April 9 Daily Egyptian

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Input stacks up for BOT Poshard: Tuition, fee hikes have been on students’ backs for ‘too long’ JEFF ENGELHARDT Daily Egyptian Enough is enough.

That was the sentiment of SIU President Glenn Poshard and members of the Board of Trustees during their meeting Thursday in the Morris University Center on the Edwardsville campus.

Proposed student fee increases came under fire from trustees while the tuition freeze was touted as a historic moment in the university’s history. Poshard said the university has put the financial burden on students for too long and it is time the university takes the responsibility. “I think that’s the broader moral issue the board spoke to, and we decided enough is enough,� Poshard said. “Raising a million or two through a tuition increase won’t solve the problem, and I just don’t think we can put our families through that anymore.�

Poshard said the tuition freeze was spurred by the failing grades Illinois universities have received in affordability and the 135 percent tuition increase at SIUC over the last nine years.

While the tuition freeze proposal was not voted on at the meeting, it had unanimous support from the board.

Trustee Keith Sanders applauded Poshard for having the courage to not increase tuition in the middle of a financial crisis, guaranteeing SIU would be the only state university — public or private — to not raise tuition.

Experts: No mail on Saturdays if Web wins

Please see BOT | 3

MADELEINE LEROUX Daily Egyptian

Dietetics student speaks out about prof dispute RYAN VOYLES Daily Egyptian A heartfelt presentation by students in the human nutrition and dietetics program to the Board of Trustees Thursday led to a meeting between Chancellor Sam Goldman, Interim Provost Don Rice and Todd Winters, the interim dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Trinity Allison, a graduate student in dietetics from Benton, attended the Board of Trustees meeting in Edwardsville with a small group of students to state her case to university administrators about how losing professor Dr. Sharon Peterson would hurt the program. “With Dr. Peterson goes numerous undergraduate volunteer opportunities as well, and what we feel — and what many students feel — is important to the program,� Allison said.

She said the program should be moved out of the College of Agricultural Sciences because the college does not support the program or its faculty as much as other programs in the college. Allison said those were the factors that resulted in Peterson’s resignation.

Please see DIET | 3

ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Scott Ihmoff, a highway maintainer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, removes a dead cat Wednesday on the side of U.S. Highway 51 heading south

outside of Carbondale. Ihmoff said he has worked for IDOT for the last 22 years and trades off highway cleanup duty with two other workers. SEE STORY page 6.

Postal Service vs. the Internet

The Internet could force the U.S. Postal Service to cut Saturdays from its delivery service, according to some experts — and most people say the loss might not be as great as it seems.

The organization is facing a projected $238 billion shortfall in the next decade because of a decline in volume — or mail — and could cut Saturdays as a way out from

its financial disaster, according to the Postal Service Web site. Chifeng Dai, assistant professor of economics, and SIUC Information Technology director Frank Scobby both said the Postal Service is in a difficult position that is not going to change for the better. “They have been in a bad situation for years,� Dai said. “The trend is not going to change.�

More people go paperless, Dai said.

Scobby attributed the problem to electronic

messaging, or texting, and e-mail. “It’s a reasonable statement,� Scobby said. “It’s just so much easier and less expensive.�

Until Congress changes the existing law, which requires delivery to all U.S. addresses six days a week, no preparations for the change are being made, said Valerie Hughes, U.S. Postal Service Gateway District spokeswoman. “The Postal Service is working towards that,� Hughes said. “But that requires a change of law.�

Please see POSTAL | 3

Union protesters demand equal pay RYAN VOYLES Daily Egyptian The sign outside says “The Student Center appreciates our student employees all year long.�

The actions around the sign suggest the feeling is not mutual.

A group of roughly a dozen students and faculty gathered Thursday outside the Student Center to protest the pay rate from Chartwells, the group contracted by SIUC for hiring and managing some employees on campus.

Brian Fisher was one student who decided to show his support Thursday,

passing out fliers while holding up a sign.

