Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1983)
Blazers beat Sonics in first round of mini-series See page 8 Oregon doily emerald Thursday, April 21, 1983 Eugene, Oregon Volume 84, Number 137 Semesters? Survey shows students favor quarters About 62 percent of the students prefer the quarter system to the semester system, according to a ran dom survey of 96 students conducted by the Emerald. •‘You don’t get to take enough classes with a X ... Tim Howarth: ‘You don’t get to take enough classes with a semester system’ semester system,” says Tim Howarth, a political science major. Tony Michaels, a math graduate student, favors the quarter system because ‘‘you get to learn more subjects.” “Semesters are too long,” says Dana Deardorff, romance languages major. “If you are stuck in a bad class with a bad teacher, then you are stuck for half of the year.” But 38 percent of the students favor a semeter system. “I like the rhythm of the semester system,” says Trish Wheeler, a dance major. "It gives you time to learn and not constantly study for exams.” “Personally, I always wonder if I really learn anything winter term,” says Dan Allen, chairer of Student University Affairs Board. That students support the status quo does not surprise administrators. “Students always favor what they know the best,” says Shirley Wilson, acting dean of students. A 1980 report compiled by Maradel Gale says “without the ability to compare, student support tends to flow to the calendar with which they are most familiar.” The Emerald survey was conducted by randomly selec ting names from the student directory. The survey con tacted 96 students, 52 men and 44 women. If students are forced to have a semester system, 86 percent prefer the early semester system while 14 per cent prefer the late semester system, according to the survey. The University faculty approved the traditional (late) semester system. “Late semesters penalize ——.i as Trish Wheeler: 7 like the rhythm of the semester system’ students,” says Paul Apfelbeck, a graduate elemen tary education student. As an undergraduate, Apfelbeck at tended a university on the ear ly semester system. Apfelbeck does endorse the concept of semesters, 1_ Lanie Barry: ‘(The weather argument) is ridiculous ’ however. ‘‘You can get to know more professors and interact with them,” he says. ‘‘You have true learning with semesters instead of cramming at the library the week before an exam.” Barb Bromley also favors the early semester system. “I don’t want to study over Christmas break.” “I’m not surprised students prefer the earlier semester system,” says Joe Hynes, assistant dean of the college of arts and sciences. “I always had confidence students were not stupid.” Hynes says the last few weeks of classes after Christmas would have a “lame duck” feeling. He also said student would have problems lAi because of the “term papers you told yourself you would write over Christmas and didn’t." “The whole world is going toward the early semester system," says Hynes. “We are going the other way. This Tony Michaels: ‘you get to learn more sub jects (in the quarter system)’ Graphic by Shawn Bird thing we voted in is a neanderthal." In 1967-68, about 76 percent of institutions were on the traditional semester system, with 3 percent using the early semester system and 16 per cent on the quarter system, ac cording to Gale’s report. By 1979-80, only 6 percent of institutions used a traditional semester system, 24 percent were on a quarter system and 53 percent were using the ear ly semester system. In the survey, "early" was defined as beginning in the first week of September. “Late” was defined as mid September. In a 169-124 vote, the Univer sity Assembly approved the late semester system to take effect in 1985. Now, the State Board of Higher Education must approve the proposal, (see related story below) Under the system adopted by the University Assembly, fall semester would beg*n in mid-September. Students would get two weeks of vaca tion in late December before Continued on Page 3 Story by Sandy Johnstone Photos by Mark Pynes, Dave Kao Judge halts herbicide spraying in Suislaw forest By Harry Esteve Of tha Emerald A Eugene judge Wednesday ordered the U.S. Forest Service to stop all her bicide spraying in and around the Siuslaw National Forest, saying the Forest Service has not done enough research on possible health risks. U.S. District Judge Robert Belloni issued the order to halt the controver sial spraying in response to a law suit filed two years ago by anti-herbicide activist Paul Merrell of Tidewater, Ore. In his opinion, Belloni said the forest service and the Bureau of Land Management "did not do any actual research on the health effects of using the listed herbicides in the area.” Instead, forest officials illegally relied on research already completed by the Environmental Protection Agen cy, Belloni said. Throughout the suit, Merrell contended the EPA’s research was fraudulent and full of “gaps” and “scientific uncertainty." The injunction prohibits spraying of pesticides from within 25 miles of any boundary of the Siuslaw National Forest, said Merrell, who has been try ing to halt spraying for the past five years. At an emotional press conference held Wednesday afternoon in the EMU forum room, Merrell appeared elated over the decision. As friends and sup porters cheered and poured cham pagne on his head, he wiped tears from his eyes ar d hugged his wife, Carol Van Strum. “People have really suffered out there," Merrell said. “We hope that this is the beginning of the end of that suffering.” Merrell contended that herbicidal spraying was responsible for a series of birth defects and miscarriages suf fered by residents around the Siuslaw National Forest. Van Strum was on campus as part of Earth Week activities to give a talk on the lawsuit and to announce the release of her book, "A Bitter Fog," which chronicles the couple’s battle against herbicides. Merrell, a Vietnam veteran, said he has spent 1 Vi years in hospitals for what he claims is the damage resulting from the spraying of Agent Orange defoliant during the war. He filed the lawsuit against the forest service and the EPA in April 1981 and has acted as his own lawyer throughout the litigation. The U.S. attorney representing the Forest Service, Tom Lee, would not comment on the judge's injunction or on whether the federal land agencies would appeal the decision. Forest Ser vice officials in Corvallis also declined to comment. Merrell said he expects the Forest Service may appeal, but said the deci sion marks the first time since 1978 that no spraying will take place while the issue is settled in court. An added effect of Wednesday's decision is that other government agencies can no longer rely on EPA research on herbicide safety, Merrell said. He added that the decision, by setting a precedent, may prohibit federal agencies from spraying anywhere in Oregon.
