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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 31, 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 Wednesday May 31,2000 Volume 101, Issue 163 Effiendd ■ Student-parents balance the full-time job of raising children with getting an education, and they could really use some help from the School is difficult enough as it is. Term proj ects, papers, research, theses, classes. They’ve been known to overwhelm stu dents from time to time. But add to that the responsibilities of taking your kids to school, getting flu shots, changing diapers and paying for day care, kiddie clothes’ and rood, and we re talking about a lull-time job on its own. If you have kids and want a higher education, surviving college means more than surviving a few hangovers. Right now, the student-parents at the Uni versity are trying to get funding for the Child Care Block Grant, a need-based grant that as sists low-income students with their child care needs. Currently, 700-900 student-par ents are on the waiting list for child care. If legislators act to increase funding as the pro posed budget indicates, the waiting list could be cut by half. Student-parents — whether they be young ones just starting opt or older ones coming back — are a valuable asset to the University. They give us perspective in our classes. They strengthen the Oregon work force. They inspire us not to get lazy, and they are good role models. With an average GPA of 3.6, student-parents are among the best at the University. il If we want to keep them, or even to get more of them, we need to increase funding for student-par ent child care and even tuition assistance. These students have more than one person depending on them, and to assist a student-parent is to affirm that families are important. It’s a trickle down ef fect: the children of these students will get a more educated parent, possibly a better life and we hope a better appreciation for education. Many of us have had parents who have gone back to school, who were not able to go to school because they raised us or who got assistance and were able to balance family and education. We all understand the importance of higher education in life and in the economy, or else we wouldn’t be here. Supporting student-parents is a way of show ing we understand the full benefits of education. And legislators should understand these bene fits as well. Student-parents are necessary to high er education and to Oregon’s future. The better ed ucated our work force and our citizens are, the more informed voting we have and the better an economy we can manufacture. It’s for selfish rea sons that these legislators should back the grant: They could get a much more loyal voting public. Gidvanni It’s just hard to argue against increased funding for child care for student-parents. We don’t get enough funding for higher education in general, and this grant is one way to augment the financial burden that school can create. We need more scholarships and grant money for all stu dents, but student-parents are especially moti vated. Salimena Emerald Gov. John Kitzhaber has the Child Care Block Grant in his next proposed budget. Let him and your other legislators know that you want to sup port student-parents. You don’t know how many lives you will touch. This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editorial board. Responses may be sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu. Letters to the editor Tandem Taxi should stay I’m writing this letter to express my concern about the possible disappear ance of Tandem Taxi next fall. I have only heard about this in one of my classes, and I sincerely hope that it is only a rumor. If it is not a rumor, how ever, then I feel students should be in formed about this possible loss. I first got a ride with Tandem Taxi in fall term 1998 and have had the op portunity to ride several other times. Most of those occasions were dark, late nights, and the campus was most ly deserted. The Tandem Taxi provides an in credible service, giving rides to people for free. It is a safe alternative to walk ing alone late at night, and it also pro vides transportation during the day for people who might be injured. The Tan dem Taxi “drivers” are in direct contact with the Office of Public Safety and are able to report any emergencies imme diately. Their presence around campus makes it safer for everyone, even for those who never use this service. They are also great people who enjoy riding bikes and always receive their cus tomers with big smiles. I do not understand the reasons why Tandem Taxi may not be on cam pus next fall. I can only see positive aspects about it, and I think whoever is making this decision may make a big mistake. I hope the Emerald can send a reporter to find out about this important issue and inform the stu dent body about the situation. Ana Perez linguistics Real world doesn't require cars After graduation, many of you will be leaving Eugene and driving off into the “real world.” Driving to work, driving to buy food, driving, driving, driving. At this important time in your life, you may be thinking about employment, a place to live or starting a family. We also encourage you to think about transportation and how it will impact your life. Would you like to put yourself into a situation where a car is your only transportation option? Residences bordering on freeways (a misnomer — they are very expensive) and planes of employment not served by mass tran sit are iust two examples of how land use can force people to be car depend ent. Car manufacturers are also prey ing (and praying) on you new grads. They are looking to hook you into long-term loans. Once you start, the cycle is hard to stop. Many people end up taking a job that they have to drive to, in order to earn more money so that they can keep up with their car payments. Decide the kind of life that you want for yourself. The real world is what you make it. Good luck! David Niles UO bicycle safety coordinator ASUO Executive should make rational decisions Now -that former ASUO Executive Wylie Chen and Mitra Anoushiravani are out of office and Jay Breslow and Holly Magner are in, I would like to re fleet on our past leaders. Contrary to the picture portrayed, Chen and Anoushi ravani did not do a good job in their re spective positions. Beginning with their election campaign, they showed that they would change face to meet popular opinion. They displayed to us their ability to react to what was “cool” at the time and be all for it. When are we going to have people who can actu ally stand up for their beliefs and then act upon them during their entire term as ASUO execs? Breslow has already shown his inability to make rational de cisions when he voluntarily got himself arrested demanding University Presi dent Dave Frohnmayer sign on with the Worker Rights Consortium, when the president was out of the state. Breslow and Magner jumped on the “popular,” “cool” bandwagon with their support of the WRC, too. With that behind them, let’s hope that they can stand up to the challenge and actually make their own decisions and not get arrest ed for making illogical ones. Todd Huegli computer and information science Quoted “I know that my service doesn’t in any way match that of the heroes that we honor on this day.” —Vice President AlGore, remem bering vetera ns in Elizabeth, Penn., on Memorial Day. The Associated Press, May 29. “As we recall our fallen heroes, we’re privileged to be in the company of heroes. Thank you for serving our country. You make us all proud to be Americans.” —Gov. George W. Bush in Ft, Hood, Texas, on the same occasion. The As sociated Press, May 29. “I’m glad it’s over. I was very nervous about this one,” —WNBA champi on Cheryl Cooper on her Houston Comet's opening day victory against the New York Lib erty, whom the Comets beat last year in the WNBA Finals.WNBA.com, May 29. “f don’t thinkwe can guarantee that he is going to win a four-way race, but if Bush implodes, anything is possi ble. I want some one who knows how to build a movement—peo ple’s movements, citizens’ move ments, bringing in young people. ” —Carol Miller, co chair of the New Mexico Green Par ty and recent Con gressional candi date, on Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nadar’s chances this fall. The Eu gene Weekly, May 25. “Intern is French for slave. ” — Bill Cosby, com ic, speaking in New York City to graduates at the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. The Oregonian, May 29.
