Newsroom: (541) 346-5511
Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
Email: editor@dailyemercdd.com
Online Edition:
www.dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, October 29,2002
——-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Editors:
Salena De La Cruz, Pat Payne
Editorial
Prozanskibest
candidate for
District 8 voters
Students seeking a state representative with experi
ence representing their interests should vote for Floyd
Prozanski for District 8.
Prozanski can boast seven years in the Oregon Legis
lature as a member of the House of Representatives. His
opponent, while a student, can claim only a failed run for
ASUO Executive.
While we feel that a student’s viewpoint would be wel
come in the House, Greg McNeill has no experience in
office, and his ideas sound unformed. Some experience
on Eugene City Council committees and then the Coun
cil itself would be good first steps.
Prozanski has staked out his position as a champion
of higher education, and especially of students who
don’t have wealthy parents. He has said that he will in
troduce legislation to freeze tuition, something that
can’t come fast enough given that tuition may rise next
term if an income-tax increase ballot measure doesn’t
pass in January.
Further, Prozanski will work to revitalize the state’s
higher education funding system. Although a sales tax
may be anathema to many in Oregon, after the budget
crises of the summer, anything, even a radical solution,
has to be considered.
Elected representatives must be answerable to the
people they serve, and we heartily endorse a candidate
that has concrete ideas that represent students — not
just a candidate who is a student.
Pass Measure 25
to improve lives
of state’s neediest
More than 100,000 workers in Oregon haven’t seen a
wage increase since 1996. We have one question: In six
years, has the cost of rent, food or electricity increased?
Of course the cost of living has risen since 1996, and
it only makes sense that the bare minimum the state
allows workers to be paid rise along with it. We recom
mend that the University community vote yes on Mea
sure 25, which would increase the minimum wage by
40 cents in January and then tie it to annual cost-of
living increases beginning in 2005.
Some people might think that the only people earning
minimum wage are teenagers living at home. That is sim
ply not true.
Currently, more than 60 percent of minimum wage
workers are women. And 25 percent are single parents
who have children to feed. Seventy-three percent of stu
dents over the age of 20 earn minimum wage. These peo
ple are the ones that need an increase the most; as it is,
they are barely sliding by.
Most workers in Oregpn aren’t earning minimum wage,
so this measure wouldn’t affect them — or put their em
ployers out of business, as opponents like to claim.
The people most affected by this bill are the people
who need the most help just to survive, including stu
dents confronted with ever-increasing tuition and cost of
housing and books.
Tying minimum wage to the actual cost of living makes
sense and would avoid us having to write this editorial
again in a few years. Vote yes on Measure 25.
Censoring the revolution
Last Tuesday, one of the
most brilliant, talented and
politically motivated women
came to speak at the Univer
sity. Sarah Jones performed
her one-woman show to a
filled 180 PLG, and she
demon
strated
the bril
liance of
using
comedy
to make
a politi
cal state
ment.
It is a
shame
that
most
women do not know of
Sarah; while she is tall, ath
letic, and represents the epit
ome of strength, women such
as Sarah still represent a mi
nority of voices in the every
day lives of women. Instead,
we are barraged with images
of anorexic models, movie
stars who carve, pump and
starve themselves into “per
fection,” and musicians
(read: corporate performers)
who simply “sing” the lines
fed to them.
Our society allows women
to subject their bodies to end
less scrutiny for magazine ads
— only to have them air
brushed over — and then
wonders why anorexia and
bulimia are such problems for
teenage girls; MTV loves Brit
ney Spears and Christina
Aguilera, both of whom sing,
as Jones calls it, “the illegiti
mate child of hip-hop: hip
pop.” And yet, they ignore a
strong, multitalented woman
like Jones.
All Sarah had to do was dip
her foot into the same spot
light to criticize, not to con
form, and sne was censored.
What does this imply about
what we want women to see
Meghann
Farnsworth
Just think about it
and hear, about what we want
them to say? We condemn
women who “go against the
grain,” so to speak, and sup
port those who conform.
The Portland station KBOO
was slapped with a #7,000
fine from the FGG for playing
Sarah’s song, “Your Revolu
tion.” The FGG claimed the
song “intended to shock and
titillate” the youth of Ameri
ca. Good gracious! The titilla
tion of young people — what
a shameful endeavor never
before attempted by any oth
er artist!
