Monday. November9, 1998
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Ducks dominate Dawgs
■ THE GAME: Oregon takes Washington 27-22/PAGE 7
■ OPINION: Injury doesn t stop dedicated Duck/PAGE 7
■ HARTLEY: The wide receiver sets school record/Pb&t 9 i
w
An independent newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 50
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Mishap keeps
some students
from voting
A misunderstanding causes the
ASUO to accept voter registration
cards past the deadline
By James Scripps
Oregon Daily Emerald
Due to a miscommunication between
members of the ASUO Executive and Lane
County Elections, some students who ex
pected to be registered for the Nov.3 elec
tion were turned away from polling places
when they showed up to vote.
The problem stemmed from a meeting
that members of the executive office attend
ed when they were reviewing the rules for
registration deadlines, said C.J. Gabbe,
ASUO federal affairs coordinator.
“The impression that we got was that pre
viously registered Lane County voter regis
tration cards had to be turned in by 5 p.m on
Oct. 26, or postmarked by midnight. We just
found out that all cards had to be in by 5
p.m.,” he said.
The deadline for registration of new vot
ers was Oct. 13.
Believing that they could register voters
until midnight, the ASUO continued to ac
cept voter registration cards past the 5 p.m.
deadline. Lane County Elections officials es
timate that 30 cards came in past 5 p.m..
The problem was brought to the attention
of the ASUO Executive by student Robert
Wasson. “When I went to vote, I was stand
ing behind a young man in line that tried to
vote but the poll workers could not find his
name and told him that he couldn’t vote,”
Wasson said. “He told [the poll workers]
that he had registered through the ASUO.”
ASUO Senator Tamir Kriegel was one
victim of the mix-up. “The worst thing
about it was that I didn’t get to vote on local
issues, the close races where my vote might
have actually made a difference.
“It feels pretty stupid when I am out cam
paigning for these issues, and I don’t even
get to vote."
But even if previously registered voters’
cards were not turned in to Lane County
Turn to VOTING, Page 4
_ . . , _ A matuki Cowan /Emerald
Tbe University s Gospel Choir belts out a tune during a performance at the Hu It Center. Next year, the School of Music may lose funding for the choir.
Singing praise
The Gospel
Choir
receives rave
reviews
from
students
and staff
alike but
may not
return next
year
By Tricia Schwennesen
Oregon Daily Emerald
Twice a week 150 voices swell together
until they burst forth singing songs of pure
joy, pain and suffering.
Julia Neufeld, the daughter of a southern
minister, likes to tell her students to just let
go and lose themselves in the message of the
music.
The message isn’t necessarily religious ei
ther. For some, singing with the Gospel
Choir is pure joy. For others it is a mental re
lease, a connection with a higher power or
even a chance at 15 minutes in the spotlight.
Next year, students may not get the same
chance. The School of Music is in danger of
losing the funding needed to keep the choir
“which hurts me a lot because I’ve invested
a lot in the program,” Neufeld said.
The School of Music currently offers stu
dents two opportunities to sing gospel mu
sic. The Gospel Choir, which is open to
anyone who wants to enroll in the class,
and the Gospel Ensemble, which students
must audition for.
“We may be the only school with two
groups,” said Anne McLucas, dean of the
School of Music. “The question is can we
keep the two groups going.”
Turn to CHOIR, Page 4
((It's just
such a huge
release no
matter
what’s on
your
mind. ”
Sara Pavelich
Senior
History professors nationwide speak out against impeachment
The professors argue that
the proceedings will
damage the Presidency
By David Weaver
lor the Emerald
When it comes to the historical
significance of current events, pro
fessors have a unique perspective.
This was demonstrated recently
when more than 400 history pro
fessors, including several from the
University, signed a statement op
posing the pending impeachment
inquiry into President Clinton.
Four University history profes
sors chose to sign the statement:
Matthew Dennis, early American
history; Ellen Herman, 20th centu
ry American history; Robert Has
kett, Latin American history; and
David M. Luebke.
Dennis said many other profes
sors probably did not receive the
statement but suspected that it
would have “overwhelming sup
port in the department.”
The statement was the result of
a conversation between Professor
Sean Wilentz of Princeton and his
torian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. of
City University of New York. After
their conversation, Wilentz sent an
e-mail to other professors he felt
would identify with his sentiment.
Within days, several hundred had
replied.
The statement, released at an
Oct. 28 news conference, urges the
American people "to oppose this
dangerous new theory of impeach
ment” and warns that the proceed
ings "will leave the Presidency
permanently disfigured and di
minished.”
Law professors across the nation
released a similar statement Friday
opposing the impeachment in
quiry.
One concern the four University
professors all shared was the mis
use of impeachment powers as de
fined in the Constitution.
“It's important because the pro
cedures seem to violate the consti
tutional system that we have,”
Dennis said. “I don’t see a thing
that Clinton did that is anywhere
close to what Nixon was accused
of doing.”
Clinton joined Richard Nixon
and Andrew Johnson as the only
American presidents in history to
face impeachment hearings. Nixon
resigned on Aug. 8, 1974, before
formal impeachment proceedings
could begin. Johnson was im
peached but escaped conviction in
1868 by a single vote in the Senate.
“What’s different about this case
is the advent of the independent
counsel and the way it’s affecting
the American government,” Den
nis said.
Many historians regard the im
peachment of Johnson as a politi
cal trap on the part of the Republi
can Congress and one of the first
serious tests of the powers and lim
its of impeachment. Many now be
lieve that the impeachment
process and the balance of power
are once again being tested.
Herman said that “it just boggles
my mind” that proceedings could
be instigated by an extramarital af
fair and that “impeachment is not
something you use to voice your
disapproval."
Haskett said the president’s ac
tions were regrettable, but they do
not fit the definition of high crimes
and misdemeanors. He said he
signed the document “from my
own sense of fairness. ”
Herman said students should be
concerned about the impeachment
inquiry into the president and the
impact on the Constitution.
“Students are all people who
live in a constitutional democra
cy,” she said. “They are all respon
sible for keeping the Constitution
in good working order. ”