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.