Oregon daily emerald., April 25, 2005, Image 1

Late UO professor honored at Earth Day event I 6A
Oregon Daily Emerald
An independent newspaper
www. da ilyemerald. com
Since 1900 \ Volume 106, Issue 141 | Monday, April 25, 2005
Arena plan
still suffers
from lack
of funding
The $160 million necessary for
construction will be fundraised
privately, University officials say
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
When the University first pitched its plans for a
new basketball arena three years ago, officials
predicted an opening date of fall 2006. The date
was pushed back two years because of funding
problems, and University officials are hopeful the
fall 2008 date won’t be pushed back any further.
But recent statements from officials indicate they
have resigned themselves to the possibility.
The reason? Funding problems.
“The day will come when we build an arena;
we need to do that. The question is right now,
‘When and how expensive of a project is it going
to be?’” University Vice President for Administra
tion Dan Williams said.
The $160 million that University officials say
they will need to construct the arena will still be
raised privately, but Williams said the University
has been cautious about the number of donors
being contacted because there are other projects
on the fundraising list that are more important.
"We wanted to be sure that the arena
wouldn’t be built at the expense of the
University’s higher priorities,” Williams said.
Williams said any debt incurred from the bas
ketball arena’s design and construction will be
the responsibility of National Championship
Properties, a University of Oregon Foundation
subsidiary, in order to mitigate financial problems
the Athletics Department could face if met with
considerable amounts of debt.
National Championship Properties has been
part of the arena plan since the beginning but is
now assuming more responsibility for the arena’s
operation, Williams said.
“They will run the arena. They will operate
the arena. The University will be a tenant,”
Williams said. “We’re shifting the risk to NCP
from the athletic department and the
University. ”
University Athletic Director Bill Moos wrote
to all Athletics Department donors and ticket
FUNDING, page 7A
City yet to charge U O receiver
Police cited Demetrius Williams
nine months ago for allegedly
jamming UO parking meters
BY JARED PABEN
NEWS EDITOR
Nearly nine months after Demetrius
Williams, star receiver for the University
football team, was arrested and cited for
what police say were five instances of jam
ming parking meters so he could park for
free, the city prosecutor’s office still hasn’t
formally charged him.
Williams, 22, was cited for five counts of
criminal mischief 3 in early August 2004 for
allegedly sticking pennies and washers
covered in a “gooey substance” in parking
meters, jamming them so they would read
‘out of order,’ according to a Eugene Police
Department report.
EPD spokeswoman
Kerry Delf said
Williams’ attorney
and a city prosecutor,
who is currently on
vacation, have been
negotiating a plea
bargain that will like
ly include charges of
criminal mischief.
Those charges will
probably be coming
The city prosecutor’s office would not dis
cuss the case with the Emerald because it is
still open.
Williams, who said he didn’t tamper with
the meters, said it’s “kind of petty” if the city
prosecutor’s office is planning on filing
charges against him.
“They tried to say I was plugging meters
or something, I guess,” Williams said. “I
guess they threw it out, I don’t know.”
Williams said he “wasn’t trying to do any
thing or stiff anybody or anything like that. I
was just parking my car and going.”
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said he
was aware of the arrest at the time and had a
conversation with Williams, but he didn’t re
member details of the conversation. Bellotti
said he “thought the charges were dismissed
because they weren’t filed.”
“If and when anything like that occurs, I
would take appropriate steps based on our
team rules,” Bellotti said.
EPD officer Randy Ellis, who arrested and
cited Williams, said he couldn’t discuss de
tails of the case because no formal charges
have been filed. Ellis did say, however, that
suspects often have to appear in court two
weeks after they are cited. If they plead “not
guilty,” they have about a month before a tri
al is held, when the arresting officer receives
WILLIAMS, page 12A
AROUNDTHE BEND
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
Oregon freshman distance runner Galen Rupp runs in the middle of the pack during his highly anticipated Oregon debut Saturday at the Oregon Invitational. The Portland
native holds national high school records in the 2,000-, 3,000- and 5,000-meters.
For the complete story, see page 13A
Community breaks matzah at Seder
Kate Horton | Photographer
SYMBOLS OFTHE SEDER PLATE
A) "Maror" (bitter herbs): Bitter Herbs usually horseradish, symbolize the bitterness
of Egyptian slavery.
B) "Karpas” (vegetable): The vegetable, usually parsley, is dipped into salt water
during the Seder. The salty water represents the tears shed during Egyptian slavery.
C) ‘‘Charoset” (apple, nut, spice and wine mixture): A variable recipe of apple, nuts
and spices ground together and mixed with wine is symbolic of the mortar used by
Hebrew slaves to build Egyptian structures.
D) "Zeroa" (shankbone): The charred Shankbone is symbolic of the lamb offered in
biblical times as a Passover sacrifice.
E) “Beitzah” (egg): The roasted egg has many symbolic meanings. Primarily, it
replaces the biblical-era temple sacrifice. The egg is also a traditional symbol of
spring and rebirth - the season in which Passover is celebrated.
F) Orange: This more modern tradition stems from an unknown man’s response to a
question regarding the emerging equality of women in Jewish life. His supposed
response was, “A woman belongs on the bimah (pulpit) as much as an orange
belongs on the Seder plate.” Today, many choose to include the orange as a sign of
the importance of women as leaders in Judaism.
G) Matzah (unleavened bread): The flat unleavened bread eaten during Passover
symbolizes the unrisen loaves of bread the Hebrews, freed from slavery, hastily
packed as they fled Egypt.
Oregon Hillel marked the start of Passover, which
honors the Hebrews' Exodus from slavery in Egypt
BY JON ITKIN
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
Saturday night marked the first night of Passover, an eight-day Jew
ish holiday commemorating the ancient Hebrews' escape from slavery
in Egypt. Students and community members observed the holiday to
gether with a Seder, the ceremonial meal specific to the holiday, in the
Gerlinger Lounge.
Oregon Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus, sponsored the
festivities.
The story of Passover states that the Hebrews didn’t have time to let
their bread rise as they rushed to escape the Egyptian army. Today, Jews
eat the flat, dry, cracker-like matzah in place of all other grains for eight
days to pay respect to their ancestors.
Though Passover commemorates a painful aspect of Jewish history, it
is a celebration of togetherness. A joyful feeling pervaded through the
banquet hall as participants chanted prayers in Hebrew and English, sang
songs, drank wine and ate holiday foods.
PASSOVER, page 3A