A few months ago OSPIRG was supposed to move out of its office down in the Survival Center. By Thanksgiving, in fact. Further, EMU Director Dusty Miller told me that OSPIRG was no longer to do anymore official business inside its former office as it is no longer a student group.

Needless to say, I figured (as did everyone else) that this wouldn’t stop OSPIRG from using the Survival Center as their de facto office anyways. No, instead they would probably just keep meeting down there. In fact they aren’t even shy about it. Their twitter feed today read:

“URGENT!!! I need everyone in OSPIRG to meet in the Survival Center today to input the voter pledge cards onto a spreadsheet! We’ll make it a DATABASE-PARTY! 5:30 in the Survival Center!”

As the ASUO Controllers office is across from the Survival Center, I do frequent that part of the building and I have indeed seen OSPIRG’s members lurking around the EMU. What is worrying to me is their apparent usage of the Survival Center despite University orders not to do so.

Of course, I’m sure there will be responses like “it wasn’t official business” or “we were invited to use the space by the Insurgent” or some other tedious, transparent lie.

No one’s fooled.

Just distributed the magazine to our boxes and racks all over campus. Go get yourself one in the flesh, it’s real pretty.

Last night Nick and I decided to attend a presentation by Sidney Milkis, a professor from the University of Virginia, hosted by the Poly. Sci. department entitled “Great Expectations: Obama and the Politics of Reform.” I thought this would be an even breakdown of Obama’s political moves in the past year, and for some reason I wasn’t quite expecting a worship session of the messiah, but it came fairly close. Yes indeed, a year post-election and we’re stilling talking about Hope and Change.

For a large portion of the time, and the beginning of the evening, Milkis spoke a lot on the subject of multi-culturalism (as if we aren’t beat over the head with it enough here in Eugene). According to Milkis, Obama was a multi-racial man who consciously chose to be African American, and he reaffirmed his intentions of remaining African American by marrying Michelle Obama. I wasn’t aware that one has such reign over their ethnicity; nevertheless the speaker seemed to be suggesting Obama was brave for making the choice. He then continued on his multi-cultural shpeel, talking about the ability of Obama to represent America, despite being black. Apparently Obama is the “first African American to truly embody America’s values.” (MLK only does on the third monday of January each year) Oh, I also learned that Barrack’s middle name, Hussien, is iconic of everything good and righteous in American politics.

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The new ASUO logo (thanks to Conrad Hulen).

The ASUO has been working hard on re-branding itself lately, specifically with a new logo (in case you were wondering, the tree is an Oregon White Oak). Aesthetically, the logo is leaps and bounds ahead of the terrible one the student government has been using since the Teapot-Dome scandal.

At tonight’s PCM (Programs Council Meeting) the ASUO announced that it is considering new rules for student programs that would require any documents–like fliers and posters–to carry the new logo. ASUO Programs Administrator Conrad Hulen described the branding effort, “As a way to show the 22,000 students here on campus that the student government is more than just an office and the executive and the budget committee. It’s all of you–the students.”

Hulen also described the ASUO’s reasoning for wanting the logo placed on all student program’s printed documents, “It’s going to be a way to tell people that this activity, program or event is in some way I-Fee funded.”

It should be pointed out that the ASUO is including all of its programs into the discussion about the new logo and future rules relating to its usage. When I raised the question regarding publications, it wasn’t immediately clear whether or not that had been entered into the discussion. I proposed that although the goal of informing students that a publication may be funded by the I-Fee, a logo could be misinterpreted rather easily by readers.

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ASUO Senate Vice President Nicholas Schultz is working on a proposal to remove the Pacifica Forum from the EMU. This seems to be a much easier solution to moving the pesky Forum from the EMU than simply waiting for their host, Orval Etter, to die.

The proposal, so far, is sponsored by Senate President Gower, Senate Ombudsperson Alexander McCafferty, Senate  Treasurer Lyzi Diamond, Senator Christopher Bocchicchio, Senator Jeremy Blanchard, and Senator Zachary Stark-MacMillan.

The proposal is still a work in progress, but it can be read here.

In part, the proposal wishes to move the Forum because, “the ASUO declares that the Pacifica Forum has fostered an environment of hostility that has compromised the welcoming environment of the Erb Memorial Union”

The resolution is expected to be discussed at next week’s Senate meeting.

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&#038;task=viewaltcast&#038;altcast_code=5d93b14131″ mce_href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;altcast_code=5d93b14131″ >Jan. 13, 2010 Senate Meeting</a>

“Rage against the machine, man! Now, where’s my stipend paycheck?”

The Student Insurgent had its PFC meeting tonight, one in which they asked for a mere $23,519. Unfortunately, they had to settle for just $22,222.

There were several crucial moments in the hearing, most of which hovered around the Student Insurgent‘s rather dubious delegation of their funding. The Insurgent admitted to printing only 7 issues last year (actually, they guessed because “no one could remember”. We personally think it was more like 5) on a budget of $21,427 – a whopping $3,061 an issue. They vowed to increase their production this year all the way up to 9 issues, meaning each issue for next year will have a reasonable price tag of just $2,469.

