News
The Cultural Forum will help turn things
Inside/Out at the McDonald Theatre.
Page 4
Sports
Oregon’s young women’s track team
has high expectations for 2003.
PageQ
Fridayjune 7,2002
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 103, Issue 167
!
Students are
expected to hit
the books
particularly hard
during Dead
Week, but many
unused desks
remain Thursday
evening at the
Knight Library.
Studies show
grades have been
rising over the
past several
years, but there
is no evidence
that students
have been
studying more.
Earning their marks
Thomas Patterson Emerald
On the nS6
■ Recent statistics from the Office
of the Registrar indicate that
students’ grades are increasing
By Lisa Toth
Oregon Daily Emerald
An A is meant to stand for academ
ic achievement, hard work and care
ful thought — given to only the best
and brightest in the classroom.
But grade statistics from the Office
of the Registrar show that, from 1995
to 2001, students have consistently
been receiving more A’s and fewer B’s
and C’s each year. Fall term grade dis
tribution reports show that about 4
percent more undergraduates are get
ting A’s than they were seven years
ago, up from 26.4 to about 30 percent.
Many individual departments have
seen similar increases.
Although difficult to define, grade
inflation has been a buzzword in
higher education for years. Universi
ty officials and professors have a few
ideas why more students are scoring
higher marks, but they haven’t found
one overall cause.
Jim Buch, associate vice president
in Enrollment Services, said grade in
flation at the University may not be
uniform and could just be occurring
in a few departments.
But many departments graduating
Turn to Grading, page 7A
grading breakdown
Economics
SBH
A's
B's
Hi
total
As
B’S
er$
total
A’s
Bs
■1
Hi
B’s
total
As
B’s
C’s
Fall 1995
18.6%
#3^%
26,8%
1,454
20.1%
44.8%
20.1 %
4,761
16.2%
40.2%
254%
1,616
19.9%
142%
21.9%
1,847
24.1%
30%
20 1%
total 2,420
112002
19.2%
27.8%
28.3%
1,515
30.2%
43.1%
14.9%
3,972
24.1%
44.6%
15.8%
2,029
26.5%
37.5%
21.5%
2,320
24.6%
34,6%
18.5%
1,995
IJO Cultural Forum secures new coordinator
■A highly-qualified professorfrom
Arizona State will take over as program
coordinator for the UO Cultural Forum
By Kara Cogswell
Oregon Daily Emerald
An Arizona State University professor will
be the next program coordinator of the UO
Cultural Forum.
Justina Parsons-Bemstein, an instructor in
the ASU history department, was chosen out
of five finalists for the position. Each candidate
gave a public presentation on campus and
spent a day in interviews with adrtiinistrators
» ‘ * and Cultural Forum student coordinators; * * «
A search committee composed of stu
dents and staff members recommended Par
sons-Bernstein to EMU Director of Student
Activities Gregg Lobisser, who made the
final decision.
Lobisser said there were many good appli
cants for the position, but Parsons-Bemstein
seemed to be the best choice because of her
broad experience with cultural programs.
“She has a very extensive background in
cultural programming,” he said. “It isn’t very
easily characterized because much of it has
been done as a consultant, if you will.”
She is currently the editor of the H-Amin
dian Listserv and Websites, a venue for
•scholars and native peoples to consider and
communicate about the history, culture,
ideas and events relating to indigenous peo
ples from the North Pole to South America.
She has a wide range of experience coordi
nating events including conferences, music
and film festivals, social events and fund
raisers.
Nathan Hazard, one of the Cultural Forum’s
student coordinators, said Parsons-Bernstein
was his first choice for the position because of
her energy and optimism.
“She stood out as the most capable,” he said.
“I think she’ll bring a lot of life to this office.”
E-mail student activities editor Kara Cogswell
*. at karacogsweH@dailyemerald.Gom.
Party host
ordinance
deemed
successful
■The change of focus from
partygoers to party hosts is being
called a ‘successful deterrent’
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Three years ago, everybody drinking
illegally at a party in the University
area could expect a citation when po
lice arrived at the scene.
“They would pass out (citations) to
everybody — it was ridiculous,” recalls
Ted Welles, a University senior who
hosted a handful of parties that ended
when police arrived.
Police would check identification
cards, give sobriety tests and cite near
ly every minor in possession of alco
hol, every person who illegally sup
plied alcohol, every partygoer found
outside with an open container and
every resident who let a radio blare
loud enough to upset neighbors.
This was the work of the Eugene Po
lice Department’s Party Patrol, a team
of officers working overtime during
weekends to break up raucous parties
and enforce alcohol laws.
i^uinig me ntJigni ui nit; rany ra
txol’s enforcement in 1999, 909 alcohol
citations — nearly half of all alcohol
related tickets issued in Eugene that
year — were handed to partygoers in
the West University Neighborhood, ac
cording to police records. But since
1999, budget restraints and an EPD
policy shift have changed the way po
lice enforce alcohol laws in the Univer
sity area. Facing a tight budget and a
shortage of officers, EPD disbanded the
Party Patrol last year, and police have
since given significantly fewer alcohol
violations, with 505 issued in the West
University neighborhood in 2001.
Instead of trying to bust everybody
who breaks the law, EPD has focused
its attention on party hosts, said Officer
Pete Aguilar, who is assigned to the
University area.
“It is easier to change the environ
ment of the parties than it is to change
the behavior of hundreds of people at a
party,” he said.
The result, Aguilar said, is “a lot
more people having near misses and
warnings than in the past.” Welles said
he has seen the change, noting that po
lice responding to his parties have
sought out him and his roommates be
fore ticketing his guests.
“I think they’re more interested in
me,” he said.
EPD Lt. Ron Roberts said the decline
in citations is also the result of stu
dents partying more responsibly, and
he attributed this change to coopera
tion between the University and EPD
during the past few years.
The University has abandoned a
Turn to Parties, page 8A