COMMENTARY Black athletes need faculty to care Bv Clarence Spigner The June 1‘t, HT41 edition of USA Ttuluvrind the Aug r>, edition of Sports Illustrated reported an ongoing problem vve should all ho acute,Is aware oi: illm k student-athletes t.« a ten don’t got (iiplomns. Here at the 1 in’iversilv. only 2.'. peri mil ol hi.u k male basketball players graduate after five years. . iitupared with 80 percent ol white r:..i;>• tee-set ball players Such dismal rar e spin ilh graduation rates, especially in the revenue-generating sports, are cause for concern (liven that this is still an academic institution and riot a spurts farm, -in ap propriate question is. W hat is the faculty s role in ameliorating these emirarrassing graduation rules' Several academic periodicals, suc h as Black Is sues in Higher Education. Academe (the bulletin ,,f the Amern an Association of University Profes sors) and The Chronicle at Higher Education, have consistently raised the issue of fw ult\ ip / thy regarding this issue Is fatuity paralysis a /so endemic a! the I’niverslty ’ E\t t-pi lor a tutlH re port tith'd Intercollegiate Athletes Committee Acudemii I’erfnrm.ince Study, w hich evas kept s crut apparently for public: relations reasons, meaningful faculty involvement in sports reform seems less than substantive. The USA Today graduation poll and NCAA data presented in Sports Illustrated show nation-, wide and locally th.it far too few biar k has kethall players graduate We should not have to wait for the national press to inform us about our football players -is well. It is common knowledge that student-athletes must spend too much valuable study time prac ticing, traveling, playing, and recovering physi cally and emotionally from sports. Research by Kathleen Kllickson, a professor of psychiatry at Ohio Stale University, found that sports, rather than academics, sapped the enthusiasm of college students. Sports reformists point out that faculty apathy has allowed athletic: departments to control and segregate student-athletes. Murry Sportier, assoc r ate professor of English and American Studies -it Indiana University, has written that some athletic personnel are allowed to operate with more au tonomy than university faculty Robert Atwt'll president of the \morican Council on helm ation. has pointed out that some facultv athletic representatives function more as apologists and promoters lor the athletic enter prise with choice -tickets, elt se in parking, and free flights to awav games " We can irn lmie free meals as well. The contradu lions between big money sports and the receiving of a quality ediu ation are well known to facultv, stall and students. In response, .it least student leaders at the University have tak i'ii it upon themselves to evaluate the extent to which academii integrity is being maintained here. Tor example In Max 1‘tati. Ron Larsen, a grad uate student in sociology, conducted research on the. retention of minority students In a report ti ded Summitry of the Report on Mm, inn Students nt the I 'niversity of Oregon, Larsen Imind two thirds of the University's black students were male, and about a third ol all bla< k students ivere athletes So much for the University's self serving claims nfrout increasing diversity In January IS*(O'. ASl.'t) I’rosulent Andy l i-irk undertook Ills own investigation nt slisdent-ath ietes After repeated stonewalling Iron) University administrators, Clark brought in sports \n< mlogist Harry Kdwards for a series of campus lecture , Local television station KT./.I taped an exclusive interview with Ldwurds. hut to rnv knowledgi', that interview was never aired This year. ASUO student leaders Brian Hoop Trie Ward. Bobby Leo and others spent most ol spring and summer quarters, and now lull, re searching tn the University archives for informa lion on race- and gender specific student-athlete graduation rates Larsen, (dark and these present student leaders are doing work the University ad ministrators should he doing1 if students can give their valuable time and do vote such physical and emotional labor on behalf ol student-athletes, where is the faculty '' Are stu dents more concerned about academii integrity than we are? Citron, e Spigrter is an assistant professor in the Department of School and Community Health and former chairman of the l 'Diversity's Council for Minority education. THE EMU CULTURAL FORUM PRESENTS —.-..1 ati evening with Marsalis Wednesday October 2 Beall Concert Hall, U of O School of Music (Alder between 17th & ISth) performances 7:30 & 10:00 pm I Geneml Admission. $16 l of 0, $1H Gen Ihiblic ■ Tickets on sale EMU Main Desk, Halladeer I Musu, Cal's Mt’ou cf CD World Don’t miss out on great savings — Clip coupons out of the Oregon Ddily Emerald. T PIZZfl ' KlTCfig ^ ALL YOU CAN t AT' 4W SPAGHETTI SPECIAL WITH GARLIC BREAD $2.95 ’ UESOAY ONI Y *> P M to 9PM 2673 Willamellc 484 04% l yii)y Kt s 1 \t H \\ 1 I 7 7r> Ursi <>«h 484 6496 Dim Sum Sat 1 1 30 am to 2 00 pm • Mandolin 4 Cantonese Cuisine • Banquet Party Facilities (up to 50) • Oriental Gift Sbop • Korean Menu Available • 5 Minute Drive from UO 10% OFF DINNER & DIM SUM (r* >f v Ad «i >y o#«*** < *T«»«« I(> ) 1 VI ()rt’xon Daily Emerald EEl/UIiJim ' • .» .1 r I ' *•';wl p'1 «*1 ' :.i f M» • ;.if " f » - "«» i <1 I -*• 1* l O (J -j V'mi ‘ tft bjf ffm 'IK, •' !m f I t ’ «> l i»• o’ ! | On*-,,. ri !' *1 | .*• iftl t i*. of ” O li-'-vu' a 'h u" ir" i •• l ft Mm' '•<», l H •' iVtl » >1 fT-4W'\t»»f o» !'i«i As'-v* I *fu 1 * 4i I ••fi'.wl >s pnv.i!« p'uix^'y I'-m . i* ' fu 's»v*ii ' prtpu-•. s t>Y w* l dilor m Chu»f f -.: j Managing l ditof i’<*i Ma t h { ditof ul E ddor C»Jf>ie Oaruttta Graphic a l ditor J*»d f4*v. sy Entertainment Editor layn® l «M«* sh New* l dltor f ’•*. *»lt f- diloftai £ ditor D Sport* fdrtor JBury Night Lditor ' > i «»" Ai»OCUt* r .Mom Community H*» ■ o l \- Stud ant Government Activftiea r i , << Higher t (location. Administration C«t/r*» (>< Reporter* t ’i • y Brtluy. Oav«J « iwUx'OthU.. (Hi*' » l I/Jm/.ia! ( .*»»' I ►.»*», . ' ■; ► •* .1*. I -.a M IV , •* N**»i ' Co4t*«un K>hiig Photographer» Jane Ha >n Ar«uo Rrtn*»n Advertising J*mh Bn*.!>oy. Scud Dorm l cr. •* i • B-!»,.»** n-..v i*}y ini' y Production lngf«:J Wnio Production CtJi*i/>na/or J»nn '«»' A- ’or I* ah 1 1 can .»n>. J "' l <1- r». C • ,4# I r**r S *.an IV».h;. J<»» 1 '>» l V.»#>. J • M > i M« • « :• * y M‘ ' »* Matt Morin, Jon m lor Roiand, t)on Mots Jon* ’*•' . ’ !n. A/ •.«> 4»r,,f.MO'.. o J»«' '«»' Ihomas. Turk! W 5 am* General Manager Judy Mm*)1 Adv#r1i*mg Director B/ya/' M ( opp«*igu N«w»fOoni 146 ‘>‘>11 Butin*** Offtc* 146S512 Proauction Manager M m Display Advertising J46371? Clsssrtisd Advertising 346 4343 THE FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON • j0U! of . ev.tK , h-i » #-• r, m n.‘. Omens (and their meanings)