Eastern Illinois University The Keep February 2003 2-24-2003 Daily Eastern News: February 24, 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 24, 2003" (2003). February. 15. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2003_feb/15 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 24, 2003 + M 0 N DA V and don't be afraid. • VO LUME 87 . NUMBER 104 THE DA ILYEASTERN NEWS . COM THE DAILY White Wash The Panther women's swim team won its first Midwest Classic Championship in more than 10 years. EASTERN NEWS Page 12 SPORTS Defense: Beard crowned Miss Black EIU By Jennifer Chiariello ACT IVITIES ED ITOR Angela Christine Beard, a fresh­ man communication disorders and Mertz sciences major from Phoenix, was the winner Saturday of the Miss Black EIU 2003 pageant. "I was surprised. I was over­ whelmed with j oy. It was mostly disbelief because I won in all four categories. I was in shock, • Beard had alibi said. • Ex-girlfriend testified Mertz was This year's pageant marked the end of the reign of Kia Che'Vaughn home at time of Warner murder, fire Gowder, a senior psychology major. By Avian Carrasquillo and Jamie Hussey The title of the Miss Black EIU STAFF WRITERS pageant 2003 was "Do you remem­ ber me, the black woman?" The Defense attorneys Friday continued to paint a purpose of the theme is to remem­ picture of a troubled home life of Anthony B. ber and honor all women, not j ust Mertz in his sentencing hearings. black women, Gowder said. On the fifth day of testimony, the defense also However, the focus was primarily attempted to establish an alibi for Mertz during on black women and their struggle, the time in which Charleston resident Amy from African queens to present. Warner was murdered in June 1999. Contestants for the title of Mertz's former girlfriend, his high school Miss Black EIU 2003 included football coach, his adviser at Eastern and fellow Ashayla Scott, a sophomore man­ marine also testified. agement major from Peoria; Mertz was found guilty of the murder of Kaylin Gordon, a freshman Shannon McNamara Feb. 12. He also was found speech communication major guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault from Calumet Park, and Beard. and home invasion. The contestants were judged In an attempt to establish Mertz had a trou­ according to creative expression, bled upbringing, the defense called his step­ talent, African garment and grandmother Darlene Edwards to the stand. evening gown competitions, as Edwards said Mertz's father Alan was absent, well as their response to an and his mother Susan did not act as a fit moth­ impromptu question. er. "I thought it was a great expe­ "Whenever Anthony would cry, Susan would rience," Gordon said. "It was dif­ j ust scream at him instead of picking him up." ferent. It helped me get over Edwards said. stage fright. It's a lot of work; Edwards said Mertz's mother had a drinking you have to be committed, but problem, and she remembered an instance overall it was good. • when Susan was carrying Christina, Mertz's Contestants competed for schol­ older sister upside down and didn't realize why arships, prizes and special awards, the child was crying. She said the house was in addition to special recognition always messy, filled with scattered bugs and awards for Miss Congeniality, Miss dirty diapers. Edwards said she would con­ Togetherness, Miss Enterprise , stantly have to step in and bathe the children Miss Ebony and Miss Scholarship. because of the unclean environment. The Miss Ebony award was Tara Hofer, Mertz's girlfriend at the time of given to Gordon, the Miss Warner's murder, testified she was with Mertz Scholarship and Miss Enterprise both at the time of Warner's murder and the awards were given to Scott and night an apartment complex was burned down Miss Congeniality and Miss on Fourth Street in February 2000. Earlier Togetherness were awarded to prosecution witnesses said Mertz had admitted Beard. to committing both crimes. "It's a lot of hard work, but it's Hofer said she is a light s leeper and would a lot of fun. It's worth it and I have heard on both occasions if Mertz had encourage any women to partici­ left. In past testimony, Hofer has said Mertz pate in it if they have the oppor­ had not come to bed before 2 a .m . either tunity," Scott said. night. Angela Beard, freshman communications disorders and sciences major, poses for the crowd The contestants were given after winning the 2003 Miss Black EIU pageant on Saturday