harry esteve
Independence
For the past 12 years, the
Emerald has considered itself
“independent.” Its legal ties
to the University administra
tion were severed — politely
— in 1971 when the Emerald
incorporated as a nonprofit
organization.
Now, more than a decade
later, the Emerald is starting to
question just how “indepen
dent” it really is.
At the heart of the problem
is a $5.50 per student yearly
subscription fee that is
assessed through the inciden
tal fee fund. Incidental fees,
which also fund the athletic
department, the EMU and
various clubs, are controlled
to a certain extent by the
ASUO president.
This year's ASUO president
is C.J. Balfe. And Balfe is less
than happy with this year's
Emerald
The reasons for Balfe’s
dissatisfaction with the
Emerald are complex, and for
the most part, irrelevent.
Newspapers never have been
considered great buddies with
governmental leaders. They
would be considered irrespon
sible if they were
But because of his
dissatisfaction, we hear he is
considering a large cut in the
Emerald’s fee allotment or try
to eliminate it altogether. And
that has the Emerald wonder
ing about its independence.
When money is used as the
tool to influence Emerald
policy, it’s a threat that’s dif
ficult to Ignore.
It’s difficult because the
subscription fee is crucial to
the Emerald. It pays most of
r
what it costs to print the paper
each day at the Springfield
News.
Advertising sales pay for
everything else: equipment,
salaries, taxes, phone bills,
etc.
Without the subscription
fee, the Emerald would be
hard pressed to stay afloat.
In February, the Incidental
Fee Committee will begin its
annual series of hearings
where they will undertake the
unenviable task of deciding
which programs to fund and
which programs to cut.
The Emerald will be there,
as it has been for the past 12
years, asking the IFC to
allocate next year's student
subscriptions.
We know most students
want to read the Emerald.
Thousands of copies disap
pear off the racks every morn
ing. We also know most
students don’t mind paying a
small fee to receive it. In a vote
last year, they overwhelmingly
approved the current method
of funding the Emerald.
If funding for the Emerald is
cut, then the Emerald may ask
the students to /ote again We
think they’ll continue their
subscription.
And perhaps that’s the only
way to be truly independent.
A final note of irony to this
unfortunate situation is that
the ASUO was highly suppor
tive of the Emerald’s initial
drive for independence In
fact, when the Emerald was on
the rocks financially a few
years after independence, it
was the ASUO that bailed it
out with a long-term loan
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letters
Two kinds
I’ve heard of dead baby
jokes before but this exhibi
tion in front of the EMU is pro
foundly distasteful Granted
an aborted fetus is a gory sight
but what is even more grim is
the misrepresentation of the
facts.
There are two kinds of abor
tions: legal and illegal. A legal
abortion is a simple five to 15
minute procedure performed
in the safety and cleanliness
of a clinical setting and often
includes extensive counseling
for both partners.
However, I strongly suspect
that the mangled bodies
-i
I letters
L
Maligned
Usually one can overlook
your shoddy journalism by
simply realizing that your
reporters are “just practising"
for the real world while in col
lege. However, your article ti
tled "Cuba Group Loses IFC
Funding" (Emerald, Jan. 11)
should not go without a
response.
Your reporter interviewed
two members of the Cuba
Study Groups and stated
several negative remarks at
tributed to them but failed to
report the accomplishments
mentioned by them in his in
terview. In contrast, Alan Con
treras (not a member, nor have
we had any contact with this
"expert”) was quoted as call
ing us a "bogus” organization.
To set the record straight:
We are a small group of people
interested in Cuba. Some of us
have visited there. We taught
two terms through the Search
program about Cuba and
received extremely positive
evaluations from the students
in the classes. This entailed
much research, lime for ar
rangements for guest
speakers, films, etc. None of
us were paid a cent for many
hours of work.
