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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2004)
An independent newspaper http://www.dailyemerald.com Thursday, April 29, 2004 Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Volume 105, Issue 144 Board votes to ban tobacco sales in Erb Essentials EMU Director Dusty Miller says the convenience store will be tobacco-free in the fal as per the recommendationl By Moriah Balingit News Reporter The long debated question of whether or not Erb Essentials should sell tobacco products was finally set tled Wednesday when the EMU Board voted to ban tobacco sales in the EMU. Officially, the EMU Board's vote is only a recommendation to EMU Director Dusty Miller. But Miller said after the meeting that he will follow through with the recommendation. "We will open fall term not selling cigarettes," he said. The Campus Advisory Board, a University Health Center group that works to educate students about smoking, launched its campaign April 19 to ban tobacco sales on campus when it presented to both the EMU Board and the ASUO Sen ate its proposal to end tobacco sales in the EMU. The presentations inspired a fiery debate, with some calling the plan "paternalistic." EMU Food Service Director John Costello, who was present at the meeting Wednesday, explained the potential financial impact of the ban. I le said tobacco sales won't be the only revenue lost but also "secondary sales," or purchases made by customers in ad dition to tobacco products. "We're looking theoretically at $100,000 in lost sales," he said, which would result in about $25,000 in lost revenue. Costello added that he has been doing research — via student surveys and looking at how other universities have dealt with similar bans — to find products that could replace the tobac co revenue. Sushi was one of the pro posed replacement products. Some of the board members expressed concerns about the financial well-being of the store, but EMU Board Chairwoman Christa Shively said that this should not be a concern. "I trust (John Costello's) entrepre neurial skill,” she said. Board member Slade Leeson felt it was the board's obligation to provide services the students want. "I feel like that by selling tobacco we provide a service students want," he said. "Why have this student build ing when we can't give them the serv ices they want?" Despite the objections, the decision passed 8-4 to the jubilant applause of supporters. Board member Ethan Firpo said he felt the board's decision set a bad precedent. "We have to be careful when we try to protect other people's health be cause you have to ask when do we overstep the bounds of personal free doms," he said after the meeting. Board member Brandon Rhodes, who voted in favor of the ban, was pleased with the result. "I think it's an excellent step toward a smoke-free campus and therefore the freedom from second-hand smoke in public areas," he said. Contact the people/ culture/faith reporter at moriahbalingit@dailyemerald.com. ASUO voter turnout reflects wider trend ASUO government members are trying to establish ways to reach more student voters By Jared Paben Senior News Reporter College-age voters are a dying breed. On the University campus and across the nation, statistics reveal a noticeable de cline in college-age voter participation. _ Here, few PART 2 OF 2 Wednesday: Low voter turnout worries ASUO Today: Causes and solutions to voter apathy er than one of 10 students cast a bal lot for ASUO elections last week, a percentage that falls short of the already-low turnout rate for 18 to 24-year olds in local, state and federal elections. Both the causes and solutions to this trend are elusive, although many ASUO leaders say the solutions may come with an outreach program informing students about the ASUO's importance. Even then, leaders disagree over who is responsible for coordinating those out reach programs. Members of the ASUO Elections Board say they aren't responsible for increasing voter turnout, but ASUO President-elect Adam Petkun said the Elec tions Board coordinator should pick up the slack for increasing voter awareness outside the election season. Causes of low turnout Many student government leaders be lieve non-voting students are aware of elections and know how to vote but sim ply don't care about voting. Others said non-voters feel voting is pointless because they believe ASUO doesn't do anything. ASUO Student Senate President Ben Strawn said students fail to see changes from one ASUO administration to the next and assume student government is inconsequential. Turn to VOTERS, page 4 A DAY WITH DAVE Lauren Wimer Senior Photographer Journalism major Stacey MacFarlane watches as University President Dave Frohnmayer signs a few papers among the piles. MacFarlane was chosen by lottery through the Student Alumni Relations Board to spend a day with Frohnmayer. Ethics Week addresses public’s perceptions of media The week’s events are intended to promote relations between the media and the general public By Chelsea Duncan Senior News Reporter Media credibility has taken a few hits on a na tional scale recently, which is why members of the University's Society of Professional Journal ists chapter say it's more important than ever to educate students and community members about media ethics. The group is hosting "Ethics Week," which kicks off today and is intended to promote ethics in the professional world of journalism. University SPJ Publicity Chairman Tirn Ri naker said he hopes the week will help build a more misting relationship between the media and the public. "A lot of people just are inherently mistrusting of the mass media," he said, adding that people think "there's always more than meets the eye." The series of events lasts through May 6, when Los Angeles Times Editor John Carroll will give the keynote speech at the 2004 Ruhl Lecture. The event is sponsored by the School of Journal ism and Communication. Tonight's event is a panel discussion about ethical practices in radio news. Journalism school Associate Dean Al Stavitsky, along with other professionals from the field, will be part of the panel. Stavitsky authored an ethics guide commis sioned by the Corporation for Public Broad casting, and a new edition was published in January. Stavitsky said the increase in techno logical news sources, including the Internet, bring even more questions about media ethics to the table. Add to that the recent media scan dals, such as The New York Times' Jayson Blair incident, and faith continues to fall. "This is a time when the public is very skepti cal of journalists and their motives," he said, adding that it's important for news organiza tions to "put their ethics on the line." Stavitsky's media guide, "Independence and Integrity II," can be viewed online at http://www.cpb.org/radio/ethicsguide. Students with questions or comments about the Emerald's practices this year will have the chance to speak with Emerald Managing Editor Jan Tobias Montry at Tuesday's public forum. Oregon Commentator Editor in Chief Timothy Dreier, I he Insurgent Editor Jack Grocihsso and Duck U TV's Cascene Gibson will also join the panel to discuss ethical issues journalists face as they work in a student community, according to an SPJ press release. University journalism Professor Tom Bivins, who teaches media ethics, said one of the key reasons people distrust the media is because news organizations are not being responsible when it comes to distinguishing between edito rial content and actual news. "Look at what passes as news today," he said. Opinions and news are often mixed into broad cast programs making it difficult to tell them apart, he added. Bivins said this practice makes the media less credible because people feel opinions and news Turn to ETHICS, page 3 WEATHER LOW 38 HIGH 75 INSIDE Campus buzz.3 Crossword.15 Classifieds.15 Pulse.5 Commentary.2 Sports.13 NEXT ISSUE How men can help prevent sexual assault
