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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1987)
Editorial Closing drug center a community loss On Juno 30 the Drug Information Center will dost! due to lack of funding. But its closure represents the sorry, one dimensional view society takes toward drug education. Since it opened in 1972. it has been the goal of the DIC to provide accurate information on legal and illegal drugs, responsible decision-making and an alternative to drugs. Due to the “Just say no" mentality toward drug abuse, however, its goals have been misinterpreted as pro-drug The DIC provided a truthful education about the effects of drugs. They did not try to pass moral judgments on the people asking questions, but instead left the decision to use the drug up to the individual. Some viewed this as taking away the fear of the unknown and encouraging people to use drugs. Hut the DIC actually provided a realistic blend of education and dissuasion. This type of approach has not been tried by current anti drug programs and is desperately needed if a solution to the problem is to be found. Some people will inevitably take drugs. But education and options for them must bo left open With the closure of the DIC. Eugene is losing a vital educational tool. Society claims to care about the drug abuse problems but refuses to support programs that can offer improvements. Clearing the air on not-so-smoky issue After a biK response to Tuesday's Oregon Daily Emerald editorial regarding a petition calling for an independent commission to review the University’s sexual harassment policies, some clarifications should be made. The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation is only sup porting the petition, not sponsoring it, and stresses the sen sitivity of the issues brought up in the Status of Women Committee's open forum May 21. A cover letter accompany ing the petition states the GTFF's agreement with the possi ble solutions proposed at the forum, but states the belief, however, that an independent committee is the best way to achieve these goals with the greatest amount of credibility. An independent committee would provide a more relax ed atmosphere and allow people to express complaints about the current system without fear of retaliation. The presence of University Provost Richard Hill and affirmative action Director Bean Comrada at the forum put a chill on this openness, according to many people who contacted the Emerald. The taping and possible transcription of names of peo ple who spoke at the forum caused reluctance among some about attending the forum, some of whom expressed fears of losing their jobs if they were too outspoken. The GTFF-supported petition requests a review of all the policies of the Office of Affirmative Action, not just those dealing with sexual harassment. Only an independent committee could do this without bias and with credibility. These are pertinent issues that we overlooked Tuesday. Nonetheless, we still believe the GTFF and other concerned members of the University community shuuld have acted sooner. They have pinpointed several problems with the current process, but if they had reacted sooner we currently might be closer to a final solution. UDOKATTJCBggrrSIO^ TAMMY wwe~ after this, JLJDQMEHTDWWIU. BE A PISCE OF CAKE AUDIT c#wm*NT Letters AIDS testing Thu Middle Ages had the black plague; modern America has HLTV 3. This is a serious issue. This disease needs a cure or we will confront the possible total destruction of all civilization as we know it. Much research is required before we discover a cure. Un fortunately. medical research of this nature assumes the use of laboratory test animals. I do not enjoy the thought of jabbing steel needles into shrieking laboratory animals There exists, however, a class of individuals who ant worthy of this honor even more than a scraggly rodent. Those wonderful Greeks are constantly performing fund raising and charity events to benefit those less fortunate than themselves. Events such as trashing each others’ faces into bloody pulps (the annual smoker) and big splashes and wet T-shirt con tests. as well as the charming Miss Geek contest are all wonderful additions to Univer sity life. Why not extend AIDS testing Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Dally Emerald Is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by lha Oregon Dally Emerald Publishing Co . at the University of Oregon. Eugene. Oregon. 