UO E-Clips, Jan. 9

Committee seeks new U of O president (Associated Press, appearing on KGW.com): The committee charged with recommending a replacement for University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer is only about halfway through the process but faces concerns that just one finalist will be named for public interviews and events. Others, especially faculty members, want a short list of possibly three. The issue pits the interest in an open process against the desire for confidentiality often sought by top candidates. Many executives fear their jobs would be in danger if it were known they were looking elsewhere and are not chosen.

Taxpayers are stuck with huge bills for government lobbying (Guest opinion in the Oregonian): Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski recently attended a joint conference in Philadelphia with the rest of the nation's governors to call for a federal bailout for Oregon and other state governments. Unfortunately, one level of government can't pay its bills by begging for help from another level of government without taxpayers being stuck with the bill. But this problem is far from unique to high-profile calls for bailouts during extraordinary times. It happens every day. ... Universities and local governments are using tax dollars to lobby for higher spending and higher taxes at the state and federal levels. In 2007 alone, public universities in 46 states employed lobbyists. As government entities, funding for these lobbyists comes from the taxpayers. The University of Oregon used $1.3 million to lobby the federal government from 1998 to 2008. Other examples of big-time lobby spending include $1.28 million spent by Douglas County, $1.07 million by Lane County, and just under $1 million by Washington County.

Barack Obama and the International Education Bowl (Inside Higher Ed, opinion piece by Tom Palaima and Nathan Tublitz): President-elect Barack Obama has proposed replacing the Bowl Championship Series games with an eight-team playoff to determine the national college football champion in Division I-A. If his administration really has the time and inclination to deal with crises other than the national economic picture and our health care system, we would encourage him to focus on something more important than football: how American institutions of higher education are faring in the international education bowl. ... As two concerned members of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, a consortium of university faculty senates concerned about sports issues, we offer here our opinions drawn from our long up-close and personal perspectives on how big-time sports has affected the academic missions at our two universities: the University of Oregon and the University of Texas at Austin. U.T.’s athletics director is (in)famous for declaring its program the “Joneses” of NCAA athletics, with which all others must keep up. Longhorns Inc., as Texas Monthly called Texas athletics in its November issue, outspends all but a few competitors. It is one of the few college sports programs to make a profit. The University of Oregon has also moved into the top 25 in Division I-A football. We discuss the costs to both institutions ...

Obama congratulates Florida, calls for playoff (The Hill, D.C.): The morning after the University of Florida won college football's national championship, President-elect Obama reiterated his call for a formal playoff to replace the Bowl Championship Series. Obama, who has said he supports a playoff system instead of the current ranking system, congratulated the Gators on Friday for their 24-14 win over the University of Oklahoma. Obama noted that a Secret Service agent who had led his protective detail had a son playing left tackle for the Gators. ... University of Oregon President David Frohnmayer, who chairs the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee, has opposed efforts to create a playoff system, saying it would reduce the importance of the regular season.

Ancient nanodiamonds proof of Earth’s impact with comets 12,900 years ago (Entertainment and Showbiz, India): A nine-member scientific team has found abundant tiny particles of diamond dust in sediments dating to 12,900 years ago at six North American sites, adding strong evidence for Earth’s impact with a rare swarm of carbon-and-water-rich comets. Nanodiamonds can be produced on Earth, but only through high-explosive detonations or chemical vaporization. ... Now, a team led by the University of Oregon’s Douglas J. Kennett, a member of the original research team, has reported finding billions of nanometer-sized diamonds concentrated in sediments -- weighing from about 10 to 2,700 parts per billion -- in the six locations during digs funded by the National Science Foundation.

Tuesday's Blues (All About Jazz, PA): Dr. Idit Shner is a smart one. Currently instructor of saxophone and Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon, Shner was awarded her doctorate in saxophone performance within jazz studies from North Texas State after studying at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. Coming from those friendly confines, one might assume Shner the second coming of the Texas Tenor, but one would be wrong. A native of Israel, Shner performed in the Israeli Air Force Band in the late '90s before freelancing in Oklahoma and attending school. With dual interests in classical and jazz saxophone, Shner distinguished herself in both areas, premiering compositions and recording as a sideman. Yes, Shner has impressive bona fides. But what of her debut recording as a leader, Tuesday's Blues?

The Bird’s Nest looks for a post-Olympic purpose (Sapa-AP appearing in Business Day, South Africa): Just five months after the Beijing Olympics, the Bird’s Nest is a cavernous museum searching for a new purpose. The iconic National Stadium drew acclaim for its daring design, an engineering marvel that borders on sculpture. ... The government-run China Daily recently described the Bird’s Nest as a "tourist trap," and senior citizens have complained there are no half-price tickets. Dennis Howard, professor of business at the University of Oregon who specializes in sports marketing, said major stadiums in the U.S. don’t pay their way and he suggested it would be no different in China.

UO senior charged in burglary near college; Police say the student might have been involved in other thefts over the winter break (Register-Guard, similar story in The Oregonian and KVAL News: Eugene police arrested a University of Oregon student Wednesday night in connection with a burglary near campus, and they suspect that he may have played a role in others throughout the campus area. Police charged Adam Wayne Klunder, 21, with one count of burglary and theft in the first degree. “Based upon the evidence investigators found last night, he will be charged with additional crimes,” police spokeswoman Jenna LaBounty said.

Ever heard of the phrase "from the horse's mouth"? (The Examiner, Portland): This article by Tony Dukoupil paints a beautiful picture of the typical 20-something male. So it comes from a Yankee's mentality, it's still amazingly accurate to the Southern male. ... "Men benefit from just being married, regardless of the quality of the relationship. It makes them healthier, wealthier and more generous with their relatives," says Scott Coltrane, author of "Gender and Families" and dean of the University of Oregon College of Arts and Science. It accelerates men's journey toward stability and security. "In general, those are the things that lead to happiness," he adds. At least, that's what I am hoping. Ask me in 20 years.

Barack Obama Cut from College Intramural Team...Sucks at Basketball (Bleacher Report): There is a nasty rumor that has been circulating around Eugene, Oregon for some time now concerning the legitimacy of President Obama’s skills on the basketball court. Tom Lininger, a professor at the University of Oregon and stone cold defender of domestic violence victims, says that back when he and President-Elect Obama were in law school together at Harvard, Obama’s game was so nasty he had to cut him from his IM team. Seriously...Obama was cut from a College Intramural basketball team.