EDITORIAL
Board wants student
to pay for its mistake
For a branch of the ASUO to come under fire twice In
less than a week is not all that unusual. But when that
branch is active for less than two weeks of the entire
year, you’ve got to start wondering.
Of course, we're talking about tho ASUO Elections
Board, which is responsible for running the yearly
ASUO elections.
In the primary election, first-year law student Oscar
Garcia received enough write-in votes for Student Sen
ate seat No. 17 to qualify for the general election — and
the elections board error machine kicked into full gear.
Garcia should have have been elated at his primary
success. And he probably would have been had the elec
tions board bothered to notify him. Garcia first learned
of his advancement to the general election in the April
29 Emerald.
A similar problem arose in the ASUO Executive race
as well, when Leslie Warren and Mark Johnson’s only
information concerning the fate of their campaign came
from tho Emerald,
it is tho obligation and duty of tho elections board, not
the Emerald, to promptly notify candidates of the results
of their campaigns.
Garcia said he was notified after the general election
that, even though he rocoived the most votes, ho would
not be seated. Confused (and rightly so), Garcia asked,
"Why?" Because, he was told, ho did not officially file
for the seat.
According to ASUO election rules, a candidate who
re< nives enough votes in a primary election to be placed
on tho general election ballot, must first officially file for
the office being sought.
Of course, because no one officially notified Garcia of
his success in the primary, and because no one informed
him of his obligation to file for the office, he did not.
The rules are quite clear in this matter. A candidate
who does not file cannot be placed on the general elec
tion ballot. In fact, the rules are so clear, the elections
board placed Garcia on the ballot anyway.
Garcia wont on to receive 64 votes and win the elec
tion. But now the elections board has decided that,
because of its mistake, Garcia cannot bo declared the win
ner. Garcia's only mistake was assuming the elections
board know what it was doing.
Garcia said ho was told tho board couldn't contact him
during tho days loading up to tho general olection. Yet,
the day after, it had no problem getting in touch with him.
Garcia's phone number, as listed in the student direc
tory. is not correct because he has moved. However, every
law studont has a porsonal mailbox at the law school. The
board, had it actually made an effort, would have figured
this out and left a note in his box. Or it could have left
a note with the law school secretary. Or it could have
done whatever it did to learn Garcia's phone number, but
in one or two days, instead of eight.
Garcia is filing a complaint with the Constitution Court,
asking to be seated. And because the board effectively
waived the filing requirement by placing Garcia on the
ballot, he should be given the seat to which he was duly
elocted.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
Tha Oagon 0*ty fmarafcl rt putX.»N»J daily Monday through Fnday Axing lha achooi
y«a> and Tuaaday and Thuiaday du’ing tha aummat by tha Oagon Daily EroataKJ
PuOt.ah.ng Co me . at tha llnniararty ot Oagon. Eugana. Oagon
Tha tmaiata opmataa mdapa«oantty ot tha t*v»ar*ity «xth ott.caa at Soaa 300 o< tha
Ero Mamonai Union and t» a mamba> ot tha Aaaooatad P>aaa
Tha Eroatatd « pnvata propariy Tha untaatut 'amooal ot uaa ot papara > fxoaaeutiOia
by taw
Editor Pat Malach
Naw* Editor
Editorial Editor
Oraphica Editor
EntortaMmaril Editor
JM* Barg
M»--n t ■**«
P»*l*V
fmy* Mom
Sports Editor
Editorial Editor
Supptemonts Editor
Night Editor
Dava C'wtxxv'aau
fW*<a Mniaen
CaMy Andaraon
Jake Barg
Attociltt Editors Tommy Haley Sfudsef Government Act'V r el Daralyn Ttappe
Community Cosoem Pohhg figher f ducofcon At*m.n.*frehon
Nows Staff: Oo*is> Assn. Matt Bender Justm Brown. Sarsn Clani M«g Oedotph. Amy
Devonpod Jon ESrton. Amanda Fartve. Anthony EcvnOy Been Hege Teresa Muni Unger
L.ss M*.n Rebecca Merr.tt. Steve AAms Katy Mooiior. tiltmi MuoAor. Trises Nose. Ellen
Shaw E><* Student* a. Motion Suitor. Randy Trwooen Me here Thompson Agu>ar Amy
Van Tuyi. Todd WJham», Osyton Yee
Oonorsl Manager Judy Rwdi Production Manager AAchere Ross
Advertising lom leech Sues Atanaper Shawn Server i>tiv* Manage' Jane lioia
Teresa laabeBe PhtSp Johnson M Chns Kanote Jeremy Mayor: Von V 08»yan II Gasan
Oh. Etachaol T m*. Angie IArm<o>eim
Classified Betsy Mer-ewil Manager Berry logon Sharon Sauwi
Dtstritxitron Braxton Anderso" No Mannnmg Qraham Simpson
Business Kathy Carbon*. Supervisor Judy Connony
Production Ingrid White Pradvcton CoOh»nafci' Knsl.hO Granger Oee AACot* Slaty
Mrtcho*. Jenn-ler Roland. JennJet Sm.th
Hrmvoom
Busincu Otfic*
346*5511
346*5512
Otftptay Advertising
Classified Advertising
MN712
346 4J4J
Round and round and round ke gpes.
