I
No valid survey
Three of the five ballot measures in the general election
are opinion questions. Placed on the ballot by ASUO Presi
dent C. J. Balfe, the measures on ROTC and the semester
system are attempts by this year's ASUO executive to survey
students.
Ballot Measure One, an initiative to establish the cam
pus as a nuclear-free zone, was placed on the ballot by a
Students for a Nuclear Free Future petition.
The measures have problems: The ASUO election is not
a representative survey of student opinion and the
“survey/ballot measure” results, have not been geared
toward changing any ASUO policy, influencing the Student
University Affairs Board or the administration.
First of all, the ballot measure results will not represent
the student population. The ballot measures will be racked
with bias.
“It’s a lot of second guessing,” according to sociology
asst, professor Patricia Gwartney-Gibbs.
Gwartney-Gibbs suggests that the ballot measures will
show only the opinion of involved students, “more civic
socially-responsible” students and students who live on
campus. It is a straw vote.
The range of questions, according to Gwartney-Gibbs,
who conducts a class in survey methodology, may attract
more students to the ballot — one reason they are on the
ballot, says Balfe.
opinion
Baffe and the administration which follows him, cannot
in earnest use the results of the ballot measures.
Even if they could, they would need to have a plan on
how to use the information.
Presently SUAB members, the 18 students from each
department or school who represent students on the faculty
senate and assembly, vote according to the department or
school they represent. They “discern" what their departmen
tal peers feel. They are not not bound to survey opinion.
There has been no discussion, until perhaps Wednesday
night’s SUAB meeting, as to what they will do with the
results of the election tomorrow.
To make matters worse, Ballot Measure Four, requires
students to know the background of the ROTC's current affir
mative action stance.
It is absurd to ask the University student body whether
they agree with affirmative action compliance of the Military
Science Dept. Would it be wise to gather opinions on
whether the Romance Language Dept, or the Music School
should follow University affirmative action policy? We don’t
think so.
To briefly mention Ballot Measure One, SUAB, the likely
group to bring this nuclear-free zone initiative in front of the
assembly, has made no plans.
What force do these measures have?
Both candidates for president next year have pledged to
reach out and gather student opinion. Let this spring’s series
of ballot measures be a warning, a ballot measure sampling
of University students is a self-selective straw vote.
A representative sampling of student opinion could be
done by a mail out/mail back survey (including a stamped
self-addressed return envelope), a random telephone survey,
or a face to face survey — all done according to survey
methodology.
There is an inherent bias in all surveys — even the one in
today’s Emerald on the semester system. This survey taken
by telephone has a bias toward students who can afford
telephones. However, all the survey methods suggested
above would better represent true student opinion.
The Emerald suggests that either victor in today's elec
tion conduct their opinion polls by placing a form in the
registration packet. Gwartney-Gibbs confirmed this would be
a valid survey method.
Surveys to discern the “student voice" are worthless
unless they are representative Inform the students on what
the information is going to be used for. Inform all those
groups, such as the SUAB, who will need to use the results to
argue for a student voice in University policy.
Valid or not — student opinion is worthless if it rests in
a file in the ASUO president's office.
I letters
Freeze fees
The incidental fees,
allocated from each full-time
student, go to fund numerous
programs designed to serve
the various needs of the
students. Those fees present
ly total $156 per year, the
figure for the 1983-84 school
year will equal $169.50. It is my
contention that the incidental
fees for the 1984-85 shool year
(to be determined next year)
should not be allowed to ex
ceed the 1983-84 figure of
$169.50 per full-time student
per year, and that any pro
posals for a fee increase be
rejected.
Yet, at the same time that
dollar amount will have to be
apportioned in such a way as
to most efficiently serve every
student. To accomplish this,
adjustments could be made
through the use of at least a
portion of the $160,000 of ac
cumulated surplus funds the
University currently holds, and
also by several other means
such as ASUO fund-raising
drives
By itself the task of effi
ciently and effectively chan
neling funds will not be easy,
nor will any of the tasks that
the Incidental Fee Committee
embark upon in the upcoming
school year.
However, I have the will
ingness to make the personal
commitment required of an
IFC member. Your vote for me
will assure responsiveness,
dedication, a member who’ll
listen to you, and most impor
tantly decision making in the
better interest of all students.
Bill Odegaard
No Nader fan
The recent push to reinstate
OSPIRG on this campus
through unethically obtained
incidental fees forces me to
respond. Anyone who knows
of OSPIRG realizes its founder
was consumer advocate Ralph
Nader. Through this man's ig
norance, General Motors was
forced to stop producing the
most innovative car ever built
in America — the Chevy
Corvair.
Nader is also responsible
for the downfall of the
American auto industry
through useless emission con
trol and safety devices which
are now mandated by the
government.
