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Archive for April, 2008

Dotters-Katz, Delashaw are victorious

April 11th, 2008 by Ossie

Sam Dotters-Katz and Johnny Delashaw received 1608 of the 3164 votes for ASUO Executive; with a majority, they are the students’ new president and vice president.

Kari Herinckx and Jesse Hough earned 1290 votes and Dr. Drew Thunderlove Cattermole 119 votes. There were 147 write-ins.

In the race for Senate Seat 1, PFC, Sean Jin had the most votes with 832 but failed to earn a majority. He will be in a run-off against Carinna Miller, who earned 758 votes.

Smoke-free Campus Survey

April 11th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

The Smoke Free Campus Task Force (don’t laugh, it’s paid for) has set up a survey to gauge student, staff and faculty thoughts on making campus smoke-free. From the survey:

The Smoke Free Campus Task Force has been appointed to assess the pros and cons of establishing the University of Oregon as a smoke free campus. To assist in this effort, the task force is asking all faculty, staff, and students to complete a short survey to give feedback about the current campus smoking policy and whether the UO should become a smoke free campus. Establishing campus as smoke free would prohibit smoking anywhere on campus, including all buildings and all campus grounds and properties.

I would advise all freedom-loving students, staff and faculty to fill out the survey … as many times as possible. Also, check out the OC’s response to these efforts from fall term.

Ol’ Dirty endorses RTY, WTF?

April 11th, 2008 by Ossie

The Ol’ Dirty stuck to its true form today by endorsing the corrupt Rock the Yellow slate and Kari and Jesse. It is almost unbelievable that they would root for the political machine that was responsible for the ruling that candidates cannot advertise in the ODE.

But the reason for the Emerald’s endorsement extends beyond platforms and policy positions. Herinckx and Hough have presented themselves as more in touch with students and their needs.

Laughable. Everything Sam and Johnny have done is in the name of perpetuating the average student’s voice, while Jesse and Kari, great student leaders but with too much baggage with them, have only defended their positions as cookie-cutter pinups for the current administration.

I am disappointed with the Emerald Editorial Board. Supporting a ticket run by an administration that has abused its power to limist free speach on campus is a pathetic stance to have.

ASUO Elections: Sex, Lies and Videotape

April 10th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

The ODE has a video of the candidate debate from Wednesday up. Fair warning: It’s almost impossible to watch this without making the thunder and/or feeling the love.

Also, so far there have been a total of eight grievances filed against the Oregon Action Team. However, the OAT has recently struck back and is filing a grievance against Rock the Yellow member Nick Schultz for allegedly telling people that the OAT would cut campus recycling if elected (ironic, since one member of the slate works for campus recycling). For his part, Schultz says this a “complete lie.”

And don’t forget the second grievance filed against current ASUO Exec Emily McLain. It’s a good thing we’re not actually playing the ASUO Elections Drinking Game because even Keith Moon would have a hard time keeping up with this.

Sean Jin Appointed to PFC

April 9th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

OC contributor Sean Jin has been appointed to PFC Seat One in the ASUO by a vote of 7-5-1. He was recommended to the position by ASUO Exec Emily McLain, who addressed the Senate and noted that Jin “is really involved all across campus.”

Jin then was given an opportunity to speak, saying he would work to bring better “outreach, transparency and professionalism” to the ASUO. Many of the senators had good things to say, noting that Jin was very qualified and experienced for the job. Sen. Jones called him a “Johnny-on-the-spot all around campus.”

Jin’s connection to the OC was brought up numerous times, surprisingly not as negative as one would expect. Sen. Zavrel actually suggested that Jin’s appointment was a good thing because it brought more diversity to the senate. That’s right, you heard it here: The OC improves diversity.

However, Sen. Diego Hernandez disagreed. “Sean wrote an article in the last issue of the Oregon Commentator that I found really offensive,” he said. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him on this body.” Of course, Hernandez was referring to the article where Jin called out the MCC on their rampant hypocrisy. Hernandez later went on to say that he considered Jin’s article “hate speech.”

But wait, you say. Where’s the asinine quote from Nate Gulley? Here you go: “I just think it needs to be understood that the Oregon Commentator isn’t a campus media source,” Gulley said. “It’s a student program.”

O RLY? I guess putting out a magazine and writing a daily blog about campus affairs doesn’t make you a media source anymore. The ‘Ol Dirty better step it up, lest they too become just another student program.

Congrats to Sean.

Biofuels Raise Beer Prices

April 9th, 2008 by Niedermeyer

Paul Suderman documents the tragic collateral damage in the war on global warming over at Reason. Suderman eloquently recounts the plethora of good reasons to oppose the current generation of biofuels which burn through foodstocks with no benefit to carbon emissions. Moreover, he correctly identifies rising beer prices as the point at which we must all stand astride history and shout “STOP!”

Con Court Can Lick Our Collective Nuts

April 9th, 2008 by Ossie

I thought I’d post our editorial from the Elections Issue, for those who were too lazy to read it. Here’s the ODE’s editorial from today on the same issue.  

We apologize for the crude headline. We don’t literally want the justices to lick our collective nuts, so we hope they don’t take it seriously. Likewise, we won’t take what they say seriously. (more…)

More Elections Crap

April 9th, 2008 by Sean Jin

With the disgustingly colored and horribly designed ASUO Elections website, the convoluted ballot, and all the noisy pamphleteering out on the streets, I think students are already fatigued and confused about elections.

