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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1994)
EDITORIAL Yet another week at the University It’s back for the second lime this year, yes, it's “Al cohol Awareness Week" — again. But you probably weren't aware, or else, didn’t really care, Today marks day two of the four-day event. The events scheduled throughout tho weok are an attempt to provide alternative forms of entertainment that don't involve alcohol. Certainly they will be a hit — or at least a nice conversation topic at the bars. On Monday "mocktails," drinks that look like they should contain alcohol or else be served out of a Slurpee machine at 7-Eleven. wore being served just outside the EMU. The lino for tho event mirrored students' interest in it. Today, just in front of Johnson Hall, there will be on ice cream social. This event provides the opportunity to rub shoulders with the campus elite. Professors, coach es, deans and student leaders will all bo on hand to dis cuss tho ailmont of alcohol and students. Certainly this is an alternative event taking tho place of alcohol con sumption for many Friday nights to come. Wednesday, just when your fun scale was nearly pinned, there will bo a 5K run at Alton Baker Park, Run ners will wind through the Alton Baker park trails try ing to prove once again there really are alternative fun things to do instead of consuming alcohol. Running as fast ns you tain for just over three miles is fun, really. And it's more fun than sipping a boer with other friends sipping beers. Certainly the last thing on many of the contestants' minds will be a cold beer while profusely sweating their way through Alton Baker. And the grande finale of "Alcohol Awareness Week” (for tho second time this year) will be a concert featuring Curtis Salgado on tho EMU East Lawn. This does have an entertaining value worth considering, the same kind of live entertainment that many of tho local bars offers, minus the alcohol Hut since when do you have to con sume alcohol while listening to a band at u bar/ Presenting ideas to college students that don't involve alcohol is a kind thing to do, but the ideas presented as alternatives, for the most [tart, are not alternatives worth relishing. Alcohol and college students have boon linked throughout history. Not only do most legal-aged stu dents drink, many have embarked on underage drinking once beyond tho reigns of a parental figure. Abuse and addiction are two wicked words that certainly go on to haunt many students. But singling out a week (or two weeks) to get through to the college drinking crowd by offering ico cream socials and fun mns will, for the most part, miss the target audience. And maybe, just maybe, students would rather have a weok at the University that is not a week at all. Students have been bombarded with weeks—"Gav Pride Week," "Safe Sex Weok," "Earth Week." “Alcohol Awareness Week,” "Dead Weok," “Finals Week." and the list, undoubtedly, goes on. A week without a name at this school is as common as college students attending an ice cream social on tho stops of Johnson Hall with deans and profossors. Oregon Daily Emerald *0 001 Jiff CoGftof OREGON V4CJ Th« Oegon D&ty if published dfttfy Moivlay through F rtdRy durvtg ttw school Dat'y £me»aid y<*ftf and Tuesday and Thursday dunng th© iuniin«i by th© Oregon D PutJbshvng Co k* a» th© l>v versify of Oregon, Eugene. Oregon fh© fcmmaU operate* ‘fVJeperHJentfy of the Un<v«r »,ty w«h Qthc&s *! Su Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Fraalanca Editor Sule 300 o* It hi E»t) Memonal Urnon and if a member ot the Associated f^eas f N» fm«raW if prtva?® property lh« unlawful remove or use of papers ■■% prosecutatx© Editor-In-Chief JyA© Berg Ca#©> Anderson Sports Editor Steve Mm» D#v«d Thom Editorial Editor Jeh PcSNadt Jett Pa*la> Photo Editor Mi haw $TvxJte A-.»»j Baum Supplement* Editor Kaly 50*0 Klght Editor: Devd Thom Associate Editors, tdward * top* on stem. Sfudanf Gowfrvnanl Aclwlmst Rebecca Mamn Votr**hJf*fy M—thede ifcmaS Hyher f dbeahcv-i Adfnm&trwbon Mews Staff l o*- Be«>n«e* W4*on Chan Dave Oarfconoeeu Amy Colombo. J#m Oav** Meg Dedc;ph Amy Davenport. Tasha Echenseher Mit< a Fields Ma'^n Fisha? Sarah Henderson, v.n leng lacing Su*ann© Marta Manus Meiand. Tnsta Noe* t sabeth »v-.a Robbe Reeves. Kate Sabou'tn l a Saioccai. Scott S»mpn§oo. Stephan.* S*sson Susanna St©«en*. fetch©*© Thompson, Amy Van Tuyf. Dan.©i Weft General Manager Judy R*ecJ Advertising Director Ma s Wait©/ Production Manager M*. net© Ross Advertising 0 an Da* s. S ube Dutta N‘ . ;-•© Her/mart Teresa Isabel:© Jeff Manon. 