We feel it was unnecessary
to take up one-fourth page of
the Emerald to malign a small
group like us. Perhaps we are
pawns in some internal power
struggle between various
groups at the University? We
did not ask for funding this
year. The funding we were
awarded last year ($60) was
taken away once, reinstated,
then revoked again. We have
netted more money and tar
less hassle in one bake sale at
the University Bookstore
Perhaps this undue distor
tion of what we are about has
to do with the current rage of
creeping conservatism taking
place on campus and national
ly. Does it make the Emerald,
ASUO, IFC, etc. see “red” to
have a groups with the name
“Cuba" on campus?
How about some responsi
ble journalism, folks. As Jack
Webb said: "Just the facts,
ma'am. Get them straight."
Jantc* Zagortn
mmmbmr, Cub* Study Qroup
displayed by the “pro-lifers”
resulted from the latter.
One common variety of il
legal abortion is performed by
amateurs for an outrageous
fee on a kitchen table with
crude, unsterilized im
plements and no anesthesia. If
a woman cannot produce the
“blood money” demanded by
outlaw abortionists, she is left
with one desperate recourse
— the coat hanger.
As unthinkable as either of
these illicit alternatives may
seem, ask any nurse with 30
years experiencece of the
women they have cared for
who were brought to the
hospital with a perforated or
severly infected uterus, of
those who bled to death or of
the “lucky" survivors who
were left sterile for life.
Legal or illegal, an abortion
is not an action lightly taken.
I thank God everyday that I
have the right to choose a safe
and legal abortion
H.W. Hartshorn
landscapa architecture
Essence
Referring to the recent arti
cle published in the Emerald
about Christianity (“Spreading
the Word"), I offer these
comments:
Many of those who discuss
and/or debate the subject of
Christianity seem to have
missed its essence altogether.
To paraphrase a statement by
Josh McDowell, Christianity
isn't just a religion. Religion is
people trying to work their way
to God through good deeds.
Christianity Is God coming to
men and women through! the
gift of Jesus Christ, offering
them a relationship with
Himself.
Some people may continue
to reject Christ and His love
because their ‘‘will" doesn’t
allow Him in. instead they
adopt tactics and attitudes
that will preserve their egos
and their pride (i.e. ‘‘Christiani
ty is a state of mind”).
As far as spreading the word
of God goes, there is nothing
"neo” about evangelism,
which as been practiced con
tinually by His disciplines
since Jesus came to earth and
has its roots in the testimony
of His Life, not Oriental
religions, as Hee-Jin Kim
suggests.
Rarely have I seen such a
wide degree of fault-finding
notions expressed about Bud
dhism, for example, as those
hurled at Christianity Could it
be that the key reason for this
selective criticism isn't so
much from feeling condemn
ed, but rather from feeling
convicted by the heart when
one hears the gospel of
Christ?
Pascal, the French writer,
said, "The evidence of God's
existence and His gift is more
than compelling, but those
who insist that they have no
need of Him or it will always
find ways to discount the
offer."
If anyone is templed to let
this same kind of tunnel vision
get in the way of discovering
the truth about God, I urge him
or her to first read and study
His Word in its entirety before
deciding whether or not God is
everything He claims to be
Lyn Gaston
Oregon daily _ _
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald Is published Monday Ihrough Friday
except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Dally
Emerald Publishing Co at the University ot Oregon Eugene
OR. 97403
The Emerald operates independently ot the University with
offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a
member of the Associated Press
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Harry f stnvr
John Nealy
Marian Often
Cort Farnald
Joan Nyiancl
Rob Oak pi
Mike Miplingpr
Paul Dan/ar
Jonathan Stag)#
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Sandy Johnston©
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Sean M*y©»»
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Aieta /as
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Sally OlMP
Victoria Koch
Jean OwnhOy
letters policy
The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair
comment on topics of Interest to the University Community
Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed,
signed and the identification of the writer must be verified
when the letter is turned into the Emerald office The Emerald
reserves the right to edit any letter tor length, style or content
"Your turn" is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by
members of the University community Your turn columns
must be limited to 500 words and typed This editorial will not
be edited by the staff but selection will be based on appro
priateness
Letters to the editor and Your turn ' columns should be
turned into the Emerald office Suite 300 EMU
Unsigned editorials apearing in the Eemrald are based
upon the majority opinion of the editorial board
Thursday, January 27,1983