Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1982)
| opinion Tuition increases, enrollment declines This fall's 9-percent enrollment decline brings several questions to mind Among others: How much state money will the University lose? What will happen to the four outreach programs slated for possible closure this summer by Pres. Olum?. A 9-percent drop in enrollment — should the preliminary figures bear out — means over 1,300 less students will attend the University this year. What's stopping those students from signing up? The admissions office and state systems people are rationalizing the 9-percent decline to 939 fewer Oregon high school graduates in 1982 and the increase in admissions standards from a grade point average of 2.5 to 2.75 last year. But let's face it. High tuition kept students from enrolling. The 26 percent increase in tuition from last year (see chart on page one), coupled with the inability of many students to find work last summer has priced college education out of their dreams — at least for awhile Other students found work at considerably lower wages or less hours than in previous years. Financial aid, especially on the federal level, has decreased eligibility for many students Whether it was a high school graduate whose parents decided they can't afford what the University charges, or a University junior who had to cut his schooling short, many eligible students have simply been financially denied a University education It would be wonderful if declining enrollment meant such things as fewer students per class and more space in the library. A wonderful campus life of less students, more faculty attention to undergraduates and a personal ambi ance about the institution is a nice fantasy. The reality is that more students are in each classrooms. There are less professors, less course offerings and everyone is working with a smaller budget Nine percent enrollment decline means 9 percent fewer students can afford higher education even with their parents financial help As State Sen. Ed Fadeley remarked, the tuition increases are making the Oregon state institutions of higher education beyond the means of the lower middle class and therefore increasingly elitist. The University is the highest priced public university in the Western United States for in-state residents It is not particularly the end of the baby boom or tough admission requirements that keep students from enrolling. It's 9 percent less students who can afford an education || letters Kuh-WAX There has recently been some discussion as to the cor rect pronunciation of the letters KWAX When I first came here I heard only"KAY-wax," sug gesting the material from which phonograph records used to be made More recently, I have also heard "kwak" suggesting the web-footed mascot. It has oc cured to me that a third alterna tive is also possible, assuming the pronunciation "kuh-wak.” This would suggest an allu sion to the famous Croaking Chorus from "The Frogs," a play by Aristophanes The words are not real Greek, but an attempt to simulate the sounds made by students in the days when one of the prime functions of a university was to provide them with a classical education; the Modern Major-General in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance” cites it as being among his store of knowledge Because the line'Brekekekax, koax koax" has the same rhythm as "Right in the neck, the neck, the neck," it was also used as football cheer Perhaps the radio station is simply trying to recall the university to its classical heritage Lawrence Crumb Library Oregon daily m . emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday, except during exam week and vacations, by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co at the University ot Oregon Eugene, OR, 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union arid is a member of the Associated Press News and Editorial 886 5511 Display Advertising and Business 6(6- 3712 Classified Advertising 666-4343 Production 666 4361 Circulation 666-5511 Slanderous I was outraged by the article written by Harry Esteve regarding the "ugly appendage;" known to other citizens as Springfield I am surprised the Emerald would allow such a biased and slanderous story to print Admittedly, Springfield’s downtown area could appro priately be called an eye sore, but Springfield as a whole is certainly better that the "dismal," "dying city" that Esteve has pictured Certainly Eugene is not with out its eye sores If Mr Esteve gets off on "peeling paint" and "unkept yards" have him check the neighboring streets to the University campus, which houses hold mostly students I suppose Mr Esteve would feel that slovenliness on the part of students is excusable but not so for the poor, for, of course, they are poor by choice As for Springfield's "greasy spoons." they offer good food at a reasonable price, which is a good alternative to some of Eugene s finer restaurants which offer mostly oak and plush carpeting Have Mr Esteve try Tim and Tilda's, which is a very good deli on Main Street They, admittedly, have even eaten at Larry & Kathy's "greasy spoon " Well, I could comment on every paragraph Mr Esteve has written, but why bother I'm just a quiet, unpretentious person, living in my modest, little home, feeling grateful that I have a job and my only excitement in life is watching the drunks roll out of Editor Managing Editor News Editor Assistant News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Associate Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Associate Editors Higher Education Departments and Schools Student Government Features Politics Community General Stall Advertising Manager Classilied Advertising Production Manager Controller Harry Esteve John Haaly Marian Green Cort Fernakf Joan Nyland Sob Balter Mike Riplinger Paul Danrer Jonathan Siegle Debbie Hewlett Sandy Johnstone Richard Burr Sean Meyer* Michelle Matassa David Brown Darlene Gore Sally Oljai Vietona Koch jean Ownby letters Mf *•'9**- *»^B**. HRr the Lost Dutchman at 2 a m on a Friday night. Sharon Ransdell Springfield Affront As a resident of Springfield for over nineteen years, as a graduate ot the University, and as mayor of the city of Spring field, I take great exception to your article, “Springfield — The Other' City The generalities you draw in your article may make good copy but are grossly inaccurate The article is an affront to every citizen of Springfield More than 40,000 citzens choose to make their home in Springfield They do so for many different reasons, most of which add up to the fact that they like living in Springfield No, we are not like Eugene — nor is Eugene just like Portland. Each city has a combination of good and not so good attributes None is perfect and each is continually striving to improve To call us “an ugly appendage desecrat ing the east end of a hallowed city1' only shows that you have a very narrow perspective ot what really makes a community a place in which people choose to live I hope in the future you will do a better job of understanding and reporting regarding Springfield I do not ask you or anyone else to ignore our faults, only that they are balanced with the assets which give all of us a reason to call Springfield our home and to be proud of It John Lively Springfield Monument It always amazes me that the same generation of young people that have revived interest in the history of cities can also be ignorant of history when writing about it. Harry Esteve's article in the Emerald of Sept.20 exemplifies this ignorance in his comments about “someone" who built a monument to Springfield — the horse. This equestrian object, which has been standing at the entrance of the city since the late 1950's, was designed and constructed as a thesis project by a graduate student in scul puture from the University of Oregon After convincing the local Junior Chamber of Commerce of the aritistic merit of the piece by use of a very well executed model, this student proceeded to erect what you now see sculpted from con crete I think most of our citizens would agree that it is. in fact, a "faceless, featureless rider awkwardly straddling an ill proportioned horse" and would also agree that that's not what they bought in approving the sculputor's model The sculpture, therefore, does not stand as "testament to the flawed, depressed, and dy ing city it guards," but a mon ument to the gullibility of our community in believing that they should expect quality from the products of certain graduate programs of your University Don Lutes Springfield 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 identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in to The Emerald offices, EMU 300 The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or content Publication is dependent upon the space available
