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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1991)
EDITORIAL Smokers deserve place In EMU, too The EMU boerd of director* is currently in the pro cess of deciding whether to make die entire Erb Memo rial Union a smokeless building or to allow smokers to take refuge in the basement Recreation Center. People who want to smoke in the EMU are now limited to the Skylight Refectory, the Ballroom lobby or the Recreation Center. Allowing the Recreation Center to retain its smok ers-welcome policy is the best of the options being considered by the board. It is a large well-ventilated area. There are plenty of pool tables and bowling lanes, and also lots of elbow room to accommodate those who want to avoid second-hand smoke. The atmosphere and mood that generally accompa nies pool halls or bowling alleys lends itself to smok ing as well. It is a place where people go by choice, to relax and unwind. The Recreation Center is fitting in both atmosphere and logis tics. But if the EMU board decides it does not want smoking to continue there. it should consider find ing another place in the building for stu dents who want to smoke. Smoking and non smoking students alike have paid fees that fund the operation of the student union. All of those students should have access to at least one area where they can study, recre Smoking and nonsmoking stu dents alike have paid fees that fund the operation of the student union. All of those stu dents should have access to at least one area where they can study, re create, socialise and even smoke. ate. socialize and even smoke. The Fountain Court is another logical place for a smoking area. The pseudo outdoor area is obviously well-ventilated. It is also the location of Friday night beer gardens. Once again the social atmosphere, com bined with the logistics of the area lends itself to a smoking area. Once a week the EMU is opened for beer and a weekend blowing-off-steam session. If that can be con doned, why not let people smoke in the area during the week. Everyone is encouraged to attend second teach-in The No Gulf War Coalition and Concerned Faculty for Peace and )ustice are sponsoring another teach-in this weekend on the growing Gulf War crisis. The University campus will host 22 workshops starting today at 2 p m. with six workshops on media coverage. Eight workshops on issues of racism, harass ment and cultural diversity begin Saturday at 9:30 a.m., and eight others on “How to Respond in the Long Term" begin Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Now, more than ever, the community needs to talk and discuss the events in the Middle East. The work shops are being held over the weekend for people who couldn't attend the last teach-in due to school or work conflicts. A debate, titled “Now That We Are at War. How Do We End It?" begins Saturday at 7 p.m. in Room 100 Willamette. Both anti-war and pro-Desert Storm posi tions will be represented by University faculty and stu dents, with time allotted for questions afterwards. Information on workshop titles and locations is available by calling the No Gulf War Coalition at 346-4248 or Concerned Faculty for Peace and Justice at 346-2545. Everyone should attend as many workshops as they possibly can because, as the big television ad campaign says, “The More You Know..." "V£RMI'/ ft..-*' -0©^ TO gg AS A0VSBV113B&? Htt KIPS; ■ ' Kiv.r» ■ w v i} hooLiVG piofLt ;wTo twimkivo that someth nc sq^alis, *rjO ^o/jpAfie <s AcroAt-ty spa mcl^- a hp OL A/^0I> 0<Ji ’. Hffl £ A A.C A p£w si.^PLf E x- A m A (. £ $ LETTERS Dissent From Robert F Kennedy’s "Promises to Keep " (a col lee - lion of speeches) "II is not enough to allow dissent. We must demand it For there is much to dissent from Yet we must, as thinking people, distinguish between the right of dissent and the way we choose to exercise that right That dissent which con sists simply of sporadic and dramatic acts sustained by nei ther continuing labor or re search that dissent which seeks to demolish while lack ing Inith the desire and direc tion for rebuilding, that dissent which, contemptuously or out of laziness, casts aside the prac tical weapons and instruments of change and progress - that kind of dissent is merely self indulgence. It is satisfying, per haps. to those who make it Hut it will not solve the prob lems of our society. It will not assist those seriously engaged in the difficult and frustrating work of the nation And. when it is all over, it will not have brightened or en riched the life of a single por tion of humanity in a single part of the globe." Klizabeth Cage Political Science Anthropology Speaking out We would like to commend Dustin Rhoades [ODE. |an JO) for courageously speaking out about his experience in the Esslinger locker room As women, we know all too well the feeling of violation of body and spirit and the fear of speak ing out that comes from the hu miliation of being violated in such a way. To reiterate Dustin's point, "this is sexually abusive behav ior which (we) have done noth ing to deserve." whether we are in a locker room, walking down the street or in our own homes; whether we are wearing no clothes or covered from head to foot. Finally, we would like to add to his letter that we not only encourage men ttr speak out. hut women also, and remind everyone that if women did so, letters of this nature alone would fill this newspaper for many years Carol Cheney ASUO Women’s Canter Stop racism We are members of the Rac ism and Harassment Committee of the Concerned Faculty for Peace and Justice. One conse quence of this war has been to foster ethnic animosities against people of color as well as against Arah-American men, Jewish and international stu dents, staff and faculty We want to help to make sure that this does not continue to hap pen on our campus. We are actively seeking infor mation about any discrimina tion that may have occurred at the University as a result of the Persian Gulf War In order to serve as a clearing house for this information, we are asking you to write us or send us copies of relevant materials We would like to talk with any one who has experienced dis crimination We also encourage graduate students and faculty who have encountered harass ment in connection with their concerns over the war to share their experiences with 11s. We will respect all wishes to re main anonymous. Please feel free to contact any of us by mail or phone. Aletta Hiersack Anthroplogy, 346-5102 Dianna Kale Office of Multicultural Affairs 346-2993 Linda Kintz English, 346-3962 and nine co-signers Help out My friend Clarence Lo wrote in his book Small Property Versus Bin Government that California’s "Prop. 13 gave about two-thirds of the benefits to business owners, and only one-third to home owners,” Ballot Measure 5 will provide a large windfall to businesses. I hope that our local businesses will use their savings to invest in our community's social ser vices and higher education. The governor's proposed budget for mental health ser vices is instructive of our situa tion and what businesses and individuals can do to improve circumstances, l^ane County Mental Health is facing a cut of about one-quarter of its services for adults with mental illnesses at the same time that the state plans to close several state hos pital w’ards. Governor Roberts has proposed a new housing trust fund with lottery money, as she wondered "How does someone working for $5 an hour pay first and last month’s rent plus a cleaning deposit in advance?" Roberts could have addressed her question to men tal health providers in residen tial facilities, because the state pays these direct-care workers an average of $5 an hour The Kestrel cafe is hosting a benefit dinner on the evening of Sunday. Feb. 17. The benefi ciary is Halfway House Ser vices. which operates two resi dential facilities for adults with chronic mental illness in our community. We should all make it a point to support such businesses that put money back into the community. Then on Monday, Feb. 1H, The Heart of Oregon Coalition will lie lobby ing for mental health services at the state Capitol in Salem from 1 p m to 4 p.m. Larry S. Williams GTF, Sociology Editor's Note The Emerald learned Thursday that several read ers have phoned the home of a Eugene couple, erroneous ly believing they are re sponding to a letter written by student )im Bridge (ODE. Feb, 14). People who wish to re spond to letters are asked to do so by writing to the pa per's editorial desk. Making threatening or abusive phone calls is illegal and in appropriate, regardless of the reason. The Emerald regrets any inconvenience this letter or the resulting incidents may have caused.