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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1994)
EDITORIAL Think twice before voting for Measure 3 As ono of the lenst-publlcizod. but perhaps most impor tant measures on the ballot, Ballot Measure 3 deserves critical attention before It is approved by voters Vital details of the measure have not boon revealed to students, and the measure presents a number of potential pitfalls. It should riot Im« approved. Measure 1 appears on the ballot as Ke< reation and Fit noss Center Funding, but a !>oiter title might Ire "The best kept secret on the ballot.” The old saying, "If it seems too good to lmi true it probably is," derived its meaning from things like Measure 3. Measure 3 is designed to secure half the funding for a proposed SIS million construction and improvement project, which might include artificial turf playing fields with night lighting, weight and fitness room improve merits and a new three-court multipurpose gym and fit ness center for soccer, basketball, badminton and indoor track The project is divided into three phases with lat ter phases Including swimming pools, rock climbing walls, batting cages, tennis courts. locker and shower rooms and of course a juice bar. As written, Ballot Measure 3 fails to mention a num ber of important facts. First, student funding will only pay half of the cost. The other half some $7.5 mil lion is supposed to come from other sources. How ever. none of this funding has vet been secured. There is no guarantee that any additional funds will bo raised, even if the students approve the measure and provide the first S7.5 million. Without additional funding, the pro ject might not proceed — but students might have to con tinue paying anyway. There is also no mention ol the duration of the mea sure's impact. Fven at a fairly stiff .$12.50 per student, per term, the full $7.5 million will not be raisod for 30 years. The Constitution Court has raised objections to this aspect of the measure, stating that a multiplo-vear bal lot measure is illegal. Even if the measure is eventually deemed legal, however, its 30 year duration should not have been kept a secret, and should certainly have been mentioned in its description. Furthermore, the project is to ho funded via bonds, but the interest rate on the bonds can fluctuate — possibly increasing the life of tho load beyond 30 years And no provision has been made for when and if tho project’s cost exceeds expectations. If overruns occur, who will pay for them? The students, or those other sources? Maybe there is a reason this measure is better known as "The best kept secret." A new and improved recreation and fitness center is in the best interests of students. As many of its propo nents have argued, it would bring the University to par ity with other Pacific* 10 Conference schools, which cur rently offer facilities vastly superior to those found on this campus. But students should demand a little more information about Measure 3. before they agree to pay for half its fund ing. They need a guarantee that tho project will proceed, before they are asked to surrender $7,5 million. Without more information and more certainty. Measure 3 should not ho approved. Oregon Doily Emerald PO l>Ol )U* fuGfNt 0*1GO* The (>njon RaTy [mtrakl » pubtthnd ctmh, Monday through F nday during the ichooi year and Tuesday and Thursday dunng tha mama by the Oregon Oa.iy Emerald Pubkibmg Co . tnc a! <he Unnrer vt> of Oregon. I ugene, Oregon !he fmaitU operates independently o> the Urvuemty artb olhcet a) Suite 300 0> the tfb Memonp l>uon and ■» a mamba* ol Iha Associated Press Tha impact.» prorata proparly Tha unttwlui removp 01 uH of papers a protacutabn by law Managing Editorial E Editor Edttorln-Chlaf je e Barg Sports Editor Orapblca Editor FrePance Editor CaAriy Anderson Dowd Thorn Jofl Paalay Alpna Baum Slava EAmi Jail Fhckhardt Mchap ShmtSer Kaly Solo Editorial Editor Photo Editor Supplant anti Editor David Thorn Aiaoctata Editor*: Edward Kioplanstpn, Sludanr (xnwmw<l Ac-hnhas. Rebecca Mertm. Commumfy, Reathada Ffcnas. FAghar l OucMon Aitnmatrabor Neats Stall lor. BetbneeAi. WAson Chan Oava Charbonnaau. Amy Colombo. Jim Davtt. Mag Dedotph Amy Davenport. Taiha Eichentehp Malai f .aan Martin Either. Sarah HendPion Vm leng leong, Manus Meiand. Tmia Nop. Fksabeth Fteanstiema. FtoOba Unarm hate Sabounn. 