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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1995)
EDITORIAL Internet education cmcial to students Studont access to the information superhighway will take a stop forward this summer when the University switches from Gopher, a text-based Information system, to the World Wide Web, a graphical interface with futur istic sound and multimedia capabilities. The University will convert its Gopher servers to the World Wide Woo technology Aug 3t. It’s encouraging that the University is taking the ini tiative to use money from the Technology Resource Foe. However, just because the World Wide Web is available doesn’t mean that everyone knows how to use it. Many students aren’t aware of the resources available on the Web, or. for that matter, much of the Internet. As far as some students are concerned, the Internet is a vast unknown that somehow allows students to o mail each other. Many don't understand the numerous resources available to them Students need to be educated more about the Internet and its resources. .some departments on < ampus offer classes that teach students about the Internet. The Knight Library offers a variety of workshops on its programs and services. Help is also available in the Com puting Center However, this isn't Jus I like Writing 12 J, learning about the Internet is essential because it is knowledge that is increasingly required of University students. enough. More needs to be done to make Internet education available to stu dents. More classes should In* offered to students. If the library or Computing Center expanded the number of workshops, students would have more opportunities to learn about the Internet However, the library is only open for a limited number of hours Even if the library dedicated its computer lab solely to teaching students, it is unlikely that the demand for classes would be met The University could establish a course that explores all aspects of the '‘Net." The course, whic h would be hands-on and required for first-year students, could teach students about the programs available to them. Just like Writing 121, learning about the Internet is essential because it is knowledge that is increasingly required of University students. Technically, students have access to a plethora of computer resources at the University. For that alone, University students have more opportunities than many other Oregonians. However, if students don't know how to use a system, they are effectively denied access to it Not learning the value of the information superhighway puts anyone entering the job market at a terrible disad vantage. Employers are looking for peoplo who can mas ter today’s technology Students will benefit from the upgrade to the World Wide Web — but only if they know now to use it. Oregon Daily Emerald PO ftO* *w luC*fNf Q*SCOHV*M T n» O*0O« fWY * tM*ah«ri datfy Mo**d»y Pwowgh»"day during the »c*kk* *«i* ttrd tu**day and TK^tday <k*wxj She by the Oagon f>**y i mar aid PubAalv^g GOinc at *N» Urwaratfy el Oregon, tugan#. Oregon T*# t'mtrmktoperate* «ndap#ndant*y o' #** i>*vir»«By with -.m . ** at Sod* 300 el t*>e Irt) MtmoiiNi Union and d a m^en*** <jf fh* AmocukHaJ Th« £m*r*j*W*.t private property The ufttawM removal cr uft* o'1 papa** t* pmMKAA*t*e by taw Managing Editor Editorial Editor Now Art Editor Freelance EdHor E tutor'In-Clviaf: Kajy Solo Dawt fhom New Editor Hcbtve Hoe*** Sport* Editor M& Pa*»ay Supplement* Editor to* Baton#** Night Edrtor KaCacca Merret Ort* Met* Rebecca Mam Aaaoclata Editor* Amy GoAimbo. Sfudenf Govemrftprtf Arhv't•<** Ma're»en* tdwrda Civnm*/<vA Co*am PoNhg. HjgAdr £duC*l<>oAjirn»>*fr afpri New* Start S**N* Aabury l^fKM Brown. MwxJy Conroy Amy l Deuenport. Prtmo I or*U*w. (kayNi f orm*r, Malt Carton. do© Hanaood. K/*t Henry. T'evcr Kearney Shirwy* K^du*. Adam K jflphpr Samantha Mortm Maf Mcbo* M»v* McTyra Pat»* * MniOrtJ. Ben. Mtxtfwu* Nata&e Man*gom*ry Aan# Moie Kfr«i<jW, SMiry R*n*r Natasha Shephard. Paul Van Sc*** Sea'-' 5m*h M.tit’wr Ste**e* Mara Shoe. Jeremy St-^son. K«m Matt BnaiWomfiP l m 2ac.*«» Oanartf Manager Judy H eel Advertising Director Mar* Waltar Production Manager Mbcrt«t* ftoaa Adrertielrvg A -e A—Ajv?4 R >*** * Marc© C'twg l.r,Ku Nxx*ie M*r;*-*•'•»*>. *r» , Lyon. Jararry Mason Sarah Mtfe >\*f@ Tom Mtt*>»t*adt. * artery Wake* Ciaaeiftad Becky MtarahA-it. Ate\*ger Ky*# Oavt. do* Srflr* Oiatrtbutton; John long. Ffranc Rafcoci , Graham fympaon Bu»<na** ***hy Carbon*, *H<parv»#tv Jody Cannc&y Production OehM MeCpfep. Production CoohAdekv $h«wna Abate. TaraGauftney IVad JO'-s M> | McCarMa, M*" *#t Routrvl Dayton Ye* Newsroom 346-5511 D»**>»*y Advertising WA J?t2 Busina** Offtca 34* 5512 CtaattUad Advarttwng 34*-4>4J t>og<« Of»--> t'marjkl Monday Aom 10, u»r 2 OK. WE RE BACK-. NOW ALL WE NEED replacement fans.. j'J ■ LETTERS Hatfield good Oregon'* senior S»*n Mark O Hatfield is to lx? commended for hi* commitment to higher edu <ation and the leadership that he demonstrated opposing the Bal anced Budget Amendment. l)t'S(iite intense politis^al pres sure, he refused to vote for an amendment that was not the answer to our federal-defU it problem. In addition, he under