Idaho Statehouse, Where Democrats Are Scarce
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Boise - Airport At Homco it is our pleasure to offer you the finest quality homes built to fit your own unique lifestyle. We will diligently see every detail through to completion right down to the last sprinkler head. Come visit Homco Quality homes in these communities: Lexington Hills • Millcreek Banbury Meadows Lisa Marie Goold • 208-850-0556 Hom• co Keller Williams Realty, Boise www.Homcolnc.com DESIGN•BUilD .; ... .. - ~ . .. ••• •.. • • ..:·!'' . ·• ....... ~· , (. ~· · .... ;~ · ·, .. .... ·: .. ~· . .. • • .•!' • • ••. .. .•• .. ...... (. ... •. ....... ... • •. .. ..... ... • • • ·" . .; • .. .. • • .. .. .•.. t ··: .;:· . .;r , . • -r. .• , · f .. ~- . ·~:. •. ·. ..... I • ..... ~- : ·. .· [I 1!1 D BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY VOL. XXVI, NO. 1 FALL 2000 FEATURES RARE BREED 20 Welcome to the Idaho Statehouse, where Democrats are scarce. BEHIND THE SCENES 23 Campaign manager works to keep GOP front-runner out in front. POLITICAL MARATHON 25 Democratic caucus director and distance runner faces an uphill race. DEMOS' WOES 26 Party leader: Beware, without diversity there is no dissent- not even dialogue. ONE SIDED? NAH 27 GOP chief" Republican dominance in Idaho isn't as vast as it seems. YOU BE THE JUDGE 28 Did partisan politics lead to Supreme Court justice's election loss? DEPARTMENTS FIRST WORD 7 CAMPUS NEWS 8 SEARCH 32 GIVING 35 ALUMNI PROFILES 36 ALUMNOTES 38 FOCUS is published quarterly by the Boise State Univen;ity Office of News Services. PRESIDENT: Charles Ruch You should know more PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: Daryl Jones VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION: Buster Nee! about southern Idaho! VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS: Peg Blake EDITOR: Larry Burke STAFF WRITERS: Janelle Brown, Bob Evancho, Kathleen Mortensen, Patricia Pyke. PHOTOGRAPHY: Chuck Scheer PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT: John Kelly EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/ TYPOGRAPHY&B renda Haight ALUMNI NEWS: Teresa Bow ADVERTISING SALES: P.V. Quinn & Co., 1520 W. Washington Street, Boise, Idaho 83702 Phone: (208) 385-0338 PUBLISHING INFORMATION: FOCUS' address is BSU Education Building, Room 724, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. Phone: (208) 426-1577. Letters regarding editorial matters should be sent to the editor. Unless otherwise specified, all articles may be reprinted as long as appropriate credit is given to the author, Boise State University and FOCUS maga zine. Diverse views are presented and do not necessar ily reflect the opinions of FOCUS or the official policies of Boise State University. ADDRESS CHANGES: Send changes (with address label if possible) to the BSU Alumni Office, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. If you receive Stunning color photos are combined with informative duplicate copies of the magazine, please notify the Alumni Office at the above address. Friends of the university who wish to receive FOCUS may do so by text in th is 232-page book about the geology, ecology, submitting their names and addresses to the Alumni Office. Address changes can also be sent by e-mail to pre-history, history and politics of the Snake River Plain . [email protected] E· MAILaReaders may contact the FOCUS editor by Don 't miss this in-depth lookatoneofthe most unique e-mail at [email protected] HOME PAGE: FOCUS can be found on the World Wide Web at itc.boisestate.edu/pit/FOCUS/home/ regions in the world. home.html "Rich with information, Snake invites the reader to intimately experience the spirit and awesomeness oft he Idaho Country." - Oregon History Magazine "H ighly recommen ded for its blend oftextand color photos." - The Reader's Review, San Francisco NOW 30% OFF ---------------------------"Snake: t he Plain and Its People" ORDER FORM Name _________________________________ Make checks payable to Adilless ________________ _ _ Boise State University. Allow at least one week ABOUT THE COVER: In a country dominated by a City, State, Zip---- -------- for shipping. two-party political system, Idaho's overwhelm Phone -------------------------- ing Republican majority is just one more exam Send orders to: ple of the state's rogue image. But residents hardcover at $24.95 $_ __ (WAS $39.95) Boise State University politicians and common folk alike - refuse to softcover at $19.95 $ (WAS $29.95) University Relations be defined by political affiliation alone. $. _ ____ 1910 University Drive Examples of individual thought prevail in both _jL shipping per book Boise, ID S3725 parties. This issue of FOCUS examines how we $. __ got the way we are and how the state's political TOTAL Phone(20S)426-1577 stance affects policy issues. Cover illustration by 2000 graduate Andy Stauffer. 