evening in the Grand Ballroom of SEE MERTZ +Page 7 the M artin Luther King, Jr. University Union. SEE CROWNED +Page 7 Contest essays due National tragedies make bar owner think \\ednesday, prizes By Caitlin Prendergast eration. SEN IOR RE PORTER "It's a coincidence that it hap­ will be awarded pened twice in one week, but (the Although the weekend went With­ events) should make every club The deadline for The Dally out incident. at least one area bar owner think about their facility, • he Eastern News' African­ owner will ~valuate the safety of said. "If something like that hap­ American Heritage Celebration his facility in the wake of last week's pened, how would you live With 2003 essay contest is two similar nightclub tragedies in yourself?" Wednesday. Chicago and Rhode Island. Attendance at Mac's Uptowner, Interested students should Mike Knoop, owner of Roc's another popular bar on the Square, sumit an essay that correlates Blackfront and lbp of the Roc club, also was steady, said with the theme "The Ties that said the hundreds of lives lost in bartender/manager Scott Stewart. Bind: Culture and Heritage. • recent disasters did not have an Stewart said he didn't notice a dif­ Essays should be between Impact on Charleston's bar scene. ference in the weekend crowd, and 500 and 600 words and are due Last Monday, 21 patrons of the Uptowner staff will continue to by 3 p.m. Feb. 25 in Buzzard Chicago's E-2 nightclub were killed do the same things to keep the bar Hall Room 1811. Submissions in a stampede when someone used safe. also can be e-mailed to pepper spray to stop a fight. "We always keep our eyes open, • [email protected]. As the nation mourned the Stewart said. Three faculty members from Chicago deaths, 96 people died in at Roc's management will make separate departments will a Rhode Island nightclub Thursday sure everything is checked and judge the enteries, and the top night after a pyrotechnics display rechecked as far as safety is con­ three essays will be published set fire to the building, burning it to cerned to avoid anything that might in The Dally Eastern News on the ground. lead to a fatal situation, Knoop said. March4. Although attendance was typical "We'll keep maintaining the facil­ Prizes, including free movie at Roc's this weekend, Knoop said it ity and make sure all of our bases Bars in the Charleston area did not feel an impact after the recent acci­ rentals and food certificates, is Impossible for a club owner to not are covered," he said. "Nobody dents at night c lubs in Chicago and Rhode Island that have claimed the also will be awarded. take last week's events into consid- wants anyone to die." lives of 117 people. Today Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday PAGE Cloudy Mostly cloudy Snow Snow Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Snow ~ ~ ~0 ~0 Monday. 23o go 23° 21° 30, 20° 32° 23° 37, 23° February 24, 2003 TWO HI GH LOW HIG H LOW HIGH LOW HI GH LOW HI GH LOW Council plans for cuts By Brad Tammaro also was present In Springfield. STAFF WR ITER He said every school In the state wants something from The Council on University Springfield. Planning and Budget Friday dis­ "I was very proud of our repre­ cussed a plan to deal With a possi­ sentation, • Hencken said. "It was ble 5 to 10 percent budget cut. Impossible to miss us." Hencken The CUPB will divide Into four also gave a report on four state groups to analyze the university's congressional bills progressing strengths, weaknesses, opportuni­ through Springfield. The bills deal ties and threats. The analysis will with Income funds, line-Item Initiate a renewal of the universi­ budgeting, capping tuition and ty's financial planning. fixed tuition. "Before we go forward, we The fixed tuition bill is moving need to know where we are now," rapidly through Springfield, Interim President Lou Hencken Hencken said. The bill sets tuition said. for an Incoming freshmen so the A final budget planning docu­ tuition will remain the same ment will be completed for the throughout the student's college CUPB meeting In May. The coun­ career. cil, along with other university A set budget for the university committees and councils, will influ­ will be needed If the line-item ence what goes In to the final draft. budgeting bill Is passed. In years The end result will be a formal past, the university has had a 2- plan to prepare the university for percent margin to move parts of the state of Illinois' budget.