Editorial
Olurn's resignation
inappropriate request
The Oregon State Hoard of Higher Education should be
severely reprimanded for its plans to replace University
President Paul Olum. The action is uncalled for and should
not be tolerated.
Olum. who has been president since 1981, requested
1992 as a retirement date. He said many University projects
will not be completed until then.
Hut the board turned down this request in favor of an
earlier retirement on June 30. 1989. It agrues that it needs to
have a definite date to plan a search for a replacement, and
that the June 1989 date was decided upon to avoid conflict
with the 1991-92 biennium budget process.
' The issue here is not one of dissatisfaction or anything
like that; it's an issue of orderly transition,” board Chairman
James Peterson told the Oregonian.
However, an "orderly transition” can be acheived with
the 1992 date as well. The board is disregarding Olum’s con
tributions to the University and his integrity by denying his
proposed retirement.
Olum has often clashed with the board on several
issues, but this should not influence the board's decision.
Also, there is no mandatory retirement age so this should
not be considered.
The board should base its decision on Olum's effec
tiveness and capabilities to administrate. He has proven to
be a great asset to the University and community. This
should not be ignored.
The board is insulting Olum by asking him to retire ear
ly. It is sending out a message that it does not believe he is
effective. This is not true, however, and its decision should
not be taken in stride.
With right state of mind\
Halloween can be fun, safe
In the wake of poisoned Tylenol and booby-trapped can
dy. Halloween has lost its carefree, holiday appeal over the
years. Hut it does not have to remain a spooky, potentially
dangerous night.
Respecting others' property and their right to have fun
should be kept in mind during the evening's activities. This
includes children out trick-or-treating.
Parents would be wise to take their children out early
and stay away from the University areas. Most college
students will be preoccupied with other events. In any case,
students should not forget to be kind to trick-or-treaters, as
well.
Unfortunately, the age-old tradition of trick-or-treating
has suffered in recent years, due largely to the fear of poison
ed treats. Like Charlie Brown, more children are getting
rocks instead of cookies.
Parties are taking the place of the candy-gathering ritual
but they also should be restrained.
Halloween can be a safe, fun holiday if people approach
it with the right attitude. With a friendly state-of-mind,
hopefully nobody will get the fuzzy end of the loliypop.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald la 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 ot the University
with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union
and Is a member ot the Associated Press
The Emerald Is pnvata properly The unlawful removal
or use of papers is prosecutable by law
Qtnifil Staff
Advertising Oirector Susan Thelan
Production Manager Michele Ross
Classified Manager Kelli Mason
Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey
Advertising Sales: Ten Boring, Gary DeLossa. Tom leach.
Catherine Lil|a Pick Marti. Laura McKinney. Hoather
Mull. Joann Nelson. Julie Paul. Barbara Rogers. Scott
Thorkildson. Joan Wildermuth
News and Editorial MS-5511
Display Advertising and Businesa MS-3712
Classified Advertising MS-4343
letter Perfect Graphics 66S-5511
Production MS4341
Circulation 6SS-SS11
Editor Stanley Nelson
Managing Editor Scott Maben
New* Editor Edan God bay
Editorial Page Editors Angela Muniz/Steven Hoenisch
Sports Editor Aaron Knox
Photo Editor Shu-Sltlng Chen
Graphic Design Editor Lorraine Rath
Special Issues Editor Kelly Kortekaas
Entertainment/Sports Segment Editor HC Hutto
Night Editor Carolyn Lamberson
Associate Editors
Community Stephen Maher
Higher Education 'Administration Michael Drummond
Student Government / Activities Carolyn Lamberson
General Assignment/Entertainment Will Holbert
Reporters: Betsy Clayton, Paula Green, Frale de Guzman.
Craig Harris. Gary Henley, Andrew LaMar. Jell Morgan, In
grid Petersen, Cami Swanson. Kelvin Wee
Photographers Shertyn Biorkgren. Marla Corvallis. Andy
Crtpe. Dusty Etzel. Derrei Hewitt. John Giuettna. Bobbie
Lo. Ross Martin. Andre Ranted, Dan Wheeler. Michael
Wilhelm
Production: Sandra Daller / Ad Coordinator
Kelly Alexandre. Ronwm Nicole Ashton. Virginia Baniaga.
Laura Carhart, Ellen Cross, Eva Cohen. Stephanie Drynan.
