Eastern News: February 21, 2003 Eastern Illinois University
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep February 2003 2-21-2003 Daily Eastern News: February 21, 2003 Eastern Illinois University Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2003_feb Recommended Citation Eastern Illinois University, "Daily Eastern News: February 21, 2003" (2003). February. 14. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2003_feb/14 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2003 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in February by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "Thll the troth February 21, 2003 + f RI DA V and don't be afraid. • VO LUME 87. NUMBER 103 THE DA ILYEASTERN NEWS . COM Senior THE DAILY uperlatives Eastern's five seniors get a win in regular season home. EASTERN NEWS 8 SECTION A Facility Mertz had speak on contract troubled + Votes to ratify tentative agreement must be in by Monday homelife By John Chambers + McNamara 5 mother presented ADM INISTRAT ION EDITOR emotional victim impact statement The faculty union negotiating By Michelle Jones team approved a tentative agree EDITOR IN CHIEF ment this month, and the faculty reaction, in part, shows the agree Anthony B. Mertz's mother and father were not active ment is the best offer they can get parts of Mertz's life as he was growing up, Mertz's grand during the present status of the mother testified state's budget. Thursday in Coles The proposed contract came County Circuit Court. If sentenced, Mertz after 11 months of negotiations, "To him, I'm his and the faculty now has until mom," said Dorothy could be on death Monday to ratify the agreement by French, 80, of mail-in ballot. Rossville. "I don't "It seems like people can't play think he'd know his row for 12 years well at this institution," said sociol mother if she walked ogy professor Reed Benedict. in here." By early Mullady Benedict said he will vote in sup Four of Mertz's rel CITY ED ITOR port of the contract. atives - his father, "I'm certainly willing to sign it grandmother, a sister Anthony B. Mertz, 26, who because I think it's the best con and an uncle - all tes was convicted last week of tract we can have now," he said. tified during the first-degree murder, aggra "When I read it, I had a lot of ques fourth day of the cap vated criminal sexual assault tions." ital murder trial's sen and home invasion, will begin Benedict said the contract's tencing phase as part his fifth day of the trial's sen "educational outreach" or distance of the defense's plan tencing portion today. education JX>licy, was not as posi to convince j urors Mertz has been considered tive, but the faculty compensation Mertz should not eligible for the death penalty, was reasonable in light of the avail receive the death and the jury is now hearing ability of funds in the state budget. penalty. testimony from the prosecu No salary increases were Last week, Mertz, tion's witnesses. offered this year, but a one-time 26, was found guilty Following testimony, the bonus equal to 1.5 percent will be of first-degree mur jurors will deliberate and offered if there is no state rescts der, aggravated crtm assign Mertz a death sentence sion by mid-May. The bonus Will be inal sexual assault or life in prison without equal to 1 percent if the rescission and home invasion in parole. is Jess than $500,000. the In any crtminal case, the However, in the second, third death of Eastern stu defendant may appeal a guilty and fourth years of the contract, a dent Shannon verdict, but the prosecution salary raise will be granted McNamara on cannot appeal a not-guilty ver depending on state appropriations, June 12, 2001. dict. according to the tentative agree Moments after ment. Alan Mertz, SEE DEATH ROW + Page SA The administration also main Anthony's father, took tained the right to assign distance the witness stand, education courses and workload to STEPHEN HAAS/ASSOC IATE PHOTO EDITOR Mertz was slightly crying. He continued to cry during qualified faculty. Protestors stand outside the Coles County Courthouse on Thursday morning to show moments of testimony throughout the day. their opinion on the death penalty. Officers of the Coles County Sheriff's Department SEE FACU LTY + Page SA were standing by for security while the jurors arrived at the courthouse. SEE MERTZ +Page 6A Students bowled over by renovated bowling alley By Tim Martin CAMPUS ED ITOR until fall2001 when the new University Food Court was under construction. More than just bowling pins fell to the Ted Hart, assistant director at the union, ground when the Martin Luther King Jr. said the bowling alley was in real