If anyone is interested in getting all the information on the candidates in one nice, concise location (other than from the Elections Issue of the Commentator, of course) visit the ODE’s website’s ASUO section.

God knows that the OC and ODE are doing better outreach for elections than the elections board is doing.

Maybe next year’s elections should be run by the media.

Campus Making the Thunder, Feeling the Love

April 8th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

Big news day for ASUO Exec candidate Drew “Thunderlove” Cattermole. You might have noticed the front page of the ODE today, which has a picture of Thunderlove between the other two slates. Also, check out the ODE interview with him, complete with audio. I’ll throw up his statement in the ASUO Voter’s Guide when I get my hands on a copy.

If anybody wants to meet Thunderlove in person, shake his hand or have him kiss your baby, there will be a candidates fair in the EMU from noon to four p.m. Also, the candidates debate is tonight at 7 p.m. in the Living Learning Center Performance Hall.

UPDATE: Here’s the ASUO Voters Guide, where Thunderlove pledges to “work closely with the health center to get magnum condoms given away with the other free condoms. The well endowed students at UO should no longer be discriminated against.”

The Circus Begins!

April 8th, 2008 by Sean Jin

Voting in the ASUO Primary Elections began 4 minutes ago.

With all the noise about grievances, special elections, election dates being changed, I’ll be surprised if students even vote at all. And on top of that, the ballot is extremely confusing on Duckweb. It’s hard to know which box coincides with which candidate…but Florida in the year 2000 demonstrated that that can work in some peoples’ advantage.

Anyways, as students apathetically concerned with what happens on campus, I encourage you to vote. Proceed with caution down the ballot.

Oregon Action Team no longer allowed to sell pizza, do anything

April 7th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

A ruling has just come down that the Oregon Action Team will no longer be allowed to sell pizza on campus to promote their campaign. The OAT has been selling pizza for a measly 25 cents per slice for the last week or so, but this is apparently a violation of the Oregon Administrative Rules. Sam Dotters-Katz, the ASUO Exec candidate for the OAT, said that grievances have yet again been filed against them. (Drink!)

This decision comes directly after another ruling that prohibits the Oregon Action Team from wearing their campaign t-shirts on the same day that any of their advertisements appear in the Daily Emerald. It’s clear that the OAT’s political opponents are throwing out all the stops to keep them out of office, but why did they have to go and put the pizza in the crossfire?

“We’re just trying to hook up students with cheap pizza, and some haters are trying to shut us down,” said Dotters-Katz.

Exactly. The perpetrators of this deed must seriously ask themselves what sort of monsters they have become if they’re willing to kill student access to 25 cent pizza in the name of politics. For shame, sirs. For shame!

Also, the Rock the Yellow campaign would do much better to spend their political capital trying to boot Thunderlove from the ballot. He is the real threat – a dark horse candidate just waiting to swoop in and steal the elections.

ASUO Elections 2008 Issue

April 7th, 2008 by Ossie

Here it is ladies and gents, your 2008 ASUO Elections Issue. Inside there is:vol25_issue09.jpg

– A wonderful editorial with a gentle headline

– ASUO Executive candidate interviews

– ASUO candidate questionnaires, that are a bit scrambled due to the late special elections.

– Recaps of Eugene visits by Obama and Clinton.

– An interview with Rockne Roll, Editor of OSU’s The Liberty and Oregon Legislature candidate

– A few choice words about the new online evaluation system by Matt Walsh.

– And more…

Chuck Heston Dies, Government Considers Taking His Guns

April 6th, 2008 by Niedermeyer

Charlton Heston is dead today at 84. Due to the nature of Alzheimers disease, the obit writers have had plenty of time to choose their words carefully when giving the great actor and longtime NRA president his due propers.  “Ultimate Movie Star,” says the WaPo, “An Epic Life” purrs ABC News, “Larger Than Life” cries MSNBC in a frenzy.  Even Michael Moore put Chucks photo on his website. Hell, even Al Jazeera called the guy an “All American Hero,”  although this may not have been meant as a compliment.  Of course, the last thing Chuck needed was another compliment. “I have played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses,” said Heston once. “If that doesn’t create an ego problem, nothing does.”

Heston’s courage in politics matched his heroic onscreen personae, standing up for the second amendment in its least popular hours. Although demonized by the left for his service to the NRA, Heston was one of the first Hollywood actors to march for civil rights in the 1960’s. Ultimately, his greatest legacy is his films. From The Ten Commandments to Planet of The Apes, from A Touch of Evil to Soylent Green, his performances projected a sense of determination, presence and heroism which will likely never be matched.

This Pacifica Forum meeting brought to you by shadow government

April 5th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

As promised, the Pacifica Forum revisited the topic of Martin Luther King, Jr. yesterday, the anniversary of his assassination. However, unlike last time, when a PF speaker called King a “moral leper and communist dupe“, this week’s lecture focused on the “right-wing, corporate, militarist conspiracy that targeted King in 1968 and that still controls our country and its policies with its propaganda today.”

Longtime Pacifica Forum member George Beres claimed that King’s assassination, as well as the Kennedy’s, were orchestrated by a powerful “shadow government.” Not only that, but he claimed the populace at large has been brainwashed by said shadow government’s subtle and insidious propaganda (perpetuated by a complicit mass media, of course). You should probably pop a couple of Valium before you (more…)

Oregon: no longer California’s Canada

April 5th, 2008 by CJ Ciaramella

Stephen Colbert spins Oregon’s plan to put uninsured citizens in a “health care lottery.”