Smith, Wyden visit Eugene
■The two Oregon senators
stopped in Lane County
Tuesday to promote
upcoming legislation
By Aaron K. Breniman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Oregon Sens. Gordon H. Smith
and Ron Wyden visited Eugene on
Tuesday to announce plans for
bills on hunger and education,
which are slated for introduction
in the current legislative session.
Visiting Eugene simultaneously
by coincidence, the senators made
separate appearances and did not
speak together.
Smith, a Republican from East
ern Oregon, announced his plan to
introduce the State Hunger Assis
tance in Response to Emergency
Act to a crowd of about 30 people
at the Food for Lane County ware
house in west Eugene.
“There is no excuse for a state
with as big a heart as Oregon to
have such a hunger problem,”
Smith said.
Surrounded by pallets stacked
ceiling-high with banana boxes
full of food, Smith reiterated his
support for assisting the country’s
hungry. His plan directs the mon
ey^ to each state’s Department of
Human Resources for needs that
“ought to be met.”
“There is abundant room at
America’s table for everybody,” he
said.
Smith referred to a recent study
by the U.S. Department of Agricul
ture on state-by-state hunger-inci
dent averages to emphasize the
need for federal aid. According to
the study, Oregon residents have
the highest per-household hunger
rate in the United States, with 5.8
percent of families going hungry at
some time.
“The important thing to remem
ber is that there are human faces
associated with these statistics,”
Smith said.
Smith’s bill would eliminate a
requirement that often prevents
federal money from going to the 10
states with the highest rates of
hunger. The requirement forces
states to match government fund
ing for hunger-prevention pro
grams, but states that can’t match
bMITH
the lunds
don’t receive
the federal aid.
If Smith’s bill
is ratified, the
10 hungriest
states would
receive federal
aid even if
they can’t
match the
funds.
“We’re go
mg to drop the match, give them
the money and reach the people,”
Smith said. “The money will en
able state officials to publicize
places where people can come to
eat.”
WYDEN
Joining
Smith were
representatives
from local food
distribution
centers and
families that
would benefit
from the bill.
Marge
Williamson, a
volunteer with
uommunuy rood ior uresweii, ex
pressed optimism about Smith’s
proposal.
“The spirit around here is that
we’re doing work, but we’re hav
ing fun doing it,” Williamson said.
“The main thing is that we help.”
Sen. Wyden was also in town
promoting legislation. He began
his visit by touring Applegate Ele
mentary School in Crow, where he
introduced an education initiative
that would provide extra funding
for schools in rural, outlying areas.
The Rural Education Develop
ment Initiative would provide
$300 million per year for a three
year period to eligible rural school
districts nationwide. The legisla
tion is being co-sponsored by both
Republican and Democratic sena
tors.
“There is no federal initiative
that focuses on rural school dis
tricts," Wyden representative Lisa
Markgraf said. “Approximately 46
percent of schools are located in
rural districts, but they only re
ceive 22 percent of the education
funding.”
To receive these funds, districts
would be required to have 15 per
cent of students come from fami
lies below the poverty line. The
plan would provide struggling dis
tricts with money to improve a
range of categories, including tech
nology improvements, academic
enrichment programs and profes
sional development for teachers.
Wyden concluded his visit to
Eugene at the Eugene Hilton Con
ference Center, where he spoke on
the availability of options for ter
minally ill patients. Wyden has
long been involved with policy re
garding options for the terminally
ill. In 1998, he formed a working
group to determine what role the
federal government should play in
end-of-life policy.
Smith also attended a Eugene
Rotary Luncheon at the Eugene
Hilton, where he discussed the re
working of an education bill that
he has been collaborating on with
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Other
topics discussed related to natural
resources, including an update on
an agreement that he brokered last
year regarding the Steens Moun
tain range.
UO-LCC program begins in fall
■ Ihe Dual Admission
Enrollment Program aims
togive more students more
access to higher education
By Brooke Ross
Oregon Daily Emerald
Lane Community College stu
dent Susie Jiing hopes to attend
the University next year, but is
worried about her credits transfer
ring successfully.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot
of weirdness in transferring my
credits,” she said. “I’m worried
about having to take more classes
than I have to.”
