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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1983)
I opinion Board takes a lot, then gives a little What’s a camel? A horse designed by a committee. What’s the State Board of Higher Education? An animal consisting of 22 legs, 22 arms and 11 heads that always raises, rarely reduces, students’ fees. Yes... fees were raised again, like they were raised last year, the year before, the year before. The two jokes relate to each other if you consider the way the state board levies fees and allocates funds the same as a committee constructing a horse — a little here, a lot there. In the end the horse resembles a camel. The state board approved a compromise method for allocating the $1.26 billion budgeted for higher education during the 1983-85 biennium. That amount seems like a lot of money. But, the compromise between Chancellor Bud Davis and the board’s traditional method of allocation (based on enrollment) may lead to some institutions facing financial ex igency in the second year. Despite the $1.26 billion on paper the state's colleges and universities are still in a financial desert. The state board also approved an amendment raising the student’s University health service fee from $29.50 to $33 beginning fall term. That’s an increase of nearly nine percent. The health fee increase is justified. These fees are put to an important service to the students. Students benefit directly from their fees when they visit the health center. The nine percent increase is close to the annual rate of inflation. That’s a little, now for a lot. Incidental fees — a catch-all fee for a number of student programs and activities, including this daily newspaper — will jump from $42 to $56 per term. Calling the increase a jump is warranted. The incidental fee increase amounts to almost 33 percent. That’s too too much on any calculator. Why the increase? These increases in student fees have become so annual the board rather haphazardly mutters the same platitudes as the year before... costs for this... cost of that. It’s about time for students to begin a widescale protest instead of the usual groan-take-it-and-pull-out-your-checkbook. Law students are really getting the dirty end of the fee stick from the state board. The state board increased the study resources fee from $200 to $300 per semester. That’s $300 per semester. The price of law school is substantial enough — but now add another $200 to $300 a year. And the state board made another move, a particular sneaky little number designed to snag more money from part-time students. The state board voted to charge part-time students graduate tuition rates for courses numbered 400G/g and 500 — even if they are being taken for undergraduate credit. Part time students can now take these courses at undergraduate tuition rates if not taken for graduate credit. Well, now, this shifty little move should net a tidy sum of money for students who are working and trying to finish up the few hours needed for a degree. The state board seems to be myopic to the long view of higher education. The increases are gradual, dollar by dollar. But every dollar by dollar makes the long range costs of higher education too expensive for potential students. For every dollar increase in fees enrollment drops, student by student. Where is the point that the few who are able to af ford higher education will become bankrupt? How soon? The sound of one hand clapping and half a hurrah for the state board — they passed a 32 percent funding increase for the state system's libraries. The University’s library will get the largest share — $2.3 million for 1983-84. That’s something they gave, rather than taking. orogon daily . . emerald The summer edition ol the Oregon Deity Emerald IS publish ed Tuesdays end Thursdays escept during e«em week and vacations, by the Oregon Deity Emerald Publishing Co at the University ol Oregon, Eugene Oregon, 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with oltir.es on the third lloor ol the f rt> Memorial Union end is a member ol the Associated Press Newt end Edltorlel *44 SS11 Oteptey Advertising and (wetness see 1713 cieeellted Advertising AM 414.1 Production MA 4)41 Circulation MS SSI t Editor Managing EditorlNewa Editor Editorial Pag* Editor Photo Editor Dabbie Howled Sandy Johnatone Cort Fernatd Marti Pyrtea Aaaoclate Edttora Higher Educetion/Departmenta and Sehoola Joan Herman Student Government Jim Moore Polittca Editor Brooks Dared Community Editor/Higher Education Michele Mataaaa Night Editor Cort Fernatd General Start Advertising Manager Ctaaaitied Advertising Production Manager Controller Darlene Gore Sally Oitar Victoria Koch Jean Ownbey letters False cult A recent NPR broadcast reported on the relationship between increasing heroin use and the right to the pursuit of happiness. I believe similar misuse of this right explains the popularity of Rajneesh’s false cult. After meeting an amorous devotee