Friday, February 5, 1988
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 89, Number 94
Conference to explore uses of crystal power
Some scientists scorn
'mumbo-jumbo' claims
of miraculous healing
By Angela Muniz
Emerald Associate Editor
ctress Shirley MacLaine has
popularized the use of crystals
as a form of meditation and
healing.
But crystal healing is not a new-found
trend. Crystals have been used in
Tibetan Buddhism for more than 3.000
years, said Marilyn Cohen, an organizer
of the “Crystal mind — Crystal healing”
conference this Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend hundreds of crystal
believers from around the nation will
come to Eugene to attend the two-day
conference focusing on crystal healing
and the powers of the crystal. The con
ference is the first in-depth crystal
teaching in the Western world and will
feature Tibetan I,ama Chagdud Tuldu
Rinponche and scientist/researcher
Marcel Vogel.
Rinponche will share his knowledge
of the Tibetan masters that he gathered
when he lived in Tibet. Vogel will be the
keynote speaker, discussing and
demonstrating the power of the crystal
Graphic by 1-ormine Rath
and the necessity of a pure mind. The
conference will Ire a series of lectures
and teachings with a special ceremony
Saturday night when Rinponche will
bless the crystals of those in attendance.
According to Cohen. Rinponche will
begin by teaching people to "empower
their crystal with the healing power of
Tara.” Tara is the feminine deity of
wisdom in Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpon
che received a pure vision of Tara 2f>
years ago which explained the crystal
healing techniques to him, Cohen said.
Cohen explained that the crystal sends
signs when it has the healing power, but
the signs may be different from person to
person. "It (the crystal) may give off a
red light, which everyone can see. Or it
may fill the room with a sweet smell."
she said.
The next step, Cohen said, is for the
owner to purify his or her mind. "The
healer needs to Ire healed before he/she
can heal others," she said.
Vogel's speech will focus on this
necessity, Cohen said. He also will
demonstrate the crystal’s power with a
special machine he has developed.
Rinponche also will tell about the
wisdom energy in a support crystal and
how to build a protective shield around
the crystal to prevent negativity from
returning. Cohen added.
Cohen explained that the idea for the
conference came from one of Rinpon
che's students from California. The stu
dent saw a crystal on Rinponche’s desk
and joked that they were trendy. The
combination of the laughter and a re
quest to learn about the crystals remind
ed Rinponche of a vision he had to
teach, only the vision didn't tell him
when, lie reali/.ed that this was the year
Turn to Crystals, Page 4
Minority middle-school visit deemed a success
CME gets students, parents
thinking about college plans
By Kelvin Wee
Emerald Associate Editor
More than 80 middle-grade minority students
from the Willamette Valley were treated to a
flay of exploration on the University campus
last Saturday.
The event, the second of its kind to be sponsored
by the Council for Minority Kducation (CME) and the
University Office of Admissions, is part of an annual
program called "Reach for Success.”
The goal of "Reach for Success" is to encourage
minority middle-school students and their parents to
begin thinking about the students’ futures in college.
According to CME Advisor Marshall Sauceda,
parents of most minority students don't consider sen
ding their children to college because they cannot af
ford to.
The program featured a workshop on tinancial
assistance available exclusively to minority students,
particularly those who are black, Native American or
Hispanic, explained Sauceda, who also is a recruiter
with the admissions office.
The grant, known as the Minority Education
Award Program, is not available to Asian students
because more Asian students attend Oregon higher
education instituions than other minorities, he said
Of the 1,200 American minorities currently enroll
ed at the University, 700 are of Asian background. 250
Hispanic, 225 black and 110 Native American. Sauceda
said.
The program, which sponsors 32 students at each
Oregon state university and college, is designed to in
crease the number of Hispanic, black and Native
American students attending colleges in the nation, he
explained.
Asian minorities are able to apply for other forms of
financial assistance available to other students,
Sauceda said.
The program does not deal with the academic side ot
college because "people are more worried about other
issues.” he explained.
For example, he said, many parents are worried
about their children going away to college out of fear
for their safety.
The event allowed parents to meet with faculty and
students who are minorities, thus enforcing a sense of
confidence in them, he said.
According to Sauceda, organizers are looking into
ways to obtain more funds for the program.
Most of the funding comes from the Oregon State
Hoard of Higher Education however, the admissions of
fice co-sponsored this year's program.
Turn to Education, Page 4
4\.ssisiihk ifit? urgciiu/.mmii
of the program was Carla I).
Cary, acting CME assistant
director.
i am really pleased with
the turnout and the reaction
from parents and students,"
Cary said. "1 think they had
more than just a good time.”
The event opened doors for
students ami showed them
college life also can be fun,
she said.
Cary added that she was
overwhelmed with joy at see
ing a child’s eyes light up
when he decided to work
toward qualifying for a college
education.
She also recalled overhear
ing a youngster at one of thee
program’s science workshops
say he wants to major in
science when he goes to
college.
"It definitely expanded
their horizons," she said.
The only problems
organizers encountered were
complaints that the program
only lasted one day, she said.
"That is the reaction from
about 90 percent of the evalua
tions we got,” Gary added.
She explained, however,
that the program cannot ex
pand because CME only
receives enough funds to sup
port a single day of
presentations.
Sweating for cash
Nysa Williams of the woman's craw team simulates the
strenuous sport of rowing for passers-by Thursday in the EMU Cour
tyard. The men's and women's teams took part in the Crew Erg-a
Thon to raise funds for their groups.
Photo by Andy Cripe