1* Saldcoa. Soon Srtnonaon. Stephana Srston, Soianna Stadani. MrthPe Thompson. Amy Van Tuyl. Damp Wap Oanarp Man agar Judy Rax* Advartlsing Dirac tor Mark VI pier Production Mansgsr MrhrM Ron Advertising. Bnan Dav.t. Subu Dutta. N*coie Fterimarfc. T or aid liabpia. Jan Ma'on Jeremy Mason Mr hap ktoefle. Kenny Woken Classified Reeky Merchant. Manager victor Main. Stm Tie Tack Distribution John long. Tpenc FTakoch. Graham Simpeon Business Kalhy Carbona. Suptnoot Judy Conno»y Production Daa McCobb, F’roducoon Coordkiator Shavma Abels. Greg Desmond. Tara GauAney. Brad Joia. Jervvlp Roland. Npt Thangwjit. Clayton Yae Nawaroom ...MS-AStt Display Advertising_MS-1712 Buitnaei OPtca-MS-SSI2 CtaaaHtad Advam.lng.MS-AMI rRAl$£ El \zi5fy c coBAlSf COMMENTARY Judging Cobain not that simple By Keith Cunningham Th<* style of the report wasn't till that unusual The anchor's lead was some generic, tine like "Genera tion X is mourning the death of its c ult leader " There were the typical shots of pimply teen agers crying and hugging each other, saving "I loved this guv nmaanun " Hut something inside (he story hit me The camera panned to a person wearing a T shirt showing hurt Coha in writhing in flames The smug looking figure said to the re porter, "Suicide's a sin and this is where Kurt is rigid now " If only it were that simple Sadly, the coverage of the Nir vana lead man's suicide which followed c ontinued with similar commentaries of judgment and simplism Syndicated columnist Kyle Henderson wrote. "Cobain's choice in death stemmed from his choice of how to live He c hose meaningless ness." Nirvana fan Tom Weaver. 22. commented in the USA Today. "What a loser. 1 used to like him hut he took the c heesy way out." The barrage of value-laden commentary even found its way to our own Emerald April 15, Dave Charbonneau wrote a eulo gy praising the singer whose success grew from his anti ostahlishmunt roots. However, not even this praise could escape the comment of how Cohain had "hailed out on his daughter." And so goes the media’s understanding of Cobain's sui cide. Cobain's final act is seen as a cop-out. a cheap escape. There is an assumption that C.obain somehow let those around hint down. After all. he had his daughter. Frances Bean, who will be turning two this August. He had his wife. Courtney Love, whose musical career was just unfolding. He had us. his fans, who made him the reluctant leader of a generation disen chanted with the troubled world it had been put in. Yes. C.obain let all of these people down. While I don't assume to know everything that was going through Cohain's head as he put a shotgun to it, my guess is he couldn't allow himself to think about these people. Perhaps the pain hod risen so high that consideration of everyone and everything van ished Perhaps Coha in decided that it was his turn to be selfish He had given his fans what they wanted. But in doing so. Coha in gave too much of himself. ' 1 refuse to join in the orchestra of condemnation surrounding this suicide It seems to be human nature to pass judgment when someone whom we feel attai hed to takes his or her life We search for quit k and easy labels We tell ourselves, "Kurt Cobain's suicide was a cop-out " If only it were that simple Some complexities of Cobain's psy< he will never be known I didn't know Kurt Cobain. 1 wasn't the biggest Nir vana fan, either. I do know that after Cobain's parents divorced when he was eight. Cobain vs as passed from relative to relative for the remainder of his child hood. Crowing up in the logging town of Aberdeen, Wash , Cobain won several art contests and was ridiculed mercilessly by the jocks of his school. Hu eventually dropped out of high school and became a recluse in the punk rtx.k scene of the early 80s. Perhaps the 1991 release of Nevermind was the beginning of the end. The shrieks of anguish and the reverberations of feed back had caught on with the mainstream, selling 10 million copies. Cobain had become the hero to the same youths who had once been his childhood nemeses. Sure Cobain got what he asked for. To some degree fit* common lalized. lie made the v ideos and played the i;oncerts Hut once ho had the money and fame, lie had no idea how to deal with them His lyrics voi( ed his confusion and anger. "1 do not want what 1 have got!" and "What is wrong with me?" Perhaps it was the trat k which was left out of the In 1‘tt‘ro album which best reflet ted his state "I Hate Myself and Want To Die " It's very easy to sav that Coho in "had it all" But this assumes that fame and fortune spawn instant happiness. Cobain "had it all" in the sense that tie had the fame and for tune. and the pressure and pain which came with them. And this is all assuming Cobain was rationally weighing the pros and cons of ending his life lie fore putting the shotgun to his head. However. I don’t believe there is much rational thought involved in suicide. Perhaps Cobain felt he couldn't "just walk away." Perhaps he saw suicide as the only way to esi ape the fans and the pres sure. Perfiaps. in one moment of passion, all sense of rationality left Cobain and he ended it all Of course I can't advocate sui cide as a viable answer to one's troubles There is no retake with suicide and the pain it inflicts upon the survivors is immeasur able But I can't advocate quick and easy judgments. 1 can't advocate demonizing Kurt Cobain's final act An act that you and I will never understand. Keith Cunningham is a pro journalism major at the Univer sity. COMMENTARY POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomes commentaries from the public concerning topics of interest to the University community. Commentaries should be between 000 and 800 words, leg ible. signed and the identification of the writer must l>e ver ified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.
