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rolume 104
Thursday, October 31,2002
Tissue 45
Ghosts of Halloween past
Some Eugeneans will
celebrate Halloween this
year with rituals steeped in
centuries-old traditions
Jillian Daley
Family/Health/Education Reporter
While some Eugene residents are
celebrating All Hallows’ Eve with
candy and costumes, others will be
observing a traditional Celtic festival
from whose roots grew the Hal
loween pumpkin.
Samhain, with pronunciations that
include “Sow-in,” “Sow-ain” or
“Sow-een,” means “summer’s end.”
It is the holiday when pagans wel
come the new year, enjoy deep intro
spection, honor ancestors and com
municate with the recently deceased.
Many believe that the veil between
the living and the dead is thinnest
during this time.
Depending on one’s personal tradi
tion or denomination, there are differ
ent ways of keeping the holiday.
“More of the Wiccan-based side of it
is you do gather in a circle,” said
Donella-Elizabeth Alston, a member
of a women-only religious group called
Sophia Sanctuary. “We consecrate the
circle with the elements of air, fire,
water and earth.”
Wicca is an offshoot of paganism,
and involves worship of a deity pair
rather than a singular pagan goddess.
Alston said the group then calls the
four directions — north, east, south
and west — each of which has differ
Turn to Halloween, page 6
Danielle Hickey Emerald
Deborah Snavely of Woodhart Ways of Olde shuffles tarot cards in her Wicca store on West 11th and Grant Street.
Officials
promote
partying
safely
Local legal and law enforcement
groups offer tips for responsible,
safe partying to students
Danielle Gillespie
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
Bundled in warm coats and huddling
together in chilly, autumn weather, about
30 students gathered Wednesday evening
to hear speakers talk about students’
rights and responsibilities while partying.
The ASUO-hosted event included
speakers from ASUO Legal Services, the
Eugene Police Department and the De
partment of Public Safety, who told stu
dents about their legal obligations and
what to expect for police patrols on Hal
loween and in the future.
ASUO Community Outreach Coordi
nator Jesse Harding said students
should be aware of their surroundings
and remove themselves from situations
where they could be held accountable
for illegal activity.
He also said he wanted students to be
aware that EPD is cracking down on
open containers — this Halloween and
for the year.
George Schneider, an Oregonian
who has been involved with law
enforcement for 30 years, offered
Turn to Party safety, page 5
INSIDE
State ballot
measures
Measure 26
PAGE 4
Measures 2 3 and 27
PAGE 4
Measure 17
PAGE 5
Students look at affirmative action
A workshop and call-in to
politicians honors National
Take Affirmative Action Day
Andrew Shipley
Freelance Reporter
Students met in the Multicultur
al Center’s lounge Wednesday to
recognize diversity and spread
awareness about affirmative ac
tion. The University’s Oregon Stu
dents of Color Coalition chapter
organized the workshop and
phone-in to political candidates to
honor National Take Affirmative
Action Day.
Organized statewide by the
OSGG, the day is a chance not
only to celebrate diversity but also
to help dismantle what the OSGG
considers myths surrounding affir
mative action.
For Oregon students, the issue
is of particular concern, as anti
affirmative action legislation has
already been passed in seven
states, including California and
Washington, and organizers wor
ry that similar legislation could
be introduced here.
“We want to increase aware
ness of the positive benefits of af
firmative action, and the very
real possibility that it will be tak
en away,” said OSGG Board Chair
Brenda Sifuentez, who organized
the event along with Asian/Pacif
ic American Student Union Go
Director Mark Padoongpatt.
“Affirmative action is a really
sketchy subject right now,”
Padoongpatt said. “There are a lot
of myths about what affirmative
action is — a lot of stereotypes and
misunderstanding.”
According to Padoongpatt, com
mon perceptions on affirmative ac
tion are that it is a form of reverse
racism and it allows the accept
ance of under-qualified applicants,
and even that it’s not a relevant is
sue on the University campus.
“Minority students and faculty
are intelligent and capable — there
Turn to Affirmative, page 5
Perfect seeds cultivate healthy pumpkins
Local pumpkin growers use careful
consideration when selecting
seeds for their farms
Jody Burruss
Environment/Science/Technology Reporter
There is a science to growing huge
pumpkins, and it starts with the
seeds. But for many local farmers,
growing huge pumpkins and breaking
records isn’t their slice of pie.
Lorie Jensen, president of Lone
Pine Farms, said they grow pumpkins
weighing up to 300 pounds. The
majority of pumpkins range in size from
20 to 40 pounds, however.
When Jensen picks her seeds, she
doesn’t always order the biggest varieties
i ’because many of her customers ianenk*
in each Western State
pumpkins
looking for
huge pump
kins. Jensen
chooses her
seeds —
which will one
day become
pies or
jack-o’
.. lanterns
The largest pumpkins _ from a
ewer recorded _ , .
catalogue,
much the
same way one would
choose a new sweater.
Except Jensen has millions
of seeds from which
to choose.
« Jensen said she
>wv»vt.backgartlerTer.comy|Jrt.httnl * ’always » looks for
pumpkins with a maturity date of at least
Oct. 5 to ensure pumpkin hunters go home
happy with their winter squash. The farm
fertilizes and waters often to increase
growth. Once the pumpkins bloom, the farm
does not use any pesticides because there
are often children around. In all, the farm
grows 30 acres of pumpkins.
“We have to grow enough to overcome the
rot from not being able to spray,” Jensen said.
Shannon Poynter, of Hey Bayles! Farm,
said they do not grow any large pumpkins.
They grow organically and dedicate less
than an acre to pumpkins. Poynter said they
prefer to stick with the smaller varieties
that are edible.
Pam Henderson, owner of Thistledown
Farm, said her pumpkins range in weight and
go up to 100 pounds. Henderson said they
»*•*>> Turn to Pumpkins, page 7
Weather
Today: High 50, Low 20,
sunny with slight wind
Friday: High 53, Low 25,
sunny and clear
Looking ahead
Friday
A review of the rally featuring
former president Bill Clinton
at Mac Court
Monday
A disabled Vietnam War veteran
busted for medicinal marijuana