UO E-clips, Jan. 23

Oregon arena idea includes ode to Mac Court (The Oregonian): The University of Oregon on Tuesday officially unveiled the look of its planned basketball arena, a largely glass-skinned building designed to show the life teeming inside it. The arena, designed by TVA Architects of Portland and Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, Mo., would be oval with blunt ends. From the air it resembles a wide-awake eye. The more transparent design and its orientation to the surrounding area aims to welcome fans, said Bob Thompson, lead project designer with TVA. Compared with a previous rectangular design, it also could save money by reducing the amount of expensive exterior materials needed, Thompson said.

UO releases new arena concept (Register-Guard): The University of Oregon has released a new conceptual design for its proposed basketball arena showing a sleeker, more curved facade than an earlier version. The new rendition gives the front of the building a more circular appearance between two box-like structures at the west and east ends. The streetside view retains the large glass panels grid structure of the previous design. UO officials showed the new image at a legislative committee hearing last week, when the state’s top budget-writing panel approved the financial plan for the $200 million arena.

Students comment on proposed arena project (Daily Emerald): Safety, noise and the administration's priorities were the hottest issues at a forum Tuesday night in which students had their first major opportunity to weigh in on the basketball arena project. Even though only three of about 100 students explicitly said they were against the project and many who spoke said they like the idea of a new arena, dozens of others said they were seriously concerned about the 350,000 square foot building being erected roughly 30 yards east of the Hamilton residence hall.

UO, OSU students launch social networking website for outdoor enthusiasts (KVAL.com): Zach Ham is always in search of the perfect motorcycle ride. "No traffic, good pavement, good visibility, sharp corners, preferably banked," the University of Oregon senior explained. Ham believes others are searching too. With the help of a friend at Oregon State University, he launched a website, RidewithGPS.com, to lead the way. "There's a lot of cool motorcycle roads if you go out to Florence, for example, that never touch 126," said Ham. "But if you're new to the area, you don't know about these roads.

Two International Affairs directors dismissed (Daily Emerald): For undisclosed reasons, two long-standing directors within the Office of International Programs will not have their contracts renewed. The dismissals have launched an outcry among students, and faculty are hesitant to discuss them with the Emerald. The employees are Magid Shirzadegan, director of International Student and Scholar Services, and Kathy Poole, director of Study Abroad Programs. Provost Linda Brady is prohibited by law to release any details pertaining to the directors, but she did say she thoroughly considered the decision and is confident it is the appropriate one.

Climate change event to feature day of lectures, rallies in Eugene (Register-Guard): A daylong “National Teach-In on Global Warming” will unfold in Eugene on Jan. 31. The multiple events will begin with the Eugene-Springfield Climate Summit in the morning and conclude with the second annual Lane County Energy Round-up in the evening. The day’s activities -- tied to a Focus the Nation campaign of similar events across the country -- also include a global-warming rally, sustainable living fair and series of public lectures. All of the events will be held on the University of Oregon campus. Sponsors include the UO Office of Sustainability, UO Campus Recycling, UO Resource Innovations, the UO student government and the Lane County Energy Round-up.

Study: OSU gets an 'A' in gender equity (The Oregonian): Oregon State University ranked second among Pacific-10 Conference schools and seventh nationwide in a recent study on gender equity in college athletics. The fifth Gender Equity Scorecard, which pertained to the 2005-06 academic year, graded 115 Division I colleges. Oregon State was among 11 colleges receiving an "A" grade. The University of Oregon, ranking 97th, was among 19 to receive an "F" grade.