The Daily Egyptian, February 20, 2008
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC February 2008 Daily Egyptian 2008 2-20-2008 The Daily Egyptian, February 20, 2008 Daily Egyptian Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/de_February2008 Volume 93, Issue 105 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Daily Egyptian 2008 at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in February 2008 by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. om PHOTO COLUMN, PAGE 7: Gus Bode says I’m faster .c than Jeff Gordon’s pit crew at changing flat tires. WE DNE SD AY siuDE . www DVOL. 93, NO. 105, 20 PAGES S OUTHEREN I LLINOIS U NIVERSITYFEBRUARY 20, 2008 Students mourn NIU tragedy Lawmakers More than 100 push to gather for vigil reduce in memory of shooting victims voting age Joe Crawford Amendment would DAILY EGYPTIAN give 17-year-olds When a gunman fired 54 shots into a Northern Illinois University eligibility in Illinois classroom Thursday, Nyki Braese lost a friend. Braese was one of more Barton Lorimor DAILY EGYPTIAN than 100 students, faculty and community members who gathered at the steps of Shryock Auditorium A lawmaker of more than 20 years Tuesday afternoon for a vigil in said young-voter turnout is higher remembrance of the victims than ever, which should prompt for a of the NIU shooting. The vigil lower state voting age. was organized by Undergraduate State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, Student Government and the said he is sponsoring an amendment Graduate and Professional Student to the Illinois Constitution allowing Council. 17-year-olds to vote in state elections. Braese said she went to high JASON JOHNSON ~ DAILY EGYPTIAN Since it was assigned to the House school with Ryanne Mace, one Sophomore Nyki Braese is consoled by Rosemary Simmons, director of the Counseling Center. Elections and Campaign Reform of the five students killed in the Braese is a sophomore from Carpentersville studying cinema and phtography, and went to high school Committee on Feb. 6, the amendment shooting. Braese, a sophomore with NIU shooting victim Ryanne Mace. has caused a number of different reac- from Carpentersville studying Kate tions from Lang’s fellow lawmakers cinema and photography, said she Webster, a and voters close to the age group. appreciated the chance to mourn — where NIU’s campus is located senior from Two state representatives have become at the vigil because she could not — and many of his friends attend Princeton co-sponsors, but legislators, such as attend Mace’s funeral. NIU. For about an hour Thursday, studying State Rep. Mike Bost, R-Carbondale, Mace was a caring person who Iaccino said he wasn’t sure if his social work, a member of the elections committee, took her studies very seriously, she friends were safe. bows her have said they would not support the said. Iaccino, a sophomore studying head during amendment for a number of reasons. “She was trying to be a counselor radio-television, said he was not a vigil for the Lang said the committee plans so she could help kids like the one close with anyone who was killed, NIU shooting to meet this week as representatives who did this,” said Braese, who but he went to high school with Tuesday return to Springfield for session. clutched a bouquet of flowers from one student who was shot. outside of “What we want to do, of course, is an arrangement she sent to Mace’s Because the tragedy hit so Shryock include more and more people in the funeral. close to home, he said it changed Auditorium. process,” he said. “We have found that Jon Iaccino said he went to the JASON JOHNSON the voting turnout patterns have been vigil because he is from DeKalb See TRAGEDY, Page 14 DAILY EGYPTIAN dismal ... because we haven’t involved them in the process.” Bost said the amendment would not allow 17-year-olds to vote for In-state tuition may be offered to out-of-state students elected positions in the federal govern- ment, such as the president, congress- Madeleine Leroux bordering counties. man and U.S. senators. The minimum DAILY EGYPTIAN “The thinking is they’re taking voting age for such offices is 18 and students that potentially would regulated on the federal level. Bost said Tu ition costs may be going down come here and so this is like taking approving Lang’s amendment would for people from counties bordering students back,” Stockdale said. Members of cost the state more money to print Illinois looking to study at SIU. For the program to be profitable, the Faculty separate ballots for 17-year-olds, and Faculty Senate President Peggy Stockdale said SIUC would need Senate listen create a “nightmare” for county clerks Stockdale announced to gain an overall to interim who would have to make sure each Tuesday that the senate’s increase of 400 Provost Don