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Show Running backs push through to win See page 6 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 TheO Signpost # WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY . Laptops in class: Nuisance or helpful? See page 4 wsusignpost.com VOLUME 69 ISSUE 18 Non-trad students and staff fill in until new director hired By Jenalee Berger correspondent | The Signpost Statues, paintings, gumball machines and more included Something important has been missing in the Weber State University Non-traditional Student Center this fall: It hasn't had a coordinator sinc6 the summer. In the spring, the previous coordinatorjenifer Grandi, became the assistant clean of students at the WSU-Davis Campus. Carol Merrill became temporary coordinator, but resigned during the summer due to health reasons. With no director, the senator and other employees have had to step up and help plan the activities for the non-traditional students. See Non-traditional page ByJ Marko Zivkovic sr. news reporter | The Signpost Most Weber State University students, even the freshman, have probably noticed at least one of the strange works of art in conspicuous places on campus. This weekend, why not take a "funky art" tour of all the unique, and sometimes disturbing, expressions of creativity that call theWSU main campus home. The Modern-Art Weathervanes Start the tour at these sculptures, located between the Student Service Center and the Shepherd Union Building. Walking by them on a normal day is curious enough, but to understand why they've stuck around on campus for so long, try to catch them on a day when the wind pushes them into action. On the way to the math building from the weathervanes, it might be worth a stop in the David 0.' McKay Education Building to see some of the paintings there. Several of them are interesting and well done, but don't qualify as weird enough to get their own heading.Thesamegoes for the international mural in the foreign language department's Building 1 study lounge. I'/ . See Funky art page 5 News in brief Enrollment numbers being reviewed by regents The third-week, fail-enrollment numbers of Utah colleges and universities were sent to the state's Board of Regents, which governs over higher-education institutions. Although in past years Weber State University has independently released those numbers, the Board of Regents has requested all of those figures in order to review and verify the numbers. The official results should be released Oct. 10. According to Amanda Covington, the board's communication director, the enrollment numbers remained flat, more or less. In the past two years, WSU's total enrollment numbers have dropped. From the highest enrollment rate in fall 2003 of 18,821, the number fell ...to 18,498 in fall-2004 and 18,142-in fall 2005. Recently renovated gym is dedicated with activities ih- , -ft* / i I'HOTOS RY TRICIA GERRARD | THF S1CNPOST (Above) Asmat Bis Poles in the Kimball Visual Arts Center are seen from the main entrance. (Inset) A gumball vending machine in Building 4. The Swenson Gymnasium was officially dedicated Tuesday with a program which included a variety of presentations. A video was shown with various aspects of the newly renovated gym highlighted and recognizing the gym's donors for various contributions. The WSU marching band performed the university fight song for those in attendance. Chair Jack Loughton of the Health Promotion and Human Performance Department spoke at the dedication along with Dean Jack Rasmussen, of the College of Education andWSU President F Ann Millner. C. William Stromberg, for whom the Stromberg Health Center was named, rang the victory bell to commemorate the occasion. The dedication came after months of renovation that transformed the gym to an academic facility. New classrooms, faculty offices, teaching laboratories and an elevated track were added; the pool is being revamped. "I feel that the gym is a beautiful facility," said Ashley Emerson, a WSU art major who works at the gym. "What it offers to students and the community is really great." STUDENT SENATE Student senator suggests removing voting quotas Election-number minimums could discourage candidates By James Elmer sr. news reporter | The Signpost Weber State University Education Senator Brett Jones is spearheading a bill to ban quotas in elections. The bill is set up to ban "any minimum quota or percentage for the number of votes necessary to gain any office" in the WSU Student Association government, according to Jones' proposal. "This is one of the problems with the electoral process," Jones said. The bill stems from an experience he had while he'was running for the student senate. "I was explaining to my constituents while 1 was running that I not only had to win the vote," Jones said, "I also had to meet a quota." Instead of winning the election by gaining the most votes, rules also require students to gain a minimum amount of votes depending on the constituency That's somethinghe said many individuals in his constituency felt is undemocratic in nature. The bill, which should be voted on in the senate next Monday, states "voting quotas have been established in previous elections as an attempt to increase student consensus in the election of student government members." However, appointing a person to office as a solution in the case of low-voter turnout is worse than the problem itself, according to Jones' legislation. Though WSU Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator Jason Stout said he has mixed feelings about the bill, he still supports it. "As long as we get senators in the mode to do their jobs," he said, "a committee shouldn't have to appoint a member of the senate. That should be up to the constituents." WSU-Davis Campus Senator Jim Wests said he opposes the bill in principle, but does recognize that elections at WSU need improvement. He said the bill is only the beginning of a long road to tackle election issues at WSU. "There are too many problems with the elections process here at Weber State," West said. "Getting people to vote is a big problem here at Weber State." Duringthe2005-2006studentelections, only 7.5 percent of students turned out to vote, a number that Honors/BIS Senator Brad Wahlstrom recently called "appalling." WSU Health Professions Senator Destry East agreed with West, which is the reason both he and Wahlstrom have proposed their own piece of legislation to fix the problem. "It's a necessary step in the right direction," East said. "A lot of people were worried about it hurting the elections, but I don't think so." Wahlstrom also said he supports the bill. "It's hard to predict the future," he said, adding that he hopes Jones's See cQQ Senate con,* n page ^nn 5c PHOTOS BY BRICE KELSCH | THE SIGNPOST (Right to left) Weber State University Student Association Health Professions Senator Destry East stands to speak during the Student Senate meeting Sept. 18, as ' Education Senator Brett Jones and Davis Campus Senator James West listen. During' t h a t meeting Jones proposed a bill to eliminate voter quotas during elections. |