Western Front - 2004 October 5

              STRETCH OUT
Yoga classes filled up fast
at the Student Rec Center.
Features, Page 8
LEGALIZE THIS?
Should Bellingham decriminalize the
world's oldest profession?
Opinions, Page 13
TABLE STAKES
Poker popularity has
students playing for tuition.
Sports, Page 12
ISSUE 5
Volume 131
Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington —. The Western Front TUESDAY
Oct. 5,2004
Geology professors study St. Helens
By Elana Bean
The Western Front
The Western geology field
trip to Mount St. Helens was
supposed to be an opportunity to
observe and collect information
on the Crater Glacier located in
the mountain.
It instead became a chance to
observe an erupting volcano.
"Chances are it won't have any
effect on those people (living or
studying) around the mountain,"
Western geology professor Doug
Clark said. "I doubt there would
be any problems."
Fellow geology professor
Scott Linneman helped Clark
escort students on a trip to
Mount St. Helens Friday through
Sunday.
Graduate students Kristin
Hill and Carrie Donnell were
hiking to the Johnston Ridge
Observatory when the mountain
exploded.
"To me, it was pretty exciting
because it was the second week
of graduate school and there
was a major geological event,"
Hill said.
SEE Volcano, PAGE 5
Photo courtesy of Douglas Clark
Western geology graduate students observe Mount St. Helens on their field trip this
past weekend to observe trie seismic activity.
Initiative could eliminate primary system
By Porfirio Pena
The Western Front
After the controversy and confusion
Washington's new primary system caused
in the most recent primary election, a
group has begun an initiative to change the
election process once again.
Members of Instant Runoff Voting for
Washington wrote Initiative 318 to create
a runoff election system that eliminates the
primary.
"What we're trying to accomplish is a
significant improvement in democracy,"
group secretary Paul McClintock said.
In the current primary election system,
voters must declare a party affiliation and
vote only for candidates in that party.
In a runoff election, several candidates
run for the same office, and voters would
have the opportunity to choose a candidate
as their first choice and another candidate
as their second choice in a single election.
After election officials tally all the votes,
candidates with the top two scores —
regardless of party — stay in the race while
the remaining candidates are removed from
the race.
Voters whose first-choice candidate
received fewer votes than the top two
candidates would have their ballots
recalculated based on their second choices.
The second-choice votes of those voters
would then be counted and added to the top
two contenders' scores, McClintock said.
The group proposes to change the system
so the election process will better reflect the
opinions of the people, he said.
"It restores majority rules," he said.
"There are a lot of disenfranchised voters
who might support a third-party candidate,
but because of the monopoly the two
parties have on the system, you might
never find out what the true feelings of the
populace are."
People who support third-party
candidates may have less fear of losing
their vote because they have a secondary
choice, Western political science professor
Todd Donovan said.
Without that fear, the true backing of
independent candidates would become
more publicly apparent, Donovan said.
The initiative also would save an estimated
$15 million, which the state spends each
election year to conduct primary elections,
he said.
Along with the advantages the runoff
election system may have, eliminating
the primary may also have disadvantages,
Donovan said. The primary gives voters
control of the political parties' nominations,
SEE Runoff, PAGE 5
ESC promotes
minority voter
participation
By Cara Shaw
The Western Front
Not everyone will vote in the presidential
election on Nov. 2, but Election Day will miss
the participation of minority demographics
more than others.
Before Election Day arrives, the Ethnic
Student Center is sponsoring the 14th Annual
Ethnic Student Center Conference Oct. 22 to
24 at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, ESC
Coordinator Michael Vendiola said. The
conference will provide voter information,
Vendiola said.
According to past Census Bureau reports,
voter turnout for minorities has always been
low. As Election Day approaches, encouraging
these groups to make their voices heard is
important, said Amalia Anderson, organizing
director for Latino and Chicano Voters for
National Voice.
"Voting is important for all minorities
-because" we""can demonstrate our presence in
this country," Anderson said.
People of different ethnic backgrounds need
to make their opinions heard if they want a
SEE ESC, PAGE 4
Chris Taylor/The Western Front
Western sophomore Marcella Tomlin,
Ethnic Student Center Conference Com­mittee
member, helps 2002 Western
graduate Frank Gunther fill out a voter
registration form at the ESC Monday.
300 on waiting list for sold-out parking permits
By Timory Wilson
The Western Front
Western students who want to purchase
parking permits may have to find alternative
parking or transportation to school.
Western's Parking and Transportation
Services sold out of the 3,584 parkingpermits,.
available to students and staff members by
Sept. 13, but a waiting list exists for students
still hoping to get one, said Heather Whipple,
Western program assistant for parking
services. She said that alternative modes of
transportation are, however, available.
Western parking operations supervisor
Julia Gassman said she was surprised parking
permits sold out so quickly this year.
"Last year, we sold out of parking-permit
spots two or three days into the quarter," she
said. "This year, we sold out before school
started, which has never happened before."
Parking and Transportation Services over­sell
parking permits after counting how
many spaces are available after taking lot
stats, Gassman said.
"Lot stats are conducted three times a
day. At 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., parking
personnel walk through the C lots and
count how many vacant spots are available
on average," Gassman said. "Parking and
Transportation Services sells extra permits
depending on how many spots are open."
Whipple said 450 people werei© a waiting
list for parking permits, but the list is already
down to 300 people because of open spots in
the C lots.
"We are constantly calling people and
moving down the waiting list," Whipple said.
If a parking spot becomes available,
Parking and Transportation Services notifies
a student on the waiting list. The student
has three days to call back before the next
SEE Parking, PAGE 4
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