Editor in chief: Jack Clifford
Associate Editors: Jon Allen, Jeff Smith
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Tuesday
June 27,2000
Volume 102, Issue 2
Emerald
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Did you remember to take your test
today?
Don’t freak out if you forgot about
it. There is no studying necessary for
this one and, truth be told, you can
always make it up tomorrow, the
next day or any day you please. But,
unlike some upcoming math tests
you may or may not pass, this test
can save lives — maybe even yours.
If you haven’t clued in yet, the test
mentioned here is for HIV, and today
is national HIV testing day. Approxi
mately 10,000 organizations across the
country — including the HIV aliance,
the Lane County Health Center,
Planned Parenthood and White Bird
Clinic, all located in Eugene — are of
fering tests to anyone who wants one.
The World Health Organization es
timates that 16,000 people are infect
ed with HIV, the virus that causes
AIDs, everyday. Statistics from the
American College Health Associa
tion show that one in every 500 uni
versity students is HIV positive. With
an enrollment of nearly 18,000 stu
dents at this campus, that works out
to be about 36 students.
Doesn’t sound like a lot, unless
you happen to be one of them or,
worse yet, one of the 36 just happens
to be your new unknowing partner
and the two of you can’t decide
whether an HIV tests, before ventur
ing into the sexual realm of your re
lationship, is worth your time. He or
she doesn’t look like they have the
virus, you’re saying to yourself.
Go ahead then, have sex, take the
risk. Or why not make a better choice
that can serve two purposes? One, it
can give you what most likely will be
a clean bill of health when it comes
to HIV. And, for some people, taking
the test clears the mind of the con
stant fear that the test will absolutely
come back positive. Remember,
chances are much better that it will
come back negative.
So, what about all of these reports
that a cure has been found for HIV? Or
the stories about people living longer
and longer with the disease, even
once they reach the level of contract
ing AIDs?
It is true that some of the new drug
therapies on the market are vastly im
proving the lives of those living with
HIV but, contrary to any media reports
ypu think you heard, no cure for the
virus has been found as of today, June
27 you know, national HTV testing day.
If you haven’t been tested for the
deadly virus, or it’s been a few years
since your last one, then why not go
by one of the clinics mentioned above,
take a few minutes and get tested?
The result may surprise you one
way or another, but in the end, just
knowing could end up saving a few
lives.
This editorial represents the view of the
Emerald editorial board. Responses may be
sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Letters to the editor
USAS deserves praise
I witnessed [Nike CEO and Presi
dent Phil Knight’s] punitive actions to
withhold $30 million from your
school. I witnessed on local TV news
in Santa Fe, N.M., one of your school
officials going soft on the issue. He
should be proud of you all at [United
Students Against Sweatshops.]
But for the grace of God and/or fate
we could be locked up 14 hours a day
for the rest of our lives cutting and
sewing garments in degrading envi
ronments. Yes, that’s right, good peo
ple like you and me with hearts and
souls and feelings.
I also saw [NBC’s Dateline] show on
Gap’s practices allowing women from
China to be exported to Saipan and
locrked up in a manner most Ameri
cans would not treat their animals.
This is all for greed. How many more
fancy steak dinners do we really need
in this country at the expense of
someone else?
I am sending this letter to support
you, the USAS! I am a clothing de
signer. I cut and sew all my own gar
ments. Fortunately for me there is a
humane non-profit factory here in
New Mexico if I start to do large vol
ume. The women are treated with de
cency and respect.
Karen Eipel
Santa Fe, N.M. resident
Nike’s legacy needs to return
Isn’t it ironic that [Phil Knight and
Bill Bowerman], who have made such
tremendous contributions to the Uni
versity [“Nike’s legacy rooted at Hay
ward,” ODE, June 22] are being over
shadowed by a organization which
will, undoubtedly, have a small and
short-lived impact on the overall suc
cess and reputation of our beloved
University? I have been deeply appre
ciative of the dedication both men
demonstrated in their efforts to help
the University to excel in athletics
and academia. I, too, hope Knight will
work through the emotional pain in
flicted upon him by a short-sighted
administration, and continue his
magnificent work to improve the
physical structures on the campus
and achieve a greater national reputa
tion for the Ducks.
Dan Frank
University graduate, 1957
Walk a day in my shoes
There are fears just as valid as the
fear of physical injury. And some of
us live in fear every day. [“Afraid to
get along?” ODE, June 20].
I live in fear that the capitalist sys
tem is unstoppable, that our lives are
actually being reduced to cycles of
earning and consuming, that human
dignity has no meaning any more un
less you’re willing to toe the line and
pretend consumption is the end-all
be-all of human existence. I fear the
degradation to my soul if I continue to
play along with the notion that this
materialist world is actually valuable
to our spiritual development.
And yet my fears are given little cre
dence in today’s world. When I voice
my fears, most people simply stare
blankly away, as if to say, “Can’t... un
derstand ... paradigm... shift.”
And if I were to act out publicly in
response to my fears, I would be
ridiculed, or worse, if polico were
nearby.
So while I can understand the fear
of Jane and Joe Citizen when they en
counter a large group of people who
see the world from a radically differ
ent viewpoint, I have little sympathy.
All I can really say to them is, wel
come to my world.
Michael j. Kleckner
Journalism
Editor’s note: Michael Kleckner is
the ODE's 2000-01 editorial editor,
and is currently working as an intern
at The Deseret News in Salt Lake City.
Quoted
“I die fighting for
what I believed in.
The truth will
come out.”
—Gary Graham,
who asked that his
name be changed
to Shaka Sankofa
to reflect his
African heritage,
just before the
state of Texas exe
cuted him for a
1981 murder. The
Register-Guard,
June 23.
“I hope that my
lawsuit will bring
about an increased
acceptance of peo
ple who see their
role in life as a par
ent and as an aca
demician. We all
have a dual role to
play in this world.”
— lisa Arkin, who
won $495,000 in
the settlement of a
sex bias lawsuit
against the Univer
sity. Arkin, a for
mer assistant
dance professor,
claimed that the
University unfairly
denied her tenure.
The Register
Guard, June 23.
“That’s why I don’t
I ike to do inter
views, because of
questions like that.
Next question.”
—John Rocker, in
reference to a re
porter asking the
Atlanta relief
pitcher if his team
or baseball had
asked him to re
consider riding the
No. 7 subway
train, the same
one he blasted in a
December Sports
illustrated article,
when Atlanta visits
the New York Mets
this weekend.
ESPN.com, June
24.
“My start was hor
rible, my transi
tion wasn’t very
good, but I’m
strong enough
where I can pull it
out at the end."
—Marion Jones,
after winning the
women’s 100 me
ter dash at Satur
day’s Prefontaine
Classic. Jones’
wind-aided time of
10.93 seconds was
the second-fastest
time in the world
this year.
CNNSI.com, June .
24.