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Archive for April, 2010

The Best Use of Tuition

April 15th, 2010 by Ross Coyle

We found this flier inside the Science Complex, and thought we’d pass the word on. It’s good to see tuition dollars being spent on teaching a practical skill. Beerpong prowess is guaranteed to improve your social life, and education. No wonder all those Renaissance scientists were so good at geometry and math. See you all in class.

ASUO Senate April 14, 2010

April 14th, 2010 by Lyzi Diamond

ASUO Senate April 14, 2010

Politic Fanboys at UO Rejoice!

April 14th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

When I arrived to the Oregon Commentator office this morning I could not help but wonder why our neighbors the University of Oregon College Democrats were playing “I’m So Excited” on loop at full volume. It became clear after looking in the Ol’ Dirty that their excitement was due to Oregon’s two  Democratic gubernatorial candidates will be debating in Lillis 182 tonight from 6:30 to 8:00. On top of that excitement, Ted Kulongoski will be at the Knight Law Center room 175 at 3:30 giving a lecture on responsible environmental practices.

ASUO president Emma Kallaway and Register Guard editorial will ask the candidates the questions during the debate. If you are not an elected student body president or editor you can submit questions via Youtube.com. Yes, Youtube.com, at least they did not choose to have questions asked via chatroullette.  Here is the link to  the Oregon Commentator’s question submitted through Youtube.

James Madison University Riots

April 13th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

The annual Springfest at James Madison University got a little out of hand this past weekend. More than 8,000 party goers turned the booze filled block-party into a full fledged riot. Thirty party goers were arrested due to the riot. Over at JMU’s paper The Breeze they are reporting that police used pepper spray and tear gas to subdue the crowd. I could go on describing the mayhem but the videos are much more interesting.

You know it’s going to be a good riot video when it starts off with a drunken mob yelling “fuck the police!” Those JMU kids will chant in unison any chance they get.

It just goes to show you when you drink a dozen too many Bud Lights and approach riot patrol you are going to get some pepper spray in your face. I liked the guys in the beginning trying to make some peaceful gesture, they thought that pose would land them on the cover of Time Magazine before they got a face-full of pepper spray. Congratulations JMU rioters, I hope all those beer bottles you threw at the police on video will not land you in prison.

Nick Schultz’s computer hates the Oregon Commentator

April 12th, 2010 by Editorial Board

On this website, we are usually very accepting. During this past winter, we allowed members of the Pacifica Forum to post their thoughts as they pleased. Although this website is privately run, and therefore not subject to laws regarding the First Amendment, we allow private visitors of this blog to say what they please.

Having said that, this blog has a moderation function which allows the Oregon Commentator to identify people by IP address. On that note, a comment was posted (see above picture) by “Demic Tipitino” on April 10th that read:

“Reality Check (RC) = Republican Coalition (RC)
Fuck all you conservatives!”

Although comment-ers often deal in anonymity, we find posing through the identities of others is disingenuous, and therefore not allowed on this blog. There was no doubt that the comment was not from Tipitino, so it was removed.

Later that night, “Demic Tipitino” posted again, this time from another IP address. It read:

“Censoring blog posts now? I’m glad to see the Commentator is upholding its commitment to freedom of speech.”

If you click on the images provided here, you will find that there is a commonality between the photos. The IP address is shared by Sen. Nick Schultz’s posts.

Due to the nature of static/dynamic IP addresses and ISPs in general, it is entirely possible that the IP addresses were assigned at different times to Schultz’s computer(s) multiple times, and also to the individual posting as “Demic Tipitino”.

There is no way to definitely prove that Schultz is posting as Demic Tipitino. When the Commentator contacted Schultz about it, he denied doing so. Additionally, we would like to point out that in all of our interactions with Nick, he has been more than friendly. Additionally, all of Schultz’s previous comments has been more than constructive, and this pattern does not seem to be his style.

