An independent newspaper
http://www.dailyemerald.com
Thursday, April 1, 2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 124
NEWS BRIEF
56 tickets register
for 200405 ASUO spots
A total of 56 tickets are running for
ASUO positions in the 2004-05 school
year, leaving no empty races.
Seven different tickets are vying for the
ASUO Executive president and vice presi
dent positions, making it the most highly
contested race.
The total number of students running is
down from last year's 90, but ASUO Elec
tions Coordinator Stephanie Day said she
is pleased with the number.
"We're excited that all the seats had been
filled and there was a high level of interest,
despite the bad timing," Day said. "Of
course, over the next few days we'll have
the resignation letters coming in."
The election office's goal is to have at
- least a 25 percent voter turnout, Day said,
adding that the elections have never drawn
more than 20 percent of students to the
polls. Last year, 15.22 percent of students
voted in the primary elections.
A candidate fair will be held April 12
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the lawn be
tween Condon Hall and Chapman Hall. A
debate for executive candidates will take
place April 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the EMU
Fir Room.
— Jared Paben
ASUO 2004-05
ELECTION
CANDIDATES
The first name indicates the name
that will appear on the ballot at the
request of the candidate(s), and
the name in parentheses indicates
the full name as it appeared on the
candidate application.
• President/Vice President
Adam Petkun/Mena
Ravassipour
Ben and Diana
(Ben Strawn/Diana Aguilar)
Adrian T. Gilmore
Nikia Gutman (Nathan Trotta)
Nicholas Popenuk/Joseph
Giannetti
Tyler “The Crusher" Graf
(Tyler Graf)
Ben Brown
• ASUO Programs Finance
Senator, Seat 1
Kristen Clardy PSST
Eden Cortez PSST
• ASUO Programs Finance
Senator, Seat 2
Khanh Le PSST
Koushi Sunder (Koushalah
Sunder)
Turn to ASUO, page 4
PUNK THE VOTE
9MV
Danielle Hickey Photo Editor
NOFX member Fat Mike speaks to students in the EMU Amphitheatre Wednesday afternoon along with fellow band
member Eric Melvin (right) and former Dead Kennedys member Jello Biafra (middle) and Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba
(left). The musicians were at the University to increase voter turnout among college students as part of the Punkvoter
campaign. Punkvoter is a coalition of punk bands, labels and fans who oppose George W. Bush.
EWEB will
raise rates
to ensure
reliability
EWEB customers will face
a rate hike of about 4.6 percent
for electricity and 5.6 percent
for water, beginning this May
By Parker Howell
News Reporter
Eugene residents will see increases in
their electric and water service bills start
ing in May after the Eugene Water and
Electric Board's commissioners unani
mously approved rate hikes March 16.
Electric bills will rise about 4.6 percent
on average, but EWEB's 73,000 residential
customers will experience a higher in
crease of 6.6 percent because they com
prise the largest portion of the electric sys
tem, according to an EWEB press release.
Other customers will see increases above
or below the average.
A residential customer using about 1,000
kilowatt-hours a month will pay an addi
tional $4.41 per month after the rate hikes
take effect, according to the statement.
The electric rate increases are expected
to raise $7 million in revenues to maintain
and upgrade EWEB's network of power
poles, wires and substations, along with
the board's generating plants. Necessary
maintenance and upgrades to the system
were delayed after the 2001 energy crisis
reduced operating budgets.
EWEB spokesman Lance Robertson said
the maintenance is necessary to continue
electric service reliability, adding that
EWEB currently averages one outage every
two years per customer. He indicated a
lack of operating funds to maintain equip
ment has led to more problems.
"What we've been seeing over the last
few years is a slight slippage in reliability,"
Robertson said.
Robertson said in a press release that
Turn to EWEB, page 3
Men’s Center meetings cover health issues
The Men's Center aims
to break down stereotypes
and explore being a male
By Chelsea Duncan
Senior News Reporter
After nearly two years in opera
tion, the University Men's Center is
continuing to stress the impor
tance of breaking down male
stereotypes and challenging the
"myths of masculinity."
Students have the opportunity
during weekly meetings to explore
and discuss what it means to be
male in what directors call a "safe
place." From sex and relationships
to stress and depression, the topics
cover a variety of men's health as
pects, Men's Center Director David
Miller said.
"I think we're trying to raise
awareness of the contextual nature
of men's health," he said.
He explained that men learn
through socialization, which often
revolves around mainstream ideals
of masculinity.
"There's a wide range of possi
bilities when it comes to being
men," he said, adding that men
should feel comfortable living
"outside the masculine code."
Nontraditional Student Union
Director Steven Burns said the dis
cussions challenged stereotypes of
men as insensitive and uncaring.
Miller said both men and
women are encouraged to attend
the weekly meetings Thursdays
from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the EMU's
Nontraditional Student Union, be
ginning today in EMU 20.
"We really want to move away
from the idea that there are men's is
sues and women's' issues," he said.
Me said sexual assault, for exam
ple, is generally thought to be a
"women's issue," but it affects men
as well, which is why the center
will hold its second annual "Men
Against Sexual Assault" walk-a
thon April 28-29.
Ion Davies, a senior staff psychol
ogist with the University Counseling
and Testing Center, said the center
Turn to MEETINGS, page 4
WEATHER
LOW
33
HIGH
60
INSIDE
Campus buzz.4
Classifieds.15
Commentary..2
Crossword.15
Pulse.5
Sports.13
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