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http://www.dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, January 21,2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 82
Bush warns of ongoing threat
Despite the capture of Saddam
Hussein, President Bush says
the nation remains vulnerable
to a possible terrorist attack
By Ron Hutcheson
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
WASHINGTON — President Bush de
scribed a nation in peril Tuesday in a State
of the Union speech that focused on the
threat of terrorism, the challenges in Iraq
and the need for more economic growth.
In a nationally televised address that
previewed the themes of his re-election
campaign, Bush defended his decision to
invade Iraq and warned Americans that
the nation remains vulnerable to terrorists.
He sought to play to his political strengths
by casting himself as a tough-minded
leader dealing with big challenges.
Borrowing a page from Abraham Lin
coln, who urged voters during the Civil
War to avoid "changing horses in mid
stream," Bush called on Americans to stick
with him as he confronts terrorism, Iraq
and economic problems.
"We have faced serious challenges to
gether and now we face a choice. We can
go forward with confidence and resolve, or
we can turn back to the dangerous illusion
that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw
regimes are no threat to us," he told a joint
session of Congress. "We have not come
all this way — through tragedy and trial
and war — only to falter and leave our
Turn to BUSH, page 3A
George Bridges Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
During the speech, Bush suggested a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriages.
Bush’s speech draws criticism, praise
The State of the Union came
just one year and a day before
the next presidential inauguration
By Chuck Slothower
^ News Reporter
Campus reaction to President George
W. Bush's State of the Union speech Tues
day night split predictably along party
lines, with University College Republi
cans praising Bush for his strong leader
ship and College Democrats attacking his
policies. However, both sides agreed that
it was quite a night for politics.
"I love the State of the Union," said
Greg McNeill, University senior and
2002 Republican candidate for Ore
gon's 8th House District. "It's like the
Super Bowl of politics."
More than a dozen College Republicans
gathered in the EMU Tuesday night to
watch Bush's speech on Fox News, meet
ing each highlight with sharp
applause.
"He's a very strong, focused leader,"
College Republicans Vice Chairwoman
Gabrielle Guidero said, adding that she
strongly supported Bush's proposal to
encourage more scientists and engineers
to teach part time in high schools.
The 54-minute speech, delivered one
year to the day before the next presiden
tial inauguration, began with an
overview of the war on terrorism and
emphasized the prominent issues of
Bush's term, with fierce defenses of his
administration's policies on everything
from the USA PATRIOT Act to his desire
to lend government support to religious
charities.
McNeill said that watching the State of
the Union was different with a Republi
can in office.
"I was all serious about the State of the
Union when Clinton was president," Mc
Neill said.
But he had no problem relaxing dur
ing Bush's speech, cracking jokes about
former President Clinton, Sen. Edward
Kennedy, D-Mass., and former Vermont
Gov. Howard Dean.
College Republicans Chairman Jarrett
White praised Bush's leadership.
"His outlook on what America can be
and should be in the future is his best
quality," White said. "I thought it was a
pretty good speech."
College Democrats Co-Chairwoman
Samantha Bouton sharply disagreed, crit
icizing Bush's handling of the economy,
Medicare, education, Iraq, civil liberties
and sex education.
"Tell the average Oregonian that the
economy is getting better and I don't
think that many of them will agree,"
she said, citing Oregon's high
unemployment rate.
One proposal Bush made Tuesday
night could directly affect the University
— larger Pell Grants for students who
prepare for college by taking demanding
course loads in high school.
Bouton criticized the idea.
'This is going to bog down the Depart
ment of Education in getting grants and
loans to students," Bouton said.
Bouton also denounced Bush's pro
motion of abstinence-based education as
a "nod to the religious right."
"Abstinence is the only way to have a
classroom full of horny teenagers who
don't know how to use a rubber,"
she said.
Bush skirted an issue that will likely
emerge during the general election —
the absence of weapons of mass de
struction found in Iraq — arguing that
if Saddam Hussein were allowed to re
main in power his "weapons of mass
destruction-related program activities"
would have continued. This contrasts
earlier Bush administration promises
before the war in Iraq to find Hussein's
weapons of mass destruction.
Turn to UNION, page 3A
Former pledges
seek damages
from fraternity
A personal injury lawsuit was filed on Dec. 10,2003,
over the balcony collapse at the Chi Psi Fraternity
By Lisa Catto
News Reporter
Two former Chi Psi fraternity pledges filed a personal injury
lawsuit against the Chi Psi Fraternity and associates regarding
injuries caused by a balcony collapse at the Chi Psi house in
April 2002.
McDaniel Brookman and Nathan Baston, who are suing for
more than $1.5 million in damages, were at the house drink
ing alcohol with other pledges on April 18, 2002. According
to their lawyer, Neil Lathen, they joined a group of 11 other
people on the balcony and the stress of the weight caused it
to collapse.
Baston fractured his left elbow, broke his left wrist and hurt his
knees, according to the filed claim. Brookman broke his jaw in
five places and dislocated his left shoulder. He also lost five per
manent teeth and fractured several others.
Lathen — who is with the Salem law firm Swanson, Lathen,
Alexander and McCann, P.C. — filed the lawsuit on Dec. 10, 2003.
The suit was filed against the local chapter of the Chi Psi
Fraternity, including then-President David Waterfall, and the
National Chi Psi Association and its associates: the local Chi
Psi alumni association and its then-Vice President
Bill Stephens.
According to the filed claim for relief, Waterfall was in
charge of approving construction plans and inspecting house
safety, while Stephens was responsible for the construction of
the balcony.
Brookman and Baston also sued Tandem Property Manage
ment, Inc., the company responsible for constructing the balcony
on the house.
Brookman and Baston assert that the balcony was not kept in
proper maintenance and that the defendants failed to advise
them of the balcony's weight limit. They also said they were
forced to consume alcohol and go onto the balcony, although it
Turn to LAWSUIT, page 6A
NEWS BRIEF
Emerald files grievance against PFC
The Emerald filed a grievance Tuesday against the ASIJO Pro
grams Finance Committee for allegedly violating Oregon Public
Meetings Law. According to the student grievance report, PFC
called a meeting into executive session Jan. 13 without prior no
tice or just cause.
Public bodies must give notice of their intention to enter into
an executive session in the meeting agenda and state the reason
during open session, according ORS 192.640(2) of Oregon's pub
lic meetings law. In addition, public bodies can only adjourn an
open meeting into executive session for specific reasons, which
are outlined in the Attorney General's Public Records and Meet
ings Manual, the Emerald contended.
PFC Chairman Adrian Gilmore could not be reached for com
ment as of press time. Gilmore said in an e-mail to Emerald Editor
in Chief Brad Schmidt on Friday that the session was called due to
comments that were getting "personal toward a member of PFC."
But Schmidt said that is not a justifiable reason for an execu
tive session, adding that PFC did not initially have an executive
session listed on its agenda for that day.
Based on Gilmore's statements about the meeting, Schmidt
said part of the reason for calling the session seemed to be to pre
vent the Emerald from reporting on the ongoing discussion.
According to state laws, certain persons may be excluded
from the deliberations during an executive session, and while
Turn to PFC, page 5A
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Check out the
‘Big Fish’ review
in Pulse