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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2005)
Oregon goalie named Pac-10 Player of the Week I 9 Oregon Daily Emerald An independent newspaper at the University of Oregon unuw.dailyemerald. com Since 1900 | Volume 107, Issue 25 \ Wednesday, September 28, 2005 University drops OMAS policy Several student complaints sparked a Department of Education investigation into the Office of Multicultural Academic Support BY JARED PABEN NEWS EDITOR The University has eliminated a policy that reserves seats for minority students in some low-enrollment math and writing classes after the federal government, prompted by a Univer sity student’s complaint, opened an investiga tion this summer. The University’s Office of Multicultural Aca demic Support policy will no longer use race to determine whether students may pre-register for the first 10 slots of the 18-student classes. Now, only students who are involved in other OMAS programs will qualify for pre-registration, and all students can access many OMAS programs, said Charles Martinez, interim vice provost for the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity. The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the policy in July after for mer University stu dent Melissa Hanks filed a complaint with the department’s Of fice for Civil Rights in May. The policy de bate also prompted rallies on campus and drew national media attention. Martinez said the University responded to federal government requests for information, but there is no question student complaints in the spring prompted University officials to re evaluate the policy. The policy was changed during the summer, he said. “There’s no question that it’s designed to provide specific support to students who pro vide diversity in a variety of different ways,” Martinez said. “The reality is the classes have always been diverse, and that continues to be true.” Hanks said sne was angry she hadn’t heard about the change before con tacted by an Emerald reporter Tuesday night, but said the change is exactly what she wanted. “That s great news. I m really excited. 1 m real happy,” she said. “If the students voiced complaints about it, then it was a smart thing to do, to change the OMAS, page 5 “The reality is the classes have always been diverse, and that continues to be true.” Charles Martinez | Interim Vice Provost for OMAS Governor Kulongoski signs grant increase Gov. Ted Kulongoski meets with students before signing Senate Bill 5584, regarding the Oregon Opportunity Grant, in the Lillis Business Complex board room. The Oregon Opportunity Grant will now benefit all eligible students with $78 million BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF NEWS EDITOR The number of University students receiving the Oregon Opportunity Grant will increase from about 1,700 to more than 2,000 thanks to House Bill 5584, signed on campus Thesday by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The bill increases funding for the grant by 71 percent to $78 million, making it possible for all eligible students to receive it. Only 72 percent of eligible students received the grant last year. “I come at this with the idea that what is real ly needed for people is the opportunity to actu ally access education,” Kulongoski said. Increasing funding for the Oregon Opportu nity Grant was the top priority for the ASUO during this year’s legislative session. Students rallied at the state capitol in January to support Kulongoski’s efforts to increase funding, and Kulongoski said after the discussion that KULONGOSKI, page 4 Graduate students argue new ticket policies Abolishing spousal equivalency and holding 1,000 tickets is unfair, some law students say NICHOLAS WILBUR NEWS REPORTER Is a policy that holds 1,000 USC tickets for students who aren’t on campus unfair? A few law school students think so. Student Bar Association President Ed Wil son said student government was unfair to law school students when it implemented a policy that held 1,000 of the total 5,700 stu dent tickets until Thursday before the game, giving students who return after the tickets are available a chance to snag one. The policy is new this year, ASUO Finance Coordinator Nick Hudson said, and was cre ated because student government wanted to ensure that all student tickets, which are paid with incidental fees, are picked up. But the policy is another example of the ASUO’s lack of consideration for the law school some students say. The ASUO Execu tive also eliminated a policy that gave free football and men’s basketball tickets to stu dents’ spouses. Students wait in a line that at one point went from the EMU ticket office to the administration building Sept. 19, the first day USC tickets were available. Associate Dean Marian Friestad said grad uate students, which includes law school stu dents, are more likely to be married and would therefore be more likely to take advan tage of the former ticket policy. “My concern is that the ASUO consider the law school students because with the spousal equivalency policy we were overlooked,” Wil son said. The current ASIJO Executive administration is not responsible for creating the staggered TICKETS, page 12 Hurricane fund-raising efforts help to rebuild Students donate their time, money and labor to assist with storm reconstruction and relief BY BRITTNI MCCLENAHAN NEWS REPORTER The American Red Cross has already al located $876 million to assist victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but the agency predicts as much as $2 billion will be needed. Groups throughout Eugene are aiding victims by fund raising, collecting supplies and traveling to help with the clean up effort. University fraternities and sororities are donating $5,000 to Northwest Medical Teams, an organization providing medical attention to those battered by Katrina. Brett Butcher, a 28-year-old missionary for Campus Crusade for Christ, recently re turned from a week-long trip to Louisiana with the University’s Katrina Relief Team. KATRINA, page 12 Soccer players adopt Tulane in wake of hurricanes Oregon women's soccer lended a helping hand to aid Tulane's devastated soccer program BY SCOTT J. ADAMS SPORTS REPORTER When Gene Callan and other parents of Oregon women’s soccer players saw the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Katrina on Louisiana-based universities such as Ti lane, he couldn’t help but want to lend a hand in providing aid to those affected. Rather than make donations, Callan and fellow parents have created their own relief effort, working in conjunction with their daughters on the soccer team in doing what he has termed “adopting” the Tulane soccer team. Elected by fellow parents as the mediator between the two soccer teams, Callan is spearheading the relief effort, which will provide the Green Wave players with direct aid via personal contact. “Oregon has a strong group of parents, and we know it’s hard to have a connection to what Thlane is going through,” Callan said. "We want to help in whatever way we can, but more importantly we want to make sure our donations are going straight to the team and that we’re giving them what they need. ” Oregon head coach Tara Erickson and the Ducks raised funds for Tlilane last weekend at both their soccer game against South Dakota State at Pape Field and at the team’s official tailgate during Oregon’s football game against Southern California. Oregon fans backed Tltlane by sporting the colors of SOCCER, page 12