Students still preparing for spring break getaways
nme is running out to
plan for that perfect
spring vacation retreat
By Kari Skoog
lor the Emerald
In a few short weeks, after the
stress of finals has ended, Brian
Powers will be cruising down In
terstate 5 with six of his closest
friends. Opting for something oth
er than a spring break vacation
package, the sophomore sports
marketing major and his friends
quickly threw together a road trip
to Baja, Mexico, with only three
weeks left in the term.
“The packages just seem like
more of a hassle to do, and they
are really, really expensive,” he
said.
Powers is one of many students
who are choosing customized,
cheaper trips over the traditional
travel agency deals to such exotic
locales as Jamaica or Cabo San Lu
cas.
Limited by miniscule budgets
and a lack of forethought, stu
dents are still planning varied
trips that won t eat up their bud
gets for spring term. With a bit of
initiative and ingenuity, you can,
too.
If you’re traveling by car, me
chanical and navigational con
cerns need to be addressed. Pow
ers, for one, is going to do more
pre-trip planning than he did last
year to ensure a safe trip.
“I learned last time that you
should make sure your car can
handle the trip down there by
checking the coolant, oil and tire
pressure,” Powers said. He also
said he’ll bring a lot of food and
plenty of music.
While Powers has made his trip
before, many students often don’t
know how to get where they want
to go. It may sound obvious, but
maps will probably help. Various
maps can be found at bookstores
and even on the Internet.
One leading resource is the
American Automobile Associa
tion of Oregon and Idaho (484
0661), which offers maps and var
ious guides to its members for all
parts of the country. Yearly mem
bership is $53 per person.
Members of AAA also have ac
cess to TripTiks, which are maps
that plot out your trips down to
the mile, and Tour Books that list
information on AAA-approved
hotels. These resources contain
information on mileage, local at
tractions and optional routes for
road trips and can be accessed
though the AAA Web page,
www.aaa.com.
Other students are opting for
something a little different than a
road trip.
Amy Briggs, a sophomore edu
cation major, is going home after
finals week. But she won’t be
alone.
With a group of friends, Briggs
is taking a round-trip train home
to Moraga, Calif., for about $100.
“We have a large group of peo
ple,” she said. “It is easier this
way and more fun."
For students interested in a
trip by train, Amtrak (800-872
7245) offers a 10 percent stu
dent discount with valid stu
dent identification through May
1. A round-trip ticket to San
Francisco can be bought for
$120 or $78 to Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Some students prefer to get still
farther away, however. For this,
only an airplane will suffice. For
cheap plane tickets on short no
tice, get on the Internet now or
contact a travel agent to get the
best remaining deal.
Many Web sites such as
www.priceline.com and
www.travelocity.com offer dis
count rates on airline tickets any
where in the world. The rates
fluctuate daily, and the earlier
you get online, the better price
you'll find.
Students can also visit Council
Travel (344-2263), a travel agency
located on the second floor of the
EMU, for reservations and rate in
quiries.
At www.priceline.com, stu
dents choose which price range
they can afford, and the site will
search its database for the request.
Tickets should usually be pur
chased one to three weeks before
the date of departure.
The prices will change each
day, however, and students
Helpful travel wellsites
FOR PUNE:
■ wvw.priceline.com
■ www.cheaptickets.com
■ www.travelocity.com
■ Alaska Airlines: www.alaska-air.com
■American Airlines:
www.americanair.com
FOR CAR:
■ AAA Oregon/Idaho: www.aaa.com
FOR TRAIN:
■ Amtrak: www.amtrak.com
should check the individual air
line web pages such as
www.americanair.com or
www.alaska-air.com or call the
reservation lines listed in the
phone book for more accurate
rates.
If after trying the Internet, travel
agencies and the train station you
still can’t find that cheap spring
break trip you were hoping for,
resting at home may be your best
bet.
Some students are going to per
fect their resumes and interview
for internships over the break.
New student group aims to promote Indian culture at festival
The event will include
authentic foods, dancing
and art exhibits
By Erin Snelgrove
Oregon Daily Emerald
Ready and willing to entertain
the Eugene community, the newly
formed India Student Organiza
tion will be offering its first cultur
al forum Saturday.
The event, called UTSAV '99 af
ter an Indian word meaning cele
bration, is complete with art exhi
bitions, Indian cuisine and folk
dance performances.
Sudeshna Sen, the president of
the ISO, said the event was made
possible because of a dramatic in
crease in the University’s Indian
population. This year approxi
mately 40 Indian students attend
the University, while in the past
only a handful of the University's
population originated from India.
"With the additional people
and our mutual desire to promote
our culture, we joined to form the
ISO," Sen said.
If UTS AV ‘99 goes well, the ISO
will work to be officially acknowl
edged by the ASUO student gov
ernment. With the recognition,
ISO will be eligible for additional
financial support from the Univer
sity next year.
