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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2000)
a www.dailyemerald.com An independent newspaper Still flying high Ducks heading south to California wanting to post another big Pac-10 win. Inside supplement A strong statement Silent Witness vigil at the Halt Center aims to give domestic violence victims a voice. PAGE 3A gon Eugene, Oregon October 13,2000 Volume 102, Issue 33 Weather today RAIN LIKELY high 60, low 45 Six die in possible terrorist attack on USS Cole Katie Miller Emerald Sweatshop debate seen in new light ■ Some University students argue that sweatshop labor is beneficial to the workers of third-world countries rather than exploitative Sweatshop ii Working in a sweatshop isn't the best job, but it's not the worst either... You can't say all sweatshops are good, but you can't say they're all bad. Gabriela Serrano sophomore, business yy By Beata Mostafavi Oregon Daily Emerald Although many students think they’ve heard the term “sweatshop” 10 times too many, three University students say it is an issue that should not go away, and that over seas factories can improve the way of life for workers whose only alter native is poverty and hunger. While many of the activists who protested for the University to sign on with the Worker Rights Consor tium have never set foot in a third world country, Rakesh Tolani, Gabriela Serrano and Mehreen Khan have each lived in one. Although all three students support many of the causes behind the WRC, they say that sweatshops “have saved many families in those countries,” and that negative publicity has drowned out this reality. “Because of the situation there, people live completely differently from people in the United States,” said Tolani, a junior business major from India. “ The poverty is ex tremely bad and for them to make even a little bit of money is a big deal ... Sweatshops pay more than beg ging on the street does, and they pro vide jobs for many people who would otherwise be starving.” Khan, a sophomore business ma jor from Pakistan, said anti-sweat shop activists in the United States portray sweatshops in a much more negative light than people from third-world countries do. “Compared to Pakistan-run fac tories, sweatshops are not bad at all; they both have the same condi Turn to Sweatshops, page 4A ■ Occupants of a small boat apparently detonated a bomb near the ship after it docked By Robert Burns The Associated Press WASHINGTON — In a sinister slip through Navy security, suicide bombers in a small boat tore a gaping hole in a U.S. warship Thursday at a refueling stop in a Yemeni harbor on the Arabian Peninsula, U.S. officials say. The blast killed six members of the crew, injured 35 and left 11 missing. The crippled ship was tilting slightly in the harbor at Aden, Yemen, but the Navy said it was not in danger of sinking. No one has claimed responsibility, De fense Secretary William Cohen told a Pen tagon news conference. President Clinton said the attack on the USS Cole, one of the world’s most advanced warships, appeared to be an act of terrorism, the Worst against the U.S. military since the bomb ing of an Air Force barracks in Saudi Arabia in 1996 that killed 19 troops. “We will find out who was responsible and hold them ac countable,” Clinton pledged. Inside University profes sors weigh in with their opinions on the Mideast situa tion. PAGE 5 He dispatched to Yemen investigative teams from the FBI, the State Department and the Pentagon. Clinton also ordered a heightened state of alert for all U.S. military installations around the world. After the attack, ambulances rushed to the port, and Ameri cans working with Yemeni authorities cordoned off the area. The ship was listing but still afloat. Yemeni police sources Turn to Bombing page 5A ■Some University students express little surprise that the conflict reached a violent level By Emily Gust Oregon Daily Emerald As tensions increase halfway across the world and var ied reactions circle the globe, students in the University community are voicing sentiments of their own. With dismay and concern being common responses, students expressed frustration at the use of violence in the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine. “This is not what [Islam] is about,” said Alrazi Al-Bu Turn to Reaction, page 5A Dan Brunell Emerald Suzanne Estes as she looks through her microscope on Thursday. The Evolution lab, one of the many research labs on campus, is exploring the reasons for genetic mutation. Genetic mutation actualities revealed ■ A recent scientific discovery could set a precedent for future studies and advance medical technology By Brooke Ross Oregon Daily Emerald University biology professor Michael Lynch and his research staff recently made a scientific break through, finding evidence that genetic mutations occur more often than origi nally believed. Lynch reached these results after three years of studying mitochondrial DNA in 160 generation lines of worms. His research staff found 30 genetic mu tations, which Lynch said is significant because it is about 100 times higher than science textbooks generally re port. He said his discovery could open doors for future findings in genetic re search. “The most enjoyable part of the re search is the big picture,” said Charlie Baer, a University post-doctoral stu dent and member of Lynch’s staff. “1 hope we are making contributions that people can build on.” Because worms have no genetic vari ation, Lynch said they were ideal for the experiments. The generations were sequenced, and the worms’ DNA was analyzed, showing that several illness es formed among the them. Lynch is encouraged by the findings and thinks the number of mutations will be useful in studying human ge netic diseases. The possible findings in the worms could reveal an underesti mate of what is going on in human mu tations, Lynch said. Because humans have a higher meta bolic rate, which causes the produc tion of free radicals, Lynch thinks the genetic mutation rate is higher in hu mans than previously believed. But he noted that modern medical technology may also contribute to the genetic mutation rates among humans. Due to new methods of survival, such as planned pregnancies and prescrip tion drugs, people with mutations are living unnaturally long lives and pass ing along their illnesses. “Everyone having an equal opportu nity to survive could become a human dilemma,” Lynch said. Suzanne Estes, a University graduate student participating in the research, agreed that medical technology is not always best for the environment. “Natural selection is being eliminat ed,” Estes said. “Humans are harming themselves, especially in well-devel oped countries.” Estes, whose work in the mutation Turn to Research, page 4A
