News brief
Unity Dinner and Dance
celebrates MLK Jr.
The Vietnamese Student
Association and the Black
Student Union are joining
forces to sponsor the Unity
Dinner and Dance 6 p.m.
tonight. The evening wraps
up a series of events spon
sored by University groups
this month
in honor of
Dr. Martin
Luther
King Jr.
The fes
tivities be
gin with a
multicul
tural din
ner at 6
p.m. in the
Collier
House. VSA President Phuc
Nguyen is slated as the main
chef. The dance follows from 9
p.m. to 1 a.m. in the EMU Fir
Room. Admission is free.
Organizers are sponsoring
the dinner and dance to cele
brate King’s work and the im
pact he had on unifying
races, BSU co-director Haben
Woldu said.
“We took Martin Luther
King Jr.’s concept of joining
everyone as one nation,” she
said. “We want to show how
well the Vietnamese Student
Association and Black Student
Union can work together.”
For more information about
the Unity Dinner and Dance,
contact University Assistant
Dean of Diversity Programs
Mark Tracy at 346-1139.
— Robin Weber
ASUO lobbies to oppose budget cuts
■Gov. Kitzhaber’s proposed
budget would cut many
grants for student parents
and low income students
By Danielle Gillespie
Oregon Daily Emerald
With financial assistance from
the Childcare Block Grant, single
mother Stefanie Simpson is able to
attend the University full time and
care for her 5-year-old son, Jacob.
But if Gov. John Kitzhaber’s pro
posed budget cut in student-parent
funding is approved, Simpson
may not be able to afford to attend
the University next year.
On Wednesday, Kitzhaber pro
posed a new budget with a 5.5 per
cent cut — $44.5 million — for the
Oregon University System. One of
the proposed budget cuts would
eliminate the Childcare Block
Grant. The grant, which is distrib
uted by Oregon’s Adult and Fami
ly Services pays up to 90 percent
of childcare expenses for student
parents who receive it.
“I feel, especially now, with
Oregon’s unemployment rate so
high that it doesn’t make sense to
cut funding to programs that
would allow Oregonians to have
better access to higher education
and could potentially improve
our economy,” Simpson said.
“For me personally, going to
school is the easy part; being able
to finance it is the difficult part.”
ASUO is working on a lobbying
campaign opposing cuts to the
Childcare Block Grant and other
programs, including the Oregon
Opportunity Grant.
Kitzhaber’s proposed budget in
cludes a $1,300 reduction in the
Oregon Opportunity Grant, which
Adam Jones Emerald
University student Stefanie Simpson and son Jacob play at the Woodleaf Community Center. Proposed state budget cuts threaten her
ability to attend school next year. The budget cut would also affect low-income students who receive financial assistance.
is uisuiuuitju iu row-income siu
dents based on their level of need.
Criteria for the grant are deter
mined by the average Oregon
household’s income and varies
each year.
Theresa Maurer is a single moth
er at the University who receives
the Oregon Opportunity Grant as
part of her financial aid.
“Losing money from my grant
will have an impact,” she said.
“The government is making it
hard for us."
Abuu representatives plan to
speak with legislatures in Salem
during special session hearings
tentatively scheduled for Feb. 8.
ASUO is working on the lobbying
campaign with Lane Community
College and the Oregon Student
Association, which represents
state-funded schools in Oregon.
ASUO’s goal is to send 40 let
ters, 1,000 postcards and make 75
phone calls to two senators and
three house representatives. They
also plan to contact Oregon
House Speaker Mark Simmons
and Kitzhaber before the special
session hearing, ASUO President
Nilda Brooklyn said.
"We are very confident that we
will meet this goal, and we invite
any student to walk into the office
and participate,” she said.
For more information on how
to become involved with the
ASUO lobby campaign, contact
the ASUO office at 346-3724.
E-mail reporter Danielle Gillespie at
daniellegillespie@dailyemerald.com
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