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Eastern Illinois University The Keep February 1999 2-26-1999 Daily Eastern News: February 26, 1999 Eastern Illinois University Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_1999_feb Recommended Citation Eastern Illinois University, "Daily Eastern News: February 26, 1999" (1999). February. 17. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_1999_feb/17 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 1999 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]. 50˚ Partly The Daily Friday 28˚ cloudy February 26, 1999 Inside Eastern Sports Here she www.den.eiu.edu Open Eastern Illinois University comes... Charleston, Ill. 61920 season Four women vie for the title of Vol. 84, No. 108 Baseball begins season with 16 pages, 2 sections Miss Black EIU. tripleheader against the See The Verge section B News Arkansas Razorbacks. “Tell the truth and don’t be afraid.” Story on Page 8A Correction A headline in Thursday’s edition of The Daily Eastern News incorrectly stated a sexual assault complaint was filed against Doug DiBianco, professor of fine arts. The complaint is in regard to sexual harassment. The News regrets the error. Student senate asks Hansen to step down By Chris Sievers Student government editor Hansen may Student vice president for financial affairs Mike Hansen has been asked to resign by the senior members of the Legislative Leaders face removal Committee of the Student Senate. Senate members presented a letter to Hansen following Wednesday’s Student in senate trial Senate meeting outlining the reason the Legislative Leaders believed Hansen should By Chris Sievers resign from the senate. Student government editor The letter claims Hansen’s recent conduct has damaged the integrity of Student Student Vice President for Government at Eastern. Financial Affairs Mike Hansen may The letter also stated since Hansen is an be brought to trial by the Student elected official he is held at a higher standard Senate for his “recent actions.” of conduct than other students. Speaker of the Senate Bill Gruen Members of the Legislative Leaders said if Hansen refuses to resign from Committee, which is the committee of the his office, it could force the senate to speaker of the senate and is responsible for “look into other options.” Deanna McIntyre / Photo editor approving all legislation that appears on the The senate’s bylaws state the sen- Valerie Woods, a sophomore music education major, practices the piano Thursday evening outside senate’s agendas, voiced concern in the letter ate will have to hold a trial in order to the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Woods is practicing for an upcom- that Hansen has not kept the Student remove Hansen from office if he ing musical, “God Spell.” Government informed regarding this matter. refuses to retire. The committee consists of senate mem- Gruen said before the removal of bers Justin Brinkmeyer, Bob Kman, Amanda any executive member the student Furlan, Kana Gorossi, Matt Layette, Melissa senate must present a petition to the New president acquaints Girten, Kim Wise and Ryan Cohenour. speaker of the senate with at least five “You have shown an inability to recognize signatures that state they want a sen- the impact that your personal actions would ate member to be removed from have on the group and a lack of faith in office. herself with Charleston Student Government members to understand After a petition is signed, the and assist you,” the letter stated. speaker of the senate must deliver the By Meghan McMahon She said she is hoping to get to know the Hansen appeared in court Monday facing letter to the person in question to Administration editor students better and would like to attend meet- the possibility of five years or more in jail on inform them of the senate’s intention. ings around campus. a Class II felony charge of aggravated battery, If the senate chooses to put Eastern’s incoming president Carol Surles “I want to find some time to get to know the a Class A misdemeanor resisting/obstructing Hansen on trial, the bylaws state it said she is looking forward to beginning her students better and I am certainly open to invi- a peace officer and minor consumption of must be the first order of business at a term at Eastern and getting to know the various tations occasionally,” Surles said. “I will spend alcohol. regularly scheduled senate meeting groups on campus. a great deal of time with all of our con- The charge of aggravated battery, which is and the speaker of the senate will Surles said one of her first priorities upon stituents.” a Class III felony punishable by two to five serve as the mediator. arriving at Eastern will be to learn more about The academic mission is the most impor- years in jail and fines of up to $25,000, was Senate members will have the the university and its priorities. tant part of the university and she said she will reduced to battery, a Class A misdemeanor. opportunity to call witnesses and the “I think the first thing is to ensure I have a work hard to make sure that is understood. The offense carries a maximun punishment defense (Hansen) will have the same shared sense of priorities with (Eastern’s “The academic mission of the university of one year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines. opportunity. Board of Trustees) and the President’s drives everything,” Surles said. “I will work The charge of resisting a peace officer, a The senate bylaws state that senate Council,” Surles said. very closely with the deans, the vice president Class A misdemeanor was dropped. Hansen members shall consider the removal Surles officially begins her term Monday. for academic affairs and the faculty to get a pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful con- of the individual according to the She said it is important to spend time with sense of how I might contribute to the viabili- sumption of alcohol, which is a Class C mis- rules governing debate outlined in the different groups on campus to see what the ty of our academic programs.” demeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail “Robert’s Rules of Order.” campus is involved in. She said while there are many differences and $1,500 in fines. After both sides give their debate, “I am going to spend a great deal of time between Eastern and TWU, she will be able to Hansen was elected in April to the posi- the senate will take a roll call vote on with all of our constituencies in the first sever- adjust to the Eastern community. tion of student vice president for financial the removal of the individual, the al months,” she said. “I am sure we will have Some of the major differences between affairs. His duties include, but are not limited bylaws state. many forums.” Eastern and TWU are Eastern’s clear dedica- to, serving as the chief fiscal officer of the stu- Gruen said he does not want the Surles said in her tenure as president of tion to a co-educational learning experience dent body, chair of the Apportionment Board, senate viewed as a body that allows Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas, and Eastern has only one campus while TWU assisting the student body president in deter- this type of conduct. she held office hours to allow people to come has four campuses. mining the general policy of financial affairs “We can’t be seen as an assembly to her with constructive comments. “Having a university with four campuses and consulting with others when drawing up that condones Hansen’s behavior,” he Surles said she would like to have a similar always places the chief executive in a position itemized budgets for the next fiscal year. said. practice at Eastern but not right away because of having to balance time to a greater extent,” Student Government executive board Gruen said there is a possibility she first wants to familiarize herself with the she said. members are granted tuition waivers as com- charges also will be brought against campus. Surles said she has already begun to famil- pensation for their work during the one-year Hansen from the Judicial Board. “I anticipate that there will be times when I iarize herself with the campus. terms. If the Judicial Board puts Hansen will schedule open-door meetings,” Surles said. “I drove through the campus several times at Hansen will appear in court at a compli- on probation then he will automati- “I want those sessions to be constructive.” night,” she said. “I wanted to get a sense of how ance hearing at 9 a.m. Feb. 21, 2000. cally be removed from office. Surles said she does not want the open-door long it would take to get from one place to Hansen was arrested Dec. 23 after sessions to be used as a time for people to another.” allegedly shoving Charleston Police Officer See REMOVAL Page 2A come to her with complaints the vice presi- dents would normally hear. See PRESIDENT Page 2A See STEP DOWN Page 2A 2A Friday, February 26, 1999 The Daily Eastern News The Daily was a conscious decision to return cited at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday to this region and the climate is a in the 400 block of Fourth Street President big part of this region.” Eastern from Page 1A police on various charges, police report Surles said she moved to said.