Ackerman: Politician strove
to see both sides of issues
Continued from page 1
served on the Springfield City
Council from 1967-69 He decided to
run for the State House of Repre
sentatives in 2000 after then-District
13 representative and current Eu
gene Mayor Kitty Piercy had to
leave because of term limits.
“I thought carrying on in politics
at a different level would be a chal
lenge,” Ackerman said. “I had the
time. I had the experience. So why
not do it?”
During his time in the house,
Ackerman developed a reputation
as a keen-eyed politician who
was not afraid to reach out to Re
publicans to compromise,
colleagues say.
“He never asks what political af
filiation someone is,” said Chris
Matson, Ackerman’s former cam
paign manager and legislative assis
tant. “I’ve seen Republicans come
into his office and hammer out a
compromise on an issue that works
for both sides.”
Ackerman said he tried to keep
politics out of the process while
working in Salem.
“I like problem solving; I don’t
like the partisanship,” Ackerman
said. “As a lawyer, I’m used to
negotiation.”
Ackerman’s hard work to avoid
partisanship was rewarded this last
session when Speaker of the House
Karen Minnis, R-Wood Village, ap
pointed Ackerman chair of the Ju
diciary Subcommittee on Civil Law,
a rare appointment for a member of
a minority party.
“I thought it was a compliment
in a way, coming from my adver
sary,” Ackerman said.
Ackerman has also been praised
for his approach to the job.
"He’s smart and serious, and he
pays attention to the details,” for
mer State Senator Tony Corcoran
said. “He’s good on budget issues.”
Pat Reilly, House District 13 chair
for the Democratic Party of Lane
County, agrees.
While Ackerman was working
on the Lane Community College
Board, “He knew that budget better
than the president of the college,”
Reilly said.
While in the House Ackerman
fought to stabilize public education
funding, an issue he sees as impor
tant because of the benefits educa
tion provides to the community.
“Education is an investment in
our future,” Ackerman said. “It’s a
vital economic tool to have a func
tioning education system.”
Ackerman said the budget cuts
and rising tuition at public institu
tions are having a real effect on the
community.
“I think we are creating de facto
private institutions,” Ackerman
said. “Middle-income and lower-in
come people are being priced out of
education. That really bothers me.”
Those who work with Ackerman
have been impressed by the way he
treats the people around him, de
spite the workload and job stress.
“He’s been the best boss I ever
worked for,” Matson said. “He
treats everyone like an equal part
ner. That’s a rarity in any profes
sion.”
Contact the city, state politics
reporter at
chagan@ daily emerald, com
Disease: Study to be conducted via telephone
Continued from page 1
nurses give advice on how to im
prove health. Often this consulting is
contracted through an employer or
health care provider.
A team of behaviorists and psychol
ogists develops techniques to make
these phone calls more effective, Life
Masters executive chairwoman Chris
tobel Selecky said.
All patients in Hibbard’s study will
be administered the PAM by tele
phone. The control group and the ex
perimental group will each include
1,700 patients from across the coun
try. Selecky said the study has al
ready started and will likely take a
year to complete.
The outcome of the study will be
based on medical bills and the number
of times the patient is hospitalized dur
ing the study.
Nurses having weekly phone con
versations with patients in the control
group will not know the test results
and will provide standard care.
In the experimental group, nurses
will know the patients’ level of
knowledge and adjust their conversa
tions accordingly.
"If you’ve got someone who’s high
ly activated, you can immediately start
working on the changes that need to
happen,” Selecky said.
For those who score lower on the
measurement and thus know less
about their disease, Selecky said, ef
forts must first be focused on getting
the patient to understand why
lifestyle changes need to be made.
For example, if a patient is 30
pounds overweight, a nurse would
discuss with the patient how he
or she would be able to walk and
breathe better after losing
30 pounds, Selecky said, rather than
simply telling the patient to lose
30 pounds.