need of University Union bowling Janes re-opened renovation. the first day of the 2002 spring semester. "During the construction process for the "The first time the pins were set and we food court, water leaks damaged the bowling Jet the kids go out, four kids fell on their lanes," he said. · At that time, we knew we butts within 30 seconds, • said Robert Doyle, had to repair the Janes and it provided an bowling instructor for six of the seven bowl excellent opportunity to upgrade other ing classes. "It was a combination of the new things like the pin setter and computer scor shoes and the slick floors, everything was so ing." slippery. Tim Thflinger, manager at the bowling "And that, was the funniest thing I have alley for the last 20 years, said business was ever seen (in my teaching career)," said declining in the years preceding its semester Doyle, who has been teaching bowling class close. es on and off for 20 years. "Business was definitely on a decline Because of the renovations, the bowling before renovation," he said. "I don't know if alley hosts influxes of bowlers two and a half it was because of a Joss of interest in bowl times more than before it re-opened in ing, but we did have a Jot of original stuff January of 2002" (from 1967) in here." But the Janes were not always so j am Among the other renovations were glow packed nor the factlities so nice. carpet, upgraded lighting, new balls and shoes and a new ceiling. AN OUTDATED FACILITY "I like how much more efflctent every STEPHEN HAAS /ASSOC IATE PHOTO EDITOR thing is and, as a result, we can get so much Mike Colman, a junior recreation major, waits for his ball during bowling class on Thursday The on-campus bowling alley, built in afternoon in the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union bowling alley. 1967, did not receive a major renovation SEE BOWLING +Page SA REVIEW THIS ON THE VERGE OF TH E WEE KEND Daredevil THE DAILY ' The latest film based on a Marvel EASTERN NEWS comic book character is surprisingly Friday, February 21, 2003 entertaining. Section B Page 58 By Tim Edwards the event include Ashayla Scott, a talent and impromptu questions. to safe sex.· service programs and crowning STAFF WRITER sophomore business management "The ladies have been working ~ I think it's important for us to the winner of the 2004 pageant. major; Angela Christine Beard, a extremely hard on each category, deliver a message that leaves a "This Will be a wonderful event, This weekend will be full of freshman Spanish and psychology especially with creative expres lasting impression," Scott said. full of entertainment, variety and laughter, dancing and celebration major; and Kaylin Gordon, a fresh sion," Latacia Land, personal coor The pageant's theme is "Do You culture," Gowder said. "The ladies as African American Heritage man speech communication major. dinator said. Remember Me, the Black are ready to showcase the skills Month comes to a close with the ~The night wtll be a big evening "The creative expression por Woman?" Chosen by pageant coor they have been practicing." 29th annual Miss Black EIU pag for them and everyone else, • Kia tion of the show gives the contest dinator Kia Gowder, the objective The weekend will commence eant Saturday night. Gowder, the coordinator of the ant an opportunity to creatively in choosing the theme was to pro with the Black Student Union host Three ladies will be competing event and Miss Black EIU 2002, address an issue that is of impor mote remembrance of past Miss ing a Lip Service and freestyle for the crown of Miss Black EIU in said. tance to them, • Monique Cook Black EIU contestants. competition Friday at 7 p.m. in the the University Grand Ballroom. Each contestant Will be judged Bey, the pageant's advisor, said. The winner's duties will vary 7th Street Underground. This event is a tradition at Eastern. in four separate categories: cre "We have contestants hitting on from running for Homecoming The three women competing in ative expression, African garment, issues ranging from drunk driving Queen, organizing community SEE PAGEANT + Page 58 THE FAVORITE FIVE A DOLL 'S HOU S E THE TO SS ER S CONCERT CALENDAR writers Jeremy Pelzer and The Theater Department's first pro Chicago's favorite Irish-punk outfit Coles County wtll be bombarded with Voelker offer their choices duction of second semester opens returns to Friends & Co. Friday. live music over the next six days. for most influential albums. Wednesday. Who are you to going see? Page• 28 Page• 38 Page• 48 Page• 88 Today Saturday Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Mostly cloudy Snow/Wind Cloudy Cloudy Mostly Cloudy 1}, •- PAGE .