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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1987)
Editorial Tuition-waiver plan offers just proposal Affirmative action might make inroads to higher educa tion this month.The State Board of Higher Education will be dealing with a plan that, if approved, would pave an educa tional path for blacks, native Americans and Hispanic*. Financial constraints have locked these minorities out of higher education for far too long and they need more representation in Oregon’s colleges and universities. Although currently just an idea, the State Board's plan tentatively calls for waiving tuition and suspending fees for the three ethnic groups. Details have yet to be worked out. but the groundwork has been laid. The proposal would affect minorities who have graduated from Oregon high schools, and if enacted, would take effect in fall of 1987. Eligible minority students would be selected on an academic and financial need basis, and they would receive waivers for five years of college, with the cost of the program running at an estimated $219,000 for the first year The need for such a program is all too apparent. State Board Chancellor William Davis correctly noted that blacks. Hispanics and native Americans are underrepresented on state system campuses — and statistics prove this. Only 6 percent of the native Americans graduated from Oregon high schools in 1980 enrolled in an Oregon college or university. I hal same year only 9 percent of the blacks and It) per cent of the Hispanics who graduated from Oregon high schools went on to higher education. The average enrollment rate in higher education for these three groups is roughly one-half that of whites and Asians, according to Gary Christensen, the state board direc tor of school relations. Moreover, Christensen cited the trend of increasing minority enrollment in Oregon's public schools, but a disturbing declining or leveling off of minority enrollment in Oregon colleges and universities. The financial incentive offered minorities should go a long way to alleviating .his underrepresentation, but the hoard should look at some questions regarding its proposal. For example, many minorities, particularly native Americans, enter higher education institutions as non traditional students. Any plan that would assist minorities enroll in colleges and universities would have to address this issue and would have to offer a retroactive proposal to include minorities who have graduated before the fall of 1987. Similarly, the board would have to make good on its promise to promote an active recruitment and retention pro gram to insure an effective affirmative action plan. In light of this, the $219,000 price tag may be a bit con servative; however, the additional cost would be well worth it. Economic opportunity begins with educational oppor tunity. The board's plan would be taking a big step to end the cyclical malaise of financial and educational inequality among minorities and would offer them a ladder to social mobility. I APPOSED-. JVAND He ftaoepTHD?... Letters Political circus As an aftermath of the elec tion. charges of the supposedly racist character of the new Hrooks administration will be bandied about even before the new executive chooses its new executive staff To be forwarned is to be forearmed. The new administra tion will be setting itself up for certain victory next year. Ms. Hrooks can derail this SPA campaign by doing what is obviously required. If not. this campus will endure more political circuses of the sort SPA has thrived on for the last several years. Andrew Beckwith Physics graduate Knit one Congratulations to the students of the University for electing a woman with real ideas! President -elect kasey Brooks has announced that her first move as ASUO President will be to take down posters and rearrange the furniture in EMU Suite 4 (ODE. April 24). I'm so glad that someone's going to redecorate! Finally a president who understands the Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Dally Emerald la published Monday through Friday eicept during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co , at the University of Oregon. Eugene. Oregon. 