She's a winner Freshman Monika Gieczys, who hails from Poland, is only the second Oregon women's tennis player ever to be nation ally ranked. PAGE 5 The Flash Piven to speak at Hilton Francis Fox Piven, the 19th occupant of the Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics, will speak tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Eugene Hilton. The subject of her speech is “Labor Power in a Global Economy,” and her two-week visit to the University centers on issues of rich and poor. During her stay, Piven will host two public lectures in Eugene and serve as keynote speaker at the Center for the Study of Women’s annual con ference. Piven, 67, has worked for three decades toward understanding public welfare policies and how they impact or prohibit democratic citizen partici pation. Honeymoon ends for 'multimillionaire’ ENCINITAS, Calif. (AP)—The groom from “Who Wants to Marry a Multimil lionaire?” returned to his house alone after his Caribbean honeymoon and angrily denied that he had abused an ex-girlfriend. Fox TV canceled a rebroadcast of the show after learning that a restraining order was issued in 1991 against Rick Rockwell because an ex-girlfriend ac cused him of hitting and threatening to kill her. Avalanches hit Swiss, Italian Alps; six confirmed dead BOLZANO, Italy (AP)—Avalanches swept down Alpine slopes at the height of the ski season Monday, killing three skiers in Italy and three in Switzerland. In Italy, back-to-back avalanches in the northern Venosta Valley trapped a group of seven Germans and one Ital ian skiing on an unauthorized route, alpine rescue official Luigi Weger said. Searchers recovered the bodies of two women and one man and accounted for the remaining five skiers, Weger said. At least one was hospitalized with severe hypothermia. The valley is about 90 miles from the northern Ital ian city of Bolzano. Weather Today Wenesday high 52, low 35 high 51, low 37 Oregon Daily *■ T| Emerald Tuesday February 22,2000 Volume 101, Issue 102 _o_□t, h ..e_w e„ b_j, www.dailyemerald.com University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon An independent newspaper Candidates sound off at debate Azle Malinao-Alvarez Emerald ASUO Executive candidate Jay Breslow speaks at the executive candidates debate. By Felicity Ayles Oregon Daily Emerald Minus two candidates, a moderated ASUO Executive debate ran for two hours Monday night as presidential hopefuls answered questions ranging from diversity and student incidental fees to neon-colored paper and am bidexterity. At the debate, the modera tor, a volunteer from the Uni versity’s forensics team, asked two questions devel oped by former ASUO exec utives. The candidates were then allowed to ask a ques tion to the opponent of their choice, ana the floor was opened to the 30-member au dience for additional ques tions and concerns. ASUO presidential candi date Joel Rueber was not present at the debate, nor was Caitlin Upshaw, who is run ning for ASUO Vice Presi dent with Autumn DePoe. Upshaw was at a dress re hearsal for the musical she is currently starring in. In regards to the issue of diversity on campus, all can didates agreed it was a prob lem, but they had different solutions. “To combat the diversity problem, you need more speech — more education,” ASUO presidential candi date Scott Austin said. DePoe suggested using money currently allocated to Turn to Debate, page 3A Poor voter turnouts spark political action This is the first of a two-part series ex ploring issues of voter apathy. Today: How the ASUO is attempt ing to increase voter turnout, Wednesday: Why voter percentages have declined in recent years. ■ In efforts to increase student participation in elections, ASUO voting will be on-line By Eric Pfeiffer Oregon Daily Emerald Voter apathy, even at the University level, is a grow ing phenomenon that has received considerable at tention in recent years. Politicians, activists and re formers have long pointed out the potential damage that low voter turnout has on the democratic process. Now, some student leaders at the University are trying to do something to reverse the trend. Changes in this year’s ASUO elections include a complete cross-over to on line voting, tighter security around voting booths as well as increased commu nication with students and local media, according to the ASUO Elections Board. The ASUO primaries begin Wednesday. In recent years, voter turnout at the University has hovered around 16 per cent. That equates to a little more than 2,000 of 17,000 eligible students casting their votes. What may be more sur Turn to Voters page 4A Election turnout Students voting in ASUO Elections over past three years: 1999:2,489 1998:2,355 1997:1,166 SOURCE: ASUO Elections Board Apparent overdose kills hockey player Police detectives believe the overdose was an accident and not a suicide ■ By Jeremy Lang Oregon Daily Emerald University hockey team player Russ At teridge died Friday afternoon from an ap parent overdose of alcohol and prescrip tion pain medication. According to the preliminary police re port, Atteridge, 20, who was an unde clared sophomore, overdosed on alcohol and the prescription painkillers Valium, Darvocet and possibly Vicodin. Team mates said he was alive up until Friday at 11 a.m. and found him in his hotel room not breathing at 12:30 p.m. Doctors at the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Turn to Atteridge, page 4A Students have option to bar telemarketers ■ Individuals plagued by phone solicitors have a way to avoid unwanted calls with new legislation By Jessica Blanchard Oregon Daily Emerald It’s one of the most common annoyances: sitting down to dinner, only to have the meal interrupted by an unwanted phone call from a telemarketer. There are several laws in Oregon that are already on the books to regulate the con duct of telemarketers. But a new “no-call” law that went into effect this year is de signed to make life easier for many stu dents who have been plagued with un Turn to Telemarketers, page 3A New law What: A “no-call” law that protects people from tele marketers. Cost: $6.50 for the first year and a yearly $3 renewal fee. SOURCE: Oregon Depart mental justice