Established 1927 Covering the campus like a swarm of gnats The Official Student Newspaper of Qfcfgia Southern Univ< Men's Basketball Men's Basketball heads to Chattanooga, www.stp.georgiasouthern.edu Tenn. for the SoCon Tournament. Check out page 6 for more information on what to expect from the Eagles in this tournament. Wednesday, March 2,2005 • Volume 77, Number 70 i- : AROUND the HOUSE • * •Eagle Baseball falls to GSU students mostly upbeat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ce >a • Braves extend Hudson's lly contract to assure solid pitching for years to come about proposed transit system By Luke Hearn Page 6 [email protected] Charlie McCarter has to leave his house at least 30 minutes before class each day to ensure he finds a parking spot on campus. Considering he lives about a mile and a half from • Luke Hearn gives his the campus, he feels this is quite ridiculous. opinion on the death "Every day I deal with the jam-packed parking lots before penalty developments class, and it really gets on my nerves," said McCarter, a junior majoring in Construction Management. "The parking situ- , • Progressive Media ation is crazy." columnist Jack Shaheen McCarter's problem is not unique. Many Georgia South- addresses demonization ern students share his concerns about parking. Senior Brook of Arab Americans on Dollar, a finance major, says that she didn't bother to buy a network TV parking permit this year, but instead parks on Olympic Bou- Page 4 levard—known as Greek Row by some—and walks to class t : from there. She said the parking on campus is so crowded that she has no other option. OnlylnAmerica "I park on Greek Row because it's so hard to find a parking spot on campus," she said. * Elderly couple accused of The news that a transit system could be implemented selling pot on the GSU campus as early as fall 2005 has some students DANVILLE, W.Va.- A 78-year-old hopeful about the overall parking situation. ' woman faces drug charges and Dollar believes this new system will be beneficial to the authorities are searching for her 72- parking situation, though she said that she might not utilize year-old boyfriend after police found more than a pound of marijuana the system. stashed in a freezer on her property. "I think the transit system is a great idea, although I don't Luke Hearn/STAFF State police arrested Mollie Wil- know if I'd use it or not," Dollar said. "Considering everyone Charlie McCarter, a junior Construction Mangament major, searches for a parking spot in the Russell Union parking liams last week after responding to a will have to pay a transit fee [if the system is in effect] it's lot. Students have continually expressed concern about the parking problems on campus and most agree that the dispute between her granddaughter proposed transit system would help. and the granddaughter's husband, See STUDENTS, page 2 who were arguing over drugs. Police learned the man allegedly had n bought marijuana from Williams, State Police Cpl. Larry O'Bryan said Monday. Supreme Court strikes down Armed with a search warrant and Thefacebook not • a drug-sniffing dog, troopers went to Williams' residence near Danville. The dog led troopers to a freezer in death penalty for juveniles an outbuilding where the marijuana, • worth an estimated $4,000, was endorsed by GSU hidden under frozen meat and other By Hope Yen Associated Press food, O'Bryan said. Historic rulings on the death penalty Technology fees are not being used Williams was jailed and later WASHINGTON - A closely divided The Supreme Court has answered pivotal questions regarding by GSU to register students on the • released on $15,000 bond. Her Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that it's the constitutionality of the death penalty seven times since 1972. live-in boyfriend, Jack White, who was recovering from heart bypass unconstitutional to execute juvenile Supreme Court death penalty rulings, 1972-present popular web site thefacebook.com surgery, was given the opportunity killers, ending a practice in 19 states that 1972 1987 1989 2005 * .to turn himself in but failed to do has been roundly condemned by many Furman McCleskey Stanford Roper By Luke Hearn so, authorities said. He remained at of America's closest allies. v. Georgia v. Georgia v. Kentucky v. Simmons ganewsediageorgiasouthern.edu Death penalty Ruling Court ruled thai large Monday. The 5-4 decision throws out the death Court said death penalty does not held as upheld the ConsStution There's a new sensation sweeping college campuses across * More OIA on sentences of 72 murderers who were violate Constitution, constitutional constitution- (orbkis the the nation. under 18 when they committed their but its application in even when ality of execution of It's not a new drink or clothing line, nor it is a new social Page3 statistics show executions killers under 18 crimes and