EDITORIAL
Runge pay raise
well-deserved
The University granted Jody Kunge. the heed women's
bosket halt coach, a salary increase that will almost dou
ble her current pay. The debate over her salary turned
into a debate over gender discrimination and equity in
pay.
In the end, Kunge scored a significant victory and the
University cat no closer to closing the gap between the
salaries of men and women.
It’s about time.
Range's raise goes to a basic right of equality — men
and women should be paid the same amount of money
for doing the same job. While Range is the coach of the
women's basketball team, she was paid $48,000 last
year. Hardly the going rate for a university basketball
coach these days, especially for one who look her team
to the NCAA tournament In her first season at Oregon.
With a raise. Range’s base salary will increase to
$80,000 annually. It doesn't come close to Jerry Green's
mega deal, but it is a tiny stop closer to equality.
Some have said the University caved in when it grant
ed a salary increase to Runge ™~ a move to avoid a law
suit for sox discrimination. While few except those
directly Involved know the true reason for the agreement
on a now four-vear contract, it seems the University
understands a basic principle. Men and women should
bo paid equally for doing the same job.
Others have said the men’s and women’s basketball
programs are something less than comparable, given the
fact men's basketball is breaking even financially and the
women’s program is not That fact should bo reflected
in the salaries of the coaches, they say.
However, while this may bo an indictment of the way
the University promotes women's basketball and the
interest some students have in it. Runge cannot bo held
at fault Range's job is to coach a basketball team, not to
be its only cheerleader.
The University must share in the responsibility of
making the women’s basketball program the best it can
be. Spending more money on the women's program will
bo Justified. Runge can produce a higher-caliber team
that will draw more spectators and dollars to Mac Court.
A provision in Range’s new agreement would involve
the university promoting her program. It’s encouraging
to hear the University will take more of a visible interest
in the program. With added promotion of the program,
perhaps more students will develop Interest in the pro
gram and the program will make more money
Sometimes the right thing to do isn't the most popular.
The University should be commended for agreeing to
grant Jody Runge a raise While the move will cost the
University a bit more money annually, it demonstrates
the commitment the University has to gender equality.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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■ OPINION
Condoms not foolproof solution to HIV
Bki \n Womack
Personally. I'm a big fan of
sex. Hut I'm not a big fan of
"safe Sex
People should bavi> sex that
protects them from getting HIV
that's why I don't like the
ideas of "safe sen."
Woma< k, what are you get
ting at?"
I'm glad you asked
In raothi soft seat
phrases of the 1090*. safe sex has
ruled the debate on AIDS pre
vention like jordan rules the
NBA
Thursdav. AIDS activist Mary
Fisher gave an excellent speech
at Mt Arthur Court on why the
HIV infected should not be treat
ed with fear or without love The
sjHHxii wag moving and enlight
ening.
Hut when it came time to
answer questions on how AIDS
prevention should be handled In
the mdrool, she gave the cliche we
often hear
"If you don't want a sexually
transmitted disease, don't have
sex But I've seen the numbers
(on teen sexual activity). We need
to give them information to act
responsibly, (We need to give] the
tools that can save their lives "
Whal lools could she 1** speak
ing oP
Well condoms, of course
Hut the problem lies in that, as
Fisher implied, condoms aren't
foolproof. In fact. relying on them
can kill you.
An article in the June 1993
issue of Social Science anil Sled
icine shows the Russian roulette
people play when they depend
on condoms.
The article, entitled “A Meta
Analysis of Condom Effective
ness in Reducing Sexually Trans
mitted HIV,” says HIV transmis
sion studies indie ale condoms
may reduce risk of HIV infection
by approximately 60 p«*r« ent In
other words, condoms fail 31 [tor
rent of the time
That's about a one in three
chanoe of getting the deadly virus
if one has sex with an infected
partner The article said the effec
tiveness of condoms may lie as
high as Rfi percent or as low as -tit
peri ent
Tile author of the piece. Susan
C Weller, said these findings arts
tentative Hut even ifthev are not
right on target, what would the
risk then be' One in four?One in
five' I don't like the odds when
ever there's a chance of acquir
ing the virus.
Whatever the < ase may lie. it's
obvious the condoms just don’t
make sex safe As Weller said,
"(iuiidoins will not eliminate nsk
of sexual transmission and. in
fact, may only lower nsk some
what.”
Another problem with the reli
ability of condoms is their
propensity to slippage and break
age
An article in the Sept.-Oi l
issue of Family Planning Per
spectives said a study based on a
convenience sample of 17? cou
ples, w ho each used 11 i ondoins,
found 103 condoms (5 3 percent)
broke before or during inter
course and 67 condoms (3.5 per
cent) slipped off dunng sex
These statistics show how
condoms are a joke
Yet th» tails for education on
safe sex persist despite the pit
falls of condoms.
When we tell kids to make
sure and use a condom to pro
tect themselves, we're really
telling them to make sure and
hope they don't get HIV —
because hope's all they have to
lean on.
Some have got to lie ashamed
of themselves Telling kids, and
the public as a whole, condoms
are protection from AIDS is like
telling a driver to take the road
with only three drunk drivers
instead of nine.
“But kids are going to have
sex anyway!" the critics shout.
Like huge bands of cals in heat,
teenagers will have sex. no mat
ter what we do. So shouldn't we
teach them to protect them
selves with a piece of rubber
that unreliable'
Perhaps not.
An article in the Spring 1994
issue of Policy Heview points to
a very interesting quote by Joe
Mi ilhaney |r.. president of the
Medical Institute for Sexual
Health "The philosophy that
directs teens to 'be careful' or 'to
play it safe with condoms’ has
not protected them It has only
enticed them into the quagmire
of venereal warts, genital cancer
and precancer, herpes for life,
infertility and AIDS."
Believing teens are mind
numbed slaves to their hor
manarii asinine Vet || the) an
repeatedly tcdd they are victim
ized by these footings, they may
start believing it.
We've seemed to forget sex is
beautiful. It's not something to
l>o done whenever people's [Mis
sions fuel the need Laws against
rape and incest are in place for
that very reason
Sex is being cheapened in our
society It 's something the media
loves to portray as something to
get whenever one can Yet, it
often ignores the consequent es
that can arise from such a casual
approach to sex
The horrors of AIDS could l>e
hugely alleviated overnight if
intravenous drug use was
stopped and monogamous sexu
al relationships within marriage
were valued as they once worn
It's not going to happen by
passing out condoms at schools
or playing commercials that
have condoms jumping into bed
when its owner forgot it during
sex.
It will happen when we
remember the beauty of it and
why it should he cherished as
something special
It is beautiful.
That's why I'm a big fan of
sex.
Brian Womack is a columnist for
the Emerald.