voter gets the proper ballot. budget committee will he thinking is students from out Rice speak Lang said Bost’s concerns of sepa- be looking at costs of of state. The senate about school rate ballots are not a worry during the offering in-state tuition Tthey’re taking budget committee is weather “computer age.” for bordering counties going to be studying closing “I’ve never not wanted everyone to in neighboring states. ‘‘students that the possibility of vote,” Bost said, who encouraged sup- procedures. Stockdale said there has offering it, Stockdale porters of the amendment to lobby the potentially would The Faculty been discussion at the said, and maybe federal government to lower its voting offices of the president come here and so come up with some Senate is age instead. and the chancellor. this is like taking suggestions. looking into John Jackson, a visiting professor Don Rice, interim “Maybe (trying) allowing from the Paul Simon Public Policy provost said both the students back. some ideas like in-state tuition Institute and former SIUC interim- for border SIU president and vice — Peggy Stockdale a trial period or chancellor, said students near the age president are in favor of faculty senate president offering it in one or counties of of 20 in his political science classes offering lower tuition two counties to see Illinois. have been skeptical of such an amend- rates, but not to everyone. Rice how it goes,” Stockdale said. EMILY SUNBLADE ment. Jackson said he has had the said both are interested in defining The faculty senate is also looking DAILY EGYPTIAN discussion in class during the past eligibility for students from out of to put together funds to upgrade four semesters, and each time students state receiving the in-state tuition and replace broken-down technical working properly in rooms that were properly,” Rice said. have been more against lowering the rates. equipment in classrooms. Rice said re-done within the last few years. age limit because it would add more Stockdale said other universities many members of the faculty have “We just can’t have these rooms Madeleine Leroux can be reached at already offer this type of program to complained about equipment not available and not functioning 536-3311 ext. 270 or [email protected]. See VOTE, Page 14 News Student LIfe Pulse Sports Resident strolls down High schoolers interests in Jack Johnson puts Bryan Mullins professes his love memory lane about soon- engineering are whetted by listeners to sleep. for the Dawg Pound. to-be-destructed houses. robotic demonstrations. PAGE 20 PAGE 5 PAGE 11 PAGE 12 2 Wednesday, February 20, 2008 DAILY EGYPTIAN News CALENDAR NEWS BRIEFS Christian Apologetics Gov. Blagojevich to give annual address today Gov. Rod Blagojevich will join Illinois lawmakers in the trip to Springfield today Club to deliver his State of the State address. • Noon today at the Student Center, Corinth Several speculations are surrounding the speech, and what the governor plans Room to specifically address. State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said he expects the House to • Discussion of Francis Schaeffer’s book be skeptical of Blagojevich’s new ways to allocate state funds. He said the speech will “Escape from Reason” not improve the number of stalemates between the state House and Senate. • Free admission The governor is scheduled to begin speaking in the Illinois House of Representatives Chamber inside the State Capitol at noon. Carbondale Delivering the speech for the sixth time as governor, Blagojevich will be speak- ing to a House Chamber that has ridiculed him multiple times for overstepping his Community Learning executive privileges. Probably the most criticism came last August when he redi- Circle rected $500 million from state spending to health care. • 5:00-6:30 p.m. today at Trueblood Dining Blagojevich is still battling House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, in civil- Hall actions court. Blagojevich sued Madigan for changing times of a special session of • SIUC and Carbondale police are available to the legislature. Generally, the house speaker sits close to the governor while the answer questions and concerns of students speech is in progress. The speech is similar to the State of the Union address delivered annually by the All-Majors Job Fair president, but focuses on the Illinois spending plan instead of the federal budget. • 9 a.m.-2 p.m. today at the Student Center Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or [email protected]. Ballrooms • Free admission • Please bring multiple copies of your resume and dress professionally Police say NIU gunman took steps to ‘thwart any investigation’ The calendar is a free service for DEKALB (AP) — Authorities still lack a theory as to why Steven Kazmierczak community groups.