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.