Senate paSSeS $700 million bailout, gainS ground in HouSe | page 5a THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN Fort Collins, Colorado COLLEGIAN Volume 117 | No. 38 Thursday, October 2, 2008 www.collegian.com THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891 CSU extends benefits to domestic partnerships By JOhnny harT council forwarded the resolu- sex, married couples,” Dimo- “The university is following he fully supported the policy Dimopoulos said she per- The Rocky Mountain Collegian tion this past spring, and CSU poulos said. suit with many public institu- change. sonally has been affected by President Larry Penley pre- Penley said he was pleased tions across the country and fol- “It’s the right thing to do,” domestic partnership benefits. In an initiative 13 years sented the resolution to the with the voting results. lowing suit of many Fortune 500 he said. “Policies like this affect the in the works, the CSU System board yesterday. “This matter has long been companies,” Dimopoulos said. The action item said that daily life of people,” she said. Board of Governors Wednes- Foula Dimopoulos, direc- a priority of Colorado State’s Associated Students of eight of 11 Colorado Com- “It’s one less thing to worry day unanimously voted to ex- tor of GLBT Student Services, Faculty Council, and I thank CSU President Taylor Smoot mission for Higher Education about and one less struggle on tend health benefits to domes- said that learning of the initia- the board for taking action on echoed her sentiments. institutions, including the a daily basis.” tic partnerships, either same tive’s passing was akin to tak- it today,” Penley said Wednes- “GLBT rights are the Civil University of Colorado-Boul- Dimopoulos and Smoot sex or opposite sex marriages, ing the first breath after swim- day in a press release. Rights Movement of our gen- der, offer benefits to domestic both said that this policy increasing the health care fund ming under water. Of the approximately 3,700 eration,” Smoot said. “I com- partners. change is the result of many a projected $200,000 “It sends a message to staff eligible employees of the uni- mend President Penley on Also, both the Public Em- years of struggle for domestic According to a university and faculty who are in same versity, between one and three stepping up.” ployees’ Retirement Associa- partnership rights. press release, the CSU faculty sex relationships that they are percent will add dependant Smoot, who was present at tion and Larimer County offer valued as the same as opposite partners. the BOG’s meeting, said that domestic partnership benefits. See Civil on page 5a CSU Board eyes new buildings CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE Fees could double for Sit-in draws $73 million project By elySe JarviS attention By The nUMBerS The Rocky Mountain Collegian $73 million By JOhnny harT The CSU System for two new construction The Rocky Mountain Collegian Board of Governors projects. voted unanimously Anti-abortion organizers decided to Tuesday to move for- $83 million CSU is already in debt. limit next year’s annual protest exhibit, ward on two new con- which has garnered a large amount of struction projects with $13 million controversy on the Lory Student Center a $73 million price tag the Music Building would Plaza this year, after about 50 peaceful likely to be funded cost. protestors sat in the Plaza against the dis- almost entirely by play Wednesday. doubling the student $178,190 and Justice For All, the organization pre- facility fee, the largest $796,700 senting the exhibit, allowed the student at CSU. for operating and protestors to remain in the exhibit area, The proposal maintenance fee. where the organization has been permit- to use student fees ted to display since Monday. comes at a time when $10 The protestors, however, were required CSU is more than $83 per credit hour per to have an open debate with JFA director million in debt after student equals the David Lee to remain at the exhibit. the university took out facility fee which bring in “We’re excited when students show large Wall Street bonds $6.7 million a year to the passion about an issue that is vital to our university. for other capital devel- country. Fruitful dialogue is a necessary opment projects. catalyst to further the rights and protect Students now ap- unborn children,” said Tammy Cook, di- pear to be viewed as rector of field operations for JFA. the primary funding And the student protestors agreed. option, said Taylor The second proj- “If we get a crowd of people to wake up Smoot, president of ect, a state-of-the-art at seven in the morning to make a state- the Associated Stu- biology