An independent newspaper Monday, reDruary y, 2UU4 oINCE iyUU UNIVERSITY OF OREGON LUGENE, OREGON Volume 105, Issue 95 Music school picks up $50,000 Tim Kupsick Freelance Photographer Cello performance major Jeanine Lafitte practices Friday afternoon. “It’s a pain in the ass” to find empty practice rooms, she said. Federal funding will help with a planned expansion of the school’s crowded facilities By Chuck Slothower News Reporter Thanks to the efforts of University staff and Oregon's congressional delegation, the School of Music is slated to receive $50,000 in federal funds for construction and renovation of its facilities. The money will be used to help pay for construction of two new wings to the Music Building. The construction will add about 50 percent more space and double the number of practice rooms available to music students, School of Music Director of Develop ment DeNel Stoltz said. Several music majors said additional practice rooms are a priority for them be cause they are almost always full at cer tain times of the day. "It's a pain in the ass," cello perform ance major Jeanine Lafitte said. "We need more practice rooms." University staff said the Music Build ing is one of the most crowded build ings on campus. "It's been a University priority to reno vate and expand the School of Music for some time," Director of Federal Affairs Betsy Boyd said. "It's at capacity." But the federal appropriation is just a drop in the bucket for the music school's long-term project to improve its facilities. "Fifty thousand dollars, while it's a big help, is not going to fund the whole thing," said Tucker Bounds, spokesman for Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. The federal funds will go toward matching $7.6 million in general Turn to MUSIC, page 4 BRING helps Lane sort out plastics issues The local recycling company says 30 percent of plastics it receives every year is nonrecyclable By Caron Alarab Senior News Reporter Film canisters, candy wrappers, baby diapers and coat hang ers are all nonrecyclable products made from plastic, a versa tile material that is significantly adding to Lane County's land fills. And local recyclers say the main problem with plastic is excessive consumption. "Buy less plastic," said BRING Recycling Director Julie Daniel. Started in 1971, BRING is one of the nation's oldest nonprofit recyclers. The local recycler crushes, sorts, bales and sends to market more than 2,400 tons of cans, glass, plastic, cardboard and milk cartons each year from Lane County. BRING processes re cyclables that the public takes to Lane County's Glenwood Central Receiving Station, located at 3100 E. 17th Ave., and to four public drop sites. Out of the 250 to 300 tons of plastic BRING receives every year, about 30 percent is nonrecyclable and ends up in the dump, Daniel said. 'The contamination issue in plastic is worse than any other ma terial we process because there are so many different kinds," Daniel said. "It's just a fact of the business." Local residents' inability to distinguish recyclable plastic from waste has always been an issue for BRING, Daniel said. "If it's made out of plastic, you name it, we've received it," she said. While most recyclers in the United States accept only two types of recyclable plastic, BRING accepts plastic bottles, tubs and jars in grades one through five, and seven, Daniel said. Daniel said some common nonrecyclable plastic items sent to BRING include baby diapers, take-out "clam shells," toothbrush es, pill bottles and plastic bags. Glenwood Central Receiving Station site inspector Mark Sanders said plastic grocery bags are one of the site's biggest prob lems because most consumers don't know to return them to su permarkets for re-use. Sanders said people seem to think all plastic is recyclable, but Turn to RECYCLING, page 4 Republicans commemorate Reagan’s 93rd birthday The College Republicans recited speeches first delivered by America’s 40th president By Lisa Catto News Reporter Members of the University College Republicans en dured cold temperatures and rain Friday to deliver Ronald Reagan speeches to passing students in honor of the former president's 93rd birthday. Several members of the group took turns delivering some of the 40th president's speeches from his eight years in office, including the "Challenger speech," the "Berlin Wall speech" and his inauguration speeches. During the speech that College Republicans Chairman Jarrett White delivered, several members held up pictures of Reagan in the air and cheered at certain parts. White said the purpose of the readings was to tell stu dents about Reagan's policies and show the inspiration he gave America. "We believe that Ronald Reagan is one of our greatest presidents of all time," White said. "We think his vision for our country was so great that (he) should be somebody that we celebrate, not just on his birthday but every day." White said that it is especially important because Uni versity faculty members generally do not discuss policies and actions of Reagan. "I've been here for four years and we've never had a seri ous conversation about Reagan," White said. He added that while he was formerly a business major for almost two years, he never heard about "Reaganomics" in his classes, nor has he discussed Reagan in his classes as a political science major. "People at the campus don't get to hear about Ronald Reagan unless it's a joke from their professor," he said. Senior Tom Breaden agreed that conservative politics are a bit underrepresented on campus. Turn to REAGAN, page 4 Jon Hogate celebrates Ronald Reagan’s birthday along with other College Republicans in the EMU Amphi theater on Friday afternoon. Lauren Wimer Photographer WEATHER INSIDE NEXT ISSUE 30 48 Campus buzz.3 Classifieds.6 Commentary..2 Corrections.3 Nation & World.3 Sports.5 A UO student battles with a brain tumor