EDITORIAL Hold student athletes to consistent mles The recent dismissal of Bob Fife from the Oregon men s basketball team has once again raised questions concerning the University's treatment of student ath letes. Fife, a junior, has been with the Ducks since the 1989 season but has never been a marquee player. During the current season, his playing time has steadily decreased until he played only three minutes against UCLA Feb. 14. Following that game, Fife decided he needed to talk things over with his parents, lie went home, and for that, ho was kicked off the loam. What was Fife's crime? He went homo to mom and dad. He didn't tell coach Jerry Green. Certainly he vio lated team rides, but just because a student receives an athletic scholarship does not mean his or hor soul bo longs to the University. Students who receivo academic scholarships do not have thorn revoked for missing classes. And though Fife's absence from the team may or may not have had an impact, it did not cause the team any substantial amount of harm. Certainly not Apparently the University is committed to its athletes only until somebody better comes along. enougn 10 warram expulsion. Tho obvious explanation-is that Fife was a fair, but not great, player and Green saw an opportunity to create another scholarship opening. Apparently the University is committed to its atnletes only until somebody better comes along. Another troubling aspect of Fife's dismissal was the dear double standard being applied in the athletic department. In the past year, a number of football play ers. including a few highly regarded players, have been arrested on various criminal charges or have been in volved in incidents that reflect poorly on the Universi ty and its football program. Yet they're still around. Some may argue those players haven't been convicted of anything, so they should remain on the team unless they're convicted. And Fife was convicted of ... what? Going homo. Certainly a heinous crime. Green demonstrated an incredible lack of sensitivity to Fife in tho way ho dismissed him. He didn't wait for Fifo to explain himself, ho simply gave him the boot. Granted. Fife could have called. But he was dealing with personal problems and. quite frankly. Fife's personal problems are nobody’s business but nis own — Green included. Green's actions suggest he puts more emphasis on the athletic part of student athletes. Many of those who play intercollegiate sports are still maturing emotionally and must be given some leeway when they make mistakes. Athletic director Rich Brooks needs to re-evaluate how his department deals with infractions by student ath letes. Make tho rules consistent, make them reasonable, but most important, make them fair. Emerald PO DO* 1iS*i (UGIN( C/«fGO*** ! he Oregon Dally f mwaia .* pubkshed My Monday though < fday (Wing me school y«»' and Tuesday and Thuisday dui.ng ih* »umme. by the Oregon Duly Emerald PuDishng Co toe Jtl me Urwrnuty of Oegw E ugene. Oegon The Emerald oo»Xn independently o< me llniveisrty with £>«<•» « Su*e 300 of me Eit) Momonal U«on and ■* a member of me Associated f*res* The Emerald •» private property The uhawtui removal O' use ot papery .» prosecutable by iavr Newt Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Entertainment Editor Editor Pat Manse* Jane Berg Freelance Editor Mart-n F ,*her Editorial Editor Jett Panay Sport* Editor F >eya Horn Supplements Editor Night Editor Pal Maiach Hope Neartor Fbver* Janssen Oave Chamonneau Cadey Anderson Attoclala Editor*: Tammy Batey. Student Government Achy-hes Oaralyn Ttappe Commurtay Coaeen Pontrg. ESgruw t duration AcSrumseahon Newt Slat* Scott Andre C,'*»ie» Aden Matt Bender. Justm Brown. Sarah Ciar*. Dylan Couitar Meg Dedolpn Amy Devenport. Amanda Ferrve Teresa Hunlsmger. l.