Nader's outspoken
socialistic policies preach that
the government should
pamper consumers and
assume that no one can make
intelligent decisions by his or
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Higher Education
Departments and Schools
Student Gonemment
Features
Politics
Student Sennces/Gommunitr
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Bob Baker
Mike Riptinger
Paul Danger
Jonathan Siegie
Cort Fernatd
Sandy Johnstone
Frank Shaw
Richard Burr
Sean Meyers
Michele Matasta
Atata Zafc
Darlene Gore
Salty Otter
Victoria Koch
Jean Ownoey
her self. Since OSPIRG
believes that Ralph Nader is
the champion of public in
terest and an example to be
followed, they have lost my
support.
Nader called the Corvair a
safety hazard because of its
rear engine rear axle design.
Yet this same design was used
by Volkswagen Beetles until
1975, by Porsche, Mercedes
Benz, and even BMW's
throughout the 1960s.
Why didn’t Nader condemn
the VW Bug or Porsche as be
ing "unsafe at any speed?"
His quest for fame with his
book that condemned the Cor
vair destroyed a great car and
American innovative spirit.
The Corvair was not unsafe at
all — in actuality, it was the
safest handling American car
built. Either Ralph Nader is a
blatant liar, or he is so ig
norant that his consumerism
actually jeopardizes our safe
ty
Vote No on Ballot Measure
No. 2. OSPIRG and any
organization that seeks to pro
mote the insane ignorance
professed by Nader shouldn’t
be supported by intelligent
students.
Brandon Shepard
Beneficial
As a visual design student
working on graphics for
OSPIRG, I would like to ex
plain yet another way in which
this organization can help
students. In addition to the
more publicized projects of
OSPIRG, such as the con
sumer hotline, formation of a
citizen's utility board, informa
tional surveys and handbooks,
OSPIRG can help the student
develop his or her own per
sonal or career-oriented in
terests and skills as well.
During this school year, I
have been serving an intern
ship with OSPIRG, designing
posters, charts and other
graphic materials. Besides the
benefit or earning upper
division credits in my depart
ment, the experience I have
gained working for an
organization outside the
classroom has proved to be
valuable in many ways. On a
professional basis, getting
some experience working in
my field is helping to bridge
the sometime difficult gap bet
ween school and career. From
a personal standpoint, it's
great to be designing posters
which are a vital necessity to a
real group and not simply
discussed in a class and never
printed and distributed
From the benefits OSPIRG
has to offer both to the public
and to the individual, I believe
the $1 per term per student
traditional OSPIRG funding
should be reinstated and en
courage the student voter to
show similar support by voting
Yes on OSPIRG funding April
20th and 2tst
Anne Kriebel
senior, visual design,
art history
Credentials
As chair of the Incidental
Fee Committee, I have worked
with David Gibson and Sheila
Shain on a daily basis
Gibson and Shain are
reliable, Knowledgeable, effi
cient and experienced student
leaders.
Their combined experience
in student government totals
seven years. Shain worked as
director of an ASUO-funded
program and recently served
as ASUO Budget Director. Gib
son was a member of the EMU
Budget Committee and Board
of Directors. He recently serv
ed as ASUO Vice President of
Administration and Finance.
Both Gibson and Shain were
members of the Incidental Fee
Committee.
Their credentials are
outstanding. They are
dedicated to helping students
and student programs on cam
pus. I worked with Gibson and
Shain for programs ranging
from Women’ Research and
Referral to the Foreign Stu
dent Organizations to the
Emerald. This week, I worked
with Gibson and the Athletic
Department to get the most
for the students out of our in
cidental fees.
In my opinion students are
qualified for student govern
ment only with experience.
Gibson and Shain are aware of
problems and loopholes in
student government. They
have solutions for those pro
blems and experience to carry
them out.
Vote for two qualified in
dividuals. Vote Gibson and
Shain.
Betzy Fry
senior, journalism
Judge and vote
Students for a Progressive
Agenda would tike to thank
everyone who came out to
vote in the primary (especially
the 1362 who voted for us).
You helped make this year’s
primary turnout the largest in
more than 20 years.
SPA's Mary Hotchkiss won
that election by 17 votes. But
because of the large number
of write-in votes (thanks, Bob
Waldron), that wasn’t enough
to elect her. There will be a
run-off election this Wednes
day and Thursday.
We need everyone to come
out and vote again this week.
Not only do we need students
who voted last week to vote
again, we need all the
graduate and foreign students
who didn't realize they could
vote and all the other students
who didn’t realize there was an
election going on, to vote.
SPA would also like to ask
your understanding and
forgiveness for the craziness
that can be expected to prevail
on 13th Street during this
week. Every vote counts —
that's why everyone will be try
ing to get your vote, every time
you walk down the street. It’s
all part of the fun.
The best way to judge whom
to vote for is to read the
'ter’s guide.
Together, we can make stu
dent government better — by
letting candidates know we
care enough to express our
opinions of their ideas (or lack
thereof) at the polls on the
20th and 21st.
Sherri Schultz
SPA