EDITORIAL I Roberts picked the lesser of two evils In an expected move Gov. Harbara Roberts en dorsed a proposed $(>()() annual tuition sun harge for students attending state colleges next year Although it was had news lor students. Roberts had no other alternatives It would have been nice to hear her stand up for students and sa\ she could not support the proposal, but it would have done more harm than good The tuition sun harge is expected to raise S.'Ui million oi the S74 million the higher educa tion system has to < lit from its budget Without the sure harge. even more programs would have to be slashed from universities and colleges throughout the state Higher education would be crip pled and possibly sent into an irreversible downward spiral as fewer and fewer students would want to at tend Oregon schools Until public higher education is funded in some way other than property taxes, the sur< barge is the only way out So plan on forking over an extra $200 per term plus a proposed 0.7 percent tuition increase Next year college students will be asked to shoul der a financial burden no students in the past have been saddled with It is certainly unfair That is the point students must make with legislators and voters of this state Youth’s hair is none of school’s business It is hard to believe that hair length is still c ontro versial in some parts of the* United States Hut tor a lit tle four year old boy lacing a trauma most of us never will, it has become a battle for his public education rights. Joshua Care ia. .1 four-year-old Texas youth, missed two days of school last week after officials contend that his hair violated the public sc hool’s dress code. Regu lations prohibit students from having hair longer than falls below the c ollar. loshua has a ponytail, the kind kids wear nowa days. with short bangs and hair c ropped c losely above the ears 11is hair hasn’t c aused any hygiene problems, but it does raise 1'irst Amendment questions His par ents aren't trying to cause- trouble or make a political statement by not having their son's hair 1 ut. they made a vow to Cod to let it grow until Joshua is cured of can e ei ! lw ( hild's attornev is seeking .in exception to the rule. c I.inning loshua's hairstyle is protei ted as reli gious expression under the (^institution It's ()K for si hunts to have dress codes to the extent that students are wearing clean clothes and have hathed bodies However, in a publii school system there is no room for am restrictions covering dress or appearanc e not harmful to the other students As long as |osluia’s appearanc e does not interfere with the edu cation of others, school offic ials have no right to tell him how long it c an be America is supposed to be the great melting pot of people and cultures No one group of administrators should decide what is and is not proper appearance lor attending a publicly funded school. It's too bad Carnahan Elementary School officials i an t have a little heart. If they are going to try and en force such discriminatory rules, at least this four-year old boy with cancer deserves a little slack Who knows what effect this situation will have on Joshua? Television cameras and reporters have inter viewed him about his plight, and he realizes it has something to do with the length of his hair Mis mother said that because Joshua's health im proved dramatically after making the vow. she will abide by her promise until he is completely cured. Making promises to Cod is not an everyday procedure for challenging public school regulations, but any ac tion that might humanize the school officials in Pharr, Texas is worth a try PARDON ME 7 MIG-HT I mauiRE mi RE TO F\ND A MARINE OR TWO? Sorry. i don't Know V ii.fl WELL,FOR A SMART BOMB tou'RE RflitlR SlilPID! | oH.fEAH? FOR F»U FIRE tOU'VE eoTA LOUSY , 'JWpATT'i LETTERS Choice office As 1 Monday, February 18, 1991