stood that |>assage of that amend ment would have threatened all of the student-aid programs that make it possible for the needi est student* to get a post sei ■ ondarv education. When member* of our organi zation me! with Sen Hatfield on March 20 as part of the United States Student Association's annual legislative t (inference, he reaffirmed his long-standing com mitment to higher education by promising to vote against cuts to campus-based aid programs and the Stafford Loan program. Sen Hatfield also promised to vote against a recession bill that would roll Ivn.k funding for stu dent-aid programs — money which has already been appro priated for the 10U5 fist4iI year Oregon's senior senator should Ih* commended for tins commit ment and dedication to post-sec ondary education and to his prin ciples The res! of the states should l>e so lucky Jon Isaacs Chair of the Board Robert Nosse Executive Director Oregon Student Lobby Overrated Brian Wunuii i seem* to think that a system of moral absolutism would solve ovary pniblem in the U S today (Oni. March to) His logit; seems to lx' a bit lacking, however. Mr Womai.k conveniently for gets that every legal system throughout time has been built on moral relativism and into itivelv this is what we would expect: "a poor father stealing bread for his hungry child should not be punished as severely as a rich adolescent stealing to impress his friends." Or maybe closer to home; "killing someone is morally wrong, but using the death penalty is not" (?') So who art1 you to sas that your system of moral relativism is better than anyone nine’s? Mr Womack goes on to say that Christianity would he the solution to all of our problems. Frankly. I think he is overrating Christianity If you look at the Si undiuavtan countries, they probably have the lowest rate of professed Christians in any so called Christian country; they also have the highest population of atheists and agnostics in the world Still, the number of mur ders. violent crimes, divorce, toon suicide, eti is very small com pared to the IJ.S. On the other hand, we can all re< .ill the Inquisition, the burn ing of witches and now the killing of doctors and persecu tion of gays all dono by self professed Christians. I think Pat Robertson said it best whan lie was commenting on the aftermath of the kobo earthquake "It's amazing that there hasn’t I wen any looting and it’s not even a (Jiristian country!" Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it? Bjorn Pettersen Computer and Information Science Sell Amazon 1 am writing to ask that the University seriously consider selling the Amazon housing pro* feet to the coalition to he reha bilitated and maintained as low income housing to meet the needs of students. It was such housing on the Midway at the University of t ha ago at the close of World War II that provided a home for us while my husband continued his studies 1 see Amazon as offer ing such a supportive communi ty here This is a difficult time Help for students such as what Ama zon can offer must have high pri ority. Claire Trotter Eugene Headache 1 can throw away my watch now. The University has chosen to buy one for me. Instead of the incredibly painful act of looking down at my arm to see the time, I can now lis ten to the $10,000 ringing in my ears four times an hour. In fac t, because the Ixdls will 1m playing 12 hours n day, that will work out to 4H ringing noises in my head, everyone's head, every day. for the rest of the year. Am I paying for my own headache? As 1 see it, they hud two other feasible choices: toll everyone that if they wanted to know the time, get a watch, or buy a 386 desktop computer ($1500), some recording software ($50). speak er wires ($20) and 300 watt speakers ($400). I believe that i omes out to a $2,000 solution This will recreate a tradition that the University might also learn to enjoy. Peter Feld Psychology Guns ‘n grease What sort of a country is Amor ica' Wo paint ourselves as tin* world's most advanced demor ■ racy and yet look at our exports! As number one wo excel in arms i*xjM)rts to any and all who'll buy thorn. This is our best money maker. Next, there are other "l>ests" this country has to offer (.or a Cola, McDonald's, Ken tucky Fried Chicken and ciga rettes. None of those are recom mended by dietitians or doctors, vet these are the first exports wo force upon other nations Now, the whole world is armed to the teeth (friends today and foes tomorrow?) and contin ually waging one war or anoth er and we have a bloody hand in all of them while holding “peace talks"! We export expensive, empty-calorie, fattening foot! to people who have healthier diets and better teeth than people in the U.S. (Japan. Pacific Islanders. Southeast Asia) just to make them over in "our image,” If we had given up smoking, recogniz ing its toxicity, the Chinese or Indians have yet to find out. To me. this amounts to an overfed, gross, arms-toting image which is anything but democratic or sympathetic but plain greedy How (.an we change the world into a peaceful planet with a hope for the future as long as we capitalize on ugly exports to enrich a few and kill many? Hilde K. Cherry Eugene