*a Kneetei. t,*a Mam Oem.an Mctean Rebecca Merntt Steve M>m*. T.thn, Mueller. Tntta Noel Mathew Schuster. tier Shaw Mchae< ShrxSor Enc* Studencka. Manon Sudor Mcheie Thorrpaon Agtear. Amy Van Tuyt. Todd nr I’ amy General Manager Judy flier* Production Manager: Mcheie Bos* Advertising: y own idea why Ore gon is such a hateful state — there's just not enough God go ing around because people re fuse to listen to what he really has to say. Here's the bottom line of tliy story I love God and he loves me. 1 look forward to spending a blissful eternity with him in |wr adise My dream is to share heaven with everyone, regard less of skin color or beliefs. You're invited. Tony Gunderson National Student Exchange Bleed for fees I don't know where the mem bers of the Incidental Fee Com mittee are from, but this is the home of Measure 5. What does this mean? This means tuition has increased more than 50 per cent during the past two years, leaving many students unable to afford the University. It has also given new meaning to the "starving student" cliche. In case tile IFC has forgotten. Measure 5 is coming out of hi bernation this year This will mean a seven to 15 percent in crease in tuition and also a Sev an to 15 percent decrease in en rollment In-state tuition will rise by about SUM) per term next year. If the IFC continues to increase allocations to student groups at its current 1H.7 per cent clip, this, coupled with a decrease in enrollment, could result in a student fee increase of up to $32 |>«r term Ouch' Let go of my wallet. If the IFC wants to spend money, let them spend their own. As for me, I believe Cal-Berkeley has the right idea. Students at Berke ley pay only $22 a term in stu dent fees. In the face of a steep increase in tuition, we should lie looking to decrease student fees, not inc rease them. Now I might he just a lowly student senator, but I do know how to add, and I do know when something smells rotten. That something is the IFC. Students can't afford higher student fees next year. You have to remember — we're going to need a quarter to buy our c lass schedules Braden D. Kelley Business and Economics IFC response In the Feb. 22 issue of the Emerald, an editorial ran titled "IFC spending hinge will hurt students." This statement as sumes two things — one that the IFC is on a spending hinge, and two that IFC's[lending hurts stu dents Both assumptions art* not supported by fact F'irst of all, if the author of the editorial were to use mathe matics rather than politics, the author would see the IF'C allo cates money based on en rollment estimates. A larger en rollment than expected has ere ated an unused pool of fee dol lars of almost $120,000 Because enrollment is estimated to remain the same next year, the IFC may allocate this amount of money to programs without increasing the per student fee The second portion of the ed itorial was equally disturbing. The argument that the student body does not benefit from many fee-supported programs is inaccurate and insupportable. Thifeditorial claimed it was not justifiable to increase tin* budget of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexu al Alliance because it "repre sents only a small segment of students." This logic seems to say the presence of students of color or of lesbian and gay organizations, or of any organization that involves a minority of students, contributes nothing to other members of the campus com munity. 1 hope this editorial was the result of a misunderstanding and not of a conscious ideologi cal position. In the future, it would be good to see the Enter aid devote as much space to tu ition as it has to student foes. Steve Masat Lydia Leona IFC Neat slogans "Tax and spend" were the Republican gimmick buttons worn in Congress Feb. 17 before Clinton ever had a chance to speak Why didn't the Democrats respond to Republican rule of the past 12 years with "Spend and .spend into poverty and deficit"? Any child can manage his Finances that way. hut this was national policy. Clinton wants to stem this super-real hemorrhage and gets the expected opposition from the other side, but did Republi cans ever come up with a work able solution over those long 12 years, or even now? They should shut up in shame and look clearly at the disastrous shambles they left America with and think up a more viable solu tion than their tired slogan We need to get back on our feet The Republicans never did "get it." Hilda K. Cherry Eugene Bad market In the Feb. 17 Emerald article about the plastics industry, it was stated that currently only No. 2 milk jugs are being recy cled and No. 3, No. 5. No. 6 and No. 7 are taken to the landfill. This is not true. Recycling collects No. 1. No. 2. No. 5 and No. 6 from Univer sity situs and takes them to BRING Recycling. The problem is that BRING must store most of the plastic it receives because there is no market for it. Carrie Fenelon PPPM