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Friday, January 16, 2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 80
New arena cost estimates jump by $20 million
Soaring from $130 million
to $180 million, the costs
of the basketball arena may
delay the building's opening
By Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
The price tag on Oregon's new bas
ketball arena has increased to nearly
$180 million, requiring the Universi
ty Athletics Department to take on
substantial debt if it still plans to
build the structure.
Oregon Vice President for Admin
istration Dan Williams said this week
that as the project has progressed, the
cost of the new arena has doubled
compared to initial estimates shown
in a financial study.
"With the fact that, as they got into
greater detail, the architects and de
sign of projected costs, we find our
selves much closer to about $180
(million) now," Williams said. "The
complication with that is that that's
well beyond what we believe we can
raise through private giving. That's a
big change in the project."
In a study for the University con
ducted in 2003 by Convention, Sports
& Leisure International, initial esti
mates showed projected costs of $90
to $130 million. In mid-December,
the projection had been raised to
$160 million.
"Like most projects, when you get
into the details, when you begin to
spell out more carefully exactly what's
going to go under the roof, your costs
will either go up or go down,"
Williams said. "My experience with
this project is the same as it is with
any facility project I've worked on —
the more you know, the more cost."
Williams and athletics director Bill
Moos have been involved in several
discussions trying to determine
whether costs will continue to in
crease. Williams said he is worried
"very much so" about the continuing
increase in the arena's price, but
added he doesn't have an answer on
how much money is too much.
"The only thing I'm veiy sure
about is what's affordable and what
we want aren't the same anymore, *
Williams said.
The original estimate of $ 130 mil
lion was going to allow private gifts
to entirely fund the arena. Williams
has said anything beyond $130 mil
lion will be debt financed by the Ath
letics Department.
"We're not going to commit ourselves
to a level of debt beyond that which we
think is prudent," Williams said.
Williams said he soon expects to
know what is affordable, and it is like
ly the amount of debt the Athletics
Department can accept is going to de
termine the price of the new arena.
The amount of debt depends large
ly on whether the Athletics Depart
ment can continue to be successful in
raising money through private donors
and the ability of men's football and
men's basketball to consistently gen
erate large amounts of revenue.
Men's football and men's basket
ball are the only two sports at the Uni
versity that bring in more money than
Turn to ARENA, page 4
An International Education
University student Lach
Litwer received recognition
from the Israeli President for
his efforts to educate others
By Jared Paben
Senior News Reporter
Something about Israel profoundly
changed Lach Litwer.
Something during his 10-day "whirl
wind" trip this summer compelled the
University psychology student to estab
lish an Israel resource center and advo
cacy group in Eugene.
Something he saw inspired him to
devote himself to educating fellow Jew
ish University students about Israel.
And something big happened as a
result of those efforts.
Last month, Israeli President Moshe
Katsav and Lynn Schusterman, a phi
lanthropist with the international or
ganization "birthright israel," awarded
Litwer, along with five others from
around the world, the first-annual
"Charlie Awards" at the president's
home in Jerusalem.
Litwer was given the award, which
included an $1,800 grant and a trip to
Israel, to recognize him for the work he
has done to educate the community af
ter visiting the country last summer.
"Since I came back I've become
Courtesy
Israeli President Moshe Katzav and "birthright israel" philanthropist Lynn Schusterman present University student
Lach Litwer with a "Shofar," representing a call to action in Israel, and a Charlie Award in Jerusalem last month.
really aware that there's a lot of misinforma
tion and misunderstanding about what Israel
is about and what's happening over there,"
Litwer said. "I decided it was worthwhile to
start programming to help people understand
what Israel is about."
Litwer helped establish an Israel resource
Turn to EDUCATION, page 4
Councilors
consider
housing
standards
Eugene Citizens for Housing
Standards are campaigning
for minimal habitability standards
to be enforced at the local level
By Nika Carlson
News Reporter
When junior Chris Yeung moved into his
new house last june, he found more house
mates than the four friends he was expecting
; — he also had maggots.
The maggots are gone now, but more prob
lems have surfaced. Each of the three toilets in
the house have broken repeatedly, he said,
and his bedroom toilet has broken so many
times he learned how to fix it himself.
"It seems like they don't necessarily fix
everything right, they just fix it until it breaks
again," he said.
Despite the frequent problems, Yeung's op
tions are limited.
"I mean, all we can really do is complain to
the landlords," he said.
The ASUO, the University and Lane Com
munity College chapters of OSP1RG and the
Turn to HOUSING, page 6
Mother awarded $1.1 million in wrongful death lawsuit
PeaceHealth was found liable
in December for University
student Jill Dieringer’s death,
though an appeal is pending
By Lisa Catto
News Reporter
A wrongful death lawsuit filed regard
ing the death of 19-year-old University
student Jill Dieringer was setded in early
December. Her mother, Lori Hughes,
was awarded $1.1 million from
PeaceHealth.
Dieringer died of bacterial
meningococcal disease in February
2001 at Sacred Heart Medical Center,
which is owned by PeaceHealth.
Dieringer checked into Sacred Heart
on Feb. 8, 2001 with a sore throat, fever,
shaking, chills and severe muscle aches,
according to the filed complaint. She
was diagnosed with mononucleosis and
was set for discharge several hours later.
While waiting to be discharged,
Dieringer began to complain of dizzi
ness and her blood pressure continued
to drop, the complaint stated. She was
then transferred to the temporary care
unit for observation.
About 10 hours after checking into
the hospital, Dieringer noticed purple
spots on her cheek and arm. The doctor
then diagnosed an acute bacterial infec
tion and began an initial dose of
antibiotics before transferring her to
the intensive care unit.
The complaint states that Dieringer's
medical condition rapidly deteriorated
once she was in the ICU. The purple spots
spread over her body and she developed
respiratory and bleeding problems.
Dieringer died about 18 hours after
noticing the purple spots.
Barbara Penney, a friend of Dieringer's
Turn to LAWSUIT page 5
WEATHER
INSIDE
Campus buzz.6
Classifieds.11
Commentary.2
Crossword.11
News Brief.3
Sports.7
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