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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 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 Monday March 27,2000 Volume 101, Issue 117 Effierald Fundin ming forFreedo The final word on student fees ap pears to have been spoken by the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Southworth case. The judg ment to allow student fees to be collected to further the democratic exchange of ideas on campus is the right way to advance that goal, though further language in the court’s finding could be worrisome down the line. In the court’s decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, it was decided that the complaining students from the University of Wisconsin proposed a faulty argument when they asserted that their free speech rights were violated by being forced to fund campus groups having different political and religious views. The court believed that universities hold a special role in the demo cratic process by acting as a public place through allowing all view points to be heard so students can decide for themselves what they believe. This finding reaffirms the role of schools in the growth of civic-minded students preparing to be good citizens as well as vo cationally equipped bread winners. Not only did the court make the right decision, but it made its statement loud and clear by voting unanimously, with Justices Souter, Breyer and Stevens concurring. The real power of this fact is that the idea of free idea exchange on campus crosses the ideologi cal lines of an often divided court and likely ensures that there will not be any change in the interpretation any time soon. The decision rested on the fact that stu dent groups attain funding through a view point neutral mechanism that is recom mended by stydents and finalized by a board of regents. By ignoring ideology of funded groups, the university can host many viewpoints without being accused of controlling speech. This is remarkably different, ft should be noted, from speech ft actually controlled by a university, which is an extension of the government. The justices also briefly discussed the dif fering roles of on- and off-campus activities. While they took no action yet on the flow of money from campus groups to off-campus activities, the court did say that schools can make such distinctions based on view point-neutral rules on the subject. That means that groups could be prevented from using student fees on outside organizations or lobbying efforts. A restriction on the ex port of student fees would be a good idea because it would keep in line with the spirit of the Southworth ruling, which is to fur ther political dialogue on campus. Such restrictions on outgoing money would most directly affect OSPIRG. The group sends off a great deal of money in lob bying efforts. But a restriction on our stu dent fee usage would be a good idea be cause OSPIRG could still pay for students to go lobby in Salem as opposed to sending money to state politicians. And OSPIRG could learn to use its money on furthering its efforts on campus instead of going other places. There is another less-developed section of this ruling that deals with the referendum process for funding and defunding student programs that could have some logistical problems later on. The court ruled that be cause the referendum process is decided by a majority vote, it would undermine the free speech protection that the student fee pro gram requires. This could pose a terrible glut of work for the Programs Finance Com mittee and Student Senate if they alone are forced to determine which groups do or do not get funding. Despite the logistical problems of the words condemning referendums for stu dent fee allocation and the possibility of re stricting student fees from being sent off campus, it is only right to affirm the student fee process and maintain a vibrant political dialogue on our university campuses. This editorial represents the view of the Emerald ed itorial board. Responses may be sent to ode@ oregon.uoregon.edu. * Giovanni Salimena Emerald Letters to the editor Glowing review an insanity Dear friends at the Oregon Daily Emerald: Have you no shame? I read in Pulse (ODE, March 9) that guitarist Shelley Doty is “whaling” with her guitar. Is all common decency gone from the world? In this supposedly civilized age, whaling has been all but forsaken by the vast majority of our species. But now we hear that Doty is not only engaged in this barbaric practice, she also apparently accomplishes the act with what is supposed to be an instrument of art, of peace and love! And for this, writer Jack Clifford praises her, comparing her to none other than guitar legend Santana! God save us all from our own insanities. Don Titus architecture Donations flowing to wrong spots At first it seemed absurd to me that leaders at the University could afford to enlarge the football sta dium yet argue that they were unable to provide un derground or multi-level parking for an additional 2,000 cars. But then I remembered a visit 25 years ago to the campus of Washington State University. When I asked why a visitor couldn’t park within miles, I received the explanation that rich donors were willing to put their names on any number of new medical school buildings but not a parking structure. Peter W. Frank Eugene resident Athlete drug use no surprise, folks - While the recent incident with the hockey team is both sad and regrettable, it was hardly unforesee able. Administrators can go on and on about forms that were signed and rules meant to be followed, but the plain fact is that drinking and drug usage happen with college students, especially on road trips. The outcome is usually not as tragic; in fact, normally no one gets hurt, and, therefore, no one ever knows. Eventually, though, something has to happen, and unfortunately it ended with someone’s death. I won’t demand that teams going on road trips be required to have chaperones or that they not be al lowed to go on road trips, but without supervision, poor decisions will be made. Russ Atteridge’s death is sad and upsetting, but it is hardly surprising. It was only a matter of time, and I find it hard to be lieve that those in charge didn’t see it coming. Robert L. Wasson III former Club Sports executive committee chairman and hockey player Thumbs To no strikes, no one out Negotiators for U.S. Airways and the Association of Flight Attendants averted a threat ened strike by the workers by contin uing to work into the wee hours of Saturday by reach ing a tentative agreement on a . five-year contract with raises for the 10,000 union members. To recycling in its best form About 16,000 used American text books donated by Oregon schools and collected by the Oregon Nation al Guard will be given to school children in the Philippines. To a needless incentive Prisons in Min neapolis— where it should be ex pected that in mates follow rules —are going to pay their residents to fill out their feder al census forms. While completing the forms is man dated by law, the prisons will pay $1 perform. To a dangerous sign of the times After the alcohol related death of 19-year-old Stephen Petz, a freshman from Ferris State Univer sity, six members of an unofficial fraternity are fac ing charges that range from fur nishing alcohol to a minor to invol untary manslaugh ter.
