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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1995)
EDITORIAL Environmental major good for University University students lost many vital programs in the wake of mb Ballot Measure 5 cuts. The quality of edu cation has suffered as choices have become limited Now it's time for some good news. Finally, the Uni versity is considering adding to. instead of taking away from, our curriculum. Last week, the University Assembly unanimously passed a 1994-95 proposed curriculum report that includes a new env ironmental studies ma|oi las report will \h< presented for approval at the Oregon State Board of Higher Education meeting on Feb. 18. Hit k Hale, environmental studies director, has lobbied for a major in the field for 15 years. "This program is a quarter of the century overdue,” he told the Emerald. "People are surprised we don’t have a major already." It’s time for dale's dream to be realized What better place than Eugene to offer a program that focuses specif ically on the environment. Imagine the possibilities An environmental studies major will fa- well received by students The University already offers an environ mental studies minor and those classes are popular with students With the addition of the major, four new class es will be added to the University's environmental stud ies program. Expect a high demand for those classes. It’s no secret that this University attracts students who are committed to the environment. The l Iniverslty needs to recognize the needs of a large percentage of the stu dent body. Look at the many students in OSPIRG and other groups that lobby for the environment. Students come to Oregon because they like the outdoors and they want to preserve it. Too many students at the University an* forced to get degrees in programs they're not interested in. An envi ronmental studies major will give many students the opportunity to study something they like and will keep some students from transferring to other schools. Oregon State University already has an environmental studies major that has a greater emphasis on natural science. The University's program will be more of a broad-based lib eral arts education. The proposed major is cos! effective. The University will not have to hire new professors to teach the cours es. Although the proposed environmental studies major doesn't appeal to all students, it sends an important mes sage at a crucial time. Students need to know they are getting the most for their tuition dollars. The proposal of a new major is a sign that University officials are trying to make up for what's been lost through Ballot Measure 5. Although you still can't minor in hnglish, the envi ronmental studies major is putting the University back on track Oregon Daily Emerald *0 ®0« tUCIMt 0*fGOftt?JM tNl (yn&an £X»c'> f ft*.* eft pyfcfcfhftltj thftXilpK f '«Sl> duns'*) f»*n iC^OO* y<MM 4«d lufKtly A*xJ T hu« ftday *v#mm«r» try !*>© 0*!» Co . 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Wnw malice tomwomV VVfTVt CHARITY TC^AJfp NON*. / M^TAXPS V*«E MW* N tk (Hewrrow aww« TV* Qnl> 'Mno m Hft v* TO rear '5 N» GO*®#**^ ( Tut Buck ? Wma? &ucKr I MAV* MO R«5«y<^0tifTY K* THAT'#' AS* NOT WHAT NOuft fOUKTWy CAN CO COR *0U UNUSS IT* A FUU'f PUNOtO /WANOATt I OPINION Amazon not historic, but ‘outdated’ Primp A. J. Fovt vm On# issue has dominated nII discussions about housing here on campus this post year, the fate of Ama zon Family Housing It has been an intense and emotional battle, and as c ould be nxptK led here in Kugene. one outside the bounds of c onven tional logic. Tire rather faulty arguments in favor of keeping the complex intact are built upon what 1 have discerned to be three main dog matic principles The first tenet of the Amazon ian Faith is that the issue is low cost public, housing This is absolutely untrue This is not housing for the community as a whole, it is only for students of our college The campus population, which makes up approximately 14 per cent of Eugene, is the only group that benefits from its use Of that 14 percent, the com plex is only available to those who are eligible for family hous ing This is a tiny sliver of the people of Eugene, certainly not enough to validate an argument for the housing situation of the entire city. This complex does not benefit the homeless whom we see on 13th Avenue, those who depend upon the charity of others for their existence, or the non-Uni versity working poor of our community It is only for stu dents. Even though the demolition of the complex will affix t Eugene's housing market as a whole, the relatively small population in question will not have a large enough effect to justify keeping Amazon in operation. The second Article of Faith in the Church of Amazon is that the site is of historical value This argument has been the main method that the Amazoni ans have used to lengthen the deflate. mainly through appeals to the F.ugene Historic Review Board Finally, on Jan Zi> the hoard, in a stunning move of common sense, decided by a vote of 3-Z that this was not a valid propo sition. 1 will spare you all the gory details of this argument, but when I asked one Amazon resi dent if his home had any histor ical value, he answered, "Yes, my toilet is 50 iears old." I or a quick and oas\ layman's guide to what is historical. 1 have gathered the following Dead\ Hall, historic Plymouth Rock, histori* The Liberty Bell, historii Amazon, well I think some are confusing the term “historic" with "outdated." Amazon is an<i always has been a housing complex It has certainly been important and useful, hut lot's be honest It's time has come. The final element of the Ama zonian Trinity is that it can be repaired This is perhaps the most flawed element of the debate, for many who have insjMx ted it have disagreed ■ When I asked the previously mentioned resident to describe am general problems that he had noticed in his home, he told roe. "age. det repitude, and an understandable systematic tin V. of repair." Stories of asbestos, w eak foun dations. had piping, and many other large-scale structural prob lems have been widespread and validated repeatedly The struc ture has outlived its planned time of use by almost 40 years, and these problems are unavoid able consequences of this irre spo risibility. Rebuilding the complex is necessary, although Amazon supporters have estimated that fixing it will he less expensive than a complete rebuilding We must i onsider the risk insolved with keeping it running. If. us is quite possible, some one is hurt due to the numerous structural deficiencies of Ama zon. the University will 1m; held accountable for the damage. The maximum possible precaution must 1m; taken to keep this from happening and a complete rebuilding is the only viable solution in order to truly do so There will be an increase in costs, vvhii h unfortunately is inevitable. Currently it is St85 per month for a two bedroom unit in the current Amazon, which will !»■ increased to 5400 at the proposed future structure This must be considered with equanimity. The benefits of a rebuilt Amazon, a firmer strut, ture. and basically a building for the future, far outweigh the extra rent. Also. even considering the increase, have any of you shopped for a tvvo bedroom apartment lately? In the Hnwrald classifieds on Feb f>. there were five listed with prices given The average price for these units was $524 per month. This means that even with the proposed increase, rent at the new com plex will be $124 less than the current open-market prices I.ow -cost housing for students with families is important. How ever. the consequences of all available options must tie weighed carefully and there is no longer any logical rationale for keeping Amazon in use We cannot escape the future. It is something for which we must prepare w ith caution and logic The Amazon debate has only hindered such progress in consideration to the housing of our students, and if we do not move forward now the cost to University students will be even greater in the future Primo A /. Fontana is a colum nist for the Emerald CORRECTION The editorial in Monday's Emerald incorrectly stated that the minimum wage was last changed In It was actually raised in both 1990 and 1991. The Emerald regrets the error.