in Austin, Texas I was treated to a film clip of the self-proclaimed god-Baghwan. I watched him mumble and “space-out” through a barely audible rendition of Jesus’ teaching on selflessness. Unlike the teaching of a true prophet to give of your riches to aid the poor, this cult prac tices the absolute transference of all wealth, work and aspiration to its single object of devotion — Rajneesh. The gathered Rajneeshees encouraged each other in con tinual affirmation and effusive praise, a brainwash technique used by Sun Yung Moon and the late Jim Jones. The followers — all clad in similar faded maroon, counter-culture cloth with the same smiling mandala of guess who? claim to be a religious community led by a guru. They may be a community, but only of pro grammed droids. Who or what is Rajneesh? He is not a guru, for a guru is a teacher of self-realization or in Paulo Friere’s terminology: of “conscientizatlon.” That is, freeing humanity en masse through participatory dialogue and service. Common effort toward social betterment, not the selfish enrichment of a false teacher. Rajneesh was burned out of Calcutta for teaching this self deprecating cult which wor ships him. He Is a false teacher of a false religion, or more precisely a false pro phet. The constitutional right to pursuit of happiness hasn’t legalized heroin, neither should it prevent the Immigra tion Service from deporting this imposter. Drew O’Rourke kappa tau alpha Offended Debbie Howlett's July 19 column was not only an abuse of her position as editor of the Emerald, it was also utterly pointless. Her purported compulsion to, as she put it, “make a name for myself, my staff and my (sic) paper” has led her on a quixotic quest to raise issues where none exist and, what’s worse, to indulge in nauseating moralizing over molehills. Apparently, Kouns and Hope expressed some opi nions during a casual conver sation with which Howlett did not agree. So what. For Howlett to infer from their casual dialogue that they — and by inference, the ASUO — hold a "fuck the feds” attitude is a gross assumption that has no place on the Emerald’s or any paper's editorial page. I am not only offended by Howlett's false sense of morality, I am appalled that she considers the drivel of which ner column is compos ed worthy of print. Further more, she comes dangerously close to violating journalistic ethics by exploiting a private conversation. In short, Howlett's column was nothing but a mass of in nuendos which served no ap parent purpose other than to gratify her desire for self indulgent moralizing In the process she cast aspersions on Kouns and Hope If the ASUO was as disgusted as I by this sample of Howlett's work then there is little hope for improved rela tions between the Emerald and the ASUO in the up coming year Jennifer Sunseri senior. International studies Disregard Today (July 11) KWAX aired the first segment of a new pro gram: “Aging is a Woman's Issue." Rather than treat aging in the larger context of what it is to be human and to age, the program focused only on what it is to be a woman and to age. The justification offered for disregarding aged men was that they represent a smaller percentage than women of the geriatric population. So? If our high ideal of equality is ever to be reached it will be reached because of our shared humanity and the respect due to that humanity. Men get old and have pro blems and die, too. Nancy Fadeley, your chauvanism appalls me. R. West Eugene TDAs now A small group of women have joined together to bring a touch of big city politics to Eugene. We are organizing something New York calls TDAs (The Day After protests). Imagine this: 50 people protesting when a judge gives a suspended sentence to a man guilty of raping a woman in her own home. 25 people passing out literature in front of a theater showing a pornographic film that perpetuates violence against women and children. 20 people providing infor mation about rape at a local bar on “Ladies' Night.” In Eugene women are being raped in the parking lots of certain bars as they exit on “Ladies’ Night.” 35 people protesting in front of the Eugene Register-Guard when they appear to be anti women, either by a certain type of coverage or a lack of coverage. 30 people support a woman as she confronts an acquain tance who raped her. 300 people protesting on the streets of Eugene when a woman or child is raped, sodomized or in any way sex ually assaulted. Change the numbers, change the situations, I’m sure there is one or one hun dred that you have envisioned before. We can do it. We can show strength and solidarity, and we can do it in 24 hours if we work together. We are going to organize a phone tree that will be housed in one central location. You can participate in its planning or you can just give us your name and number to be on the phone tree. The planning meeting will be Wednesday, August 3 at 5 p.m. in EMU room 336. All are welcome to participate. Charlotte Jenkins
