-Editorial—
Graduating in four years
is just a dream for many
They .ire a dying brand. Kvidence shows that this
spec ies is heading toward extinction .it a rapid pace,
and we can't do much to stop their demise.
How many students do you know are going to get
out ol college with a degree in four years? Probably
not many. According to a study done by the registrar's
office, only 20 percent of University students are grad
uating in four sears' time
On top of that, the study shows that at least every
other student enrolled will leave school without a de
gree, either by dropping out or taking time off with
plans to return
University President Myles Brand is reportedly
worried about this recent information, and he wants to
find a way to improve the statistics But he may he
fighting a losing battle, in our opinion.
Nationwide, the data concerning graduation rates
is just as grim as it is here. A recent report showed that
only 15 percent of students at four year colleges really
gel out in four years. Reasons given for the delay in
clude having to drop out temporarily to earn more
money for school, accepting internships that delay
graduation, and taking time out to study abroad
Other students, of course, simply drop out. and the
University has no way to keep track of what has hap
pened to them.
To deal with the drop-out problem at the Universi
ty, Brand has established a task force to look into long
range planning for undergraduate education. The
group would examine the way academic advising is
structured to determine where problems may arise con
corning the failure to graduate.
Such a task force will probably be helpful in some
ways, such as to figure out at what point most students
bail out. But a task force isn't going to improve the
mass rate of extinction for four-year graduates.
When four-year colleges and universities were es
tablished. parents played a much larger role in paying
for higher education for their children. The majority of
students didn't try to hold a part-time job while in
school, mainly because they didn’t have to.
In addition, opportunities to study abroad or to ob
tain an internship weren't as accessible to students.
Nowadays, students who participate in an exchange
program greatly increase their chance for lucrative ca
reers. And it’s almost imperative that students obtain
an internship before they move out into the real world.
With college costs skyrocketing and family in
comes straggling farther and farther behind those
costs, there is no mystery to why students take longer
to graduate. In many cases, taking a while to get a de
gree is simply a matter of survival in the world of aca
demia.
So we shouldn't fret loo much about the mass ex
tinction of four-year graduates. They just aren't com
patible with society anymore.
*
111
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^ £
Yeah. I can read it: VOTE FOR GEORGE BUSH. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESIDENT’.
New majority leader deserving of post
Oil Monday, the chaotic mess that tin;
state Democratic cam.us had straightened
out a little hit when Rep ( ail llosticka |D
hugene| was named as the new House line
joritv leadel
Hostic ka takes over Irom David Di\ (D
1 ugene) who stepped down last week attei
suflering through months ol public c rilicism
resulting from campaign finance rule viola
tions and a subsequent line Irom thi■ Secre
tary ol Stale office lh\ has since s.iid he
will seek reelec t ion to Ills House seat
The tumr raised h\ the c untroversv has
sec eie 1 \ hurt the 1 leninc rats. who face .i mu
|ol politic a 1 light lol control ol the House
during \ovembei elections (nirrcntiv the
Democrats hold a slim majoritv hut
political experts have said the campaign lc
nance issue might tip the scales 111 iuvor of
the Repuhlii ans
Alter Dix’s resignation the Democrats
needed a strong learlei to t.ike c ontrol of the
c uuc us and reform the* partv I'licn selec ted
I lost u ka
In Hostic ka. the Democ lats are getting a
majoritv leader lullv capable ol doing the
joli I his yeai he will he running fui a tilth
term in the Legislature and he has proved
himself in the past as being a major player
on the I louse llool
Ihr I lull st* I femur.rats (hose llnstiik.i
over Ki‘|) Hrui.c Hu,no (l)-Scappoosc) an
other capable lawmaker For two sessions,
lie lias been < hairman ol the House Revenue
and N( bool I'inani e committee, whit b is the
main lax writing both in the House, lie has
been a leader to revamp the stale lax system,
ami shift the burden ot government linance
Inini tbi' stale's poor and middle class
I'.ugene residents are verv familiar with
llostii ka and bis record Not only does lie
represent the area, but he is also a l'inverse
t\ professor in the Planning. Public Polic :v
and Management department. Though he
will have to give up some ol bis tear liing re
sponsibilities to take the majoritv leader
spot, he is going to a position from whir h he
