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.