bars states from seeking to many states does. organization. It's a web site — called thefacebook.com — and it's Executions racial bias was for Juveniles whan crime execute minors for future crimes. essentially end. applied. older than 15. was committed. become a very popular place for college students to "hang out" Quote of theDay The executions, the court said, violate i , and meet other students across the nation. the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and 1980s 1990s 2000s Signs posted across campus advertising thefacebook.com say "Humor is the great thing, the 1970s unusual punishment. that all Georgia Southern students are required to sign up at the web saving thing. The minute it crops "The age of 18 is the point where 2002 site because student technology fees pay for the registration. up, all our irritations and resent- 1976 1988 society draws the line for many purposes Gregg v. Georgia Thompson Atkins v. Virginia According to GSU spokesperson Mike Sullivan, the university ments slip away and a sunny Court sakl that between childhood and adulthood. It is, Ruling said state death v. Oklahoma is not affiliated with thefacebook.com in anyway. spirit takes their place. "■ penalty statute is Justices ruled that executing retarded we conclude, the age at which the line constitutional. offenders younger than criminals is cruel and "No student fee-is going to these people," Sullivan said. "There -MarkTwain for death eligibility ought to rest," Justice Executions resume. 16 may not be executed. unusual punishment. is no affiliation between Georgia Southern and thefacebook.com, Anthony Kennedy wrote. and if anyone claims we're paying them in regards to the web AP See DEATH, page 2 site, that is incorrect." According to Connie Palfy in the GSU Office of Business and Finance, the university has a sales and solicitation policy that addresses advertise- Proposed bill hopes to get ments on campus. "There is no affiliation between wwie she could not Georgja Southern and theface- comment on the le- . , , ., . Weekday Wither gitimacy of the signs book.com, and if anyone claims teen drivers off cell phones touting thefacebook. we're paying them in regards to Wednesday com, she did say that the weD sjte that j$ JnCOTreCt." By Josh Kerr This isn't the first proposal [email protected] if GSU were to no- HIGH to be introduced to the state tify students about - Mike Sullivan, GSU spokesperson 55° A new proposal to enter law making body, but it has something they were •—: the state legislature could make received the most hype thus far. required to do, it LOW driving and talking on a cell In the past, no proposals on cell would be through more formal measures than hanging signs Sunny 34° phone illegal for anyone under phone bans for young drivers throughout campus. the age of 18. have passed. According to the site, there are currently over 2,000 students, Thursday Stephanie Benneld> Democrat Much controversy has sur- faculty, staff and alumni registered at thefacebook. com, and quite a from Decatur, believes the bill has rounded cell phone use and its few see the site as interesting, yet addictive. Britni Rowen, a junior ^ HIGH potential to save young lives. "I possible contribution to auto- CommunicationArtsmajor,saidthatthesiteisveryaddictingatfirst. p^gw 58° just wantteens to pull over [before mobile accidents. According "When I first joined it was pretty addicting, but now it's fading using phones]," she says. Her bill to a recent survey conducted away," Rowen said. ^\J^3 LOW by Students Against Drunk Mostly Cloudy 34° would make it illegal to operate a Special Photo Creating a profile on thefacebook.com is free, but GSU ad- Driving (SADD), 62 percent of vehicle while using a cell phone Teenaged drivers in Georgia could face fines ministrators say that students should use caution when deciding high school drivers said they for anyone under 18. for driving while talking on their cell phones if a what information to share with the site. Inside drive and use cell phones at the Police would not be allowed newly proposed bill passes. ' "There are some out there being careless with the information Police Beat ^ to pull over everyone who drives same time. While this group they provide, putting their home address, class schedule and other while talking on the phone. But of drivers only makes up seven personal information on the site," said GSU Dean of Students News Briefs 3 While there are other laws in place to try and 4 people pulled over for other percent of the nations drivers, Georj Lewis. "Putting that kind of information out there on the Opinions prevent teen automobile deaths, currently only New 6 infractions, such as speeding or it accounts for 15 percent of all Sports Jersey and Maine have bans on teen cell phone use Internet is a perfect recipe for a stalker." reckless driving, could have an automobile accidents.