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Show THE DAILY The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice since 1890 Tuesday, February 18, 2003 VOL. 112 NO. 109 Progression Asks for 'All Aboard' Disqualification ADAM BENSON Chronicle Staff Writer party. Amidst allegations of campaign interference and verbal harassment, the first meeting of the student government elections committee lasted nearly two hours, with a further three hours of deliberation before the dust settled. Though three grievances were introduced at Monday night's meeting, it was the last one on the agenda that took center stage. According to Josh Ashby, presidential candidate for the Progression Party, the "All Aboard" Party's policy adviser verbally abused and intimidated Party vice presidential candidate Thamina Sbai in late then-Progressi- on January. Ashby said that as a result of continual harassment she received from "All Aboard's" Maulik Shah, Sbai was forced to relinquish her position as vice presidential candidate for Ashby's Nurses Rally for More Funding to Coverage Shortage "We feel this incident was such a grievous violation of RedBook and such a severe act that the 'All Aboard' party should be disqualified from the elections," Ashby said. Despite "All Aboard" Party president Adrian Johnson's assertion that the a grievance was nothing more than "a bunch of crock," the Associated Student of the University of Utah's elections committee spent more than two hours deliberating before issuing its statement. Though Johnson said Sbai decided to withdraw her name as vice president of the Progression Party because she was "tired" and "didn't want to deal with politics," Sbai said her only reason for withdrawal was her run-i- n with Shah. "I decided not to run because of my bad experience with Maulik...that encounter made me really upset and I didn't want anything to do with elec IhQ&h 111 tions after that," she said in her testimony to the committee. Despite Ashby's suggestion that the "All Aboard" Party be disqualified from future elections action, the elections committee took no disciplinary action against Johnson's party. Before the ruling was delivered, Ashby said that if the elections committee didn't make the "appropriate ruling," he would pursue disciplinary action by other means. "It's very clear that harassment took place and that a campaign was interfered with...If the All Aboard' party is not disqualified, we'll pursue this issue through other venues," he said. According to a statement released by the elections committee, "the exchange between the two parties does not objectively constitute 'intimidation,' 'harassment' or 'verbal abuse' pursuant to the Student Code." Additionally, a combined 25 candidates running for ASUU's Senate and ,j " z Adrian Johnson presents 1 v-- ' tion meetings earlier this month. Of those fined, 14 were from the Progression Party, six were rcprescnta- - Chronicle Asst. News Editor . r"" . v.-i- .i . forms. Last Friday was Nurses Day at the Legislature. About 500 local nurses, nursing students and College of Nursing faculty assembled at the Capitol in support of U Dean of Nursing Maureen Keefe's proposed solution to solving Utah's nursing crisis. The 150 pairs of shoes were set up along the Capitol steps to represent the unfilled nursing vacancies now and in the future. After the rally, the shoes were given to women's shelters. Utah is currently short 1,500 nurses and third in the nation for nursing shortages behind California and Nevada says Becky Richards, Utah Nursing Association's government relations lobbyist. On Feb. 2, Keefe told the Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Learning that by 2010, the nation will have a shortage of million nurses. Keefe and Rick Kinnersly of the Utah Hospital Association explained to the subcommittee Utah's need for more nurses. Kinnersly also expressed his support for Keefe's proposal to relieve the shortage. All eight nursing schools in the state currently graduate about 700 nurses a year combined. To double that amount and fill the 1,500 nurse shortage, Keefe asked for a $6 million increase in annual funding and $500,000 as a one- - time fund for the d six nursing schools. In response to the Legislature's proposed budget cuts to all institutions of higher learning, the Nurses Day at the Legislature rally was organized to lobby for the requested $6.5 million. riv ti',?. ',r.'w ' , - Starting this week, students have a chance to show their "appreciation for teachers and professors who may have made a positive impact in their lives by nominating them for the Student Choice Awards. Applications for the awards will be available on Wednesday in the Associated Students of the University of Utah's office in Union 234. "It's the students' effort to acknowledge faculty," said ASUU President Bill Edwards. Edwards is hopeful that if students know of the opportunity in advance, many will nominate professors who stand out. "1 think it's a good idea," said Greg Pike, a U senior studying tinancc. if . p a grievance tivcs of the Summit Party and 5 were from the "All Aboard" Party, All fines must be paid by March 6 at the ASUU office or candidates face disqualification. abensonchronicle.utah.edu Eight professors, along with the students who nominate them, will attend a banquet where the professors will receive the awards. The event is scheduled for April 15 with U President Bcrnic Machcn as the keynote speaker, according to ASUU Director for Academic Affairs Erik Larson. The process is unique in that, unlike the U Distinguished Teacher Awards, which were announced last week, this process is entirely student-based. While both awards allow students to nominate professors, only the Student Choice Award winners arc decided upon by a panel of students. "The whole process involves students," Larson said. see AWARDS, page 8 ock The Vote Club tarts Up on Campus SADAF BAGHBANI Chronicle Staff Writer 1 state-funde- . i Students Can Submit Teacher Nominations ANDREW KIRK Chronicle Staff Writer rfki 2 h the All Aboard party's defense against to the Elections Committee Monday. Assembly were fined 15 percent of their allotted budget for not attending one of the three mandatory candidate oricnta- - ALI HASNAIN About 150 pairs 0 shoes lined the Capitol steps Friday in between shivering young women in white, green, light blue and dark blue uni- : i Shoes cover the steps of the nursing funding. state Capitol Friday during a rally for increased "Why did we go into nursing? Because we care," said Sen. Paula Julander also a registered nurse at the rally. "If we don't care, what's going to happen? I was recently in the hospital and there weren't enough nurses." Julander also reminded the crowd of the importance of communicating to their senators and representatives about these issues. "We have enough nursing students on the waiting lists to fill the vacancies, we just need the money!" said Michael Desjardins, a member of the rally's planning committee and graduate student at the U. Among the crowd was Mandy Young, a nursing student at the U. "After we graduate, we could take our licenses and go somewhere else for more money," she said. "So the only people who are going to work here are the ones that are from here." in was comment Young's to Utah that response proposals hospitals just recruit nurses from other states. see NURSE RALLY, page 8 The U has a new club that plans awareness students. among college The Rock the Vote Community Street Team Campus Club formed this month due to the Rock the Vote of 2002, which event in was sponsored by ASUU. Matthew Mandros, the director of the statewide Rock the Vote campaign, and his team of helpers decided to organize a permanent club at the U to promote civic activto help raise political mid-Octob- er ity. This club is not, however, affiliated with the Associated Students of the University of Utah, whose efforts brought about the Rock the Vote event. Mandros said he acted as the liaison between Utah and Los Angeles where Rock the Vote is based during the U's voting campaign. Mandros adds that when he realized how large the student response was for the Everclear concert as well as with the 2000 Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader's speech, he knew he wanted to keep the spirit of the events alive on the U's campus. The club is now working on lobbying for a bill that would implement stiffer punishment for those who commit hate crimes. The club's ultimate goal, however, is to have a club team at every campus in Utah. "There are no other clubs, so we're the guinea pigs for the national program," Mandros said. "It'll be easy to draw students. The hard part will be to raise the funding because the state budget is so tight and stu- see ROCK THE VOTE, page 5 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE IS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT www.DailyUtahChronicle.com ? |