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
_
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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.