Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
PO. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
www. dailyemerald. com
Friday, November 9,2001
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Yesteryear's Editorial
New Faith
in Students
Action by President Wilson in approving
the creation of a campus budget board
for the allocation of student funds is an
encouraging example of the confidence the
University of Oregon administration is willing
to put in its students.
The new budget will give students the op
portunity — for the first time — to have a say in
how their money is spent. Previously, the allo
cation of student union and educational activi
ties funds was handled by one man, the SU di
rector, who made his recommendations to the
president after consulting
with the various groups
which receive support from
this fund.
Now — through their
representatives on the
budget board — students
can take a more active part
in the important business
of financing the SU board,
the Emerald, Oregana and
Pigger’s Guide, the forensic program and the
music program.
The fact that faculty members will also sit
on the budget board does not imply in any
way that this group is to serve as a rubber
stamp for the administration or its business
office. To the contrary. Students will out-num
ber faculty members, four to three. The faculty
members have been placed on the board to
add mature judgment and lend continuity to
the group.
An elaborate system of checks and balances
has been worked out to ensure fair and equi
table representation of students on the board.
With the exception of the ASUO president,
who is to be an ex-officio member of the board,
the student representatives will have to pass a
rather thorough screening test before being ap
pointed to the board.
None of the student members-at-large are to
be chosen as special representatives of the in
terested groups. Each of the groups will also
have the opportunity to pass on the proposed
nominee to the budget board, much as the U.S.
Senate votes on presidential appointments to
the Supreme Court or to diplomatic posts.
The significance of the plan rests in the ba
sic assumption behind it — that Oregon stu
dents are adults and are capable of deciding
for themselves how money allocated for their
use shall be spent. The administration is to be
commended for its recognition of the impor
tance of students in a phase of campus life,
previously considered the exclusive domain of
faculty.
It will be up to the students — especially the
new members of the budget board — to
demonstrate to the administration that this
faith in the effectiveness of student govern
ment has not been misplaced.
Editor’s note: This column was taken from the Nov. 9,1954
edition of the Oregon Daily Emerald, in honor of the upcoming
ASUO election and to celebrate the fact that students control
the incidental fee. Don’t take it for granted.
University
of Oregon
125th
ANNIVERSARY
Originally
published on
Nov. 9, 1954
Letters to the Editor and
Guest Commentaries Policy
Letters to tfie editor and guest commentaries are
encouraged. Letters are limited to 250words
and guest commentaries to 550 words.
Please include contact information.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit
lor space, grammar and style.
Letters to the editor
Foundation, not University,
footed bill
In the Emerald editorial of Oct. 30, the
Emerald writes, “It seems wrong some
how that it is OK for the University to foot
the bill for luxuries such as catering for
office parties, while students at the Uni
versity are forced to pay for the most basic
items, such as Scantrons and even class
schedules” (“Let ethics regulate deci
sions,” ODE, 10/30).
There is a factual error in this sentence.
The University of Oregon Foundation
“footed the bill” in question. The Foun
dation is a completely separate entity
from the University. The Foundation is
supported by private donations. The Uni
versity is supported by public money, tu
ition, research grants, etc. The Founda
tion and the University have entirely
different functions, legal obligations and
financial structures.
It is crucial to draw the distinction be
tween the Foundation and the University
— and that difference is relevant to the
“ethics” involved. The University did not
“foot the bill.” The Foundation did.
Peter B. Gilkey
University professor
mathematics
Cover photo was offensive
The Emerald cover photo on Nov. 2 is
totally unacceptable (“She’s a ‘Virgin Vir
gin,” ODE, 11/2). I thought the Emerald
was considered a sophisticated paper, rep
resenting the students of the University
and not a representation of trashy images.
The cover photo is condescending not
only to those who believe in Jesus and
Mary and have them in their hearts as sa
cred figures, but also to women in gener
al. What kind of double messages are we
giving to our University students?
Women and men?
It seems the Madonna/slut image is
alive and well here! A confusing picture
of mixed messages where “no” could be
“yes” sexual connotations. No wonder
the rapes and sexual abuse on campuses
are soaring today.
It seems we are trying to free the
women in Afghanistan from the Taliban
ruling of burkas and no identity, but at the
same time here at home we are no differ
ent in our views about women. Even the
University Bookstore is selling bubble
baths and hand lotions intended for the
virgin/slut woman (depending on her
mood that day). Please check it out if you
have a chance.
I hope more people become aware of how
serious this issue is and don't take it lightly.
