Oregon makes advances in nanotechnology I 5A
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Since 1900 | Volume 106, Issue 41 | Friday, October 22, 2004
ASUO Senate says it violated law
i he organization admits members consumed illegal
substances at a finance retreat in Sunriver
BY PARKER HOWELL
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
Numerous ASUO members violated
Oregon Administrative Rules and the
Student Conduct Code when they
drank alcohol and smoked marijuana
during the 2004 fall finance retreat in
Sunriver, prompting student govern
ment leaders to write letters of apolo
gy and discuss potential disciplinary
actions, a panel of ASUO officials told
the Emerald on Thursday.
In a letter released today to the stu
dent body, retreat attendees wrote that
they “deeply apologize for the actions
of a few participants” during the week
end event, which was supposed to be
alcohol-free in accordance with
Oregon Administrative Rules.
Thirty-nine ASUO members attend
ed the Oct. 8-10 retreat, including rep
resentatives of the ASUO Executive,
Student Senate, Programs Finance
Committee, EMU Board of Directors,
Athletic Department Finance Commit
tee and ASUO Controllers Office. Sen
ate President James George would not
say which student government offi
cials violated the laws or to which
groups they belonged. He also refused
to disclose the number of people
involved.
“We basically found out through the
chain of command that the drinking
that was involved transcended multi
ple groups,” George said.
“One thing that we wanted to stray
away from was pointing fingers at any
one particular person,” George said.
“We all took responsibility for the ac
tions because that’s what we are — we
are all leaders — and because we
were there.”
George said an “informal” investiga
tion after the retreat revealed that par
ticipants, including minors, had con
sumed “illegal substances.” He also
said the ASUO office received a faxed
copy of an “immature” letter that was
left in one of the five houses program
participants rented from Sunset Realty
of Sunriver.
ASUO Vice President Mena Ravas
sipour said the police were not called
to the retreat.
Student Judicial Affairs Coordinator
Chris Loschiavo said some of the con
duct currently falls under OAR Article 5,
Section 571, Division 21 of the Student
Conduct Code, which says campus liv
ing organizations and recognized
groups are responsible for compliance
with the Student Conduct Code. The
code mandates that people of legal
drinking age may only drink or possess
alcohol in areas designated by the Uni
versity president and forbids underage
drinking at University activities.
The infractions occurred after all
day workshops on the new ASUO
budget process, George said.
“This was ... after there were an
nouncements that this was to be a
ASUO, page 5A
★ AMERICA VOTES 2004 ★
Soft money is gone, but 527 groups fund campaigns
Unlimited contributions by interest groups were
banned in 2002, but 527 groups remain a major force
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
, NEWS REPORTER
Money talks. At least the U.S.
Supreme Court seems to think so. In
1976, the high court ruled in Buckley
v. Valeo that money spent for politi
cal purposes is a form of
speech covered by
the First Amend
ment.
While restric
tions on the
amount of
donations
from differ
ent classifica
tions of ™r>
tributors have
since been put
in place, some
experts and
elected officials
say there is
need for further
campaign finance reform because the
1976 court decision has made it easy
for groups not officially affiliated with
a party to funnel unlimited amounts
of cash to either of the two major po-^
litical parties.
“Money, like water going downhill,
finds a way to get to its destination,”
said Cal Jillson, a political science
professor at Southern Methodist M
University. “You can shut off one M
W avenue but the mi
next one opens AI
up" m
Before unlimited fund raising by
the two major parties was banned
through the McCain-Feingold legisla
tion enacted in 2002, Jillson said so
called “soft money” from unions, cor
porations
and polit
ical
interest groups was a major player in
cam pa gn finance.
“Soft money” no longer exists, but
the recent reforms have spawned un
foreseen implementations in the form
of 527 groups. Named
after a section in the
U.S. tax
code that
a 1 -
MM
lows them to operate tax free, the
groups are not covered in the Mc
Cain-Feingold legislative restrictions
and are consequently playing a
prominent role in the 2004 elections,
Jillson said.
America Coming Together is one of
the largest 527 groups, with a budget
estimated at $135 million, according
to Scott Ballo, ACT’s chief commu
nications director in Ore
gon.
Although 527 groups like
ACT are prohibited from co
ordinating directly
with a political
party, Jillson said
they can still
have consider
able influence
j on political
B campaigns.
IB “Most people
ipf who are interest
W ed in a clean and
I open electoral
I process remain
I worried that inter
I ested money is ex
ercising undue in
fluence,” Jillson said.
As long as a 527
FINANCE, page 6A
Democrats' total
contributions:
Republicans' total
contributions:
Top Individual Contributors
Canizaro, Joseph C
and Sue Ellen
Solidly
Republican
$280,000
\ Cooper, Jeffrey S
Solidly
Democratic
$257,500
tabian, Alan B.
and Jacqueline M
Solidly
Republican
$242,350
Strongly
Republican
$230,150
Buttenwieser, Peter
and Terry M.
Strongly
Democratic
$227,000
Graph Source: opensecrets.org
Control of actions central
in Ramadan celebrations
The Islamic holiday began Oct 15 and encorages participants
to refrain from activities such as sexual relations and swearing
BY CANELA WOOD
NEWS REPORTER
ust before sunset Sunday, members of the
University’s Muslim community gathered
in the EMU’s International Student Lounge
carrying dishes of pastas, chicken, dates, cook
ies, meat pies and soda to share with the
others.
Beginning at sunset, a member of the group
made the call to prayer, allowing the 20 Univer
sity students and faculty in attendance to break
their daily fasts. After having juice and a date,
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Timo
thy Gianotti led the group in prayer. The room
was silent as they removed their shoes and
lined up behind Gianotti, a row of men fol
lowed by a row of women, standing on cloths
that had been laid on the ground. Following the
prayer, everyone joined in eating their first meal
of the day, the first since a small pre-dawn meal
they had before 6 a.m., said Gianotti.
The gathering was a part of the month-long
Islamic celebration of Ramadan, which began
Oct. 15. During the daylight hours, Muslims
don’t eat, drink, swear, fight or have sexual re
lations, said Khadija Al-Rafeea, who is here
from Bahrain as a part of the Fulbright
exchange program.
“We do it to be in the shoes of the poor and
to control your life,” said Al-Rafeea, “We con
trol our own lives for a change instead of letting
things control us ... Once a year you get in con
trol of daily pleasures, instead of them
RAMADAN, page 4A
Danielle Hickey | Photo editor
Professor Timothy Gianotti, middle, looks on as Ayub Khawreen offers Khadija Al-Rafeea a date after their fast
for Ramadan on Sunday evening in the EMU International Student Lounge.