Having said that there is no doubt that someone from the ASUO or its related social network is using this website for tomfoolery. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last time. However, we do believe that hiding behind an anonymous handle on the Internet to make ad hominem jabs at people is a sign of true cowardice.

When the angry ASUO children would like to join the adult table, please let us know. Until then, you will remain with your siblings at the Playskool table.

We, meanwhile, will be at the bar.

Behold! New Issue Online!

April 11th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

Our hard work this term has paid off in yet another brilliant magazine.

Inside!

  • Game crushing
  • A Temperate Solution
  • ASUO elections wrap up
  • The Price of Fame

Photo Credit: Oregon Daily Emerald

Sunday Bests

April 11th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

University of Oregon’s “On The Rocks” Rick Rolls a subway in NYC.

“Nobody’s going to be happy with this.”

April 9th, 2010 by D

That’s what someone (I won’t mention who) inside the ASUO office said when the Elections Board was unveiling the results of the elections last night. They couldn’t have been more right. Sen. Demic Tipitno seemed crushed after reading elections results that saw Amelie Rousseau and Maneesh Arora take the Executive spot last night alongside a senate election that saw all but two seats get taken by Reality Check candidates. But the outlook may not be so bleak after all.

For members of the Reality Check campaign, their virtual sweep of the open senate positions was bittersweet. Only the Law and General Science open seats were not taken by Reality Check, yet their presidential candidate–arguably their most qualified and prominent member–lost.

After seeing the elections results, I got the feeling from members of Reality Check that they had lost some great landslide defeat. However, the opposite is almost certainly true. Key issues of the Reality Check campaign–parking on campus, student ticketing etc–can still be worked on. Funding issues, OSPIRG in particular, seems to be another area where Reality Check members need not to worry.

Next year’s senate will have 5 non-Reality Check members: Marissa Garcia, Zachary Stark-MacMillan, Max Barkley, Jeremy Blanchard and Tyler Griffin. However, that leaves an overwhelming majority of Reality Check members to fill senate and finance committee positions by sheer numbers.

The Executive of the ASUO is not the end-all be-all. While I personally feel that McCafferty was the only logical choice for ASUO Executive this year, the fact of the matter remains that qualifications and track record are hardly indicative of who wins votes in the ASUO.

Will next year be a disaster for supporters of Reality Check? No. Will next year be the year the progressives take over campus? Certainly not. What can, then, be guaranteed?

For thirty-something years the ASUO has been an upstanding example of children doing a job that should be left for adults. That–I guarantee you–will remain the same.

Good luck, all.

Rousseau and Arora Win Presidential Elections

April 8th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

Amelie Rousseau and Maneesh Arora have won the presidential elections. They recieved 2,082 votes while Alex McCafferty and Alden Williams received 1,752 votes. In another outsanding voter turnout the primary elections received 3,972 votes.

Although Reality Check did not win the presidential elections they won every senate seat besides one. Zachary Stark McMillan will be the lone non Reality Check member on ASUO senate.

Sen. Demic Tipitino reacts to election results.

Something Fishy

April 8th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

Today an anonymous informant came to our office today to show us  text messages from [email protected]. The text reads as follows.

“We are 100 votes behind! Can you get 5 new votes for Amelie and Maneesh and Campus Change Coalition before voting closes at 5pm.”

I’m not sure who is keeping voting tabs right now but I am positive the only one who is can view them at this time is Nolan Gary ASUO elections coordinator.

As I was writing this post the informant also received a text from Brian Allen one of the top volunteer coordinators for the Amelie and Maneesh campaign. The text reads,

“We are down by 100 votes can you get 5 more votes for Amelie and Maneesh in the next 3C candidates in the next 2hrs?!”

Now these voting tabulations could be pure speculation by the Amelie and Maneesh campaign or a serious violation of campaign rules. Either way stay tuned to the blog for election results at 6 tonight.

