If Rennard Strickland wanted to boast about his achievements in his final year as dean of the Knight Law Center, few could blame him.
A renowned scholar and educator, he has taught at some of the nation’s most respected law schools. He has served as a dean four times, has written several books and is regarded as an expert on American Indian law.
But Strickland said he takes the most pride in work done by his former students, some of who created the Indian Child Welfare Act, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and another is now the principle chief of the Cherokee Nation he said.
“As a teacher, you teach so many people who do, in fact, make a difference,” he said.
Strickland, who announced last spring that he would step down as dean when his term ends at the end of the 2001-2002 academic year, will soon return to the role of the teacher as a professor on the law school faculty.
Before he does, however, Strickland plans to take a one year sabbatical to continue his writing — the principle reason behind his decision not to accept University Provost John Moseley’s offer to stay on as dean for another term.
Cell phone tower debate continues
As the battle over where and if cellular phone towers belong within city limits continues, University students may soon find themselves very close to the center of the storm.
Last week, a city of Eugene hearings official surprised many when she reversed an earlier recommendation by Eugene Planning Director Jan Childs to bar Verizon Wireless from building an 80-foot high cellular phone tower on Franklin Boulevard.
“We were shocked,” said Don Knight, a local businessman who owns property near the site. “We were 90 percent sure it was going to be turned down.”
The proposed Verizon site is in the parking lot of the Travelodge Motel, located on Garden Avenue, a side street of Franklin Boulevard just opposite the University.
Even closer to campus, Sprint is still looking into erecting a tower near the intersection of 15th Avenue and Villard Street, adjacent to the new law school housing complex, and less than a block away from the Bean residence hall.
In July, a spokesman for Sprint said the company was waiting to see what the outcome would be in the Verizon decision before filing an application, because of a city zoning ordinance that requires 2000 feet separating cellular phone towers.
Now that a decision has been reached, Sprint spokesman Dave Mellin confirmed the cellular phone company still hopes to build a 120 foot tower on the Villard site.
“We are going to go ahead and move forward with the zoning process,” he said.
Law professor dies
Wayne Westling, a law professor known for his ability to bridge the gap between the classroom and the courtroom, died Friday of cancer. He was 58.
Westling balanced his time between teaching at the law school and being a member of the National Institute for Trial Practice. Law School Dean Rennard Strickland said the school will be hard pressed to find another professor with Westling’s insights on how students transfer their education into the legal world.
Police try out racial profiling survey
The Eugene Police Department has begun a racial profiling survey to find out if complaints that officers have been making traffic stops based on race are valid.
Since Aug. 20, when EPD patrol officers stop motorists they will end each stop by asking if the motorist would like to participate in the survey and tell the officer their race. Only 30 of the EPD’s 118 patrol officers are participating in the program because it is still in its pilot stage.
The program will remain in the trial period until January said EPD Patrol Capt. Becky Henson.
She said the survey will hopefully give the EPD statistical proof that it does not stop and question motorists simply because they are a certain race. A practice she said the EPD is firmly against.
“We had been getting feedback [from the community] that they think some people have been getting stopped because of their race,” she said.
It was hard to convince people otherwise, Henson said because the EPD “didn’t really have any other info than the word of our officers.”