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 . Inc a* »m Ortfvemfty of OwQOn, 1 o&trw C>«*y*v
TN> I'mmtf opo* aloft *nd«p*Pd*rt«hr of ft*» l>w*rftrty w«K offccas at ***** 300 of f?>*
fit Mof^gtfca* U/*on a?xl & a ro«!*«tji» of tH* Asftocxfttad P»om
th* t *H»r**J (ft f* *r*!« property IN* iPTftOM^ut C# UM 0* pap*»ft <ft pftOMCutfttjatt
Edltor-m-ChM Ktfy Sofe>
Managing I (1<tv* OiWtf TN>rv. Hews E(ttor Katiet.«. a Mt*■ ^
tdilo/u>i E<f to/ ftetote* M*mw Sports Editor Oft M«f/
H«wft Aft Editor Mr* P».i, Supplements Editor T'-*l* tftoe*
fditlfto Edtlor tc*-IWt*>esft Nt^MCtMor AmyC<*jmtx>
Assoc tat* Editors T av%* £ *.- tvmfw Snxfer'f (k?v*i • -'■srn Ac*-*- *** Mu «■*<*** Edsrivdft
Commvnrfy T*t*n* Sm^- f dMcaftprv Ajd»»yM»|raAo/>
«-*ews Stiff Sieve Anbury * ’•» C<v'w‘*-po Pat Oft>, Amy l OMinp^f, Pmvo Frjmtvva.
fifty** F orma/v ChnstopN* Fo» M.i« Gs'f y' Gary Gfttftft Jo* Harwood. Hre* Hprvy T'pvtv
K.«w*rr**> •->' ft. Adam fc.*-v.;.h*» Sv/»'••■»* Alft'fft Ma.»* M«-. ? yt* Bon Mu«*t>u*,
Nat*--* Montgomfry A/v*o Mow Ko/nlefcd C/.*o#r FNs/nkj Snmy ftisoey. Patfici MinioftX
K.*‘n SaftOurm. Sftftn S-" l^ Van J>- * <* Kim Wwu tk..v WjmftCfc
0*n«rsf Manege* Judy Fk*d
Advertising OtfftKtO* Mftr* Wo*<* Production Mon aye* M 1 r*<r He ft*.
Advertising A ■■* AfltsSlo*. A.,-. m Bo/gam WAv *> CKf/^j, tt f ©t ( -.-• He/Ver N~. c*e
M**X* ;*rft sflrsr , Mat* • Sft/aT' M*. *-t* • M l?t*Var*J? A»c
Cfastiftod i’«t . . ».*•• • > • *.ti , ,• • *■ , «• v. *.
CKitrltHitKKi; JtVvt l -j f «r«*»v Raft <j Reg^a ZftMpr**1
EkiSJOftS*; K»**»y ( .vtc-'r’. $>>4*W*iSr k.<tf O. ■ "'■■- ,
Produetton Dr^Ml MtCotO. P/OdbCtcv* t^v^ateiusfiv SNwr--a Apftio Far a GAw^toy Brad
ioftft, J*r>r»»t«r Moa^vJ CMMOft Y«n»
8w*j.-w*** OrtSc#
msn
O*%0ia y A;}v»ftJ^ng 3 M 2
Cl**»<rt«d Acting 34*4*43
IF THESE
PRESIDENT*
HAD TO
SPEAK IN 1990s
POLITICAL
rhetoric.
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.