http://www.dailyemerald.com
Monday, June 3,2002
Since 1 900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 103, Issue 163
“Someone yelled that the cops were coming, and everybody ran out to the middle of the street. ”
—Alicia Spitzer, freshman at Lane Community College
Tyler Hayward for the Emerald
Police arrest UO students, break up riot
■ Rioters fill Patterson Street on Friday night
after a block party turns out of control
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Several police officers were injured and 11 people were
arrested after a block party spilled into the streets late Fri
day and escalated into a riot, which left a two-block stretch
of Patterson Street littered with broken glass, tipped trash
cans and uprooted street signs.
The first police officers arrived at 11:30 p.m. and were
quickly overwhelmed by angry partygoers, who threw
bottles and rocks at patrol cars, according to police and
area residents.
“They were throwing stuff directly at the cops,” said D.J.
Y Fuller, a University junior who lives at 17th Avenue and
Patterson Street, where the riot occurred.
Fuller said one officer backed his patrol car north down
Patterson Street and waited for reinforcements while riot
ers, emboldened by the retreat, gathered outside.
But by the time officers arrived with riot gear, they faced
as many as 500 student-age people in the streets.
“Someone yelled that the cops were coming, and
Turn to Riot, page 8
(Top) Brady Lane, a
sophomore at Lane
Community College,
kneels by a pile of
burning street signs,
branches and
garbage in the middle
of 17th Avenue near
Patterson Street.
Lane was one
of 11 people arrested
when a block party
turned into a riot
Friday night.
(Left) Eugene Police
officers in full riot
gear rush to help
officers who were
being pelted with
bottles, cans and
rocks. Officers from
Eugene, Springfield,
Coburg and state
police departments
assisted Friday night.
Tyler Hayward for the Emerald
EMU Master Plan looks to redesign
for increased accessibility, appeal
Students,
architects
and EMU users
plan for a
redesigned
student union
to better serve
the campus
community
By Caron Alarab
Oregon Daily Emerald
An information desk, fireplaces, so
lar panels, a duck pond, better signs
and more parking are just a few of the
ideas suggested by University repre
sentatives and registered architects
during the first stage of the renovation
project in store for the University’s 52
year-old student union.
The EMU Master Plan, hatched
among EMU administrators, will de
termine how the building can best
support students and the campus
community during the next 20 years
through a new vision and recom
mended adjustments in organization,
accessibility and appeal.
During the first stage, the project’s
core team — a group of 10 University
building users, faculty and students
from the EMU Board has been seeking
input on the goals, qualities and charac
teristics for a re-designed EMU.
The project team — a trio of selec
tively chosen architects hired to head
the Master Plan — has already hosted
a series of focus groups, town meetings
and online surveys during the past few
weeks and plans to continue them as
part of “Consensus Building,” the
Turn to Master Plan, page 6
Fireworks incident ignites fire in residence hall room
Members of the Eugene police and
fire departments responded to Hamil
ton Complex on Friday night after a
group of students set a mattress on
fire in Watson Hall.
University Housing Director Mike
Eyster said between three and five
students were playing with fireworks
and poppers inside a room when the
mattress caught fire.
Eyster said the students pulled the
mattress into the hall and then put
out the fire* which saved the room
from more extensive damage.
, Much of the personal properly in
the double-occupancy room was
damaged or destroyed, but other
items, such as the students' comput
ers* went undamaged.
*1 was actually very surprised,"
Eyster said. “This room was in very
good shape.”
Eyster said Housing will probably
have to replace the carpet and treat
and repaint the walls from the smoke
and fxre damage.
Eugene Police Department officers
questioned the students Friday night,
and Eyster offered the students living
there another room, but both said
they could make arrangements to stay
with friends.
Eyster would not comment on what
disciplinary action the students could
face, but he said similar past incidents
have resulted in resident eviction. The
students could also face separate con
sequences from the University’s stu
dent judicial affairs committee.
—Jemmy Lang