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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1995)
EDITORIAL r Hayward not right for Aquino speech Finally graduates of tho l Iniversity can 1*> proud to loll (heir family and friends who is speaking at their gradu ation ceremony Corazon Aquino, the former president of the Republic of the Philippines, will present the commencement address June 11, Aquino took over the country in the middle of politi cal turmoil. After her husband was assassinated, she was elected in a lotto general election She changed the < ountry from a dir tatorship to a republic , implement trig a system of checks and balances on executive pow er. Previous speakers have not boon on the same level as Aquino. l ast year the University asked Claire Gaud) ani, president of ( imnoctir.ut College, to deliver the com mencement address. Although site is probably an impor tant mint alional figure, her name dears not command the respect of someone like Aquino. Two years ago Roger Wilkins, a professor at George Mason University and National Publh Radio commentator, who won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Watergate, delivered the address Though he has an impressive resume, he did not have tho notoriety tho school needed for graduation. The notoriety of the speaker shows how important the University thinks the graduates are. The bigger the name the more respect. After spending four years and several thousand dollars on this University, graduates deserve a speaker who < an impart wisdom and command respect. Although there are some students who dct not care who the speaker is. it is important to note that Aquino is an important woman in world history. Some people say Aquino will not have anything important to say to stu dents. But that is not true. She has linen through a lot in her life and could have a lot of inspiration for graduates. Regardless, she will have a lot more to say then previous speakers, and graduates can say they heard Aquino speak. The only problem is now that the University has a good speaker the seating will be limited to the capacity of Hayward field. Past graduations have taken place at Autzen Stadium and the University has had a hard time filling the seating. Attendance has gone down steadily over the years. This can be partially attributed to the speaker. When family members of graduates hear that a person they have never heard of is giving the address they will not want to attend for fear of boredom How ever, when people hear that Aquino is speaking they will be more inclined to go to hear the speet h. Even though the University planned to have the grad uation at Hayward Field before Aquino was confirmed as the speaker, University officials should have consid ered moving the ceremony hack to Autzen Stadium to accommodate the potential crowd. Thanks to Corazon Aquino for coming to the Univer sity to speak It is too bad more people will not be able to see her when she is here. Oregon Daily Emerald _ T*e Oltgo^ fU‘* t mwafc* •» put* shed da*y Monday tfw<**gh f >>J»y during the schoo* »^.v and TuMdijf and TNjffc&ly dunng !h© summer by fh* Onftgon Das** Emerafe) PubMthtfg Co . Inc a! th© UrvvtMiuty of Or«D0f1, fOregon The f operate* *ndap©nd#n!ty ©< the Graver wty w*?h oAScat at Suite MO of me t ft3 Mrm IWd «* 4 m©mba< O* |f%f* Associated Plilft T f f* rwrv#J© property the untawrtuf removal 0# uw» of paper* t* prxjMCufatx? Editor-In-Chief K.e> Solo Managing Editor 0«*hd Thcwn Hewt Editor M«0».C4 Mw*rn EdMortoJ Editor RottM Rtwrta Sport* Editor Oh# s Mali Hew* Art Editor Pa*ut> Suppiement* Editor 1n*i* N>,w* Freelance Editor Ion Bett Night Editor Katy $c* A » social* Editor*: Amy Cc?umbo Sfudenf Ciovernmenc Act Corh^Himfy, Co* oen Pohhg. /fcghw £ducaflorvAcflrnrriT *fraeon f<en Ma#te*ene tdwa'da New* Staff Sieve Ajtxxy, Ftegna Brow Me*ody C©nro> Amy L Dover port. Pnmo Fontana Geyte To#man. Man Garion. Joe Harwood, Kn* Henry. Trevor Kearney. Shannon KA&jft, Adam ► -v •, i « m,i ■ i.tv m M a * McTyr#. Patrcfc Mmstord. Ben Moot***. NatOM M fgtx**wy Ann© Most* M'orr *»> t Sherry Uarey, Na*a»ha Shepard. Paul Van ScAie. Soon " "■ Mafhew v-m** MaraSt'5** J©»«n>y Shn*on K*m Wn»v* Bnon Aomacji Leeifat-ifeA General Manager Judy fVedl Advertising Director War* A^r Production Manager Mch*© Woes Adverti*4ng Ann© Amador An»U» Hfc- gaem MetO Ch«rtg. Tony f©«. Moo*© Merxmer* K<#y Lyon Je*«m> M.n Sa#.ih Mte v Tom Mttrestaedt Kexr, W<e<* Classified Becfey Merchant KLt .