Oregon daily emerald., November 21, 1996, Image 1

University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
mmismim..
An independent newspaper
Volume 98, Issue 57
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1996
INDEX
Opinion 2
News 4
News Digest 6
Sports 9
Classifieds 10
Crossword 11
TODAY
The University Gospel En
semble and Gospel Choir
will perform at 8 p.m. at
Beall Concert Hall.
INSIDE
This year’s Club hockey is home to a dynamic
loaltending duo
Java and the Muse to showcase women singers
2nd poets tonight
7
WEATHER
Cloudy.
Hiph ‘55 low Vi
Sports
facilities
face debate
■ ATHLETICS: Parking shortages that
could be caused by the developments
worried some area residents and City
Council members
By Jennifer Schmitt
Community Editor
The University Athletic Department is
looking to expand its facilities by adding an
indoor practice facility, outdoor soccer field
and new additional practice fields out near
Autzen Stadium.
But some residents are afraid the expan
sion will encroach on the environment and
surrounding park area.
The public hearing on Wednesday night
for the permit application began at 11:15
p.m. following other public hearings. Due to
the late hour, one resident requested the
hearing remain open for seven days so other
residents could submit written testimony
regarding the application.
The Hearings Official ruled the hearing
would remain open until Nov. 27. An offi
cial decision on the application will be
made 15 days following the closing of the
hearing.
A predicted shortage in parking was just
one concern Eugene residents voiced re
garding the University’s Willamette/Green
way permit application for the construction
of new athletic facilities.
“The University came to the City Council
and made a very convincing argument for
an increased need for parking last year,”
said Barbara Keller, Eugene resident and
city councilor. “This proposal further re
duces the parking available to them and is a
very important issue.”
Keller also was concerned about an agree
ment between the city and the University
that allows the University to use Alton Bak
er Park for parking on game days in return
for the use of the Autzen Stadium parking
by Alton Baker Park, Wistec and museum
patrons.
“This proposal would deny the city’s rec
Tum to ATHLETICS, Page 4
AMANDA ERICKSON/E me raid
Members of OSPIRG listen attentively to speakers at the Grate American Sleep Out held In the EMU Courtyard Wednesday night.
Event raises awareness about homelessness
■ PROBLEM: Speakers shared
personal experiences in order to
bring empathy about the issue to
the campus community
By Tom Potter
Student Activities Reporter
The cold of the approaching winter
and the recent rainfall can be a little bit
of an inconvenience for most of us.
But for the homeless, being cold and
facing whatever winter has in store is a
daily battle.
The Grate American Sleep Out took
place Wednesday night and gave about
15 volunteers a chance to feel what it is
like to be homeless, even if just for one
night.
“It’s a way to help people recognize
the growing problem of hunger and
homelessness in Lane County, the coun
try and even the world,” said Tracy
Miller, an event participant.
Participants slept out in the EMU
Courtyard from 8:15 p.m. until 7 a.m. as
part of Hunger and Homelessness Week,
which is being sponsored by OSPIRG.
“This is to bring empathy and aware
ness about the problem of homelessness
to campus,” said Tara Paluck, coordina
tor of the sleep out.
The event takes place nationwide
through local communities that organize
their own sleep outs. Here at the Univer
sity, participants were able to listen to
speakers from the Homeless Action
Coalition, the Director of the Eugene
Mission and the ASUO Outreach Coor
dinator Glenda Marshall.
Tom Musselwhite of the Homeless
Action Coalition spoke to participants
about his experiences as a homeless
man.
“I know that point for me when I saw
the real gravity of the situation facing
homeless people and also saw the way
that it was increasing,” said Mussel
white. “Our purpose now is to provide
more options for more people to find
more ways for them to do things for
themselves.”
A homeless woman receiving help
from project recovery, a program that
helps drug addicts, alcoholics and those
that are homeless, said she felt the sleep
out helped people realize the problems
facing homeless people.
“I think this is a good awakening,”
said Meredith Manion. “It’s not just the
homeless problem but social aware
ness.”
Through speeches and their presence
in the EMU Courtyard, participants said
Turn to PROBLEM, Page 3
MATHEW STIFFLER/Emarald
Alonso Oliveros (left), an undeclared freshman, and Randy Choy, a
graduate student, hold signs at the boycott rally.
MEChA urges boycott of Garden Burgers
■ RALLY:
Several groups
are trying to gain
student support
for the removal
of the food
product from
campus
By Jennifer Schmitt
Community Editor
Holding signs saying, “Fight for human
rights” and “Support the farm workers,”
students urged for a University-wide boy
cott of Garden Burgers and other Whole
some and Hearty food products.
MEChA members hosted a rally Wednes
day afternoon in the EMU Courtyard to
show support for farm workers who are
fighting for better wages and better working
conditions.
“We are sending out a message that the
University campus cares,” said Emily Ler
ma, external co-director of MEChA. “Our
goal is to get Garden Burgers off of cam
pus.”
Garden Burgers are currently served in
the residence hall cafeterias, Lerma said.
MEChA members will be handing out
flyers and leaflets to students in the resi
dence halls in an effort to raise public
awareness of the boycott.
Then members said they will be meeting
with the head of University Housing to en
courage boycotting Garden Burgers.
Lerma said the University has been sup
portive of past boycotts and said she hopes
the University supports the Garden Burger
boycott.
“There is a real history of University sup
port for union projects,” she said. “They re
moved grapes from campus once during a
farm worker boycott of them, and another
time they removed lettuce and only served
lettuce picked by unionized farms.”
Turn to RALLY, Page 3