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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2004)
NRO NETWORK FOR REPRODUCTIVE OPTIONS - abortion information, referral and funding - self-health slide show and workshops Volunteer opportunities available PO Box 10894 Eugene, OR 97440 Hotline: (541)513-6607 Office: (541) 345-5702 VOTERS continued from page 1 "I think students have a real hard time seeing what student government does for them," Strawn said. "I don't think student government does a good job of having a local direct im pact on campus, and 1 think that's why students don't participate." ASUO Elections Board Publicity Coordinator Nathan Strauss echoed those sentiments. "I think it's a lack of knowledge about what's going on — a misunder standing about how the ASUO affects them," he said. Strauss also said students see low turnouts and their peers' unwilling ness to vote and conclude that voting doesn't matter. Procrastinating? Just got your financial aid? Time s running out to buy your Spring term textbooks so here’s a little incentive: CHECK OUT OUR STOREWIDE CD SALE 20% off ALL music From Ani & Bitch and Animal to Zap Mama! ON SALE THROUGH 5/15/04 a Mother Kali’s 720 E. 13th Avenue across from Sacred Heart Open 10-6 Mon-Sat (541) 343-4864 r Current ASIJO President Maddy Melton said students don't vote be cause politicians don't represent their interests, but politicians don't represent students because students don't vote. While University political scientist and survey researcher Joel Bloom agreed that students feel voting is pointless, he pointed to other factors outside ASUO's control. First, he said a lack of partisanship is partly to blame for 10 to 15 percent voting turnouts on many college campuses. "People, generally speaking, know what parties stand for," Bloom said, adding that without parties, many don't know where candidates stand. Second, turnouts on campus are low because people tend to vote in places where they feel deep roots, and many students don't see campus as a permanent home, Bloom said. Curtis Gans, 27-year director of the Washington, D.C.-based Committee for the Study of the American Elec torate, said there are many reasons young people nationwide avoid the vote. He said it can be blamed on everything from a decline in civic edu cation in schools and newspaper readership to the failure of political parties to mobilize youth. He also cit ed the erosion of trust in government. Petkun said some students are just impossible to reach. "There are a few people that are kind of proud of apathy," Petkun said. But, those people are going to exist everywhere, but it's still important to try and serve them." Elusive solutions Many student government leaders agree that a solution to low voter turnout may come through outreach PERCENT TURNOUT 50 40 30 20 10 0 ELECTION RESULTS ■ GENERAL ELECTION □ PRIMARY ELECTION * * Emerald archived stories failed to differentiate between general and primary election when providing these numbers for spring election turnouts. /^#/###/#^//# YEAR RESEARCH: Jared Paben SOURCE: Emerald Archives, ASUO Elections Board, Oregon Bluebook J programs educating students about the ASlIO's importance. But, even then, disagreement exists over who should be doing it. Elections Board members Stephanie Day and Strauss spent many hours coordinating publicity for this year's elections, but they said that's not enough. They simply can't change students' attitudes about the ASUO in the few months before elec tions, Strauss said. Day said the solution rests in the hands of the ASUO president, vice president and ASUO Student Senate. Strauss agreed, saying ASUO lead ers need to reach out to students, but he stopped short of labeling the lack of outreach as a shortfall of past ad ministrations. "There's only so much flyering and advertisements you can do," Strauss said. "People see it, but you can't force them to vote... That comes from deeper than just publicity. That's going to come ODDBALLS ARE NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING! It's spring again! This means we need to clear out our odds and ends to make way for our fabulous new collections. LACOSTE and more! SALE April 1 9 - May 1 30% to 70% off £ B O U X www.boux.com All sales are final • No returns or exhanges • Sale merchandise sold as is 2827 °ak • Eugene*Southtowne Shoppes* 10:30-5:30 Mon.