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E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online: www.dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor:
Jan Tobias Montry
Editorial Editor:
Travis Willse
EDITORIAL.
Housing code
could better
conditions
Residing in shoddy and mold-infested domiciles in Eu
gene may be comfortable for some, but most students who
are subjected to such living conditions without legal recourse
will say it's time for a change.
And if that change requires forcing local landlords to fol
low a housing code so their own rentals are worthy at least of
the lowest standards of living, we say, so be it.
The fabled housing code has been a buzz issue around the
ASUO and student advocacy groups for years. Few candi
dates for ASUO Executive have failed to promise a new hous
ing code during their tenure, and even fewer — zero, to be
precise — have actually made good on that promise.
But that could change this year, thanks to the efforts of local
student governments and student groups, which have shown
exceptional leadership in working toward a reasonable solu
tion to the great housing debate. The ASUO, along with OS
PIRG and the Associated Students of Lane Community Col
lege, formed the Eugene Citizens for Housing Standards to
approach the problem more direcdy than in past years.
Three Eugene city councilors have already pledged their
support to a set of housing standards the group drafted —
just one city councilor shy of scoring a council work session
on the issue.
Furthering the drive, Citizens for Housing Standards or
ganized a community canvas last week in Ward 7, hoping to
gamer support from Ward 7 City Councilor Scott Meisner —
the only moderate left after Ward 1 City Councilor Bonny
Bettman, Ward 3 City Councilor David Kelly and Ward 2
City Councilor Betty Taylor, who have all promised support.
This is promising news, especially in these times when
housing standards are clearly needed more than ever. In
October, students reported frequently feeling sick as a re
sult of mold growing inside their apartments. But the lack
of legally enforced housing standards forced students to
bear the burden of mold removal themselves. This is just
one example of why housing standards, which have been
implemented in many other cities, are so critical to the
safety and health of students.
While we strongly support housing standards, one con
cern must be addressed and solved before the standards are
implemented. Creating a safer environment — including
better structural integrity, plumbing, heating and weather
proofing, which are all included in the proposal — is not
cheap, and someone has to pay for it. Landlords will proba
bly pass this cost on to students in the form of increased rent
or security deposits.
The question, then, is whether the extra cost is a reason
able exchange for safer living. Most students who have lived
in bad conditions will say yes, and we hope the city council
will agree.
Students who feel housing standards would improve ab
horrent conditions in their apartments or houses should
contact the city councilor for their ward and demand ac
countability for unsafe living conditions.
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
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address for verification. The Emerald reserves the right
to edit for space, grammar and style.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Brad Schmidt
Editor in Chief
Jan Tobias Montry
Managing Editor
Aimee Rudin
Freelance Editor
Ayisha Yahya
News Editor
Travis Willse
Editorial Editor
Steve Baggs Illustrator
(growing up
I woke up yesterday, got dressed for
work, looked in the mirror and realized
I'm turning into an adult. It's a little
frightening.
In the last year, I've gone from jeans and
T-shirts everyday to dress clothes at least a
couple times a week. I actually own a
purse. I've started brushing my hair, and
on occasion I wear deodorant. I can't re
member the last time I took a day off in
the middle of the week.
I'm holding down two jobs; one I've
worked at for more than a year, and an
other that just might turn into a career. I
got my W-2 in the mail earlier this
month, and I actually put it somewhere
where I'll be able to find it when I start
filling out tax forms. That's another
thing, I'm going to file taxes this year for
the first time ever.
I applied to graduate in June and with
the way I'm going, it seems like after that I
can kiss any semblance of childhood
goodbye. It's hard.
I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a
cliff getting ready to dive into the abyss,
and I don't even have a rope. Lately, when I
lie in bed at night I almost physically have
to fight off the panic. There's a running
soundtrack in my head that just keeps ask
ing if this is what I really want to do with
my life. 1 have this fear that I'm going to
graduate, get a job, get married and never
do another exciting thing in my life. It's ir
rational, I know.
Aimee Rudin
Five feet of fury
I also know that life is what you make
of it, but... I see it everyday. People walk
ing down the street, in a rush, with some
place important to go. In our society
we're taught that's what success is — hav
ing some important place to go. But, to
me, it seems like being stuck in a rut,
trapped. Most people 1 see that have
been deemed successful by society never
have time to do anything but work, or
maybe that's all they make time for. I
don't want a life like that.
When I was young, I had this dream of
living someplace remote, off the grid.
Somewhere where it snows in the yard in
winter, but where I could grow tomatoes
outdoors in the summer. I'm caught be
tween trying to be a success and trying to
live the life I've always dreamed about. I'm
not sure how to do both, but I know that
it's possible.
I think it has to do with taking the time
to meander, something I rarely do any
more. I think it means walking down the
street, making eye contact and smiling at
people. I think somewhere in success there
is time to take personal snow days and
road trips. I don't think success means
money or following the beaten path, and I
don't think success means living in contra
diction to my beliefs.
There's a job in Alaska, up on the Kenai
Peninsula. I have the announcement post
ed on my wall above my desk at home. I've
got my resume and the application for it
half-written, just waiting. Waiting for what,
I don't know.
Contact the columnist
at aimeerudin@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily represent
those of the Emerald.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
OSPIRG is major asset
to University community
There is a student group here at the Uni
versity that I would like to talk about.
Last term alone this group did a ma
jor campus-wide research project on the
true average cost of textbooks, collected
more than 800 pounds of food on Hal
loween for Food for Lane County, held
three river clean-ups picking up trash
and debris along the Willamette River
and helped more than 100 renters with
their housing problems, to name a
few things.
Who is this student group, you may
ask? It is OSPIRG. The Oregon Student
Public Interest Research Group has
more than 100 members on campus
and affects 20 times that many students
at the University of Oregon through
class presentations, research, education
al events and the training of new lead
ers. I have only highlighted a few of OS
PIRG's accomplishments. This group
does so much to help the environment,
protect student and consumer rights
and promote an atmosphere of out-of
the-classroom education. To have a
chapter here at the University of Ore
gon, and to continue the great work that
affects so many students on campus and
in their daily lives, OSP1RG needs to be
fully funded.
A college campus is the birthplace of
great ideas and even greater movements.
OSPIRG is one important student group
that fosters that same idea. I urge the PFC
to consider the impact of this great group
and allot them full funding.
Arista Hickman
sophomore
environmental science
Television plays major role
in pushing drugs
Does anyone else feel that the "One
Voice: Media United Against Drugs" is a
bit hypocritical? The "media" in this
case seem to be television media. And
dollar for dollar, television commercials
are the biggest drug-pushers in
America today.
They push Viagra, Lipitor, Procrit, Cal
trate, Imitrex, Wellbutrin and Plavix, not to
mention all the sugar and beer commer
cials. After watching football and drinking
beer for years it suddenly dawned on me
— I don't like beer.
And these are not just poor street kids
pushing drugs. These are highly educat
ed, highly paid drug-pushers. These
pushers have been taught advanced psy
chology at prestigious universities to
trick you and your kids into buying
their drugs.
Now I realize that the local media are
trying to do a public service with their
"Media United Against Drugs" campaign,
but to paraphrase Pogo: "You have met the
enemy and the enemy is You."
Chris Pender
Eugene