“35 years of Quality Service”
Mercedes • BMW
Volkswagen • Audi
German Auto Service
• MERCEDES • BMW • VOLKSWAGEN •
German Auto Service
342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, Oregon, 97402
Anderson’s -
For Fans Of All
Sports
• North Face
• Nike
• Adidas
„.tet SPORTS,
Asics
New Balance
Mt. Hardware
• Tennis
i Badminton
• Slumberjack * Wolfskin
. North Face #Jade
• Mountain QlPe,
.. . tup ACCESP™IFS! -
• Thermarest
1 Outdoor Products ‘Pure
ARSON’S
SPORTING GOODS
SALEM "ALBAMV CORVALLIS • EUGENE
^ 199 W. 8th St. • 484-7344
Laura Goss/Emerald
Kristen Hansen signs up students for American Express in front of the University Bookstore Tuesday.
Students abuse credit, OSPIRG says
College students carry
higher unpaid balances
than other cardholders
By Peter Breaden
Oregon Daily Emerald
OSPIRG’s nationwide survey
warns that credit card offers are a
potential trap for uninformed
students.
“Students get ripped off and
get stuck in debt,” said ASUO
President Geneva Wortman, who
is also the head of the Committee
to Reestablish OSPIRG. "We are
trying to inform students on how
to avoid falling into the credit
card trap.”
OSPIRG is a statewide, student
directed, non-partisan, non-prof
it research and educational orga
nization with college chapters
around the state. The University
chapter had its ballot request for
funding denied in last spring’s
student elections. State and stu
dent Public Interest Research
Groups are linked nationwide by
USPIRG.
The amount of money bor
rowed by students increased 11
percent last year, totaling over
$38 billion, according to the Fed
eral Department of Education.
Credit card representatives at
tables around campus, however,
contend that college years are the
time to build a credit history.
“A lot of kids need a card in
case their car breaks down,” said
John Kososkie, from Campus
Conventions, a Philadelphia
marketing firm that was taking
applications for MasterCard.
“People, when they get these
cards, they keep them all their
life. It’s an opportunity if it’s
done right.”
Last spring, PIRGs surveyed
1,260 students at 15 campuses
nationwide, questioning stu
dents with credit cards at public
and private community colleges
and four-year colleges.
The survey reported that stu
dents who signed up at campus
tables carried more cards than
those who signed up off campus.
The same group reported a high
er unpaid balance and kept a
higher unpaid balance more of
ten.
“The message is simple — be
careful,” said Brian Tanner, di
rector of state affairs at Lane
Community College.
OSPIRG warned credit card
companies use trinkets to per
suade students to fill out an ap
plication. According to the sur
vey, students obtain gifts
including T-shirts, Frisbees, cof
fee mugs, slinkees, candy or bot
tles of soda in return for filling
out applications at tables.
“I’m just using it for the free 20
minutes,” said Ben Morjig, a se
nior in International Studies.
“It’s good to have a calling card.”
OSPIRG said colleges could
prohibit vendors from giving
away freebies unless the student
qualifies by reading a credit card
education brochure.
“On one hand, if you sign
something, you’re responsible,”
said Brendan Mosely, an unde
clared freshman. “We’re all
adults here.”
Students, OSPIRG and credit
card representatives all recom
mended responsible use of credit
cards. OSPIRG said students
should study the benefits and
risks of credit card debt, keep
only one national credit card and
pay as much as one can afford
every month.
“It takes a long time to get
credit,” said Andrea Wolf, a
freshman filling out a Master
Card application. “The tables are
kind of annoying, but they’re
useful.”
Won said she would pay tu
ition with a card and her parents
would pay the balance before in
terest grows.
OSPIRG warns interest rates
on many campus credit cards are
higher than industry standards
and can be as high as 20 percent;
interest rates often jump after the
promotional rate expires.
“It’s pretty straight-forward,”
Kososkie said, “But (students)
know what they’re doing.”
University Scheduling and
Services rents spaces on the
EMU’s first floor concourse and
rents larger out-of-door spaces
around campus. A $100 flat fee is
charged to credit card companies
and to others not selling a “tangi
ble product.”
SERVICES
Mark your calendar. The NEW EMU
Food Service is having a grand opening
Oct. 6 - 8. Stop by and see what's new.
Lots of specials and giveaways
including 4 pairs of tickets to Ani
DiFranco at the Hidt Center.
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday
through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and
Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald
Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon. Eugene,
Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald op
erates independently of the University with offices in Suite
300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private prop
erty. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable
bylaw.
NEWSROOM — S46-SS11
Editor In chief: Ryan Frank
Managing Editor Laura Cadiz
Community: Mike Hines, editor
David Ryan, Felicity Ayles
Entertainment: Mike Burnham, editor,
Amy Boytz
Higher education: Teri Meeuwsen, editor.
Sarah Skidmore, Tricia Schwennesen
In-depth: Nicole Garton, Eric Collins
Perspective: Jonas Allen, Kameron Cole, editors.
Amy Goldhammer, Stetanie Knowtton, Vince
Medeiros. Ashley Bach, columnists.
Giovanni Salimena, Chris Hutchinson, illustrators
Student Activities: Kristina Rudinskas, editor.
Laura Baker, Peter Breaden
Sports: Joel Hood, editor, Rob Moseley, asst editor.
Tim Pyle, Scott Pesznecker, Allison Ross
Copy Desk: Sarah Kiclder, copy chief.
Rich Dirks, Leah Faltus. Stephen Palermini,
Jennifer Shinen
News Art Matt Garton, editor.
Katie Nesse, Cara Strano, graphic designers.
Amanda Cowan, Matt Hankins, Laura Goss, Nick
Medley, photographers.
Scott Barnett, Kristen Sullivan, photo technicians
On-line: Jake Ortman, editor.
Brae Nelson
Freelance: Holly Sanders, editor.
__ADVERTISING — ttfcpp_
Becky Merchant director. Rachelle Bowden,
Leighanne Cyboron, Brian Diamond, Dan Hageman
Doug Hentges, Andrew Ukefish, Amy Ruppert Era*
Schress, Emily Wallace. '
CJASS1F1EDS — MMW
Trina Shanaman, manager. Corri Jimenez, Kate
Lamb, Debbie Levy, Angela McGrath
BUSINESS - 346-SS12
General Manager Judy Riedl
Business: Kathy Carbone, business supervisor. Judy
Connolly, receptionist.
Distribution: John Long, Charles Scholes, Katsuyuki
Hirose
PRODUCTION — W>4381
Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator.
Joselyn Bickford, Nicole Garton, Laura Lucas, Katie
Nesse, Brandt Nelson, Broc Nelson