^Ik f vvo
v&ms rm ac*^iuc
His 60"V<5 /i J
/VoeoOV KNOMl -i $w
LETTERS
Empowerment
After reading the letter in the
Emerald about being "Glad to
leave" (ODE. March 8). I real
ized I am also glad to go. The
outcome of 1990'* ballot Mea
sure 5 is unfortunate to say the
least; hut we should do a little
soul-searching to find out if
some of our money is being
spent in ways not only foolish,
but also contrary to the values of
our democracy.
As someone who has held a
variety of jobs to pay tuition, I
am angered that no student
input is allowed on the pur
chase of periodicals for the
Knight Library. I find Playboy
demeaning to women I don't
think 1 am alone in my view
In addition, the University
Bookstore's pornographic selec
tions add more degradation and
violence to a society already
steeped in troth.
Worse yet is the fact that
every college student at the Uni
versity funds the library's sub
scription.
I wrote letters to the adminis
trators of both the Knight
Library and the bookstore. How
ever. as experienced by many
minority students, my voice also
was not heard How many oth
ers have felt powerless when
dealing with the administration?
How about getting power out of
the hands of a few and into the
hands of many? After all. it's our
university.
Kay* Rauch
Science
Final word
I was disappointed by the
April 13 diatribe from Kurt Lan
dre in response to my recent
comments in these pages about
"cognitive com part inentali ra
tion" (ODE. April 12 and 15).
Basically, my contention boils
down to this: Principles of clear
thinking should be applied uni
formly to both non-religious and
religious know ledge (and truth)
claims.
Minimally, there are three
tests of validation that any
proposition (or belief) that is to
i»t* considered credible must
moot: First, is there verified evi
dence in support of the asser
tion in question? Second, does
the assertion involve logical
internal consistency? Third, is
the assertion compatible with
previously validated knowledge
claims?
On the basis of these evalua
tive criteria, the Christian reli
gious doctrine of a "virgin
birth” (for example) fails the
tests of credible plausibility —
and people who employ tiuiir
intellectual faculties consistent
ly and critically will express
genuine skepticism about any
such proposition Not to do so
gives rise to what I have
described as cognitive compart
inentalization.
In short, those propositions
that are not backed up by evi
dence and credible validation
procedures do not constitute
confirmed knowledge, but mere
ly unsubstantiated belief.
Accordingly, to pledge one's full
allegiance to various religious
doctrines of dubious credibility,
while also affirming the need for
tests of validation to evaluate
non-religious knowledge claims,
is to manifest inconsistent cog
nitive compartmentalization.
Contrary to Landre's opinion,
one does not have to be a "spe
cialist" in theology or philoso
phy to understand the logic of
this analysis The use of one’s
critical intelligence is the only
requirement.
I rest my case.
Ron Rousseve
Professor
Counseling Psychology
100 days fair
The editorial "Clinton’s 100
days unfair measurement"
(ODE. April 26) doesn't inter
pret the 100-day assessment
adequately
The reason columnists are
criticizing Clinton's firs! 100
days is because these days have
been disappointing. True. FDR's
100 days were a great success in
pari her .insi' of the Depression,
But Clinton's platform in the
campaign was that America was
in a similar (albeit less severe)
crisis, and he was the man for
change.
The lirst 100 days are what
many tall the "honeymoon peri
od." the time when the country
is excited and hopeful about the
new president, and when the
president generally has the
broadest support and is most
likely to introduce successful
legislation. So far. Clinton has
been somewhat less than suc
cessful (to say the least) when it
counts to legislation.
I am a supporter of Clinton
and I do believe he has noble
intentions, but as the 100 days
wind down and support for him
becomes less enthusiastic, my
optimism fades into a realiza
tion that we may be in for anoth
er four years of deadlock. I hope
I am wrong.
Slav* Johnson
Finance
Political Science
Sorry
I have decided to write one
more time, but this time to dis
pute myself.
I wrote a letter [ODE. April
30) in response to Eric Eckhart's
letter [ODE. April 27). and now
1 want to comment on my own
letter
Reading back over the letter. I
realize how short and cut off it
was; for that I am sorry
Eric wrote a beautiful letter;
he was clear and to the point.
Although my views on homo
sexuality are different than hts, I
feel it wasn't my place to dis
pute him.
God really got me for that one.
I guess that's what 1 get for let
ting my human nature get the
best of me again. Once again. 1
am sorry.
Kristen Kessler
Psychology