Irrelevant debate
All this talk about access versus quality is irrelevant.
Access is access and quality is quality When legislators and
educators debate the two, they are disguising their aims to
reduce funding
It goes without saying that everyone should have access
to public education as long as they meet academic
requirements. The question is, how do we maintain the ability
of everyone to pay for an education ?
The Legislature is not improving quality when it raises
the proportion students must pay for college, they are, in
effect, denying access to a group of students — the poorer
ones.
Ironically, the administration's move to upgrade the
academic quality of students by raising admissions
standards also may reduce the quality of the University.
Currently, funding of the University is based substantially on
Full-Time Equivalency hours — the theoretical number of
warm bodies in desks. Until this form of funding is abolished
or at least modified, pressure to recruit high-achievers
competes with pressure to collect tuition and state funding.
One difference between a prestigious private school and
any other institution of higher education is the academic
ability of the students upon entrance Another difference is
the amount of grants, scholarships, and endowments to
underwrite the cost of tuition for students
This is a state school without large endowments The
University may increasingly rely on the Foundation to come
up with money, but the bulk of funding must come from
tuition and the Legislature.
The future of the University really depends on our friends
in higher ed persuading Oregonians that this state requires
an educated populace. It depends on the taxpayers wil
lingness to keep the state system financially accessible to
most Oregonians.
Debates about access hurt the University's ability to
show this institution as a vital organ for the whole state, rich
or poor, business or labor, undergraduate or graduate.
This is particularly crucial in light of the restraints on
federal aid to college students.
This state needs to realize that higher education is an
investment that will pay off and that it is their investment for
their children — not for an elite group from out of state or the
"upper crust" of the Willamette Valley.
Higher education may wade out the depression, but
eventually Oregonians must realize that higher education
requires consistent support for a quality institution.
letters
No bias
It is with sympathy and
understanding that I write this
reply to your “White egos"
article, Mr. Blair I am, like
yourself, concerned with racial
discrimination whether it be
biased or unbiased Blatant
prejudice is ugly and benefits no
one
However, it is imperative that
before one attacks a dis
criminatory remark, either
verbal or written, one must
recognize such Unfortunately,
Mr Blair, you do not.
“Whites average a score of
925 (SAT scores) while blacks
averaged a score of 694 " The
preceding statement is strictly
of a factual and informative
nature There is no malicious
intent, no bias, no sterotype
Ms Howlett was simply stating a
fact. It is not as you so erron
eously labeled it, a "flagrantly
discriminatory statment”.
How do you know Ms Howlett
wasn’t writing out of concern for
the obvious imbalance in the
scores?
Mr Blair, you are at the
University of Oregon This insti
tution of learning is meant to
proffer information for many,
not to hide it from a few
David Nabal
sophomore, English
'Ml Balanced AT TWis End, MR. PRESIDENT. HOW'S EVERYTHING at YOUR END ?'
II letters
Human life
In an attempt to justify abor
tion some claim human life
doesn’t exist until delivery Such
a stand obviously ignores many
facts
For instance, nobody can
claim a developing child isn't a
living being, can they? If not
human then what is it?
As for it existing as a mere
extention of the mother’s body
— such as an organ — this is
totally false Unlike an organ,
the baby has a unique genetic
makeup which is quite different
than the mother. It also has its
own organs, circulatory system,
and muscular system Not
human? Undeserving of protec
tion under the law?
Lets consider another fact
Soon after conception the child
develops its own functioning
heart Soon after this, the brain
develops its own functioning —
brain waves are quite
detectable The child perceives
changes in the environment (in
cluding pain) as well and
responds to them
Abortion isn’t just another
operation — it’s the taking of
human life and should be
judged as such Lets put an end
to such cruelty and support
those who are trying to pass
legislation against abortion
Rebecca Barn hurst
psychology
Repudiate
Now that the dust has settled
and Vic Atieyh can spend his
time figuring out how to deal
with the overwhelming
democratic majority in Salem,
two strong impressions seem
worthy of sharing
First, we students proved
once again how worthless we
are as a political force In spite
of considerable efforts by both
the ASUO and the fraternities
(and while I applaud the efforts
of the latter, I do wish it didn't
take so long for them to outgrow
the upper-middle class Repub
lican paranoia of their parents),
students in great numbers
displayed their short
sightedness in not repudiating
an incumbent governor who
had the worst record of any
governor in the nation in
supporting, or not supporting,
higher education (a freshman
this year will spend about $2000
to $3000 more for an education,
in tuition, than someone
graduating this year, thanks
Vic).
Once again, some 10,000 of
us simply opted out of the
process that is draining us-or
Daddy
Second, I spent considerable
time and energy putting up lawn
signs for two candidates and
was appalled by how many of
the signs were destroyed or
removed In my more foolish
younger days I risked my life
"for my country", and I like to
think that earned me the right to
support the candidate of my
choice That candidate might be
a socialist, but I still feel right
eous enough to wave a flag
behind that socialist
I think back to the Debbie
Howlett column critical of Ore
gon high school students who
were intolerant of the RCYB —
as guests on our campus I
become incensed at the
excesses of the aggressively
ignorant, in all probability
encouraged. If not actively aid
ed, by a reactionary
administration in Washington
who will certainly approve of the
goals, if not the methods (pub
licity) of these budding brown
shirts
I am not sure who scares me
more, this best and brightest of
the future generation, whom we
excuse with lame homilies
about "students traditionally
not voting"; or the intolerant
neanderthals who are' too
cowardly to confront me
personally with their criticism,
but will do their uprootings while
sulking in the night.
Michael Morrow
graduate
Entitled
I’m writing this letter in
response to Cort Fernalds
column It appears that Fernald
believes that only a select few
can listen to The Clash, Oingo
Boingo, and other new wave
bands, and that members of
fraternities are not entitled to
such a privilege It so happens
that I like those groups, and I'm
also a pledge at a fraternity
For the past three years, I've
worked as a disc jockey at a
small radio station in Portland,
KBPS, and during that time have
played many unknown new
wave groups Additionally, we
were the first, and probably the
only, station to play Billy
Rancher and the Unreal Gods,
the city 's most popular band
I believe that the freedom of
musical choice is given to
everyone Someone should not
have to choose their music by
whether they have the right to
listen to whatever type of music
appeals to them, contrary to
Fernalds opinion
I think It's a shame that the
Emerald has to have such a
narrow minded writer as
Fernald, because most of the
paper is very good
By the way. I wonder if groups
like the MC5 and Martha and the
Muffins will ever last as long and
become as famous as "those
boring-old-farts the Who?"
Lloyd Athearn
emerald
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lean Ownhey
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