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UO E-clips, Jan. 31-Feb. 2
Top stories for January 31-February 2, 2009: UO to reduce student fees because of enrollment surge, reports the Associated Press and Register-Guard: work by the UO's Greg Retallack suggests that soil may have influenced ancient Greek choices for temple locations, reports ThaindianNews.com; the UO's Dennis Howard is quoted in a Shine2010.com story about Chinese plans to turn Beijing's Olympic 'Bird Nest' stadium into a shopping and entertainment complex; Popular Science cites a UO survey that found players of John Madden's NFL football video games know their stuff; longtime UO political scientist James Klonoski, political mentor to many, dies at 83, reports the Register-Guard; the UO's Judith Hibbard is quoted in a Keene Sentinel (New Hampshire) story on how high-deductible medical insurance plans save on premiums, but come at a cost; and UO economist Tim Duy is cited in coverage by The Oregonian on Paul Krugman's dire economic forecast
UO to reduce student fees (Associated Press, similar story in Register-Guard): The University of Oregon wants to cut its main student fee for spring term because a larger enrollment is bringing in more money than expected. For full-time undergraduate students the fee will be $95, down from $195. The state Board of Higher Education will be asked to approve the reduction Friday. The fee is among largest that all students pay, to cover student government, student union operations, student organizations, reduced-price athletic tickets and other programs. The fees are set before the start of the school year. But the UO exceeded its expected enrollment. More than 21,500 students showed up for fall-term, a 5.6 percent increase over the previous year. Fees for other students also would drop.
Soil may have influenced ancient Greeks choice for temple locations (ThaindianNews.com): A new study has suggested that soil might have had a prominent role in Greek worship in ancient times, strongly influencing the choice of locations for the temples. … The survey, by Gregory J. Retallack of the University of Oregon in the US, involved the study of the local geology, topography, soil, and vegetation, as well as historical accounts by the likes of Herodotus, Homer, and Plato, in an attempt to answer a seemingly simple question: why are the temples where they are?
Beijing’s Bird Nest stadium a lesson for SA (Shine2010.com): The Chinese news agency Xinhua announced last week that Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium will be turned into a shopping and entertainment complex in the next three to five years by the state owned investment-company CITIC group. … The issue of what the principal commercial function of a stadium should be remains contested. In an article about the Bird’s Nest stadium, Dennis Howard, a business professor at the University of Oregon, told Associated Press that large stadiums seldom turn a profit, but could be justified by their ability to host large events that attract new money into the economy.
Madden predicts the winner -- Popular Science (The company that claims "It's in the game" was certainly immersed in Super Bowl week. EA Sports was busy preparing teams, educating fans, and predicting the results better than the best bettors in Vegas. … Who says video games aren't educational? A recent survey of 15,000 NFL fans conducted by the University of Oregon (with support from EA) showed that those who play Madden NFL games are 60 percent more knowledgeable than other fans.)
James Klonoski, political mentor to many, dies at 83 (Register-Guard): James Klonoski, a longtime figure in state and national Democratic politics who died Friday, was recalled as a man who wanted to better society and inspired countless others who followed him into the political arena. Klonoski, a political science professor, former Oregon Democratic Party chairman and mentor to many, died Friday in Springfield of a brain stem tumor. He was 83. … Klonoski joined the political science faculty of the University of Oregon in 1961.
High-deductible insurance plans save on premiums, but come at a cost (Keene Sentinel, New Hampshire): Two years ago, Holly Calvillo signed up for a new type of health insurance that was just starting to get popular. It had a nice low premium but a high deductible. Calvillo and her husband were young and healthy. She figured with her employer’s contributions to a health savings account, they would save money. … Judith Hibbard, a health policy professor at the University of Oregon, studied the medical claims of one large Midwestern employer between 2004 and 2006, after the company began offering a high-deductible plan alongside traditional insurance.
Nobel economist: 'Not your father's recession' (The Oregonian): Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman gave a far more dire economic forecast in Portland this week than Oregon experts continue to present. Krugman, a Princeton University economics professor and columnist for The New York Times, predicts -- at a minimum -- several years of a depressed economy. … Tim Duy, a University of Oregon economics professor, said local economists tend to view the current recession as a straightforward cyclical event instead of the structural calamity Krugman perceives.