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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2005)
Outdoor Program hosts hunt for mushrooms | 6 Oregon Daily Emerald An independent newspaper at the University of Oregon uninv. dailyemerald.com Since 1900 \ Volume 107, Issue 53 \ Monday, November 7, 2005 University continues plans for apartment sale The higher education hoard said officials must report on efforts to assist tenants BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF NEWS EDITOR PORTLAND — The University will continue planning the sale of the Westmoreland Apartments and will report to the State Board of Higher Education at its January meeting about the progress made to mitigate the effects selling the property could have on the 592 people who live there. Though no formal vote was taken Friday morning when the University asked the board for permission to sell, board mem bers voiced their approval on the condition that University offi cials continue their efforts to help the potentially displaced ten ants and keep the board informed of any progress made. Those efforts could include helping current tenants finance their moves with money from the sale or money from the UO Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fundrais ing for the University. The board must formally approve the final sale of the property. About 20 University students attended the meeting to demonstrate their opposition to the possible sale. Board meetings allow for public comment at the end of each meeting, but this meeting’s comment period was moved for ward to allow students to speak after University President Dave Frohnmayer proposed the plans to sell. When making the proposal, Frohnmayer urged board mem bers not to postpone approving the University’s request to pro ceed with the sale as students and lawmakers have demanded. "With all due respect, I urge you not to heed that com mand,” Frohnmayer said. He said the University is working hard to address the stu dent concerns about the possible sale and needs as much time as possible to do so. TWo University task groups were formed recently to find ways of helping families who won’t be able to use the West moreland Child Care Center if the property is sold and to find ways to help tenants in their searches for affordable housing. The University will form either a third group or a sub-group to specifically address the needs of international students. Also, Frohnmayer said showing reluctance in approving the sale “would delay marketplace interest” by sending the mes WESTMORELAND, page 5 Kate Horton | Photographer University President Dave Frohnmayer, far left, and Vice President for Finance and Administration Frances Dyke, right, review an aerial map of the Westmoreland Apartments with Oregon State Board of Higher Education member Howard Sohn. DUCKS CLIMB TO NO. 2 IN THE PAC-10 • ■ -—... Zane Rrrr | Photographer Members of the defensive line and fellow Ducks celebrate Oregon’s 27-20 overtime victory over then-No. 23 California on Saturday. The Ducks allowed only two yards on four plays in overtime, shutting the Bears out of the end zone after Oregon quarterback Brady Leaf found James Finley for a four-yard touchdown during their possession. Oregon has a five-game winning streak and is two wins away from the program's alRime regular season wins record of 10 set in 2001. See page 7 for full story. Residence hall meetings address racism University officials met in Barnhart and Carson Halls to discuss student harassment and swastikas BY EVA SYLWESTER SENIOR NEWS REPORTER In response to the alleged racial harassment of a freshman Hawai ian student and drawings of swastikas in several residence halls, the University is holding a series of meetings in residence hall complexes. Barnhart/Riley Complex Director Bue McNeely said the meetings are designed to let students discuss with administrators their con cerns about the recent events. “We’re finding as we talk to students that, as shocking as it might be to some of us, (racial harassment) happens,” Interim Vice Presi dent for Student Affairs and Director of University Housing Mike Eyster said. The first meeting was held on Oct. 20 in Carson Hall, where fresh man Zane Lobetos lived prior to leaving the University in late Sep tember after receiving alleged racial harassment and death threats. About 35 staff members and students attended a similar meeting in H.P. Barnhart Hall Thursday night. At the meeting, Hawaii Club members distributed a petition con demning the alleged harassment of Lobetos. The petition is also be ing distributed in various University classes, and the Hawaii Club plans to send the list of signatures expressing support to Lobetos and MEETINGS, page 4 Legality of Measure 36 upheld in Circuit Court Basic Rights Oregon's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the same-sex marriage ban failed BY CHRIS HAGAN NEWS REPORTER A Marion County Circuit judge on Friday upheld Measure 36, Oregon’s voter-enacted gay marriage ban, against a challenge to the measure’s constitutionality. Judge Joseph Guimond found the measure did not make multiple changes to the consti tution and that it was an amendment, not a revision, which were the two main challenges presented by the plaintiffs. The one-sentence measure states: “It is the policy of Oregon, and its political subdivi sions, that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally rec ognized as a marriage. ” It passed last Novem ber with 57 percent of the vote. Basic Rights Oregon, the group that filed the lawsuit, claimed the measure made mul tiple changes to the constitution. Oregon law requires separate votes for each change. The group also claimed the measure changed the fundamental idea of justice in the Oregon constitution, making it a revision and not an amendment. A revision to the consti tution would require a two-thirds majority in each house of the Oregon Legislature and ap proval by the voters. Guimond agreed with Basic Rights that the measure affected more than one area of the constitution, stating in his opinion “Measure 36 makes three substantive changes to the Oregon Constitution,” but he said this wasn’t enough to overturn the law. “In this court’s opinion these changes made by Measure 36 are closely related and do not run afoul of the separate-vote requirement,” Guimond said in the opinion. Basic Rights will appeal the ruling and sees hope in Judge Guimond’s opinion. Rebekah Kassell, communications director for Basic Rights, said the limited case history on what constitutes an amendment versus a revision MEASURE 36, page 4
