Wednesday, November 18, 1998
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A sense of place
National Geography Awareness Week
brings a focus on technology as a neu>
toolfor geographers /? AGE 6
Basketball preview i
The men’s team may revive the
excitement of the days when coach
Ernie Kent was a player/ PAG E 9
An independent newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 57
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
’Dicta Schuentiesen/l-merald
Gov. John Kitzhaber talks with an audience member after the Govemment-to-Govemment conference in the EMU Ballroom.
Tribal, state leaders meet
The meeting
between
Native
American
and state
agencies
addresses
shared
problems
and ideas
By Tricia Schwennesen
Oregon Daily Emerald
Building stronger economies, retaining
the quality of life, improving education
and preserving natural resources are con
cerns shared by everyone, including Ore
gon Native American tribes.
“The issues that confront the sovereign
tribes are the same issues that confront
everyone,” Gov. John Kitzhaber said.
“These are common challenges, and we
have a shared responsibility to meet them. ”
Kitzhaber addressed about 150 people
yesterday from state agencies and Ore
gon’s nine federally recognized tribes at
the second annual meeting of Govern
ment-to-Government yesterday in the
EMU Ballroom. The meeting continues to
day.
Government-to-Government is the re
sult of executive order 96-30, which was
passed by Kitzhaber in 1996. The purpose
of the order was “to establish a process
which can assist in resolving potential
conflicts, maximize key inter-governmen
tal relations and enhance an exchange of
ideas and resources for the greater good of
all Oregon citizens whether tribal or not.”
“I’m pretty impressed with what they
are doing and the purpose for the gather
Turn to TRIBAL, Page 8
UO accommodates
deaf students’ needs
By Sarah Skidmore
Oregon Daily Emerald
It begins in the morning
when Chris Sherwin usually
sleeps through his alarm. He
can’t hear it. A likely story for
many University students, but
Sherwin only has 6 to a per
cent of his hearing and does
not wear his hearing aid to bed.
“It's not a problem. It is more
like an adventure,” said Chris
Sherwin, a senior majoring in
Landscape Architecture.
After waking up, the daily
adventures of University stu
dents who are deaf can include
not absorbing all of the infor
mation front lectures, having
trouble communicating with
others and not hearing fire
alarms.
Although the obstacles can
be bothersome and frequent,
the ramifications of deafness
are an everyday reality for
many students. The University
Office of Academic Advising
and Student Services tries to
do everything within its power
to help students, counselors
Hillary Gerdes and Molly
Sirois said. However, many
students say the power of the
University can only reach so
far to help them.
“I am used to having to deal
with this. 1 have done it all my
life,” said Natasha Nowakows
ki, a first-year MBA student
who is deaf.
The University Office of
Academic Advising and Stu
dent Service currently helps 12
students with hearing loss.
Gerdes estimates there are oth
er students who might be eligi
ble for University assistance
but don’t seek it out.
The Americans with Disabil
ity Act requires the University
to accommodate students’
needs so that they can have
equal access to all programs,
activities and institutions.
Some of the services the Uni
versity offers include providing
note-takers and sign language
interpreters and help with ac
cessing any other services stu
dents may need for University
related work.
The individual needs of each
student depend upon his or
her academic activities and
Turn to DEAF STUDENTS, Page 3
Packets share ratings
of courses, instructors
Free packets detailing
the ratings are meant to
help in choosing classes
By Peter Breaden
Oregon Da ily Emerald
Professor evaluation packets
are now available right next to
winter term class schedules at
the University Bookstore and in
the EMU. This is the second
year the ASUO has published
these free packets that contain
students’ ratings of course quali
ty and instructors.
The ratings are determined
on a scale of one to 10 — 10 be
ing the best. Students can pick
up packets in the EMU at Erb
Essentials, the EMU conve
nience store.
“A lot of people have been
picking them up. They say
‘Cool! Great,’” said Luz Cis
neros, who works at Erb Essen
tials.
The evaluation program was
initiated last year by the ASUO
to provide more information for
students choosing classes.
“You shouldn’t have to be the
great Esmerelda, seer of the fu
ture, in order to decide if a cer
tain class fits your needs,” said
Ben Unger, the 1997-98 ASUO
vice president. “Information
should be readily available.”
The program also was in
tended to allow students to
communicate with each other
about classes and instructors,
Unger said.
“Professor evaluations were
seen as the first step for ASIJO
to be an advocate in the class
room and out,” he said. "It’s ex
citing to see that this will be
something that will prove to be
useful for a long time.”
ASIJO Vice President Mor
gan Cowling said the student
evaluations are becoming more
popular at other colleges and
universities.
“It’s something that’s going
on in other universities that we
wanted to start up here,” Cowl
ing said.
The process is one that is
valuable to students and profes
sors alike, she said.
“I can only speak for myself,”
Cowling said. “But it’s a really
great process and a time for stu
dents to express their feelings
about the course and to give
constructive criticism. At every
part of the process, students
should have a voice and this is
a way to get it out there.”
Turn to PACKETS, Page 8