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
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■ 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