Dead Week drops a killer load at last minute
■ The week before finals
is a time for studying, but
with classes, many feel
it’s not enough time
By Jessica Blanchard
Oregon Daily Emerald
It’s Dead Week at the University,
a time when students are sup
posed to focus on studying and
preparing for finals.
But that’s not the case for Mike
Hurd, a junior pre-journalism ma
jor; he has far more work due this
week than he will during finals
week. After turning in his final
100-page paper due today in his
information gathering class —
a.k.a. “info hell”—Hurd will have
just enough time to finish a three
page paper for another class before
it’s due on Friday.
His case is not unusual at the
University. Though the week be
fore finals is supposed to be the
calm before the storm — hence the
term “Dead Week” — many stu
dents find themselves overbur
dened with last-minute tests, proj
ects or papers.
“It’s just a matter of getting it all
done,” Hurd said. “Not having
classes would definitely have
helped. It would have been a lot
less stressful.”
According to University policy,
instructors are not supposed to ad
Court
continued from page 1
The first hearing involved the
State vs. Soldahl, for which the
court reviewed the lower court’s
decision that police illegally
stopped motorist Gerlad Norman
Soldahl. This involved a traffic
stop made by a state trooper at the
request of sheriffs deputy Gil
Milette, who suspected that the
two occupants of the car were
wanted on felony charges.
Once stopped, the officers real
ized that the occupants were not
the suspects. Milette then discov
ered that the driver was driving
CRIME
WATCH
Reported March 1 through March
7,2000:
March2: Criminal Mischief II,
1800 block of Onyx Street, vehicle
vandalized.
March 2: Theft III, 1800 block
Franklin Boulevard., 7-11 store,
items shoplifted.
March 3:Theft III, 1500 block East
15th Avenue, bike wheel stolen.
March 4: Assault IV, 1400 block Vit
lard Street, individual bit during
fight.
March4: Criminal Mischief II,
2000 block Hilyard Street, two
trees run over by car.
March 5: Robbery III, 1300 block
Alder Street, beer stolen.
March 5: Urinating in Public, 1500
block East 15th Street.
Crime prevention tip of the week
from OPS Officer Guse:
OPS non-emergency number is
346-5444,24 hours a day, seven
days a week. Call us about any
thing you think is suspicious or just
have a question about safety is
sues on campus.
minister tests worth more than 20
percent of the final grade, includ
ing finals in any form, during
Dead Week. Major projects can
only be due if the faculty member
specified their Dead Week due
date on the syllabus within the
first two weeks of the term.
At some universities around the
nation, such as Indiana University
and the University of California at
Santa Barbara, faculty are strongly
discouraged from giving any tests
in any of their classes during Dead
Week. And at Iowa State Univer
sity, instructors are not even al
lowed to assign course work that
falls due during the week prior to
final exams.
Although students may dream
of not having classes or projects
due during Dead Week, such a sys
tem wouldn’t work at the Univer
sity, said University Registrar Her
bert Chereck. Most of the
universities that have a true Dead
Week are on the semester system,
which has longer terms than the
quarter system that the Universi
ty uses.
“On the quarter system, our cal
endar is so compact, we just don’t
have that opportunity,” Chereck
said. If the University didn’t hold
classes during Dead Week, the
school year would have to be
longer to make up for the lost class
time, he said.
While it may not be possible for
with a revoked license. The defen
dant was indicted for a felony but
claimed that the stop was illegal
because the trooper did not have
probable cause. Earlier courts up
held this argument.
For the second case, McLean vs.
Buck Medical Services, Inc., the
court reviewed an earlier ruling that
Buck Medical Services was exempt
from paying overtime wages to em
ployees. Paramedic Gary McLean is
the representative of a group of em
ployees from the company in
volved in the class action lawsuit.,
which claims the company and
counties violated provisions of the
Public Contracts Law by failing to
pay overtime and holiday wages.
r
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Stress-relief tips
Take deep breaths or practice breathing exercises during stressful moments.
Get enough sleep.
Eat balanced meals.
Take a break from studying, and change your surroundings by going for a
walk.
Break large tasks down into manageable chunks.
Limit intake of alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate stress symptoms.
SOURCE: University peer health educator
the University to completely avoid
classes during Dead Week, it’s too
much to expect students to learn
new material or have tests in both
Dead Week and finals week, said
Becky Dorsey, gecJiogy professor.
“I think to give any kind of test
during Dead Week is just stupid,”
she said. “It’s unfair to students.”
Students have mixed reactions
to Dead Week. Some think it’s too
much to expect students to turn in
papers or have tests right before fi
nals; others said it’s part of college
life.
Mercedes Reeder, a junior un
declared major, said she’s having a
fairly easy week because she’s
only taking 12 credits and only
has a final in one of her classes.
“But my problem is that I pro
crastinate,” she said. “I save every
thing for this week, so it’s more my
fault than the teachers’.”
Reeder said she has heard many
people complain about Dead Week
Earlier courts ruled in favor of the
company and counties.
In the final hearing, State vs.
Ferman-Velasco, the court re
viewed the conviction and sen
tencing of Carlos Roberto Ferman
Velasco for rape in the second
degree and sexual abuses in the
first degree. Using guidelines from
measure 11, he was sentenced to
75 months in prison on each count
and ordered to pay witness fees of
$25 for non-police witnesses. The
lower courts ruled against Fer
man-Velasco, arguing that the
punishments were justified.
The morning session ran from 9
a.m. to noon, and the afternoon
session ran from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
I
Demg too rigorous academically.
“It does seem that it’s more
stressful than it should be,” she
said.
Other students think their peers
should just toughen up and do the
work.
“That’s school — you’re here to
study,” said Richard Bartoldus, a
senior history major. “Of course it
would be nice to have a week off
with nothing to do, but I just ac
cept that I’m going to have classes
up until finals week.”
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University Theatre Presents
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March 1-4, 9-11
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