Oregon daily emerald., October 13, 2005, Image 1

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Oregon Daily Emerald
An independent newspaper at the University of Oregon
www. dailyemerald. com
Since 1900 | Volume 107, Issue 36 \ 'Thursday, October 13, 2005
New committee to review student-run groups
ASUO gives the newly formed Recognition Review Committee
authority to decide which groups will be officially recognized
BY NICHOLAS WILBUR
NEWS REPORTER
Student groups that want to receive inciden
tal fees must now pass through another layer of
bureaucratic review that has the power to de
fund them or to revoke their status as student
groups.
The Recognition Review Committee will re
view groups’ missions, goals and by-laws to en
sure services are not duplicated by other pro
grams and that they are “advantageous to the
cultural or physical development of students,”
according to a memorandum from former
ASUO President Adam Petkun.
Last year, the student government’s Pro
grams Finance Committee attempted to defund
the Oregon Commentator, a campus libertarian
opinion journal, by twice rejecting its mission
and goals, setting off a battle between those
who said it propagated hate speech
and those who said it practiced free speech.
The debate ended when several members of the
PFC were removed and new members
approved the journal’s decades-old
mission statement.
Despite concerns from some student group
leaders that the committee might be used to at
tack certain groups or that its creation is too
abrupt, student government officials assure stu
dents that their new committee “is not a witch
hunt” and the ASUO is “not out on a mission to
create hell.”
The goal of the new committee is to deal
with* programs that are not fulfilling their mis
sion and goals statements and “to make sure
they are worthy of funding,” Programs Admin
istrator and RRC Chair
man David Goward
said.
Ian Spencer, editor
in-chief of the Com
mentator, said he
is skeptical of
“the relevance and
compatibility of the
student group’s stated
mission and goals
to the institution’s DAVID GOWARD
broader educational RRC CHAIRMAN
mission,” as outlined in the memo.
“I think that could be interpreted liberally,”
Spencer said. “My gut reaction is that it is an at
tempt to go after groups like the Commentator.”
In the past, the only punishment was to cut
funding for such groups.
Every year, the PFC holds two hearings for
each of the 133 student programs. In the first,
PFC determines whether to approve a group’s
mission and goals. In the second, it looks at
funding in light of the group’s accomplish
ments, membership, services and other factors.
At that meeting, the PFC decides how much of
the total $5.2 million in student fees to give to
the group.
RRC will weed out the groups it determines
are not beneficial to students and quicken the
PFC process for those it determines are.
“This is completely separate from PFC,”
Go ward said. “We will grant them admittance
into the PFC.”
The PFC still hears mission and goals state
ments before deciding funding, but it will not
be able to decide funding or hear mission and
goals for groups already weeded out by
the RRC.
“As the chairman, I’m going to require (RRC
members) to be non-biased, and anything we
do as a committee they need to be (viewpoint
neutral),” Goward said.
Former ASUO President Petkun suggested
creating the committee because students and
RRC, page 3
Businesses
advise state
as part of
new council
BY EVA SYLWESTER
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
A new council created last month combines
Oregon’s academic and industrial efforts to aid
the state’s economic development.
Senate Bill 838 created the Oregon Innovation
Council, a board of industry, education and gov
ernment leaders charged with advising the gov
ernor and state Legislature on how to make the
state more competitive in research and business.
University Vice President for Research and
Graduate Studies Rich Linton and Lundquist Col
lege of Business Dean Jim Bean serve as technical
advisers to the council. Oregon State University,
Portland State University, Oregon Institute of
Technology and the Oregon Health and Science
University also have representatives serving as
technical advisers.
“I think it’s another opportunity to connect
government, university and industry interests
and economic development,” Linton said.
The bill also granted $7 million to the Oregon
Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, a
COUNCIL, page 3
Technology connections
Public and private groups work together
2001
2003
2005
Oregon Council
for Knowledge and
Economic Development
(OCKED)
7J
I
Became
Oregon
Innovation
Council
Spawned
Oregon
Nanoscience and
Microtechnologies
Institute
(ONAMI)
(OIC)
Day of reflection and atonement
Jewish community members
gathered on campus to begin
their Yom Kippur fasts together
BY BRITTNIMCCLENAHAN
NEWS REPORTER
More than a hundred Jewish students, fac
ulty and community members gathered at
Gerlinger Lounge on Wednesday night at
sundown to observe the start of Yom Kippur,
the “Day of Atonement.”
Meir Goldstein, a fifth-year rabbinical stu
dent, came to Eugene to lead the Wednesday
night service.
“We’re here to ask God for forgiveness,”
Goldstein said. “To remove the stumbling
blocks that keep us from getting closer to God.”
Andi Lipstein, program director of the Ore
gon Hillel, said Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
and the Days of Awe — the time between
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — are op
portunities to look back on the past year and
right all wrongs and seek forgiveness from
God and others.
“It’s misguided to wish someone a Happy
Yom Kippur,” Lipstein said. “It’s a thoughtful
and reflective time for the Jewish community.”
The Holy Day of Yom Kippur is a 25-hour
Sabbath that began before sunset on Wednes
day evening and ends after nightfall today. Re
garded as the day of the year when Jews are
closest to God, Yom Kippur is a time to reflect
on the past year, atone for sins and refrain from
work, eating and drinking — including water.
Other rules of Yom Kippur restrict bathing,
brushing your teeth, engaging in sex, wearing
animal products and using beauty/hygiene
products such as cosmetics and deodorants.
Today, Yom Kippur services will be held in
Gerlinger Lounge. Mincha (afternoon prayer)
Rachel Rothstein, a family and human services student, celebrates Yom Kippur in Gerlinger Hall
Wednesday night.
will be followed by the Ne’ila service at 6 p.m.
Ne’ila is said after Mincha as the sun is going
down and means closing, referring to the clos
ing of the gates of prayer as Yom Kippur is end
ing. Following Ne’ila, a shofar, or a ram’s-horn
trumpet, is sounded, signifying the end of Yom
Kippur. After Mincha and Ne’ila, participants
will break their fasts at 7:30 p.m.
Rachel Rothstein, a senior family and hu
man services major, was raised in an egali
tarian Conservative Jewish home and wears
a kipa, a Jewish head covering, to Jewish
services. Traditionally the kipa was worn
only by men but progressive movements for
equality between the sexes in the practice of
Judaism has led some non-Orthodox women
to wear kippot.
Because Yom Kippur prohibits work during
the 25-hour Sabbath, Rothstein said she gets
frustrated when trying to balance her faith with
academics, particularly with taking the day off
YOM KIPPUR, page 4
University Senate holds first meeting
Senators discussed the agenda for this year, which includes
military research, the student conduct code and the diversity plan
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
NEWS EDITOR
The diversity action plan, the revised student
conduct code and policies regarding externally
funded research on campus, such as military re
search, top the University Senate’s agenda this
academic year.
The University Senate is a body of faculty and
staff representatives from all University academ
ic departments and other areas of campus that
meets monthly. It held its first meeting of the ac
ademic year Wednesday afternoon.
A major topic of discussion this academic
year is the diversity plan, University Senate Pres
ident and associate professor of architecture Pe
ter Keyes said. The diversity plan, released by
the University in May, is undergoing review and
revision by the Diversity Executive Working
Group, which is composed of faculty and staff
members. A revised plan should be released “in
the near future” and will be subject to wider dis
cussion by the University community, Keyes
said.
“This is really going to be a draft again,”
Keyes said.
SENATE: page 4