i an better help the 1 niversitv and the entire
state higher edut at ion system
llostii k,is legislative record on school
linance is well-documented, lie has con
stantly sought a win to help support educe
lion, and put more government binds in
pnhiir sc hord c offers I le is c ommitted to re
forming the Oregon education system He
has been a friend to the l 'niversitv
1 lie new majoritv leadei faces a daunt
ing task in rebuilding the House Democ i.itit
i .1 nr tis It anvhodv c an get the job done
bow ever it is ( art I lost ic ka
Editorial
Flaunt
In response In I ri( I i kni.m's
letter |f)/)/ I rli nth ohsiousls
Mill ilon I know wlirn to i;i\i'
up Whs ilon i sou nisi pul ii
ll.ll k 111 \ Dill p.tills |lls| W |l,|t
lilt' pl.inrt ni'i'ds another soil
pirn Liiniftl ,iuthnril\ on w ho
tli'siTM's Imsii i jvil I Igllts
I’lease mil i*\fn oni' linin'
ill'll.Ilf nil till' iilfill.il lif.lllli nl
qui'frs uni oiit- muif f\i use to
•ibusc dens fipi,ilits hi tIn- free
in.it k<'I mi mnrf studies ,nnl
smsi'ss supporting i|in*fr liash
ini; in tin- niilit.ii \ .uni plf.isf
please. don't tfli nif lli.it I li.ivt'
in bf lii'lnru l.i p.iss through tin
pi ,ills gait's
I i kill.HI I ll.lppl'll III Ilf <1
sfll -deter nulling li'slii.ui; III.it
int'iins I dun I nt'i'il lu deter
mini* w Ini I Im f in Iniw I lu\ f
th.it means I do 't ssilli svuiui'ii
.ind lh.it lias nothing to do w itli
\ (hi tin- military tin- R() I t
tile I sunr gild in till* Su
prciiii' ( uiirt
It .ilsu ini'.uis that s ou has c to
share the planet ssitli me and a
Cage l
lul ul 1111n• i queei s bet ause we
.iren I going av\a\ l in.ilh
please stop flaunting vonr
lii>mi)|itnilii.i .mi! 11111 il hat k in
tin- lieilronm w lii'ir il belongs
l.aurel Sharp
t .o-diret Ini
(>a\ and I i'sIii.iii Viliam e
Proposal
I don't know it I should be
aiiHiM'd or disgusted b\ the re
i i-iit e\i liange ot i heap and
venomous epithets liv partisans
on both sides ol the abortion
debate He that as il mav llins
evei I would like to propose a
i ompiomise ot sorts
Ker eiltlv we ve bad a eolos
sal liarrage on the suli|ei I ot
\\ hen ,1 ielus tiei nines a person
I be pm Ide tai turn runs liters
tills to tie at i out eption I bat
ma\ be blit it killing a tour i ell
in it roorganisni is tantamount
to infantu rde uell, it s not
quite v\ atert Ight
t hen we have the pro i tiou e
tar lion I‘hc\ prefer lu fix the
d.ite el humanization .it when
the infant is no lunger (lepen
tli-iit mi the mother However,
tiillmving lli.il argument to its
luge ,il extreme abortions
would he legitimate six or eight
months allei birth at weaning
time lu t.u t main ( ollege stu
dents me still dependent on
then mothers
so nn proposal is that abor
tions lie permitted and Imam ed
up through the i onimeneement
of brain waves trom the tetus
('learly what does not think (to
give l)esi artes a little twist)
w ill not know it doesn't exist
until it in t.u t doexn I
Think about it It might not
he sour ideal solution, hut it's a
damn sight better than silting
around si reaming ‘‘pro-oppres
sion \a/i pigs and "orallv de
trim t murder huffs'" at one an
otliei Some ot us are getting
rather wears of people trying
Abortion! and letting slip the
U ars ot I )ogma
Finn |ohn
hnglish/politual siieni e
Prostitution
I teel no disappointment .it
Kohr s derision not to build in
t ugcuc despite tin- contention
ot Springfield m.ivur Momsette
and others, who argue that the
loss represents one mute fail
ure’' to our ( ommunilv In a re
i eiit lettei to the /v’egis/er
(,'Utiril. he questions whether
vve will ever learn, adding
that '' I .ugene i an have its no
dear tree/one Springfield is
open lot business'
1 have spent vears adminis
tering ei onoinii development
projer Is tin regional and lor al
governinents. and have alw.ivs
questioned their willingness to
prostitute" themselves to at
tract new business ( aunpames
are ottered a invriad of finan
r ial incentives to reloi ate. in
cluding llie construction ot in
trastrui tures and lax subsidies
vet are not required to provide
am sense ot permanent e or re
sponsilnlitv to the communitv
it thev should choose to trails
ter til .1 hilt'r date |u hu ll main
nil] tlii whi'n promised grealei
iiu entives ami aniii ipaled pin!
its Ijv ti imnpeting govern
m«>nt )
Ralhei lIt.in <illot ,ilr si ,m r
publii hinds lu .ittrai I am in
dustry which makes .in unsiib
slant iated prinnisi' nl jobs let
ns ri'i ognize Ibr strengths ul
tin' Kugene Springfield ansi
and emphasize these III sill
i essfully atlrai I i innpatihlc fill
plus ers I bis is a ' piai f
n lii'ii' llif population professes
a strong si'iist' ul ei ologli al
i mu fi n and fin ironmental
awareness rrspii ts and fiijnvs
Ibf outdoors and is a< I iveh in
volvfd in tin'll neighborhoods
and i oinnninih
I’f i so mi 11 y . M o rr i so 11e
sounds likf anothfr pruslilulf
willing In si'll h i in s f I f In
whomever oltfrs tin- most mini
e\ lortunalf l\ . (lit) < itiz.fns
ol Ibis community havf higher
values
(ireg Kinger
(ieography