1rver--, Mav M. ' a** fet ■'•«•«©. K ©>*«*> Woo Classified BecSy Mr* hart Manager v<*ov fefe* >. S*m T/e Tec* Distribution 1 ’ i g. Eer-erv RaS.oc/ Graham Simpson Business .Kathy C - n Suparv v • July Connoi’> Production IV* M obb, F1- yjt*. ' t\> - -.a.'cv Shawna Abe** Greg Desmond. Ta<a Geuttney. Brad Jos* Jenifer Romrxj, Nan Thangv’ t Dayton Y©© Newsroom 346-5511 Display Advertising 346-3712 Business Offic© 346 5512 Classified Advertising 346-4343 ^VrvYw DaiK/ Pr THIS ETHhiC TEa/Sioa/ IS G£T77A/6 A LITTLE OOJ Of HAND, Don't Yo*j wink ? LUCKILV, l MVJfLf AM S/MP/.V WH»7E AWGCO-SAXOW PROTESTANT. • . —„ wu look smpiC'OvUY i'*l 4 JUTt, If YOU ASK Ml COMMENTARY An ounce of crime prevention By Pelef DeFazio Criminals should pay the price for breaking the law We've abandoned this philosophy in America. Prison overcrowding and an overbur dened justice system allow vio lent offenders with long rap sheets to escape serious punish ment 1 respect the president for focusing on the devastating impact of the rising epidemic of violent crime on our streets and in our communities. Oregonians came face to face with this epidemii not so long ago when three individuals viciously treat two women at the Dart Mart in Eugene, bludgeon ing one to death This heinous crime was committed during the theft of $50 Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident The possibili ty of an American becoming a victim of a crime is 19 percent higher than 10 years ago. Every year five million people are the victims of violent crime — mur der, rape, robbery, assault bur glary, and larceny-theft. Hut ou average, criminals serve only 45 percent of their sentence. The average violent offender is sentenced to 7 H years, but only serves 3.1 years in prison. The average murder er serves H.7 vears in prison. Criminals are walking out of jail and returning to our streets to commit more crimes. For the first time In years, there is a serious commitment in Washington to helping states keep violent criminals in prison. In a variety of ways. Washington has finally decided to get tough on criminals and get smart on preventing crime More police officers equal less crime. This measure provides for the hiring and training of at least 50,000 (potentially up to 100.000) new police officers in communities across the nation Oregon's under-policed rural areas especially need more ' (.ops on tin* Bent Measure 5 has unfortunately left law enforcement organizations in our state with too little dollars for too big a job and its time for the federal government to help out. We shouldn't be a nation that builds more prisons rather than si hools. But facts are facts. There simply is not enough prison space today to keep vio lent criminals in jail This legis lation allocates $10.5 billion to state correctional facilities to pay for the incarceration of repeat violent offenders. Addi tional funds are specifically direi ted toward putting youth ful offenders into boot camps — not on probation. Violent crime against women must be stopped. Reported cases of rape and spousal abuse have risen dramatically in the recent years, but women have often faced a justice system ill equipped to adequately address this kind of violence. It does not make sense that we live in a nation with three times as many animal shelters as shelters for battered women. A step in the right direction, this measure provides grants to state and local governments to reduce violence against women, authorizes rape prevention grants, and grants to encourage arrests in situations involving domestic violence. It also establishes new federal crimes of interstate domestic violence and stalking The lesson we have learned is thal it costs far less for America to invest in a child early than it costs to lock them up later I par ticularly advocate provisions r—-■ 1 11 1— that target young people — the Police Corps program that gives young people college scholar ships in return for a four-year commitment to serve on a local police force, the Midnight Sports program which takes kids off the streets and puts them on the playing fields, and anti-gang programs that target at-risk youth in crime-ridden areas. In addition, "ounce of prevention" grants will assist social service organizations that handle delin quency, gangs, substance abuse, unemployment, school dropouts, and teen pregnancy in a coordinated approach These innovative measures are only a few of the bold steps being taken to combat crime in America Wo are past the point of "hot air" crime proposals — it's time for sweeping changes in the criminal system that incor porate swift and sure punish ment and smart crime preven tion techniques This means locking up violent criminals, hut it also means getting to kids at on early age — before they get in serious trouble. This S2H billion crime pack age is the largest federal com mitment in history to preventing violent crime. Unlike a number of other crime bills in recent years, this package is a real and credible attempt to address a problem whose answer has in the past eluded our elected law makers It’s tough, it's smart, it's progress toward a safer Oregon and America. Peter DeFaeio is an Oregon Congressman COMMENTARY POLICY The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomes commentaries from the public: concerning topics of interest to the University commu nity. Commentaries should be between 600 and 800 words, legi ble, signed and the identification of the writer must !k> verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.
