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a'"' Wf4 2001]
Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTAR
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
UO needs to apologize
for donation scandal
The State of Oregon Audits
Division released its audit
of selected University op
erations this month, cov
ering spending between March and
July 2000, and revealed some un
fortunate and embarrassing depart
ment spending. Auditors reported
that money given through dona
tions was meant for academic im
provements in individual depart
ments. Instead, donations intended
to benefit students were wasted on
birthday cakes, office parties, alco
hol, airline tickets and a car insur
ance premium for the dean ofthe
law school.
Not only is this bad public and
donor relations, it may put the
spendthrift University in a nega
tive light when the Oregon legisla
ture decides to delegate funds to
higher education. At a time when
the campus is debating academic
vs. athletic funding, maintaining
academic donor confidence
should naturally be a high priority.
The audit said the sum for ques
tionable and prohibited use of
donor funds totaled $26,694, while
department procurement spending
totaled $13,835. The audit also
found that during the 1999 calen
dar year, the University made more
than 9,000 transactions on procure
m ent cards—Uni versi t y cred i t
cards—tota 1 i ng about $1.23 m i 1
lion. Eighteen percent ofthose
transactions were prohibited by
law, according to the audit. Equally
disturbing was a report that 83 of
the 90 procurement card state
ments under scrutiny did not have
an authorized signature.
Addressing concerns about
spending in the Sept. 17 issue of the
Emerald, University Vice President
of Administration Dan Williams
said that "those are not expenses
that have been to the personal bene
fit of any of the individuals. Those
expensesare incurred forthe pur
pose of attracting donors.” It’s hard
to believe that about a car insurance
premium.
To his credit, Williams has
been taking careful steps to re
solve the situation, including
teaching about the use of pro
curement cards and revising
policies and procedures. These
are good first steps, but there
has been no effort to reassure
donors the situation will not re
peat itself.
The University Foundation
raised $35 million last year, and the
money is supposed to be used in
congruence with donor intent.
Donors are not likely giving money
to support personal monthly bills,
birthday cakes or flower arrange
ments, which all benefited the indi
viduals who abused their authority.
It is time the departments
come clean about their spend
ing habits, apologize to donors
and return the money. In this
time of economic uncertainty,
the University cannot afford to
play bait-and-switch games
with coveted donation money.
Students short on cash
can still offer assistance
The recent tragedies of the terror
ist attacks on the East Coast have
had a heavy toll both physically
and emotionally on all Americans.
A time ot national crisis warrants
all citizens to come together and
fulfill our civic duty to help those
devastated by the tragedy.
The Emerald firmly believes each
individual can make a positive dif
ference in the lives of those who
have lost so much. Students are of
ten on a tight budget, and many may
feel there is little they can do with
out the cash to make donations.
Here are a few suggestions:
• The bloodmobile, an exten
sion of Lane Memorial Blood
Bank, will be on campus in Oc
tober for students to contribute
blood. More details will be forth
coming. The Blood Bank is
booked with donor appoint
ments through October, but we
urge you to flood the bloodmo
bile with donations.
• The American Red Cross is
taking donations of food, cloth
ing and money to help with dis
aster relief efforts. Join with other
students and hold a canned food
or clothing drive.
•Lighting candles, holding vigils
and remembering spirits of fallen
heroes are important ways to cope
with the tragedy, while bringing the
community together.
• Talking with peers about the sit
uation is a healthy wav to gain per
spective, comprehend the issues
and cope with the tragedy. Open fo
rums such as the one held in the
EMU Amphitheater following Pres
ident George W. Bush’s Sept. 21
speech are imperative for the com
munity to discuss America’s re
sponse to the attacks. The Student
Activities Resource Office is offer
ing another opportunity for peersto
talk — from noon to 1 p.m. Monday
through Wednesday in the Ben Lin
der Roomofthe EMU. Students can
share their experiences, ask ques
tions, learn about resources and
connect with others.
Volunteering time and energy
to each other may be the most dif
ficult accomplishment in our
country’s period of mourning, but
it is necessary so that we may
unite as a community to help
those in pain and devastation.
Editorial Policy
These editorials represent the opinion of the Emerald editorial board.
Responses can be sent to editor@dailyemerald.com. Letters to the editor and
guest commentaries are encouraged. Letters are limited to 250 words and
guest commentaries to 550 words. Please include contact information. The
Emerald reserves the right to edit for space, grammar and style.
