Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1999)
Tuesday, March 2, l1)1)1) Weather forecast Today Rain High 50, Low 36 Wednesday Rain High 47, Low 40 Special elections flashback The 1994 special elections focused on the issue of student control in incidental fees and divi sion of'financepower/PAGE 3 Wrestlers end season The team finished in sixth place at the Pac-10 Conference Championships, but four Ducks will travel to the NCAA tournament/PAGE 5 An independent newspaper Volume 100, Issue 109 University of Oregon www.dailyemerald.com Zero Tolerance Rally fights racism Speakers seek to raise campus awareness and increase the number of faculty of color By Jason George Oregon Daily Emerald The sunny skies Monday revealed a dark cloud looming over the University. Several groups from campus and the com munity came forward to promote a hate-free campus and to raise awareness of the lack of diversity on campus. The Zero Tolerance Rally was held at the EMU amphitheater. “We wanted to raise awareness. We want ed to come out strongly and show people that there is support and a grievance process against hate,” said Jenifer Vernon, a gradu ate student in international studies and vol unteer for the University Race Task Force. The University Race Task Force and ASUO Safety Team organized the event. The task force is a group of faculty, students and staff formed in 1995 to help create an envi ronment free from racial discrimination. Keynote speakers and audience members stepped up to the microphone to convey their antipathy of racism. The speakers included Lyllye Parker, an advisor from the Office of Multicultural Af fairs; Missy Rock from the Multicultural Center and Rachelle Pavao, a resident assis tant from Adams Hall, the multicultural resi dence hall. John Gainer, assistant professor of music at the University, also spoke at the rally. Gainer, an African-American, has been de tained and questioned twice by Eugene po lice, suspected for crimes he did not commit. Gainer has stated he believes the question ing was racially motivated. “I have been following the John Gainer is sue, and it is such a tragedy because he is es tablished here. This is his home,” said Zepha Wright, racial justice advocate for the YWCA in Eugene. Wright also addressed The Process for Change, a University program created to guide students and faculty through the new millennium’s changes in higher education. The program includes a component to re cruit and retain more faculty of color. Currently there are approximately 129 fac ulty of color at the University, according to the University Resource Management office. Some faculty of color leave campus for better jobs and a more diverse community. “It is one thing to have this rhetoric, but it is something else when these people are leaving,” Wright said.Students and faculty wore yellow ribbons to raise awareness about hate crimes. The yellow ribbon cam paign was a result of the recent killing of Matthew Shepard, a gay student, in Laramie, Wyo. In addition to student groups manning in formation booths, the Hawaiian music group, Ha’Y’N 151 performed. Also, a bulletin board featuring informal reports of racial harassment and intimida tion crimes filed on campus was arranged. "First, we want to let people know hate crime does happen on campus and the sub tle forms that it happens in,” said Joseph A. Roley, ASUO multicultural advocate. “Sec Amanda Cowan/Emerald Senior Drury Hall, president ol Christian Science Organization, reads a magazine at the exhibit commemorating Women’s History Month in the EMU. Exhibit recognizes woman’s work The display honors the accomplishments of Mary Baker Eddy and women’s history By Teri Meeuwsen Oregon Daily Emerald Mary Baker Eddy fought for women’s rights, created The Christian Science Monitor and pioneered the field of mind/body medicine. Eddy’s work, ideas and beliefs will be displayed next to the EMU Fishbowl until Thursday, March 4, in honor of Women’s History Month. “It’s important for the University com munity to educate themselves about women’s history, not only during March, but all of the time,” said Elizabeth Reis, a history and women’s studies professor. The ribbon was cut Monday morning, opening up the traveling exhibit, entitled “This is Woman’s Hour.” The exhibit was featured last year at the National Women’s Historical Park in Seneca Falls, N. Y., as part of the 150th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Sentiments, the women’s rights declaration of independence. “At the 1948 convention, she was a single mother, she was 27, she had no property and no rights to her own child," said David Stevens, a Petaluma, Calif.-based Christian Science practitioner who is in Eugene for the exhibit. “In the context of the times, she had determination, persistence and was striving for freedom and liberty. ” While chronically ill herself, Eddy searched for alternative therapies during a time when the medical community re garded women as naturally frail and prone to illness. She founded a relation Turn to EDDY, Page 3 Amanda Cowan/Emendd Jason Takahashi and Kalani Jones entertain the crowd at the tolerance rally held at the EMU Amphitheater Monday afternoon. ondly, we want those who have had it hap pen to them know they’re not alone." The report forms can be found at the Counseling Center, MCC and online at the task force website at http://darkwing.uore I urn to HALLY, rage 4 Chief Justice Corcoran leaves court The Constitution Court justice resigns his post, citing misunderstandings by critics By James Scripps Oregon Daily Emerald Chief Justice Joel Corcoran is calling it quits after nearly two years of serving on the Constitution Court. He resigned his post Sunday, saying he is tired of the naysayers and conspiracy theo rists who constantly misinterpret the duties of the court. Recently, the court’s decisions have been interpreted by some as being anti-OSPIRG and anti-ASUO Executive, Corcoran said. He said these attacks have no merit. The recent controversy started when the court postponed the Feb. 17-18 ASUO spe cial election after student Scott Austin filed two injunctions to halt the election. In its ruling on the injunctions last Friday, the court eliminated all funding measures from the special election ballot. Of the two measures permitted by the court, only the measure that would alter the elections griev ance process will appear on the ballot this Wednesday and Thursday. A measure that would have gauged stu dent support for removing Gardenburgers from University Housing was ousted by the ASUO Elections Committee on Monday be cause of the expected low voter turnout. After the court postponed the special elec tion on Feb. 10, Corcoran said the court was the subject of unwarranted complaints. “I think that there are some people out there who unfairly and personally attack the court without understanding the court’s function,” he said. Criticism of the court goes unanswered be cause no justice is permitted to explain the decisions because the debate is private. Turn to CORCORAN, Page 4