-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 ij & .. ^ £ 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