Thursday
Editor in chief: Jack Clifford
Managing Editor: Jessica Blanchard
Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
EDITORIAL EDITOR: MICHAEL J. KLECKNER opededitor@journalist.com
We all pay the price
PAT PAYNE
Tuition is a perennial problem
for college students, especially
out-of-state students. For the
University of Oregon, each
year will set an average out-of-state stu
dent back around $13,000. If you’re an
Oregonian, you
can knock off
$10,000. If you
want to go to Har
vard, even if you
hail from Massa
chusetts, expect to
pay about as much
as a luxury, four
door Lexus with
no extras. For the
entire year. No
fooling, folks, to at
tend the prestigious Harvard, the
school with its own coats of arms, ex
pect to shell out $35,000 per year.
And, there is an extra hurdle if
you’re from California. There are “ex
change programs,” if you will, that al
low students from different states west
of the Rockies to attend universities in
other western states for only 150 per
cent of in-state tuition. However, if
you’re from California and want to go
to either Eugene or Corvallis, the re
sponse you can expect is “Go invade
Idaho, you evil Californicator.” Feh. So
much for us all being one big, happy
country.
It’s not this hard in Europe. Higher
education is free. Just pass an insanely
hard battery of tests in your last year of
high school, and you’re guaranteed a
spot in any university of your choice.
And even if you can’t make it into a
university, there are free (or near-free)
vocational schools or smaller colleges.
However, would it fly in America? It
could mean raising taxes, and right
now, we have people without children
griping about having to pay taxes to run
primary and secondary education with
the refrain “I don’t have children, why
should I pay to send someone else’s
brats to high school?”
Let me digress for a moment and say
to these people: Fine. Don’t pay. We’ll
just let one of these uneducated kids
perform your double bypass 20 years
from now.
Something has to be done. A dinky tax
credit and a few relief bills passed by
Congress aren’t going to do it. Something
has to be done to bring tuition down
across the board, at both public and pri
vate schools. Whether that is govern
ment subsidies for schools — which is
done already on the state level, and a fat
lotta good that does for those of us who
aren’t residents of said state — or other,
alternative ways — perhaps private sub
sidies from businesses or perhaps even
forcing schools into a competitive model
in both price and education value —
something has to be done. Because now,
“guns or butter” has become “schooling
or automobiles.”
Even worse...
A disturbing trend on many college
campuses is the increasing instances of
rape. According to one Department of
Justice report, on a campus with a fe
male population comparable to ours
(around 10,000), 350 women will be
victims of rape during their college ca
reers. Even more appalling is the fact
that of those women, nearly two-thirds
will be victims in their residence halls,
more than will be victims of rape at a
fraternity house or living in apart
ments. Why this number is sickeningly
high is a matter of debate. However,
there can be no debate that one rape is
one too many. Campus authorities
must do what they can to stem this rise
in sexual assault.
They should, either through on-cam
pus groups or residence hall associa
tions, offer self-defense training to
those who wish to take part. Security
should be strengthened in dorms as
well, which would have the double ef
fect of making the residents feel more
secure while putting potential rapists
on notice that they are not welcome. It
might even behoove the residence
halls to consider some sort of en
forced prohibition, as many sexual
assaults are fueled by alcohol.
What we do not need, however,
is the perpetuation of the myth
that all men are rapists. Someone
who commits as horrible, uncon
scionable of an act as rape is an abnor
mal person. Yes, we need to be aware
and come together to end sexual as
sault. We have to come to the aid of
those who are victims or potential vic
tims. We have to end the so-called
“rape culture” proffered by garbage
speakers such as “Eminem.” We do
not, however, need to engage in point
Bryan Dixon Emerald
less political name calling at a time
when we need every person on campus
to come together to end campus rape at
colleges across the United States. All
men are not rapists. But we can help
put an end to rape.
4
Diermger tragedy demands response
Guest Commentary
Mike
Kepferle
From across the country, we
have heard of the loss of Jill
Dieringer and have read
with much sadness and
many prayers the ordeal and pain
of the University community, her
friends and her family who are try
ing to understand and deal with
this latest tragic case of meningo
coccal disease.
