Bev-olution / Page 9
Thursday, February 20,2003
Since 1900
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 103
Groups
aim for a
change in
FAFSA
A coalition of organizations
wants to scrap a question
on the FAFSA that denies aid
to some students
Aimee Rudin
Family/Health/Education Reporter
Question No. 35 on the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid causes some Uni
versity students to stumble, then stop.
The question, called the Higher Educa
tion Act Drug Provision, asks about past
convictions for possessing or selling illegal
drugs. Students must answer the question,
and a lingering conviction can potentially
affect one’s ability to receive financial aid.
But the Coalition for Higher Educa
tion Act Reform is working with Rep.
Barney Frank, D-Mass., and 44 national
organizations to remove the drug pro
vision from the FAFSA. Frank intro
duced the bill to Congress last week; a
voting date has not yet been set.
Coalition Coordinator Ben Gaines said
question 35 has kept more than 90,000
students from receiving federal funding
since its inception.
“Students have already suffered the crimi
nal consequences. To have a sanction re
stricting education is just sickening,” he said.
Congress added the drug provision to
the Higher Education Act in 1998 when it
revised the act to ensure adequate funding
and access to college for low-income stu
dents. The provision blocks federal aid
from being distributed to any student with
past drug convictions on their permanent
record. Convictions before age 18 are not
included on permanent records.
“Someone who looks at question (No.
35) and would have to answer yes may
make the decision not to fill out the appli
cation, much like a person will not apply
for a Visa card because they know they
have bad credit,” said Elizabeth Bickford,
University director of the Office of Student
Financial Aid and Scholarships.
But Bickford urges students who
would answer yes to former convictions
to fill out the application and then inves
tigate their options with the U.S.
Department of Education.
“People make the assumption that be
cause they would have to check yes there is
just no way they would ever get aid, and
that is just isn’t correct,” she said.
Turn to Drugs, page 12
Weather
Today: High 50, Low 43,
rain, light winds
Friday: High 52, Low 37,
rain likely, slightly breezy
Looking ahead
Friday
The law school hosts a conference
to remember Japanese internment
Monday
State legislators propose a beer
and wine tax to fix budget woes
Assembly opens Iraq dialogue
I he University Assembly
acquired enough signatures to hold
a meeting Feb. 28 for discussion
of a University Iraq war resolution
Aimee Rudin
Family/Health/Education Reporter
Members of the University Assembly succeeded
Tuesday in gathering 33 percent of Assembly mem
ber signatures — the amount necessary to enact
legislative authority concerning the University’s
stance on an Iraq invasion.
University President Dave Frohnmayer has
scheduled an Assembly meeting Feb. 28 from 3
p.m. to 5 p.m. in the three-court basketball area of
the Student Recreation Center. The meeting will
focus on the petitioners’ request for a University
resolution against the invasion of Iraq, and the
body could vote on the issue at the meeting.
In December, the University Faculty Senate vot
ed against hearing a similar resolution condemning
a war in Iraq after Frohnmayer sent letters to all
senators asking them to rule the resolution unfit
business for the senate. Since then, members of the
assembly have been working to gather the signa
tures required to reopen discussion on a new reso
lution, which would instate an official University
stance against the war in Iraq.
The University Assembly consists of instruc
tional faculty, librarians, officers of administration,
ASUO Student Senate members, 25 members of
the ASUO executive, ASUO Constitution Court
justices and all emeritus faculty. It is the largest rep
resentative body of the University, and all
Turn to Assembly, page 12
Keeping up with Bebop
Adam Amato Emerald
Senior Brian Helquist studies psychology prior to celebrating a
Foosball game victory over roommate and basketball teammate
Robert Johnson.
Nobody’s baby
Florida native Brian Helquist brings his family
values and easy-going attitude to the Oregon
men’s basketball team
Off the hardwood
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
When Duck men’s basketball center Brian Helquist was a
baby, his mother would sing him to sleep with the Gene Vin
cent song “Be Bop Lula,” leading to a nickname that has fol
lowed him since childhood.
“I’m a momma’s boy,” he admitted, flexing the “Bebop”
tattoo on the inside of his right bicep.
Helquist has been described as a dog person, a Simpsons
Turn to Helquist, page 8
Emerald
challenges
PFC recall
protocol
Emerald editor in chief Michael J.
Kleckner challenges PFC
protocol again in a bid to halt
budget approval recalls
Jennifer Bear
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
The ASUO Programs Finance Commit
tee filed an extension with Student Senate
on Wednesday to present its budget on Feb.
26, one week after its original deadline.
PFC members postponed their presenta
tion to have time to recall the Career Centers
and the Oregon Daily Emerald’s budgets. The
Emerald made several attempts by phone to
contact the committee for comment, but was
unable to reach PFC at press time.
The Career Center’s budget recall hear
ing is today at 5 p.m. and the Emerald’s
budget recall hearing is at 6 p.m.
The committee had been unable to hold
recall hearings until now because of an in
junction issued Friday by the ASUO Con
stitution Court, which was lifted Tuesday.
The court had halted PFC’s recall process
in order to consider a petition for review
filed by Emerald editor in chief Michael J.
Kleckner. In the petition, Kleckner alleged
that the committee had no procedure in
place that governed recalls, and asked jus
tices to rule that PFC’s vote to recall the
Emerald’s budget was unconstitutional.
Justice Michael Harris said that after
careful consideration of the evidence, the
court unanimously voted to dismiss Kleek
ner’s claim because he had failed to first sub
mit his grievance to the ASUO Programs
Administrator.
Although the court did not rule on the
grievance, it did make a constitutional
Turn to Recall, page 12
MIUSA empowers, educates disabled women
Mobility International USA
promoted its book on campus and
provided information on
various workshops and classes
Wendy Ardolino
Freelance Reporter
Representatives from Mobility International
USA visited campus Wednesday to promote the
second edition of “Loud, Proud and Passionate,”
a book focusing on issues affecting disabled
women around the world. Based in Eugene for
the past 20 years, the nonprofit organization has
become a leader in global development, educa
tion and empowerment for women with disabili
ties internationally.
Executive director and co-founder of MIUSA Su
san Sygall said a disability is “not a medical issue,
not a charity issue—it’s a human rights issue.”
Women from around the world apply to the or
ganization in hopes of gaining education, leader
ship and other skills to help them succeed.
International development project manager
Susie Grimes said this summer MIUSA will again
offer the International Women’s Institute on
Leadership and Disability, or WILD, which is a
workshop on how women with disabilities can
strengthen their lives.
The workshops also include physical activities
such as rafting, tree climbing and other sports dis
abled women may not usually take part in.
“I did things I never dreamed of,” said Ingrid
loan, an international intern from Romania.
Confined to a wheelchair after an accident in
1989, loan attended MIUSA’s International
Youth Leadership Exchange in Eugene almost
10 years ago, where she went horseback riding
for the first time.
She said she believes that an obstacle only ex
ists if a person recognizes it as one. She has been
an advocate for many disability organizations
and is now a student at the University’s Ameri
can English Institute.
Sygall said MIUSA helps to change disabled
women’s perceptions of what they can do.
According to Sygall, 80 percent of people
with disabilities live in developing countries.
The program has helped these women gain
jobs and access to education, as well as over
come the double discrimination of being both
a woman and disabled.
“Loud, Proud and Passionate” also has infor
mation on other disability organizations and
ways to get involved.
Upcoming opportunities for people interested
Turn to MIUSA, page4