Commission reviews community relations efforts
Suzanne Marta
CVeQon tWy frrmrakt
The Eugene Human Right*
Commission reviewed effort* to
improve community relation*,
emphasizing harassment, di*
crimination and diversity issues
in a meeting Tuesday with the
Department of Public Safety
The main discussion of the
review concerned the inefficien
cy and ineffectiveness of the cit
izen Allegation/Inquiry/
Commendation (AiC) procedure
The Department of Public
Safety proposed that AIC proce
dure be changed to include a
civilian facilitator or mentor to
reduce the feeling of intimida
tion or vulnerability
Members of the commission
asked the department to make it
a standard policy for police offi
cers to give citizens a business
card with their name and badge
number on it
"Many people are so trauma
tired that they don’t oven think
to ask for the officer's name."
said Kva Philips, a human rights
commissioner
The current AiC procedure
requires citizens to file com
plaints at the police department
— a policy criticized by com
mission members because it
subjects victims to more polite
intimidation
"It * very i Uwr to mo that [kmv
pie who have experienced
intimidation or have been
harassed by the police don't file
formal complaints because they
already feel serv vulnerable,"
said Morion Malcolm, another
human rights commissioner.
Commissioner Kan Chose Mid
that, with Alt', procedural
i flange*, he expects the number
of complaints filed to increase
Commissioner Peter Wotton
was pleased w ith departmental
efforts in finding solutions to
issues that create tension
t*>tween the community and the
department.
"There is a lot of live growth
in improving community ruin
lions.' Wot Ion so id If wo i ut
Ira* k on services, we also ml
(hm k this growth We need lo
nurture this grow-t li
the review also discussed tho
serious la* k of resoun »*s within
tlu* department for thi* hoaring
impaired and for spaniah-speak
ing parsons
Currently, tho department has
only one Spanish speaking 911
emergency operator and only
one polit e ofhc or with signing
abilities for tho hearing
impaired
"It concerns me that in 19B9
there were no Hispanic police
officers and. five years Inter,
(hurt) still aren't any." said Mar
shall Sant min. chairman of the
human rights committm* for
harassment and (list riminalion
ami direr tor of the Univarsity
office of multii ultural affairs
Statistics like these are alarm
ing for Sharisse Howard, mom
her of the human rights
education and outreach commit -
Imi and t urrent University stu
dent
"It s absolutely ridiculous that
they have one Spanish speaking
‘ill operator and no Hispanic
police officers when there is a
population of 5,000 to 10.000
Htspanh s in the Kugene corn
munitv,” she said
Students of color to visit University
Jennifer Carr
f <y ifv Oregon liatty i nwalct
Mora than 2(H) Dragon high s< bool stu
dents of color art; expected to visit the
University on Thursday, to sample col
lege life and participate in 'Gateway to
the Future.’
This free program, sponsored by the
University Office of Admissions and
Office of Multicultural Affairs, encour
ages African-American, Asian/Pacific
American. C’hicano/Latino and Native
American high school students to further
their education at the poet secondary
level.
large numbers of high school students
of color don't consider a university edu
cation because of family histories and
financial needs, said Stephanie Bugge, an
admissions counselor. The University
wants to break down these barriers.
"This is an opportunity for junior and
senior high school students of color to
come to campus and see University life,"
Bugge said. "We want them to know that
higher education is out there, is not out of
reach and that the opportunity exists."
'Gateway to the Future' participants
will learn how to find financial aid. how
to look for housing and the step-by-step
admissions process. These issues are
dealt with in a way that is distinct to peo
ple of color, said Allison Brossia. a Native
American recruiter and admissions < oun
selor for the University.
"Student* are able to feel safe m the
community netting we create mid are able
to ask questions in their native language.”
Brossin said.
Student volunteers from various ethnic
groups on i ampus help make this pro
gram so su( i pssful. Volunteers from the
Asian/Pfli.ific-American. Bla< k MFChA
and Native American Student Unions
spend time with visiting students with
whom they share a similar rm ial and eth
nic background.
"Student volunteers provide a reality
check for these students.” Bugge said.
"They are able to give personal experi
ences on n primarily white campus. They
con tell potential students what it's like to
lie u student of color at U of O ”
’Gateway to the Future' bus become a
very popular program The Office of
Admissions sent letters to all Oregon high
schools, informing them of the program.
The response was so large, the University
was forced to ask high schools to limit
themselves to 10 students per school
"This program is very popular and suc
cessful," Brossia said. "As soon as the
holiday’ season was over, people were
calling and asking about it People look
forward to it every year ”
The number of students of color
enrolled at the University has im reused
steadily with the Hispanic student popu
lation having the largest increase. Brossia
said.
Children raise funds to help save
killer whale seen in ‘Free Willy’
Larry Haftl
f c* It*# Or0%f&% fWy f
Four Fugeno children donned i lown
makeup and baggy pants last Saturday
to help save a kilter whale The chil
dren made balloon animal* for visitors
to the Fifth Street Public Market and
asked for donations to help save helko,
the on a whale who starred in the movie
Free Willy
"Wo read .itsovit Keiko and wanted to
help raise some of the money needed
' M him, StU lit Wl*»ig Mid She
was |omed by Michael VVissig, Pori ILir
ris, and Tnrvn Harris
Keiko vv.is raptured near the south
west coast of h eland more than ID vwirs
ago In 1985. he was sold to the kntno
Aventura Theme Park in Mexii o City
where he is < urrently maintained in an
oval tank too small for him The tank
uses artificial sea water Like other
whales kept in this typo of environment,
Keiko has developed wart-like growths
believed to lie caused by a slows relat
ed Papilloma virus
Veterinary experts believe his skin
condition will immediately Improve
if Keiko is returned to natural sou water
Another concern is damage to Keiko's
teeth resulting from his gnawing on the
concrete sides of his tank
In an effort to save Keiko. Farth Island
Institute, a Son Francisco hosed envi
ronmental group, created tint Free
Willy Keiko Foundation
The Foundation will assist in th<>
earn, treatment, relocation and possi
ble future release of the whale Its plan
is to transfer Keiko to a sjxx tally t on
strut led facility at the Oregon Coast
Aquarium in Newport I hat fai ility
will i nst over 5li) million ami include
a new two million gallon tank, loading
dot k. freezer and filtration equipment
So far. the Foundation lias raised
over $5 million Warner tiros and
New Regent \ i’rodui lions, the makers
of Free Willy, provided an initial S.1
million and an anonymous donor from
Washington state donated another $'£
million
In addition to raising another .$5 mil
lion. a formal agreement to transfer
Keiko from Remo Aventura to the Ore
gon Coast Aquarium must Iw signed
According to David Phillips, Forth
island executive director, "We're
|K>ised to tio that "
The donations raised by the t hildren
last Saturday will become part of the
needed $T> million Donations t an he
sent to Free Willy Keiko Foundation.
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