If you’d like a little comparison, the Commentator expects to produce 15 issues this year at an average cost of about $1,500 an issue.

A question was then raised about the conduct at the Anarchist Book Fair in San Francisco. Sen. Alyssa Diamond mentioned a letter from a non-Insurgent staffer that was printed in an issue of the Insurgent last Spring. In the letter, Diamond mentioned that the student had reported “Not attending the fair and that all they did was party”. Abby Bluth, an Insurgent Co-Editor noted that, “It goes against what we are to control what people are doing [at the book fair].”

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PFC Chair Devon Duquette just resigned as chair of the PFC. Below is his resignation letter.

I formerly resign as PFC chair for the year. While I will still serve on the committee, at this time, I cannot handle the position with the diligent attention and time that this committee deserves. I apologize for the inconvenience at this time, during the beginning of budget hearings, I just cannot dedicate the time that being a chairperson demands. Personal issues, as well as time commitments, are preventing me from continuing my position, but my love for this committee and it’s programs prevent me from quitting the committee as a whole. Thank you for understanding!

Thanks,
Devon Duquette
PFC Member

[Due to technical difficulties, the body of this post has disappeared. The Commentator is working on repairing the problems. Look for the story in the upcoming edition of the Commentator.]

A decade of dissapointment has left the Commentator Staff with some crucial talking points. Check out the Oregon Commentator, 2010 style. You can find it in the archives as well, and while your back there don’t forget about browsing some of our past accomplishments over the last ten years.

Inside you will find.

• Hobo Cigar Review
• Rose Bowl Shenanigans
• De Lancie’s first full page article
• Stoner Talking Points

And so much more.

After Sarah Palin stepped down from her position of Alaskan Govenor in July last year it was unclear where her career path would take her. The best selling author has now answered those questions and will be joining the ranks of Fox News as a political analyst.

Palin’s politcal commentary will be made accessible on Fox’s varieties of news platforms including Fox News, Fox Business channel, Fox News Radio and Foxnews.com. In short, she’s now the network’s biggest star. While I can’t blame Fox News for hiring her, it is interesting to see what will happen to the Republican party is Fox continues to sign some of their biggest attractions.

When Palin stepped down she said she would fight for change outside of  the governement. I guess punditry is how she will do it.

Rojas asserts his right to free speech again.

The Pacifica Forum hosted its meeting, “Everything You Wanted to Know about Pacifica Forum but were Afraid to Ask” today in the Walnut Room of the EMU, and never has so much been said by so many about so little. The meeting began quietly, with a distinctly hostile attitude permeating the room. Picking up steam, it climaxed in a student leaving the room in tears after a heated confrontation over rape epithets.

But mostly the hate speech debate ran in circles between Forum member Billy Rojas and Michael Williams, a member of the Eugene Anti Hate Task Force. The core of the debate revolved around prior Pacifica meetings which many students allege advocated violent acts towards Jews and other minority groups. Emma Kallaway had a strong opinion against the forum, stating she didn’t want the forum in the EMU at all.

ASUO President Emma Kallaway called the forum to leave the EMU, saying "I don't want you here."

Beyond what amounted to a giant circle of “You’re hurting our feelings and making us feel insecure” countered by “Because we can” the single most intelligent point was put forward at the end of the debate with “why should we care?” The Black Tea Society does nothing but give these wackos more power when they attend meetings with signs and yell “Get off my campus!” As it was well put forward, no one is rushing to join the forum, maybe it’s time to stop caring and take the wind out of these wacko’s sails.

[The comments to this post have disappeared. The Commentator did not moderate them and believes it to be a technical error on the part of wordpress. We are working to return them.]

Inside the John E. Jaqua Academic Center

According to today’s Daily Emerald, the new John E. Jaqua Academic Center (at the corner of Agate and Franklin) will now take up 103 extra parking spaces (61 behind Knight Law, 32 on Franklin & Walnut and 10 on 13th St. in front of the building) on the South end of campus.

We all know that the parking passes bought by students are a huge rip off. It is generally held knowledge that the DPS sells more parking passes to students than there are parking spaces available. How many? I could not verify that because when I placed a call to DPS as a member of a student magazine, the receptionist told me, “That’s not just information we give out”. Why that’s not public information, I have no idea.

The decrease of parking spaces available to students will only further put pressure on the University to finally (which they will eventually do) build a real parking garage that students can park in full-time. Also, the decrease in parking spaces may end up factoring into the fight over the funding of LTD.

What it really comes down to is this University’s willingness to forfeit any notion of student equality for the sake of a BCS bid and some new “kicks”. Indeed, the Emerald article pointed out that one of the conditions of Phil Knight donating the money for the Jaqua Center was that the parking spaces also be cleared for athletes use.

If the University keeps this up, they are going to have a formidable student outcry to go alongside the already rather vocal faculty opinion.

Tread lightly, Dick.

I know you’ve all been clamoring for an updated OC Archive, and lucky you it has finally been posted. The Archives from this year and the end of last year have been updated, with my end goal being to scan in all of the old issues as well.

Until then, enjoy Volume 26 and Volume 27.