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E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com
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Thursday, November 15,2001
Editor in Chief:
Jessica Blanchard
Managing Editor:
Michael J. Kleckner
Editorial Editor:
Julie Lauderbaugh
Assistant Editorial Editor:
Jacquelyn Lewis
Editorial
Resolution
for sports is on
the right track
grams, especially football, are embroiled in. Across
the nation, university sports departments are hying
desperately to compete with each other—perhaps
more off the field than on. It’s a contest of who can
build the best stadiums and sports facilities, and who
can get them the fastest.
One aspect of the “contest” worthy of concern is
the academic programs that may see adverse effects
because of increased funding and attention to col
lege sports. Students who go to college planning to
focus on academics rather than athletics feel they
are short-changed.
A resolution approved by the University Senate
last May that called for containing rapidly inflating
sports department budgets is a good way to address
the issue. The resolution was written by James Earl,
a University English professor and former senate
president, along with faculty senate presidents at
each of the Pac-10 schools.
In addition to the University, the resolution has
been approved at seven other Pac-10 schools. The
Big-10 schools agreed to the resolution last week,
and are sending the resolution to individual
schools for review.
This is definitely a step in the right direction —
while capping ridiculously huge athletic depart
ment budgets is an excellent idea, it won’t work if
universities don’t more get involved. School offi
cials around the nation need to take a serious look
at the petition, rather than writing it off as a simple
complaint from faculty members.
Sports programs can be good for universities.
Good teams and well-funded programs may attract
potential students. However, the current “arms
race” between athletic departments can only lead to
the erosion and eventual destruction of academic
programs.
The University is planning to combat this with
sports programs becoming self sufficient, but that
won’t happen for years. Giant budget increases need
I to be quelled now, and the only way to do that is if
i universities take a focused, serious look at their
l sports budgets as well as the complaints surround
i ing them — and the University Senate’s resolution.
o Ducks! ” Well, sort of. While many stu
dents are cheering on our sports teams,
'they may not realize the extent of the
complexities University sports pro
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Julie Lautierbau{$
editorial editor
managing editor
Gabe Shaughnessy
community representative
• : ' ' /■
Jacquelyn Lewis
assistant editorial editor
Grant Leff ler
community representative
Thomas Patterson
newsroom representative
Steve Baggs Emerald
MATCHMAKING
Although the terrorism of two
months ago is still fresh in
the minds of many, at least
one good thing may come of
the tragedy: the demise of reality tele
vision.
Shows on CBS, such as “The Amaz
ing Race” and Fox’s “Love Cruise”
were postponed from airing directly af
ter the attacks. The reality of Sept. 11 is
much more sobering than any con
trived television show, but that hasn’t
stopped executives from trying.
The Fox Network, who has deliv
ered such jewels as “Boot Camp,”
“Temptation Island” and “Murder in
Small Town X,” is now wowing audi
ences with its latest endeavor, “I
Want a Wife: Alaska.”
The series will follow four metropol
itan women, weary of their own urban
noncommittal men, as they head to
Alaska in hopes of finding their perfect
mates. During each episode, the
women will date one man each and
then decide whether to “save” any of
the men or eliminate them from the
dating pool. Before the men find out
which one is eliminated, they’ll have a
chance to propose to the women, if
they want to.
Apparently, the premise is that the
women will fly in and a gaggle of “real
men” will be awaiting them on an ice
berg — no kidding. Everybody knows
that “real men” live in Alaska, and
supposedly they’re eager to marry city
slickers from the lower 48.
The concept of the Alaska show
stems from the network’s success of the
“Who Wants to Marry a Multimillion
aire?” debacle, in
which Darva Conger
was chosen from a
pool of 50 brides-to
be by Rick Rock
well. Fox seems
content to be taking
another shot at the
matrimonial reality
game despite the
bad publicity from
the very public di
vorce of Conger and
Rockwell, who was
later discovered to
be a penniless fraud.
That marriage didn’t
last, and I doubt any
union between Hollywood wannabes
posing as “city girls” and “wilderness
men” will be any different.
Are women so desperate for hus
bands in North America that they are
forced to go man-hunting in the freez
ing tundra of the Alaskan wilderness?
Lauderbaugh
editorial editor
Apparently, urban men don’t have the
desired brand of manliness, as defined
by Fox. To prove manhood on the
show, the men will have to endure
tests of strength such as standing in
freezing water for 20 minutes, killing
bears with their bare hands and win
ning the Iditarod (just kidding about
those last two).
Call me crazy, but I thought man
hood had a lot more to do with non
physical attributes, such as being re
sponsible, having maturity and
respecting oneself and others. But ex
ploring true ideals of manhood
wouldn’t make a very interesting “re
ality” TV show.
As far as Fox goes, the network will
likely continue its string of reality tele
vision on a lower scale out of sensitivi
ty to Sept. 11. Numbing viewers with
empty storylines and equally void ac
tors seems to be the trend among most
shows in this time of mourning.
Perhaps this break from America’s
current depressing brand of “reality” is
welcome, even if it’s at the expense of
retaining the integrity of single city
dwellers and Alaskan residents.
Julie Lauderbaugh is the editorial editor for the
Oregon Daily Emerald. Her views do not necessarily
reflect those of the Emerald. She can be reached at
julielauderbaugh@dailyemerald.com.
I