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Thursday, March 6,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 113
Piecing
together
success
In between basketball and
studying, freshman forward
Yadili Okwumabua finds time for
music, sewing and her friends
Off the hardwood
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
Ever since she hit the awkward
age of 12 and realized that most
girls’ clothing didn’t appreciate her
height, Duck women’s basketball for
ward Yadili Okwumabua has loved
the hobby of sewing.
“I’ve always been kind of tall,”
the 6-feet-2-ineh freshman said.
“So when I found good patterns, I
would make clothes that fit me.”
More recently, she has put her
skills toward making a quilt — an
activity she has enjoyed for years,
but is a challenge nonetheless.
“Piecing things together is the
hardest part,” the Canadian native
said.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ok
wumabua comes from a family of
Turn to Yadili, page 16
Renaissance woman
WiWMWJ!
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Yadili Okwumabua has been sewing since she was 12. The quilt pictured above was made
from authentic fabricfrom her parents' homeland Nigeria
Law meeting
to focus on
environment
Land Air Water is hosting an environmental law
conference that will feature legal expertise
from around the nation and the world
Ali Shaughnessy
Environment/ScienceATechnology Reporter
Environmental injustice is the theme of this year’s Public In
terest Environmental Law Conference, a four-day affair begin
ning this afternoon.
The conference, officially titled “Environmental (in) Justice
in the Global Village,” is an annual event in its 21st year. Hosted
at the Knight Law Center by Land Air Water, the event will fea
ture multiple speakers from all over the world, as well as a vari
ety of panels, workshops and presentations throughout the
weekend. Registration for the event begins at 2 p.m., with the
first panel starting two hours later.
Derek Riman, one of four law students who organized the
conference, said he expects at least 4,000 people to attend the
event, which has been planned since mid-September.
Riman said this year’s conference aims to raise aware
ness of international issues involving social and environ
mental problems.
“This is an enlightening conference to expose environmental
issues in the U.S. as well as abroad,” he said.
Jim DiPeso — the policy director of REP America, the na
tional grassroots organization of Republicans for Environmen
tal Protection — will be a keynote speaker Friday evening. He
said he plans on giving a history lesson to those who attend his
lecture, focusing on what Republicans have done in the past to
protect the environment.
DiPeso added he is disappointed in the lack of interest the
Republican Party is now showing toward environmental issues,
pointing out past leaders such as former U.S. President Richard
Nixon had a vested interest in protecting the environment.
“Many of our leaders have turned their backs on conserva
tion (of the environment),” DiPeso said. “These are ecological
services we all depend on.”
Turn to Environment, page 16
Meeting tackles sports funding, ‘arms race’
i ne iasK f-orce on Atnietics neia a rorum
Wednesday to discuss issues in collegiate
sports, including funding and academics
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
About 30 attendees made Wednesday night’s Uni
versity Task Force on Athletics open forum seem
uninspired as hundreds of seats remained empty in
150 Columbia. And although the forum was organ
ized to help the six panelists obtain statements from
the community regarding the national athletics
“arms race” and related issues, only six individuals
made three-minute statements, four of whom re
turned to the microphone for a second round.
“It would have been nice to have more people and
input,” panelist and English Professor Suzanne
Clark said. “It seems feelings about this issue are
currently unheated.”
Law Professor Margie Paris opened the hour-long
forum with a brief introduction. Clark, the first pan
elist to speak, then addressed the local influence of
collegiate athletics and questioned what athletics of
rers the community, and vice versa.
English Professor James Earl spoke about the
paradoxes that arise between faculty and athletics
and defined the role of the Coalition on Intercolle
giate Athletics. Law Professor Jim O’Fallon ex
plained the government structure of the NCAA and
mentioned factors he thinks strengthen the current
arms race.
University alumna and former track athlete Jenny
Kenyon gave a short explanation of her perspective
on the issue, and she added that many athletes are
scholars, as well.
Men’s track head coach Martin Smith voiced his
concerns regarding negative stereotypes of college
coaches and his personal experience with the ath
letic program. The floor was then open for attendees
to comment.
Art history Professor Richard Sundt proposed re
ducing the number of mid-week basketball games to
encourage academics, adding, “We’re not here to
train people for the NBA.”
University student Tim Young pointed out that
Turn to Forum, page 16
Danielle Hickey Emerald
English professor James Earl (middle) speaks as fellow athletics task force members (left to right)
Suzanne Clark, Jim O'Fallon, Jenny Kenyon and Martin Smith look on Wednesday evening.
Weather
Today: High 47, Low 40, rain at times, breezy,
Friday: High 40, Low 42, rainy and windy
Looking ahead
Friday Monday
Students for Peace hosts Authorities speculate
a "Bikes not Bombs" ride partying increases when
to protest petroleum tee weather turns warmer
ASUO leadership means sacrifice
The ASUO is holding a question
and-answer session tonight
for prospective ASUO candidates
Brook Reinhard
News Editor
Future politicians take note: Tonight
is the night to learn more about campus
politics and ask burning questions of
current political icons.
The ASUO is sponsoring a question-and
answer session about elections for 2003-04
at 7 p.m. in 16 Pacific. There are 27 posi
tions open, and while tonight’s forum isn’t
mandatory, anyone who wants to run for a
student government office must decide and
file paperwork with the ASUO elections of
fice by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Students should come tonight to learn
how to serve their student body,” ASUO
Elections Coordinator Andrea Hall said.
“Everyone on campus has a lot of ideas but
very few people implement them. If students
are serious about their ideas they should put
them into action and run for office. ”
ASUO Vice President Ben Buzbee, one
of several campus politicians running
tonight’s discussion, said he’s welcomed
the chance to use his position to make a dif
ference and represent people on campus.
“It’s definitely been a learning experi
ence — what often gets overlooked is
(ASUO president) Rachel (Pilliod) and I
are still students and we make mistakes,”
Turn to Voting, page 10