Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2001)
www.dailyemerald.com An independent newspaper Double the fun * Both men's and women's track teams secure wins against the Huskies at Hayward. PAGE 7A Monday April 16,2001 Volume 102, Issue 128 Weather today Trick or treaty More than 100 students gather to debate the issues of a potentially new free trade agreement. PAGE 5A high 59, low45 3INLfc I 3UU UNIVERSITY OF UREG ON EUGENE, OREGON Russell WeNer Emerald Candidates square off in election Inside It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to election rules. PAGE 3A ■ Bringing their fellow students into the fold of the ASUO is among the top priorities of Executive hopefuls Bret Jacobson and Matt Cook By Emily Gust Oregon Daily Emerald As self-proclaimed “outsiders,” ASUO Execu tive candidates Bret Jacobson and Matt Cook have hit the campaign trail with a commitment to pro fessionalism tucked in their pockets. And promising a civil and respectable execu tive office, they have built much of them cam paign around initiating fellow “outsiders” into the workings of the ASUO. “We would behave as professionally and with as much integrity as possible to leave the average stu dent with a better impression of the ASUO,” Jacob Turn to Jacobson, page 4A ■ Clearing up the misunderstandings surrounding the Student Incidental Fee is first on Executive candidate Nilda Brooklyn’s ‘to do’ list By Beata Mostafavi Oregon Daily Emerald The letters A, S, U, and O may not mean much to the average student, but candidates Nilda Brooklyn and Joy Nair said they plan to show campus that the Associated Students of the University of Oregon does have a purpose. After working with the program for two years, the candidates said perhaps the ASUO’s function on campus has not been as clear as it could be to outsiders. “We haven’t been able to tell the average stu dent, ‘Yeah, we’re working for you,’” Nair said. Turn to Brooklyn, page 4A Survey targets minority voice ■A student survey was recently distributed to help the administration assess campus diversity accurately, with program alterations to follow By Andrew Adams Oregon Daily Emerald Through looking at results from several previous studies, the University administration already knows the demographic breakdown of students on campus — almost 70 percent are white — but a new survey aims to see what the campus at mosphere is like for minority students. Sponsored by the offices of the vice president and student and multicultural affairs, a four-page survey was recently sent out to a random sample of 5,500 students in an attempt to see how diversity is viewed on cam pus. “What the purpose is is to get a snap shot of what students and faculty really think of the diversity atmosphere,” said Chicora Martin, director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Education al Support Service in the Office of Student Life. She said the survey is unique in that it will get “to the heart of a lot of under represented populations on campus,” by focusing not only on ethnic minorities but also on those with different sexual orientations and disabilities. Martin said results from the survey will be compiled by the end of final exams week and studied throughout the summer. She said she was confident that by fall term 2001, the results of the survey would be in and new diversity pro grams would be implemented or existing ones would be modified. Minority students, Martin said, should then take advantage of the survey. “If they want a voice, it’s a great way to get a voice and make change,” she said. University Advocate and Director of Multicultural Affairs Carla Gary said she was looking forward to a plethora of in formation that the University could use to ensure an accom modating campus. “It’s a wonderful idea, and it’s a survey we’ve needed to do for quite awhile,” she said. Gary said there has been a growing “hostile environ ment” in classrooms toward students who bring up diver sity issues. She said she has heard that when students bring up issues from a minority viewpoint, some students respond with annoyance or are dismissive of those stu dents. With the survey, Gary said the University will be able to Turn to Diversity, page 4A Visiting professors contribute unique perspectives I he university is home to several professors who have come to campus from across the globe to share their knowledge By Brooke Ross Oregon Daily Emerald Sansakrit Vichitlekarn left everything he knew behind when he moved from Thailand to Eu gene in 1994. The visiting assis tant professor of accounting, who his students fondly refer to as “Stan the Man,” said he had never been far from his hometown of Bangkok prior to the move. “The first day here I felt it was a culture shock,” he said. “But I felt warmly welcomed and continue to feel that way.’’Vichitlekarn is just one of several University pro fessors who travel from all over the world to teach in Eugene. While Vichitlekarn left his coun try for the first time only a few years ago, some professors spent their childhood living on other continents before moving to the States, and others left the U.S. to teach in another country before trying out their teaching skills in America.Vichitlekarn studied at the University and earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees. He began teaching this year after grad uating last summer. While he said he has enjoyed his seven years in Eugene, he is planning to return to Thailand after spring quarter. “I’d just like to go back to my mother country,” he said. “But I’d love to come back to the States someday.” He said because his country helped pay for his schooling here, he must go back and teach for 12 years, which is double the amount of time he spent in school in Ore gon. He already has a teaching po sition lined up at Skasetsart Uni versity in Bangkok. “Once you know you’re going back home, you miss it more,” he said. Although he is looking forward to being home, Vichitlekam said he will miss Oregon and the rela tionships he’s formed, such as the one with his host family, who he lived with when he first arrived in Eugene. When his father passed away in 1997, Vichitlekarn said his host mother in particular was very sup portive. “She took care of everything and was willing to sacrifice her job to take care of me,” he said. Vichitlekarn said he will also miss his students. “I love being with them,” he said. “I feel happy when I’m sur rounded by them.” However, the international di versity among the University’s fac ulty does not end with Vi Turn to Professors, page 5A Once you know you're going back home, you miss it more. Sansakrit Vichitlekarn assistant professor of accounting
