Bowling Green State University ScholarWorks@BGSU BG News (Student Newspaper) University Publications 2-26-1999 The BG News February 26, 1999 Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news Recommended Citation Bowling Green State University, "The BG News February 26, 1999" (1999). BG News (Student Newspaper). 6457. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/6457 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at ScholarWorks@BGSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in BG News (Student Newspaper) by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@BGSU. GNews partly cloudy Rec Center hosts Big Playground By AMYJOL. BROWN ground" night. they wished we had it every promote drinking or alcohol and of alcohol decorations all over, A popular event last year, the weekend." exchange them for raffle tickets which will help impact the rate The BG News Big Playground will feature Some events have been through which they can win a of alcoholism." high: 40 changed according to sugges- mountain bike or a Sony Playsta- There won't be monkey bars numerous activities from stu- dents' childhoods while a DJ tions students gave after they tion. Tracey Gavin, the project coor- and giant slides, but tonight at low: 22 plays music from the 1980s. attended last year's Playground. T-shirts, coasters, neon signs, dinator, agreed that it is impor- the Rec Center, students can "These are the games you did Two inflatable games, bouncy shot glasses and hats are all tant to decrease the number of enjoy all the games they used to when you went out for recess," boxing and moon walking, have items that will be awarded dif- messages about drinking. opinion play at recess. said Chris Hageman, health pro- been added to this year's list of ferent amounts of tickets. The "We're looking to get people Dodgeball, jump-rope, water motion coordinator of the event. activities. first 100 students to donate an doing something different," she i Jeff Gill considers fhe volleyball and fingerpainting are Over 450 students came last The Playground is part of the item will win a free T-shirt. possibility that it might just a few of the activities being year. BGSU Binge Drinking and Vio- "We're trying to change the said. "A lot of people have the all be decided in provided as part of the Student "We had a very positive reac- lence Prevention Program. campus culture," Hageman said. perception that drinking is the advance. Recreation Center's "Big Play- tion," Hageman said. "They said Students can bring items that "We want to reduce the amount only activity." Inmate i Guest columnist Show goes on defends the institution chooses of marriage. despite illness By ALEXANDRIA DIETZ day and he was out with his death and nation 4 friends," Brown said. "Then on The BG News Sunday his condition started to By STEFANIE Got hope? Steve does. deteriorate and by Monday he SIZEMORE Steve Sawyer is a couragous was admitted to the hospital." The BG News ■ Murderer given the twenty-three year old who trav- Sawyer's liver had started to Although^ many attempts els to roughly one college cam- shut down and one-third of his death penalty. were made to stop it, the Wilford pus a week trying to spread his liver had turned into scar tissue. Berry execution took place last message of "Finding hope He had surgery on Monday and Friday evening. through suffering." was recently released from :ertainment 7 Berry was convicted in 1996 Sawyer, who was bom a intensive care. for the murder of Cleveland bak- hemophiliac and contracted the A teleconference was set up ery.owner Charles Mitroff. HIV virus through a blood so Brown could correspond When Berry's death sentence ■ Erik Pepple believes transfusion, was supposed to with Nancy Sawyer, Steve's mother at Steve's bedside was not overturned he decided that Nick Nolte gives his come to the University last to waive appeals giving him the night to speak to the students. Sawyer was not conscious at the finest performance ever time. nickname "The Volunteer." However, Sawyer was Desperate attempts were in "Affliction." unable to make the trip because "This has been a difficult week," she said. "This is not made to save Berry's life because of failing health and hospital- state public defenders felt he was ization. unexpected, though. We knew we would get to this point." mentally ill and not competent to Though Sawyer was unable make his own decision to volun- to come to BG to give his According to Sawyer's moth- Photo Provided er, the doctors had to bypass the teer himself for execution. speech, he was there in spirit. The Ohio Supreme Court liver to stop bleeding in the Recent photo of Steve, featured in "Dying to Tell You," an arti- According to Michael Brown, denied every motion to delay the director of Campus Crusade for esophagus and stomach. cle in Worldwide Challenge magazine. "We reminded Steve that he execution, saying that public Christ, Sawyer was admitted to pointed that he couldn't be HIV virus. But, being in denial defenders showed no evidence the hospital on Monday. would have been at BG today," there. He is literally fighting for can be a dangerous thing, she said. "He was so disap- that Berry was no longer compe- "I talked to his dad on Satur- his life tonight." explained Sawyer. tent to waive the appeals. Sawyer said she has realized "There are dangers to your- Public defenders also asked the impact of the AIDS on the self when you are in denial," the Ohio Supreme Court to youth of today. Sawyer said. "You keep push- appoint a mental health expert to "AIDS is a disease that affects ing it down—it builds up until review medical records related to kids today," she said. "His mes- it explodes." Berry's head. They claimed that i The hockey team sage is one of hope." Sawyer said he used to blame Berry had suffered brain damage looks to clinch a Sawyer also said that Steve everyone else for his illness. back in 1997 when death row CCHA tournament has stared death in the face "If I could blame someone, inmates beat Berry to near spot at Western many times, but he has not I'd feel better," he said. "First I death. given up that hope. However, blamed the homosexual com- Michigan and Ferris The court again denied this he has not always had this hope. munity, until I realized that was and all other attempts to delay State. After the teleconference, a ridiculous. Then I blamed God." the execution. video was presented to the Steve also explained how his Despite all attempts, Berry crowd. It was a speech Steve pain turned to rage. was executed by lethal injection gave three years ago to the Uni- "When you have somewhere at the Southern Ohio Correction- versity of California in Santa to focus the pain, it turns to Opinion 2 Photo Provided al Facility in Lucasville. Barbara. rage," he said. It was the first execution in Page Three 3 Steve's first speaking engagement at his former college, Steve explained how he used Steve said that one should Ohio since 1963. World and Nation 4 Curry College, where there were over 100 decisions made for to be in denial when he learned Before Friday, Ohio was Entertainment 7 Christl he had been infected with the • See SAWYER, page five. among nine states with the death Sports 8 penalty that have not performed Sports Agate 13 an execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976. Students fast to help hungry Ohio brought back the death penalty in 1981 but 15 years of "People are giving up a little World Vision," he said. world," Oberlander said. appeals have kept anyone from By AMYJOL. BROWN Over 26,000 students from Last year, $6.5 million was ' Students will raise bit of themselves to help people being executed. The BG News they don't know," said Jim Ober- around the country are expected raised by the famine through money for hungry chil- Berry was the first person exe- to fast from 8 a.m. this morning sponsor pledges. This year A group of about-40 students lander, the initiator of the famine cuted in 36 years, but due to . dren around the world." until 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. World Vision estimates that $8 will go without food for 30 for the BG community. pending U.S. executions, six men Oberlander brought the 30 While students will not be million will be collected. hours, today and tommorrow, in from Ohio are scheduled to be consuming any food during the Students gathered at the Sun- Jim Oberlander an effort to raise money for Hour Famine to the University executed in the next 3 months. 30 hours, water and juice will be dial at 7:30 this morning to eat BG initiator of the world hunger. after years of participating in it at According to Rhonda Mil- his church. provided. breakfast, their last meal of the 30 Hour Famine The 30 Hour Famine is being house, assistant to the warden at Interviewed by World Vision Students participating in the day. They will regroup tonight at sponsored by the Honors Stu- the Southern Ohio Correctional for a trip Oberlander wished to famine will collect monetary the Honors Center, where activi- dent Association Philanthropy Facility in Lucasville, one cannot donations from people which ties have been planned.