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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2005)
Eugene teachers vote for small schools project THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Teachers and staff members at North Eugene High School have vot ed to continue with plans to break the large school into three separate learning academies. The school was one of eight in Ore gon selected to receive a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Meyer Memorial TTust to divide into smaller schools in an effort to boost student achievement. But some staffers at North Eugene had doubts about the plan, leading to the anonymous vote over whether the school should proceed with the split. A committee of both critics and supporters of the small-schools plan had agreed in advance that they needed a two-thirds majority to move forward. The vote was 72 percent in favor. “I was relieved it’s over,” said Prin cipal Peter TYomba, who has tried in recent months to calm concern over the proposed change among his staff, students and community. “Now we don’t have to keep asking ‘if’ — now it’s ‘how.’” Casandra Kamens, a French teacher in her eighth year at North, was among those who voted against the change. “I voted no because I don’t feel as a school right now we have a clear vi sion of why we’re going forward,” she said. But other teachers, even some who confessed to having lingering con cerns and questions, said they be lieve the small-schools model holds great potential. “I was nervous, but I know it’s best for the kids,” said fourth-year teacher Jesse Sherman, the yearbook adviser. “It’s not going to be best for the teachers. It’s going to be hard work. ” North Eugene’s $900,000 grant is being used primarily for travel to visit other schools, training and staff time for planning. Staff members have come up with proposals for seven schools, each with a distinct focus; by the end of the year, with input from staff, parents and students, three to five will be selected. At least one will open in fall 2006, the rest in 2007. Had the vote gone the other way, North Eugene might have been the first of many schools around the na tion to turn down the remainder of a Gates small-schools grant. Karen Phillips, director of the Gates-affiliated Oregon Small Schools Initiative, said North Eugene was the only grantee in Oregon to take a sec ond vote on whether to move ahead. Dana Harlan, left, places her jewelry out for display with assistance from junior Vanessa Ward. Harlan’s show ran Saturday and Sunday at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house. Zane Rrrr | Photographer Jewelry: Harlan's business to hit the Web next month Continued from page 1 $20 for a pair of earrings to close to $100 for more elaborate pieces; about half of that pays for the cost of materials. In addition to earning spending money, Harlan said making jewel ry is also relaxing. “When school gets stressful, I make jewelry,” Harlan said. She said it takes her between half an hour to an hour to make a piece of jewelry. Harlan has held jewelry sales at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house where she lives. A sale just before Christmas made almost $1,500 in two hours, and a sale this weekend that coincided with the sorority’s Mother’s Weekend events garnered another $2,000. As her audience expands, Har lan said she sees her jewelry in public more frequently. “I’ve seen it on people I don’t know before,” Harlan said. “I’m excited for the day when that be comes more of a normal thing.” “You can’t wear her jewelry and not get a compliment on it,” jun ior Sharon Howell said. Howell, who is studying public relations at the journalism school, is Harlan’s friend and housemate and helps promote her jewelry. Next month, Harlan plans to be gin selling jewelry over the Inter net. Senior Jen Ness is making Harlan’s Web site. “It’s going to be a pretty cool, artsy Web site,” Ness said. Ness, who majors in advertising and minors in multimedia design, said she normally charges a fee for her Web site services, but Harlan pays her with jewelry. “It’s a pretty good trade,” Ness said. Harlan’s next public jewelry sale will be held May 1 at the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house, 821 E. 15th Ave., from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. evasylwester@dailyemerald. com IN BRIEF Strong earthquake hits Indonesia near Sumatra JAKARTA, Indonesia — An un dersea earthquake that hit Sunday near the Indonesian island of Suma tra sent people fleeing from their homes in panic, but the temblor was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, seismologists and meteo rologists said. The 6.8-magnitude tremor’s epi center was centered about 70 miles southwest of Padang, a city in west ern Sumatra, at a depth of nearly 19 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Tremors from the earthquake were felt in several areas surround ing the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur, national meteorological chief Chow Kok Kee told TV 3 news. The quake was recorded at 5:29 p.m. (6:29 a.m. EDT) in the Kepu lauan Mentawai region, the USGS said. There have been no reports of damage, USGS spokeswoman Clarice Ransom said. —The Associated Press nvmnmi rung 021877 Now Leasing for next year! University Commons Apartments Furnished 1, 2, & 4 bedroom apartments Reduced rental rates for 2005-06! Come see us and find out more! • Fully furnished • Individual leases • Full size washers and dryers in every apartment • 24 Hour Fitness Center • Heated pool • Security alarm system • Water, trash, sewer included • 1, 2, 6 4 bedroom apartments • 3 bedroom with a den • Game room • Caged basketball court • Sand volleyball court • Uniformed security on-site u n i ve r s i t y COMMONS apartments 338-4000 90 Commons Drive, Eugene, OR 97401 Hours: M-F 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm Sun 12pm-5pm