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with offices on the third floor ol the Erb Memorial Union and Is a member ot the Associated Press The Emerald is pnvate property The unlawful removal or use ot papers is prosecutable by tan General Stall Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Michele Ross Classified Manager Alyson Simmons Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Peter LaFleur i Sales Manager Teresa Acosta. Janelte Neumann Catherine Lilia. Rick Mart*. Joseph Mental. Joan Wildermuth Advertising Apprentices: Ten Boring. Heather Mull. Bar bare Rogers. Julie Paul News and Editorial MS 5511 Display Advertising and Business US-3712 Classified Advertising SU 4343 Letter Parted Graphics SU-551 1 Production 6U4381 Circulation SSASSIt Editor Managing Editor News Editor Spectrum Editor 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 Brence Lucinda Dillon Michael Rivers Stephen Maner Tim Chauran Michael Drummond Angela Muni; Dennis Fernandes Maria Corvallis John Qiustlna Lorraine Rath Michael Rivers Janet Paulson B J Thomsen Chris Norred Laurie Schwartz Carolyn Lamberson Sarah Kitchen Alicia Gano Scott Maben Reporters: Jackie Barry. Mary Courtis. Gary Henley. Will Nolbert Photographers: Sherlyn B|orkgren. Shu Shmg Chen. Der ret Hewitt. Tim Jones. Bobbie Lo. Dan Wheeler Production: Sandra Bevans / Ad Coordinator Supervisors: Shu Slung Chen. Eliot Kniyhi. Angela Munu, Ingrid While Technicians: Kelly Alexandre. Ronwin Nicole Ashton. Virginia Bamaga. Samantha Barbitta. Sara Bnscoe. Janet Emery. Judith GaU. Lisa Haggerty. Linda Jones. Jung Lee. Donna Leslie. Bobbie Lo. Kelli Mason. Mike McGraw. Rob Miles. Diana Moy, Julie Paul. Serena Williams as a wonderful activity? There is an overpopulation of Greek*, and exactly what pur pose do they serve? l)o they ex ist to donate daddy's fortune to the local destitute pubs? Do they exist to furnish the scooter industry with more capital? Or do they exist only to show that you must be loaded to the limit with pop’s money to be truly obnoxious? Why not permit the Greeks to do something useful with their lives? Why not use them for AIDS testing? We could hide in the shrubs (like Marlin Perkins with tran quilizer guns) and have a field day blasting away at Greeks. This would be done at the tradi tional mating (social) functions that occur at certain run-down rat-holes around campus. There is, however, one flaw in THE P1.AN. What if the tests require a minimum intelligence level? If this proves the case, then we would have to return to doing research on hamsters. Zut alors. John Sheley Senior Natural force me see if I understand the argument: Promiscuous heterosexuals feel threatened by exposure to AIDS through the medium of bisexuals transferr ing it to them from homosexual carriers. Homosexuals are then faulted for this new risk to the general population. AIDS lowers the body's defenses so that a person with it is likely to die of some obscure though deadly disease that is hardly heard of otherwise. And the homosexuals consider this a positive contribution to society in that it increases diversity in ways to die. It is obviously not their fault since they were born gay. T he Christians, however, say that we all have inherited a sin ful nature as fallen creatures. Some have more of a disposi tion to one sin than another. and those disposed to homosex uality. who were born gay. are again just demonstrating a variety in ways to sin. So what is the big deal? If as the Christians say. "The wages of sin is death.” then homosex uals are only relieving the monotony in giving us another way to go. Furthermore, if as homosex uals say. their natural condition in their body (homosexuality) should be both tolerated and celebrated, then why make a fuss over AIDS? After all. it merely allows other natural conditions in the body (any disease) to go unchecked. So why seek a cure for AIDS? This condition shows how one can accept any natural force in the body without resisting it. and it helps us to celebrate diversity in the end. Karl (iosnell Eugene Dispelled myth It is time to dispel the myth that conservatives are boring. Conservatives are not boring — their recreation is simply misunderstood by leftish types, since a conservative's idea of a good time usually involves heavy artillery and chemical defoliates. In comparison, drugs and free sex seem like small potatoes. It may be that most liberals simply stop themselves short of having the sort of real fun that conservatives have. For exam ple. why change society for the better when you can just buy and own it? Conservatives also are misperceived as being compla cent and docile. The counter proof is obvious: I came to this school and survived for three and-a-half years. What else do you want from us conservatives, aerial acrobatics? Rob Young Senior editor Commentator
