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Giant slayers
The Ducks kept their March Madness hopes alive
by beating Pac-10 leader Arizona State. PAGE 9
Friday
March 2,2001
Volume 102, Issue 106
Weather
Discover Africa
The ‘Engaging Africa’symposium began Thursday
with a talk by anthropologist Alma Gottlieb. PAGE 6
TODAY
high 50, low 35
Since 1 900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
After board decision, it’s Brooklyn and Bailey
Executive candidate Eric Bailey and his friend Curtis Buell read the primary election vote tally posted on the ASUO office door. Bailey advanced
after the elections board disqualified candidates Bret Jacobson and Matt Cook.
■ Despite the extended voting period of this
year’s ASUO primary election, voter turnout was
lower than in recent years
By Beata Mostatavi
Oregon Daily Emerald
Almost two hours after the voting dead
line passed Thursday, the ASUO Elec
tions Board finally unlocked the office
doors to a mob of anxious people waiting
outside and posted election results,
which revealed Nilda Brooklyn and Joy
Nair will battle Eric Bailey and Jeff Oliver
in next week’s general election.
Although this year’s primary election
period was extended to four days to help
increase voter turnout, only 9 percent of
the student body voted, even less than the
10- to 15-percent marks of previous years.
But the results and lower voter
turnout weren’t the only significant out
comes of the night.
The elections board also revealed its
decision to disqualify candidates Bret
Jacobson and Matt Cook, although the
pair technically placed second, beating
Bailey and Oliver by more than 100
votes.The board decided to remove Ja
Turn to Elections, page 6
INSIDE:
Bret
Jacobson
reacts to his
disqualifica
tion, and the
candidates
discuss
campaign
plans for
next week’s
general
election.
Page 7
Options exist for renters seeking information, aid
Struggling
tenants can
seek guidance
from ASUO
Legal Services,
and a housing
code may be
forthcoming
By Aaron K. Breniman
Oregon Daily Emerald
As one candidate for ASUO Executive
said during last week’s debate: “Hous
ing is good, because without housing,
students wouldn’t have a home.”
But just having a home is not nearly
enough. The condition of housing in Eu
gene often fails to make the grade, and
many landlords resist performing basic
maintenance and repairs. Some people
believe that a housing code would pro
vide a financial incentive for landlords to
properly maintain their rentals, while oth
ers believe that a code would only raise
the already excessive rent prices and drive
out private ownership of rentals.
Sometimes the frustration and excite
ment can be too much to handle, caus
ing students to settle for rundown and
poorly maintained property.
Heaters that don’t work, bad plumb
ing, leaking roofs and poor insulation
are all common complaints of tenants in
Eugene. Tenants sometimes think there
is nowhere they can turn to get help, but
there are options available.
This year’s ASUO Executive candi
dates have addressed the issue of
renters’ rights. Some candidates feel the
implementation of a housing code
should be on the horizon, while others
feel that the responsibility lies with the
City Council, not students.
ASUO Executive tickets Nilda Brook
lyn and Joy Nair, and Eric Bailey and Jeff
Oliver believe that a housing code will
soon be implemented. On the other
hand, candidate Bret Jacobson and run
ning mate Matt Cook are against such a
code. Candidates Eric Qualheim, Sho
Ikeda and Brad Schatzel haven’t taken a
position on the issue.
Bailey and Oliver both served in the
Residence Hall Association and have
made renters' rights one of the main is
sues of their platform. Oliver is currently
the ASUO housing advocate.
“The student voice needs to be heard
to have an effective code,” Bailey said.
“A code of substance that can benefit the
students.” Bailey said that he and Oliver
advocate a housing code, but their po
tential staff would look into the feasibili
ty of price controls.
Turn to Renters’ rights, page 6
Northwest region digs out, gratetul but not unscathed
INSIDE:
The quake
didn’t rock
President Dave
Frohnmayer’s
plan to meet
prospective
students. PAGE 5
By Gene Johnson
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — The Northwest lucked
out, surviving the region’s strongest
earthquake in a half-century with limit
ed injuries and no permanent scars. But
damage estimates hit $2 billion Thurs
day as experts examined buildings,
bridges, dams and roads.
Washington Gov. Gary Locke praised
the “can-do spirit we’ve seen all over the
state.”
“Now it’s important we get back to nor
mal,” he said at a Thursday news confer
ence in the state capital of Olympia, just
11 miles from the epicenter of Wednes
day’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake.
The state Emergency Management Di
vision tallied 272 injuries directly
linked to the quake, but most were mi
nor and none were critical.
The earthquake was centered about
35 miles southwest of Seattle and 33
miles underground. The depth helped
ease the impact, as the Earth’s crust ab
sorbed much of the shock, scientists
said. <
“The biggest news is there is no news.
There aren’t any fatalities ... The dam
age, while serious, is not anything like
what people would have expected,’’
Seattle Mayor Paul Schell said at a
Thursday news conference.
Two minor aftershocks were recorded
early Thursday at the same location — a
magnitude-3.4 quake at 1:10 a.m. PST and
a magnitude-2.7 at 6:23 a.m., said Universi
ty of Washington seismologist Bob Norris.
Neither was widely felt and no addi
tional damage was reported.
Federal Emergency Management
Agency Director Joe Allbaugh joined
members of Washington’s congressional
delegation in checking out quake dam
age throughout the region.
Roads and bridges also were being
double-checked. The Alaskan Way
Viaduct, which carries U.S. 99 through
downtown Seattle, remained closed for
Tu rn to Seattle quake, page 5
R. Ashley Smith for the Emerald
An ABC radio reporter discusses the damage to the Fenix bar with construction worker Ed Billings.
On Wednesday morning, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake caused considerable damage to older
buildings in Seattle.