>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Eastern Oregon University's Budget and Restructuring Team (BART) unveiled its grand cost-reduction plan last Wednesday, which was Halloween. No coincidence, I'm sure — some of the propositions are downright frightening.

The "draft plan" used, among other things, student credit hour delivery and average graduation rates to determine areas to cut. How, then, could the mathematics major (a subject with the second greatest student credit hour delivery) be eliminated? The decision to eliminate physics is equally illogical. Eastern may only graduate an average of two physics majors per year, but this figure cannot be compared to, say, the number of English majors. Society will naturally need more English majors than physics majors. I only hope that proportions are considered before the final decision is made. Perhaps some math majors could help BART with the figures before they transfer.

Another change that has unfortunately been overlooked is the elimination of the geography minor. Geography is more than just knowing how to read a map; it is also an in-depth study of cultures. In today's world, it is imperative that college graduates recognize cultural differences to help improve the world. Does BART really want Eastern to help perpetuate the stereotype of the "ignorant American"?

The effects of the proposed changes will be far-reaching. Prospective students (including myself, a potential math/physics dual-major) will turn to other universities. With fewer students, fewer family members will come visit La Grande. With fewer visitors, businesses in La Grande will suffer. BART must realize that, for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction — if, of course, that law still applies.

On the plus side, Eastern plans to keep the far more important Native American and gender studies minors, and the Girls in Science program is thriving.

Perhaps there are some boys who want to be in science, too.

Timmy Brown

Summerville

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On Nov. 1 we attended the official opening of Gekeler Lane.

We wanted to say thank you to all the people who worked on the road. We are grateful for the careful planning and thoughtfulness that went into the work.

As residents of Gekeler Lane, we were continually impressed by the efficient solving of what had to be a difficult logistical puzzle of building a road in a residential area; and by the courtesy and cheerfulness evidenced by the crew.

Congratulations on a great job.

Sachie and Doug Spiegel

Gekeler Lane

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I find it ironic that 35 EOU employees will lose their jobs, while the person responsible for this financial mess (former President Fatemi) is making six figures at the OUS Chancellor's office.

This community is going to pay a heavy price for Fatemi's miscalculations, but will he pay any price?

Corrine Dutto

La Grande

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My wife and I just spent a week dodging ATVs while trying to elk hunt in our favorite haunts. Mistakenly we assumed that setting out well before daylight and hiking beyond "road closed" and "wilderness boundary" signs would get us some peace from these vehicles. Not so.

Our anger merely reinforces our support of the proposals in the new Wallowa-Whitman Travel Plan. The proposal restricts off-road vehicle travel, puts more bite into enforcement and takes aim at reducing the incredible maze of roads that currently exist on the forest.

The plan was directed by Forest Chief Bosworth in response to numerous public surveys and the huge outcry from forest users, all over the nation, growing tired of the ever-increasing abuses in our forests — not on a whim as some would suggest.

It's probably true that the majority of ATV users are responsible drivers — hats off to those people. But, there are thousands of these machines coursing through our woods these days, so if even a tiny fraction are unethical drivers, that still leaves hundreds that are carving ruts over sensitive soils and harassing wildlife and other people in sanctioned areas.

I've yet to meet an "ologist" that would suggest forest roads and their associated use don't have a negative effect on wildlife, fish, water quality, soils and even forest health. We taxpayers and resource-users employ these experts to manage our forests and wildlife and provide input on such things as the plan. Society, me included, then decides just how much the forest ecology can sacrifice for the wood products we most certainly need and the recreation we enjoy.

Sadly, like the travel plan, many call on such forest experts like our county commissioners and congressman to ignore the science and provide their clueless input just to get a vote.

James Ward

La Grande

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On behalf of the Wallowa Valley Music Alliance and the Radio Enterprise group, we would like to express our appreciation to the community for its wonderful and enthusiastic response and effort to create a non-commercial community radio station. Thanks for the community's support and generosity, we have been successful in exceeding our initial fundraising goal of $7,200.

A local team of people, along with a hired engineer and a specialized lawyer, constructed the application, and the paperwork has been submitted to the FCC for consideration.

It will be some time before we hear whether or not we have been successful in our effort to secure the license.

In order to be ready to hit the ground running we have scheduled a community meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Stage One in Enterprise.

This is the community's radio station and now is the time for everyone in our community to participate in the organizing and development efforts. Everyone's input is critical to the success of our community radio station.

We will be forming teams to help strategize in the following areas: fundraising, marketing, programming content, organizational structure, infrastructure and student involvement.

Please plan on being a part of this community effort. For more information call 426-5810 or 569-5190.

Janis Carper

Chris Geyer

Enterprise

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On the issue of immigration: It seems that citizens of yesteryear were quite wise concerning such compared to modern policies. Considering, and I quote:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the persons becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here.

"Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, The American Flag. We have room for but one language, English. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.''

— Theodore Roosevelt (1907)

Common sense never goes out of style. For united we stand, divided we fall. Period.

L.R. Wes Fischer

Elgin

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I want to commend the interim president and the EOU Budget and Restructuring Team. They've been given a difficult task to clean up a mess left by the previous president and the Oregon University System.

I do, however, take exception with Timmy Brown's letter. To imply that these dedicated educators arbitrarily cut programs is offensive. EOU is in financial turmoil, everyone can agree on that. EOU students would like to see their programs thrive unaffected by these necessary changes. We're at a point where a program has to be economically feasible. A few have to be sacrificed to save many.

The loss of any program hurts. But this is not the death knell for those programs. When EOU becomes financially stable they may be reinstated. To imply that the students attending EOU will be ignorant for the loss of one program is offensive to the students. The "ignorant American" can learn about other cultures through anthropology, history and the sociology, to name a few.

If Brown had read the draft plan in its entirety he would have seen that some programs are protected through the use of grant funding or are in partnerships with other schools and are under contractual obligations that cannot be changed. The statement at the end of his letter identifying specific programs that weren't cut smacked of racism and sexism on his part.

There is an open comment period to make suggestions about this draft plan. Go to www.eou.edu then to the president's home page. If you can find the money to save the specific programs you want I'm sure that the president and the BART members would be more than happy to implement them for all the programs facing financial cuts.

Jennifer Bellerue

La Grande

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It is the Veteran not the preacher who has given us freedom of religion

It is the Veteran not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Veteran not the poet who has given us the freedom of speech.

It is the Veteran not the campus organizer who has given us the freedom to assemble.

It is the Veteran not the lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Veteran not the politician who has given us the right to vote.

Roy Hills

Decorated WWII Veteran

Island City