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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1997)
University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon An independent newspaper Volume 98, Issue 78 TUESDAY, JANUARY 21,1997 INDEX Opinion 2 News 3 Sports 9 Horoscope 14 Classifieds 14 Crossword 15 TODAY The Young Life College Fellowship is meeting in the Walnut Room of the EMU from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. INSIDE The Oregon men’s basketball team loses for the fourth ,«' m straight time, while the women split two in California < Eugene Mayor Jim Toney answers questions about the future of the University and the city WEATHER Scattered showers. High 45. Low 40. New group focuses on humanism ■ CAMPUS; Students for Freedom From Religion offer resources for atheists, agnostics and skeptics By Joel McGrady Freelance Reporter University students can choose from more than 20 campus organizations specif ic to religious affiliation, but now students who count themselves as agnostic, atheist or skeptical of traditional religions have an organization of their own. BREWINGTON Students for Freedom From Religion (SFFR) re cently formed on campus to promote several key ideas of humanism: "the ethical tenets of personal responsibility, account ability, freedom and criti cal inquiry,” according to the organization's consti tution. brr K was created to bring together peo ple interested in discussing secular and hu manist ideas,” said Selena Brewington, one of the group's founders. “We encourage those who are involved in our discussions to be informed. We provide books, maga zines and on-line materials. "We have an expressly non-religious membership, but people who have reli gious affiliations are encouraged to attend and participate,” Brewington said. “The most valuable human quality is the ability to reason,” Brewington said. “Rea soning allows us to be moral and to have compassion. Reasoning also allows us to question and to critically analyze. On cam pus, our mission is to encourage a wide range of activities. Among them: critical Turn to CAMPUS, Page 8A Clinton tales iatl for second term The Associated Press Setting a new course for a new century, william Jefferson Clin ton claimed his second term Monday. “We must succeed as one America,” the president told an inau gural crowd packing the flag-decked Capitol grounds. “Ourgreatest re sponsibility is to em CLINTON orace a new spirrt ot community tor a new century,” Clinton said. “For any of us to suc ceed, we must succeed as one America." In his 22-minute address, Clinton promised a government "humble enough” not to try to solve all the nation’s ills yet "strong enough" to help Americans im prove their own lots. mfocus RELIGION , MATHEW STIFFLER/Emerald The Skinner Butte cross, erected in 1964, was deemed unconstitutional by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. By Donovan Pacholl Freelance Reporter The next time someone gazes up at Skinner Butte, he or she might notice something different. The 51-foot-tall cross — a well-known landmark in Eugene that was erected in 1964 — might not be there. Attorney Charles Porter filed a lawsuit in December 1992 chal lenging the cross' location on pub lic land as a violation of church and state. “When the cross shows endorse ment by the federal government, that is a no-no,” Porter said. Last summer the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decreed the cross unconstitutional. The American Legion Post 3 had filed an appeal to keep the cross standing, but the U.S. Supreme Court denied the ap peal because it was 12 minutes late. “We shouldn’t have this case de cided based on a technicality,” said Don Helm, Commander of Eu gene’s American Legion. Unless the attorney for Eugene’s veteran group can persuade Dis trict Judge Michael Hogan on Jan. 29, to drop federal court action on the removal of the Skinner Butte Cross, it will most likely be re moved and relocated. “After we appealed this deci sion, we received approximately 40 phone calls from citizens who agreed with us,” Helm said. “Only Turn to CROSS, Page 7A ■ 1936-1964: A series of wooden crosses are erected on Skinner Butte ■ NOV. 1964: Current cross erected ■ 1969: The cross as "a religious sym bol” is debated by the courts ■ 1970: Eugene declares the cross a war memorial ■ DEC. 1992: Charles Porter files a lawsuit ■ 1996: American I egion files an apeal PFC controls allocation of incidental fees ■ FINANCE: The amount students pay in University incidental fees depends on budgetary increases By Autumn Oe Poe Student Activities Reporter Each year, students pay inciden tal fees as part of their tuition, and they often have no idea where the money goes. The ASUO Programs Finance Committee is the govern ment body responsible for review ing, deliberating and recommend ing student program budgets to the ASUO Student Senate for approval. Every year, ASUO Programs Fi nance Committee meetings are also covered in the Oregon Daily Emer ald. The committee meetings often evoke questions about what the PFC is and does. Some commonly asked questions concerning the PFC are answered below. Q How does the PFC affect students? A | Students pay an annual incidental fee i to the University. The incidental fee money is then allocated to student organi zations through the PFC. Student groups must organize their finances and ap proach the PFC each year to ask for fund ing. Q How much money does each ** student pay the University? Each student paid $135.05 this year, a 9.35 percent increase from Turn to FINANCE, Page 7A PFC ■ MEMBERS: The j PFC is made up of a j seven member student-elected board. ■ MONEY: The PFC divides $2,319,228 worth of ; student incidental fees between 96 student programs.
