Crushed again / Page 9
http://www.dailyemerald.com
Monday, January 13,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 76
NCCDean
questions
reason for
dismissal
Northwest Christian College!* firing
of Betsy Clewett has raised
controversy over the school
treatment of minority students
Jennifer Bear
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
Northwest Christian College remains
divided by controversy over the recent
dismissal of a dean, a firing that some
students and former faculty believe was
triggered by her efforts to hold the col
lege accountable for alleged mistreat
ment of minority students.
Betsy Clewett, associate dean of edu
cation and school counseling, was fired
in December, shortly after sending a let
ter of reproach to
the administration.
The letter dis
cussed an incident
in which the col
lege’s basketball
coach allegedly
shoved one of the
team’s black play
ers. Outraged at
Clewett’s dismissal,
the remaining three
professors of educa
tion resigned in
protest, including Cloe Veney, the only
black faculty member in the history of
the college’s 107-year existence.
Clewett contends she was fired because
of her vocal support of minority rights.
She claims there is a constant atmos
phere of racial inequality at the college
and cited numerous instances where
minority students were treated unfairly
because of the color of their skin. Clewett
said black students on campus have
greater difficulty receiving financial aid
checks, getting apartment applications
turned in and receiving diplomas after
graduation. She added that the mistreat
ment of black basketball players at NCC
has been the most alarming pattern of
racism she has observed.
NCC denies all charges.
Four black basketball players who at
tended NCC, Kiambu Fisher, Tyus Till
man, Delvin Glymph and Eric Webb, have
Turn to Dismissal, page 6
Clewett
Oregon alumnus dies at age 27
Johnathan Gibbs, a commercial pilot and
former University student, lost his life
Wednesday after an unsuccessful takeoff
Caron Alarab
Crime/Safety/Transportation Reporter
To his friends, he was J.J. To his teachers, he
was a pleasure. To the University, he was an ac
tive student and a success-bound graduate.
But after the fatally unsuccessful takeoff of
US Airways Flight 5481, first officer Jonathan
Gibbs was simply a high-flying duck cut down
in his prime. He was 27.
Just as his plane began to climb into the sky
above Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
on Wednesday morning, the twin-engine Beech
1900D veered upward. The fully loaded pro
peller plane then twisted left, crashed into a
hangar and exploded in a fireball, killing both
pilots and all 19 passengers.
Gibbs, who lived in North Carolina, had been
a commercial pilot for about two years and
had more than 700 hours in the cockpit of
twin-engine turboprops like the one that
crashed Wednesday.
The youngest of the two children, Gibbs grew
up in the Lakeport and Ukiah areas of Califor
nia. He began taking flying lessons at the Ukiah
airport when he was 16 and obtained his pilot’s
license at 19.
After graduating from Ukiah High School, he
Turn to Alumnus, page 4
Peaceful Resolution
Brook Reinhard Emerald
OSA board member Bridget Bums (left) dropped her efforts to recall OSA board chairwoman Rachel Pilliod
(right) from her leadership position at the group's monthly meeting at Southern Oregon University on Saturday.
Resolving differences
ASUO President Rachel Pilliod will continue
as OSA board chairwoman, following a
resolution with board member Bridget
Bums and an apology to the OSA board
Brook Reinhard
News Editor
Rachel Pilliod will continue to serve as board
chairwoman of the Oregon Student Association,
as no official complaint was entered against her
at an OSA board meeting Saturday.
OSA board member Bridget Burns was ex
pected to bring allegations of partisanship and
rule-breaking against Pilliod at the meeting, but
after a two-hour executive session in which the
possible charges were discussed, Pilliod apolo
gized to Bums and the OSA board, and the dis
cussion ended peaceably.
Pilliod, a prominent student leader who is also
the ASUO president, has been fighting this week
to keep hold of her OSA leadership position in
the wake of a possible recall. Bums, the Oregon
State University student body president, had ini
tially announced Wednesday she would present
a recall motion in writing at the board’s monthly
meeting at Southern Oregon University. But af
ter the private portion of the meeting, Bums said
she would not bring forward any charges, and
Turn to OSA, page 5
University
football
stars opt
for NFL
Onterrio Smith and George
Wrighster leave the Oregon
football team, and Sarnie Parker
may join them this week
Football
Adam Jude
Senior Sports Reporter
As if he didn’t have enough problems
already, Mike Bellotti now has to replace
two of his best players on the Oregon
football roster.
Tailback Onterrio Smith and tight end
George Wrighster announced they will
forgo their senior seasons and enter the
NFL draft, leaving the Ducks after a dis
mal 7-6 season that ended with a Seattle
Bowl loss to Wake Forest.
“It’s a litde daunting right now,” Bellot
ti, the head football coach, said at a press
conference Friday. “The toughest part is
the lateness in terms of recruiting, not
that I didn’t have some foreshadowing
that there was interest (in them leaving
for the NFL). But you can’t really recruit
to a spot unless you have a spot.”
The rebuilding task could get even
worse for Bellotti if junior wide receiver
Sarnie Parker opts for the NFL. After a
meeting Friday morning, Bellotti said Park
er is “50/50” and could make a decision by
today. The deadline for underclassmen to
declare for the NFL draft is Wednesday,
and there is a 72-hour period after that for
players to withdraw their names.
The good news for the Ducks is that
Turn to Football, page 12
Measure may increase tuition surcharges
If passed in the January 28 election,
Measure 28 may help the Oregon
University System^ budget shortfall, with
students paying a higher price
Oregon votes 2003
jan Montry
City/State Politics Reporter
University students, as well as students
throughout the Oregon University System, can
expect to pay more in tuition if Measure 28 fails
later this month.
Administration officials plan to institute a 13
percent tuition increase at the University for
winter and spring terms to fill a #6.5 million
shortfall left by inade
quate state funding. In
order to offset the
budget gap while
maintaining compara
ble class options, the
University will charge
an extra #10 per cred
it hour and #15 per
credit hour for law classes.
The University has already trimmed #7 mil
lion from its budget this year.
“We don’t want to reduce opportunities for
students, and we don’t want to dilute the quality
of education we provide,” Associate Vice Presi
dent for Enrollment Services Jim Buch said.
“We’ve done just about as much trimming and
cutting as we can.”
Overall, higher education in Oregon will see a
total cut of $26.9 million if Measure 28 fails.
Funding from the surcharge would generate $4
million for the University, leaving about a $2 mil
lion discrepancy, which mostly stems from leg
islative cuts made in December.
Student leaders have had a say in the decision
making process, recommending the surcharge
over class cuts at a meeting with administration
officials in September.
“Nobody is happy about the choices, but the
clear voice of students was not to reduce course
offerings,” Buch said.
But Oregon Student Association Executive Di
rector Alisa Simmons said cutting classes and in
creasing tuition are both travesties, and when
coupled with reductions in the Oregon Opportu
Turn to Tuition, page 6
Weather
Today: High 49, Low 38,
Rain increasing in afternoon
Tuesday: High 48, Low 32,
Chance of showers, clearing
Looking ahead
Tuesday Eugene City Council
to decide whether to increase
fines for possession of marijuana
Wednesday Many Oregonians
may lose their Oregon Health
Plan coverage if Measure 28 fails