The lyrics in “Your Revolu
tion” are a reworking of lyrics
already used in common rap
songs, and I’m hard-pressed
to find similarities between
lyrics such as those in Em
inem’s “Kill You” — “Shut up,
slut! / Just bend over and take
it like a slut / You’re goddamn
right, bitch and now it’s too
late /1 invented violence you
vile venomous vomital bitch
es,” and those in Jones’ song:
“Your revolution will not be
you smacking it up, flipping it
or rubbing it down / Nor will it
take you downtown, or hump
ing around / Because that rev
olution will not happen be
tween these thighs. ”
While I certainly believe in
free speech, even if it means
men like Eminem become
popular, progressives such as
Jones are still silenced by the
almighty dollar. Eminem was
censored for a short period of
time, but his record company
put up such a stink and gath
ered together enough money
that the decision was over
turned. However, Jones does
not have that kind of power
and, consequently, her song
remains censored.
Our society has become so
bent on “entertainment,”
whatever that means, that
real dialogue about prevalent
issues are lost in the chatter of
“that thong,” “it’s getting hot
in here,” and “even when I’m
with my boo”-type garbage.
As long as female entertainers
fit with the common percep
tion of womanhood, they are
allowed to speak; America is
completely comfortable see
ing women “shake that ass”
across the screen as long as
they don’t say “Think I’m
gonna put it in my mouth be
cause you / Made a few bucks /
Please brother please.”
Don’t talk back, women,
just “take it.”
As long as women such as
Sarah Jones cannot speak
their mind without getting
censored, and talentless men
such as LL Cool J, Puff Daddy
(or is it P-Diddy?), and Sisqo
can use women’s bodies to
promote their “songs,” our so
ciety will remain in its unbal
anced state where men who
come from women’s bodies
refuse to respect them.
Contact the columnist at
meghannfarnsworth@dailyemer
ald.com. Her opinions do not
necessarily reflect those of the
Emerald.
Measures will bolster student interests
Guest Commentary
Today you are being asked to partici
pate in a campuswide special election.
This election has been organized to al
low you to vote on changes to the ASUO
Constitution that cannot wait until the
general elections held later in the year.
In the election today, you will be cast
ing your ballot to ensure that our gov
erning process will allow for students’
interests to be prioritized. The follow
ing ballot measures will affect the
ASUO incidental fee allocation process
and the timing of the general elections,
and I strongly encourage you to vote
yes on all four ballot measures.
Ballot Measure 1:
This ballot measure is asking for an ex
ception to the limit on the percentage of
increase that ASUO programs will receive
in the allocation process this year. This is
an important measure, as it will allow for
the Programs Finance Committee to en
sure that there is funding for equipment at
the Recreational Center which has been
supported by student fees in the past. It
also will allow for the growth and develop
ment of more than 140 ASUO programs.
This ballot measure will also give stu
dents an opportunity to look at the
stipends that students receive and to eval
uate if there is a fair level of pay for student
workers. This is a one-time allowance.
Ballot Measure 2:
This ballot measure is also asking for
an exception to the limit on the per
centage of increase for the Athletic De
partment Finance Committee. This
committee works to secure the football
and basketball tickets that students re
ceive. In the past, the preseason games
have been paid for out of the ASUO Stu
dent Senate budget; however, this year,
there are not sufficient funds, and the
ticket costs have increased.
Voting yes on this measure will allow
the ADFC budget to grow so that we can
guarantee that students will have tick
ets at the preseason football games.
This is a one-time allowance.
Ballot Measure 3:
This ballot measure is asking that the
usual 7 percent increase for the EMU
budget not include the ASUO or EMU
building reserves. This measure will al
low for necessary improvements to the
EMU building, including a septic problem
and a leaky roof, but will not limit the
amount of growth that EMU programs,
such as Club Sports and the Graft Cen
ter. This is a one-time allowance.
Ballot Measure 4:
This ballot measure will extend the
timeline for holding student elections. As
we do not have the referendum process,
it is no longer necessary to have elections
during only winter term.
This measure will allow the ASUO
elections coordinator to use discretion
in setting the timeline for general elec
tions, allowing for more preparation,
greater voter turnout and increased
student participation.
Rachel Pilliod is the ASUO president