editorial
Student groups face
funding decisions
Between the Oregon House of Representatives, the
Department of Higher Education and the Department of
Justice, there is an issue brewing with the potential to affect
almost every student-funded organization at the University.
The issue is whether or not mandatory incidental fees can be
used to fund student organizations that use these funds to
advocate definitive positions on political issues.
The question about the use of mandatory incidental fees
surfaced last April when “students” from various campuses
of the Oregon State System of Higher Education approached
State Representative Larry Campbell and Vice Chancellor
Bill Lemman of the Department of Higher Education about
the use of incidental fees to fund political activities of
various student groups. Since then, Campbell and Lemman
have pursued a formal opinion on the issue from the At
torney General’s office.
The Attorney General’s office has drawn up a list of
questions for Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer to answer.
The nature of these questions and the statements that
Frohnmayer may give on them can have far-reaching im
plications for student organizations funded by mandatory
incidental fees.
These questions include whether incidental fees may be
used to fund student organizations which advocate, through
use of these fees, definitive positions on:
ij J3ciiioi measures oeiore uregon voters;
2) Legislation before the Oregon Legislative Assembly;
3) Administrative rules or policies of state or federal
agencies including the State Board of Higher Education; and
4) Issues before state or federal judicial tribunals.
These questions raise both federal and state constitu
tional issues. If Frohnmayer determines that it is unlawful
for mandatory student fees to go to groups that have
definitive political stances on the issues mentioned above, it
could mean that an entire spectrum of student groups on
campus may see their student funding in jeopardy.
More specifically, it could mean that the ASUO would
not be able to use incidental fees to take a clear stand on the
South African divestment issue. It could mean that groups
such as OSPIRG, Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Women’s
Resource and Referral, Black Student Union and Student
Campaign for Disarmament could not use incidental fees
that they may be receiving to support or oppose any policies
of state or federal agencies or to take sides on legislative
issues that they feel may be in the best interest of their
members or beliefs.
The potential for across-the-board cuts in incidental fees
to student groups is enormous, depending on Frohnmayer’s
response to the above-mentioned questions. At issue is how
far Campbell and Lemman are willing to carry the legal
question of using incidental fees to fund groups with strong
political stances and what kind of state ruling may ultimate
ly be made on it.
If the questions prepared by the Attorney General’s of
fice are determined to be the guidelines for which student
groups may or may not use incidental fees, the result will
mean that many student organizations will become political
ly neutralized and thus prevented from taking any definitive
stance on issues considered by many students to be of great
importance to Oregon and the nation.
This doesn’t just concern left- and right-wing groups in
volved in national politics and foreign policy. It could mean
the Oregon Student Lobby would not be able to fight for a
tuition freeze. The ASUO would not be able to circulate peti
tions condemning unfair moves by the State Board of Higher
Education. Overall, students would have no organized way
of banding together for political action that favors ALL of us.
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday
through Friday except during exam week and vacations
by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403.
The Emerald operates independently of the Universi
ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial
Union and is a member of the Associated Press.
General Staff
Advertising Director Susan Thelen
Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen
nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen,
Laurie Nobel, Roberta Oliver, David Wood.
Production: David Bryant, Kelly Cornyn, John Dorsey,
Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean
Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Ross Martin, Karin McKer
cher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, Curt Penrod, Tamye Riggs,
Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Tim
Swillinger, Colleen Tremaine, Hank Trotter.
Production Manager
Classified Advertising
Controller
Russell Steele
Vince Adams
Jean Own bey
Page 2A
Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Editorial Page Editor
Photo Editor
Sports Editor
Sidelines Editor
Entertainment Editor
Assistant Entertainment Editor
Night Editor
Associate Editors
Administration
Higher Education
Politics
ASUO
Student Activities
Community
Features
Michele Matassa
Mike Sims
Michael Kulaga
Costas Christ
Michael Clapp
Brent De La Paz
Sheila Landry
Kim Carlson
Mike Duncan
Julie Shippen
Jolayne Houtz
Michael Hosmar
Paul Ertelt
Julie Shippen
Michael Doke
Cynthia Whitfield
Lori Steinhauer
Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dave Berns, Robert Collias,
Diana Elliott, Thomas Henderson, Allan Lazo, Capi Lynn,
Scott McFetridge, Stasia Scarborough.
News and Editorial 686-5511
Display Advertising and Business 686-3712
Classified Advertising 686-4343
Production 686-4381
Circulation 686-5511
letters
Not so bad
Many Americans are the
dumbest people in the world.