I live in Maryland, but since we
lost our 18-year-old son, Pat, to the
rapid, devastating attack of this
highly preventable killer disease,
we have become acutely aware of
the pain and suffering of families
nationwide from very similar loss
es. I feel compelled to write to the
families and students in Eugene
about this terrible disease and the
incredible pain it causes those who
have to deal with its often-fatal
progress.
Parents need to become better in
formed about this disease. Your
community seems to be responding
effectively to this health issue, and
your paper should be commended
on reporting on the availability of
the vaccine. Although it might not
be a total shield, it protects people
in about 70 percent of the cases by
dealing with four of the five main
serogroups of the bacteria. While
we all wade through confusing in
formation on the disease, I would
like to point out that the chances of
an outbreak or single death happen
ing become reduced significantly
simply if students are vaccinated, if
parents are afforded the opportuni
ty to vaccinate their children and if
all are provided the information
that clearly states what may happen
if they aren’t vaccinated.
In Maryland, a law was passed
last year requiring incoming college
students to show proof of meningi
tis vaccination or to sign a waiver.
There is some issue with not all in
surers covering the cost, but if chil
dren are required to receive the vac
cine, it can help convince
insurance companies to cover the
costs. I strongly urge those of you in
Oregon who are trying to sort
through the issues and deal with
the loss of Miss Dieringer to do two
things.
First, ensure that you are able to
get the vaccine, and if you are a par
ent, demand that your children be
vaccinated. If you are a student, get
the shot now. Have the doctor show
you the information insert with the
vaccine, and then, if your doctor re
sists, find another doctor.
Second, write or call your state
legislators, asking them to start a
bill to protect against meningitis
with a vaccination program and ed
ucation. It took many dedicated leg
islators and parents, and the loss of
a few good teenagers to help ensure
a bill passed in Maryland. Parents
in Texas, New York, Michigan, Illi
nois, Georgia and California are try
ing to include high-school and mid
dle-school children in their states’
bills with varying degrees of suc
cess.
I sincerely hope and pray that
Oregon can improve quickly on
Maryland’s groundbreaking menin
gitis vaccination legislation, which
passed here too late for our son.
Meanwhile, I hope that your col
leges and universities are at least
complying with the ACIP, ACHA
and CDC recommendations that
dorm students be afforded the in
formation about and opportunities
for vaccination against meningo
coccal meningitis. Know that my
heart breaks for Jill’s family and
friends. We are walking the same
path of tears that you and too many
others have also walked. Our
prayers and support are with you
every day.
Mike Kepferle lives in Lexington Park, Md
Letters to the editor
Goodbye from a classmate
I went to high school with Jill [Dieringer] at LaSalle High School
in Milwaukie. We had English together every year, I think, and we
always ended up sitting close to one another. We would make a
point of saying hello to each other every time we would see each
other.
She gave me her senior picture, and on the back she wrote, “I’m
looking forward to seeing you at our 10-year reunion.” I’ll remember
that for the rest of my life.
The sisters of Kappa Delta are right about one thing: She always
had a smile for everyone, all the time. I’ll miss you Jill, as does the
Class of 2000 at LaSalle High School.
Troy Crivellone
Portland
Thanks for the smile
I also went to high school with Jill [Dieringer] at La Salle. 1 was
quite shocked to hear of her death. I found out when I was checking
my e-mail and found several messages from other former classmates
about her death. I will always remember Jill for her kind spirit and
beautiful smile, which she shared with all of us at La Salle. She was
one of the sweetest and most caring people I have ever met. She
cared deeply about others.
Erin Dibala
Helena, Mont.
CORRECTION
The story about getting help with your taxes ("Beta Alpha Psi to aid stu
dents with tax season woes,” ODE, Feb. 14) left out Feb. 17 as a date to
meet with the accounting fraternity. The location is the Chiles Center,
room 228.
The Emerald regrets the error.