Dolores Ferreo. Shannon Gaither. Lisa Haggerty.
Stephanie Holland. Deirdre Kelly. Eliot Knight. Chds
Knox. Jung Lee. Bobbie Lo. Ross Marlin. Jamas Mason,
Angie Muniz. Ted Shepler. Linda Sperling. Lisa Svanevik.
Ingrid White. Mike Wilhelm. Kelly Williams. Serena
Williams. X Kang Xie
”~A N^hnare
vON ViALLSTPEETifif
Letters
Mistakes
l.ast year, I wrote several let
ters to the editor of this
newspaper. Almost every one
was botched in some way by the
Emerald Words were misspell
ed. sentences rearranged
ungrammatically, and incorrect
capitalization inserted. Almost
every letter war re-paragraphed
according to the rule: count two
sentences, then begin a new
paragraph. Even a classified ad I
bought had the word
"privilege" in my original
changed to "privelege" when
the ad ran.
The writer of the Tuesday,
October 13. editorial managed
to use only one sentence to give
a glaring example of a dangling
participle and to demonstrate
that he/she hadn't the vaguest
notion of what the word
"mitigate" means.
The issue of October 22
contained:
1 The headline. "Measures
Disassociate Greeks With
Alcohol".
2 The statement that "a con
siderate number of students
were treated” at Serenity l.ane.
3. A comment about "a per
son who spends their college
career drinking heavily".
4. The folllowing gem from
that day's editorial: "Portland
and Oregon can be known as a
liveable city...." — with the
word "livable" similarly
misspelled later.
If you don't see anything
wrong with the phrases quoted
above, I'm sure any Writing 121
instructor will be glad to help
you. Indeed. I suggest that a
passing grade in Writing 121 be
made a prerequisite for any
responsible position on the
Kmerald. 1 realize my sugges
tion would cause a 100% tur
nover in your staff, but at least
this university would no longer
produce a paper which would
embarrass any high school.
Stan Veraooy
GTF. Math
Shocked
Referring to Timothy
Cushing's (Chairman. Universi
ty College Republicans) letter
(ODE. Oct. 20).
The College Republicans are a
group of students who are
meant to be role models and
leaders in our society. As such,
they must exhibit manners ex
pected of future leaders. It
shocks me that they would hang
such a biased and close-minded
statement on their front door of
all places. If you insist upon
hanging the damn thing up.
then kindly do so in the privacy
of your own bedroom and not in
an area open to the public.
I also fail to see how the se
cond sentence, "No Russian At
tack Permitted” makes the first
sentence. "Soviet Free Zone”
any better. It only adds to the
derogatory overtones of the
first. Two wrongs do not make a
right.
I am a foreigner to your splen
did country and I believe
Americans are a good and
sincere people. Thus, it saddens
and shames me to see such a
close-minded and racist state
ment against a foreign nation.
Why don’t you add "No
Chinese. Arabs, and South
Americans" to your $25 poster?
Maybe someone will offer you
$35 for it.
I would like to buy your
poster and keep it as a reminder
to me that people like you are
destroying the future of this
great country by undermining
the very principle it was built
on: liberty for all.
Sanj and Dean Inouye
Students
Correction
I wish to correct the article
concerning the University's
center for Gerontology (ODE,
Oct. 15). Dr. Frances G. Scott,
professor emeritus as of 1982.
was asked in 1968 by University
President Arthur Flemming to
work with a multi-disciplinary
faculty committee to establish a
center for gerontology.
The mission of the center was
to offer a multi-disciplinary
undergraduate and graduate
training program in gerontology
with funding from the U.S. Ad
ministration on Aging. The
priority of the funding agency
was training in gerontology and
the center early became one of
the top three training centers in
the nation, along with the
University of Michigan and the
University of Southern
California.
Professor Scott wrote the
grant proposal that was ac
cepted by the AOA. after an in
itial draft written b> Professors
Dorwin Gillespie and Robert
Kime of the Health Education
Department was referred back
for revision. Professor Gillespie
died before the successful pro
posal was approved. Dr. Scott
was the Center's director until
she retired.
I had no hand in the founding
of the Center for Gerontology.
The confusion in the October 15
article was with my role in
beginning the Confrontations of
Death course, which Dr. Scott
and I founded and which we
taught for many years. This
course, which featured an ex
periential learning format,
received nationwide recogni
tion as well as popularity on the
campus
Saul Toobert
University Counseling Center