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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1993)
EDITORIAL Athletic department doesn’t deserve cut The Incidental Fee Committee's decision to cut $35,000 from the athletic department's SI.04 million budget last Thursday was an irresponsible response to rising student fees. The athletic department uses the money to pay for stu dent seating at homo sporting events. Currently, students must pay a mandatory feo of $22 per torm for the right to attend every sporting event on campus. The seating is hoavily discounted from the public ratos and is among the best in the Pac* 10. Because of the IFC's announced cut — the fourth in five years — the athletic department has threatened to take away either Section 9 at Autzen Stadium (at about the 30 yard line) or the courtside section across from the bench es at McArthur Court. The department would then sell those seats to donors to make up the S35.UOO There are two points to be made here. First, the IFC's decision affected many more students than most IPC deci sions do. anti therefore should have been voted on by the student body. Instead, five IFC members, who wore elect ed by about SOU people apiece, were allowed to cut mon ey from a program supported by the nearly 4.000 students who attend each football game, and the many others who watch basketball and other sports. And while most students likely grumble about pay ing constantly rising student foes for groups they never encounter, many of those same students will cry even louder if they learn the athletic department, a group they actually don't mind paying for. no longer receives as much money. This leads to the second point. Should the athletic department have the right to take away good student seat ing such as Section 9 at Autzen rather than the margin al, rarely filled seating of Soction 5? After all. it wouldn't take too many regularly priced tickets to make up $35,000. The answer is that the athletic department has the pre rogative to bo as money-hungry ns it wants. It already gives students a huge discount for excellent seating at sporting events. If it charged full market value for those seats, the department estimated it could make about $225,000 more next yoar. The department has no reason to continue to be gen erous with a student body that continually cuts its bud get. The department already runs a $1 million deficit. If opening up Section 9 to donors is a smarter business deci sion — which it is — it shouldn't shy away from mak ing that decision based solely on student complaints. Remember, the athletic department is getting $3 less per student than in 1987. Meanwhile, salaries, ticket prices and fees have all gone up. If the decision to cut the $35,000 stands, the athletic department should forget cutting the McArthur Court seats. They are too valuable to both students and the bas ketball teams. The athletic department should recognize that players feed off the crowd's onorgy. and no crowd is more energetic than the students in the west-side seats. As for giving Section 9 to donors, it wouldn't be a huge loss and is therefore a bettor option. Aflor all. there are no bad seats at Autzen. And many people who attond football games go to meet friends and drink. Orex<>i i Daily P O IK) Emerald the Oregon Diet) Emorafc) ■* pufcinhed 0*0 Monday through Friday <*/nng the tcfwoi year and Tuetday and Thur»day during the »umm«r By Hie Oregon Daily Emerald Put**hing Co Inc a! me Urvwervty of Oregon E ogene. Oregon The Emerald operate* independently of me Unnrerady reth oflyary at Suae 300 o* the f rB Memorial Un-on and ) a m*mo#« of the Aaaocrated Pre*» The fme«atd r* prryate property The uniamfut remoyal or u*a or paper* a protecutabte by ta* Editor Pal Meach N«l tonor EOttorMI Conor OrapMcs EOnor CnMrurnmwn Conor jmm iwij Martin F Je» f’nuiy Fray* Morn sfwna cvHK Editorial Ediioi Sopp*»>nool» Edtio Night Editor H<ve« s Jenn#'' r CeMry Ana* son Pa! Metac*' Allocate Editor*: Jimmy Batey Sludiof Government AetnpUm. Daraiyn Trapee Communtf Colleen Pohtg ragner fArcahorv Admrmatrahon Nm Slid Cheater Aim' Mall Bonder JuH^n Brown Sarin Oar» Meg Deooiprv Amy Oeveigort Jen Efcion Amanda Ferro*. Anthony Fom*y Betn Mege Tereaa tAmtunger : .M Maun Rebecca Meruit Steve Mims. Katy Moel*. Ir*Fm» Mueher. Tnata Noel. £B*n Shaw t ’K* Studentcaa Mar-oo Sorter Bandy TheCen. Mcheie Thompion Agunr Amy van Toy( todd W.ttwam*. Dayton Yee Oenerai Manager >udy ft** Production Manager Ucheie Ftoaa Advertlllng Tom leech Sa<er Manager Shawn Breven Orhce Manager Jane I'oia Tweaa ivutv<• I’hio Johnson It. Chna Kanod. Jeremy Maaon van V O’Bryan It GAkan Oh. Rachael Tru*. An^e tAr*ndhe»m Clatatfred Bec»y Merchant. Manager Barry logan. Sharon Same D*»tnbutton Brandon Anoereon, Nc* Mannmng. Graham Sengaon Buemaaa: Kamy Carbon* Supematv Judy Connolly Production Ingnd Ww« Production CoonAnanv Knefcn* Granger