Commentary
Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, October 13, 2005
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Hell Yea! William^
you are MONEY
baby! 30 yard
in
double coverge...
thats what I'm
Talking About!
Holding!???
You call THAT
You need to
get your f lippin'
EYES
CHECKED!
Was it the
beer,the stress,
or the misdirected
passion that
f inally did him
in?
I don't know...
but it's a shame...
He could have made a great
‘College Republican*...
You're taking
out Clemens
in the FOURTH
QUARTER? You
might as well let
a DACHSHUND
the offense!
Aaron Duchateau | illustrator
■ In my opinion
I know what it means to miss NCW OflCJflS
I’m never going to return to the city I
left on Aug. 27.
That morning, all five of my room
mates banged on my door, screaming
that a hurricane was almost upon us
and we had to leave. I immediately
threw some clothes and a few toiletries
into a tote. My packing philosophy was
that since I’d be spending a few days in
Jackson, Miss., it certainly didn’t mat
ter if my clothes matched or were even
clean. Besides, this was the sixth hurri
cane I’d had to evacuate for, and in the
past I had spent copious time obsess
ing over which of my belongings I ab
solutely could not live without, only to
return to New Orleans and find just a
single fallen branch. This time, I just
assumed I was coming back, so I took
almost nothing.
by tne mgnt or Aug. z», we a almost
made it to Kentucky. After being told to
evacuate Jackson, we figured we might
as well see the southeastern United
States in all its glory. We got stuck in a
traffic jam in southwestern Kentucky
and listened as AM radio reports be
came more and more dire. “No wood
en structures will remain in New Or
leans”; “The pressure is the lowest on
record” — this, in a city that has been
keeping records for 200 years. We
called parents and friends every 20
minutes, desperate for information.
The worst news came from my
boyfriend, who noticed CNN.com
spouting information on how to sur
vive in the worst-case scenario.
“Well, first, you’re supposed to have
an ax, to chop through the roof if the
waters rise. Then, it says if you’re on
your roof and the waters keep rising,
your best bet is to grab onto a lamp
post. But the problem is that the fire
ants will be swimming around, and
eventually they’ll climb the streetlight
and they will win.”
My roommates and I oscillated be
tween crying and laughing hysterical
ly. I knew the wind at that point picked
up in New Orleans as the first rain
bands moved through. An unstop
pable monster was gliding toward my
KELLY BROWN
YALL HEAR THAT‘NOLIA CLAP...
home, and there was nothing I nor
anyone else could do about it. That
night, we cried for almost everything.
We cried for the abandoned pets and
zoo animals that probably knew, as an
imals do, what was coming. We cried
for our neighbors, so many of whom
lacked the transportation or resources
to get out of town. Mostly we cried for
New Orleans itself.
New Orleans is a paradox, simulta
neously wonderful and terrible. There
aren’t many cities in America with 300
years of history, but there aren’t many
cities that have witnessed as much
poverty and fundamental ugliness as
New Orleans. The impossibly ornate
palaces of St. Charles quickly give way
to projects where children with dis
tended stomachs wander around with
out shoes.
The people there love to celebrate;
working in a French Quarter bar, I was
constantly asked what the parade out
side was for. Nine times out of 10,1 had
no idea — could’ve been a jazz funer
al, could’ve been an obscure Creole
holiday, could’ve been that a bar own
er decided to throw himself a parade,
or it could’ve been that a group of
street musicians got bored and recruit
ed some tourists to throw beads. But
they had to step carefully on the
streets, which featured 7-foot potholes,
concrete evidence of the corruption
that enshrouds New Orleans’ politics.
Sunday I’m going back to where
New Orleans used to be. I’m going
back to gather some belongings — I
am one of the incredibly lucky few
whose things survived intact — but
more than that, I’m going back to see
what New Orleans is, because it cer
tainly isn’t what I left.
How do you mourn a city? So far,
I’ve filled my time here in Eugene pret
ty well so I don’t have to think about it.
At first, it was uncomfortably surreal to
see familiar places splashed across na
tional television, but now it’s easy to
imagine that this happened some
where else, that I’m just back in Ore
gon to catch up with old friends and
work at the Emerald again. I can pre
tend that maybe things aren’t as bad as
they seem; after all, it’s only water.
