Renovation: Using student fees, SRC upgraded its facilities in 2000
Continued from page 1A
Students paid almost the entire cost
through fees.
When the University’s SRC was
built, approximately $10 million to
ward the project came from the stu
dent building fee, which is paid by
all students at the seven member
schools of the Oregon University
System (OUS) . The money is then
combined and used to fund con
struction projects at individual cam
puses.An additional $8.5 to $9 mil
lion came from a student
referendum passed in 1995. In the
campuswide referendum, students
voted to pay a special fee of $15.25
per term over 30 years toward the
construction of the SRC.
Munroe said the push to build
recreation facilities is part of a
nationwide trend. Northwest schools
such as Oregon State University,
Washington State University and the
University of Washington have re
cently taken steps to upgrade their fa
cilities. Ohio State University has
emerged as a national leader in the
push to build larger facilities, opening
a 605,000-square-foot Recreation &
Physical Activity Center (RPAC) this
fall. The entire project will conclude
in the fall of 2007.
“Upon completion, the RPAC will
be a magnificent state-of-the-art facil
ity that will serve as the largest and
most comprehensive student recre
ation and academic facility in the
country,” said Liz Cook, a spokes
woman for Ohio State University.
RPAC cost $140 million, with
Ohio State students paying an as
sessed fee of $76 per quarter.
A second step
When the SRC opened, the eager
student response stunned Munroe.
“We opened the doors on this fa
cility and no one had a clue that we
would have 3,500 to 3,800 students
every day going through the turn
stiles,” he said. “We outgrew it vir
tually the day it opened. ”
Munroe said that because the SRC
needs to allot time for physical edu
cation classes, the facility over
crowds during the peak late after
noon and evening hours.
Currently, the SRC has 12,000
square feet of aerobic and resistance
training space. The proposed expan
sion would add 8,000 square feet.
Munroe said a national architectural
standard has emerged in which
universities need one square foot of fit
ness space per student at the school;
8,000 more square feet would bring
the University in line with that stan
dard.Munroe estimated that it will be
more than 10 years before the OUS will
be able to contribute. Moreover, in
2002, the University banned student
referenda to raise fees, determining
that they are not viewpoint neutral,
meaning that funding decisions are
based on what is popular with the ma
jority rather than on merit.
ASUO Federal & State Affairs Co
ordinator Ashley Rees said student
government supports the view
point-neutrality principle and does
not see a need to change the rule.
ASUO Vice President Kyla Coy
said that expanding the SRC is not a
priority for the ASUO, adding that
she does not think students are fo
cused on the issue.
“I don’t think that a lot of stu
dents are aware that it’s even an op
tion,” she said.
Having exhausted both its previ
ous revenue options the SRC will
need outside donations if it hopes to
begin expansion.
Early indicators have shown little
progress. Carole Daly, senior director
Physical Activity and Recreation Services would like to continue expansion and renovation
of tiie Student Recreation Center with the addition of several new athletic courts.
of Development Operations and
chairwoman of the Campus Plan
ning Committee, said finding a
donor for the SRC expansion has
not been a focus of “Campaign Ore
gon: Transforming Lives,” the Uni
versity’s fundraising drive.
“Generally, the rec center has been
paid through student fees,” she said.
Munroe said the SRC is only
one of many needs on campus,
pointing to the EMU in particular as
needing funds.
“It’s a little harder to get students
to rally around recreation, but the
building is falling apart,” he said.
jbailey@ daily emerald, com
Air Quality: Researcher suspects chemicals caused plane crash and near-accidents
Continued from page 1A
The team is currently working
with the British Air Line Pilot’s As
sociation and the Association of
Flight Attendants.
Members of Hecker’s team plan to
collect air samples while onboard
commercial airliners. However, be
cause incidents of chemical leakage
happen relatively infrequently, Hecker
said, flight attendants participating in
the study will be trained to collect air
samples if they see smoke or smell
fumes on flights.
The air that airplane passengers
breathe enters the cabin through the
engine, where it is compressed and
treated. Normally this is safe because
engine fuel and hydraulic fluids are
separated from the air stream, but
sometimes internal seals leak, contain
inating the air with the engine fluids.
These fluids, Hecker said, contain ad
ditives from the organophosphate
chemical family. When inhaled,
organopnos
phates affect
the central
nervous sys
tem and pe
ripheral nerv
ous system.
Hecker said
incidents of
leakage are
not common
but are potentially severe when they
do happen, adding that some near
crashes and the August crash of a jet
in Greece are suspected to have been
influenced by chemical leaks.
“You get reports and anecdotes like
this, but no one has ever done a sys
tematic scientific study,” Hecker said.
Judith Murawski, industrial hy
gienist for the Association of Flight
Attendants,
said she
spends about
half her time
on the job
dealing with
reports of
health issues
caused by
airplane
cnemicais.
She is currently handling the cases of
three flight attendants who worked
on an Oct. 8 flight from Philadelphia
to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in which en
gine oil leaked into the air supply.
The flight attendants now suffer from
tingling ot the arms and teet, tatigue,
muscle aches and extreme confusion.
Murawski said estimates of the fre
quency of air quality incidents on
passenger flights range from one in
250 flights to one in 100,000 flights.
The lack of an organized study leaves
researchers unable to pin down a
more accurate number.
“It’s my opinion that the airlines
don’t want to have to collect the data
systematically because they don’t
want to have to do anything about
it,” Murawski said.
Murawski said that while flight at
tendants are at greater risk than pas
sengers for adverse effects from air
plane chemicals because they move
around the cabin more, it would be
surprising if passengers didn’t also
have health problems after in-flight
cnemicai incidents.
However, if a passenger does get
sick from airplane chemicals, Muraws
ki said, the cause may not be identified
because passengers and their doctors
are not informed about the issue.
“It’s bad enough for the crew mem
bers, but the passengers are even
worse off because they don’t have a
union,” Murawski said, adding that
airlines don’t provide maintenance
records for their airplanes or follow up
with passengers who were on flights
with chemical incidents.
“It’s very important that the FAA is
finally stepping up to the plate and
funding this research,” Murawski said.
Contact the business, science
and technology reporter
at esylwester@dailyemerald.com
“It’s bad enough for the crew
members, but the passengers
are even worse off because they
don’t have a union. ”
Judith Murawski | Association of
Flight Attendants
Free online bill pay.
CONVENIENT
FAST
EASY
As your citizen-owned public utility, you can rely on the Eugene
Water & Electric Board to give you more options for managing your
electric and water service. And your time.
Now you can use the speed and convenience of the Internet to view
and pay your monthly bill. No more checks to write, stamps to buy or
envelopes to mail. More time to do the things you like to do.
It's free, fast and secure.
Eugene Water & Electric Board
Freedom to play.
Log onto www.eweb.org, click on view and
pay bill under my account.
Enroll today to:
• pay your bill online
• view your monthly statement and usage
history
• receive bill reminders by email
ff
Email Passes issued On-Site!!!
i mail: fares@luv2travel.coni
,1011 Harlow jm
1747-0909^74pj
^Student Travel Expefts ^ ’ |
Premier Travel
MICHAEL BONDANZA
Engagement ring designed
in platinum with a princess cut
center and diamonds on the sides
Oakway Center
345.0354
www.skies.com