Be* McCobb Stacy MM'**. Jerwter Hoiand. Jenruter Smith New* root" Bummets Otttc« 94*4511 J46-SS12 U1&P4** AOV»»T»*4ng w-J'w CtM*lfl«d A(*v#»n»»ny 346-4143 JW»»SSI oumFWOCNOOO LETTERS Fuming The letter by John L. Poppin that was published in the April 30 Emerald needs some per spective. What is funny about this letter is that I identify with much of what is said until I come upon the parts mentioning cigarette smoke and smokers specifically. I am surprised that cigarette smoke is the whole subject that this choked person expounds on. What about diesel? Don't diesel fumes do anything to you? Diesel fumes are tremen dously vile and disruptive to every natural organ and system of the body, and diesel is not even intended for human con sumption! And you must know how reg ular diesel frequents our fresh campus air I smell it. inhale it every single day against my will Try to encourage a diesel consuming vehicle to quit with the fumes. Not a chance. Poppin mentions cancer, pro viding the cigarette appellation cancer slick And ! call these bigger spewers ‘'cancer mobiles." I find the "Choked" letter to be a weak and insufficient attempt to place blame. You should know that you are prob ably inhaling something car cinogenic from the outdoor environment, whether you see blatant smoke or not. Jennifer Kamau Pro-Journalism Open Hands As long as helpful resources are being printed in the Emer ald. please allow me to mention Open Hands, a quarterly publi cation from the Reconciling Congregation Program of the United Methodist Church. Open Hands is a resource for congre gations and individuals seeking to he in ministry with lesbian, bisexual and gay people. Each issue of Open Hands focuses on a specific area of con cern within the church. The articles are written by contem porary theologians such as Roller! MacAfee Brown, William Sloane and Mary Jo Osterman. as well as by persons who expe rience the daily discrimination within the church because of their sexual orientation. The articles are faith-based, informa tive and supportive of persons who are working to affirm both their Christian faith and sexual orientation. Open Hands is available by writing to 3801 N. Keeler Ave., Chicago. If. 60641, or by stop ping at the Wesley Foundation (iainpus Ministry office. It is an important resource for Chris tians who desire an open and inclusive church. The Rev. Janet Cromwell Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry Cost of lunch Yes, 1 am also frustrated with fee hikes. Particularly when I feel the majority of administra tors and instructors maintain an institutionalized curriculum of racist, sexist, ageist, religionist and Euro-centric material. It is for this reason 1 voted for the Multicultural Center A fee of $2.75 per student per term for one year is about the price of a tafe latte and muffin. It's sad some students do not under stand the need for multicultural, divurse awareness not only on campus hut off as well. The argument against the Multicultural Center maintains there are already student unions for multicultural students. A Multicultural Center would he redundant. Yet a Multicultural Center would be for everyone. It is important each student ethnic group has its own union in order to support each other, but a Multicultural Center would have taken another step and been a place for communication and education for all. It's bewildering that many "white" students believe "mul ticulturalism" is only for those of a particular ethnic: group and not for them. They fail to under stand they can benefit. As a "white" (Jewish) woman, I find inspiration in learning about, and being with, people from other ethnic groups. tielebrate diversity. Obviously not for the price of one lunch. Regan Lee English/Ethnic Studies Drinking greeks I'm writing in regards to Jake Berg's article about the greeks alcohol policy (ODE, April 27) and the editorial that followed (ODE. April 29). !-et me ask you one question; where did your information come from? First of all. the policy described by Berg in his article wasn't even the policy that was presented to the Student Con duct Committee. Berg talked about greek ID cards, checking of IDs by security guards and various other things that were not even in the proposed policy Secondly, the Emerald's edi torial, which appeared two days later, talked about how the greek system should include alcohol education in its current policy Well, that's a great idea, but your one flaw is that it's already in the policy. To be perfectly frank, the Emerald looked at two pages ol a 14-page social policy and based its opinion on that. Next time, I would appreciate it if you read the entire policy before you decide to voice your opin ions. Thank you. Melinda Bessner Student Conduct Committee LETTERS POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing comments on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style. __