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Perspectives
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sarah Kickler
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Mike Schmierbach
NIGHT EDITOR
Laura Cadiz
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HRIS HUTCHINSON/Emerald
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24-hour computer labs almost a necessity
With the emphasis professors
put on web pages and e-mail,
students without modems need
the labs to stay open
Thank God for the ASUO Executive.
There, I said it. Somebody had to
sooner or later, so why not have
the entire campus read it?
Okay, passing out condoms fora library
campaign was a little “out there.”
But Bill Miner and Ben Unger are on the
right track. Although their idea of extend
ing library hours isn’t economical, keeping
the computer labs open 24 hours is the best
idea since 7-Eleven started it years ago.
Contrary to what many instructors pro
fess, students can survive without the
World Wide Web. That is, of course, until
professors force us to use the Internet by
giving vital class information solely on
class Web pages. When assignments and
announcements aren’t discussed during
regular class time, students must frequent
ly check Web pages they otherwise would
n’t visit.
Miner and Unger realize that most stu
dents don’t have access to the residence
halls' fast Internet connections.
They also recognize that University mo
dem accounts are often rendered useless by
the all-powerful busy signal.
Most importantly, our student body ex
ecutives know what it’s like to have jobs
and go to school.
The University constantly toots its own
norn auoui ine avanaDili
ty of campus computing
centers. Hey, it should.
After all, the University’s
been voted one of the best
campuses in the country
for its computer technolo
gy and access.
But when students are
unable to use those labs,
what difference does it
make whether access to
the labs is impeccable or
imnnssihle?
»■- 'msm
Jonas
Allen
Many students carry a full load, both aca
demically and professionally. If work beck
ons louder than a class Web page, students
are compelled to follow the Pied Piper of
Paycheck. This often means late nights on
the job.
When students are done at work, there’s
a good chance the computer labs have
closed. If that student is denied by a testy
University modem or, God forbid, doesn’t
have a modem, how can he or she find out
what’s due?
Class Web pages make great supple
ments to notes, assignments and announce
ments, but when they start to replace any or
all of the above, students are often left in
the dark.
Miner and Unger want to avoid this
dilemma by making sure the labs are open
whenever students need them. Not that the
Internet is the only thing labs have to offer.
University computing centers also offer
several word processing programs and oth
er applications that come in handy around
the middle and end of the term.
But as the number of class Web pages in
creases, the necessity for Internet access
jumps as well. The Internet is one of the
largest information warehouses in the
world, and the day may come when class
Web pages become virtual classrooms.
Indeed, one professor holds office hours
this term via a chat room from 11 p.m. to
midnight. That’s great for the residence
halls, but campus computing centers are
closed by that time.
And what use are the University’s tech
nological wonders when the power switch
es are turned off?
They’re not very useful at all.
The ideal solution to this impending In
ternet problem is for all announcements
and assignments to be given in class. As we
cross Bill’s “Bridge to the 21st Century,”
however, that’s going to become more and
more a thing of the past.
The ASUO has the next best solution.
Keeping the computer labs open 24 hours
is in the best interest of students who live
off campus, whether they have a modem
and job or neither one.
Jonas Allen is a columnist for the Emerald. His
views do not necessarily represent those of the
paper
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LETTERS to the editor
Interpreting MLKand Roe
In the wake of this last week, we have
been approached with two very pro
found memorable events that signify our
past, present, as well as our future. On
Monday the 19th of January we were giv
en a day to celebrate the life of Martin
Luther King Jr. Thursday, Jan. 22 marked
the 25 year anniversary of the very con
troversial Roe v. Wade case which legal
ized abortion by means of federal law.
We are now left to interpret the meaning
of these two American events.
As we all know, Martin Luther King Jr.
dedicated his life to the struggle against
legalized racism within our country. His
efforts as well as others' helped initiate
almost all our civil rights legislation that
exists today. Unequal treatment of mi
norities is no longer tolerated under fed
eral law. King’s passions for freedom and
liberty represent much of what we call
our American virtues and because of this
we honor his life with a national holi
day.
On the other hand, we are haunted by
another memorable event that happened
25 years ago last Thursday, that being
Roe v. Wade. The decision was celebrat
ed by some and protested by many. The
controversy still remains today: Is it the
right of the child-to-be or the right of the
mother? Who are we to honor? What
would Martin Luther King Jr. say? How
can we as a nation acknowledge a sym
bolic figure for freedom, Dr. King, and
also recognize abortion, the legal robbery
of a potential life?
Federal law no longer allows blatant
infringement of the rights of minorities,
so how can we honor Dr. King and at the
same time legally disregard an innocent
child’s life? Lynchings are no longer tol
erated nor should the lynching of our
children.
John Skalberg
Undeclared
CORRECTIONS
The article en
titled “Parents
support UO day
care’’ (ODE, Jan.
21) focused on
the EMU child
care and develop
ment site. There
are seven differ
ent facilities
through the Uni
versity day care
system that cater
to student, em
ployee and com
munity needs.