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
May 19,2000
Volume 101, Issue 156
Emerald
Giovanni Salimena Emerald
It could seem possible to the average student that
while there is a great deal of lip service given to
the ideal of diversity on campus, there is really
very little action taken. However, 11 University
students are about to show that the spirit of diversity
is truly alive and appreciated as they head off to the
National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher
Education (NCORE) in June in Santa Fe, N.M.
The conference, as the name implies, focuses on the
important issue of diversity in the higher education
arena. With about 1,200 attendees from the ranks of
administrators, faculty and students the 13th annual
meeting should be able to further the cause fairly well.
Having 11 University students attend is in itself im
pressive. The five-day conference occurs during dead
week and finals, requiring a great show of dedication
during a stressful time of year when most students are
content to keep focus on their scholastics and the
world directly around them.
The lessons and knowledge the students gain at the
conference should be used back on campus to pro
mote diversity. The entire point of diversity, of course,
is that different ideas and backgrounds should be ex
pressed as often as possible to make the larger group
stronger. Thus, we can all grow at the same time
the University shows its commitment
U to diversity.
The more noteworthy fact
about student involvement
in this cause is that eight
out of the 11 students at
tending the conference are
there on scholarships
awarded by the conference.
No single institution has
ever received as many
scholarships as the Universi
ty was awarded this year.
That’s pretty impressive.
That students are so con
cerned with the issue and have
shown enough dedication to re
ceive the scholarships speaks to
the pervasive attitude of toler
ance the University continually
strives to maintain and improve.
When students send the message to
others that there is real attention and
* effort being put into solutions to so
cial problems and that positive change
can and should come.
Attending NCORE and the move toward
corporate licensing responsibility (the contro
versial Worker Rights Consortium should ring
some bells for you) should start to once again put
the University on the map of political activism.
Such a movement became very apparent last year
when students sat in at Johnson Hall with a list of
demands to increase diversity on campus and con
tinue today with the WRC and NCORE.
The rest of campus should be proud, and at the
same time take note, of the work of students going to
NCORE. The 11 students are a good number that can
make the rest of us pleased, but it’s the responsibility
of the rest of the University community to keep that
spirit alive every day.
This editorial represents the view of the Emerald editorial
board. Responses may be sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu.
Letters to the editor
Money went for something good
On the news, I heard a student who
favors the college banding with the
Worker Rights Consortium ask one
who did not: “Don’t you care where
the money comes from?” The student
wasn’t given time to answer. I’ll tell
him I care where the money comes
from; the money Nike earns comes
from mothers like me who pay good
money to have our kids in good shoes.
I, for one, was very happy that some
of that money was being returned to
the college.
Now, no one benefits. Sad. Exceed
ingly sad.
Melody Gillard-Juarez
Bandon, Ore.
Ruling proves patriarchy
The recent United States Supreme
Court ruling that decided a victim of
rape and violence cannot sue her at
tacker shows that ignorance reigns re
garding the seriousness of rape and vi
olence against women in this culture.
This is a gender issue. If domestic
violence and rape of men occurred at
the same rate as it does for women, we
would not stop until something mas
sive and drastic was done to stop such
an atrocity. We would do everything
in our power to make sure that the
abuse stops. Rather, by disregarding
the ability to sue under the U.S. Vio
lence Against Women Act of 1994,
this ruling shows that this is still a so
ciety that strongly advocates for men
and tends to look at women as the
lesser.
I would like to propose a visualiza
tion to the so-called advocates of jus
tice at the Supreme Court who voted
against assisting Christy Brjonkala in
her strive for justice along with any
one who agrees with their position.
Take a second, just a second, and
imagine what it would feel like if
someone held you down, beat you up
and rammed something hard into one
of your orifices.
Wouldn’t you demand a full range
of legal freedom to be sure that justice
is served on your behalf?
Brian Ellis
University student
Rape attention deserves more
• In regards to the Emerald editorial
(ODE, May 12) about rape awareness,
if people can agree on anything, it is
that rape is a crime. If this is under
stood, a major part of the apathy peo
ple tend to show toward such shock
ing rape statistics can perhaps be
attributed to the “I’m not a rapist;
what can one do but condemn rape?”
attitude.
However, a crime, unlike a political
stance, religion or pair of sports shoes
cannot be solved or sold through styl
ish 30-second television commercials.
Nor would a student group camping
on Johnson Hall’s front lawn make a
potential rapist stop and reconsider.
Justice For All, for what it accom
plished, did not get people (outside
the anti/pro abortion community)
speaking passionately about abortion
so much as it did about the inappro
priateness, poor taste and juvenile
mentality of the whole affair. The “I
Agree with Ryan” campaign was less
of a debate or discussion than a quasi
open forum for a group to preach
Christianity.
The problem of rape, a rather an
cient one, cannot be solved through
petty public antics. Awareness can be
raised tastefully, however, and contin
ued or expanded funding of public
safety programs such as Saferide can
further reduce incidents on campus.
Let us not reduce something as seri
ous as rape to the lowest common de
nominator in order to grab a shocked
reaction from the campus populace.
William Moglia
German
Thumbs
To civic
responsibility
Voter turnout for
Lane County was a
tremendous 56.2
percent in this
year’s primary
election, the high
est turnout in a
primary election
since 1992. Also,
voters affirmed
the importance of
the mayor and City
Council, choosing
to give the group
stipends for their
long hours.
To open public
adoption records
The Oregon
Supreme Court up
held a law Tuesday
making birth cer
tificates available
to adopted chil
dren seeking the
names of their
birth parents.
To a veteran
retiring
After a career that
spanned six
decades, United
Press International
White House corre
spondent Helen
Thomas resigned
Tuesday after the
company was sold
to News Wo rid
Communications,
which was found
ed by Unification
Church leader the
Rev. Sun Myung
Moon.
To an election
snafu
Democratic candi
date for the Ore
gon Senate Bill
Hays lost his pri
mary election race
with Bill George
Duncan after Mor
row County ballots
were printed with
out his name.