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inursaay, August /, 2003
oince 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 14
‘Carelessness’ caused Theta Chi fire, EFD says
Fraternity members, now without
a home, contest a faulty electrical
system produced Monday’s blaze
By Jared Paben
Freelance Reporter
Fourteen members of the University's
Theta Chi fraternity have been forced to
find new homes after a blaze tore through
the top two floors of their 78-year-old fra
ternity house Monday night.
The Eugene Fire Department ordered
residents to vacate the house — effective
immediately — due to extensive smoke
damage, chapter president Dustin Funes
said. Even though the house suffered struc
tural damage only to its second and third
floors, the smoke damage poses a direct
hazard to people, he added.
Despite EFD's order to vacate, Funes
PART 2 OF 2
Tuesday: Unexplained fire bums Theta Chi
Today: Fraternity house prepares
to repair damage, meet University standards
said a housing crisis likely won't happen.
The University has offered emergency
boarding in the residence halls to affected
residents; Funes said he didn't think any
members have accepted, however. In
stead, most have moved in with friends
or girlfriends until the house can be re
paired, he said.
Just exactly when that will be, Funes
didn't know. He said the insurance com
pany will evaluate the damage and de
termine if and how much it will pay to
repair it. Funes said he likely won't
know for about a week when the house
will be repaired.
Despite that uncertainty, Funes held
high hopes that Theta Chi members will
be able to use the house by the start of
the school year. Me said once the smoke
damage is repaired, members will be
able to use 80 percent of the rooms,
which should be more than enough to
accommodate their needs during the
school year.
Former residents wandered through the
building's second and third stories on
Tuesday afternoon, examining the dam
age's extent for themselves. Fraternity
members and fire department officials
seemed to agree about the fire's movement
and effects.
The blaze started on the third floor sun
deck on the east side of the building. The
flames eventually engulfed two third-story
Turn to Fire, page 3
Jessica Waters Emerald
The Theta Chi fire dropped fiery material into this second story room,
setting the room ablaze and causing extensive damage.
City police
look into
sex crime
allegations
EPD is investigating two of its own
officers for unrelated contentions
of inappropriate sexual behavior
while the policemen were on duty
By A. Sho Ikeda
Reporter
A Eugene Police Department officer was
jailed Tuesday on allegations that he —
while on duty and in uniform — pressured
four women into providing sexual favors,
and a second EPD officer is also under in
vestigation for an unrelated allegation of
sexual misbehavior, police officials said.
The Lane County grand jury returned an
indictment for Officer Juan Francisco Lara,
29, on Tuesday morning with two counts
of second-degree sex abuse, one count of
public indecency and third-degree sex
abuse, and three counts of coercion and
first-degree official misconduct.
Lara, an officer with EPD since January
2000, was arrested at his home on Tuesday
afternoon and was released from the Lane
County Jail on $250,000 bail.
The second officer, Roger Eugene Mag
ana, 40, has not been charged with any
crime and is an eight-year veteran of the
EPD, department officials said.
"This is a dark day for the Eugene Police
Department and the community we have
sworn to serve," interim police depart
ment Chief Thad Buchanan said at a news
conference. "Every police officer is harsh
ly imparted when one of our own violates
public trust, casting the shadow of suspi
cion over the rest of us."
Turn to EPD, page 4
QftATIME
Jessica Waters Emerald
Quarterback Jason Fife takes a snap in Wednesday’s practice as tailback Chris Vincent (22)
looks on. Fife and Kellen Clemens will compete for the starting quarterback spot.
As fall football camp begins, questions remain for the team
looking to reestablish itself after last season’s 7-6 record
By Jesse Thomas
Sports Editor
As the Oregon football team headed to the practice field
Wednesday afternoon for the first day of fall football camp,
mixed aromas of uncertainty and success loomed in the air
for a team that still needs answers.
At the beginning of Oregon football's 108th of season,
questions of who will take the quarterback position,
whether the defensive line will match the hype, and
whether the Ducks have mentally recovered from 2002's 1
6 finish all remain unanswered.
"Until we improve, I think we have question marks in a
lot of places," Oregon football head coach Mike Bellotti
said in a press conference Tuesday. "And I say that because
when you lose your returning tailback, returning tight end
— until somebody steps up and proves that they're the per
son, we're going to ask 'Who is that?"'
So will Jason Fife or Kellen Clemens take the lead?
Both quarterbacks will be competing for the starting po
sition throughout fall camp and into the season, and Bel
lotti is unsure when the position will be determined.
"1 don't have a timetable for that," Bellotti said. "Right
now 1 feel like Jason Fife and Kellen Clemens are equal,
and we will give them equal opportunities with the first
team and second team. It may be some time in fall camp, it
may be the first game, it might not be decided until mid
season. And it may be a system that allows us to play two
quarterbacks on some type of regular basis."
Fife and Clemens call each other friends and competi
tors, but Fife seems more concerned with the welfare of the
team and its redemption.
"Last season left a really bad taste in our mouth; the bowl
game left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths on this team,"
Fife said. "We don't care what anybody's saying about us any
more; we just want to go out there and kick ass like we used to."
The majority of Oregon's questions sit on the offensive
side, however. With losses of Onterrio Smith and Allan
Amundson, the tailback spot is still wide open.
Turn to Football, page 4
WEATHER
LOW
53
HIGH
75
INSIDE
Campus buzz.6 Commentary..2
Classifieds.6-7 Pulse.5
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University officials
comply with new
federal standards