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Women earn NCAA berth Page 7
Wednesday, June 2, 2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 167
Students
fill 12 jobs
inASUO
Executive
ASUO President Adam Petkun
also is making many structural
changes to the administration
By Jared Paben
Senior News Reporter
ASUO President Adam Petkun hired 12
students to work as staff members in his
2004-2005 ASUO Executive administra
tion and reopened the application process
for three positions in hopes of attracting a
larger pool of applicants.
Although many of the newly hired ap
plicants are returning ASUO interns or
staff members, Petkun said they are experi
enced and not just ASUO insiders. They
will bring fresh perspectives to next year's
Executive and will listen to the needs of
the public, he said.
"We're really excited that our staff is very
experienced, whether they are returning in
different roles on staff or from the intern
class, which has been a great resource to de
velop leaders on this campus," Petkun said.
"One thing you'll notice — these aren't peo
ple who have been in the same positions
year after year after year. These are people
who are bringing in new insights to the
ASUO, but also have broad experience out
side working with different communities."
Petkun also introduced some changes
to the structure of the Executive staff.
First, Petkun created both state and fed
eral advocate positions to help reduce the
cost of tuition by lobbying for more state
and federal funding, which was part of
Petkun and ASUO Vice President Mena
Ravassipour's election platform. The State
Affairs coordinator position will be filled
by Amy DuFour, and the Federal Affairs
coordinator position will be filled by Ash
ley Rees. Both have previous experience in
the ASUO.
This past year, only a single "legislative
Turn to ASUO, page 3
Enabled learning
A rollin' success
Freshman Eli Ettinger says spina bifida, a debilitating birth defect, doesn't stop him from living a normal life
Eli Ettinger
exercises at
Hayward Field
on Sunday
morning.
Tim Bobosky
Photographer
PART 2 OF 4
Tuesday: Freshman biology major Meghan Briggs, who is studying to
be a genetic counselor, uses various tools to accommodate her
blindness.
Today: Living with spina bifida doesn’t keep freshman Eli Ettinger
from competing in wheelchair racing.
Thursday: Psychology major Rick King, 47, is legally deaf but
returned to college last year after more than 20 years.
Friday: Jessica Wyant, a student with attention-deficit disorder,
dyslexia and auditory discrimination, receives tutoring from other
University students.
By Chelsea Duncan
Senior News Reporter
niversity freshman Eli Ettinger
sits with his hands in his lap,
pondering his life experiences.
The sunlight reflects off his silver sun
glasses, making it difficult to see his eyes.
He looks around campus and remains
quiet for a while.
"It was a struggle overall," he said.
"But I just did everything I could to suc
ceed."
The 19-year-old from Beaverton was
born with spina bifida, a permanently
debilitating birth defect caused when the
spine fails to close properly during the
first month of pregnancy.
Ettinger said he has no sensation be
low his knee caps. For most of his life, he
has used a lightweight titanium wheel
chair that glides easily along the campus
sidewalks. He leaves anyone walking
around him in the dust.
And Ettinger doesn't just leave walkers
behind, he's known to leave his wheel
chair-using companions chasing after
him as well.
Turn to ELI, page 3
High court upholds physician-assisted suicide law
Attorney General John Ashcroft
challenges assisted suicide, which
he says serves no ‘medical purpose’
By Parker Howell
News Reporter
A federal appeals court upheld Oregon's
Death With Dignity Act on May 26, countering
efforts by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft
to stop doctors from prescribing lethal doses of
medication to terminally ill patients.
The 2-1 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals in San Francisco is the second decision
against the "Ashcroft Directive," which declares
that physician-assisted suicide violates the Con
trolled Substances Act of 1970. The court found
that Ashcroft exceeded his authority in issuing
the directive.
The 2001 directive states that assisted sui
cide serves no "legitimate medical purpose"
and violates the act's clause prohibiting physi
cians from dispensing drugs without a legiti
mate purpose.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jones of Portland
ruled against the directive in April 2002, issuing
an injunction against enforcement of the direc
tive and allowing assisted suicides to continue.
The 9th Circuit Court upheld the injunction,
arguing that Ashcroft lacked congressional au
thority and that the directive violates the lan
guage of the Controlled Substances Act.
The Justice Department has 45 days to ap
peal the decision before a larger 9th Circuit
Court panel or 90 days to petition the U S.
Supreme Court.
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers said
the decision is a clear victory for Oregon and
other states, ensuring their role as primary me
dial policymakers.
'Toda/ s ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Ap
peals affirms my steadfast position that the
states have independent authority to determine
the scope of legitimate medical practice," Myers
said in a press release.
Scott Swenson, executive director of the Death
With Dignity National Center, a Washington,
D.C.-based advocacy group, said he was
"ecstatic" about the long-awaited ruling.
Turn to LAW, page 4
WEATHER
INSIDE
Campus buzz.12 Horoscope.11
Classifieds.11 Pulse.5
Commentary.2 Sports.7
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