97403 The Emerald operates Independently ol the University with offices on the third Moor ol the Erb Memorial Union and Is a member ol the Associated Press The Emerald Is private property The unlawful removal or use ol papers is prosecutable by law General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Wayne Michael lottinville Classified Advertising Alyson Simmons Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Peter LaFleur / Sales Manager Teresa Acosta. Janatle Heitmann. Catherine Lil|a, Rick Marti. Joseph Meniei. Joan Wtldermuth Advertising Apprentices Ter Boring. Heather Mull. Bar bara Rogers. Julie Paul News and Editorial MSSSI t Display Advertising and Business MB-3712 Classified Advertising MS4W] Letter Perfect Graphics 6M-SS11 Production US-4311 Circulation SM-S511 Editor Managing Editor News Editor Spectrum Editoi Spectrum Assistant Editor Editorial Page Editors Sports Editor Photo Editor Spectrum Photo Editor Graphics Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Community Politics Higher Education / Administration University Affairs Student Government Student Activities General Assignment General Assignment Michelle Branca Lucinda Oilton Michael Rivers Stephen Maher Stanley Nelson Michael Drummond Angie Munir Dennis Fernandes Maria Corvallis John Giustma Lorraine Rath BJ Thomsen Janet Paulson 8 J Thomsen Chrts Norred Laurie Schwartz Carolyn Lamberson Sarah Kitchen Alicia Gano Scott Maben Reporters: Jackie Barry. Mary Courtis. Gary Henley Photographers: Shertyn Bforkgren, Shu-Shing Chen, Der ret Hewitt. Tim Jones. Bobble Lo. Dan WheeTer Production. Michele Ross / Ad Coordinator Supervisors: Sandra Sevens. Shu-Shing Chen. Eliot Knight. Angela Muniz. Ingrtd White Technicians: Kelly Alexandre. Ronwln Nicole Ashton, Virginia Bantaga. Samantha Barbttta. Sara Bnscoe. Janet Emery. Judith Gatz. Lisa Haggerty. Jung Lee. Donna Leslie. Bobbie Lo. Kelli Mason, Mike McGraw, Rob Milos. Diana Moy. Julie Paul. Serena Williams real needs of the Univeristy: good taste and some fashion sense. Perhaps Kasey will extend her plans to include rearrange ment and redecoration of the entire campus. We could get rid of the icky ol' PIjC building and put up something nice — how about something in a colonial style? Thanks, Kasey, for reminding us of the really important things on a president's agenda. Maybe while you’re at it you could teach the IFC to knit. Rebecca A. Staffel Student Name calling I would like to formally retract my statement (ODE. April 27) saying that I have respect for Jodie Mooney. After reading her comments in Wednesday's Emerald, I have none (ODE, April 29). I am disgusted by Mooney's clarification of students who voted for the SPA ticket (l^chkar/Mooney) as mature and concerned, and those (mainly athletes. Mooney said) who voted for the CSRL ticket (Brooki/Caffney) as unintelligent. I was not aware that jodie Mooney, as a former college athlete and also a minority sen sitive to prejudice of any kind, could inflict such a derogatory and untrue stereotype on any class of people. It makes me sick. And let's get another thing straight. I am damn proud of who my father is. but let's not forget that students elected me. not my father. 1 think they know the difference. Do not attempt to minimize my success by attributing it to my last name. In doing so. Jodie. you are just indulging in another form of prejudice — the fact that it is familiar does not make it less harmful. I've work ed hard to make my own name. The students who voted for me recognize that. This is a democracy, Jodie; there are winners and losers. The losers are those who don't vote. Insult me if you wish, but don't insult students who were concerned enough to make their voices heard simply because they voted for me. Kasey Brooks Law School Temptation 1 would like to make three points about Michael Cross' let ter regarding the apparent scourge of the Earth, liberals (ODE. April 24). His need to put iron-clad labels on movements and peo ple illustrates the super simplicity of his reasoning. Mr. Cross, maybe liberals, or homosexuals, or whomever, don’t all think the same way. as 1 hope all conservatives don't think the way you do. The need to put everyone who does not share your beliefs into nice, neat boxes highlights your use of slanted stereotypes to avoid considering a contrary point of view. 1 am upset by the tendency in politics today to pose the false choice between right and wrong. Increasingly, Americans are being asked not to contemplate complex Issues and form a judgement, but rather to make the simple distinction between right and wrong, good and evil. To Mr. Cross, his opponents en danger civilization. Nothing else need be considered. Mr. Cross' accusation that liberals are totalitarians beneath the surface is so hypocritical it's funny. In his letter he called for "cracking down" on practices he opposes. In the next paragraph, he explicitly favors criminalizing lifestyles he takes offense to. Why? Mr. Cross claims homosex uality's "effects on society" are bad. Yet. where do the rights of individuals fit into this crude and subjective test of what should or should not exist? 1 think that Mr. Cross has "effects on society " which are negative, but that doesn't lead me to think he should be outlawed. Well... .it is tempting. Scott E. Baldwin Political science
