E-clips, Oct. 9

Meditation of body-mind boosts performance reduces stress (London Telegraph, multiple other media): Hard evidence that meditation does indeed cut stress has been published by researchers. After meditation training of 20 minutes once a day for only five days, people had measurably less anxiety and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than a control group who learned how to relax instead, according to the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The experimental group also showed lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than was the case in the control group. "This study improves the prospect for examining brain mechanisms involved in the changes in attention and self-regulation that occur following meditation training," Michael Posner, the co-author and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Oregon, said. (UO News Release)

UO plans to borrow total price of arena (The Oregonian): The University of Oregon will not spend a dime of Phil Knight's $100 million donation on a basketball arena. Instead, it will borrow the $200 million cost of the arena using state bonds and pay back the money with arena revenues and annual donations from fans, Oregon officials say. The plan means that rather than private donors financing the bulk of construction, as was planned a few years ago, taxpayers will bear the arena project's financial risk. Oregon's plan is preliminary and needs approval from the State Board of Higher Education and the Oregon Legislature. But some UO faculty members already are worried about the university borrowing such a huge sum and skeptical about the latest projections for the arena's revenue.

Bike theft on the rise again at UO (Daily Emerald): Although it's common knowledge that bike theft on campus is a problem, bicyclists should know their property is even more likely to be stolen this year. Sgt. Chris Phillips at the Department of Public Safety said the bike theft rate has increased at least twofold since spring term. "Just over the past week we've caught four or five," said Phillips. Four people were arrested Wednesday and Friday by Eugene police for attempted bike theft.

Can the UO compete? (Register-Guard editorial): The 2007 legislative session was the best in a generation for higher education, with an 18 percent increase in state financial support for the Oregon University System. Lawmakers basking in the warmth of that achievement might have been shocked to hear University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer warn the state Board of Higher Education last week that his institution is in danger of slipping from the top tier of American universities. They shouldn't have been surprised. In fact, the slippage has already occurred.