SETTING THE TONE SCENE» SECTION B OREGON .COM DA I LY EMThe independent student newspaperE at theRAL University of Oregon | Since 1900 | VolumeD 111, Issue 17 THURSDAY | OCTOBER 1, 2009 FOOTbaLL HEALTH Suspended RB Blount apologizes to University for actions at Boise State Suspended Oregon football player LeGarrette Blount Swine flu spurs instructors apologized to the University community in a letter to the editor of the Oregon Daily Emerald, which he submitted SENATE Wednesday afternoon. to relax attendance policies MEETING The senior running back sent the letter only to the Emerald in an effort to reach out to the campus regard- Faculty, administrators ASUO HOLDS ing his actions on Sept. 3 after a 19-8 loss at Boise State, SWINE FLU continue to prepare for SEnaTE PRESIDEncY assistant athletic director Dave Williford said. PRECAUTIONS AT widespread effects of virus In the letter, Blount apologized for his poor judgment NOMInaTIONS FOR and said his actions “reflected poorly upon my teammates, OTHER PAC-10 SCHOOLS ANNA HELLAND | NEWS REPORTER our football program and our University.” Arizona State University — Providing “cold With swine flu infecting an increasing num- UPCOMING YEar Blount was suspended Sept. 4 for punching Boise and flu care kits,” including hand sanitizer and ber of students, chemistry professor Tom Dyke DAILYEMERALD.coM State player Byron Hout and a subsequent altercation face masks. used the beginning of his Chemistry 221 class with Boise State fans. Oregon State University — Advising Wednesday to tell his students about the pre- Blount said in his letter that there is “no justification” students to miss a week if they have the cautions he will take to make sure their academ- for his actions, and excuses such as the “heat of the mo- f lu, but making them responsible for ics won’t be hurt if they catch the H1N1 virus. ment” or “agony of defeat” or “anything said or done by SAFETY arrangements with instructors. Then he spent the rest of the period educating an opponent” don’t make up for the fact that he made a them about H1N1’s biochemistry. grave mistake. Stanford University — Advising students “I like people to see the light at the end of the He went on to say that being a student-athlete at Ore- to miss three to five days if they have the flu. Campus dining services will provide meals to tunnel,” Dyke said. “See, in chemistry we actu- Handgun gon is about “being a good student working to positively ally will spend a lot of time on basic things that represent the University and its football program under students who must be isolated with the f lu. are not always the most exciting. With this, they head coach Chip Kelly and handling both victories and University of Arizona — Reporting 29 can see why chemistry is important and how defeats with sportsmanship, class and character.” confirmed cases; offering vaccine. there is a lot of biochemistry there.” ban gets Blount said that it will be difficult for him to forget University of California, Berkeley — After reading the syllabus, Dyke spent the rest how he acted that night in front of a national TV au- Vaccinating students. of the class time explaining the “biochemistry dience, and he doesn’t expect to be given a second side” of the virus, starting with graphics depict- chance as a football player. His goal is just to become a University of California, Los Angeles — second ing a flying pig. His lecture covered background good student. Estimating that 25 students have the f lu; pro- from where the virus comes from to how the “Going forward, what I hope for is the opportuni- viding masks, hand sanitizer, Tamiflu; holding students can make a difference by immersing ty to show that I am able to earn a second chance as a “f lu shot fairs.” themselves in chemistry. University student. And if I am so fortunate, I believe University of Southern California — look “This is a virus that can complicate our lives,” that I also will demonstrate that I am a better man and Advising students to stay home if they exhibit Dyke said. a better human being for having lived through this symptoms after exposure to the virus. State Senate work group will University student JJ Jelmini agreed. unfortunate experience.” University of Washington — Advises “It is good to understand what is causing meet by Nov. 19 to discuss Blount is currently still a member of the football students with swine flu to stay home and all the fuss,” Jelmini said. “Most of my pro- pros and cons of issue team, and although he won’t play in games, he has been make arrangements with professors on fessors are making exceptions. They don’t practicing as a member of the scout team. CJ CIARAMELLA | NEWS REPORTER class assignments. want kids coming in with it and