Wednesday, May 15,2002
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 103, Issue 151
“I like hitting people. ”
— Kasche Brooks, sophomore Smoker competitor
Jonathan House Emerald
Kevin Kevebede, right, talks some smack to his opponent, Eric ‘Killer Bee’ Wilson, center, during introductions of the boxer pairings for the Smoker tournament. Kevebede and
Wilson will represent the heavyweight division in the Smoker and will fight in one of fifteen matches tonight at McArthur Court.
Float like a butterfly,
sting like a greek
■The Smoker, an amateur boxing charity
event, is sponsored by the Interfraternity
Council and the Panhellenic Council
By John Liebhardt
Oregon Daily Emerald
As her term as ASUO vice president rushes
to a close, Joy Nair is ready to let out some
steam and kick some ass.
Today, in front of the expected 2,000
screaming fans, she will get her chance. Nair
is one of the 30 contestants in the Smoker, an
annual amateur boxing event held in
McArthur Court where wannabe student
pugilists enter the ring and punch each other
in the name of charity.
“I’m so ready, it’s the only thing on my
mind,” Nair said.
The Smoker will consist of nine matches
between men and six matches between
women boxers. Because the event is not
sanctioned as a tournament, each boxer will
fight in only one match.
The event, sponsored by the
Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic
Council, is a fundraiser for the Lane County
YMCA Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.
Tickets can be purchased at the EMU ticket
office for $6 or bought at the door for $8.
Doors will open at 5 p.m., and the fights will
get under way at 6 p.m.
Last year’s event raised $3,000, but IFC
Vice President of Programs and Community
Service Todd Brink said he hopes to bring in
at least $10,000.
Many boxers admit they have never boxed
before and are strictly doing it for the spirit of
charity. However, with ring names like “Bizzel
fo’ shizzel,” “Chewy” and Nair’s own moniker,
the “Fijian Fighter,” today’s matches could
recreate the spirit of the great Muhammad Ali
and George Foreman fights of the past.
“I’ve wanted to do this for the past two
years,” junior Phillip Lopez said. Lopez said he
is most excited about boxing in front of the
screaming fans at Mac Court.
“That’s pretty exciting, as opposed to
(boxing) in the backyard,” he said.
However, some boxers admit they just want
to kick some butt.
“I like hitting people,” sophomore Kasche
Brooks said. “I have quite a bit of experience. I
have quite a few brothers.”
Many of the boxers have been working out,
sparring with one another trying to prepare for
their matches. Rory Baarsted, a coach at West
Eugene Boxing Club, has been helping the
boxers train and prepare for their fight.
Each fight will consist of three one
minute rounds separated by a one-minute
rest period. Each boxer will wear head gear
and a mouthpiece and use 12-ounce gloves,
which is normal weight for boxers more than
156 pounds.
Baarsted said no matter the weight class, 12
ounce gloves pack a lot of punch.
“They’re going to feel it,” he said.
The event will be scored by three judges, and
a referee will officiate each match. Each boxer
will also have a coach in his or her corner.
Brink said the judges are sanctioned by USA
Boxing and will be judging matches the same
as any amateur boxing event. The judges will
look for clear violations, such as hitting below
the belt or to the back of the head. They will
count each legal hit as a point, and in case there
is no knockout, the boxer with the most points
will win, Brink said.
Doctors will give each contestant a pre- and
post-fight physical exam, and emergency
medical technicians and ambulances will be
standing by, Brink said.
While the ambulance is the last thing on
most boxers’ minds, veterans of last year’s fight
said the fight is much more strenuous and
stressful than it sounds.
The 1-minute rounds “are definitely longer
than they sound,” senior Jacob Hale said. “You
Turn to Smoker, page 3
Fighting for a cause
Tonight's Smoker is expected to raise $10,000
for chanty.
Here’s a look at other top greek chanty fund-raisers:
• Anchor Splash, sponsored by Delta Gamma
sorority Tuesday, raised money for Aid to the Blind.
Final totals were not available, but Director Erin
Hickey estimated the event raised more than $5,000.
♦ Derby Days, sponsored by Sigma Chi fraternity in
October, raised about $10,000for the Children’s
Miracle Network
♦The Mr, Greek contest, sponsored by Alpha Phi
sorority, raised more than $5,000 iast year for the
Cardiac Care Unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center,
Totals from this year's event, held in April, have
not been calculated.
• “Kasanovas” of Karaoke, sponsored by Chi
Omega sorority in April, raised about $2,000 for the
Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• The Fie Social, sponsored by Pi Beta Phi
sorority in February, raised about $2,000 for Links
to Literacy
**~tKana Co&sw&ll
Finalists
for OlIS’
top job
visit UO
■ OUS chancellor candidates
Peter Hoff, Warren Fox and
Richard S. Jarvis begin a series of
visits to Oregon’s seven campuses
By Serena Markstrom
Oregon Daily Emerald
The three top contenders to re
place the most powerful higher ed
ucation official in the state began a
tour of the Oregon University Sys
tem campuses Tuesday with a visit
to the University of Oregon.
The finalists, Peter S. Hoff, War
ren H. Fox and Richard S. Jarvis ,
are vying to become the next chan
cellor of the Oregon University Sys
tem, replacing Chancellor Joe Cox.
Each candidate has his own itin
erary, which includes visiting all
seven universities in the system
this week. They made appearances
to speak with members of the press
at the University Knight Law Center
Tuesday morning.
A State Board of Higher Educa
tion selection committee plans to
make a decision by the end of May.
Warren H. Fox
Part of Warren H. Fox’s job as
executive director of the Califor
nia Postsecondary Education
Commission is heading a
statewide agency responsible for
making budget and policy deci
sions for California’s colleges and
universities.
One of his priorities as OUS
chancellor would be to keep higher
education accessible. “California
and Oregon are still good bargains
when it comes to tuition levels,”
Fox said.
As the leader of the seven OUS
schools, he said he would empha
size partnerships with presidents
of the universities, as well as build
stronger relationships with com
munity colleges.
“There’s so much to do in high
er education, we need to be part
ners,” said Fox, who before mov
ing to California was the vice
chancellor for academic affairs in
the University and Community
College System of Nevada.
Peter S. Hoff
Peter S. Hoff has been the presi
dent of the University of Maine
since 1997, and taking the job as
chancellor would require him to
switch perspectives.
“The chancellor job, more than
anything else, is to rally support,”
Hoff said, noting that a president’s
job is to advocate for his or her indi
vidual school but not necessarily
the system as a whole.
A priority for Hoff as chancellor
would be striking a balance be
tween access to education and
quality of education.
“In order to have a truly enlight
Turn to Chancellor, page 3