Commentary
Oregon Daily Emerald
Friday, October 21,2005
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■ In my opinion
Telltale problem is too much talk
Former Eugene mayor Jim Torrey
plans to run for State Senator in the
2006 election, and he wants to improve
education. He wants to make higher
education more affordable. He wants a
strengthened education system to lead
to a strengthened state economy.
Sounds great, right?
Oh, but it is not that simple.
Torrey said that he is more con
cerned with elementary education
than he is with higher education. Well,
I would hope so; as important as high
er education can be, it is more impor
tant that all children get a strong early
education. Torrey even has a plan to
improve education if more revenue is
not generated: extend public schooling
to 3- and 4-year-olds and make kinder
garten full-day.
Idealistically, this is a great plan. But
how on earth can this state afford that?
Does Torrey not remember the budget
cuts schools have taken? Teachers have
been let go, class sizes have increased,
activities have been cut, music pro
grams have been reduced, sports are
pay-to-play, academic competitions
have been dropped, band is pay-to
play, etc. In the last couple of years,
schools have taken an absolute beat
ing. And the way to improve our edu
cation system is to bring hundreds of
students into the system early?
I don’t think so. To improve the
school system we need to work on
mending the existing problems. Sure
the best way to improve schools would
be to provide them with the money
that is needed. Obviously this has not
happened, and if those who are
smarter than I am have yet to figure it
out, there is no way that I can provide
a simple solution.
In the face of these budget problems
it does not seem like there is much that
an individual can do to improve our
schools. Lo and behold: devoted vol
unteers. Enough praise cannot be giv
en for the countless parents and caring
individuals that give their time to
JESSICA DERLETH
FREEDOM RINGS WHERE OPINIONS CLASH
improve schools. When things started
to get rough, budget wise, at my high
school, volunteers answered the call of
duty. There were suddenly volunteers
everywhere working in the copy room,
classroom and office, as well as organ
izing textbooks and helping teachers.
These volunteers took the initiative
and made a real difference.
These volunteers have found a
strange bedfellow in the form of Ore
gon’s five largest private foundations.
These foundations felt that the future
of the state, the state economy and
their own existence depended on to
day’s children receiving a strong edu
cation. Torrey has the same view about
the importance of education for a
strong economy, only these founda
tions found a logical way to begin mak
ing an improvement: They turned to
Oregonians (volunteers, school em
ployees, students, citizens).
In 2004, these foundations started
the Chalkboard Project. In the early
stages of the project, community
members conducted surveys and held
meetings to figure out what Oregoni
ans thought about their schools and
how things could be improved. I had
the opportunity to attend one of these
meetings and it was fascinating. I first
went to the meeting to find out
whether there was a story in it for my
high school paper; within minutes,
deadlines and sources were the last
things on my mind. A speaker from
the Chalkboard Project gave an intro
duction and an explanation about
what they were trying to accomplish.
And soon, everyone was encouraged
to divide up into groups and talk
about some of the general topics listed
in a booklet that had been handed
out. This meeting was fascinating;
people were talking frankly about
what is wrong with our schools and
what they believe to be some possible
solutions. By the end of the meeting, I
walked away with dozens of thoughts
about the school system, and the
hosts of the meeting walked away car
rying a box teeming with thoughts
and suggestions.
And now, after processing what peo
ple all across Oregon have to say, the
project has made 15 recommendations
addressing concerns about the quality
of schools. One of the main ideas?
More parental involvement. In order to
help get parents involved, the Chalk
board Project will give grants to 12 Ore
gon middle and high schools to create
programs where parents can go online
to monitor their childrens’ attendance,
homework and grades.
The main reason parents say they
are unable to volunteer at their child’s
school is because of work. So, the
project is seeking ways, such as tax
credits or other incentives, to encour
age employers to support parents tak
ing time off to volunteer at their
child’s school; in fact, some business
es give employees paid time off to vol
unteer in schools.
Since the drastic budget cuts in
schools, there has been a lot of talk
about what can be done. There has
been a lot of talk about how to fix the
schools and talk about how to fund
the schools.
There has been a lot of talk.
Luckily, foundations, parents, edu
cators, students and citizens have final
ly decided that it is time for a little less
talk and a lot more action.
jderleth@dailyemerald.com
INBOX
Republican Party in need
of new representative
In Tuesday’s Inbox I found a com
mentary piece written by the Chair
man of College Republicans here at
the University of higher education in
Oregon (“Cartoon misrepresents Col
lege Republicans,” ODE Oct. 18). This
letter of commentary is the fuel be
hind the concerns in my own letter.
In the likely event that students do
not know, Anthony Warren is chair
man of this hodgepodge committee
called the College Republicans. Al
low me to give him some much
needed publicity.
