Win
Volume 104, Issue 84
http://www.dailyemerald.com
Friday, January 24,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Democrats call for student walkout
Monday’s walkout and rally will
unite students, faculty and the
community for Measure 28,
noon in the EMU Amphitheater
Jennifer Bear
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
Students looking for an excuse to
play hooky have a golden opportunity
to dodge class while making a political
stand for higher education funding.
The University College Democrats,
the Democratic Party of Lane County
and the Yes on 28 Committee are
sponsoring a walkout and rally in sup
port of Measure 28 from noon to 1 p.m.
Monday in the EMU Amphitheater.
“If you don’t have class, come; if you
have class, come,” College Democrats
co-Chairman Mike Unman said.
The walkout and rally takes place
the day before election day and will
be a major push to energize voters in
support of higher education funding.
Linman said the event is intended to
bring students, faculty, staff and
community members together to
fight for the passage of Measure 28.
In addition, groups from Lane
Community College, local high
schools and other Oregon Universi
ty System colleges are expected to
participate in pro-Measure 28 walk
out rallies, Linman said.
“It’s a form of protest on behalf of
students to show the rest of the state
how this will affect us,” he said.
With $26.9 million in budget cuts
for OUS on one hand and a 0.5 per
cent tax rate increase for Oregonians
in the top income tax bracket on the
other, Measure 28 is causing the po
litical cauldron to boil.
Lane County Elections Supervisor
Roxann Marshall said many people
have been voting early for the special
election because it’s such a contro
versial issue. Marshall said 41
Turn to Walkout page 4
Crime trends
Booze, bikes and blunts
Photo illustration Emerald
Bike thefts and drug and
alcohol violations have risen
steadily on campus and
around the community
Caron Alarab
Crime/Safety/Transportation Reporter
Thefts, drugs and alcohol —
that’s what campus crimes are
made of.
According to the Department of
Public Safety crime statistics for
1999 through 2001, the most
prominent violations in the Uni
versity community are bike theft
and drug and liquor law offenses.
DPS reported a steady rise in
bike thefts, from 123 in 1999 to
184 in 2001, with total thefts
climbing from 419 in 1999 to 485
in 2001. The Eugene Police De
partment reported 727 bike thefts
citywide in 2001, 12 percent of
which were in the West University
neighborhood. Due to the “cycli
cal nature” of bike thefts, DPS As
sociate Director Tom Hicks said
the present statistics demonstrate
a peak in the crime rate and, with
any luck, a decline soon to come.
“We saw a steep increase in bike
thefts in the mid-’90s,” he said,
“and it’s on the rise again.”
The reported recovery rate for
bikes through DPS has been be
tween five and seven percent his
torically, and 2001 was no differ
ent. The total loss value in stolen
bikes reported citywide to EPD in
2001 was $306,818, with a 12.8
percent recovery rate.
“Unfortunately, we have not
been able to make a big enough
impact on those statistics,”
Hicks said, adding that the
Hamilton and Bean complexes
are two of the biggest targets on
campus.
But freshman Bean resident
Kelly Brown said she doesn’t
Turn to Crime, page 4
UO heads
to absorb
shortfall
if 28 fails
If Measure 28 fails on Tuesday,
students would be facing tuition
surcharges the rest of this year
Oregon votes 2003
Aimee Rudin
Family/Health/Education Reporter
University Administration will absorb
$2.1 million in funding cuts in a rare
trickle-up effect, should Measure 28 fail
on Tuesday.
If Measure 28 fails, the financial cost to
the University will total $6.1 million. Stu
dents will be slapped with a tuition sur
charge of $10
per credit hour
in winter and
spring terms to
make up $4
million of the
state cuts. The
remaining 34
percent will be
covered by
temporary reserve funds and by imple
menting one-time administrative cuts
within the University, Senior Vice Presi
dent and Provost John Moseley said.
The University reserve fund was creat
ed through individual departmental ef
forts to reduce spending last year and by
collection of a tuition windfall caused by
the record student enrollment in the fall.
The reserve fund is limited to one-time
use and won’t sustain the University in
the future, officials said.
“If Measure 28 fails, by using reserves
Turn to Measure 28, page 3
Measure 28
A 10-part series
examining the
budget implications
of the Jan. 28
special election.
Weather
Today: High 55, Low 43,
occasional rain, slight breeze
Saturday: High 57, Low 45,
occasional rain, slight breeze
Looking ahead
Monday
President Frohnmayer reveals
a University fundraising plan
Tuesday
It's the last chance to turn in
ballots for Ballot Measure 28
Sprint PCS requests to build cell tower
The cell phone company is requesting
to build a tower near campus but is
finding roadblocks along the way
Andrew Black
Environment/Science/Technology
Sprint PCS is seeking permission from the
University to build a 120-foot cell phone tower
near Hayward Field, and the Campus Planning
Committee will decide whether to approve the
proposal sometime next month.
However, Sprint has several hurdles to jump
before it can build the cell tower.
The proposed tower would be erected by light
poles near the west grandstand near the new all
weather activity field. Telecommunications
manager David Barta said if Sprint designs an
ugly tower, the University won’t build it.
“There aren’t many places where somebody
can put a cell tower on campus,” Barta said.
“This is probably the farthest possible distance
from any houses.”
Under guidelines governing telecommunica
tion facilities on campus set last year by the
Campus Planning Committee, the proposal will
be reviewed for impact on campus utility infra
structures and health concerns associated with
radio frequency transmission.
The cell tower would have to be constructed
at least 100 feet from residential areas and in a
way that protects views from open spaces, main
entrances and historic buildings. The tower also
would have to be designed to fit in with the sur
rounding landscape, such as camouflaging it as
a flag pole.
If the University approves the plan, Sprint
would then have to convince Eugene city plan
ners that no other site is appropriate for the
transmission tower.
University Planning Director Chris Ramey
said he is unaware of opposition to the Sprint
proposal. But if the University and Sprint float
the idea to the city, city planner Kent Kullby said
he expects public outcry similar to neighbor
hood protests last year about Sprint’s failed plan
to build a cell tower near Williams’ Bakery.
Kullby said most opponents of cell towers are
worried about the possible health hazards of
long-term exposure to radio frequencies. But ac
cording to FCC regulations, health concerns are
Tu rn to Cell tower, page 3