Oregon daily emerald., October 07, 1997, Page 2, Image 2

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ON-LINE EDITION: darkwing uoregon edu/-ode
Perspectives
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sarah Kickler
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Mike Schmierbach
NIGHT EDITORS
Holly Sanders
Sarah Kickler
If fully implemented, a
printing fee would ignore
the academic and financial
needs of students
For being one of the “most
wired” universities in the na
tion, this school is certainly
taking an interesting ap
proach to computer use on campus.
First there were the infamous mail
ings warning students to limit their
on-line time. Next was the decision
to change the login procedures with
out informing students. Now we have
the ongoing chaos surrounding the
decision to charge 10 cents per print
ed page at University libraries.
Originally, this charge was going to
apply to all computing facilities on
campus, including the computer labs
as well as the library facilities. How
ever, the scope of the fee was nar
rowed at a meeting Thursday.
We certainly understand the con
Alt EMERALD EDITORIAL
cerns the University has about the
cost of wasteful printing. Students
who print instruction manuals to
computer games or the full text to
novels are certainly taking unfair ad
vantage of the system.
However, we also believe that a
large portion of the printing being
done by students is justified. Not
only do many students have no ac
cess to a computer or printer other
than at University facilities, but
many professors demand that stu
dents print large numbers of pages.
Obviously, classes that require
large amounts of writing, all of it
typed, require students to print many
pages. Equally significant are classes
that, in the interest of being “mod
em,” place a large number of materi
als exclusively on the Web.
Most students need a hard copy of
materials such as paper topics and
schedules. If students have to pay to
print these materials, the already
high cost of their class has gone up
even further.
This raises an important question
about fairness. The students who are
forced to print documents are often
the ones who can least afford it —
after all, many of these students are
the ones who can’t afford computers
in the first place.
For those students most in need of
aid, scholarships can help cover the
cost of tuition, housing and fees.
None of this money, however, can be
applied to hidden costs that are still a
necessary part of class. Printing fees
could become part of that cost.
Thankfully, the University has de
cided printing will remain free in the
computer labs — for now. This
should give students who have to
print materials an opportunity to do
so without being unfairly charged.
Unfortunately, school officials may
^pr
change their minds after the end of
the term and implement the fee for all
computer facilities. While this would
reduce waste, it would also harm
those students who cannot afford
even more expensive classes.
Other options have been suggested.
The ASUO has proposed placing a
limit on the number of pages stu
dents can print. Another possible
change would be to block printing
from the Web, allowing students to
print class papers but not wasteful
documents.
Neither of these represent the ideal
solution, but they are worth thinking
about. Unlike past decisions affecting
students, the University needs to
work with those affected by the fee to
decide the best way to solve financial
problems while still addressing stu
dent needs.
This editorial represents the opinion of
the Emerald editorial board. Responses
may be sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Drawing Board
/O^l'VJnrr’w.'i-. .
• • • • ■ 1 L.*.*.
.Sum
m I m.
urn
j
Thumbs
A
TO THE
NETHERLANDS:
Already one of the
most permissive
societies in the
world, the Dutch
have now taken a
step toward tak
ing advantage of
their liberal cul
ture, A new gov
ernment proposal
would require
prostitutes work
ing in brothels to
pay taxes. Not
including pornog
raphy, the Dutch
sex industry
rakes in $500 mil
lion a year; now
the government
could help pay for
the social costs.
TO CONGRESS:
Ordinarily, we
love to see work
ers awarded pay
increases. When
that increase Is
being awarded to
an incompetent
legislative body
whose policies
have helped slash
pay for millions,
we waiver from
our ordinary po
sition. Members
of Congress al
ready make about
$130,000—far
more than the av
erage citizen they
claim to serve
and understand.
TO LOG
EXPORTS:
A recently pro
posed bill could
damage a ban on
the exportation of
raw togs, making
it easier to ship
trees directly
from Northwest
forests overseas.
The supply of
lumber is already
shrinking due to
forestmisman
agement and cor
porate greed,
leading to a pre
mature shortage
of timber jobs.
Sending logs
overseas would
only increase en
vironmentally
harmful logging
while further
decreasing the
number of re
maining mill jobs
in the Northwest.