Daily Eastern News: February 10, 2003 Eastern Illinois University
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep February 2003 2-10-2003 Daily Eastern News: February 10, 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 10, 2003" (2003). February. 6. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2003_feb/6 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 10, 2003 + M 0 N DA V and don't be afraid. • VOLUME 87. NUMBER 95 THE DA ILYEAST£ RN NEWS . COM Poor Play THE DAILY The Panther women's basketball team strug gled mightily against Morehead State. EASTERN NEWS Page 11-12 SPORTS Witness: Mertz planned to brag • Last prosecution witness expected to testify on DNA evidence today By Michelle Jones ED ITOR IN CH IEF Anthony B. Mertz said he was sure a jury would find him not guilty of murder, and right after the announcement of the verdict, Mertz would set the record straight for Shannon McNamara's family and friends, a former cellmate of Mertz said Friday. "He was going to stand up and tell them, 'Yeah, I killed the bitch and got away with it,'" Michael D. A member of the audience lifts his hands in praise as Joey Merchiko, of Chicago, leads the group in worship during the annual Jordan, of rural Sullivan, testified in Coles County Gospel Explosion in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union. The event was sponsored by the African Circuit Court. American Heritage Celebration Committee. Also on the day the prosecution came close to finishing its case, the jury heard from a forensic scientist, a couple of Illinois State Police officers and Charleston officers. Today, Jennifer Lu, an Illinois State Police DNA Lifting up voices and hands expert and the last expected witness for the prose cution, is scheduled to testify that blood found • More than 200 attend event, chair of the event for as long as it has under McNamara's fingernails was Mertz's blood. sing for part ofAfrican gone on. ''The concert was Then the defense can begin to present its case. The Second Missionary Baptist Mertz is charged with first degree murder, American Heritage month Church choir was one of the groups, interesting, and more peo aggravated criminal sexual assault and home inva performing in purple robs and swing sion in the June 12, 2001 murder of McNamara. By Aaron Saudargas ing side to side. Other gospel groups ple should have been Both were Eastern students at the time. STAFF WR ITER included the Psalms of Praise and The Jordan, who is on probation for a robbery con Searly Brothers with special guest Ian there. " viction, said he shared a cell with Mertz from After a 45-minute delay and some Tatum, a senior special education -Amanda Jackson January to March of last year. He testified Mertz microphone trouble, the lOth Annual major. said he tried to break into McNamara's apartment Gospel Explosion got underway to an In between the choirs, Courtney With a credit card, but when that plan didn't work, audience of more than 200. Johnson sang an a cappella solo. he used a box cutter and entered through a window. Sunday marked the 10-year The highlight of the evening was rushed to the backstage and tried to Jordan said Mertz said such an entry "was quiet anniversary of Gospel Explosion for Tatum, who was recruited by Magee figure out the problem. It was j ust and an easy way to get in.· African American Heritage month. for the production. dust falling from the ceiling from Mertz said McNamara was screaming, so he Claude Magee, director of Eastern's "The concert was interesting and when the choir was shaking back and stuffed a wash cloth in her mouth to make her TRIO Program, was the master of cer more people should have been there, • forth. "shut up, • Jordan testified. Mertz wore gloves, emonies. Magee opened the cere said Amanda Jackson, a freshman Everyone who came to show left the which he had access to at work, but one glove got monies with some prayers of hope and pre-med major. show with something whether it was tom during a struggle, Jordan said. He said he told joy to get everyone in the mood of the Jackson went to the concert to see the spirit of God or just a good feeling police cuts he received came from a shot glass, evening. The ball room was then filled her friends participate in the singing. about life. Either way, those who Jordan said. with dancing, hands in the air, and Near the end of the show, during the attended had a good time, Magee said. Jordan said he did not know what had been "Amen's! " set of Unity Gospel choir, someone The ones who missed the show Magee has been head chair and co- thought they saw smoke. Magee "missed a treat tonight, • Magee said. SEE MERTZ +Page 6 Contract agreements near final settlement • Eastern has tentative port. now negotiations have ended, agreement's If Southern can settle an agree agreement, 51 U votes to Contract lan Wayland said. faults in a sepa ment that is not ideal, Eastern's guage still "That means all of our labor rate press contract negotiations can follow close new contract needs to be for agreements will be settled, • he release follow suit even though the union has By John Chambers matted , said. "We can kind of go back and ing the con been at the university 29 years, ADMIN ISTRAT ION ED ITOR Delman said. restore some labor peace here on tract ratifica longer than Southern's union, UPI Both sides campus." tion. The president David Radavich said Eastern's and Southern Illinois have agreed to More than the 50 percent need F acu l ty last week. University at Carbondale's union not immediate ed of Southern Illinois University Association set The UPI has identified the negotiating teams both advanced ly comment on at Carbondale's Faculty a strike date at issues of workload, distance edu toward tentative agreements last specifics of the Charles Delman Association, 202 to 73, voted to Bob Wayland Feb. 3, but cation and faculty and staff com week. agreement. ratify a tentative agreement postponed pensation as primary issues in Eastern's chapter of the "We're looking at a better-writ Friday. walking to review a final proposal negotiations. University Professionals of ten agreement. The decision ... is "We have gained much, such as from Southern's Board of Last week, The Dally Eastern Illinois voted in support of a ten the membership should hear it a fixed faculty-student ratio, job Trustees. Southern would have News learned merit pay deter tative agreement Thursday and from us first," he said. security and non-contingent been the first state university in mined by administration, continu will meet with members this Tentative agreements have salary increases," SIUCFA presi Illinois to strike. ing education and study abroad Thursday to review contract already been reached with dent Morteza Daneshdoost said in "We have avoided a strike and courses, patent income, summer terms, union chief negotiator Eastern employees represented a press release last week. "We we have advanced the cause of school salaries and post-tenure Charles Delman said. by the American Federation of must now work to achieve work higher education in southern review were also issues for both Members will cast ballots on State, County and Municipal load definitions, administrative Illinois," Daneshdoost said. "We sides. whether to ratify the contract at a Employees, said Bob Wayland, accountability and faculty have grown stronger through this The UPI membership meeting later date. Eastern's Board of director of employee and labor involvement in programmatic contract struggle and we now is open to the public at 5 p.m. Trustees will approve the ratified relations. changes." look to a future that is brighter Thursday in the Lumpkin Hall contract if members vote in sup- Overall, both sides voiced relief Daneshdoost affirmed the and a filled with promise. • Auditorium. Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Snow/Showers Partly cloudy Partly cloudy Showers Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy ~0 lfbO ~~~~ Monday, 32° 18° 39° 31° 4o' 17° 36° 20° 39° 15° February 10, 2003 HI GH LOW HIG H LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HI GH LOW HI GH LOW Sounds of music• Jazz• up Eastern scene • Award winning saxophonist, high school students part of 44th festival By Nick Westendorf STAFF WRITER Hundreds of students, parents and faculty came together for the opening concert of the 44th annu al jazz festival featuring award-winning saxophon ist Dick de Graaf. Playing along side de Graaf was the EIU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Sam Fagaly. Also playing during the concert was pianist Simon Rowe, a member of the faculty. Rowe presented a short introduction to de Graaf and explained how the two had played together in St. Louis, which led to de Graaf coming to Eastern for the Festival. Among the songs that filled the air during the evening was a selection by de Graaf, "Doubtful Sound," which is from his latest album. The album was available to be purchased just outside the ball room. After the concert, those who came had an oppor tunity to mix and mingle with the ensemble and de Graaf at the Java B & B on the first floor of the Martin Luther King Jr.