lab of the Psychology
department for Monkeys at $150 each — Cats at
$50 each — and $3 a piece for Rats. There's a
note appended to this “Above subject to change,
depending upon age, sex, and availability. Rates
for other species may be added throughout the
year as they come into use "
For the most part the fees are the usual sort —
lost gym shorts, library cards, service charges for
loans, and all that As with most everything that
costs at this University (and other places of higher
education in Oregon) the price is continually
going up. That’s why it’s crucial for students,
faculty and staff to take the time to attend the
University’s hearings The administration is not
stone-deaf They can and do, on specific occa
sion, listen.
The night
We would like to express our
heartfelt thanks to Cort Fernald
for the excellent editorial he
wrote bringing attention to our
workshops, rally and march on
May 8, protesting violence
against women and children.
Thanks also for the well-written
follow-up piece; it was doubly
appreciated when we dis
covered, despite previous ar
rangements for coverage, that
neither the Register-Guard nor
the Springfield News saw fit to
print one picture or word about
the phenomena of hundreds of
women marching through the
streets of Eugene, a silent com
mentary on their priorities.
We are very pleased at the
general turnout for the event
and feel that the editorial did
much to encourage the support
of all who participated in the
march. It was great, also, to see
so many men supporting us
from the streetcorners with
candles, cheers and empathy!
We look forward to increased
participation and support in fu
ture events from women and
men who understand the ser
iousness of the problem we are
facing in attempting to decrease
the incidence of violence
against women and children in
our community.
Linda Parson
Member, Women Take Back the
Night
editor's note: Thank you for
your comments on the Emer
ald's coverage of Take Back the
Night
letters policy
The Emerald will accept
and attempt to print all
letters containing fair
comment on issues, ideas
and topics of interest to
the University community.
The letters must be
limited to 250 words,
signed, and the identifica
tion of the writer must be
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The Emerald reserves
the right to edit any letter
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tent. Publication is
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available
gabriel boehmer
editor’s note
Land of the rose and sunshine. Land of summer's
breeze; Laden with health and vigor, Fresh from
the Western seas Blest by the blood of martyrs.
Land of the setting sun, Hail to thee, Land of
Promise, My Oregon
Oregon Slat* Song “Oregon. My Oregon"
Wontt by JA. Buchanan
Although the weather appears to be taking a
turn for the better, soon it will turn back Oregon is
not a sunny place. It rains here most-of-the-time
and is overcast all-of-the-time
This incessant meteorological condition
remains steadfast against the changing of the
seasons — despite my father's cursing when he
wants to hit golf balls and the clouds want to pour
them.
Yet, contrary to these climatic truths, the
state of Oregon boasts an anthem which not only
disregards the rain guage, but also alleges the
sunshine is an every-day occurence here in the
Land of the Rising Tide
Twice J.A. Buchanan, the song's lyricist,
specifically refers to the "sun" in the Oregon
State Song Not once does he acknowledge
"rain.'’
I contend that Buchanan — a former state
legislator, municipal judge and military com
mander — painted a misleading and an inaccurate
picture of Oregon's weather. The words of
"Oregon, My Oregon" should be changed
promptly to reflect the state's true character, or
tourists nationwide will continue to be duped
Just what was the Society of Oregon Com
posers thinking when it conducted a 1920 contest
for the Oregon State Song? You would expect
that out of 212 song manuscripts entered in the
competition, the judges could have selected an
anthem with lyrics referring to the torrential
downpours which make the state so green and
lush
The Senate must have been looking the other
way, too, when it approved joint resolution No 3
and adopted Buchanan's lyrics as the official
state anthem in 1927: a year when 9 54 inches of
rain fell in Oregon in one month alone: a year
when there was an average of only 8 days clear,
with 10 days partly cloudy and 13 days cloudy
each month in Western Oregon
I'm surprised the state has not drawn the
attention of the Federal Trade Commission for
violating truth-in-advertising regulations
As further evidence of the state of Oregon's
weather, the government here created a Water
Commerce, Water Policy Review Board, Water
Resources Department and Water System Oper
ator's Certification Committee Obviously, water
— and hence rain — is an important commodity in
Oregon
Contrary to popular belief, ignoring the
state’s wet weather will not make it go away The
Society of Oregon Composers should own up and
choose a song that echoes the rainfall.
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