University of Oregon
Eugene. Oregon
HMHMHe
EMBER 27, 1995
INDEX
Editorial
New# Boating
News
Sport#
Ctaasrheds 14
Crossword 15
QCDNW
TODAY
The Jimi Hendrix
birthday tribute
concert starts tonight
in the TMU Ballroom
at 7 p m
INSIDE
The h’omen 's basketball team captures first
place at the Pepsi Shootout Invitational over
* the holiday weekend
I
Governance reform hits the University
13
10
WEATHER
Rain unlay with highs in
the mnl to upper ,\0s
Forum
expands
Vietnam
beliefs
■ CONFERENCE: Vietnam
delegates will generate
discussions such as the
effects of the Vietnam War
By Cindy Long
Htgfyff Eckjattion t Mof
In tho United States, when
people think of Vietnam, they
often think of the Vietnam War
and the oppression of a third
world ts onomy.
However, nine delegates from
Vietnam will have the opportu
nity to present new images of
Vietnam to University students
and faculty Friday and Saturday
at the conference, "Vietnam and
the United States: Forging a
Peacwtime Friendship.”
"The purpose of the confer
ence is to generate discussion
and spur ar* exchange of ideas,”
said Steven Swenson, associate
director for the University of
Oregon-Vietnam Sister Universi
ty Project in tiie international
Studies Program.
“This is part of an on going
dialogue that Dr [Hob)
Proudfoot started years ago," he
said
The delegates, whose exper
tise ranges from the effects of
the Vietnam War on the envi
ronment to the social effects of
the transition from a socialist to
market economy. will also par
ticipate in seminars and visit
classrooms during their 10-day
Turn to CONFERENCE Page 8
MAI* IfertHL/lnwaK
Debbie Stephens of Eugene picks one of many names off of the Tree of Joy at Valley
River Center Sunday night The Christmas tree will be on display through Oec. 22.
Christmas gifts
given, received
at Tree of Joy
■ PRESENT: For 16th year, tree
ornaments illustrate Christmas
wishes of people in need
By Samantha Martin
Community floporPtr
Ten-year-old Keven wants a Dr Dreadful
Drink Lab. Mollie, -in, wants the Forrest
Gump soundtrack on CD. And 5-year-old Krik
wants gloves and a hnt. But he'll settle for
some Hot Wheels.
This is the lfith year the Tree of Joy. spon
sored by the St Vincent do Paul Society,
Eugene Rotary Club and Valley River Center,
will provide gifts for low income children,
seniors and disabled adults in Cine County
Kny Dammar, a St. Vincent do Paul volun
teer, explained the application prtKxiss for the
gifts The Oregon Department of Human
Resources sends the application to needy
individuals the first week of November. Then
the application is mailed back to the depart
ment where the requests are entered into a
database, printed out and pasted onto felt
ornaments.
After tile trees are put up around the com
munity, such as in Valley River Center and
Payless Drug Store on 2<)th Avenue and
Willamette Street, the ornaments with the
name of the recipient and the gift desired are
hung on the tree. Additional ornaments are
placed on the tree until all gift requests are
filled.
Holiday shoppers select an ornament, buy
and wrap the designated gift and return it to
the tree The gift is then distributed to a cen
tral distribution site. Volunteers sort the gifts
and notify the recipients that their packages
are ready to pick up The trees will be up
until Dec. 'll.
Last year, more than 5,100 gifts were con
tributed by the community with an estimated
cost of over $125,000 Of the recipients. 4,680
were children. 3:13 were disabled adults and
108 were senior citizens.
‘Jimi’ Jeff Robbins will play Hendrix’s music at birthday tribute
■ CONCERT: Robbins and
Power Tram will donate
proceeds to NAACP and
Black Student Union
By Kathy Ewing
f <«rtonce Reporter
A Jimi Hendrix Birthday Trib
ute Concert featuring “Jimi" Jeff
Robbins and the local band,
Power Train, will be presented
at the EMU Ballroom tonight at
7 p.m.
Cost of admission to the all
ages concert is S5 with proceeds
benefiting the NAACP and the
Black Student Union.
Robbins will perform Hen
drix' music on the guitar in a 70
minute set followed by an hour
long performance by Power
Train — a rock and roll, blues
and funk band. Other members
of Power Train are Kris Millegait
(harp and vocals), Warlock
(bass) and Pete Berger (drums).
Raised in a Southern Baptist
Church, Robbins grew up with a
rich musical background of
gospel and blues. He played
witn the Kentucky Gospel
)ubilees as a bass player until he
was inspired by Hendrix’ music
as a teenager.
"When I first heard Jimi Hen
drix, that's when 1 picked up the
guitar." Robbins said in a recent
press release. "The music just
came naturally. I never did learn
to read music.’’
Since then he has traveled
coast to coast playing Hendrix'
songs and similar music, becom
ing involved with the blues
at cfio In Chicago for o time
Robbins came to Eugene a
year ago from Seattle where he
lived with the Hendrix family.
There he performed extensively
in Seattle and Portland clubs.
Robbins has also performed
with James Cotton. Buddy Guy.
Junior Wells. Koko Taylor and
Albert Collins.
Before moving to Eugene.
Robbins served time in prison
for his involvement in the Seat
tle drug scene. Since then he has
turned his life around. "Music is
the only thing that kept me alive
during that drug ordeal." Rob
bins said in a recent press
release.
Robbins delivers his music
with a message to young people
"1 think if you give a kid music,
something positive, he doesn't
need drugs." he said.
Robbins and Power Train
wanted the concert to benefit the
NAACP because they thought it
was something Hendrix might
have donated to when he was
alive. “The music of Hendrix
transcended race Music brings
people together like nothing else
can," Millegan said.
The tribute concert is open to
all ages because Robbins wants
young people to hear the type of
music tin grew up with. "1 play
jam sessions and gig* around
town, like at the Good Times,
but kids can't get in to hear the
music," Robbins said in a recent
press release.
"He is a great music resource
for this community," Cindy Fitz
patrick, public relations manag
er for Power Train, said about
Robbins.
“Jimi Jeff not only has the
technical ability of Hendrix but
also the feeling and look to go
with it. He plays the guitar very
well," Millegan said. "We know
it's going to be a great concert "
The concert is produced by
Little Red Hen Productions and
sponsored bv KZEL FM Radio. '