| OCR Text |
Show MoftdAy, Fcbuuury 22, 19M EDITORIAL ASUU primaries: imsighiiul fiasco For most intents and purposes, last week's ASUU primary election was of little use. Due to various irregularities in the election process, this week's final election will offer University of Utah students a crowd of political parties. The Chronicle supports the unorthodox final election. It's the only fair solution to the ASUU primary election hodgepodge. Aside from the primary election chaos last week, a number of rules were violated. Specifically, it is illegal to change rules halfway through an election. This happened when 156 students were allowed to vote for two parties. Midway through the day, rules were changed to limit voters to one party. Elections Registrar Elliot Lawrence and all the parties except Who Cares? agreed to count te ballots, with each of the selected parties receiving one vote. Nonetheless, there is no real way to tell how the ballot choice of two parties may lewmecisT'Ami, two-vo- Kent Anderson have skewed election results. That is why four or five political parties may run in the final election this week. As it stands, Active '88, Who Cares?, Absolutely 4 U. and a previously unknown write-i- n Elections take their toll party, X, will run. The Students' Party has not yet committed itself to a decision. It may be tempting to heap abuse on the whole bureaucratic mess, It would be easy to compare these elections with those in any Latin American country. But the fact is, it's now even more important for U. students to vote in the ASUU finals. It's a chance to stand up for what is valued and expected from the student government. Irregularities ran rampant through the primary election process. For example, Lawrence disqualified the Students' Party for being six minutes late Thursday in filing a financial disclosure. He said it was a violation procedures. ofelections Assembly candidates from other parties also failed to meet the disclosure deadline, but Lawrence only announced the Students' Party's disqualification. Tlie other parties also nearly violated elections rules. However, none received fines or disqualifications. The most common and perverse verbal twist on ASUU is Ass-This is an apt description, especially when you consider what has gone on this election. There have been 'screwed-u- p ballots, gratuitous candidates who mistake charges and counter-charge- s, laissez-fair- e for nobility and otherwise high schoolish candidates with the wrong parties and colleges. But, regardless of the errors, something postive has eked through: the '88 ASUU elections maelstrom allows U. students a rare opportunity of hindsight. We've seen how the different parties react to pressure and conflict. We also have more time to tear apart their run off, more platforms and, with a five-paralternatives to contrast ideologies against. This week's final election, if executed correctly, will give students the chance to start on a clean slate. And the candidates have put plenty on the board for us to study. ty Chronicle The Aj7v Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and and quarter spring quarters, excluding test weeks Council. Publications the University breaks, by Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student bodv or the administration, Subscriptions are $25 a year", $10 an academic quarter. AH subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription corresto the Buspondence, including change of address, 240 Union, Chronicle, Utah Daily iness Manager, 841 12. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah ut mini-tram- goings-o- n. The clumsy way things have been handled and the candidates' duplicit egos have made this an election either to treasure fondly as an oddity or to wipe forever from your memory. It has, quite frankly, been a fiasco. Where the blame lies is useless to discuss. Any criticism of this nature would surely come off as a set of personal attacks, and in certain instances would be nothing but. What is useful to discuss, however, is whether this extended stupidity takes a real toll. And I was all ready to say that the toll was extreme I was prepared to rake the idiots over the coals, peel the charred skin from their bones and hang it up for your perusal. You see, after covering these elections for even this short month has made me ill. Mention the letters "ASUU" and my head contracts, my stomach knots and my eyes begin to ache. Start to talk about parties and platforms, and you have a mental and physical seizure on your hands. So I had the attitude. I had the facts. I had the names. I had the skill. Then, something happened. A friend of mine, who is also very involved with the elections, was with me Friday to watch the recounting of the ballots. It