“With the funding, we'll be able
to offer bigger and better events in
the future,” Sen said. “And with
India Night, we’ll be able to show
that ISO consists of committed
and motivated individuals.”
One of the primary reasons of pre
senting UTSAV ’99 is to teach others
about Indian culture while provid
ing educational entertainment.
"We want to make people aware
of what India stands for,” said Prajna
Paramita, a member of ISO. "By hav
ing the celebration, we are hoping to
share some of the rich traditions and
customs of India with others.”
A small segment of each of In
dia’s diverse regions will be repre
sented at the festival. B e -
sides modeling traditional clothing
from each part of the country, a va
riety of Indian food will be offered,
such as tandoori chicken, pulao (a
rich rice dish) and pan (a type of
bread). Both meat and vegetarian
foods will be available.
For entertainment, ISO mem
bers will perform authentic Indi
an dances such as the Dandiya
Raas, a harvest performance that
demonstrates thankfulness, and
the Bharatnatyam, a fluid art form
that features a steady rhythm, eye
movement and pantomime.
Asha Mary John, a member of
ISO, will demonstrate the Bharat
natyam at the festival.
“It's a lot like ballet,” John said.
"With the combination of upper
body movement and gestures, the
dance tells a story."
John was taught the Bharat
natyam by professional trainers in
India. Because she is accustomed
to performing before an audience,
John said she is looking forward to
dancing at the ISO celebration.
“It’s an important part of the In
dian culture to entertain, we love
doing that,” John said. “In schools
from my country, we always had
a culture day where we’d sing and
dance before others. Witli the cele
bration being hosted by ISO, this
culture-day tradition is being con
tinued.”
John said people who attend the
event may be surprised by what
they see.
“India is often thought of as one
big country with a lot of smaller
countries within it,” John said.
“The languages, customs and food
from each region are very unique.
Generally speaking, the diversity
of this magnitude is rarely seen
from only one country. ”
UTSAV '99 will be held in the
EMU Fir Room from 4 to 7 p.m.
and tickets may be purchased at
the EMU Ticket Office. Students
pay $7 for admission; die general
public pays $8.
Logging
Continued from Page 1
passed in 1987 that focuses on im
proving waterway conditions.
Kitzhaber stressed the role the
timber industry must play in this
plan to protect not only water
ways but also Oregon coho and
steelhead salmon, which are
threatened by poisonous runoff
into streams.
“As a result of your close con
nection with the land, you are in
a position to lead by example,” he
said.
Kitzhaber stressed that industry
alone doesn’t account for the pol
luted waterways. Other major
contributors are communities and
citizens, he said.
“Improving Oregon’s water
ways is a shared responsibility,
and nothing is going to happen
unless people step up and do
their part,” he said.
Kitzhaber also said he wants to
see environmental reform in the
areas of small stream protection,
better management of building
laws to prevent landslides and the
effects of cumulative pollution.
Legislation should focus on in
creasing equity among large and
small industries in Oregon, ac
cording to Kitzhaber.
“I would support an approach
to land that would affect the deci
sions of not only upscale
landowners but also downscale
landowners, as well,” he said.
Kitzhaber’s statement met ap
plause from the audience because
the timber industry has been be
leaguered by increasing environ
mental regulation that has re
duced its profits.
The governor addressed this is
sue in his speech, but was dubi
ous about possible plans to give
the industry extra benefits to re
vive its marketability.
“I’ll look into the issue of log
ging exemption on environmental
r
regulation, but I would have to
ask myself, 'Who else is receiving
exemption?’” he said.
But Kitzhaber said he would
support any plan that would help
"get the timber industry back on
its feet.”
Another issue acknowledged
by Kitzhaber was forest regula
tion. He stressed the importance
of the industry in this area be
cause of its intimate knowledge of
Oregon’s forests.
The 1999 Women's Film Festival
Friday. Feb. 26
GIRLS LIKE US
Unbound
The Righteous Babes
Rosebud
Saturday. Feb. 27
DIALOGUES
wHh
MADWOMEN
Complaints of a
Dutiful Daughter
And Still I Rise
Daughters of Dykes
100 Willamette Hall
U of 0 Campus
7:30 -11:30 pm
FREE!
Special Thanks to:
Department of English
Women’s Studies
Department
University Housing
PARTY Fund
Student life
Office of
Multicultural Affairs
CSWB
U of 0 Bookstore
For More Information call the ASUO Women’s Center: 346-409S
• Women Like Us: Embracing Our Differences •
A O T n
Style &
Comfort <
FOOTWISE
THE BIRKENSTOCK STORE
181 E. Broadway
342-6107
Mon-Sat: IQ 6, Sun: 11-5