UO E-clips, March 22-24

For UO leaders, a long goodbye: Three retired VPs work as part-time university consultants while drawing public benefits (The Oregonian): John Moseley, Lorraine Davis and Dan Williams all retired from their vice presidential posts at the University of Oregon in the past four years. But they never really left. The three longtime administrators continue to work part-time as consultants for the university while drawing public retirement benefits. For a little less than half-time work, Moseley is paid about $109,660 a year to develop UO's interests in central Oregon. Williams gets about $100,000 as the president's liaison to the athletic department. And for about $83,560, Davis oversees support services to student athletes and other administrative projects.

UO students seek to help inmates' education (Register-Guard): A group of students at the University of Oregon is trying to spruce up the library at the school of hard knocks. The students were among the first to take part in a new state program in which they traveled to Salem once a week to take a class alongside a group of inmates at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Now they're conducting a book drive to help their former classmates keep up with their new-found appreciation of literature.

State climate change group has big job (Register-Guard): Although few people seem to know it, Oregon has legislatively mandated greenhouse gas reduction targets. A new state Global Warming Commission is responsible for overseeing attainment of the new goals. The commission met for the first time on March 17. It has a big job ahead. (Bob Doppelt, director of resource innovations and the Climate Leadership Initiative at the University of Oregon, is writing a series of columns on climate change.

Obama spreads message of change at Eugene appearance (News Review): After seeing hundreds of thousands of people out on the campaign trail, shaking thousands of hands and kissing hundreds of babies, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told an enthusiastic crowd Friday night at McArthur Court that he's learned one thing. "We want something new," the U.S. senator from Illinois told 9,000 people, many of whom waited in line for hours outside the basketball arena known as The Pit. ... Despite the start of spring break, a large number of University of Oregon students remained behind Friday to hear Obama speak.

Obama on Oregon trail campaign: Democrat lures loud, overflow crowd in Eugene (Register-Guard): Obama ended his 14-hour tour through Oregon at 10 p.m., when he concluded his 45-minute speech at Eugene's McArthur Court at the University of Oregon. As has been the case throughout his youth-energizing campaign, the 9,000-strong crowd was full of college and university students who responded wildly to Obama's messages of unity and change.

Obama in Oregon comfort zone (NBC posted on MSNBC.com): The crowd at the University of Oregon let Barack Obama off the hook Friday night, even though he bet against their team in the NCAA tournament. "I'm glad I'm not an opposing team. This is what they call the pit," Obama said as he looked out over the crowd of 9000 "quacking" fans in Mac Court stadium. "Alright ducks I know this is a tough night for you. But I tell you what, Illinois didn't even make the NCAA this year," Obama said.

Few reasons remain for UO keeping Kent (Oregonian, column by John Canzano): Ernie Kent's team reached the NCAA Tournament, so the men's basketball coach at the University of Oregon probably deserves to keep his job. But what nobody deserves is an extended charade. So what's it going to be, Pat Kilkenny? The UO athletic director needs to make a decision when it comes to Kent's future, and what Kilkenny does now probably hinges on how open-minded Gonzaga coach Mark Few is feeling after being bounced from the NCAA Tournament himself.

Willamette housing to be 'gender neutral': Men, women can room together starting this fall (Statesman Journal): The days of strictly same-sex rooms in student housing are coming to an end at Willamette University. ... At the University of Oregon in Eugene, staff members are in preliminary discussions about offering the option in their traditional residence halls, said Sandy Schoonover, director of residence life. Men and women already can live together in family housing and apartment units, which have different eligibility requirements. The challenge in residence halls is that there is only one bathroom on some floors.

Perfect tone, in a key that's mostly minor (The New York Times): Midway through Jonathan Coulton's wedding reception in 2001, someone asked the band to stop playing. In a suddenly silent hall in Boston, Mr. Coulton turned to his bride, Catherine Connor, and in the company of some 100 friends and family, began to serenade her. ... Collegiate a cappella is a tradition that goes back to the early days of the Whiffenpoofs, founded in 1909; it now includes more than 1,200 groups on campuses from Appalachian State to the University of Oregon, according to the Contemporary A Capella Society. It is a curious genre, one that makes sense under an ivy-strewn archway only to become inexplicable upon graduation.

UO seeks fast track for builder of arena: A new rule would allow the $200 million project to bypass the usual open search for a contractor (Oregonian): The University of Oregon plans to use a month-old rule to bypass the state's typical search process so a private firm can hire the architects and builder who already have been working on the school's publicly financed basketball arena project. An Oregon official says hiring the firms without an open competition would save money and promote continuity in planning and construction of its $200 million on-campus arena. "This is by far the most cost-effective way," UO general counsel Melinda Grier said.