Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Thursday
February 24,2000
Volume 101, Issue 104
Emerald
CTaY
With the ASUO elections pri
maries upon us, students
must be familiar with the
candidates and their issues
to make the most educated vote. And
while general profiles have been done to
present those running for the president
and vice president positions, some more
personal information would help students
make the most knowledgeable decision.
Of course it’s important to question
their platforms, qualifications and per
ceptions on the school and administra
tion, but what about the candidates char
acters and personalities? Shouldn’t we
find a way to see
past the image and
learn who these peo
ple really are? They
are, after all, going to
represent us, so we
get the full grasp on
what kind of people
we’re voting for.
There’s a lot of valid
ity in the notion that
emotional quotient
is just as important
as intellectual quo
tient. We need to not
only know what issues they stand for, but
how their personalities will enable them
to accomplish these tasks once they’re
elected.
To further this knowledge, I have a few
challenging questions of my own.
If you had the choice, would you take
one million dollars or have your own per
Beata
Mostafavi
sonal “Mini-Me" and why?
Although it may not appear so, this is
quite a deep question that requires much
thought. The answer to this would reveal
many qualities about the person within by
showing what the person most values in
life. How the candidate answers this ques
tion also gives us some insight as to what
kind of creativity he or she will apply in
the future when he or she is racking their
brains for ideas on how to accomplish all
these goals the candidate keep telling us
about. It also shows us what the candidate
would find most joy in: Getting the taste
of the easy life or simply being able to
stare at a little replica of him or herself?
It’s a tough one.
Bob Marley or Elvis?
Can’t really go wrong with either, but
this would open the door to the passions
of the candidates and show us what style
they groove to when no one is watching.
Are they the mellow type who rely on “No
Woman No Cry” to keep them relaxed and
unstressed after a long, hard day of deal
ing with ASUO office chaos, or do they
need to let loose and rock out to the King’s
tunes?
What is your remedy for a hangover?
We’ve got to be sure that these students
understand where we’re coming from. We
need to feel that they can relate to us and
our environment, and this kind of ques
tion could determine how they could
solve real world problems. Plus, if we can
see them at this level, we will be more
Bryan Dixon Emerald
comfortable to approach them in the fu
ture and know we can count on their as
sistance if necessary. So if they’re
stumped on this one, you’ll know who not
to vote for.
And the following would all be equally
important questions: To rate their practi
cality and give them a chance to show
some more of their creative skills: If you
were a frozen treat what would you be?
To show what kinds of issues they take
more seriously than others: What would
you find funnier — Martha Stuart chok
ing on her own dessert or Clinton at
tempting to inhale? To show how they
perceive others and what qualities they
prefer: Which Madonna — “Like a Vir
gin” or post baby? To show us what kind
of people can they least tolerate: What is
the worst punishment — being trapped
on an island with the Brady Bunch fami
ly or being forced to watch Carrot Top?
Whose job would be most amusing — the
film developer for the University book
store or a Designated Driver Shuttle driv
er?
These are the important questions. It’s
easy for candidates to create an appeal
ing image and to tell voters what they
want to hear. But you just can’t hide
your true identity under this kind of in
terrogation.
And this is the only way for students to
truly know who they are voting for.
Beata Mostafavi is a columnist for the Oregon Daily
Emerald. Her views do not necessarily represent
those of the Emerald. He can be reached via e-mail
at bmostafa@gladstone.uoregon.edu.
Letters to the editor
Atkinson angered by editorial
I find it truly sad that even on a
campus with no active political
parties, Eric Pfeiffer felt it was nec
essary to marginalize me and other
ASUO Executive candidates in fa
vor of the same bland two-ticket
toss-up that prevails at the nation
al level (ODE, Feb. 17). He himself
demonstrates the blandness of this
anti-democratic act in comparing
the two “major” candidates to
Coke and Pepsi. Blech.
Further, I’m curious to know
just how Pfeiffer decided what
constitutes a “full-scale cam
paign.” Whereas posters comprise
the extent of Jay Breslow and Hol
ly Magner’s campaign, and Au
tumn DePoe and Caitlin Upshaw
seem to have no campaign at all,
my own campaign is the only one
besides C.J. Gabbe and Peter Lar
son’s to boast its own Web site
(lefty.web.com).
I have made every conceivable
effort to let my sinistelateral
brothers and sisters know of my
presence and my stance on the is
sues. It should be clear to anyone
that, due to my commitment to
EVERY marginalized minority, I
am the only candidate who
stands for true diversity. Yet my
struggle has, unsurprisingly, been
ghettoized by the dexterocentric
media. Shame on you, Mr. Pfeif
fer.
Daniel Atkinson
ASUO Executive candidate
Gabbe and Larson
deserving of position
We are writing this letter on be
half of C.J. Gabbe and Peter Larson
in their effort to become president
and vice-president at your school.
Gabbe and Larson are very quali
fied candidates in this election
and are fully worthy of the posi
tion. We have worked with Gabbe
for years at a local, state and na
tional level. He has been a leader
at every level on issues pertaining
to access to education, such as
child care and financial aid. Lar
son is recognized and respected
for his work on diversity issues.
He has been at the forefront of the
diversity movement on your cam
pus.
We enjoy working with both
Gabbe and Larson because we
can always count on their experi
ence and their knowledge of stu
dent issues. They have been pro
moting student issues for years,
and this experience gives them
the ability to run effective cam
paigns and really make a differ
ence on your campus and around
the state. A vote for Gabbe and
Larson is a vote for students
rights and power.
Elizabeth Fox
President of Associated Students,
Southern Oregon University
Scott Young
Vice-President of
Associated Students,
Southern Oregon University