The end of the school year is upon us, and what a year it has been! Now that you’ve survived Week 10 and are gearing up for finals, the Emerald Editorial Board brings you a cumulative study guide on what we’ve learned from this year’s most significant news events at the University. Here’s everything you need to know for the Emerald final.
Kissing doesn’t fight hate speech
Silent protests aren’t always silent. The protesters who took a stand against the Pacifica Forum’s hate speech — really the Forum’s proximity to campus — rallied, set off stink bombs and even made out with each other in an effort to have the Forum removed from campus. The University denounced the hate-mongers and removed them from campus, but we can’t count on administrators to keep the Forum off campus when a scheduling conflict pops up.
Benefit of the Pacifica Forum debacle: With protesters constantly popping up out of the woodwork around here, we’ll never have to worry about Eugene’s “hippie town” reputation going away.
Looks do matter …
The Phil Knight Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good And Who Wanna Learn How To Do Other Stuff Good Too — er, The John E. Jaqua Center for Student Athletes showed us that the libraries and tutoring centers for non-athlete students aren’t good enough for athletes. A moat separates the athletes from the civilians, who are only allowed on the first floor. Even if we can’t use the building, it certainly does look pretty.
Benefit of the Jaqua Center: Shiny new facilities attract students and athletes to the University. More students + more money = better reputation. Right?
… but your vote doesn’t
The 1,982 students who voted against funding the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group with the incidental fee were surely crushed when the ballot measure passed. The 2,121 students who voted in favor of bringing OSPIRG back to campus must have been even more crushed when ASUO President Emma Kallaway decided not to fund OSPIRG after all.
Benefit of meaningless ballot measures: OSPIRG members don’t need ASUO funding to pester us with their clipboards and petitions in the quad.
What’s $2.3 million between friends?
Mike Bellotti, Oregon’s former athletic director and winningest football coach, left the University in March to become an ESPN college football analyst. Turns out he didn’t have a contract. Neither did previous athletic director Pat Kilkenny. No big deal, right? The length of Bellotti’s contract and the terms of his salary were uncertain, so Bellotti settled for a lousy $2.3 million severance package. Everyone knows cheaters never prosper, but Bellotti showed us quitters can make a hell of a lot of money.
Benefit of not having a contract: If the public finds out, you can just fire your lawyer.
Ducks can get delinquent
A full-ride scholarship couldn’t buy Jeremiah Masoli a MacBook, as he and Garrett Embry were charged with second-degree felony for stealing electronics from a fraternity in January. Rob Beard and Mike Bowlin got a “knuckle sandwich” (according to the district attorney) at a party that same weekend, showing us Oregon kickers get down and dirty, on and off the field. Continuing down the rap sheet, LaMichael James was charged with strangulation and assault against his girlfriend, Josh Kaddu was charged with minor in possession, Kiko Alonso one-upped him with a DUI and Jamere Holland was kicked off the team for a series of Facebook posts, one wishing he “could block whites as friends and only have blacks LOL…” Apparently white people just don’t understand.
Lessons from LeGarrette: LeGarrette Blount was suspended for the entire season for punching a Boise State player in September. Blount showed us that even if you lose, you can still have the biggest hit of the game. He was reinstated eight games later, showing us there’s always a second chance – if you meet the right benchmarks.
The year taught us important lessons on racism, athletic favoritism, politics and crime. But all these events seem trivial in the face of the one event that united the University and put Oregon on the map: For the first time since 1995, the Ducks went to the Rose Bowl.
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