-Fri./11-4 Sat.*541.485.4891 from an administration that makes it a priority to outreach to students, and it takes time for that to happen." Petkun said voter turnouts are very important to both himself and Vice President-elect Mena Ravassipour. They will help brainstorm ideas for the elec tions coordinator for increasing voter turnout, but the coordinator is respon sible for increasing voter awareness out side of elections season, he said. But Petkun pointed out that even outreach is not perfect. He knocked on countless doors in Eugene neigh borhoods before ASUO elections this year, but even that met with limited success, he said. Petkun said the solution to low vot er turnout is not simple. Even with outreach, it's difficult to reach stu dents, especially those who are not members of groups. "I guess there is no silver bullet," Petkun said. "We're looking for it, but we don't know what it is." Contact the campus/ federal politics reporter atjaredpaben@dailyemerald.com. UO International Studies Summer 2004 Course Offerings INTL 250 Value Systems in Cross-Cultural Perspective June 21—July 15, Prof. Proudfoot INTL 251 Cooperation, Conflict, and Global Resources June 14—18, Prof. Wooten INTL 407/507 Cross-Cultural Images of Childhood in Film June 21—July 2, Prof. Carpenter INTL 407/507 Indian Society through Film June 14—18, Prof. Weiss INTL 407/507 Southeast Asian Society Through Film June 21—July 2, Prof. Carpenter INTL 407/507 Women’s Movements Around the World July I 9—29, Prof. Weiss INTL 407/507 International Adoption July 17—18, Prof. Carpenter INTL 410/510 Global Media and Culture July 19—August 12, Prof. Mezahav INTL 410/510 Arab Israeli Conflict -AuiSst 12, Prof. Mezahav Itural Survival Proudfoot INTL 432/53 Indigenous I 6-1 92 Oregon Daily Emerald PO. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 The Oregon Daily Emerald is pub lished daily Monday through Friday during the school year by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Ino., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.The Emerald operates inde pendently of the University with of fices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private prop erty. The unlawful removal or use of < •paRirs is proeecutablftby law. ... NEWSROOM — (541)346-5511 Editor in chief: Brad Schmidt Managing editor: Jan Tobias Montry Freelance editor: Jennifer Sudick News editors: Jennifer Marie Bear, Ayisha Vahya Senior news re porters: Chelsea Duncan, Jared Paben News reporters: Moriah Balingit, Lisa Catto, Parker Howell, Steven Neuman Pulse editor: Aaron Shakra Senior Pulse reporter: Ryan Nyburg Pulse reporter: Natasha Chilingerian Pulse columnists: Helen Schumacher, Carl Sundberg Sports editor: Hank Hager Senior sports reporter: Mindi Rice Sports reporters: Jon Roetman, Alex Tam Editorial editor: Travis Willse Columnists: Peter Hockaday, Dayi(1 Jagernauth, Marissa Jones, Chuck Slothower Illustrators: Steve Baggs, Eric Layton Design editor: Tanyia Johnson Senior designer: Sean Hanson Designers: Killian Mcllroy, Kira Park Photo editor: Danielle Hickey Senior photographer: Lauren Wi nter Photographer: Tim Bobosky Part-time photographers: Adam Amato, Erik R. Bishoff Copy chiefs: Kim Chapman, Rebekah Hearn Copy editors: Tarah Campi, Stefanie Contreras, Jeannie Evers, Alicia Gesner, Paul J Thompson Online editor: Erik R. Bishoff Webmaster: Eric Lav ton BUSINESS — 346-5512 General manager: Judy Riedl . Business gianpger: Kathy Carbone Receptionist: Rebecca Critchett Distribution: Caron Alarab, Megan Anderson, John Long, Matt O’Brien, Mike Schapira, Ben Turner ADVERTISING — DISPLAY 346-3712 CLASSIFIED 346-4343 Director: Melissa Gust Sales manager: Michelle Chan Sales representatives: Army Feth, Patrick Gilligan, Megan Hamlin, Kim Humphries, Alex Hurliman, Tyler Mack, Shannon Rogers, Katherine Vague Assistant: Thomas Redditt Classilied advertising associates: Liz Carson, Liz Conant, Sabrina Gowette, Keri Spangler PRODUCTION — 346-4381 Manager: Michele Ross Production coordinator: Tara Sloan Designers: Jen Cramlet, Kristen Dicharry, Matt Graff, Andy Hol(and, Marissa Jones, Jonah Schrogin . , , , . ,