6 FOCUS/FALL 2000 II a MEETING THE CHALLENGE: A NEW PLAN FOR ACTION By Charles Ruch, President write this column on my way to the approximately 2 percent annually, with academic enrichment programs. September State Board of Education student recruitment focused on the pre + Enhance management and adminis meeting. A key agenda item for ferred student profiles identified in the trative functions, with emphasis on I board action is receipt of our university's enrollment management improved customer responsiveness, effi Strategic Plan for 2000-2005. Our plan plan. ciency and accountability. builds on our 1994-2000 plan n 2 Strategic Initiative 4 and provides a "game plan" for n the continued development of ~ Develop the University's our university. ~ Human Resources Meeting the Challenge: A ,. Strategic Plan for Boise State ill + Enhance the quality University 2000-2005 is built on @ of the "Boise State experi- both a careful analysis of our ence" by recruiting and accomplishments under the retaining excellent faculty earlier plan, and follows a thor and staff and by promoting ough analysis of both our inter increased cultural diversity nal strengths and weaknesses and an enriched sense of and an analysis of our environ community. mental opportunities and The entire plan can be threats. found online at www2.boise Under the leadership of state.edu/vpaa/plandoc.htm. Provost Daryl Jones and his The challenge is for Boise team, the draft plan was crafted State University to continue from this careful examination to grow in quality and service of where we are as an institu to the citizens of Treasure tion, what we aspire to become, Valley and beyond. and what it will take to give substance to Strategic Initiative 2 Meeting the Challenge presents a bold our vision. plan - one that will require support Enhance Academic Quality and Repu from all if it is to be achieved. We have The draft plan was widely circulated tation among all our stakeholders and across enjoyed that type of broad support campus. The result is an exciting and + Emphasize enhancement of teach throughout the 68-year history of Boise aggressive plan for our future. ing and learning, with special focus on State, and we anticipate that to continue In sum, the plan continues on the four opportunities for applied learning in as we implement the new plan. The strategic initiatives that were the center real-world settings. future looks bright! piece of the 1994 plan. Everyone who + Enhance the general education As always, I appreciate your com contributed to our yearlong study lead (core curriculum) experience, with spe ments. I can be reached at 208 426-1491 ing to this plan supported our direction cial focus on improved student success or by e-mail: [email protected]. 0 and vision. and increased retention of students. While the plan includes some 150 + Improve communication within the action steps - some big and some small campus and community and with exter - the plan revolves around these four nal constituents, with emphasis on coor strategic initiatives and 12 major sup dinated and effective marketing. porting themes: + Add new academic and profes sional-technical programs in accord with Strategic Initiative 1 public demand and available resources. Manage Growth While Preserving + Increase support for graduate edu and Enhancing Access cation and research. + Pursue a "distributed campus" strat Strategic Initiative 3 egy, disseminating programs and services geographically, technologically and Improve Management and Admin chronologically. istrative Functions + Construct or expand capital facilities + Integrate technology into academic to accommodate growth, both on the instruction and research, student services Boise Campus and the Boise State West and business operations. Campus. + Increase fund-raising efforts to sup + Manage enrollment growth at port scholarships, capital facilities and FOCUS/FAU 2000 7 m IJ RUCH OUTLINES BUILDING NEEDS President Charles Ruch used two public occasions at the beginning of the fall semester to outline the need for additional academic buildings at Boise State. In his Aug. 21 welcome address Ruch told faculty and staff that Boise State's "most critical need is for new academic buildings. Without them, our ability to con tinue to provide access and opportunity to our citizens will be seriously compro mised." Ruch estimated that at its current 2 to 3 percent rate of growth, Boise State will have more than 18,000 students by 2005, adding to an already serious facilities short age. Without additional buildings, the uni versity will be an estimated 205,000 square feet short of classroom, lab and office Five new Internet browser stations in the Student Union are the latest innovation in real space. world connections on campus. The Cyber Cafe, set up in the Moxie Java coffee shop, allows The university needs to construct at least students to surf the Internet or read Web-based e-mail while they enjoy a cup of coffee. three new academic buildings in the next five years to keep pace with that growth, Ruch explained. The first academic building on the Boise ENROLLMENT CONTINUES TO INCREASE State West Campus in Canyon County is Boise State continued its steady growth university and the city of Boise offer. the university's highest legislative priority, pace this fall, setting yet another state Enrollment highlights include: he said. enrollment record with 16,459 students • Boise State's engineering programs "Given the political will, the resources registered, an increase of 250 from fall1999.