Athletic spending not
a sign of success
Winning, especially against odds, is what builds a sense of pride in an athletic program. So it’s unfortunate that Hank Hager (“New Mac illustrates success,” ODE, Sept. 22) equates “Oregon’s greatest symbol of success” with the expansion of a football stadium for $90 million and building a proposed new basketball fieldhouse for many millions more.
Spending that kind of money on an already adequate Autzen Stadium only turns the place — in use for only six or seven days a year — into even more of a white elephant, especially at a time when the University’s academic budget is suffering.
Why not spend much less to improve — if not expand — McArthur Court? It is a great home court. There’s another reason for continuing to play there for years to come: It is the home site for the very first NCAA basketball champions, the Oregon Tall Firs, who won that title in 1939.
If spending on athletics is not reined in and placed in academic perspective, the two major varsity sports eventually will die — and deserve to die — from obscene spending and excessive promotion.
George Beres
Eugene
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Campus map needs
drastic improvement
The big campus map on 13th Avenue near Johnson Hall is a disaster. It is very confusing; Left is right and up is down. Also, there are no official three-letter identification symbols by each building name.
Perhaps the mapmakers on campus could make a map that isn’t confusing. Maybe such a map could be made by the students in a mapmaking class with appropriate credits given.
Alternatively (or additionally), there might be a box with a hinged cover (for rain protection) and a transparent face that holds 8.5-by-11-inch paper campus maps. This is done at the Lane Community College bus station.
Perhaps best, a correctly oriented map might be put on a horizontal surface. Also, arrows and directions to a few key buildings might be given. Example: “To get to the Knight Library, turn right and follow 13th Avenue for about 100 steps. Then, turn left and walk 300 steps.”
This is definitely the way to go.
Daniel Weiner
Eugene