TVying to remain calm while read
ing the chairman’s editorial, I realized
that a pied piper of sorts was leading
College Republicans at this universi
ty. Like a flute-playing man in span
dex, Warren’s misplaced neo-conser
vative views should be alarming to
most people, especially Republicans
whose views are being distorted by
this man. The reason this is concern
ing is not because I wish to question
the obviously impeccable character
of the chairman (as he did to a fellow
scholar in critiquing cartoonist Aaron
DuChateau); but conversely, I in
quire, where is Warren’s respect for
the Yin and Yang of American poli
tics? In his commentary, Mr. Warren
blindly fires off verbal assaults at pro
fessor Chuck Hunt, liberals and a
lowly comedic cartoonist. Most trou
bling however, the chairman exhibits
a mentality that prohibits itself from
seeing its own ignorance.
Mr. Warren: Why should
DuChateau be ashamed of depicting a
Republican as a drunk when in fact
your leader (and leader of the free
world) President George W. Bush has
had so many encounters with alcohol
that any sober man should gall at the
thought of Republicans being vexed at
a cartoon poking fun at such ridicu
lous mishaps? I’m sure no reminder is
necessary of a certain DUI arrest in
76 or his daughters’ public dabbling
with alcoholic beverages.
Which brings me to my next point,
chairman. This country enjoys a sepa
ration of church and state. I just want
to make sure you realize there is a dis
tinction when talking about Jesus and
Bush. Are you a fascist chairman? I
ask because, like it or not, your pas
sion for being in the school of hard
knock conservatives is pushing you to
a right-wing realm you may not even
be aware of. Next time you’re massag
ing your beretta by the fireside, real
ize that the dank odor of fascism
could be creeping in when your Re
publican Party starts blurring that line
between Politics, God and America.
My point is, chairman, do not mock
the people of Eugene by throwing a
tizzy-fit at a cartoonist trying to enter
tain his target demographic. The arro
gance you displayed by calling popu
larity to question in your commentary
piece can easily be turned against you
and the many social factions that in
herently appoint friends to you. Re
member, there is always a bigger fish
in the pond. If I were you, I would
apologize to Mr. DuChateau for your
rude remarks, and realize that your
“much needed” Republican voice
could be better served in this commu
nity. Please feel free to contact me if
you could use some pointers in this or
any matter.
Pete Limbaugh
University Student
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■ Editorial
Let's get our
priorities in
order before
rec remodel
Proposed additions to the Student Recreation
Center certainly sound luxurious. We wouldn’t
mind relaxing in a new spa, trying out expanded
racquetball courts or having more space for aero
bic training. And the current SRC becomes
crowded during peak hours, as anyone who fre
quently attempts to play basketball likely knows.
But there is no way the University can afford a
new Rec Center. With a price tag estimated at
$21.8 million, and a starting balance of zero, it
looks like private donations will be needed.
While state and federal lawmakers fail to pri
oritize funding higher education, this institution
is actually considering hitting up private donors
for a new set of treadmills.
There are times we need private money despite
being a public school. Yet this institution should
concentrate on funding certain projects before it
even thinks about tacking on any superfluous
recreation facilities.
Faculty salaries
This University has a serious salary gap. In
past years, average faculty salaries have lagged
behind those of comparable institutions, and
the gap has recently been exacerbated. A state
employee salary freeze implemented between
2003 and 2005 has done serious damage. As a
result, the school has a hard time recruiting and
retaining quality instructors. Inadequate
salaries also hinder our struggle to increase fac
ulty diversity.
Housing on campus
The residence halls are old and cramped. The
current system makes it harder for the University
to renovate its old halls than to build new ones.
Meanwhile, the University acquires property us
ing housing money, then uses that property for
non-housing purposes. Better residence halls will
attract more students than a new SRC would.
Tuition
We appreciate the Oregon Opportunity Grant.
But following several years of cuts to the state’s
need-based scholarship program, this “gift aid” is
a mere drop in the bucket. Federal funding for
scholarships and grants has bottomed out. Costs
of tuition and necessities like books and housing
continue to increase, and students aren’t exactly
made of money. Let’s find ways to reduce tuition
or supplement student aid.
EMU
We remember a time when the EMU, home
for many University student groups, was mov
ing forward on the “EMU Master Plan,” a multi
million dollar face-lift on the aging building.
That plan was indefinitely delayed because of
budget woes, forcing improvements to be made
slowly. The EMU should be a point of pride,
and we should find funding to enhance it.
Basic necessities
Some parts of campus academic life that stu
dents at other schools take for granted, like 24
hour library hours all year, are a major struggle
every year. Has anyone noticed how hard it is to
park around here? Let’s build a parking structure
as soon as possible, not at some distant time
when a new basketball arena is created. We can
move the Department of Public Safety headquar
ters while we’re at it. That way, maybe the build
ing won’t be overcrowded during an emergency.
We realize many of the problems we’ve listed
require copious funding and complicated plan
ning. But let’s not spend our valuable time fanta
sizing about the SRC when there are more press
ing financial needs on campus.