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