“The only way that you can get
people to change behavior ... is to
build their self-confidence that they
can have an impact on their lives,”
Selecky said.
Contact the business, science and tech
nology reporter at esylwester@ dailye
merald.com
INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION WEEK
A week of speeches, presentations and socializ
ing opportunities begins today with the opening
ceremony for International Education Week.
This year's theme is “Opening Windows on Mid
dle East Cultures." All events take place in the In
ternational Resource Center in the EMU unless
otherwise noted. Tea time takes place today
through Thursday from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Monday
2 p.m.: Opening ceremony with University Pres
ident Dave Frohnmayer and Magid Shirzade
gan, director of the Office of International Pro
grams. Geography professor Shaul Cohen will
give a speech titled “The Middle East in Oregon
and Oregon in the Middle East."
7 p.m.: Landscape Architecture professor Ken
neth Helphand gives a talk and a shows slides
of the gardens and landscape of Israel.
Tuesday
11:30 a.m.-l:30 p.m.: Free samples of food
from five Middle Eastern countries will be avail
able in the EMU Fir Room.
3 p.m.: Showing of "Inside Mecca," a National
Geographic documentary about Islam’s most
famous city.
5:306:30 p.m.: Rug expert Ali Avci discusses
the symbolic language of Middle Eastern car
pets and local artist Holly Piper discusses a cul
tural exchange program that teaches children
in the United States about Middle Eastern car
pets and gives them an opportunity to make
their own.
7 p.m.: A showing of the film "Turtles Can
Fly,” made by Kurdish film director Bahman
Qubaid. University student Muhammed Oth
man, a Kurd from northern Iraq, will lead a
discussion afterward.
Wednesday
3-4:30 p.m.: University a graduate student
Amal Eqeiq, who grew up as a Palestinian,
Muslim woman and an Israeli citizen shows
slides and tells stories about a day in the life of
her hometown of aFTaibeh.
4:30-5:30 p.m.: University journalism student
Cory Eldridge talks about his experiences living
in Jordan and working for an English-language
magazine as well as his travels in the region.
5:30-6:30 p.m.: Iranian musician Pouria
Sayrafi discusses Persian music and
demonstrates several Persian instruments.
7:30 p.m.: A showing of the film "A Man in
the House."
Thursday
Noon: A showing of the documentary “20 Years
Old in the Middle East," which features college
students from Jordan, Syria, Iran and Lebanon.
2 p.m.: University student David Eber discuss
es the nine months he spent in Israel.
3 p.m. : A showing of the National Geographic
documentary "Jerusalem: Within These Walls.”
7 p.m.: A showing of the film "Children of Abra
ham” followed by a panel discussion featuring
Ibrahim Hamide and Gary Reiss of the Eugene
Middle East Peace Group, peace studies gradu
ate student Brian Bogart and geography profes
sor and Middle East expert Ron Wixman.
Friday
3 p.m.: University adjunct professor Astryd
deMichele teaches and performs Middle East
ern dance.
46 p.m. International Student Association cof
fee hour. Live music at 4:30 p.m.
7 p.m.: A showing of the Emmy Award-winning
documentary "Promises.”
Source: International Resource Center
Compiled by Meaghann M. Cuniff
University Health Center
GREAT
AMERICAN
SMOKEOUT
| Thursday, Nov. 17
Week of Events
Health Resource Center in the EMU across from the Fir Room
Monday - Thursday, Nov. 14-17
10 am. - 2 p.m. $50 UO Bookstore certificate for winner of tobacco quiz
Wednesday, Nov. 16
2 - 4 p.m. Blood pressure check and stress reduction tips with Jude Kehoe
Thursday, Nov. 17
10 -11 a m. Dental care information
11 a m. -1 p.m. Free cholesterol screening
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Rec Center personal trainers with fitness testing & exercise tips
12 - 2 p.m. Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patch and gum) and quit kits
distributed while supplies last