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Email: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online: www.dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, June 24,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor:
Jan Tobias Montry
EE D1X0 RIAL,
Joey Harrington
combines fame,
creativity to help
self, students with
endowment fund
Nearly two years removed from school, Joey Harring
ton returned last week to announce plans for an endow
ment that would fund three scholarships for business
students. Harrington, a graduate of the Lundquist
College of Business, approached the University about
the complex and creative endeavor. Somehow, we are
not surprised.
Harrington always thrived in the limelight, as uncom
fortable as he often said it was. But he's a bright young
man, and his entrepreneurial identity is clearly beginning
to take shape.
Harrington's endowment — money for which is being
raised by selling pieces of the memorable New York City
billboard featuring his likeness — is just the latest in a
growing list of undertakings.
"I think we're pretty much maxed out," Harrington said
last week. "I've got the billboard set up and then we've fin
ished up the Web site... and then I've got the concert com
ing up on the 26."
Maxed out on efforts, yes. Maxed out on donations, no.
Rather effortlessly, Harrington has attached his name
— not his money — to some wonderful ideas. His name
is the driving force behind the likely success of those
ideas. Cashing in on a name, especially one as recogniz
able as his, seems to make sense. We applaud him for his
business savvy.
Who else could entice the University to give up owner
ship of its property, which as we all remember cost
$250,000 and opened the door to national scrutiny? Who
else could then sell that property, only adding to his own
athletic notoriety? Finally, who else could orchestrate all
this and then take the favorable credit?
"Joey. Joey. Joey."
Nonetheless, were glad he's putting his know-how to a
good use here at the University, even if it is as well-maneu
vered as Harrington's trick play, stumbling touchdown in
the 2000 Holiday Bowl.
Ultimately, Harrington's name-sake contribution is a
breathe of fresh air. Despite the fart that Phil Knight was
on hand at Harrington's press conference and even re
ceived one of the first two memorabilia pieces, it's still a
step away from "Nike U." Harrington is donating his time
— and his knowledge — to create academic opportunities
on campus, not new sporting arenas.
Harrington was an academic All-American during his
stint here at the University. Clearly, it seems, his degree in
sports marketing more than paid off.
Hopefully, past, present and future Ducks will use
their knowledge in personal business activities and,
more importantly, to help those without high athletic
aptitudes.
Of course, the question begs to be asked. We see what
Harrington has to offer. What exactly can we expert from
the surplus of student-athlete sociology scholars?
EDITORIAL POLICY
This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald
editorial board. Responses can be sent to letters
@dailyemerald.com. Letters to the editor and guest
commentaries are encouraged. Letters are limited to
250 words and guest commentaries to 550 words.
Authors are limited to one submission per calendar
month. Submission must include phone number and
address for verification. The Emerald reserves the right
to edit for space, grammar and style.
i' ! I' f / J ,W J
CONGESTION
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Blood drive safety more
important than donor’s feelings
According to the Center for Disease
Control, in 2000, 13,562 AIDS cases were
reported among homosexual men com
pared with only 6,530 cases among het
erosexual men and women. Donor eligi
bility requirements "discriminate" against
gays because they are twice as likely as
straight people to be infected with
HIV/AIDS.
The donor screening process does not
suggest, as claimed in a recent editorial
("Southern outdoes UO with blood dona
tion policy," ODE, May 30), "that all gay
men are diseased." It simply reflects the re
ality of AIDS infection rates among certain
segments of the population. Testing for
HIV is expensive and in cases of recent in
fection, not always accurate.
Blood banks should not be forced to
take the blood of high-risk groups just be
cause it makes people feel bad to be de
nied. Blood donation is not about the
donors; it is about the recipients. And a
safe blood supply is infinitely more im
portant than the hurt feelings of a few
would-be donors.
Perhaps that is the reason the adminis
tration is not interested in the issue.
Erin Flood
Eugene
Capitalists corrupt
higher education
In the fall of 2001, having unwittingly
gotten myself involved with capitalist
swine, I became even more depressed as I
read an issue of the AAUP journal "Acad
ONLINE POLL
Each week, the Emerald publishes the
previous week’s poll results and the
coming week’s poll question. Visit
www.dailyemerald.com to vote.
Last week: What was the most important
campus story of the year?
Results: 116 total votes
feme" on the increasingly corporate char
acter of American universities.
The import of this journal issue was not
really news to me as for some years previ
ously I had been disturbed by the insis
tence of businessmen on meddling in uni
versities. Is this solely an American
phenomenon? I am sorry to say it is not,
for academic friends in the greater Vancou
ver area report that those once lively uni
versities, Simon Fraser and British Colum
bia, are now neat corporate packages and,
indeed, the greater part of the world.
The latest issue of the University of
Washington alumni magazine "Columns"
records that Bill and Melinda Gates have
given $70 million to the school for genet
ics research, which largesse hopefully does
not entail the school becoming a sub
sidiary of genial Bill's computer empire.
And though once wroth with the Univer
sity of Oregon, I understand Nike magnate
Phil Knight has resumed his largesse. To
the universities of Oregon, Washington,
Canada, the world: Whatever the sources
of the shekels in your coffers, the message
to capitalism worldwide must be, "Up
against the wall."
Paul J. Green, Ph.D.
Eugene
Show gays same respect
as other minority groups
Dear AnnAliese Stokoe ("Opinions
can't be blamed for suicides," ODE, June
4): Would you so happily announce that
you were racist or sexist or anti-Semitic? As
a supportive parent of gay and lesbian chil
dren, I am thoroughly appalled that you
would so delightedly proclaim your hos
tility toward my children, whom you do
Campus area riot fall term - 23.3
percent, or 27 votes
Luke Ridnour leaving early for NBA draft
— 21.6 percent, or 25 votes
Local glass blowers arrested by federal
agents -16.4 percent, or 19 votes
University Assembly’s anti-war resolution
—15.5 percent, or 18 votes
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> V/ l
i'Oii • J,1
not know. God save us from the likes of
others like you! Thank God you do not’
represent the majority of people in the
United States.
Sue Null
Houston
‘Fringe4hought police' should
leave society alone
The gay and lesbian upheaval at the
University — sponsored by the fringe
thought police — over the recent edito
rial by Vincent Martorano ("Homosexu
al men should hide their disgusting
acts," ODE, May 9) proves what I and
most other anti-PC types have been
pointing out for years.
That is, that these fringe groups, like
homo-alliances, militant environmental
ists, minority activists, etc., apparently
think that they alone have the right to
make dissenting statements and disagree
with a popular, even if pathetically unreal
istic, thought paradigm.
These fringe groups need to understand
that simply because an individual doesn't
embrace their specific point of view on a
given subject doesn't mean that the same
individual is intolerant or unsupporting of
the overall subject. As for the gays and les
bians, I encourage you to get a life, live
your life, and let me live mine without try
ing to guilt me into pretending to not be
offended by the in-your-face public dis
plays of affection by some in the homo
sexual community.
Congrats to Martorano for having the
courage to stand up and say what the PC
silenced majority of us are already feeling.
Tim Pollard
Springfield
University’s reversal of “0”-logo policy—
12.9 percent, or 15 votes
Conflict over KUGN programming and
contract -10.3 percent, or 12 votes
This week: What do you think of the West
University Task Force’s findings?
Choices: All good ideas; Mostly good
ideas; Adequate ideas; Mostly bad ideas;
All bad ideas; Leave me alone!