Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, February 18, 2003, Page 8, Image 8

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    7
I Come see the new features I
at www.dailyemerald.com!
The Emerald's online edition is
always available to keep you
informed about the University.
StoryLinks bring together everything
you need to know about important
or controversial topics on campus.
In one easy-to-use location, we
collect all of the Emerald's news and
opinion articles about the topic - as
well as links to other news stories
and Web sites, so you can put the
story together.
GO TO "SPECIAL EDITIONS," THEN
SELECT "STORYLINKS."
Blogs are like online diaries, and the
Emerald's got them. Participating
staff members write blog entries
weekly, giving you a peek inside the
mind of student journalists on
campus.
GO TO "ABOUT US," THEN SELECT
"BLOGS."
Scorpio:
What are you doing this weekend? Check your
PULS#
Black History Month person o:
.
Maggie Lena Walker was born July 15, 1867, in
Richmond, Va. When she was 11, she joined the Grand
United Order of St. Luke, a fraternal and cooperative
insurance society. She received a diploma with honors
in 1883 from Armstrong Normal School and immedi
ately began teaching.
While she taught, Walker began studying bookkeep
ing at night school and working as a part-time insurance
agent. Walker had worked her way up in the Order, and
in 1899, she was named Right Worth Grand Secretary.
Under her business leadership, the organization thrived.
In 1902, Walker founded a newspaper, the St. Luke
Herald, to increase the Order’s profile. Then in 1903,
she decided that black people could help themselves
economically if they pooled their money and lent it
out. She founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank mid
became the nation’s first female bank president.
Walker worked constantly for women’s suffrage, and
in 1921, she ran for State Superintendent of Public In
struction. She lost the race, but her candidacy chal
lenged the political establishment.
In 1930, Walker’s bank merged with two others and
was renamed the Consolidated Bank and Trust Com
pany, and she became the chairman of the board.
Walker died Dec. IS, 1934, but her bank continued
on. It still operates today as the oldest continuously run
black-owned bank in America.
Michael J. Kkekner
Carlin draws on classic taboos
to deliver damn funny standup
Ryan Nyburg
Freelance Reporter
There comes a time when artists
must prove they are still relevant or
move on. It always works out the
same with painters, musicians and
writers. Artists who don’t keep
proving their worth to the public
end up becoming pale imitations of
themselves, objects for ridicule
rather than praise.
It works the same way for stand
up comedy, yet few would consider
this a serious art form. It’s easy to
see why. Turn on Comedy Central
any day of the week and you will
see a multitude of stand-up comedi
ans who adapt ready-made stage
personae and belt out formulaic
material as if any deviation from
the expected would be tantamount
to slitting their own wrists.
George Carlin has always been dif
ferent. Seeing him live at the Hult
Center on Saturday would have
been a revelation to anyone exposed
to the safe, harmless sitcom-brand of
American stand-up during the past
decade. From note one, he unleash
es a barrage of observations, attacks,
insults and complaints.
The audience barely has time to
get its footing before Carlin switches
them around in another direction.
The topics read like a grocery list of
American taboos: disease, enemas,
car crashes, airplane wrecks,
necrophilia, gun violence and sui
cide were all covered in detail.
Being offensive is one of the cor
nerstones (some would say cliches) of
modem American comedy. Carlin,
most famous for “The Seven Dirty
Words You Can’t Say on Television,”
is one of the pioneers of this style.
However, being offensive just for the
sake of offending is rarely funny,
something Carlin always seems to
keep in mind. His act, even at its most
vile, always questions the attitudes
and assumptions of his audience.
Revisiting Carlin’s earlier work
can be startling without the inter
vening 30 years as a guide. His style,
which began as laid back, easy going
and fairly low key, has now evolved
into that of a grizzled nihilist. His
persona is one of a bitter, angry man
who has figured out just how much
he can get away with. Quoting him is
often futile, given that his act is root
ed in his impeccable delivery.
One thing that is missing from
Carlin’s targets is politics. He makes
few, if any, jokes about current polit
ical situations, sticking to everyday
life and observations about people
around him. The political material
appears in the most unexpected
place — during a rant on bumper
stickers — particularly of the “My
Child is an Honor Student...” style. '
“How about one that says, ‘My Child
Has Enough Self-Confidence So That
I Don’t Have to Praise Their Minor •
Scholastic Achievements on the
Back of My Car?”’ Carlin asked.
Carlin’s diatribes can often be
hard to swallow, and his world out
look is a bleak one. He wouldn’t
seem to mind watching the world go
up in flames. But listening to him de
scribe it can be immensely enter
taining, not to mention damn funny.
Ryan Nyburg is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
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Budget
continued from page 1
The chairwoman said PFG only
wants to recall the Emerald’s budg
et in order to come up with a clear
method of linking the newspaper’s
funding to a set formula. She added
the committee wants to recall the
Career Center to consider funding
a graduate teaching fellow position,
which the center now funds with its
own reserve account.
Kleckner said he would actually
welcome a formula that remains
consistent.
“Given that the Emerald is a
watchdog of student government,
there should be the possibility of
getting money that’s not variable,”
he said.
Oregon Commentator publisher
Bret Jacobson, who had his own ex
perience with the Constitution
Court two years ago, said the Emer
ald’s petition will probably just buy
the newspaper some time.
“It’s important to use one set of
standards so students have faith the
money is being used properly and
so no corrupt group can get a dis
proportionate amount of money to
defend their cause,” said Jacobson,
who appealed to court justices in
r
"It's important to use
one set of standards so
students have faith the
money is being used
properly and so no
corrupt group can get
a disproportionate
amount of money to
defend their cause"
Bret Jacobson
Oregon Commentator
2001 when he ran for ASUO presi
dent. “The ConCourt will probably
extend time for the Emerald’s budg
et hearing — I don’t think they’ll
just kill the recall.”
Interestingly, Kleckner’s petition
may stall the process so much that
it will end PFG’s recall attempts al
together.
Shull said the committee needs
to pass its budget soon so there is
enough time for the ASUO Execu
tive to review it by Dead Week.
“That’s why we’re kind of run
ning on a short schedule,” she said.
Contact the news editor
atbrookreinhard@dailyemerald.com.
GWe Me F^el
Run your for sale item in the
ODE classifieds for five days
(items under $1,000) ...
if you don't sell it, we'll run it
more days for free!