EDITORIAL
Security keeps fans
from reaching goals
The event Duck fans anticipated ail season finally
happened: One of the goalposts at Autzen Stadium
came down.
The most troubling aspect of the post-game cele
bration is what happened when students stormed the
field and the goalposts. However, the injuries and vio
lence reported in the aftermath resulted from the ac
tions of a security force that was grossly outnumbered.
Rather than step back and let the inevitable happen, se
curity personnel chose to use violence to stop the un
ruly "vandals.”
The University now has a choice to make lor future
home games. Either it hires a security force large
enough to handle the job — and one that has the au
thority to arrest and handcuff people on the spot — or
it instructs the blue-shirt security force to back off
when its cause is hopeless.
Sports Ians who have been to professional sporting
events know how crowd control is handled by the big
boys. The playing field is surrounded by security
forces standing shoulder to shoulder, and they are usu
ally backed up by mounted police. Keeping people
from reaching the field in the first place is the only
way to stop the post plundering. Therefore, the Uni
versity should either commit itself to restricting access
to the field completely, or adopt a policy where the
small force will allow the posts to come down while it
tries to ensure the safety of those on the field. Having a
small security force surrounding the posts only invites
trouble.
Those who argue that the posts should not come
down cite the potential for injury. Hut it doesn't make
sense to “protect” people by beating them over the
head and shoving them around. If the University con
tinues to employ rent-a-cops rather than trained, pro
fessional police at football games, it needs to teach
them to recognize the difference between controlling a
crowd and adding to the chaos.
As long as college football has been around, stu
dents have been tearing down goalposts after big
games. The end to this trend is not in sight and hiring
a minimal security force is not going to stop it. The
University should learn to eal the loss once per year
and let students build memories of their college days.
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Anaheim much wanner than Baton Rouge
It looks like the Ducks will ho to the
Freedom Bowl on Dec. 29. The University
cannot officially accept any bowl bid until
they are officially offered Nov. 24. hut Free
dom representatives have made it clear they
intend to invite the Ducks.
This year the Ducks don't have to grovel
for a howl invitation like they did last year,
when they were the last team offered a bid to
the Independence Bowl.
The Ducks are going to "sunny” Ana
heim. Calif., this year It's warmer than Ant
arctica. lac. better known as Baton Rouge,
site of the Independence Bowl.
Anaheim is also closer than Baton
Rouge, so more fans should be able to go the
game and bring back a souvenir goalpost or
two.
Athletic Director Bill Byrne shouldn't
have to promise to purchase 12,000 tickets
for the Freedom Bowl. I-ast year, the Ducks
sacrificed about $200,000 of athletic depart
ment money to fly the team and the band to
the Independence Bowl
Oregon can use the bowl excursion to re
cruit football players from Southern Califor
nia The Ducks have had a hard time in the
past recruiting down there, hut beating
UCLA last Saturday raises their recruiting
stock.
Bowl games are a good morale booster
for the University. Now that the Ducks have
that first (in a long, long time) howl game
under their belts, they should start earning
respect and receiving invitations before the
last minute.
Could things change? Will the Ducks get
a better bowl offer by Nov. 24 if they win
their last two games?
Anything can happen. But right now it
looks like the Ducks and all their fans can
plan a post-Christmas vacation in Southern
California.
Only eight more weeks to the Freedom
Bowl. This year fans, alumni and students
can plan their bowl trip.
California, here we come. Swimming
pools, movie stars ..
LETTERS
Class band
Much has been written re
cently regarding the "contro
versial" content of the Stanford
Marching Hand's halftime per
formance at the Duck-Cardinal
game Oct. 27.
One such editorial [ODE.
Nov. 2) suggested that perhaps
Oregonians should "lighten up
and appreciate Stanford's
band." In doing so. however,
the writer implied the Oregon
Mart hing Hand was somewhat
less of an entertainment group,
stating “the traditional march
information variety ... drive
most fans to tailgate parties or
the alumni tent."
What these fans, and the
writer, fail to appreciate is the
immense practice and dedica
tion it takes to be a member of
the band.
The typical OMB member
spends anywhere from 17 to 20
hours a week marching through
rain and mud. memorizing mu
sic and supporting the football
team The members are fully
devoted to a class that earns
them only two credits toward
graduation.
Memliers also spend as much
as two weeks practicing before
classes begin. So. the next time
you see the Oregon Marching
Hand, sit back, appreciate, and
above all. enjoy watching per
haps the premier marching
band in the nation. We will tru
ly blow you away.
Pat Hansen
Math
Stop eating
John Boelling of SKTA asks
[ODE, Oct. 29) why the Emer
ald does not quote "somebody
who actually cares about these
animals." by which he presum
ably means someone who be
lieves the Declaration of Inde
pendence applies to monkeys
Actually, the Emerald does
quote such people fairly often,
despite the incoherence and in
tellectual dishonesty of their
public statements.
There may be valid and prac
tical reasons for treating ani
mals as humanely as possible,
and there are certainly aesthetic
ones. Hut it is absurd to suggest
animals exist on the same mor
al footing as humans, for the
simple reason that human life
would lx- impossible on that
liasis. Some animals an* cute
and cuddly, and we may be
tempted to regard them as our
little buddies. Hut humans and
animals are competitors, in the
ecological sense, everywhere
they meet
I realize this is rather ab
stract when compared with
Boelling's image of restraining
chairs and brain implants, so
let me give a rather elementary
example.
All humans eat food All
food is grown. All growing re
quires land. All land is. or once
was, animal habitat. Humans
do not have the right to deprive
animals of their habitat Con
elusion: Humans have a moral
duty to stop eating
If you think there's a mistake
in there somewhere. I agree
with you If not well, do the
right thing
lerome Berryhill
R.A., Chemistry
Define it
I, as a homosexual, am won
dering about the irrational fears
and ignorance expressed by
Ron Williams ( ODE. Oct. 2-»)
He states that as a "straight,
normal person" he has fears of
being "approached" by gays
and having them "try some
thing" on him Who died and
left him in charge of defining
normal?
I'd like to know his defini
tion of this word 1 also wonder
what makes him think that a
homosexual might attempt
something with him. One
should not overestimate one's
own appeal to others.
And how about "straight
hashing?" I would like for Wil
liams to ( larify himself on this
issue, as his letter did not. It's
not (dear what he means
I am not a "crybaby.” 1 am
sick of ignorance and bigotry. It
has no place in this world.
l-ast. I did not "choose” to
he gas It is simply what I am. I
did not just wake up one morn
ing and decide to live an op
pressed life It's not something
that 1 sought after and chose.
Did Williams choose to be het
erosexual' I don't think so Day
is what 1 am.
Michael laivelady
Student/GAl.A
Take pride
I attended the Hlazer vs. Hor
net tmskethall game on Oct. 28.
I considered the game a treat as
I have been a Hlazer fan all my
life.
Hut the actions of some of my
fellow students a section over
was not a pretty sight. 1 am
talking ahout the University
hand. Why they were allowed
to play at an NBA game is be
yond me.
Their disturbing actions con
sisted of yelling while a Hornet
player was on the foul line,
yelling while there was no ac
tion on the floor at all and just
plain living obnoxious.
Their song selection also
leaves something to be desired
Cuming to Duck games for four
years. 1 have had my fill of
Howard Jones and Huey Lewis.
A step away from this blatant
act of immaturity would be for
the band to take a little pride in
themselves and learn some new
songs If this can't be done I
would much rather see the
money they receive put else
where.
A. Kyle Kotchik
Student
LETTERS POLICY
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