Because most classes at LCC are
three credits and the standard at
the University is four, transferring
credits is just one hurdle LCC stu
dents such as Jiing have to jump
when trying to attend the Univer
sity. To make transferring easier
and higher education more acces
sible to more students, however,
the two schools have teamed up to
create the Dual Admission-Enroll
ment Program.
The new program will be offered
to 100 LCC freshmen for fall term
2001-02. In an effort to eliminate
excess paperwork, students will
need to complete only one admis
sion form and one financial aid
form, and pay one application fee.
Students will also be able to take
classes at both schools simultane
ously, so general requirements can
be completed at LCC while stu
dents pursue their major require
ments at the University.
Elizabeth Bickford, University
director of student financial aid,
said by being able to attend both
schools, students can take advan
tage of LCC’s lower tuition costs
while receiving credits from the
University.
“It’s a wonderful way to blend
the opportunities of both schools
and lower tuition,” she said.
Bickford said one problem for
current University students who
It's a wonderful way
to blend the opportunities
of both schools and lower
tuition.
Elizabeth Bickford
University director,
student financial aid y j
need financial aid is they have to
take at least 12 hours per term to
receive support, and if they split
those hours with LCC, they are not
eligible. But she said the new
agreement will make it possible for
students to attend both schools
and receive support.
“This is just one of the benefits
of the program that will really help
students out,” Bickford said.
Helen Garrett, director of enroll
ment services for LCC, said she is
confident about the future of the
program.
“Students have been navigating
the two schools on their own, but
now we’re going to help them as a
team,” she said.
Garrett said Oregon State Uni
versity already has a similar agree
ment with Linn-Benton Communi
ty College, but the LCC-University
of Oregon program is starting out
small during its first year.
“We want to give it care in its
first year to make sure things get
rounded out,” she said.
Garrett said each school offers
opportunities the other does not. i
While LCC offers night and week
end courses, the University offers
certain upper-division courses that
LCC does not, she said.
“Students get to tap into every
thing both schools have to offer,
and we’re giving them structure as
they navigate through both,” she
said.
Bickford said it is unclear
whether the dual program will one
day expand to include all students
from both schools.
“It’s going to depend on the suc
cess during the first two years,”
she said. “It’s very complicated to
put a program together like this at
the administrative level.”
So for the time being, Jiing and
other students in her position will
have to deal with the current com
plications of transferring between
the two schools.
“I hope it all works out for me,”
Jiing said. “I’m just thinking about
my future.”
^iff Dierincjer JlCemorialService
cS/s/er and driendto JKany
Gand felly hi Ulylf
(candles willde providedrJ
J~faywarcf Gflefcf
lofecfnescfay, GfeSruary 21 at 6:30p.m.
Odease feel free to call434-2488 with any questions.
Sponsoreddy Qlniversity of Oreyon jtfousiny and JCappa Delta Sorority
01
Live and Learn
Japanese!
. The Waseda Oregon Programs take North American and interna
tional students to the prestigious Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
for academic programs of Japanese language and comparative US
Japan Societies study:
• Waseda Oregon Summer Japanese Program
July 5 - August 17, 2001
• Waseda Oregon Transnational Program
January 15 - June 23, 2002
Scholarships of up to $1000 are available for the Transnational
Program. For more information, contact:
Waseda Oregon Office
Portland State University
(800) 823-7938 www.wasedaoregon.org
*
We Bake. We Deliver.
South Eugene and U of 0
484-PAPA (7272)
Springfield, Duck's Village, Chase
Village and University Commons Santa Clara/River Road
SB 746-PAPA (7272) 461-PAPA (7272) m
"Papa-Size it" - 30% more pizza only $2!
111180,
2 Good
to Be true
TWO LARGE
2- TOPPING PIZZAS
Papa’s
Choice
ONE LARGE
5-TOPPING PIZZA ONLY
ADD A SECOND LARGE
PIZZA FOR $£599
Clot a story idea?
yjhve us a ca
Effiefald
346-5511