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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2000)
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas Newsroom: (541)346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu Friday March 10,2000 Volume 101, Issue 115 Effierald I am a Californian. I make no excuse for it; I am a Californian. In fact, I probably exemplify every California stereotype that exists. I am a blond, freckled valley girl and proud of it. So, what the hell am I doing in Oregon? And, furthermore, why am I going to college in this godforsaken rainy state and paying outrageous out-of-state tuition when I could be at home get ting a bargain education and a tan at the same time? Maybe it’s because I needed a change of scene after going to elementary, middle and high school with the same people. (Even though I still go to college with some of them.) Maybe it’s because I fell in love with this beautiful campus when I came to visit. Or maybe it’s because this is the only college to which I applied. Whatever the reason I’m here, I know I’m going to miss this place when I leave. I may still be a Cal ifornian at heart, but these past three and a half years have made an impression that I will never forget. And even though I may be sick of the weather and the unending pot smoke in my apartment complex, I will always remember college not nec essarily as the place where I got a great education or grew as a person, but the place where I met the best friends I’ve ever had or will ever have. Think about it. When you graduate from this campus, what will you remember most about your college experience? Will you remember how you stayed up all night every night studying during fi nals week, or will you remember ordering pizza at 2 a.m. with all your dorm buddies or that weekend in Sunriver with 10 of your closest friends? My guess is the latter. I can’t remember the classes I took winter term of my freshman year, but I can name every person who lived in my residence hall. But it’s not just people I lived with. I’ll never forget those people I worked with at numerous jobs, or met in classes or even those Beavers I met during a summer in ternship in Corvallis. As I get ready to take my place in the “real world” af ter I graduate this term, I have come to the realization that I may never see some of these people again. It might end up just like high school, when you said you’d keep in touch with that clique after graduation but haven’t talked to them in four years. .To be honest, I don’t really miss those high school people. But, faced with the prospect of leaving this town forever, I already miss my col lege buds. I could get the best job in the world and make more money than I know what to do with, (which I guarantee won’t happen if I stay in journalism), but it won’t mean anything without friends to share it with. So, I offer a little bit of advice to all those fresh men, sophomores and juniors out there — make it count! There’s no rush. Most of us only get four years here until you have to either get a job or attend more school, so enjoy life while you can, and nev er forget your friends. I’m not going to go as far as to mandate that you wear sunscreen, but the advice I offer is just as im portant as skin protection. (Which, if you’re me, is very important.) Go on a kick-ass spring break this year because once you have a family, traveling is a much bigger, and more expensive, hassle. Be spontaneous. Just jump in the car and go somewhere, stay out all night bar-hopping, play frisbee-golf at 3 a.m., go skinny dipping in the ocean or, better yet, in your neighbor’s pool. Just don’t graduate from college with only mem ories of studying, stress and grief from constant school work. This isn’t .just a time to work toward a great career, it is a time to make great friends and hfe a kid for a few more years before you have to be an adult. So, I guess this graduating senior’s advice is to have fun and live life to the fullest. But don’t leave your friends behind — you’ll regret it later if you do. Felicity Ayles was the managing editor for the Emerald. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. Take an active role in student affairs Commentary Aaron Week I would like to pass on some infor mation to the entire student body that I have learned while working as a member of the Programs Finance Committee this year. You may know this, but it is sur prising how many students don’t. The student fee is a very large amount of money, totaling more than $7 million. Each student pays about $163 per term. This money is used in three ma jor areas: Programs Finance, Athletic Department Finance and the EMU. The fund also has a second major function on this campus: It allows the students to have power to direct our cultural experience and education at the University. It is a source of power at this University. If you have attend ed a conference, seen a speaker, been treated to aif international dinner, used a student ticket at a game, been happy about tuition freezes, eaten at the EMU, had coffee at the Buzz, used Legal Aid, gotten home inebriated by the Designated Driver Shuttle, hopped a non-inebriated lift from Saferide, learned a skill at the craft center, had University child care, seen people in cages across from Johnson Hall, been to the Women’s Center, filed a grievance, read the Emerald, the Commentator, the Insurgent, lis tened to KWVA 88.1, dropped a class half-way into a term, voted on-line, used a computer lab at the EMU, been thinking of dumping two tons of cot tage cheese in the Amphitheater, then you’ve probably used your fee. Everybody asks where it all goes. But just look around, you can’t miss it. The ASUO system of governance is far from perfect. I feel that despite what flaws may exist, it is a fair and just sys tem with dedicated staff who general ly put in far more work than required to fulfill the duties asked. I hold a great amount of respect for the stu dents on every level of the ASUO, as I have seen them work for their tiny stipends. We should have high expec tations, however, of our student gov ernment and programs by asking them to be completely accountable to the students. We also have to accept that they are students and have the same flaws that the rest of us do. Your say in how this University does things is manifested by your vote or your time. For some, getting in volved with the ASUO is the way for them to play their part. If you have a concern about what your money or vote is going to, then get involved! It is our place as students to learn to shape our world, and this is the place you will begin to accomplish that. Thank you to all the students who take an ac tive part in their University. To those who do not participate, please take the time to put the minimum effort in by voting. For those who do not vote or put in the time - don’t complain. Aaron Week is a PFC member. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Emerald. For more info go to the Student Senate or PFC Web pages at gladstone.uoregon.edu/~sen ate or gladstone.uoregon.edu/~pfc Thumbs To projecting security Project Safe Place sold cookies, chocolate and cof fee Monday and Tuesday th is week in a fund-raising effortto support providing informa tion and support to teens in crisis. To righting a costly mistake At a cost of up to $975,000, almost 40 col lege students who were mistak enly granted Jacob K.Javits fellow ships will indeed receive the money they were erro neously promised, To fewer horses in the race Party hopefuls for the Republican and Democratic party presidential nominations, Ari zona Sen. John Mc Cain and former New jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, effec tively conceded their respective races Thursday. To a testy coach When politely asked by Emerald sports writer Jeff Smith about a shoving incident by one of his basket ball players to an Oregon fan after a Mar 4 game at Mac Court, Arizona Coach Lute Olson snapped back after learning Smith was a student reporter. "So you're from the student newspa per?” Olson said, "Good. Glad you’re not really working.” CORRECTION The story “Volun teer crusades for cannabis and vot ers” (ODE, Mar. 9) gave the wrong lo cation of a confer ence regarding the Medical Marijuana Law. It is being held in Portland. The Emerald re grets this error.