Sept. 11 changed everything
A chi Id's birthday is a time
for celebration and happi
ness. Birthdays mean
cake, presents and having
fun with family and friends. This
year my sister didn’t have a birthday.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11,2001, my sister
Kari turned 13, but there was no cele
bration. Instead of blowing out the
candles on her birthday cake, she
was left wondering why people
would attack the country she calls
home. The meaning of my sister’s
birthday has now forever changed,
and so has America.
We may never be able to hear a
plane fly overhead without stretch
ing our necks to see where it is going.
We can no longer comfortably sit on
an airplane
when it goes
through a pock
et ofturbulence.
Going up into a
skyscraper now
requires a sec
ond thought, as
does walking
underneath one.
Checking in for
aflightorcross
ing the border
Oliver may now take
Columnist hours instead of
-minutes. The
phrase “Breaking News” now will
send a shiver up our spine.
Fear, though, should not be the
only change. Not long after the World
Trade Center towers crumbled to the
ground, America responded. People
were risking their own lives just on
the short hope they could help some
one they had never met. In a time
where family budgets were begin
ning to tighten, enough money was
found to make that small donation
that would mean so much. Then
there were those who simply raised
the American flag and said a prayer.
This is the America that the origi
nal patriots of our country fought for.
Not the one where parents punch Lit
tle League umpires, frivolous law
suits tie up the courts and the welfare
system is abused. The way we heal
from the wound created by the four
hijacked airplanes iswhat beingan
American isall about.
Peter Utsey Emerald
f or our generation, this is the first
time our livelihood as Americans
has been severely threatened. For
us, America is now a country where
“The Star-Spangled Banner” isn't
immediately followed by the words
“play ball,” but rather a moment of
reflection. The American flag is now
much more than just a holiday deco
ration — it is a symbol of pride, re
spect and remembrance.
The easiest way to kill the giant is
to attack it while it is already down.
As Americans, we can never afford
our freedom to look vulnerable. It is
n’t a coincidence that these acts of
terrorism occurred on the brink of a
recession, a national election that
made us look like fools, and years
upon years of members of Congress
appearing to do nothing but bicker
with each other. Our coimtry must
now put bipartisanship behind us. It
doesn’t matter if you voted for Al
Gore, Ralph Nader or even Pat
Buchanan last November. George W.
Bush is our president now, and his
decisions must be respected. Ameri
ca is a place where free expression is
allowed and encouraged, but there is
a point when it begins to untie the
strength of our country.
This is why the American flags
that now cover our country must fly
forever. We already fly flags at our
schools, government buildings and
stadiums, and they should remain on
the backs of our favorite athletes, on
the porches of our homes and on the
antennae of our cars. Every day when
we look at the flag, we should all be
grateful for the simple things that we
enjoy in this country', and we should
do it together as one.
Sept. 11,2001, will always be re
membered as the day American free
dom was threatened, but it will also
be remembered as the day America
grew stronger. What happened on
Sept. 11 shouldn’t be remembered
just once a year. That is what birth
days are for. It should be remembered
every day when we look at the Amer
ican flag and think of those Ameri
cans who died when someone tried
to take our freedom away.
Jeff Oliver is a columnist forthe Oregon Daily
Emerald. His opinions do not necessarily re
flect those of the Emerald. He can be reached
at jeffoliver@dailyemerald.com.
On Our Minds..
On Sept. 21, President
George W. Bush
addressed Congress
about the terrorist
attacks on the United
States
and the forthcoming
American reaction.
After the speech,
students gathered in the
EMU Amphitheater in an
impromptu open forum
to discuss America’s
response. These are
some of the comments:
“I keep hearing that we all just want
one world and one centralized
government. But you look at a map,
and there’s borders. I’ve heard
nationalism is bad — it’s amazing to
me how tar we’ve gone, that loving
your country is bad.”
Jarrett White
sophomore, Business
"Loving your country for what
they’ve done for you is one thing. I
love this county because I have the
right to dissent.”
Sam Hahn
resident, Eugene
Adam Jones Emerald
“I think it’s also disgusting that if
we do go to war and our armed
forces do kill civilians, that Bush
said they’ll ‘make us proud.’”
Theresa Cvenca
graduate student,
international studies
and French