UO E-clips, Nov. 14
Top stories for November 14, 2007: Professor's friends and family continue to hold out hope, the Register-Guard reports about Daming Xu's disappearance in the Cascade foothills; committee says UO should reduce 'special admits among student athletes, says the Register-Guard
Professor's friends and family continue to hold out hope (Register-Guard): Family and friends of Daming Xu said Tuesday that they are still not giving up hope that he may be recovered safely from the wilderness of Cougar Lake, where he vanished Nov. 4. Though sheriff’s search and rescue crews scaled back their search on Monday, saying the likelihood of Xu’s survival was nearly nil, those who know the 63-year-old University of Oregon mathematics professor are hoping that he’s the exception, not the rule. “His survival chance is really slim, but sometimes miracles do occur,” said Xu’s friend and colleague, Qi-Man Shao. “This is not the time (to give up) yet.”
Committee says UO should reduce 'special admits' (Register-Guard): The University of Oregon athletics department was encouraged by an NCAA peer review committee to reduce the number of “special admits” among student-athletes -- that is, those admitted to the university who would not otherwise meet UO entrance standards. However, a top athletics department official said Oregon’s numbers are not inappropriate compared with other schools. “They expressed a concern that we had more special admits in the sports of football and men’s basketball than what they felt it should be,” UO senior associate athletic director Gary Gray said. “After being in this 25 years, if they are concerned here, they have to be concerned many, many, many places. I don’t particularly agree with that (concern).