making other — BEN schoRZMAN Washington State University — Will people sick.” After two recent lawsuits raised ques- provide vaccine; CNN reports there have Dyke is taking precautions with his Chem- tions about the legality of state univer- LEGARRETTE BLouNTS’ been 2,500 suspected cases since August. istry 221 students, asking them to say at home sities’ bans on concealed handguns, APOLOGY » PAGE 2A TUrn TO DEATH | PaGE 3A the state Senate decided Wednesday to weigh in on the subject. At an informal hearing before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee Wednes- day morning, Bend lawyer and former Sen. Neil Bryant, who served on the committee for eight years, requested the legislature form a working group Clean streets: A mission to attempt to resolve the legal issues Officer Randy Ellis aids surrounding the bans. The main case in question was filed community in keeping by the Oregon Firearms Educational streets clean, safe Foundation and petitions the court to determine the validity of the Or- KERRI ANDERsoN NEWS REPORTER egon University System’s handgun ban, which affects those licensed to carry Campus-area locals have prob- concealed handguns. ably noticed Eugene police officer “It’s a basic question of whether or not Randy Ellis patrolling the streets, educational institutions have the author- but they may have overlooked his ity to regulate weapons on their campus,” quiet acts of kindness that set him Bryant said. apart from his fellow officers. However, Bryant said oral argu- The 40-year Eugene Police De- ments in the case will to be heard until partment veteran has worked at early spring of 2010. In the meantime, he the West University Neighbor- urged the Senate to “be proactive.” hood Station near campus on During the question and answer East 13th Avenue for 10 years, portion of the hearing, Bryant re- and recently has made cleaning peated the OUS’ position that hand- up the neighborhood his own guns are fundamentally unsafe in a personal mission. campus environment. Muriel Brennan, 82, knows “Let’s say you’ve got a concealed firsthand that Ellis will go out handgun,” Bryant said. “It’s there legally. of his way to make the streets You’ve got a permit. Your friends and you cleaner. had a few beers and someone says, ‘Hey, When Brennan needed some you know, I’d like to see your .357 Mag- help purchasing large trash bags num or whatever.’ And you take it out. to collect garbage off the streets You start handling it or using it. Hopefully of the University campus, Ellis it’s not loaded. Or you’ve broken up with offered her trash bags from the ShawN HATJES | PHOTOGraPHER your girlfriend, and you’re under extreme police station. Officer Randy Ellis of the campus Eugene Police Department uses money out of his own pocket to pay homeless men and women to pick stress because of that, or maybe you’re TUrn TO ELLIS | PaGE 4A up trash off the University campus. TUrn TO DPS | PaGE 3A EditoriAL BOARD TODAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Robert D’Andrea | Opinion editor Allie Grasgreen | Editor in chief Emily E. Smith | Managing editor (541) 346-5511 PARTLY CLOUDY SHOWERS SHOWERS Shelley Deadmond | Columnist [email protected] 67º/47º 63º/44º 58º/41º OPINION Dylan Sylwester | Multimedia editor TALK TO US • Limit submissions to 600 words • Submissions should include name, phone number and address • The Emerald reser ves the right to edit all submissions • One submission per person per calendar month NEWS STAFF (541) 346-5511 IN MY opiNioN | GRACE PETTYGROVE ALLIE GRASGREEN Editor in chief EMILY E. SMITH Managing editor Let’S Talk about RepRoductiVE Rights ALEX TOMCHAK SCOTT News editor This is my commentary on health Women, who “earn 78 cents to the dol- contraceptives, including Oregon since wayside. America’s twenty-somethings KERRI ANDERSON care. There have been a lot of them out lar of every man,” as Obama said, gener- 2008, the likely inclusion of such a man- are going to need a lot of umbrellas. CJ CIARAMELLA there lately. I know because, after a sum- ally pay far more for insurance than their date in the national plan has a little too By playing it safe, Obama neglected EMILY GILLESPIE mer abroad, I spent September wading male counterparts and are sometimes left much armpit hair for the first lady to some of the most pressing issues for a ANNA HELLAND ALEX ZIELINSKI through the muck and trying to make uncovered or under-covered because of mention it in public. certain population of commonly un- News reporters sense of how the overhaul would actually “pre-existing conditions” such as preg- Signs say that contraceptive coverage and under-insured women — the young LAUREN FOX affect me. nancy. will be included in the final bill, but it’s and single.