ASUO encourages students
to ‘Meet the Senators’
Students curious about the ASUO Student Senate can chat and snack with their elected representatives from 6-7 p.m. tonight in the International Lounge.
Tonight’s event, “Meet the Senators,” is intended to let students know more about who the senators are and what the senate does, Sen. Nadia Hasan said. Light refreshments will be served.
Senators also hope to encourage students to run for a senate seat in the ASUO 2002 General Election, held Feb. 27-March 1, Hasan said.
The ASUO Student Senate is responsible for distributing more than $8 million in student incidental fees each year through the ASUO Programs Finance Committee, the Athletic Department Finance Committee and the EMU.
By becoming involved with student government, students can influence how their fee money is spent, Hasan said.
“Obviously if students go to school here, they pay $170 (in student incidental fees each term), and they should have a say in where that money goes,” she said.
Open senate positions for 2002-2003 include six finance seats on the Programs Finance Committee, the EMU Board and the Athletic Department Finance Committee, as well as seven academic seats.
The election filing deadline for all positions and ballot measures is 5 p.m. Jan. 30. An informational meeting about the election will be held 5 p.m. Jan. 23 in a to-be-announced location. ASUO Elections Coordinator Courtney Hight said candidates must attend one of two meetings at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Jan. 30 in the EMU Walnut Room.
Elections packets are available in the ASUO office in Suite 4 of the EMU. For more information, call the ASUO office at 346-3724.
— Kara Cogswell
University employee caught
in Web sting
A spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service confirmed that a University employee was among those targeted in the Dec. 11 sting against the “DrinkOrDie” Web piracy ring, but he declined to comment further because the search warrants
are sealed.
University General Counsel Melinda Grier could not be reached for comment at press time, but Customs Service spokesman Kevin Bell said federal agents executed nearly 50 search warrants in cities across the United States, including Eugene. The sting targeted employees and students suspected of involvement in the group and agents seized nearly 200 computers.
The raid was part of “Operation Buccaneer,” the first phase in a larger crackdown on Web piracy rings. Bell said investigators targeted “DrinkOrDie” because it is one of the oldest and best known Internet piracy groups. The group was founded in Moscow in 1993, and it uses the Internet to steal software, games, movies and music.
“Whatever is out there that can be copied, these guys will do it,” Bell said.
Bell said groups such as “DrinkOrDie” care about their reputations for pirating copyrighted music over their profiteering. But they steal an estimated $12 billion per year. Between $1 and $5 billion can be attributed to the groups that will be targeted by “Operation Buccaneer,” Bell said.
The Customs Service is currently evaluating evidence collected in the sting, and Bell said they anticipate further stings at locations on the East Coast in the near future.
— Leon Tovey
Cultural Forum plans
Nelly, Ice-T concert
The EMU Cultural Forum is finalizing its contract with an outside promoter to bring hip-hop stars Nelly and Ice-T to MacArthur Court on Sunday, Feb. 24.
Cultural Forum members met with promotion and fire marshal representatives Tuesday to set the framework for the final contract.
“It’s happening. We just need the specifics,” Heritage Music coordinator Kurt Catlin said.
He added that the Cultural Forum hopes to add an R&B act and a local hip-hop act to the bill, creating one of the biggest concerts held in Mac Court.
Nelly styled his way onto many “best new artists” lists in 2000 with his debut album, “Country Grammar,” which spawned the hits “E.I.,” “Ride Wit Me,” and the title track. The supposed one-time hustler helped put St. Louis on the hip-hop map with the help of his quick-tongued, sing-song lyric style reminiscent of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
— Jeremy Lang
