Bach Festival begins | 5
Oregon Daily Emerald
An independent newspaper
ivww. dailyemerald. com
Since 1900 | Volume 107, Issue 002 | Thursday, June 23, 2005
City debates anti-discrimination code
Eugeneans share their opinions on a proposal
to include transgender protection in city law
BY NICHOLAS WILBUR
NEWS REPORTER
A public hearing was held
Tliesday for community members
to share their opinions regarding
a proposal to add transgender
identity to Eugene’s anti-discrimi
nation code. The current city law
protects against discrimination
for the “actual or perceived” iden
tity of a heterosexual, homosexu
al or bisexual individual.
The revision would add to the
law transgender identity, which
the City of Eugene Human Rights
Commission defines in their TVans
gender Issues Packet as “anyone
who exhibits characteristics of a
gender that does not match their
apparent or actual physical sex.”
Currently five Oregon cities —
Portland, Salem, Beaverton, Bend
and Lake Oswego — have
REVISION, page 4
Daniel Fridman | Freelance photographer
Mayor Kitty
Piercy
discusses
her per
spective on
several of
the gender
issues
brought up
at a public
hearing
Tuesday.
celebrating success
~S
Tim Bobosky | Photo editor
Graduate student Shadiin Garcia (back to camera) bestows gifts of native American poetry to Belinda Hayes, far
right, and other Native American graduates of the College of Education (from left) Frank Summers, Vera Pili, Don
Moccasin and Maya Littlebird, at a special ceremony June 10 in the Many Nations Longhouse.
tleven select Native American
College of Education graduates
were honored in the ceremony
BY NICHOLAS WILBUR
NEWS REPORTER
A special graduation ceremony was held
June 10 for a small, select group of Native
American graduate students from the College
of Education’s Sapsik'wala (“teacher”) Pro
gram. About 150 friends and relatives filled
the newly erected Many Nations Longhouse
behind the law school to honor 11 Native
American students, nine of which were offi
cial Sapsik'wala graduates.
“We had a great deal of celebration for each
individual, our families and communities, and
that doesn't happen in a large crowd after a few
speeches” said Cinnamon Bear, a Sapsik'wala
graduate and student representative for the
Longhouse User Committee.
Having known and worked with each gradu
ate individually over the last couple years, the
master of ceremonies, Shadiin Garcia, the Sap
sik'wala student support coordinator, was able
GRADUATES, page 4
University receives
local donation to
support Korean art
Fanvest Steel gives $1 million to the Jordan
Schnitzer Museum of Art to enhance collection
BY YEONG DOO MOON
FREELANCE REPORTER
The University's Jordan
Schnitzer Museum of Art is using
a $1 million gift from a local com
pany to create an internship pro
gram to enhance its Korean art col
lection. Eugene-based steel
manufacturing company Farwest
Steel donated the gift June 13, and
it will be used to expand the Uni
versity's already nationally known
Korean art collection.
The funds will support in
creased programming, exhibitions,
publications and student intern
ships as well as a series of annual
lectures by prominent artists and
Korean art scholars.
The museum's two Korean art
galleries, The Huh Wing and Jin
Joo Gallery, are the only University
museum galleries in the United
States specifically dedicated to Ko
rean art, museum spokeswoman
Katie Sproles said.
“We are thrilled to support an
organization that is an important
resource for both the University
and the community and that en
hances the lives of those who live
in or visit this area,” president and
CEO of Farwest Steel Jack Clark
said in a prepared statement.
The gift is the product of a
strong commitment by co-owners
of Farwest Steel, Wan Koo Huh
and Dick Johns to give back to
KOREAN, page 3
Tim Bobosky | Photo editor
A segment
of The Ten
Symbols of
Longevity
(Shipchang
saeng)
from the
19th centu
ry, during
the late
Joseon pe
riod, is dis
played in
the Jordan
Schnitzer
Museum of
Art.
University
loses expert
on Muslim
Middle East
Respected Professor of Religious
Studies will teach in Virginia
BY N1CIIOLAS WILBUR
NEWS REPORTER
Funding for the first-ever Islamic Studies pro
fessor in the University's religious studies de
partment was confirmed the same day the
world's attention was on the al-Qaida attach on
America — Sept. 11, 2001.
Now, after three years, nine new courses, sev
eral symposia, seminars and multi-year pro
grams in the study of Islam, Professor Timothy
Gianotti is leaving the University after accept
ing an offer from the University of Virginia.
The decision to leave came just weeks before
the University Senate's five-year plan to increase
professors’ salaries made headlines. In 2000 the
Senate sought outside funding to raise the be
low-average income of the University profes
sors for fear of losing valuable educators to
higher paying jobs.
"I was expected to sit around stroking my
beard and researching," Gianotti said about the
last couple summers in Eugene; "but I painted a
house because I had to make ends meet."
Ihe loss of a highly-respected scholar such as
Gianotti is a profound example of the "gradual
erosion of academic quality" that faculty and
students feared if salaries did not improve
(ODE May 31).
Since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Islam and
Muslims have pervaded media and politics.
Gianotti is a nationally respected scholar
whom the government has sought out to
help improve relations with the predomi
nantly Muslim Middle East through under
standing the potential role of Islamic mysti
cism in U.S. policy.
Gianotti has worked with faculty members
to bring world-renowned scholars to various
campus events and organize UO Insight Semi
nars with Muslim community leaders. He has
also given numerous lectures for the campus
ROTC and a number of guest lectures in several
cities throughout Oregon.
ASUO Vice President Kyla Coy said, "(Gian
otti) has been instrumental in my spiritual and
personal growth over the past three years." She
said she was particularly impacted by Gianot
ti's class discussions, which were "infused with
a kind of passionate spirituality that you never
come across at the University."
Despite the sincere appreciation expressed
by his students, Gianotti declined responsi
bility for their growth. He attributes the
source of the students' inspiration to their
own dedication to the text and tolerant class
room discussion.
"God knows best who the teacher and
who the student is; maybe they're both," Gi
anotti said at a farewell party organized by
the Religious Studies Club. He further ex
plained that although he had initially been
unsure of the reasons for his assignment in
Eugene, an unseen hand had clearly been at
work to bring students into his life. Gianotti
emphasized this point, saying "I would be
ashamed if any of you addressed me as 'pro
fessor' after tonight."
Gianotti has sought to draw attention to the
relevance of Islam during a time of war in the
Middle East. This adds more social responsi
bility to his job than is present in other po
sitions, he said.
"I stress social relevance in my classes so that
students emerge as resources to their friends
and family. I am not here to promote Islam,
GIANOTTI, page 8