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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2005)
Cal volleyball defeats Ducks at Mac Court I 9 A Oregon Daily Emerald An independent newspaper at the University of Oregon www. dailyemerald. com Since 1900 \ Volume 107, Issue 27 | Friday, September 30,2005 Housing plans roll-over meal points Zane Rrrr | Photographer Freshman Natalie Alkire purchases food at the Hamilton Grab 'n Go Marketplace with her meal points. The plan to use a roll-over meal points program may be implemented sometime this year. If the policy goes into effect, residence hall points will no longer expire at the end of the week BY JOE BAILEY NEWS REPORTER A yet-to-be announced plan to allow resi dence hall students to roll over unused meal points from week to week could be in place by winter term, though housing officials say it could take longer. Student leaders have talked about roll-over meal points for many years. Currently, stu dents living in the residence halls have be tween Sunday morning and midnight Satur day to spend their allotted meal points. “Housing supports the concept of roll-over as an added enhancement to our students’ meal plan,” University Housing Food Services Director Tom Driscoll wrote in an e-mail. Housing has not yet announced a compre hensive plan. Additional information will be needed before a plan and date is announced, Driscoll said. Driscoll said a plan for roll-over meal points should include a cap on how many points can POINTS, page 4A Construction noise continues on campus Earplugs are available for those who must cope with the sounds of building the Living Learning Center, but only some are bothered BY BRTTINIMCCLENAHAN NEWS REPORTER With University construction of the Living Learning Center and the expansion and renova tion of the Student Health Center, some students living on campus are adjusting to the sound of cranes, cement trucks and construction workers. “After you stay up late studying you really just want to sleep,” said Dan Williams, a freshman environmental studies major and resident of Mor ton Hall. “This morning I couldn’t sleep because it sounded like there was someone banging right outside my window.” University Housing purchased enough earplugs to last through the construction period, and students who are bothered by noise have been instructed to pick up a pair from the area desk in Carson Hall. Mike Eyster, assistant vice president for stu dent affairs and director of housing, hasn’t re ceived one complaint about the LLC construction since fall classes started. “Most of the calls I get now are students and parents who are really excited about it,” Eyster said. “People want to know how to get in there for next year.” Eyster said that most of the noisy work was fin ished during the summer, and most of the LLC is “dried-in” and ready for construction during the rainy season. “Periodically we will have to start earlier than 8 a.m.,” Eyster said. “We encourage students liv ing in the halls to check the LLC Web site for up dates, and fliers will also be posted in the halls to warn students of an earlier start.” Other students, like Lauren Taylor, another resident of Morton Hall, aren’t too bothered by the noise. Taylor, whose room is adjacent to the LLC weekday construction, said that while she hears her share of “screechy” noise, it doesn’t really bother her. “It really feels just like part of getting used to my new life here,” Taylor said. “Just like adjust ing to a new shower, new group of neighbors. I have new sounds that I hear all the time. I think I have really tuned it out.” Students moving into the residence halls aren’t officially notified of the construction noise before signing their contracts, but for students like Blake Locher, a resident of the Honors Hall in McAlis NOISE, page 5A Construction of the new Living Learning Center contin ues near Carson Hall and is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. According to University Housing’s Web site, the building will be finished in fall 2006. Few complain after housing code change The new standards require Eugene landlords to maintain proper plumbing, heating, weatherproofing and structural integrity BY KAIY GAGNON NEWS REPORTER Fewer than a dozen people have called the city to complain about their rentals since the city en acted new housing standards and created an agency to enforce them in July. Late last year, the city created an agency to en force housing codes that ensure proper plumb ing, heating, weatherproofing and structural in tegrity after several groups, including the University’s student government, pushed for it. So far, the city has received limited complaints regarding the new code, Code Enforcement Su pervisor RacheUe Nicholas said. Nicholas said this may be because most renters are unaware of the new standards, but a marketing campaign designed to raise public awareness of the code will begin in October. It’s too early to know how many people will use the code, she said. Since July, there has only been one violation, involving a broken window, and it was quickly resolved, she said. There have been several tenant complaints that are not covered by the new code, including mold, chipped paint and appliances. These were not included because they caused intense disagreement between renters, property managers and landlords, said ASUO Campus Or ganizer Brett Rowlett, who was a member of the interest group Eugene Citizens for Housing Stan dards last year. Rowlett worked with city coun cilors and the planning and development depart ment to create the standards. “Our goal was to focus on the basic habitabili ty of rental properties,” he said. Rowlett said there are other ways students can protect themselves from poor living conditions. Before signing a lease, students should consult the ASUO checklist, available in Suite 4 of the EMU, for appropriate housing conditions, such as heating and water pressure. Also, they should HOUSING, page 5A Supreme Court set to review suicide law If justices favor Gonzales, physicians could be prosecuted for assisting the terminally ill BY CHRIS HAGAN NEWS REPORTER The U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments Wednesday on whether Oregon physicians can be prose cuted by the federal government for carry ing out Oregon’s assisted suicide law. The case, Gonzales v. Oregon, revolves around Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act. The ODWDA allows people to end their own lives if they are diagnosed with a ter minal disease and given six months to live. The most common method of assist ed suicide is orally taking a barbiturate drug, though that is up to the physician. Patients must be Oregon residents over the age of 18 able to make medical decisions for themselves. No one but the patient can make a request to utilize the act. Patients must make two oral requests at least 15 days apart and submit a written request to their physician. Physicians can refuse a request if they believe the pa tient’s judgment is impaired. Since 1998, 208 people have used the ODWDA to end their lives. Oregon voters approved the ODWDA in 1994 and in 1997. The act has survived appeals in both the district court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as an attempt by the U.S. Congress to outlaw the drugs used in the act. The technical issues of Gonzales v. Ore gon involve whether former Attorney Gen eral John Ashcroft correctly interpreted the Controlled Substances Act’s provision which allows the attorney general to pro hibit medical practices he or she deems are “inconsistent with the public interest.” Ashcroft issued the “Ashcroft Directive” in 2001, stating that “assisting suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose. ” He au thorized the prosecution of physicians who distributed drugs to patients under ODWDA. A judge issued an injunction, and the district court ruled that Ashcroft did not have the authority to overturn Oregon law. Ashcroft appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the state, prompting Ashcroft to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was transferred to current At torney General Alberto Gonzales after Ashcroft resigned in 2004. The case touches on other controversial issues. Many groups wish for the law to be abolished because they believe that assist ed suicide is morally wrong. Others see the case as a clash between states’ rights and the federal government’s ability to en act a consistent drug policy. “This is a case that will test whether or not the court is serious about federalism,” University School of Law assistant profes sor Robert Tsai said. Though Tsai says the case looks good for Oregon, the fact that it involves drugs complicates things. “When the case of drug regulation comes up, the court normally sides with LAW, page 6A