But all of my friends who are or
have been back say the same thing: It’s
so much worse than it looks on televi
sion. The phrase “post-apocalyptic”
has come up more than once.
My friend who works for FEMA,
normally so enthusiastic and animat
ed, sounds dead. Katrina switched his
lively voice with a monotone. Another
friend that lived in St. Bernard Parish
has a house that’s covered in oil from
a nearby refinery. Her family brought a
trailer, but left with nothing. The oil ru
ined even the photographs. If you’ve
never talked to someone who has sud
denly found out that they have noth
ing, not even a shred of their former
life, I don’t recommend it.
I have my doubts about what the
new New Orleans will be like. Giuliani
will probably be in charge, and I bet it
will resemble the New Orleans exhibit
at Disneyland more than anything else.
Dirty parts of the city will be swept un
der the rug, alcohol regulations will be
enforced and the French Quarter prob
ably won’t even smell.
But all I can think of right now was
how beautiful it was when we left. The
sky was free of clouds; my friends and
I were excited for a week off of school,
and the city looked as grungy and
heartbreakingly beautiful as it always
does. I hope I can always remember
that last day of New Orleans.
kbwwn@dcdlyemerald.com
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■ Editorial
Objectivity
needed for
RRC to help
programs
Reflecting on last year’s process of funding
student groups through the Programs Finance
Committee, one quality characterizes the
ordeal: ineptitude.
The proceedings were delayed for several
weeks after the committee overspent its budget
and the PFC failed to keep proper meeting
minutes. PFC members also generated intense
controversy after they rejected the Oregon Com
mentator’s mission and goals statement.
Throughout the process, the ASUO Execu
tive, bound by the separation of powers
dictated by the ASUO Constitution, played a
background role. Following tradition, the Exec
utive’s power was limited to making budget
recommendations for groups and vetoing the
PFC’s final budget.
This year, the Executive is taking on a more ac
tive role — a move we cautiously support.
In short, the Executive has found an end-run
around the PFC process that will allow it to deter
mine whether student groups get funding. With a
goal of confirming that groups are “advantageous
to the cultural or physical development of stu
dents” and that groups do not duplicate services,
the Executive has created the Recognition Review
Committee. The five-member board, headed by
ASUO Programs Administrator David Goward,
aims to review 30 groups before budget season.
The RRC initially garnered criticism, and right
ly so. Goward announced the committee at a Pro
grams Council meeting last week without warn
ing. Because the Executive has the power to
disband groups — not merely defund them —
some group leaders expressed concerns that RRC
members hold too much power.
The RRC indeed holds great power, and it must
use that power responsibly. The very stability and
success of student groups hinges on the virtue of
this committee.
During his bid for ASUO vice president last
year, Goward vowed to bring integrity to student
government. The RRC should adopt this philoso
phy and work fairly with all student groups.
Some groups have historically duplicated serv
ices, such as when Night Ride and Project
Saferide were ordered by the federal Office of Civ
il Rights to merge into the Assault Prevention
Shuttle. If clear duplications exist, they should be
addressed by the RRC.
However, the Commentator debacle of last
year clearly demonstrates what can happen if
committee members who hold grudges against
another student organization use their power for
personal retribution.
Based on these factors, here’s one example to
watch closely: What will happen to the Designat
ed Driver Shuttle, which was recently placed on
probation for an alcohol-related incident? How
closely does its services mimic those of APS?
Without a thorough study of both groups, we
can’t make that judgment. But the RRC could, if it
so chooses.
The lack of a formal process to elect members
to RRC was startling. Group leaders present at a
recent Programs Council meeting were asked to
elect two RRC members via email. The other two
RRC members are appointed by Goward.
Thankfully, students may appeal RRC deci
sions to the Constitution Court. We believe the
court, which showed exemplary logic and objec
tivity last year, will be fit to review any grievances
against the RRC.
As this new process unfolds, we will watch
closely to discover whether it is a hindrance or a
help to the budget process. To ensure it is the
latter, we charge Goward and ASUO President
Adam Walsh to keep promises to infuse this
student government with viewpoint-neutrality
and integrity.