Utsav celebration showcases India’s culture I 8
MERALD
An independent newspaper
www.dailyemerald.com
Since 1900 \ Volume 106, Issue 104 \ Monday, February 21, 2005
Behind tJ"Lp fpoltball player
University defensive lineman
Haloti Ngata discussed his faith
at a church event on Thursday
BY AMANDA BOLSINGER
NEWS REPORTER
Many people know Haloti Ngata as number 96
on the football team, a 6-foot-5,345-pound force
on the field. He was one of the University’s high
est-rated national recruits and is among the Uni
versity’s strongest defensive linemen.
What people may not know is that Ngata is
also a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ngata joined elders and missionaries in a
church presentation on Thursday in the EMU
aimed at raising awareness and giving students
an opportunity to learn about the religion. Ngata
spoke and introduced the other speakers
throughout the meeting. He was asked to partici
pate because he is a public figure and because of
his strong faith, said Josh Alder, a University sen
ior and elder with the church.
“He is quiet, soft-spoken and has strong beliefs
that guide his life,” said T. Wayne Hunsaker, di
rector of the Institute of Religion.
Ngata grew up in Utah, jokingly referred
to as “the homeland” by other members
of the faith. When it came time to pick a universi
ty, a tug of war ensued, as most Pacific-10 Con
ference schools, including Brigham Young Uni
versity, University of Nebraska — Lincoln, Ohio
State, University of Michigan and Texas A&M
University tried to recruit him. Ngata verbally
committed to Nebraska and BYU before sign
ing a letter of intent for Oregon. The details
of Ngata’s recruitment were still blurry, but
one thing was clear: The Ducks had signed the
number two recruit in the nation.
Ngata says he was very active in the church
when he first arrived in Oregon, but during his
sophomore year he drifted away.
“I began drifting away and that’s when I
had my injury,” Ngata said. “The only place I
could feel comfort and peace was coming
back to the church.”
Ngata considered going on a mission during
the time he was injured but instead chose to stay
at the University and continue playing football.
“Right now I’m not thinking about a mission,”
Ngata said. “I feel like I can show the church
through athletics.”
Now Ngata describes himself as “fully active”
in the church. He goes to weekly meetings and
Nicole Barker | Photographer
Haloti Ngata listens as Jennifer Potts speaks. Haloti, a University football player, and others spoke about their
faith Thursday at a presentation by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
activities and attends church on Sundays.
Ngata attends the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints at the Institute of Reli
gion building on East 16th Avenue and
Alder Street. The Institute serves as an edu
cation program for young adults in the
church and Ngata attends classes there with
other University Mormon students. The In
stitute has about 400 University members,
Hunsaker said.
The purpose of Thursday’s presentation
was to offer students who are interested
in learning more about Mormonism and
the church an opportunity to speak with
church members and learn about their be
liefs and faith.
Ngata said he likes the institute because he
enjoys spending time with other members.
“It’s fun to be in the student world with other
people that can relate,” Ngata said.
abolsinger@ dailyemerald. com
UO, city sponsor student business
With high failure rates for starting businesses,
the University offers help to young entrepreneurs
BY EVA SYLWESTER
NEWS REPORTER
When starting a business,
prospective entrepreneurs have
many things to consider, and the
University and Eugene community
have many resources available to to
help those beginning the process.
“At a minimum, a venture
must have both the creative and
business elements represented,”
Lundquist Center for Entrepre
neurship Director Randy Swan
gard said in an e-mail. “A great
product without sound business
fundamentals will not fly. Sound
business fundamentals without
a great product/service is also
in jeopardy.”
In addition to sponsoring entre
preneurship classes for admitted
business majors, the LCE at the
University’s Lundquist College of
Business also offers business com
petitions, clubs, and access to men
torships and internships.
Former University student Chris
Althouse said he used LCE’s re
sources. He now owns NRG Enter
tainment, a mobile disc jockey
company that provides music at
weddings, company parties, frater
nity and sorority functions, and
bars. He started the company in
July 2003 while still a student.
“I started the business while
going to school because I fig
ured, what better way to learn?”
Althouse said. He got advice on
his business from the center, and
he also did class projects about
his business.
“It actually provided a learning
experience as well as real world ap
plication,” Alt
house said.
Althouse said
the most difficult
part of starting a
business was un
der-capitalization,
or not having
enough money.
“We’re at the
point where it
doesn’t matter that
much now, but in
the beginning, it
was pretty tough,”
he said.
Althouse de
scribed his initial
financial strategy
as creative nnancing.
“I lived off my credit cards a lot
and other stuff they tell you not to
do,” he said.
Althouse said no banks were
willing to give him loans because
of the relatively high number of
disc jockey businesses in the area.
Outside the
University, other
organizations
in Eugene are
available to help
with the financial
aspects of start
ing a business.
The City of Eu
gene’s Business
Development
Fund gives loans
to help business
es, filling in the
gaps when
banks cannot
provide loans.
“Because our
program is fo
cused on job creation, we look at
this as an economic development
tool,” City of Eugene Planning and
Development Department loan an
alyst Denny Braud said.
“A lot of what we do is more
production-oriented,” Braud said,
BUSINESS, page 6
BEFORE YOU START
Before starting a business, consider
the following:
1. What is the product or service
being offered?
2. Who will buy or use it? What are the
demographics of the target market?
3. What makes the business
unique? What is its competition?
4. How will customers get the
product or service?
5. How big will the business' staff
need to be?
6. How will the business make
money?
Source: Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship
Police raid
uncovers
firearms,
meth lab
Authorities obtained a warrant to
search the campus-area residence
on suspicion of drug trading
BY KARA HANSEN
NEWS REPORTER
Police found an operating methampheta
mine lab in a raid on a campus-area apart
ment Thursday.
Police detonated a flash-bang grenade and
with the aid of a SWAT team, entered apart
ment 14 at 1840 Agate St. around 7 a.m. They
found firearms, stolen property and a meth
lab inside.
Police arrested the apartment’s resident, An
thony Michael Tornaquindici, 47, on charges of
violating parole for a previous conviction of un
lawful use of a weapon. According to the Eu
gene Police Department, authorities obtained a
warrant to search Tornaquindici’s apartment
because they suspected he was trading drugs
for stolen property.
The flash-bang grenade and SWAT were
necessary precautions because of Tornaquindi
ci’s history with illegal firearms, according to
the EPD.
Ashley Scheitel, 21, lives in a complex adja
cent to the apartment and said police teams
were present until early in the evening, likely
cleaning up toxic chemicals and securing
the area.
Police have posted signs on the apartment’s
door warning of possible chemical contami
nation, but they believe contamination was
limited to the one apartment.
Meth has considerable potential to impact
the communities in which it is manufactured,
according to the Oregon Department of Hu
man Services Drug Lab Cleanup Program.
Byproducts from the manufacture of meth de
grade environmental quality, seeping into
soil, water and air, and potentially leading to
health problems for people living in contami
nated areas, according to DHS.
Tornaquindici was booked into Lane Coun
ty Jail and will be charged with unlawful drug
manufacturing and aggravated theft, accord
ing to the EPD.
karahansen @ dailyemerald. com
A sign posted outside apartment 14 at 1840 Agate St.
warns against entry to the former residence of Anthony
Michael Tornaquindici because of toxic chemicals from
a meth lab.