Limited Scope

April 8th, 2010 by


In a guest commentary in the ODE, Cimmeron Gillespie railed against fiscal conservatism as a means to amplify the current funding issues of sexual abuse programs here at the UO.

Of course, this is all very well and good, if it weren’t for gems we’ve been expecting to hear from Gillespie for some time like, “The election of any group who calls for increased scrutiny of the incidental fee or ASUO funds doesn’t understand that there is already huge bureaucracy and oversight.”

The rest of Gillespie’s column goes on as a thinly veiled attack against Alex McCafferty’s presidential bid. Of course, McCafferty has been chair of the ACFC twice and Senate president, meaning he fully understands the ASUO funding process. Or rather, “he speaks with some authority.”

In a conversation with former OC publisher Guy Simmons, he told me this, “You know why this magazine–a conservative voice–is the most popular magazine on this liberal campus? Because everyone thinks governmental waste is bad. Period.”

Well, everyone except for one member of the “anarchist collective”.

Rousseau Submits Apology

April 7th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

Amelie Rousseau came by the office to give us this apology letter today. I wonder which printer she used?

Elections Board: OSPIRG, Rousseau violate ASUO elections rules

April 7th, 2010 by D

In decisions handed down today, the ASUO Elections Board has decided that the OSPIRG and Amelie Rousseau campaigns have violated some–but not all–of the highlighted rules filed in grievances by Tony Mecum last week.

In the case of OSPIRG, it was decided that the only rule they violated was Rule 6.8 which states, “No individual may disrupt University class time to promote or oppose a candidacy or ballot measure.” Their messages on classroom chalkboards violated this rule. The final decision, according to the Elections Board, was as such:

The Respondent’s actions were designed to influence the students in the classroom after Respondent had left. While the Respondent was not present, the Elections Board feels that the Respondent’s actions disrupted the class in order to promote a ballot measure and finds Respondent in violation of Election Rule 6.8

The Elections Board finds the Respondent in violation of Election Rule 6.8 and, pursuant to Election Rule 7.6, the Respondent shall issue a formal statement of apology to campus media.

As for the Rousseau campaign and Amelie’s personal use of the ASUO office copier for campaign purposes. The Elections Board decided that Rousseau violated Rule 6.10, but had taken proper steps to rectify the situation, and a lighter punishment was given:

The Elections Board finds that the Respondent’s actions are in violation of Election Rule 6.10. Due to limited scope and impact of the violation on elections, as well as the actions taken to rectify the situation before the grievance was filed, the Respondent shall not be removed from the Elections ballot. As the Elections Board feels that a formal letter of apology is a necessary part of any resolution to this violation, the Respondent shall issue a formal statement of apology to campus media, which shall include the apology and any steps taken to resolve the matter.

For OSPIRG, I find it hard to believe that the Elections Board did not find them in violation of Rule 2.2 (“The educational atmosphere of the University shall not be compromised by anyone involved in the election process.”) It almost seems that if they violated Rule 6.8 in that specific way, that 2.2 is therefore implied.

Rousseau’s punishment, however, I wholeheatedly disagree with. I find it despicable and downright ill-willed for her to have used those copiers. Rousseau works in the ASUO office, and since winter term those pink signs that say “Campaign Free Zone” have been on the outside of her office. Every single day she went to work and saw those signs, and yet she still decided to blatantly violate rules she was fully aware of.

It’s not like the ASUO, or their elections process, has ever had any integrity. But you couldn’t ask for it to get any lower. I’ll be expecting those apologies in my inbox shortly.

ASUO Executive Debates Round Two

April 6th, 2010 by Drew Cattermole

Surprise!

April 5th, 2010 by Ross Coyle

Students in the EMU Monday afternoon were treated to a special surprise: Puddles conducted a walking tour of the building, high-fiving, hugging, and even getting a few numbers.

Rain or shine, Puddles makes time to visit students.

He made friendly chat with some students.

But got numbers from others…

…and even a kiss from Ballroom Dance Club member Britt McGinnis