An independent newspaper
Monday, April 7,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon
Oregon
doctors
prepped
forSARS
There have been no reported SARS
deaths in the United States, but
health providers are prepared for
the mysterious respiratory illness
Lindsay Sauve
Family/Health/Education Reporter
The Oregon Department of Human
Services is looking into a possible Oregon
case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syn
drome. The patient, a 57-year-old Port
land resident, experienced symptoms af
ter a trip to China last month and was
admitted to a Portland hospital last week.
Her condition is stable and she is re
sponding to treatment, according to a
news release from DHS.
Though the patient’s symptoms meet
the criteria for SARS diagnosis and the
Center for Disease Control has added the
case to its list of reported cases, health of
ficials say the patient has not been offi
cially diagnosed with SARS.
“Although this person technically
meets the case definition prescribed by
the Center for Disease Control, and is
counted as a case on their Web site today,
other more common diagnoses are
thought to be more likely at this time,”
state epidemiologist Mel Kohn said.
This is the first case of SARS reported
Turn to SARS, page 7
SARS facts
■What is SARS?
Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome, otherwise known
as SARS, is a respiratory
disease, similar to pneumonia,
caused by a virus of unknown
origin.
•How is SARS spread?
SARS is spread through
contact with respiratory
droplets of an infected person.
SARS might also be spread
Turn to SARS, page 7
Forces close tight on Baghdad
Andrea Gerlin, Tom Lasseter and
Steven Thomma
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
OUTSIDE BAGHDAD — Coalition
troops closing in on Baghdad found re
sistance diminishing Monday while Ma
rine commanders gave subordinates the
best news in a while: It was no longer
necessary to wear their stifling anti
chemical suits.
The order signaled that the threat of
chemical or biological attack in defense
of the capital had subsided along with
the decimation of Iraqi forces. It meant
that Marines could shed the thick,
padded suits that had grown increasing
ly uncomfortable as desert temperatures
reached into the 90s.
Units approaching Baghdad from the
south on Monday reported little resist
ance and increasing seizures of aban
doned munitions, including anti-tank
weapons as a new sand storm loomed.
The gains came a day after the noose
tightened around the capital and patrols
in the countryside detected what might
have been the presence of a nerve agent
at a captured military compound.
Elsewhere in Iraq, British troops
moved into the besieged city of Basra,
found little resistance and said they
would stay.
Marines examined a suspected
Turn to Baghdad, page 5
A soldier
searches the
unlighted
underground
tunnels that
connect
Baghdad
International
Airport
buildings in
Baghdad,
Iraq, on
Sunday.
David P. Gilkey
Detroit Free
Press
Investigative insight
Renowned author Greg Palast
discussed Bush’s Iraq policies
and the controversy around
the 2000 election on Sunday
Ali Shaughnessy
Environment/Science/Technalogy Reporter
More than 600 community
members and Uniyersity students .,
filled the seats, wails and floor of
Columbia 150 on Sunday evening,
all waiting to hear investigative
journalist Greg Palast speak about
controversies in American politics.
The event, sponsored by the
University Survival Center and fea
turing Palast as the keynote speak
er, was in celebration of Palast’s
book, “The Best Democracy Money
Can Buy.” The book focuses on
Palast’s investigative reporting into
debates like the 2000 presidential
election results in Florida and the
reasons for the war in Iraq.
Two other speakers spoke before
Palast: Edward Monks, a local at
torney, and Alan Siporin, host of
KLCC’s talk show Critical Mass and
author of “Fire’s Edge.”
Monks spoke first and focused
on the radical changes he said
media has made since the Reagan
administration’s appeal of the fair
ness doctrine.
“Commercial talk radio is com
pletely gone,” he said. “It is a
Turn to Palast, page 6
Danielle Hickey Emerald
Greg Palast spoke in Columbia 150 on Sunday night about U.S.
government policies. "The computer program that elected the
president. A list of 57,700'voters - mostly black - removed from the
Florida voter role," Palast said, holding up a computer.
Foreign
students
show off
cultures
International Week will celebrate
a variety of cultures with speeches
and group performances
Roman Gokhman
Campus/City Culture Reporter
Students can take the opportunity to
celebrate some of the many cultures that
make up the campus community during
International Week, kicking off at 11 a.m.
today with a parade featuring students
wearing traditional clothing and playing
instruments. The events conclude on
Sunday with the University’s 40th annual
International Night.
International Week, organized by the
International Student Association, is fea
turing several speakers, including Uni
versity President Dave Frohnmayer.
“We try very hard to be an interna
tional campus ... not merely in num
bers,” Frohnmayer said. He added that
International Week “showcases some of
our finer students.”
ISA members said that anyone who
wants to make a lot of noise and draw
attention to themselves is welcome to
participate.
“It’s just to get people familiar with
other cultures,” said organizer Gaitlin
Turn to International, page 10
PFC At-Large candidates aim
for program involvement
Two candidates emphasize solid
program relations in their bids
for the PFC At-Large position
ASUO elections
Ali Shaughnessy
Environment/Science/Technology Reporter
Two candidates are running for the ASUO
Programs Finance Committee At-Large posi
tion. The position is one of seven responsible
for the annual process of allocating funds to
student groups on campus.
The Emerald asked each candidate three
general questions and also two specific ques
tions about PFG: Who does PFG submit its
budgeting benchmark to (answer: the Stu
dent Senate), and what is the most important
part of Section 4 of the ASUO PFG bylaws,
which lists PFG member duties?
Toby Piering, a freshman pre-public poli
cies and planning management and political
science double major, is an intern with ASUO
and is actively involved with Campus Cru
saders for Christ, a Christian youth group.
Piering did not know to whom PFG sub
mits its budgeting benchmark and would not
Turn to PFC, page 9
Seat 9 candidates to work
on ticket prices, distribution
Three candidates are running for Senate
Seat 9, a two-year term that negotiates
the availability of student athletic tickets
ASUO elections
Aimee Rudin
City/State Politics Reporter
For many University students, free or dis
counted tickets to campus athletic events are
an expected perk to an otherwise sedentary
college life. These free tickets are not guaran
teed, however. The Athletic Department Fi
nance
committee Voting April 9-11
negotiates Reacj the full transcripts of
with the candidate interviews every
University day on the Web.
Athletic De
partment to
determine the number of student tickets
available, the price of tickets and how they
will be distributed. Three ASUO senators are
included on the ADFG.
Senate Seat 9, one of the ADFG, seats, is a
two-year term. This year, there are three
candidates in the race: Anthony R. Gain,
Turn to Seat 9, page 9
Weather: Today: H 60,145, morning rain,breezy / Monday: H *3, L 43, partly cloudy, light wind I On Tuesday: ASUO Executive candidates duke it out at tonight's debate in the EMU Ballroom