OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
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ASOSU president vetoes bills for House seats THE DAILY BAROMETER
Associated Students of Oregon State University President Taylor Sarman announced late Wednesday night that he had decided to veto a bill that would have created more seats in the House of Representatives. The bill, JB-06.21, required that students be able to prove they were a part of the group they planned to represent in the House. In the email, Sarman expressed concern that the bill violated the ASOSU Constitution, that the bill required candidates to prove group membership for the seats and that “process errors” marked the bill due to the bill being “rushed through Congress without due diligence.” The Daily Barometer received the email announcing Sarman’s decision at 11:57 p.m. The letter addresses the ASOSU Congress and OSU community. ASOSU has strived to increase diversity in the House of Representatives, where currently only one woman and one multi-ethnic man serve. JB-06.21 was the most recent incarnation of ASOSU’s attempt to be more inclusive. Earlier bills would have allocated seats to each cultural resource and support center, but the ASOSU Senate cited inconsistent language between the bills and advocated replacing them with one bill, JB-06.11. JB-06.11 only allocated an additional 10 seats to the House, but did not specifically allocate any of the seats to cultural resource and support centers. Sarman urged Congress to pass another bill that meets the shortcomings of JB-06.21 “within the week and prior to the end of the session,” according to his statement. ASOSU elections begin next term, and candidate applications are due Friday at 5 p.m. See Friday’s paper or visit dailybarometer.com for updates.
THURSDAY MARCH 5, 2015 VOL. CXVII, NO. 98
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Corvallis basks in unusual weather n
Kathie Dello examines effects of warm winter weather on Oregon snowpacks, water By Abigail Erickson THE DAILY BAROMETER
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the temperatures range from anywhere between 40 and 60 degrees and it’s still technically winter in Corvallis. The past few weeks have seen a much warmer, and on some days wetter winter than in previous years. Reactions to the sudden change in weather have been rather mixed. “I love the sun,” said Madison Rich, a sophomore in exercise and sport science. “It makes me excited for spring term, but I kind of miss the rain.” While students flock to the quads and soak up the sun, concerns have risen with regards to why the weather is so unseasonably warm and what effects, if any, of this shift in weather will have on the future. Kathie Dello, associate director of the Oregon Climate See WEATHER | page 3
Nicki Silva | THE DAILY BAROMETER
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OSU offering meningitis strain B vaccine n
In response to outbreak of meningitis at U of O, SHS stocks newly-approved vaccine By Chris Correll
THE DAILY BAROMETER
Following the recent outbreak of meningococcal meningitis at the University of Oregon, Oregon State is allowing its students to immunize themselves at their own discretion by offering the vaccine at campus clinics. Meningitis is a rare but serious ill-
ness that causes inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Initial symptoms often resemble a severe flu or fever. If left untreated, these early indicators can lead to severe damage of the nervous system and death. The U of O outbreak has not spilled over to OSU; there have not been any reported cases on OSU’s campus. Associate Director of Medical Services Jeff Mull said there is “no immediate threat” of a similar incident in Corvallis now that mass vaccinations are being conducted
Chris Correll
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Student Health Services stocks a new vaccine against strain B of meningococcal meningitis.
at U of O. Most Oregon children receive inoculations against common meningitis strains. These standardized treatments offer protection from strains A, C, W135 and Y. However, a vaccine for strain B, the disease which left three University of Oregon students seriously ill and claimed the life of another, was only approved in the United States a few months ago. U of O’s administration, collaborating with county and state health professionals, set up several clinics for large-scale vaccinations March 2-5. This is the first significant distribution of the vaccine since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration last October. Mull said the risk of the B strain spreading to OSU was technically possible, though “not highly likely.” The bacterium that causes meningitis typically spreads through both direct contact with an infected individual, such as kissing or sharing a drink, and “very close contact” over a period of several hours. Only a small number of cases actually display symptoms; most infected people experience no ill effects but are still carriers who can infect others. The close-quarter living conditions on college campuses, See VACCINATION | page 3
Welcome to the SEC n
Student staff member greets SEC visitors, provides information By Jasmin Vogel
THE DAILY BAROMETER
The new Student Experience Center glimmers in the sunlight on a beautiful Wednesday, standing tall and new as students and workers enter and exit its doors. Amidst the construction chaos outside, students relax on comfortable blue chairs, studying in the windowlined lobby. Construction workers come and go while occasional students wonder about looking at maps and exploring the heightened ceiling design. Upon entering the SEC, students, faculty, staff and visitors can look forward to being greeted by a friendly voice behind a large, modernized, wooden desk. Lydia Martin, a junior working for Student Leadership and Involvement, is often the first face visitors to the SEC will see. As she sits behind her desk, organizing fliers, answering phones and directJasmin Vogel | THE DAILY BAROMETER ing students, Martin and other SLI Junior Lydia Martin works to assist student employees now have a new students at the front desk of the role by being the main front desk of See MARTIN | page 2
Oregon State baseball beats Portland Pilots once again Sports, page 5
Student Experience Center.
Editorial: Continuing student debt amounts are ridiculous Forum, page 7