teaching and ment, it says more than other ways (of dents of CSU. research building, protesting),” said Sam Bowersox-Daly, a “Student fees are would cost $60 mil- junior sociology major. “It sends a better the only option (of lion. message than vandalism and senseless payment) administra- And neither figure verbiage.” tion has presented on includes the $178,190 Bowersox-Daly and junior political the table,” Smoot said. and the $796,700 op- science major Melisa Panagakos brain- “I’d feel so much bet- erating and mainte- stormed the idea of the protest, but did ter if they at least said nance fee tagged to not want to take credit as the protest’s they were looking else- each, respectively, to leaders. where for funding.” be provided for from The protest remained peaceful, as was If approved in the Education and planned by Bowersox-Daly and Panaga- the final budget for General Fund –– pri- kos. fiscal year 2010, the marily tuition and Word of the protest was spread via proposed three-story state dollars. word-of-mouth, according to Bowersox- 25,000 sq.-foot ad- “No one wants to Daly and Panagakos, who avoided mass dition to the Music raise tuition or stu- text messages and Facebook invitations. Building would cost dent fees,” CSU Presi- The students passed out a letter stating $13 million and in- dent Larry Penley said the intentions of the protest and signed it cludes a Learning and in the meeting, though liSa STreeB | COLLEGIAN Teaching Center, ac- each project’s Students opposing the Justice for All anti-abortion signs in front of the Lory Student Cen- See prOTeST on page 3a cording to the project ter took place in a sit-in protest at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. proposal. See BOG on page 5a Michelle Obama rallies at CU By Madeline nOvey state in1992. Obama said in regards to the im- The Rocky Mountain Collegian “This is a swing state, and we want pact of the American vote, “We can some swinging to go on right here,” change our future; we can perhaps A quiet line of only a few people Obama said in a speech at the cam- change the world.” branched out from the entrance to Far- pus. “What happens here in the state And it wasn’t just politicos who rand Field on the CU-Boulder campus can set the tone for the rest of the elec- spoke at the rally. at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in anticipation tion.” Rod Smith, former wide receiver of Michelle Obama’s arrival. But Obama said the work is far for the Denver Broncos, told the crowd But by 10 a.m., the same line from being done, as 170,000 young to register immediately so that they stretched several hundred feet around people across the nation have not reg- would not regret not doing so in the the east side of the field, and about istered yet. future. 9,700 people from toddlers new to “With 170,000 students alone, we “I suffered enough by not voting, the political arena to senior citizens can make the difference,” she said. and you know what I did the whole decked in Barack Obama pins to pro- “What we’re asking right here on the time? Complained about it,” he said. mote voter registration. CU campus: Register right now. We “Don’t complain if you don’t vote.” As they waited, swarms of voter have a goal of registering 4,100 stu- With the national registration registration volunteers walked the line dents on this campus. We are halfway deadline only four days away on Oct. and registered the eager political par- there. I am asking you personally –– 6, voter registration efforts have kicked ticipants. let’s get that goal.” into overdrive across the nation. The event brings the historical na- Obama said to the crowd, “Even if “We’re running out of time,” Madeline nOvey | COLLEGIAN tional boom in the youth vote home to you have registered, your job is to find Obama said. Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, higher education in Colorado, which five other trifling people in your life” speaks at a rally on the CU-Boulder campus Wednesday. regained its former status as a swing and convince them to register. See OBaMa on page 3a Page 6a Page 6a Page 5a Football fighting U.S. monitors patrol $1.25 million gift injuries Georgia buffer zone for CSU museum Team still looking forward to Georgian cease fire area a Design and Merchandising UNLV this weekend push for Russian withdrawal Museum will relocate and be open to the public 2A Thursday, October 2, 2008 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian WEATHER DEADLINES LSC, Grey Rock Room CAMPUS EYE The more things change the Friday, Oct. 3 more they stay the same: 1968 Today Last day for University & 2008. An unpopular president. Partly cloudy withdrawal with 25 pecent A foreign war.