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Thursday, May 8,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 149
Campus Health
Action on
Tobacco
member Amber
Peterson
demonstrates a
what a human
lung would look
like if a person
smoked a pack a
day for 20 years in
front of the EMU
on Wednesday.
Danielle Hickey
Emerald
Lighting up the Career Fair
several groups gathered during
Wednesday’s Career Fair to give
information about the Career
Center^ affiliation with Philip Morris
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
As job-seeking students arrived for Wednes
day’s Career Fair, a different group gathered
near the stairwell leading to the EMU Ball
room. Their goal: to alert students to the busi
ness ties between the University’s Career Cen
ter and Philip Morris, one of the companies
exhibiting at the fair.
Protest organizer Kelly Huckestein said the
group of students weren’t affiliated with any
specific organization. The group handed out
materials attacking “big tobacco” and accus
ing Philip Morris of shady business practices
concerning worker exploitation and environ
mental degradation.
“We are here to show that Philip Morris is a
partner with the Career Center and using it to
hide their dirty business practices,” she said.
“They are just plain disgusting.”
Career Center Director Larry Smith said
Philip Morris, which manufactures Marlboro
cigarettes, has “gold status” at the Career
Center, and that any employer meeting the
qualification is able to gain this status by
paying a #3,000 fee. Smith said while the
students’ right to protest is important, it is
not the Career Center’s responsibility to
make moral judgments.
“They’re a legal employer, and they meet
the legal criteria. It’s up to us to make our indi
vidual judgments,” he said.
University student Tim Johnson said he
hoped to make students aware of their
choice to work for ethical, environmentally
sound and socially responsible corporations.
He said the group singled out Philip Morris
because their business practices were “par
ticularly nefarious.”
A spokeswoman at the Philip Morris booth
declined to comment. Among the materials
available at the booth were pamphlets for a
youth smoking prevention program.
Later in the day, the protest group held
three screenings of the film “Making a Killing:
Philip Morris, Kraft and Global Tobacco Addic
tion,” which claims the company has con
spired to hook children on tobacco and keep
governments from protecting public health.
Outside the EMU, a table was set up show
ing the effects of long-term nicotine exposure
to the lungs. The table was affiliated with the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and
the Campus Health Action on Tobacco
(CHAT). CHAT member Amber Peterson
stressed that the table was not meant to be a
protest but rather an educational booth.
“The students knew that Philip Morris was
going to be here today,” Peterson said. “It’s
good counter-advertisement.”
Contact the Pulse reporter
at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com.
SB 786
considers
gender
identity
A state senate bill introduced
in March would outlaw sexual
orientation or gender identity
discrimination if approved
Aimee Rudin
City/State Politics Reporter
Oregon law currently protects against
discrimination based on race, color, reli
gion, sex and national origin.
There is no law, however, saying indi
viduals cannot be discriminated against
based on their sexual orientation or gen
der identity. Senate Bill 786 would
change this.
Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland, intro
duced SB 786 in early March. It is a
nondiscrimination bill in employment,
housing, public accommodation, public
assistance and education. The bill would
protect the basic rights of Oregonians re
gardless of sexual orientation or gender
identity, and would authorize enforce
ment of prohibition through civil action
for actual and punitive damages.
According to the Oregon Statewide Stu
dent Equal Rights Alliance, a person can
currently be “legally fired, denied housing
or made to endure daily harassment just
because of their sexual orientation or gen
der identity.” Oregon is the only state on
the West Coast that provides no protection
against any of these practices.
This is not the first attempt to pass leg
islation guarding against discrimination
based on sexuality. According to Basic
Rights Oregon, “nondiscrimination legis
lation has been sponsored nearly every
session since the 1970s, but this is the
first year it will include gender identity as
well as sexual orientation.”
Austin Shaw-Phillips, a board member
Turn to Rights, page 3
All-female a capella group hits low notes on campus
Divisi, the University^ female
a capella group, breaks into
a musical world typically
dominated by male singers
Mark Baylis
Pulse Reporter
A capella has been a musical
genre typified by men from the days
of the barbershop through the early
1990s pop revival. Aficionados have
proclaimed their love for the bass,
and men can hit the lower end
notes — but the style has often
eluded female singers.
Now the women are getting even.
Divisi, the all-female campus a
capella group, says it has no quips
with performing in a musical land
scape dominated by men. In fact,
sophomore Divisi member Josi Hen
derson said the group enjoys it.
“I just went to the (International
Championship of Collegiate A capel
la) finals in New York, and there were
no girl groups there,” Henderson
said. “So in that sense, it’s a very lib
erating thing to do.”
Divisi composes its own arrange
ments of modem, classic and tradi
tional songs. The group’s repertoire
covers songs from Dave Matthews
Band to Manhattan Transfer to
Loreena McKennitt. The group
formed last year when the singers re
alized there were no female a capella
groups on campus. Now, a year later
and 11 women strong, the group is
catching its stride.
They reached the quarterfinals at
the regional ICGA in Berkeley in Feb
ruary and performed at the first-ever
ASUO Venus Festival on May 4. Hen
derson said she was excited to take
part in the festival because there is a
correlation between the challenges
of being a woman and performing a
capella music.
“Just like we don’t need men to
make music, not needing accompa
niment is knowing that our body
can make music,” she said. “When
we come out to perform, all we have
is ourselves.
“Our motto is that we’re trying to
figure out things for ourselves be
cause it’s important that we do things
our own way.”
Divisi is a musical term meaning
a collection of separate parts that
work together in harmony. It is an
appropriate name for a group that
has no director or appointed leader.
All the arrangements are collabora
tive, which Henderson said has
brought the group closer together.
“We’re like sisters now; we definitely
have a different dynamic than a guys’
group would,” Henderson said. “We’re
definitely a support system. ”
Divisi boasts two low-altos, Ana
Corvett and Lisa Forkish, who won
the Testosterone Award at the IGGA
for their low range. Despite this
range, Divisi members said they still
confront resistance from the gender
preferences of a capella fans. Howev
Courtesy
Members of a capella group Divisi, back row, left to right: Sarah Klein, HayleyZiebart,
Julie Lehnhardt, Lisa Forkish, Rachel Wierichs and Anna Corbett. Front row, left to
right Josi Henderson, Evynne Smith, Suzie Day, Diana Erskine and Katie Hopkins.
er, the members said they don’t feel singers said On the Rocks members
any competitive animosity with the are their mentors.
male campus groups. In fact, Divisi Turn to Divisi, page 3
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