Committee envisions a center for diversity
■A plan for the Center for the
Study of Social Change will be
released early next year
By Kristy Hessman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Although no blueprint or mis
sion statement has been drafted
yet, plans for a University research
center focused an diversity has be
gun and is being fueled by the vi
sion and energy of University
members.
Increasing campus diversity has
been the motivation behind a
number of University programs,
staff positions and scholarships in
the past few years. But the idea to
create a center to provide facilita
tion services, training on diversity
issues and a research component
is new not only to the University,
but to the nation.
President Frohnmayer an-'
nounced the creation of the Center
for the Study of Social Change, the
Center’s tentative name, in his
State of the University Address
Oct. 18. Since that time, an 18
member committee has been
formed to create the vision for the
Center.
The committee will release a de
tailed plan for the Center by the
end of winter term.
“The basic concept [of the Cen
ter] is a strong research and service
component,” Frohnmayer said.
According to Mia Tuane, a Uni
versity sociology professor and the
Center’s committee chair, the push
for the Center came after students
concerned with intolerance and
racism participated in a sit-in at
Johnson Hall in the spring of 1999.
The sit-in was sparked by a sexist
comment in a class e-mail discus
sion group.
She said the Center will take
steps to train students in facilitat
ing the many aspects of the Cen
ter’s work.
“I am very excited,” said David
Frank, tlfe committee assistant
chair. “This is the first attempt to
try to examine the issues of diver
sity from multiple perspectives,
while at the same time healing
wounds from racism and other
‘isms’ that were expressive on
campus.”
While the committee is still dis
cussing what the objectives of the
Center are going to be, the hope for
its future is already known.
We would eventually
like to see ourselves as a
model for the Pacific
Northwest. The scope for
the Center has an outward
facing vision, not just at
theilofO. We would like
the Center to be a resource
to communities outside
campus as well.
Mia Tuane
committee chair,
Center for the Study
of Social Change
“We would eventually like to
see ourselves as a model for the
Pacific Northwest,” Tuane said.
“The scope for the Center has an
outward facing vision, not just at
the U of O. We would like the Cen
ter to be a resource to communities
outside campus as well.”
In the past few years, universi
ties across the state have increased
their efforts to address diversity.
“We have a number of depart
ments, offices and people that re
spond to diversity issues,” said
Phyllis Lee, Oregon State Univer
sity’s director of multicultural af
fairs. “But we don’t have one place
we call a research center.”
Portland State University is also
making strides to address diversi
ty, according to David Martinez,
student advisor to the multicultur
al Center at PSU. He said the uni
versity has organized a Diversity
Action Council, whose members
seek to improve diversity in the ar
eas of student life, curriculum and
the retention and recruitment of
minorities.
How the Center will affect Uni
versity of Oregon diversity issues
remains uncertain.
“I don’t know if [the Center] will
increase the physical number of
minorities on campus,” said Mark
Tracy, the assistant dean for diver
sity programs and a Center com
mittee member. “But I do think it
will do an excellent job educating
all members of the campus com
munity, and provide increased
awareness.”
Much of the Center’s prospects
depend on how well the commit
tee, which met for the first time
earlier this month, can work to
gether.
During the committee’s six-hour
retreat, members discussed their
ambitions and goals.
“We talked about how we
might achieve the goal and tried
to achieve a sense of sharing the
same vision, one that invites dif
ferent interpretations,” Frank
said.
While plans for the Center are
still in the early stages, two re
search associates have been hired
to look into how various universi
ties across the country have suc
cessfully handled diversity is
sues.
Wyden holds up Senate tax bill again for suicide proposal
By John Hughes
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron
Wyden on Sunday prevented the
Senate from moving forward with a
$240 billion tax bill that also would
make Oregon’s assisted suicide law
difficult—if not impossible—to use.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott,
R-Miss., sought unanimous consent
on the Senate floor to have 10 hours
of debate on the tax bill — including
two hours for Wyden to speak—fol
lowed by a vote on the proposal.
Wyden refused to agree to the
time limit.
The move marked the second
time in three days the Oregon Demo
crat thwarted Lott’s plans to move
forward with the bill. Wyden began
a filibuster Friday and refused then
to agree to a debate time limit.
“The only thing certain in life is
that Congress will find a way to foul
up both death and taxes,” Wyden
said in a statement.
Wyden is making good on a threat
to filibuster any bill that could hurt
Oregon’s law allowing physician
assisted suicide. This state is the
only one with such a law.
The House last week approved
the tax bill that includes barring doc
tors from using federally controlled
substances, such as barbiturates, to
deliberately cause a patient’s death.
All 43 people who died under
Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act
since the law took effect in late 1997
used controlled substances to end
their lives.
Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., the au
thor of the anti-assisted suicide pro
posal, had the measure inserted in
the tax bill with the hope of avoid
ing a Wyden roadblock.
Clinton has threatened to veto the
tax bill for reasons unrelated to as
sisted suicide. The president has
not said whether he would sign or
veto a suicide measure sent to his
desk on its own.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders are con
tinuing to negotiate with the White
House on the tax bill and several
other issues both sides are trying to
resolve before the Nov. 7 election.
The fate of the suicide proposal
could be tied to the success or fail
ure of those talks.
Party Starts at 8pm • Costume contest starts at 11 p
least Costume’ll
Costume Contest
Prizes Given
Every Hour
$2 at Door
SPECIALS!
2222 Centennial Blvd. fNext to Autzen StadiumJ • 343-4734
u dti i % I. A , jiL J* ... 3tJ Jrrf. /J/£/