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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1999)
NEWSROOM: (541)346-5511 E-MAIL: ode@oregon. uoregon.edu ON-LINE EDITION: www.uoregon.edu/-- ode - 0resonSRCmeraltr - Perspectives EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Frank EDITORIAL EDITORS Kameron Cole Stefanie Knowllon Get involved in your education: Students need to rely on their numbers if they want to change legislation that affects them 1th the lurid details of the Starr report and the subse quent impeachment, voters are feeling more removed from the government than ever before. Alienation is ap parent when we consider that only 37 percent of voters actually turned out for last year’s non-presidential elec tion. On the other hand, we jump at the chance to claim freedom of speech whenever we feel that our First Amend ment rights have been violat ed, yet when it comes to the very democratic process that the freedom of speech was designed to protect, we miss the mark completely. But it is not just about vot ing, it’s about getting in volved to make changes in the government and the Leg islature. We have heard al most every student whine and complain about an in crease in fees or tuition, yet what are students doing about it? This is not a guilt trip. It is an opportunity to become ac tive in legislation that affects us as students. We need to get involved. The ASUO is sponsoring a Campaign Kick off today in 207 Chapman Hall at 5 p.m. to discuss a plan of action in the upcom ing Legislature. This gives stu dents an op portumty to come together and represent their needs. Do we want a tuition freeze? Then do something about it. The Legislature will review the Oregon Universi ty System biennial budget model in the next six months. While spending on higher education has gone down in recent years, tuition has gone up. It is time for students to fight back and claim budget dollars for themselves. If we do not stand up for our selves, who will? We don't have money to pay for campaigns, television ads or professional lobbyists to secure our cause. Our power lies in our numbers and our ability to come to gether as a cohesive student body. Another issue fac ing students and especially student parents is the Ore gon Student Child Care Block Grant. This federally funded program en sures that student parents can go to school without worrying about how they will pay their child care bills. Yet only 250 families are on the program now and 940 are on the waiting list. Those are \f o r E H e R E i 940 families that may never know the benefits of an edu cation if the state doesn’t do something about it. To change legislation, stu dents need to stick together and represent each other to the government. These are our rights. It may not be as glamorous as the First Amendment or as allur ing as some of the other per sonal freedoms that we cling to, but we have a right to be part of the democratic process, and if we don’t exer cise that right, all the others are pointless. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commit ted citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” —Mar garet Mead (taken from the ASUO Kickoff Poster) This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editori al board. Responses may be sent to ode@orvgon.uoregpn.edu Letters to the Editor Environmental Racism This weekend the students and commu nity members of the University have a rare opportunity to participate in a conference unlike any other in the country. The Coali tion Against Environmental Racism (CAER), an ASUO student program, is host ing the 5th annual Environmental Justice Conference. This conference is funded with student incidental fees and will bring to campus an incredible group of nationally recognized environmental justice activists. Topics include urban environmental jus tice, cross border issues, international in digenous sovereignty, community organiz ing, Environmental Protection Agency, racism and the environmental movement, white privilege, Title IV, Native Americans and women and environmental justice and networking and coalition building. The Environmental Justice Conference is free to the public and begins Friday at 7 p.m. at the University Law School. For more in formation please contact Suite 1, EMU at 346-4073. Take advantage of this great edu cational opportunity. Ronnie Seawood Undeclared Construction War We, the residents of Young Hall, would like to tell the world another side of the con struction that is going on at Esslinger. Imag ine. Put yourselves in our beds. We are dreaming peacefully and then around 7 a.m. every morning, weekdays and weekends, boom. Bulldozers, saws, trucks, hammering, shouting. You roll over in your bed but there is no escape. Pillows over ears, noth ing helps. We are a peaceful people. We generally get along and are friendly but a huge chasm exists in all of our friendships. For over here it is the light sleepers against the heavy sleeper. Write an expose, get the inside scoop on our loud mornings. This is not a threat, but we can’t take it any more. If you don’t heed us, you may find students in pajamas handcuffing them selves to the welding, martyrs for the cause. The University prides itself on being a col lege of reason, a place where students’ con cerns are taken seriously. We, at Young Hall, are mostly transfer students — the majority of us are upper classmen who will not be living here next year to reap the rewards of our sleepless mornings. We implore the University to do something. If nothing is done by next week, we will resort to guerrilla warfare tactics. They will find toothbrushes in their ma chinery gears. Students donning shower caps and bathrobes to conceal their identity will storm the perimeters of Esslinger’s con struction zone. Your hardhats will not pro tect you. Beware. We can strike at any time, we are always awake. Kyra Wolfe National Student Exchange CORRECTION The Jan. 20 sto ry “New book gives advice to room mates” should have said that tori Stephens lived in the Janet Smith Co-op. The caption for the photo that went with the story “Po lice substation helps to decrease crime” should have cited Bev Mason as the Eugene Police community service specialist. The Emerald regrets the errors. Said &Done “The promise of our future is limitless. But we cannot realize that promise if we al low the hum of our prosperity to lull us into compla cency." President Clin ton talks about the future of our nation in bis State of the Union Ad “No matter what the outcome of the president’s situation, life in America will go on, our lives will continue to be filled with practical matters and not constitutional ones." Rep. Jennifer Dunn In the Re publican’s re sponse to Presi dent Clinton's State of the Union Address. “The School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in Eugene givesstudentsthe opportunity for high quality edu cation while enjoy ing a wonderful quality of life, if you want quality when you wake up. turn to CBS and you’ll find there’s more to This Morning ” Tim Gleason, dean of the jour nalism school, re cites before a camera craw Ms sound bite tor a promo of the CBS morning show “It’s the only time the country even talks about civil rights and so cial and economic justice.” John Foster at a Martin Luther King Jr. remem brancegathering at South Eugene High School Mon day night
