STAFF EDITORIAL |RECONSIDER EMERGENCY TEXT SYSTEM | SEE FORUM, PAGE 6 TUDENT IFE THE SINDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY L IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 129, NO. 51 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008 WWW.STUDLIFE.COM Undergrads bolster Obama, McCain v On Super Tuesday, students mobilize to vote, taking advantage of South 40 polls v Exit polls show stronger Obama, McCain support than statewide results BY NEWS STAFF BY SAM GUZIK In line with trends from pre- SENIOR NEWS EDITOR vious polls of the University Washington University community, the wars in Iraq Students came out to vote Departing from the statewide and Afghanistan and healthcare yesterday in the presidential trends in Missouri, Washington topped students list of the larg- primaries at polling stations University students overwhelm- est factor in deciding for whom on Trinity Ave., Our Lady of ingly voted for Senator Barack to vote. Lourdes on Northmoor Dr. Obama (D-IL) and Senator John Breaking with the campus- and—for the first time—on McCain (D-AZ), according to exit wide trend, those Democrats the South 40. polls conducted by Student Life. that voted for Senator Clinton Senators Barack Obama Senators Obama and McCain were more likely to identify (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton both won hard fought victories healthcare as the most pressing (D-NY) split several key rac- in the state’s Super Tuesday con- issue facing the nation. es across the country with tests by a very small margin. Throughout the election, Sen- Obama faring especially well In data from exit polls con- ator Obama has drawn media at- in the Midwestern and Moun- ducted by Student Life within tention for the sustained support tain states and Clinton in the the three precincts in which he has received from young vot- Western and Northeastern most University students vote, ers-a group traditionally thought states. Senator John McCain Senator Obama received 80 per- to be politically apathetic. won a plurality of Republican cent of the student vote in the “Young people have really primaries, though both of his Democratic contest and Senator woken up over these past four leading competitors won vic- McCain received 60 percent of years,” said Tamia Booker, the tories around the nation. the student vote in the Republi- campus events manager at the Students said that the new can contest. Center for American Progress. polling stations on the South Senator Clinton garnered 20 “So many things have happened 40 made voting easy and con- MATT LANTER | STUDENT LIFE percent of the votes among Uni- and changed and young people venient. Students vote in the presidential primary Tuesday afternoon in Friedman Lounge in Wohl Center on the South 40. versity students, considerably have become more interested “It’s good because it’s so ac- less than the 48 percent that she and more progressive.” cessible,” said Student Union garnered statewide. Despite the relatively lacklus- (SU) President Neil Patel. over $1400. Former Massachusetts Gov- ter support for other candidates “Students just have to walk “It’s a wonderful idea,” Wash. U. voters turn ernor Mitt Romney brought in among University voters, nation- a short distance to get there. said SU Treasurer Marius 25 percent of the student vote, wide all presidential candidates Because it’s visible it’s going Johnson. “It promotes good out for Obama, McCain while in the fi nal statewide tally have enjoyed support from a to have an impact. It becomes citizenship.” he fi nished third. new generation of voters. part of the community.” Johnson said that though Although Senator McCain “I think that what Senator The station on the South SU was in favor of giving stu- won the Missouri primary, his Obama did is really start the 40 was one of several efforts dents an easier path to the margin among the general elec- trend in terms of paying atten- by student groups and the voting booths, he is not sure Obama tion was far smaller than among tion to young voters,” said Book- administration to encourage whether the service will be University students; as of press er. “He did get a large turnout in students to vote. available for the general elec- 81.8% Romney McCain time, fewer than 10,000 votes Iowa, but when you go to New Another service available tion in November. 