Toys for Tots asks for more donations Donated toys will be | given to needy kids in the Eugene area who may not get other gifts By Scott Pesznecker Freelance Reporter Fifty years ago, the wife of the founder of Toys for Tots gave the program’s first dona tion to a needy child in the form of a hand-crafted rag doll. Toys for Tots is a national program today that helps to supply needy children with gifts for the holiday season. The 32nd consecutive collec tion of donated gifts in Lane County began on Monday. Mike Moskovitz, publicity chairman of Toys for Tots, said several local parents depend on events such as Toys for Tots because they do not have the money to buy presents for their children. “We look at the program as a self-esteem builder for kids,” he said. “It’s about more than just giving kids toys. It’s about the feeling that they receive. For some kids, the toy that they get from us will be the only toy that they get this Christmas. ” The program is sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps Re serves. Marines, local firemen and community volunteers are coordinating the non-profit program. Established shortly after World War II, Toys for Tots has been traditionally managed by the Marines. Moskovitz said the Lane County Toys for Tots program is different from the programs in other cities be cause community members, not just Marines, are involved. "Around 15 years ago Ma rine involvement dwindled and community people got in volved,” Moskovitz said. “Lo cal firefighters took the project in under their wing. Since then the Marines have come back into the program.” People who would like to donate a gift are being asked to give new toys or cash dona tions, which will go toward buying more toys. “We ask for new toys be cause a lot of the time used toys are broken and there is nobody to fix them,” Moskovitz said. “Kids, whether they are poor or not, would like to have a new toy that’s not beat up.” Recommended gifts include whatever is heavily advertised on television. Highly anticipat ed donations for this year in clude “Star Wars” and "Anas tasia” action figures. Last year Toys for Tots pro vided over 4,000 children with one or two new toys. Accord ing to Moskovitz, help comes from all over the community. “In the past few years, frater nities and sororities have done community service by gather ing up toys to give to Toys for Tots,” he said. Although the date will not be established until closer to ward Christmas, distribution of the toys will take place at Pat terson Elementary School. Be cause the toys will be separat ed into categories for distribution, program coordi nators are asking donators not to wrap their donations. Writing a check is an accept able alternative to cash dona tions, Moskovitz said. Checks can be mailed to Toys for Tots, care of Pacific Cascade Federal Credit Union, 1155 Chambers St., Eugene, OR 97402. For more information about the Toys for Tots program and a list of collection sites, call 465-0503. Student demand brings back UO English minor The English minor was dismantled two years ago because of limited spaces in classes By Nicole Kristal Higher Education Reporter Need a minor? Chances are you’ve already completed eight of the 24 credits required for the English minor, according to English peer advisor Kirsten Leishman. “I think there are a lot of people who are one-fourth of the way done with the English minor and don’t even know it,” Leishman said. Leishman said the minor was dismantled two years ago because English majors found themselves competing with too many minors for required courses. “Now that there are some open ings in the major, the minor has been reinstated,” Leishman said. She said recently the depart ment has been losing majors to other departments such as women’s studies and environ mental studies. Associate English Professor James Boren said there has been continued student demand for the minor since then. He said when the department added faculty members, it had the means to re instate the minor. Boren said the minor will ben efit students. “It will give on their diplomas substantiation of the work they’ve done in literature," he said. “I’m very positive about it.” He also said the English depart ment is very open because it of fers a variety of courses in film, folklore and literature. For this reason, the department attracts students from many different dis ciplines. Leishman said the reinstate ment will benefit students who enjoyed their English classes in high school, but do not necessari ly want to major in the subject. As far as the requirements for an English minor, she said not all English courses count toward the major and that all requirements must be taken with a graded op tion. More specifics about the re quirements can be obtained from Peer Advising and the English de partment. OSPIRG reports on 'trouble toys’ Some toys that seem harmless may actually pose a choking hazard for young children By Adam Rice Freelance Reporter OSPIRG released its 12th annu al “Trouble in Toyland” report at PeaceHealth Medical Center Tuesday morning in order to do its part in saving children from un necessary injury. This report exposes hazardous toys that could pose a threat to young children, particularly dur ing the holiday season, and focus es on the danger of choking faced by children 3 years of age and un der. Toys with small, choking parts and play value — meaning they have bright colors and car toon features and easily attract young children — have been banned since 1994. “Parents need to be aware that children are still at risk from toys found on store shelves,” OSPIRG spokeswoman Carolyn Whipple said. “Every year, children need lessly choke to death on toys, of ten given to them by unsuspecting relatives.” This year’s report lists 12 toys that are considered dangerous by Consumer Product Safety Com mission standards. Highlighted in _toys The Mowing are some of the toys that OSPIRG t young children 3 years and under: PRODUCT (#)_ MANUFACTURER y 101 Dalmations (69805) Mattel Arthurtoys (5841/5835.5844/5835) Playskool Bolt N Nut (2681) Fun N Learn Madeline Doll (not listed) Eden Baby's birthday balloons (various) various Frog Erasers (not listed) Sanrio Free-Floating Eyeball Ball (not listed) unknown String Along Beads (2035) Eddu Pounding Drum (9303) Plan Toys Tub Squirts (403) Gerry Stomp Rocket (not listed) D&L Company Small parts, choking hazard Small parts, choking hazard Small parts, choking hazard Small parts, choking hazard Choking hazard Small parts, choking hazard Small ball, choking hazard Small beads, choking hazard Small balls, choking hazard Small balls, choking hazard Projectile this year’s report is the plastic fig ure "Arthur’s Mom,” a character from a popular Nickelodeon tele vision show viewed by children under 3 years. The toy contains a small part that poses a choking hazard. Balloons pose another hazard to children, but they are not regulat ed by the CPSC. Forty-two chil dren have choked to death on bal loons since 1990. OSPIRG also has criticized retailers for marketing balloons targeted at very young children, such as balloons that read "Baby’s 1st Birthday.” “Balloons are the leading cause of choking deaths,” said OSPIRG CARA STRAZZO/Emerald spokesman Jereme Grzybowski. OSPIRG, however, is fighting against more than choking fatali ties. The Stomp Rocket has come under fire by the researchers as a potential eye hazard. The Stomp Rocket is a plastic projectile mis sile that boasts flying over 300 feet into the air at speeds exceeding 100 mph. “There are so many toys appro priate for the under-three age group,” said Dr. Thomas Roe, a pe diatrician at PeaceHealth Medical Center. “We don’t need to manu facture toys that send children to the hospital during the holiday season.” We'll pay you 60% of the new, student price for books we need for upcoming WINTER terms! Dec. 8-11 M-Th 8:30d-5:00p Dec. 12 Fri 8:30d-4:00p j Mem o o You can win $20 Cash FREE Candy Canes! (Donated by Nebraska Book Co.) If you're selling books where the alarm clock rings. Calculator Buyback' ^ Texas Instruments Models TI-82, TI-83, &TI-83 ONLY! UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 895 E. 13th/346-4331 M-f 7:45-6/Sat 10-6/Sun 12-6 http://www.uobookstore.com • Computerized Scanning! 'Calculator Buyback is Upstairs with the Book Buyback. Must have Manual and Cable.