*&* Kyle Daw Jc& Se**n Distribution: Jorvn tong, f erenc £X p Graham Smpeon Bu *»ne »»: Kitfhy Carton© Supemxv Jut» Conoo#y Production 0«i'1-« Mc( Production Crxvdmafcv Shawn* Abate Tara Gauftney. Brad Jov» Moi'fy McCanta Jenn. far Ftoiand, Oayton v*e Newsroom *46-3511 Display Advertising *46-3717 Bu tine** Office *46-3512 Classified Advertising *46-4*43 2a Oregon Daily Errx > .Hd f nday. Juno 2. »99t> TERM LIMITS ARE Unconstitutional THAT’S LIFE/* Whatever - ou Darn ■ OPINION A few of my unfavorite things (i am f Forman Tin* end of the year is nigh As 1 sit lutck and reflect on my glorious (enure ns an hinemld columnist. I (Kinder all the columns that 1 have written and all of the ones that did not get written There is a temptation, having this great lug forum to air your gripes. to use your > momentary as a personal complaints page I tried to steer away from that until now This, my final col umn. is my ow n ax-grinding ses sion. These are some of the things that, had I been slightly more self-indulgent (is that pos sible?). ! might have ranted on about Ladies and gentlemen, hoys and girls, welcome to Bitch fust '05 The University: Benefactor of Education or Monev-stealmg Meanie? It is truly astounding the wavs in which the University tries to subtly" take our money For instatue, why are we charged $10 to change our grading options' Why do we have to pay a quarter for the list of classes when it has advertising in it' Where has all that money from the $150 te< h fee gone? Last year I paid $10 a term for the same service that I now get for $50 And I don't have a choice I think the idea of expanded com puter access is nifty, hut a few new computers and expanded e matl capabilities do not exactly seem worth all that money By the way. what are they doing with all of that Oh h-fee revenue that has not been spent ? If the University is broke, then raise tuition. Stop nampy-pambying around with all these little fees I'm told that next year much of the cam pus will Ik* a no bike-riding zone, and that we'll Ik* fined for riding m certain anas A design for pub lic safety or bike path robbery ? Car*. Dikes and Stupid f’pdistrians Question Why do Euganeans always drive 10 miles slower than the speed limit ? Why must drivers completely stop before making a right turn? Is there something in the air that makes people hero drive like idiots' People, the hike lanes are for bicycles, not for pedestrians, not for coffee ( latches The side walks are for walking and run ning They are not for bicyclists and no. I will not get out of your way so you ( an pass me on the sidewalk on your fane v moun tain bike And why must people cross the streets at a diagonal, so as to block the flow of traffic for as long as humanly possible? One last word of advice. It is very dangerous to stop suddenly in a bicycle lane, or step into it without looking Use some com mon sense Hippies, Deadheads and Campus Panhandlers I would like to preface this rant by saying that this is not about homeless people and peo ple who genuinely don't fit into the system. This is about people who choose a certain lifestyle and expect me to help them sup port it. Deadheads and a lot of the panhandlers we see around campus have chosen to not have jobs, not fie in school, not have homes and to travel around the country following a hand. That is their prerogative. But it is not up to me to help them, to give them money, food or shelter And half the time they don't even need it I've seen many a scraggiy person ask for money and then get into a nice Jeep and zoom off If they can afford those $35 Dead tit kets. gasoline to traverse the country, drugs and food, then they have no right to dare to ask me for cash So don't! They make me angry because they have made me wary and grumpy toward all panhandlers. They take away from the plight of truly needy people, people who don't have a chou e in all this It's hard to differentiate, and often I feel scornful toward people who don't deserve it. And that makes me mad, mad, rnad! Bonus mystery question: Why do hippies/Deadheads always have puppies hut never seem to have full-grown dogs' Positive Columns I Might Have Written *1 wanted to write about former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders and Set.rotary of Energy, Hazel O’Leary. Both of these ultra-cool women are (were) running gov ernment. or trying to, the way it should he open, honest, with out political maneuvering and with the best interest of the peo ple in mind. But Clinton Bred i.lders and the (it )P is looking to as the entire Department of Energy, so there’s really not much to celebrate about is there' Campus Media and Other Came Ducks Those sharpshooters over at the Commentator really know good journalism Their constant griping about the Emerald, their nostalgic musings about the Emerald's glory days when )ake Berg was in charge and writing countless exposes about beer prove that they are even more pathetic than they accuse us of being What would they have to write about if there were no Emeraldt Oh well, angry boys will be angry boys And speak ing of Back at the Emerald. 1 have been holding my tongue and typing fingers all year Every paper needs diversity in its con tent. and I respect a conservative point-of-view However, ill informed. misleading, and juve nile commentaries have no place in this or any other paper I don’t care what a person writes about, but an opinion writer, and all writers, should use facts to support his argument, not tai lor the facts to fit his opinion But let this be a lesson to you. Don’t believe everything you read and hear, even if it comes in a reputable paper. Be critical, questioning and thoughtful about everything; don't just swallow someone else’s dogma, and please don’t get too cynical and tune out. Thanks for your attention. Gayle Forman is a columnist for the Emerald.