was a grueling five-hoprocess, but it was handled well music was played, pizza was eaten and, in the wake of the stressful primary election night, moods were generally good. In fact, moods were so good that people listened to Three Dog Night. One candidate sat around cracking jokes and slapping backs. Another candidate led a batallion of weary souls on a Panorama Room trek to see the glorious sunset. When the results were finally tabulated and ready to be announced, everyone seemed relaxed, at least resigning themselves that this was finally it. And when the announcements were made and accepted, laughter and general ebullience erupted. This camaraderie was nice to see after all the and aspersion-castin- g of the prior weeks. And my friend is right to celebrate this change of atmosphere but it only goes so far. full-blo- The Who Cares? Party could have been threatened with disqualification for having a live band perform on the Marriott Plaza. The Active '88 Party may have violated rules by soliciting votes in the Union Building Thursday afternoon. Other elections faux pas include improper election banners and identifying Assembly While the 20-2-5 people in that room may have been a bit happier than before, so many others are still angry and disgusted by the whole process. They for the Audi crowd, a still see ASUU as a hide-op to a resume and a place of fools and dandies. And they weren't around to see the happier side of candidates, journalists and elections committee members, the brief flash of spirit and humanity. And even if they had been present, the ramifications of this small moment are miniscule, especially when you look at the larger picture. During this election, I have witnessed friends distrust friends, lovers alienate lovers and enemies entrust enemies. People who would have otherwise never known each other not only know each other now, but downright despise each other. I have seen ideals compromised for the sake of a for brighter political future, candidates the sake of fulfilling personal vendettas and the truth .stretched because it then provides such good cover. And all for what? Power in ASUU? U. back-stabb- C'mon. I have also seen the student body grow even more disenchanted with the people and processes of ASUU. While this may ultimately be good, a burgeoning seed of change, current apathy seems impossible to budge. And I have also seen vast amounts of money spent and human effort wasted on the elections process. Why not donate half of it to set up a scholarship fund? Why not work this hard to lobby the Legislature now? Why not start up a food drive for the hungry downtown? You might think that I, as a journalist, find this ASUU "I want it, I want it" game quite enjoyable, even entertaining. To the contrary, I find the whole thing repulsive to the extreme. Candidates seem unaware that while they're pushing hard for that position in Ass U., the people they've promised to. help are removing themselves from reach. This is the ultimate folly, and a major reason why everyone involved next year should try and at least run a sane election. Or they may as well start asking themselves: "What if we held an election and nobody showed up?" wn ur semi-detach- ed . cold-shoulderi- ng Editorial Board: Kent Anderson, Shauna Bona, Andrew Hunt, Bryant Larsen, Dee NaQuin, Rosemary Reeve, Fara Warner Editor in Chief . Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Editor . Sports Editor Feature Editor Photography Editor Chief Copy Editor Investigative Editor Campus Editor ... Assistant News Edit Assistant Editorial Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Feature Editor , Shauna Bora Kent Anderson Fara Warner . Dee L. NaQuin Laury Livsey . . Rosemary Reeve Steven C. Wilson Bryant Larsen Dennis Romboy . Lori Bona .V. ." Darren Hawkins . . Andrew Hunt t Glenn Scninger Loreen Erickson ..... .... ..... .... .......... .............. ......... . . issistant Feature Editor Assistant Photography Editor Assistant Copy Editor Reporters . . Photographer Business Manager Accountant Classifieds Accounting Clerk , . . . , Kent Anderson is a senior majoring in mass communication and is managing editor of the Chronicle. John Pccoielli Erin Calmcs Edward Ruiz Kent Condon Todd Curtis Sharon Dcckcrt Ellen GarfT Kelly Hindley Amber McKce Darren Tucker Dcanie Wimmer Guy E. Elder IV Robert McOmbcr . Kay Andersen Oiarlcnc Collins Kim Bartcl . . ed . Collections Account Executives . Michael Allsop John Hausknecht Todd Butler Tammie Bostick . Typesetters Production Manager Assistant Production Manager Production Staff Sara Wilson James A. Beck Tracey L. Heinhold Michael Q. Geary Kenny Watanabe Ab hie Hall Maria Lisicskt James Olscn Todd Matsuda David Orchard Christopher Stratford .... Distribution , |
