EDITORIAL
Senate should heed
vote against USSA
The students have spoken. Let's hope student gov
eminent actually listens this time.
In last week's general election, a clear majority of stu
dent voters decided not to fund the University’s chapter
of the United States Student Association. The vote was
a binding one, legal and fair, and there should be no get
ting out of it.
But you can almost bet that someone will try
Although the voters decisively rejected USSA’s fund
ing in the election, there is absolutely no rule which
would keep the organization from going before the Stu
dent Senate next year and asking to be given that mon
ey anyway. And there is also no rule which would pro
hibit the Senate from fulfilling such a request.
In other words, the Senate has full authority to com
pletely ignore the students’ wishes, as expressed in the
election. The only question is whether the Senate will
choose to exorcise that authority. It is up to students to
see that it doesn’t.
The possibility of the student government overruling
the students is a real one. as recent history has shown.
During last year's general election, the voters rejected a
proposal to fund a new multicultural center in the EMU.
But when the fall of 1093 rolled around, the supporters
of the center went before the Incidental Fee Committee
and requested a portion of the money anyway. The IFC.
apparently unconcerned with the students' wishes,
granted the request. And the multicultural center was
born.
The now ASUO constitution has replaced the IFC
with a subcommittee of the Student Senate, but that new
body is no more constrained by the voters' desires than
the old IFC was So if the lobby-minded USSA tries to
ask for partial funding next fall, it is just as likely to find
success.
There is more to this issue than the USSA. however.
It is important that the precedent set by the multicul
tural center last year is not perpetuated If the voice of
students continues to go unheard, then having ballot
measures in the first place is a waste of time and
resources, and an insult to students' intelligence.
Going on the ballot would be a no-risk proposition
under such a scenario. A group which was approved in
the election could claim to have a mandate from the stu
dents; a group which was rejected need not lose its
funding, so long as it enjoys support from the Student
Senate.
And if the makeup of the old IFC is any indication,
the Student Senate will definitely support the USSA.
This year's USSA delegation to Washington, DC.
includes several members of the IFC, In other words, the
people who decided to fund the USSA are the very same
people who reap the benefits of that funding.
The Student Senate will probably bo faced with a
USSA budget request next fall. If and when that hap
pens. the newly elected members of the Senate will have
a chance to improve upon the performance of the IFC. If
students insist that their wishes be followed, perhaps
the Senate will take advantage of that chance.
Oregon Daily
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6
LETTERS
Don’t condemn
I am writing in response to
ki’ith C unningham's common
tarv {ODE. April 25) "Judging
Cobain not that simple "
I'h,ink you. keith When I firs!
glanc ed at the artic le I expet ted
it to lie another hashing session
on suic ide, hut 1 found n differ
ent approach which prompted
me to tell my own storv
On Marc h 20. 1994 my father
took his own life1 with a gun He
died on his 48th birthday He
was addicted to alc ohol, gam
bling and c cii ame I have been
reading the various artk les and
letters people have written in
and have been saddened by
ea< h of them I'm sure that in a
week or so when another sense
less act occ urs these same peo
ple will be writing in making
the same weak remarks about
something that. God forbid, has
or never will happen to them or
their family My father was not
famous nor was he the richest
man materially, but he had three
grandchildren, a wife, several
brothers and sisters, and so on
who loved him very much. Hut
it is not up to any of us or any
body else to judge or second
guess his or anyone's actions
I don't sec- my father (or
Cobain for that matter)
"writhing in flames" as some
would believe Because of his
addictions my father was start
ing to perform poorly at work,
experiencing family problems,
and sinking further and further
into debt. He saw how saddened
we wore at our failed attempts to
roach out to him and help Like
Cunningham. 1 in no way advo
cate suicide, for I personally
know the pain and suffering
assoc iated with it. hut perhaps it
was the only wav he c ould give
us and himself peace This is
not something I even pretend to
know or understand, but it is the
only thing that let's me and mv
family wake up and get through
the day So please do not con
demn bee ause you don't know
the answer to the question
"Why7" 1 know that it will nev
er Ire answered.
Brenda A Foresee
Spanish
Be warned
A forewarning to those Uni
versity students who will regis
ter for fall or summer term this
year Did you ret heck your
schedule for insuring the cornu -
lions you made on Duck Gill ear
lier this term7
I didn't rochet k my schedule
for winter term Unfortunately, 1
ns oived a failing grade fora class
I had dropped previous to class
winter term I went directly to
Oregon Hall (who all know me
by first name now) righting to get
the error removed I spent five
weeks going through unnecessary
distress working with the acade
mic advisers, the teacher of the
i lass and members of Oregon
Hall, l.uckily due to the great
understanding by all who were
involved, we were aide to com
promise However, not all end
ings are happy! So please remem
ber to re check you schedule.
Andrea Hummon
Sociology
Punk
Knough' Robbie Reeves is ft
loud mouth punk, with a pen!
How can an "objective" colum
nist speak with sut h disrespect
for someone he doesn't even
know' Robbie, if that is indeed
your real name, how about a lit
tle regard for the Office of Pres
idency, an office defined by
everyone who has held it The
man paid the price for his mis
take, let him rest in peace
already I could understand your
bitterness if Nixon had let you
down, but when this adminis
(ration fell your thumb was still
in your mouth Come to think of
it, \our thumb is the l»*st thing to
come out of that hole
Oh. and guess what, Robbie,
even your politit a! heroes Bar
baru Rolierts and Vice President
Hillary Rodham f.iinton are
mourning the death of this man
If you want to talk v andal, let s
talk alKiut your boy flildn Some
are t ailing it Whitewa!ereate
And you know what else' ft
appears SIR k Willy didn't do the
dirty deer) himself Vke Presi
dent Hillary is the r ulprit here,
and Bildo’s taking short end
of the stick.. Htnm... It seems Dick
and Mi Ido have more in common
than you would like to believe
If you need to write so much,
send a letter home to the family
Hopefully Mommy and Daddy
appreciate what you write
Kyle J. Sexton
Business
Lucky state
This state should feel
extremely lucky to have a man
in the governor's race with the
business sense, honesty and
sound judgment Craig Berkman
possesses.
Craig is no regular politician
He has a specific, detailed plan
on where to guide this state in
the years ahead. What other can
didate has such a plan of action?
Oregon’s government, and the
red-tape bureaucracy it has cre
ated, is very detrimental to the
life and individual freedom of
every tax-paying citizen.
Craig’s leadership has put the
climate for better business,
improved land use and a priori
ty to fund education first before
any other item in the budget. Hus
will result in a higher standard
of living and quality of life for all
Oregonians.
The time is right for someone
like Craig Berkman to be Ore
gon's next governor.
Donny Bergen
Political Science
Ignorant
I don't care ubout lack Oroz
co or his remarks to the Emer
ald.
My question is. why do you
allow ignorant people like
Aaron Rev (ODE. April 25) have
their letters published in you
paper if all they are going to do
is use the word "fucking"' 1
enjoy reading vour letters sec
tion. but I think the profanity
can be left out. I mean, what if a
little kid picked up your paper
and read that crap? Anybody
with the ignorance level of
Aaron Ray should not have their
letters published.
Noah Bloodgood
Christian musician