Olympic
Congress
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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.