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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ryan Frank
EDITORIAL EDITORS
Jonas Allen, Kameron Cole
IEMTm
NflTATE,
FuAiDS
Lakoe University
Enrollment
18.000
Heads we win,
, tails they lose
OUS changes coaid
do a disservice to
smaller universities
nstinctively, we like to
keep our money to our
selves. This is not nec
-JL essarily a bad thing. We
are after all, a capitalist soci
ety and by and large it’s
worked out pretty well for
This is why the proposed
changes to the Oregon Uni
versity System seem like
pretty good ideas on the sur
face.
Previously, Oregon’s sev
en public universities
pooled their tuition rev
enues and then doled out
funds based on the needs of
individual campuses. Un
der the new system, each
campus maintains control of
its own money but still has
the opportunity to draw
from a pot of state funds.
The system changes
would likely be a boon to
larger schools like Oregon.
Indeed, the list of possible
benefits to the University
reads like a higher ed wish
list: re-establishment of
axed programs, smaller
classes and higher employa
bility rates for students.
Portland State University
is poised for a similar show
er of good fortune, with a
projected budget increase of
17 percent stemming from
the new system.
Advocates of the
changes tout it as be
ing a more “student
centered” model.
The question, howev
er, is which students?
First, the new sys
tem will provide in
centives based on en
rollment. This pits
Oregon universities
against each other. As
they compete for the
same students. The like
ly outcome of this is that
smaller
schools
such as
East
gon uni
versities
will be put at a greater dis
advantage.
As money flows into the
larger students, they will be
able to make major upgrades
in curriculum, facilities and
student services, attracting
an ever-larger group of stu
dents and trapping other
schools in a vicious cycle of
dwindling enrollment and
consequently, dwindling
funding.
There are, of course, argu
ments refuting that out
come. Some officials believe
that the differences among
the various Oregon campus
-_L_
5/vn (Joiv^siry
EN*OiXA*£*T
es attract particular students
to particular universities. In
essence, they believe that a
student who would be inter
ested in bustling Portland
State would not care for pas
toral Eastern or Oregon
State.
That makes a certain
amount of sense, but it is an
argument rooted largely in
the theoretical. And theoret
ical arguments have the ten
dency to shatter when they
bump up against real life.
When students are mak
ing the decision about what
college to attend, they con
sider a number of factors.
For most of these students,
the quality of education
takes precedent over loca
tion, and many people mea
sure the quality of education
in terms of high-profile pro
grams and hotshot faculty.
The larger schools will have
the definitive advantage in
these areas.
Smaller schools could be
faced with yet another co
nundrum — they may be too
successful in their recruiting
efforts. For example, if East
ern was somehow able to at
tract a slew of new students,
it would run the risk of up
setting its low student-to
faculty ratio, a trait that has
attracted students in the
past.
Of course, most of this de
bate will be rendered moot
if the legislative funding
needed to launch the
changes does not come
through.
Now would be a good
time for OUS and the Uni
versity in particular to con
sider whether the best way
to get ahead is to leapfrog
over other campuses.
This editorial represents the
opinion of the Emerald editorial
board Responses may be sent to
ode@oregon.uoregon. edu.
Letters to the Editor
Take the power back
It has been proven, written and
published that our age bracket has
one of the lowest voter turnout rates.
In fact, the highest voter turnout
comes from senior citizens. So it’s no
wonder that the issues on the ballot
this year are detached from student
concerns and focused on the
lifestyles of the voting population. Do
you see where I’m heading here?
The student leaders on campus
fight and lobby for the concerns that
face us every day as students. Federal
student loan interest rates are going
down. The Pell Grant, given to stu
dents at or below the poverty line, is
going up. In-state students won a tu
ition freeze to stop the ever increas
ing cost of tuition. These are all cam
paigns that were fought for your
ASUO, and we’re winning. If stu
dents had the highest voter turnout
rates, the politicians would begin to
frame debate around our concerns: fi
nancial aid, student control of stu
dent fees and campus child care to
name a few. Your vote counts. We are
making progress, and our voice is be
ing heard. Don’t waste your vote.
Register by October 13.
Jessica Timpany
EMU Board Finance Senator
Concert chaos
It is my understanding that the Dy
lan/Morrison show at Mac Court on
Sept. 24 was a general admission
show. This does not give anyone the
right to save seats for others, especial
ly rows of seats. The show was obvi
ously over booked. It was standing
room only for those who chose not to
wait in line at ten a.m. for a 7 p.m.
show.
Evidently, the Cultural Forum felt
compelled to take the first three rows
around the stage on the first balcony
for their own. The women that were
in charge of defending these seats
were beyond rude. As I tried to sit af
ter being moved from the aisle by se
curity, one of the men seated in these
"saved” seats started to slug my
shoulder, telling me I was sitting on
his coat. I gave him the opportunity
to take the coat, which he did not do.
He just persisted in slugging my
shoulder. Is simple assault just a part
of the culture? We left these seats af
ter being told by security that they
were being saved for the host of the
show — the Cultural Forum.
What a bunch of pretentious peo
ple. They are terrible hosts. They
haven’t the first idea how to treat
their guests. The name Cultural Fo
rum is a definite misnomer, as they
severely lack culture and a forum. As
far as I could see, most of these seats
that were so diligently defended re
mained empty for the entire show.
I know that 1 am not the only one
so rudely treated by these people. I
hold them responsible for ruining the
show for me. How and why can this
sort of thing happen? Thanks for
nothing.
Janean Fossum
Eugene
Thumbs
TO Bill GATES:
The Microsoft chair
man is offering a tour of
his lakeside mansion as
partofanemployees
onty charity auction at
Microsoft. The “item” is
expected to sell for
around $50,000—and
the buyer won't even
need Internet Explorer
to search Gates’home.
TO BRAZILIAN DOC
TORS:
A team of doctors re
cently approved an
abortion fora pregnant
10-year-old rape victim.
The girl is four months
pregnant and could
have faced serious
health problems if the
doctors had not ap
proved the procedure.
TO PREJUDICED
COMICS;
Marvel Comics recent
ly recalled more than
250,000 issues of
“Wolverine” because it
referred to a villain in
an anti-Semitic way
rather than calling the
villain "die kiiler.'t To
add insult to anti-Se
mitic injury, the comic
was shipped to retail
ers on the Jewish holy
dayofYom Kippur.
TO CROOKED FAMILY
TREES:
Nevada resident
Pamela Reno had tier
son’s sperm frozen af
ter he killed himself
playing Russian
roulette. She hopes to
find an egg donor and
may decide to cany
the resulting fetus if
another surrogate is
not available. Would
the child call her
“grandma" or “mom"?
Con-ection
The Oct. 2 story
“Weather cuts concert
short” should have
identified Tim Loun as
the co-recruitment
chair of the Interfrater
nity Council.
The Oct. 2 story
"Neil Simon play opens
at Leebrick” should
have said that “The
Last of the Red Hot
Lovers" is showing
Oct. 1 to Oct. 24 at the
Lord Leebrick Theatre
Co. The Emerald re
grets the errors.