25% 60% separated Senator McCain from Hampshire you get a large turn- to students for the first time “There’s going to be a cou- his nearest competitor, Former out for Senator Clinton.” Clinton this year was a shuttle ser- ple of factors [regarding the Paul Arkansas Governor Mike Hucka- The exit poll was adminis- 19.2% vice transporting them from shuttles’ availability],” he 10% bee. tered through the day by Student Mallinckrodt to polling sta- said. “It will depend on who Student voting trends are Life reporters at the three poll- tions near campus. The shut- the [SU] executives are.” largely in line with—though ing places in which the majority tles were organized in part Matt Adler, a student who Information was collected Prefer not to respond more pronounced than—the of University students vote: Wohl by the administration and spearheaded the shuttle ini- at all three polling locations 5% trends for surrounding St. Louis Center, Our Lady of Lourdes paid for by a Student Union for Wash. U. students. County where Senator Obama re- Church and Trinity Presbyterian executive fund at a cost of See SUPER TUESDAY, page 8 ceived 71 percent of the vote. Church. RACHEL NOCCIOLI | STUDENT LIFE With change to housing Forman resigns options, ResLife alters lottery as SU secretary BY JEREMY ROGOFF then allowing remaining upper- secure more independent hous- Residential Life. “The seniority BY BEN SALES meetings that I’ve always attend- STAFF REPORTER classmen to fi ll vacant rooms. ing on the other side of campus. of your lottery number stays the NEWS EDITOR ed. I’m going to still help out In modifying the selection pro- In collaboration with a stu- same, but the South 40 is a re- with [public relations] for SU.” When students enter the hous- cess, Residential Life sought to dent task force, the change was verse lottery.” Citing “personal circum- SU President Neil Patel hopes ing lottery this year, they will encourage underclassmen to made to “give priority to the stu- The new wrinkle to the lot- stances,” Rebecca Forman to see Forman stay active in SU notice some signifi cant changes remain involved with their resi- dents who we felt belonged liv- tery comes in anticipation of the stepped down as Student Union and says that though he is sad to the pecking order in certain dential colleges on the South 40 ing on the South 40,” said Cheryl secretary on Monday afternoon. to see her leave, he understands rounds. and to help juniors and seniors Stephens, associate director of See LOTTERY, page 2 She resigned via an e-mail to the her decision. In an effort to ensure housing Student Union (SU) executive “It’s something she wanted for underclassmen, the Offi ce of board. to do and she did it for personal Residential Life approved a re- “I have decided that it is in reasons,” he said. “She knows vised selection system designed Wash. U. students to the best interest of the Student what she’s doing so I support her to draw juniors and seniors away Union for me to step down as in what she’s doing.” from the South 40 and into resi- this organization’s secretary,” Forman and Patel met prior to dences on the North Side of cam- she wrote in the e-mail. “Due to the offi cial resignation, which— pus and off-campus. ride microgravity plane personal circumstances, I have according to Forman—was hard The second and third rounds been unable to complete many to send due to her passion for of the lottery, which fi ll the North BY JOHN SCOTT just 29 kilograms, while Bandit University is one of 11 schools of my duties to the extent that her job and for the organization Side locations and the South 40, STAFF REPORTER weighs three. During fl ight, participating in the Nanosat-5 this organization deserves.” as a whole. respectively, will undergo the Bandit can detach and maneu- competition. Forman says that she enjoyed “I cried a lot,” she said. “This most signifi cant change. Stu- Many people know it as the ver around Akoya. Junior Mary Mathias has her time at SU and that the deci- was really one of the hardest de- dents in search of apartments in “Vomit Comet.” The Bandit is designed to worked on the project since last sion did not stem from dissatis- cisions I’ve ever had to make but Millbrook, Loop Lofts, Greenway, The formal name is the C- control and orient itself during year. According to Mathias, a factions she had with the organi- I think I’m doing the right thing. Rosedale, U-Drive and suites in 9 microgravity plane, a NASA fl ight but can also be controlled different team also performed zation or its members. I feel really good about my deci- the Village or Lopata House will resource that will be used this remotely. tests on the satellite last year, “It was a personal and inter- sion.” select in the second round using spring by a group of students Sophomore Katie Sullivan, but it did not yield the desired nal decision,” said Forman, a In the meantime, Patel is not their randomly assigned lottery from Washington University’s the team leader, said the satel- results.