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Friday, June 6,2003
Since 1900
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 169
Do campus diversity initiatives work?
Some faculty say the University
is acting too slowly to improve
diversity; an OUS study praises
the University’s path to progress
Roman Gokhman
Campus/City Culture Reporter
It’s a sunny day in June. Students are walking
to class all along East 13th Avenue. Most of them
are white—which isn’t unusual in Oregon.
According to the new Oregon University Sys
tem diversity report, OUS is working to in
crease diversity on all seven of its campuses by
Part 2 of 2
Thursday: OUS reports on University
diversity
Today: University diversity-building efforts
providing more opportunities for students, fac
ulty and staff of color to enroll in college or take
an active role in its programs. The study says
that the University has a well-rounded ap
proach for increasing diversity by raising cam
pus community awareness, creating educa
tional programs that focus on diversity and
developing recruitment tactics and campus re
sources for staff and students.
But despite the study’s results, some University
faculty and students say the school is acting too
slowly to reach its stated objectives. This has result
ed in the formation of a “Faculty and Staff of Color
Coalition” and the administration’s involvement in
the creation of a new vice provost position.
“The University administration can always
do better (to raise diversity),” said coalition co
chairman and history Professor Martin Sum
mers, adding that the committee was created
independently by faculty members and staff.
“Our goals are to work with the administration to
achieve its stated objectives of creating a more di
verse campus,” Summers said. “At this point, this
includes the recruitment of and retention of more
faculty, staff and students of color and a reform of
die multicultural requirement in the curriculum.”
The professor said he while does not believe
the University campus is currently diverse, he
feels diversity is possible.
“The campus will be diverse enough when
students and faculty of color no longer feel iso
lated,” he explained.
The University administration has started many
different programs to try to increase diversity. It
created the Center on Diversity and Community,
Turn to Diversity, page 6A
EPD, DPS
Drepare
:or final
weekend
It’s the end of the year. Finals are with
in spitting distance and tensions are
running high. The desire for many stu
dents to cut loose and let their hair
down is running strong, and this week
end is one of the last party opportuni
ties of the academic year.
In response, the University Department
of Public Safety will be coordinating with
the Eugene Police Department throughout
the weekend to ensure that student activi
ties do not turn from a desire to have fun
into a desire to be destructive.
“We will have a greater number of of
ficers on duty, and we will be working
to make sure there is more of a police
presence surrounding the University
through the weekend,” DPS Associate
Director Tom Hicks said.
A spokeswoman for EPD said there will
not be an additional party patrol during
the weekend, but on-duty police will be
monitoring the campus area and will be
responding to events accordingly.
Last year — during the weekend be
fore finals — a riot erupted after several
parties became unruly and the police
were called to the neighborhood sur
rounding East 17th Avenue and Patter
son Street.
The riot resulted in the arrest of 11
student-age people, six of whom were
listed as students in the University di
rectory. Alcohol is thought to have
played a major role in the riot.
DPS has worked throughout this year
to make sure future riots are avoided.
Hicks said DPS works with the Univer
sity to make sure students know how to
host a responsible party and know how
to interact with the police, should a
problem arise.
“We would hope people drink respon
sibly, be safe and have a good time,”
Hicks said.
—Aimee Rudiij,
i
* ■ i • ft
the Oregon Daily Emerald
newsstands Mon<
Legendary rodents
Adam Amato Emerald
Sophomore Daniel Levey feeds the squirrels near the Pioneer Mother statue earlier this year. "They love cashews" Levey said.
These furry creatures have ^
found homes and friends on
campus, but people should
avoid feeding the rodents
Jessica Richelderfer
Managing Editor
They drop nuts on passers-by from
high in a tree. They appear whenever
people sit down in the grass to eat.
They peek in windows of offices and
classrooms all over campus, and some
times let themselves right in.
From crazy squirrel tales to a stellar
campus squirrel rating, these furry
friends have become legendary at the
University. But the two species of squir
rels on campus — the less-personable,
native gray squirrel and the more fear
less, non-native fox squirrel — have
caused their share of problems.
Jonathan Gottshall, creator of a Web
site devoted entirely to the rodents, of
fers a ranking system for squirrel
friendly campuses. Although Gottshall
was unavailable for comment on his
rating system, the latest entry for the
University mentions that the squirrel
friendliness factor has been upped
from its previous two-star rating to a
whopping four-star rating, with five
stars being the highest.
“The squirrels are some of the most
friendly creatures at the UO, rather
more friendly than the fanatical
stoned hippies,” Gottshall’s squirrel
investigator reported. “The squirrels
also have a sweet tooth, and I have
Turn to Squirrels, page 5A
Jessica Waters Emerald
This tree, although dead, has been left standing here on campus
near Susan Campbell Hall to provide a habitat for wildlife.
H 90, L 53, sunny, light wind / Saturday: H 85, L 48, sunny I On Monday: The editorial board spews about the year
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