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Coming out? / Page 4
Friday, October 11,2002
Since 1900
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 31
ASUO motivates new voter registration
“Get Out the N/tote’ encourages
students to exercise rights and
educates about political issues
Jan Montry
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
“Hi, are you registered to vote at
your current address?”
Students have probably heard
those words on campus recently
from a smiling volunteer in a cam
paign T-shirt.
The catch phrase — as well as the
shirts—are all part of the ASUO’s an
nual Get Out the Vote campaign. This
year, the theme is “Stuff the Duck,”
named after the wooden ducks placed
around campus that gauge this year’s
goal. The ASUO hopes to register
4,000 new voters campuswide.
ASUO State Affairs Coordinator
Adam Petkun, co-coordinator of the
campaign, said getting students to
vote is important so higher educa
tion funding isn’t cut.
“We don’t have money to lobby in
Salem, but what we do have is power
— 20,000 students,” Petkun said.
Student Senator Mena Ravas
sipour, a campaign volunteer, said
many students she approaches for
registration are friendly and happy
to take a few minutes to register.
But sometimes she gets the cold
shoulder.
“I think it’s kind of traumatizing
when you ask (students) to register
and they ignore you,” she said.
Petkun stressed the necessity of
getting the word out to everyone.
“I know students get tired of
hearing it,” he said. “We’re not try
ing to be rude; we’re trying to reach
every last student to give them a
chance to vote.”
Petkun added, however, that
Alaskan students should not register
because they will lose the govern
ment stipend they receive every
year as residents of Alaska.
Aside from registering students to
vote, ASUO is educating students
about political issues.
Students will have a chance to
meet state legislative candidates
Oct. 23 at the EMU, and a ballot
measure event will be held Oct. 24
to familiarize students with state bal
lot measures.
“We want to give students both
sides of the coin so they can make an
educated decision,” said Stefan Mey
ers, ASUO legislative associate and the
other co-coordinator of the campaign.
Another tentative event is a de
bate between Floyd Prozanski and
Greg McNeill, Democratic and Re
publican candidates for the Oregon
House of Representatives, District 8.
Myers said the “Stuff the Duck”
campaign is only the first step in an
active year.
“Everything we do stems from
voter registration,” he said.
ASUO is also planning lobbying
trips to Salem and a trip to the Unit
ed States Student Association Con
vention in Washington, D.G.
Contact the senior news reporter
at janmontry@dailyemeraId.com.
Kicking V
awareness
More attention is being given to personal safety on campus,
and the University offers a variety of self-defense classes
Ayisha Yahya
Freelance Editor
It’s late at night as you drag yourself from a study session at the li
brary. You’re walking back to the dorms or maybe to your car, when out
of the darkness, unseen arms grab you like a vice. What do you do?
Personal safety is a key concern in any environment, even at the Uni
versity. The fear of being assaulted probably weighs on the minds of
many students, especially at night. Recognizing students’ need to pro
tect themselves from possible attacks, the University offers several
classes and programs on self-defense.
Currently, the physical education department has two classes dedi
- cated completely to self-defense, as well as aikido, karate, judo and tae
kwon do. Apart from the traditional martial arts, students can also learn
techniques in jeet kune do, jiu jitsu, hapkido and Russian sambo, all of
which are adapted to street conditions.
“We offer classes for several reasons,” physical education Associate
Director Peg Rees said. “One reason is the significant student de
mand.” She said students not only want to learn self-defense, but also
have an interest in martial arts.
Sue Doyle teaches two of the self-defense classes.
“We study a variety of different techniques,” she said. “Hopefully, out
of the class, someone will find a technique that works for them.”
Students learn physical techniques like how to block, kick and apply
their strength, as well as theoretical skills on awareness.
“Not to be melodramatic, but hopefully (the class) will save a few lives
and give people tools and skills that help them if something should
arise,” Doyle said.
University junior Lach Litwer has taken jeet kune do and Brazilian
jiu jitsu at the University. He said studying martial arts makes him feel
capable of protecting himself.
“Anybody who’s taken martial arts, even for a little while, gains some
measure of self-confidence,” Litwer said. “I’m confident because I know
what I’m capable of.”
Turn to Self-defense, page 10A
Mark McCambridge Emerald
Students can learn the art of self-defense in several martial arts classes offered at the University.
Red flag campaign flies high
Student groups launch project
to raise consciousness about
student safety on campus
Danielle Gillespie
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
With a total of 10 campus attacks
occurring between February 2001
and March 2002, ranging from at
tempted rape to attempted armed
robbery — student safety has be
come a major concern.
For the past two years, the ASUO
and the Department of Public Safe
ty have been looking for ways to in
crease awareness about potential
threats to students’ safety.
The groups recently decided to
display red flags on campus trans
portation vehicles when an incident
has occurred. The participating pro
grams are Designated Driver Shut
tle, Project Saferide and Night Ride.
ASUO President Rachel Pilliod
said she thinks it is important to
have an immediate response to any
threatening incident, especially on
the weekends, when student publi
cations are not printing.
“I think that safety on campus is a
big issue that needs to be addressed,”
Turn to Safety, page 10A
Mark McCambridge bmerald
Randy Buchanan of Hillsboro, Ore., stirs a large vat of kettle corn.
Buchanan runs his own stand, Humdinger Kettle Korn.
Students can sample
sights, sounds at Faire
Today is the last day to wander
through the ASUO-sponsoned
booths along East 13th Avenue
Brook Reinhard
News Editor
Ron Ritnour makes more money sell
ing trinkets than most University profes
sors make from teaching all year.
Ritnour, a jewelry maker, is one of 117
vendors this year at the ASUO Street
Faire. The three-day event, which ends
today, features food, music and countless
booths selling everything from tie-dye
shirts to hunting knives.
For Ritnour, the fair is a chance to sell
his homemade wares to thousands of
prospective customers.
“I’m one of the only headers I know
who makes a full-time business out of
this,” he said. “I do it so I don’t have to
work construction.”
The Springfield man quit a $22 an
hour job as an HVAC installer a year and
a half ago to make his own jewelry. Rit
nour said while his day-to-day sales can
Turn to Faire, page 6A
Weather
Today: High 62, Low 32,
Morning fog with sun later
Saturday: High 70, Low 37,
Sunny and dear
Looking ahead
Monday
Skiers need to rip across town
for Willamette Pass discounts
Tuesday
'Ask Nat1 is back with more
instructions for a better life