Tuesday, April 22,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 137
Earth
Earth Day festivities including
musical entertainment and an
arts-and-crafts session will start
today at 10:30 a.m. in the EMU
AyishaYahya
Freelance Editor
At a time when the Earth and its in
habitants face numerous ecological chal
lenges, students and community mem
bers are joining hands to look for
solutions. The campus’ Earth Day Coali
tion will host various activities today to
celebrate and educate students about en
vironmental issues, in honor of Earth
Day. Members from the ASUO Executive,
OSPIRG, Outdoor Programs, Campus
Recycling and the Survival Center organ
ized the event, which runs from 10:30
a.m. to 4 p.m. in the EMU.
ASUO Environmental Coordinator Erin
Rowland said the event will not only expose
students to environmental issues affecting
communities globally, but also enable peo
ple to see what they can do to help. She said
part of the coalition’s focus this year is on al
ternative forms of transportation.
“We really want students to ride the
bikes more,” Rowland said.
Students can get free bike tune-ups
and equipment from noon to 4 p.m. on
the Memorial Quad between Chapman
and Condon halls.
The coalition also wants to stress the im
portance of waste reduction and energy
conservation. Rowland said one way stu
dents and faculty can help to save paper
every day is by using reusable mugs for
drinks. To create incentive, EMU food serv
ices will give a 50-cent discount to cus
tomers with reusable mugs all day today.
“We’re trying to promote things stu
dents can easily access,” she said. “One
small change can make a big difference.”
Outdoor Programs Environmental Co
ordinator Brenda Tincher had similar
sentiments.
“Our biggest goal is to raise awareness
on how people can change their own
habits to help make a difference,” she
said. Tincher said the coalition wants to
create a fun atmosphere through which
students can learn.
Part of the Earth Day fun includes a na
ture arts-and-crafts session in the EMU
Amphitheater where students can let their
creative juices flow. The coalition will pro
vide art materials. OSPIRG members will
also create a giant picture of the Earth Day
logo made entirely of bottle caps.
Turn to Campus, page 10
Adam Km Aini m<: alt j.
Lame-scale SUV popularity has several
environmental groups concerned/Page 14
Solar and photovoltaic panels help the
University utilize sun power/Page 14
Bill wiU
benefit
student
parents
House Bill 2450 would allow
student parents to chalk up
school hours as time toward
TANF program requirements
jan Montry
News Editor
Efforts to increase access to higher ed
ucation for needy families — as a means
to break out of poverty — are gaining
momentum in the Oregon Legislature.
The Oregon House of Representatives
unanimously approved House Bill 2450
last week, an effort that would allow wel
fare-to-work participants to count col
lege as work, helping to fulfill labor con
ditions under the federal Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program.
The TANF program, an arm of welfare
reform implemented in 1996, provides
money to low-income families as parents
work to become self-sufficient. Accord
ing to the Oregon Department of Human
Services, the objective of the program is
to “reduce the number of families in
poverty through employment and other
community resources.”
Rep. Deborah Kafoury, D-Portland,
who helped spearhead efforts in the
House, said in a press release that the
1996 TANF reform hurt Oregon’s wel
fare-to-work participants by halting as
sistance to those who became involved
with long-term education and training
programs. This reform, coupled with re
quirements that TANF recipients must
Turn to Bill, page 4
EPD reports
18 elevator
trappings in
four months
Campus elevators have trapped
passengers 18 times in 2003
due to misuse and jamming
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
The jolt is startling as the highlight
ed floor number above the sliding
doors freezes, and all vertical momen
tum jerks to a stop. The small walls
close in as the deadening silence and
nervous body odor of the accompany
ing rider leave no room for comfort.
Being stuck in a campus elevator
can be an annoying, time consuming
and frightening experience for anyone.
Since January, the Department of Pub
lic Safety has received 18 reports of
people being stuck in elevators, but
DPS Associate Director Tom Hicks said
he doesn’t think that’s a particularly
Turn to Elevators, page 10
Weather: Today: H 60, L 40, partly cloudy, light wind / Wednesday: H 56, L 43, rain likely, windy I On Wednesday: The annual ASUO Street Faire returns to campus
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