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Student Senate
The Senate approved a new committee
member and a funding requestfor the
JSO Sushi Night/PAGE 6
Women’s basketball
The team hopes for a sixth straight
trip to the NCAA Tournament and
spot in the Sweet 16/P AGE 7
An independent newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 58
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Seniors Cristi Craveiro and Kelli McCartan react to racial comments recounted by a panelist during a town hall meeting
Nick Medley/HmeniLi
on race held Wednesday night in 100 Willamette.
Panel discusses race on campus
By Kristina Rudinskas
Oregon Daily Emerald
Affirmative Action, racial discrimina
tion, faculty and student recruitment and
retention were all issues of concern at the
first town hall meeting called “Campus
Climate on Race: A Dialogue Between Stu
dents and Faculty” in 100 Willamette,
Wednesday night.
The panel discussion and open dialogue
afterward featured presentations from facul
ty of color, students and an administrator.
“I want to address some of the issues
that center around race and counteract
some of the things that divide us instead
of bringing us together,” said Robin Morris
Collin, the only tenured black female law
professor at the University.
We ought to mourn every single day the
loss of creativity and beauty more diversity
could bring to this campus, she said.
She challenged the 75 people in the au
dience to engage in an honest self-assess
ment of racism.
Morris Collin pointed out women’s
groups have failed to advocate strongly for
affirmative action when they have been
the primary benefactors.
“White, non-minority women need to
work on their issues of racism,” Collin
said. “What it is and what it is about.”
Glen Banfield, a law student, reviewed
the progress of the recommendations made
by the Task Force for Racial Diversity. The
task force formed in 1996 to address issues of
race and diversity at the University and
make recommendations for changes. After
two years of work, Banfield said he felt the
administration had not done enough.
“We came forth with some serious solu
tions and as a result got some minimal re
sults,” Banfield said.
He said the Multicultural Center was ex
panded an extra 400 square feet and an as
sistant dean of student life, Troy Franklin,
was hired to help with the MCC and ethnic
student unions.
"It is really just a beginning, a small dent
in the work we thought this University had
to do,” Banfield said.
Turn to PANEL, Page 3
City Council
votes to hold
public forum
The council decided to get
community feedback before
proceeding with plans to develop
a police review commission
By David Ryan
Oregon Daily [maid
When it comes to police accountability,
there is an ancient Roman saying: “Who
guards the guardians?”
On Wednesday the City Council voted to
send their answer to a public forum to be
held November 23.
The council wants to create a 12-member
police commission to review the actions of
the police. The commission would provide
a public forum to air the concerns of the
community about police actions and pro
vide ideas on where to get needed police
funding. Members would have to be nomi
nated by the mayor and approved by the city
council.
To point out the commission’s useful
ness, Councilman Pat Farr mentioned the
example of the June 1997 tree-cutting
protest that resulted in several law suits
against the city.
Farr believed a police commission would
help to sort out confusion about police ac
tions. He said there was a need for a com
mission to be able to analyze controversial
issues like the tree-cutting protest, as the
city council was able to do — and vindicate
the police.
However, Councilwoman Nancy
Nathanson felt voters would experience
dejS-vu unless the differences between the
commission the council wanted to create
and the failed 20-99 citizen review board
measure were not made clear. City measure
20-99 failed by less than 1 percent of the
vote on Nov. 3.
“What I’m concerned about right now is
Turn to COMMISSION, Page 4
Community task force searches for alternatives to prevent riots
The group,
composed of
the police,
University
ad m in istrators
and the ASUO,
considered
possible
solutions to
avoid future
conflicts
between
students and
police
By Felicity Ayles
Oregon Daily Emerald
Next year, Oct, 31 marks not only Hal
loween weekend but Homecoming and Par
ent’s weekend. With all this happening, can
the University expect another riot-repeat?
The Campus Community Relations Task
Force is meeting already to think of solutions
and plan activities for students before next
fall and Halloween roll around.
The task force, composed of members of the
University administration, the Eugene Police
Department and the ASUO, met Wednesday
evening to brainstorm about possible solu
tions to avoid another Halloween riot.
The meeting began with praise to the Of
fice of Student Life for the many programs it
planned for this year’s Halloween, and men
tioned the national teleconference address
ing the riot problem at campuses around the
country.
The University already has a lot of the pro
grams suggested at the teleconference, By
ron McCrae, assistant dean of student life,
said. “That’s encouraging. It means we’re on
the right track.”
Eugene Police Captain Roy Brown said
prevention is the key to avoiding future ri
ots. Brown said there was not one person to
blame for the events on Halloween, but he
chastised the media’s coverage.
Either the police or students are usually
blamed for this kind of riot, he said. “There is
not balanced reporting for these kinds of
events.”
McCrae seconded Brown’s suggestion and
said the media should cover not only the bad
events on campus, but also the positive
events designed toward prevention.
ASUO outreach associate Tifani Jagodnik
said one possible solution would be to hold a
large main event, bigger than the events held this
Halloween. Jagodnik suggested a concert at ei
ther McArthur Court or the Moshofsky Center.
A concert on campus would stop people
from having parties and get them off the
street, Jagodnik said.
But Sandy Walton, senior associate athlet
ic director, said planning for such an event
would be difficult.
“The Moshofsky Center will not be avail
able,” Watson said. “Mac Court would be the
better choice.”
A major concert would take down
McArthur Court for at least two days, she
said. That is not fair to teams in season that
are trying to practice.
“Anything can be done, but there is a
cost,” Watson said.
Jagodnik said she still believes more pro
gramming is the key to riot prevention.
“With more programming, there will be less
people on the street,” she said.
“This is a campus problem because stu
dents were involved, but it’s a community
problem too. With some intervention we can
help it,” Jagodnik said.
As far as intervention goes, Roy Brown said
he thinks the Eugene Police Department has
done an outstanding job with early interven
tion. He said the alcohol-free activities offered
Turn to PREVENTION, Page 3
(( This is a
campus
problem
because
students were
involved, but
it’s a
community
problem
too.
Tifani Jagodnik
ASUO outreach
associate