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Show A BALANCED ATTACK POLL RESULTS: 17% of respondents said they follow the legislative session very closely » 4 Consistent scoring helps the Runnin' Utes beat the Rebels » igataiitAX DAILY UTA www.dailyutahchronicle.com The University of Utah's Candidates change green proposals Jake Hibbard STAFF WRITER As the NOW and ICE parties solidify the platforms that they'll be campaigning on for the upcoming Associated Students of the University of Utah elections, some of their previous campus-renovation programs have taken a back seat. Both presidential candidates—Clint Hugie of the ICE Party and Chase Jardine of the NOW Party—have either dropped or changed their ideas of improving the U's vegetation from their list of priorities. Hugie said switching out the Kentucky bluegrass on the U campus to the native, "more sustainable" buffalo short grass was one of the major proposals he wanted to see next year—an idea that came up when his campaign was still solidifying its platforms. The idea is still something the ICE Party would like to accomplish, but it is now considered a "minor" part of its campaign, Hugie said. "It's just something that we're catering towards what we want to do for the environment," Hugie said. Sue Pope, supervisor of U grounds development, said after its introduction to the campus, a native grass would likely take three to five years to get established and would require more care and watering in that time. "It's just not that simple," Pope said. A native grass sod would cost about twice as much as Kentucky bluegrass, she said. Jardine also talked about plans the NOW Party had of renovating the campus' look by planting more trees, but said he has since abandoned the idea because it was not something that was likely to happen. "Getting (that) up and running is pretty tough," Jardine said. "You have to put so much money into (it)." Thursday, 1/4 ` TES l I February 18, 2010 L:HRONICLE ent Student Voice Since 1890 Vol. 119 I No.81 ©2010 The beginning of Lent ..„...t..._.....,.,_ ........._._ of., k* ' IP . ■ A VP , ,..-.•,t,„ -..., ......, , -----. AS UU See ASUU Page 2 6 roil, —.aft - RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle Father Peter Rogers draws ash on Rachel Seppie's forehead. Rogers spoke in the Saltair Room in the Union as part of the Ash Wednesday celebration. Hazing bill softened Amendment keeps abeyance plea as an option Michael McFall punishable by up to six months in prison and a $i,000 fine—and NEWS EDITOR Lawmakers have watered down a bill that would increase the legal consequences of hazing. A House committee voted 8-3 in approval of House Bill 138, which allows the state to charge someone with hazing when drugs or alcohol are involved. Depending on the severity of the hazing, the guilty hazer could be charged with anything between a class B misdemeanor- a third-degree felony—punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. In the bill's original form, offenders would also no longer be able to enter a plea of abeyance—a form of probation that erases the crime from the record if completed without incident— in cases where the hazed victim dies. Lawmakers voted to approve the bill only after amending it to allow offenders to keep RESEARCH AT THE U Therapy could help MS patients Deborah Rafferty STAFF WRITER A new therapy might be in the future for patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, which affects about 85 percent of those with MS, said John Rose, a U neurology professor. Patients with relapsing MS will experience symptoms and then have times with partial or complete periods of recovery, he said. Since the 199os, there have been six drugs approved for the treatment of MS, but all of them come with limitations, such as the danger of side effects, he said. The first phase of an international study, called CHOICE, found a possible new drug that—when added to the standard treatment—would reduce the number of new or enlarged brain lesions that contribute to MS, said Rose, one of the authors of the study. "This drug looks to have a pretty good safety record and a high impact on pa- tients," Rose said. "The prospects are starting to look better and better." MS causes the body's immune system to attack the fatty substance surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in interference with the nerve signals between the brain, the spinal cord and other parts of the body, Rose said. This creates problems with balance, coordination, vision See THERAPY Page 3 UTA hearing addresses route concerns Michael McFall NEWS EDITOR Heather Myer, a senior in theater, wishes the Utah Transit Authority would reconsider some of its proposed route changes. Last month, UTA announced it would be reducing routes as of April 4, including several TRAX and bus routes to the U. For instance, UTA is proposing to eliminate all northbound TRAX trips between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from the direct line between Sandy and the U. The southbound trips would not pick back up until 3:07 p.m. Myer takes that TRAX line to the U each day, but her classes, and those of many students she knows, don't start until io a.m., meaning they'll have to leave for school a lot earlier or find another way. "They're cutting the ones I use the most," she said. "When I heard, I was like 'heck no." Myer came to UTA's last public hearing before the See UTA Page 2 LENNIE MAHLER/The Daily Utah Chronicle U student Allen Farley discusses TRAX route changes with UTA representatives Greg Macfarlane and David Beecher during an event Wednesday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The event was aimed to inform U students and faculty about route changes. Farley, a new student at the U who lives on campus, is still becoming acquainted with the area. the plea. "The plea of abeyance would let someone off the hook who was involved," said George Starks. The legislation is largely in response to the death of his son, Michael Starks, a Utah State University student who died last summer from ingesting too much alcohol during a hazing ritual. Paul Boyden, director of the Statewide Association of Public Attorneys, raised a concern in See HAZING Page 3 DeChristopher's motion postpones trial date Katie Harrington card information to the BLM, but were never prosecuted. "These people are similarly The trial date scheduled for situated to Tim," Shea said. Tim DeChristopher—the U DeChristopher and his attorstudent who was charged with neys want to look into these a two-count felony indictment instances and discover useafter allegedly placful information that ing false bids on would then dismiss federal land—was the charges, he said. postponed Tuesday, This is DeChrisso the judge can look topher's newest deat a possibly unfair fense, after Federal prosecution by the Judge Dee Benson government. ruled he would not DeChristopher's be allowed to argue attorneys filed a in court that his acTim DeChristopher motion last month tions were the lessthat argues that the federal er of two evils and should government has selectively therefore be excused—that prosecuted him and unfairly he broke the law to save the singled him out. planet by slowing down cliThe trial was set for mate change. March 15 to March 17 but has Paul Cassell, a U law probeen postponed in favor of a fessor, has been following the hearing to discuss DeChris- DeChristopher case and said topher's motion. he thinks this most recent ar"Part of what we're look- gument is weak. ing into now is...how politics "Prosecutors have considmight have played a role in erable discretion to decide why I was indicted and why which cases they prosecute all the people who won oil and which ones they don't," leases before and didn't pay Cassell said. "So long as they for them were not indicted," don't make choices based DeChristopher said. on forbidden characteristics Pat Shea, DeChristopher's such as race, religion, gender attorney and former head of or ethnic origin, then they're the BLM, said there have been free to choose whomever they about 31 other "bid-walkers" want to prosecute." who later canceled their checks or gave false credit See TRIAL Page 3 STAFF WRITER |