Irini Papantoniou
Eugene
Afghanistan is another Hiroshima
Due to U.S. bombing, dust storms
blowing through Afghanistan will con
tain micron-sized particles of radioactive
uranium oxide. Uranium-238 is used in
Tomahawk cruise missiles to provide
weight and stability and in anti-tank mis
siles and armor-piercing bombs.
Radioactive dust causes cancer from
breathing or ingesting it and causes congen
ital defects in newborn babies, as in Iraq, Yu
goslavia and children of Gulf War veterans.
After the bombing of Yugoslavia, many
NATO soldiers in Kosovo started devel
oping leukemia. This story appeared
briefly in Europe and on the back pages
of U.S. newspapers. Then it disappeared.
If significant U.S. ground forces are
used in Afghanistan, there will be Afghan
syndrome like Persian Gulf syndrome or
Agent Orange illness. As usual, the U.S.
military is dropping food. What nauseat
ing hypocrisy! Feed them, then make
their country a radioactive hellhole, giv
ing them cancer and deformed babies.
This is the fourth atomic war. U.S. me
dia couldn’t cover up Hiroshima and Na
gasaki because these were chain reaction
explosions of uranium-235 and plutoni
um-239. However, they’re doing a mag
nificent job covering up slow-motion “Hi
roshimas” that are Iraq, Yugoslavia and
now Afghanistan. None amongst the mil
itary and terrorism experts on CNN and
Fox has even mentioned depleted urani
um or uranium -238. This has gone from
media manipulation to colossal evil. If
widely known to the world’s people, it
would show that the U.S. government
and ruling class are far greater terrorists
than Osama bin Laden.
Gary Sudborough
Bellflower, Calif.
U.S. must overthrow Iran’s rulers
The Wall Street Journal and The New
York Times have reported mass demon
strations in Iran over the past few weeks
against the ruling theocracy. Hundreds of
thousands of Iranians have participated in
these protests against the ruling mullahs
that have repressed them for 22 years.
This is a very positive sign and could
mean a real step forward in the “War on
Terrorism. ” Iran is the world's largest state
sponsor of terrorism (according to a U.S.
State Department report) and is a birth
place of die radical Islamic movement.
The U.S. government should do every
thing in its power to support this revolt
and the overthrow of the brutal theocratic
regime in Iran.
- Tony Biz
Oakland, Calif.
Restaurant reviewer
reveals real rankings
I know there’s world-shaking news to
worry about, and I’ve tried to keep per
spective, but all tragedies are ultimately
personal and I need your help, viz., pub
lishing this letter, to avert a personal/pro
fessional cataclysm.
Source of my Armageddon was John
Liebhardt’s piece about me (and Dinah)
in your restaurant guide. When he asked
to interview me, I asked myself, what can
it hurt? Post-publication, the answer ap
peared: I lost all credibility as a restaurant
reviewer, my friends have deserted me,
my own family hates me. Only you can
help now.
Liebhardt made one teeny mistake: He
asked me for my top restaurants. I
dithered (admitted) but gave my list, 10 or
so. He followed up by asking about good
places, often overlooked. I listed a few. hi
print, Liebhardt led up to the tops — but
printed the second list. Result? I can’t go
out to dinner in my favorite places.
For the (corrected) record, my top
restaurants for Eugene, in no particular or
der (each is fine for something it does ex
ceptionally well), would include: Marche,
Zenon, Adam’s Place, Bamboo, Locomd
tive, Beppe & Gianni’s, Ambrosia, Excel
sior, Soriah, Ring of Fire, SweetWaters,
Oregon Electric Station and a bunch more.
Thanks for setting the record straight,
If you print this, maybe I can sleep inside
the house again.
Lance Sparks
Class of 76
Respect different opinions of war
Gone are the days when people re
spected other people’s opinions, whether
they agreed with them or not. In response
to Mr. Williams’ rather harsh response
(“We must annihilate states that breed ter
rorists,” ODE, 11/01) to my letter, I strong
ly feel the need to defend myself.
First of all, my intention when present
ing the question of the U.S. response to
the attacks was supposed to be to get peo
ple to think a little bit harder about the ex
tremity of the method. It was meant to be
food for thought. I don’t support terror
ism in any way, shape or form. I think it’s
the worst of all evils and it should be done
away with.
But I don’t believe that we should stoop
to the level of “shoot-em-up, no-holds
barred” barbarianism. For me, being a
“friend of peace” means that I believe we
should handle this in a more civilized way
—as in by working through the system.
There’s really no need for back-biting
here. I respect Williams’ opinion that
something needs to be done to end terror
ism, but there’s really no need to person
ally attack me for questioning the method
that Bush chose. *
Sarah Hatstat
junior
English
Peter Utsey Emerald
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