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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1984)
Olympic Congress See Sidelines inside Oregon daily emerald Wednesday, May 23, 1984 Eugene, Oregon Volume 85, Number 161 University considers computer user fees By Doug Nash Of the Emerald Students in computer-related courses may be charged a $20 user fee next year, depending on what the State Board of Higher Education decides Friday. Due to increased supervision and instruction costs in the new Gilbert and Condon microcomputer labs, University Vice Provost Paul Holbo says the fee is the only way to maintain the same number of courses next year. The fee would be required of all students taking computer-related classes. Those two new labs have cost the University an additional $150,000 in instruction and supervision, he says. In a letter to the State Board, he says the University has "deeply felt philosophical objections" to a user fee but sees no other way around the problem. "Given the circumstances, we see no alternative to a fee," Holbo writes. "It would be a greater disservice to our students not to provide the education that they will need. We have sampled stu dent opinion and believe that our request for a special fee is supported." But implementation of the user fee may be easier said than done, as the State Board currently prohibits special laboratory and course fees. And some officials in the chancellor's office say the special fee may go against the intent of the 1983 Legislature, which froze tuition and enrollment fees for the next biennium. "I personally believe that we are on shaky ground as far as our commitment to the Ways and Means Committee," Associate Vice Chancellor Dave Quenzer says. "This would constitute an increase because it is a mandatory fee for enrollment." Furthermore, Quenzer says computer classes are not the only expensive courses around. "There are courses on each campus as costly or even more cost ly than computer-related courses," he writes in the chancellor's staff report to the State Board. "If computer-related courses have a special fee because of high cost, why not charge course fees in the physical sciences, engineering, etc.?" "The difference, I would say, is in the numbers of students tak ing computer courses" as compared to other expensive courses, Holbo counters. "Here, we've got dozens of computer classes." But Quenzer has an even deeper objection to the computer user fee. Special course fees, he says, could lead to a "market basket" approach, in which each course has a different fee based upon its cost. And that, Quenzer says, is against the notion of a single man datory fee for all students. "Then all of a sudden, your degree is dependent on what you can pay," he says. "I'm philosophically opposed to any type of fee like that." If the University really wants to keep all its computer courses next year, Quenzer suggests it "reallocate" its own resources, which could mean cutting courses in other areas. The State Board meets in Ashland Friday, and will have a 1:30 p.m. public hearing on tuition and fee policy. Satan's a heavy duty rocker Group says devil works with music By Julie Shippen Of the Emerald Sacrilegious depictions on album covers, hidden messages in the lyrics of contemporary songs, and the disastrous lives of various rock stars are some of the ways Satan influences rock and roll, according to a Maranatha presentation Tuesday. The two-hour slide show, "Rock and Roll — A Search for God," showed dozens of ex amples of what the organization believes is "strong religious symbolism" in popular music and how it affects the subconscious of today's youth "We have bands like the Motley Crue tell ing children of the anti-Christ to rise up," said Mark Hayter, the presentation's narrator. Other bands the show mentioned as having satanic undertones included The Sex Pistols, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), Styx, AC/DC, )ethro Tull, and The Rolling Stones. Performers such as Grace Slick and Ozzy Osbourne were a few the group considered "mocking" of Christianity with their song titles and lyrics about hell. John Denver was one singer the show portrayed as being his own god, as taken from a quote in an earlier interview. The presentation also discussed "backmasking," a process of playing a song backwards to reveal a Satanic message. For ex ample, Queen's recording of "Another One Bites the Dust" played backwards translates in to "start to smoke marijuana." A song recorded from a live performance by Black Oak Arkansas contains the phrases "Satan, Satan, Satan, he is god, he is god, he is god" when played in reverse, according to the narration. There is currently the hypothesis that such phrases are unknowingly translated by the subconscious mind from the song's forward recording to the backwards message, accor ding to the narration. But "what is important is not if I can hear it, but how it got there," Hayter said. A possible explanation of backmasking was that the musicians intentionally recorded File Photo Grace Slick, formerly of The Jefferson Airplane and now The Jefferson Starship, spends much of her leisure hours in league with the devil, according Mark Hayter of Maranatha. the hidden words, but this is impossible as many of the songs were recorded from live concerts, Hayter said. Accidental recordings of backmasking were also unlikely, as the only other messages found were those with Satanic meaning, he said. If these messages were accidental, Hayter said, there would be equal amounts of wor dings that were pro-Christ as well as "garble." Rather, the source of backmasking is spiritual, he said. The presentation also blamed such artists as Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, Michael Continued on Page 8A Reagan: U.S. will 'help' in Persian Gulf, if asked WASHINGTON (AP) — Pres. Ronald Reagan said Tuesday night that the oil states of the Persian Gulf want to handle the attacks on their oil shipments without Amefcican intervention, but the United States stands ready to play a role "if they ask us for help." Asked what the likelihood is that American troops will become involved in a shooting war in that region in the near future, Reagan said, "I think very slight and I can't foresee that happening." "We have not volunteered to intervene and we have not been asked," Reagan said. "So far it seems the gulf states want to take care of that themselves." But Reagan stressed anew that Western nations would not simply stand by and see the Gulf of Hormuz closed as a result of the war between Iran and Iraq. Both nations have disrupted oil tanker traffic in the gulf in recent weeks. He said last Feb. 22 there was "no way that we could allow that channel to be closed." Reagan began his 24th formal news conference with a statement on Central America, repeating his call for Congress to appropriate more economic and military aid to U.S. allies in the region. “If Congress offers too little support it" will be worse than doing nothing at all," he said. At the nationally televised meeting with reporters, Reagan said he did not think the U.S. economy is headed into a recession. As for the federal deficit, he said "everyone has been over-estimating" its size, "not that it isn't a serious problem — it is." The president's opening statement ap pealed for congressional approval of his proposals for emergency aid to the rebels in Nicaragua and the government forces in El Salvador. He asked for sup port for 'all elements of that policy" — in cluding covert aid to the Nicaraguan rebels. His statement coincided with a visit to the Washington by Salvadoran President elect )ose Napoleon Duarte. If Congress refuses to buy his Central American proposals, Reagan said, "we would be in a very difficult position and so would they." But, he said, he has "great hopes" following the visit by Duarte, who will be inaugurated June 1. Turning to the deadlock in U.S.-Soviet negotiations to curb nuclear weapons, Reagan ruled out offering an incentive to bring the Soviets back to the talks. "I don't think it would be proper for us to make some concession, to show we'd be offering some reward for their intran sigence," he said. But the situation is not as bleak as it seems, he said, because Soviet-American progress is being made quietly in other areas. "I don't think things are as bad as they've been painted," he said. Reagan said the Soviets are watching the "contest" in Congress over pro viding money to produce the MX inter continental missile and "this can't help but be encouraging to them." Last week, the House narrowly approv ed enough money to build 15 of the missiles, but House Speaker Thomas O'Neill predicted that decision, giving the president only part of what he wanted, would be reversed. I m File Photo Pres. Ronald Reagan in his press con ference Tuesday repeated his call to Congress for more aid to Central America.