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Show W E B E R Men's soccer goes to nationals seepage 5 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2005 S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Signpost Starks defends bill veto This bill was initially written in response lo rumors that Justin Harper, WSU Student Association s c i e n e e had senator, written legislation to remove "special constituency" senate positions such as the African-American and disabilities positions. Harper said he merely wants to research the idea and he currently does not have an opinion on it. West's bill passed Oct. 17 in the student senate meeting with no opposition among senators. Starks then vetoed the bill, but his veto could be overturned if three-fourths of the senate votes for West's bill a second time. Starks said he is confident voting will now come out differently because he feels the senators are more informed now. During senate meeting, Starks said one reason he has for vetoing West's bill is that it's nearly impossible to eliminate a senate position in this new process because there Ryan Starks, WSU Student Association president (left), explains why he vetoed a bill are no students within a constituency proposed to protect special-constituency senate seats. A heated discussion followed who would "suddenly band together to his explanation as representatives from several minority constituencies attended the eliminate their representation." Starks also said if the senate wanted to meeting to show support for seat-protecting legislation. reorganizefiveyears down the road, it would appealed to the senators to re-vote on this be nearly impossible because the senate bill with the "diversity and history in mind would have no power to make changes to represented by the senate seats." Some the senate ifWest's bill passed. Starks said the term "special visitors asked for clarification, while others called Starks a "liar" and a "poor leader." One constituency senator" creates a divided senate. He refers to those positions as person asked, "How can we impeach you?" Those who attended the senate "non-college senate seats." This bill was meeting included 17 senators, 32 visitors designed to preserve those seats. Starks said he supports the student and five. WSU Department of Student senate's diversity, but wants to find other ways Involvement members. For those 54 total to maintain its strong and diverse nature. people, there were 51 available seats. Starks said the minority seat needed to James West, WSU Student Association By Chris Ripplinger be protected, but West's legislation was nonrradilional senator, sponsored the bill the • wrong"\\ayrtrcttj ii.••SoTne-semrtorscampus affairs editor I The Signpost BA05-6, which allows a constituency - a and guests said the bylaws obligated Constituency students and advisors group of students represented by a senator Starks to present an alternative, but the packed the senate meeting room as Ryan - to start the process of eliminating a bylaws do not actually say that. Starks, Weber State University Student senate seat if the constituency felt members Following Starks' reasons for vetoing the Association president, spoke Monday about no longer wanted senate representation. bill, a forum opened to all in attendance his reasons for vetoing a bill making it more This constituency would present a petition for comments and questions directed at difficult to eliminate a senate seat. with 51 percent of the constituency students Starks. Time was extended five times to During an open forum held at Shepherd voting against their senate position. A three- accommodate those that wanted to speak. Union Building Room 352, many visitors fourths vote from the student senate would who spoke opposed Starks1 decision and then eliminate the seat. See Defends page 9 Urban legends, spooky history loom on campus ^ see page 6 wsusignpost.com VOLUME 68 ISSUE 31 Muslim students raise funds for earthquake victims By Becky Palmer special assignments editor The Signpost The sundown celebration for breaking the Ramadan fast, known as iftaar, was darkened by sorrow Saturday in the Weber State University Diversity Center. The Muslim Student Association ofWSU gathered to raise funds for earthquake victims in Southeast Asia that evening. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook three major Muslim countries the morning of Oct. 8 is estimated to have killed more than 80,000 people and left 3.3 million more homeless. There may bo more than 32,000 dead children. Two WSU alumni, Salman Awall and Saleem Jan, are in Pakistan assisting with relief efforts. Awall has already delivered two truckloads of supplies, said Omar Alam, Muslim Student Association vice president The Muslim Student Association was gathering funds Saturday to be sent directly to Awall's Paypal account. Members had already collected money at six Utah mosques on Friday night, totaling $1,300. They hoped to reach $4,000 by Tuesday evening. "Children and elders are trapped underneath the rubble ami crying for our help," Alam said. There is a pressing IK'IXJ to provide aid quickly, before the Himalayan winter sets in. Doing so will be difficult because many roads are blocked by landslides and some villages are presently unreachable. Alam said during a video presentation that respect should be given to those "martyred in this month of Ramadan" in the earthquake. See Pakistan page 9 Senate meeting offers standing room only as bill supporters attend 1'MOTOHY MARIA VIILAMNOR ! II I! SJO.TOST Ayesha (born Chloe-Ann) Alam and her daughter Zara Shaheen Alam attend the Muslim Student Association's fund-raiser for victims of the earthquake in Pakistan. Ayesha is her Muslim name, and her husband, Omar Alam from Pakistan, is organizing the disaster relief fund. News Briefs State building board ranks WSU project sixth Weber State University's proposal to replace buildings 1 and 2 was ranked sixth by the Utah State Building Board after being presented last week. A S48 million digital learning center for Utah Valley State College ranked first and a $10 million new applied technology college in Vernal followed. WSU was placed lower than the third place Midway fish hatchery renovation, which hooked the board for $5 million, and a 192-bed, $20 million expansion of the Gunnison prison. The fish hatchery would HE D1DNT TUR His HOMEWO ON produce 225,000 pounds of fish that would reduce whirling disease, which causes fish to swim in circles. The building board uses a complex scoring system that compares each project's needs with available funding sources to decide where state money should go. Until the state officially sets aside money for a building budget, WSU will not know if being sixth on the list is enough to receive funding. It is projected that about $100 million will be given to the top priorities, meaning approximately four of the 23 projects will be built. Pulitzer Prize-winning author speaking today about Disney Mike Willden (right), a 26-year-old • manufacturing engineering student, adjusts wiring Monday on his Halloween display in Building 4. The display shows a masked man with ghoulish hands in a homemade electrical chair. When a button is pushed, the victim, ^ "Wendell," jumps up and down as though receiving an electric shock. Willden rigged the unit to emit sound effects of screaming and electric currents. "It was my pet project last year when I built it for a haunted garage at my parents' place," Willden said. Bill Clapp, WSU Computer and Electronics Engineering Technology chairman, invited Willden to set up the ; display, '• ' ; "Mike brings a certain spontaneity and excitement to our department/' Clapp said. The display is available for viewing until Thursday, and will be available again Tuesday in Building 4 across from Room 241a. What do corporate intrigue, egotistical leadership, money, scandal and a pair of black mouse ears have in common? Each plays a role in author lames B. Stewart's book, "Disney War." Stewart will speak today at noon in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater about the controversial business side of the Walt Disney Corp. Stewart recently published "Disney W.tr," dealing with the rollcT-cnaM'-r ride Disney CEO Michael Eisner has taken the company on. While Stewart's book credits Eisner for several companysaving decisions, it focuses on blunders made by the PKiu'v hierarchy, including opportunities the company passed up, including "The Lord of the Rings," "The Sopranos" and "Survivor." Stefanie Schulz, WSU Student Association vice president of arts and lectures, called Stewart's lecture "universally applicable." "All of us are influenced by advertising and marketing on some level," Schulz said. According to Schultz, Stewart's lecture fits into the Convocations' theme of "the inside story." Stewart won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his best-selling book "Den of Thieves," about the 1980s insider trading scandais on Wall Street. |