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Show Your Life Smellin' of Troy! Your Life starts on Page 9. Taking aim at the gun issue. You mresed albTrof^baskei over th^break. We'Hc Your Opinion starts on page 4* ^ you S ' UTAH VALLEY STATE THE COLLEGE TIMES MONDAY, JANUARY 10,2004 EL BUEN PANO EN EL ARC A VENDE VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 20 Did Michael Moore break-up Student Government? Vegor Pedersen Editor-in-Chief Three months after Michael Moore spoke to a packed McKay Events Center reprucussions from the filmmaker's visit are still being felt at UVSC. Last month Joe Vogel stepped down from his position as Student Government's vice president of academic affairs amid a controversy involving a book he is writing concerning Moore's visit. Vogel's resignation, which was asked for by ASUVSC president Jim Bassi, came after an article appeared in the December 4 edition of the Deseret Morning News concerning Vogel's upcoming book. In the article Vogel said that he would disclose information that he was not allowed to speak of at the time of Moore's visit. "I was concerned that Joe's remarks to the press might cause more problems for us," Bassi said. "Things had finally started to get quiet around here, and that article seemed to stir the pot again." Vogel says that he did not instigate the interviews with either KSL or the Deseret News. "It was no secret that I was writing this book," Vogel said. "If people had concerns they never voiced them to me." In the days following the article Bassi, Vogel, and Clubs vice president Brooke Arnell met several times together, and Back on Oct 20 it was all smiles, but since then the Michael Moore visit has caused a riff in Student Government. Lawsuits, resignations, and hurt feelings have changed the /ace of ASUVSC, with their advisors, to discuss what the stance should be when discussing the Michael Moore issue with the press. "I wanted a commitment from the other execs that we wouldn't talk to the press regarding the Michael Moore issue," Bassi said. "Joe couldn't promise me that." Vogel says the central issue is one of loyalty. "Jim was willing to back me up before when we initially brought Moore to campus, I don't understand why he isn't doing that now," Vogel said. Bassi also considers this an issue of loyalty. "We are a team, and as a team we decided it was best to not discuss the Moore issue anymore," Bassi said. "But a member of our team wasn't wilting to MLK Commemoration to focus on Native American rights Errin Julkunen cussions on issues in civil rights. "One area that often gets AspartofUVSC's 11th" An- neglected in discussions of nual Martin Luther King, Jr. civil rights is Native AmeriCommemoration, John Echo- can rights, and certainly in the hawk will accept the 2nd An- Western U.S. that is relevant nual MLK, Jr. Award for the for all of us," said CommemAdvancement of Justice and oration co-chair Ryan SimHuman Dignity on behalf of mons, assistant professor of the Native American Rights English. "Mr. Echohawk had Fund (NARF). been discussed by the AdviEchohawk has been with sory Board for some time as NARF since its inception, a possible guest speaker and serving as Executive Director honoree." since 1977. Echohawk has consistently The MLK, Jr. Commemo- been named one of the 100 ration will take place January most influential lawyers in the 11 th and 12th with Echohawk nation by the National Law offering the keynote address Journal, and been involved in in the Ragan Theatre at 1 most major Native American p.m. litigation since 1970. Additional events for the As one of the co-founders Commemoration include a of the NARF, Echohawk has performance by Salt Lake represented cases involving City's Repertory Dance The- treaty enforcement, federal atre and a series of panel dis- recognition of tribes, land Courtesy Photo Editor-at-Large do that, so we asked him to resign." One reason for Bassi's concern was that the article appeared just days before local courts were to hear a lawsuit brought against student government by Orem resident Kay Anderson. The lawsuit, which Anderson dropped the day after Vogel's resignation, claimed that Student Government violated its own constitution by negotiating Moore's speaking fee in excess of their $50,000 limit. The situation was extreme enough to raise the ire of a group of faculty members on campus who see Vogel's resignation as an attack on free speech. "I "Resignation cont d on page 3 UVSC provides tsunami aid Autumn Nielson Assistant News Editor John Echohawk will be the keynote speaker during UVSC's N t h annual Martin Luther King, Jr Commemoration this month. Echohawk has been the executive director of the Native American Rights Fund. Courtesy Photo and water rights claims and other issues facing American Indian tribes. Echohawk, a Pawnee Native American, has received numerous awards and recognition for his leadership in the area of Native American law, was a founding member of the American Indian Law Students Association, and the first graduate of University of New Mexico's program to train American Indian law"Echohawk" cont d on page 7 4-' Turning on the T.V. these days brings more photos and death toll numbers from the tsunami that racked Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Here at UVSC there are few students that personally feel the effects of the mounting death toll. Many students are considering what they could do to help relieve the millions of people affected by this disaster. Other U.S. citizens feel the same, and want to add to the $350 million already pledged by the U.S. Also, the Bush Administration is asking each citizen to donate as much as possible. President Bush himself recently donated $10,000 to the growing fund. Although the school and the Service Learning Center is legally bound and cannot raise donations, due to fund-raising policies, there is a way that students can donate to the relief fund. In the book store there are canisters waiting for pocket change. Students buying books can simply donate there. Unfortunately, so far there hasn't been a huge outpouring of cash. Two employees of the bookstore, Kayleah Limb, and "Tsunami" cont'd on page 2 |
