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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tun Pyle
EDITORIAL EDITORS
Jack Clifford
Mirj am Swanson
S STUDIES ?
Students expecting to breeze through summer classes didn’t know what they were getting into
Summer school students, are you
finding yourselves incredibly busy
these days? Really stressed out?
Without enough lime even for part
time summer employment, let alone the
normal summer fun you patiently waited
for all school year?
You should have known.
If you had realized that the summer-school
workload would swamp you more than a reg
ular school term, well, you still might be here,
but you’d at least have been prepared for whai
you were getting yourself into.
The fact that you have to read extra chap
ters each night while cramming for once-a
week language exams wouldn’t be so jolting
But — unless you’ve been through it be
fore — you really didn’t know, did you?
You had no clue.
At the start of the summer term, 6,300
students were registered for classes. But
within the first two weeks of the term, al
most 300 have withdrawn.
Joe Wade, director of academic advising
and student services, admits that amount is
significantly more than usual.
And although he chalks up some of the
withdrawals to students merely covering
their bases—registering for classes in case
they decided to take them but without defi
nite plans to do so—the large number also
has a lot to do with first impressions.
Like a professor’s summer greeting: “Hi,
hope you all had a nice week off. Don’t even
think about getting a summer job. You
won’t have time with all the work that
you ’re going to be doing. ”
Sure, courses vary. And the different
summer sessions do too.
There is a four-week session that runs
from June 21 through July 16, two eight
week sessions and an eleven-week session
that extends from June 21 through Sept. 3.
Pity on you poor students who fell hook
line-and-sinker for the four-week idea with
out comprehending what it means to pack
10 weeks worth of schooling into a shorter
time frame.
By now you’ve discovered that it’s a very
intensive learning program.
For instance, a daily supplement of three
hours devoted to a given language course
can translate into several additional hours
of homework every day.
If you miss a class period, you’re not just
missing an hour’s worth of lecture, you’re
missing three hours’ worth. That’s three regu
lar class periods for one absence. And you’re
playing catch-up in a class that is already
moving as quickly as world-record holder
Maurice Greene down the straightaway.
That’s a tough task for any student, espe
cially those non-traditional students who
came in looking to, say, broaden their hori
zons or pick up a few extra credits.
Especially if they didn’t know it was go
ing to be like this.
Like they should have.
Instructors ought to make it perfectly
clear that summer school is not a laid-back
learning environment.
And the University needs to do the same.
Teaching is accelerated, the pace is rapid
and you’re sacrificing a large part of your
summer.
Prospective students should be made
aware of that. So instead of being lulled into
the idea of taking what they thought would
be mellow summer courses, they can make
more educated decisions about their sum
mer plans.
And then, when they do decide to go for it,
they’ll receive no further sympathy from us.
This editorial represents the opinion of the
Emerald editorial hoard. Responses may be
sent to ode@oregon. uoregon. edu.
Letters to the Editor
Emission from health plan unacceptable
As students in the Oregon University System
(OUS), we are pleased with the Legislature’s com
mitment to funding the OUS budget. This budget
will allow for increased access to a quality educa
tion. Unfortunately, the Republicans are chopping
away at access to education in other vital areas.
The recently revealed budget that has been guid
ing the leadership all session shows that Republi
cans want to force low-income students to choose
between receiving health care or working for an
education and a better life.
The Republican proposal to remove Pell Grant
eligible students from the Oregon Health Plan is a
disastrous idea. Adopting the proposed budget
would not only be detrimental to the state, it
would be outright discrimination against Ore
gon’s students. If this proposal is adopted, low-in
come college students would become the only
population group that is denied coverage.
Sen. President Ron Adams, Speaker Lynn Snod
grass and their colleagues need to realize the fiscal
ly conservative thing to do is to give low-income
Oregonians as many tools as possible to transition
out of poverty and into a successful, stable life.
Why don’t the Republicans want to help people
trying to help themselves? Health coverage should
be an intrinsic right and a paramount responsibili
ty of our state government. Health care or educa
tion? Nobody should be forced to choose.
Students should call their representatives to
voice their concerns about the removal of students
from the Oregon Health Plan. The ASUO has num
bers and phones available for students interested
in calling. The state Legislature needs to hear from
all of us.
Wylie Chen and Mitra Anoushiravani
ASUO president and vice president
Republicans chopping away at health
The Republicans’ proposal to cut $50 million
out of the Oregon Health Plan, including cut
ting all of Oregon's neediest students, is detri
mental to the state. But cutting eligibility for
students is outright discrimination. If this pro
posal is adopted, then low-income, post-sec
ondary students become the only population
group that is denied coverage by virtue of their
status as "students."
The Legislature needs to realize that planning
for the long term requires giving low-income
Oregonians as many tools as possible to transi
tion out of poverty and into a successful, stable
life. That includes access to health coverage
while going to School. Health care or educa
tion? Tough choice.
C.J. Gabbe
Planning, Public Policy and Management
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