Who are they? How dumb are
they? Very dumb. Here’s what
they have.
A country of unbanned beau
ty. Almost unlimited natural
resources. A judicial system
that is the envy of the rest of the
world. Food so plentiful,
overeating is a major problem.
A press nobody can dominate.
A ballot box nobody can stuff.
Churches of choice. One hun
dred million jobs. Freedom to
go anywhere you want, with
planes, cars and highways to
get you there. Social Security,
Medicare, Unemployment In
surance, Public Schools and
plentiful scholarships. ^Oppor
tunity to become a millionaire.
Next time you see a protester
telling you what is wrong with
America, tell him what is right
with America.
Not so bad, is it,
complainers?
Ron Munion
Political Science
Build a throne
Here, here are we, we with
our putrid rotting souls, filth
and sin oozing from these open
sores that we call our mouths,
our eyes, our ears — our every
pore. We are the scum, the
dregs, the jugglers, the exiled
and degenerate. And there,
there is Mark, Mark Bemheimer
whose outcry concerning gun
control was printed here on Jan.
7
Don’t you see? Who was it
that led tens of thousands of ho
ly warriors to victory in the bat
tle against evil and the dark
warlock Griselder? Who was it
that built the bridge by which
celestial choirs can cross so
their sweet music may be heard
by not only angels but mortals
as well? Who is it that holds the
torch and the banner for all that
is good and pure and right and
watches over the kingdom of
the Lord Jesus Christ while he is
doing other things? The answer
is Mark,
Now the issue, the point, is
not that Mark is right. He is.
The point is that a large throne,
adorned with golden dragons
and priceless gems and textiles
should be constructed for Mark
and then we should all get in
line to annoint his feet and
calves with exotic and sweet
smelling balms and oils and lo
tions. Thank You.
Geoffrey Ellsworth
Romance Languages
Joy of giving
It’s already a major achieve
ment to get me to write to even
kinfolk. The Oregon Board of
Higher Education is to be com
mended for a significant suc
cess — getting me off my duff to
write to the paper.
Just in time for the holidays
(when faculty and students are
home — gutsy board), we are
presented with the Joy of Giving
to the Rich (in this comer,
Philadelphia Lawyers) after tak
ing — tuition money — from the
Poor (students) to fight (get
this!) AGAINST an anti-sex
discrimination lawsuit brought
by women faculty members
against the system.
The intricacies of law are
beyond my simple mind. All I
know is, the reaction in my
stomach when I first read about
this is not unlike the feeling I
get when I hear a friend has
been assaulted. But on closer
examination, this is of course
different; not only women, but
all students, are getting
assaulted.
This whole fiasco has some
wonderful lessons (Students,
take note: This will be on your
final): It exposes how much
power students have over what
they paid tuition for — learning
(?!) And shows us that the
ideals of Academe are for
students to learn from higher
ups who flout the same.
To you ail, a Happy New
Year! Let's celebrate by toasting
the prosperity of our
Philadelphia lawyer buddies,
and May the Force Be With
You!
Daniel Woo
Not a student, thank God!
Brainwashed
From Christmas Eve to Jan. 1
(less than two weeks), 1,000
people died in automobile
crashes. More than half of these
fatalities were caused by drunk
drivers.
Not only did a thousand
Americans die during the holi
day season of 1984, but many
thousands who survived can
now look forward to a future of
never being able to move again,
and many will be blind due to
head injuries or eyes being
gouged or poked out by flying
objects during the accident.
And while many people will be
burying their loved ones this
week, the alcohol industry will
be counting its profits!
The alcohol industry
saturates our country with ads
aimed at brainwashing our peo
ple into thinking alcohol con
sumption is fun, the only way to
liven up a party or to have a
romantic evening. Their high
priced ads on television and in
the print media feature young
models and athletes drinking
away. The message is that
drinking is "the in thing to do.”
Unfortunately, the ads never
show people dying of any
number of diseases caused by
alcohol, children deformed
because their mothers drank
while pregnant, hospital rooms
with injured people and
morgues where the personnel
have the awful task of re
assembling mangled body parts
after accidents occur. I wonder
why, don’t you? After all, aren’t
all aspects of drinking equally
as glamorous and exciting?
Michael Cross
History, Political Science
Anti-Apartheid
How do you spell Apartheid?
Answer: S-L-A-V-E-R-Y!!!!!!
Robert Botta
Graduate History
L-_: .111 10H ^