He said being outside was the least he could do to help. “There are people who have been working here for many years, and still they cannot afford to save money towards such things as retirement,� said Fisher, a sophomore from Park Ridge studying geology. “And seeing that they work on campus and I’ve benefitted from their services, I feel I have some obligation to tell people how they have not been treated fairly.�

People employed under Chartwells make $3 to $4 less than employees holding similar jobs who work directly for the

university, said John Hickey, an organizer for the Student Employees International Union. He said Compass, the parent company of Chartwells, recorded a profit of $1.3 billion last year. “They are recording that sort of profit in these economic times, and they cannot give just a few dollars more to their employees?� Hickey said.

He said among the benefits the workers would look for in a new contract is a ‘path to parity,’ or equal pay to similar university employees, and prorated benefits.

Please see PROTEST | 3

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News

Daily Egyptian

Friday, April 9, 2010

Black men gather ‘Round table MICHARA CANTY Daily Egyptian Black men lack the initiative to obtain resources that can advance their collegiate experience, said Christopher Shelton, a senior from Chicago studying biological science.

“College retention for black males has decreased because they are unprepared,” he said. “Mentor programs on campus do not reflect the same face and background of black students that need guidance.”

The Black Men Roundtable may have a solution.

The group acts as a resource haven for young black men to express their thoughts on societal issues among other collegiate students seeking direction, said Charles Alexander, a graduate student in speech communication from Chicago who acts as a facilitator for the group.

There are roughly 30 consistent members of BMRT that continue to help other young men, Alexander said.

Dr. Joseph A. Brown, an originator of BMRT, said SIUC does not have an efficient system for black men to have access to jobs and opportunities unless they’re affiliated with a fraternity.

“There is not enough black male representation in the school’s hierarchy,” he said. “We need people to encourage positive involvement ... Students lack motivation and need to be brought to the resources.”

Alexander said he fears that organizations for black men will deteriorate.

“Without organizations like the BMRT, black males will no longer have a set blueprint to life or outlet,” he said. “If these organizations vanished, it would be harder for black males to navigate through life.”

The younger generations of black men tend to be immature and focused on social gain instead of school, said Renee Rouqui, a senior from Chicago studying elementary education. Mentor programs of older men showing young men how to succeed are needed on this campus, Rouqui said.

Blacks should not have to deal

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DAN DWYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

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Charles Alexander, a graduate student in speech communications from Chicago, facilitates discussion Wednesday at the Black Men Roundtable meeting in the lower level of Grinnell Hall. with oppression inflicted by stereotypes such as aggression or ignorance because of their speech, said Lindsey Baker, a doctoral student in anthropology from Fort Wayne, Ind. The members of BMRT value loyalty, selfdetermination, self-motivation and provide a means for men to obtain legitimate success, Alexander said.

Alfred Jackson, housing program coordinator and member of BMRT, said the program has historically existed since the 1970s. In the past, BMRT experienced a stalemate because of a miscommunication between students and the administrators on the group’s focus, he said.

BMRT plans to extend their incentives and forums to local communities to increase public involvement, Jackson said.

The Black Men Roundtable meets from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Wednesday in the lower level of Grinnell Hall.

For more information on BMRT, contact Charles Alexander at cpalexander3@gmail.com or contact the Black Resource Center.

Michara Canty can be reached at mcanty@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 255.

ot just black males but all males need to speak on a candid level and address these issues. We need more older brother/younger brother programs.

— Justin Herbst a senior from Weston Spring studying history

lack men are scattered across social lines.

This cultural separation makes it hard to find natural ways to interact and help each other.

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— Dr. Joseph A. Brown director of Black American Studies

he campus should do activities that educates on the black American culture and of other cultures to better understanding.

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— Xiaoyun Zhu graduate student in business administration from China

more unifying presence of the black male community needs to show. There’s no recognition of ethnicity differences on this campus.

— Krystal Long a graduate In professional media and media management from Lima, Ohio

Poshard to unveil FY ‘11 budget Monday The SIUC faculty will learn more about the fiscal year 2011 budget this Monday when SIU President Glenn Poshard gives his fiscal year 2011 budget presentation during the Spring Faculty

Meeting.

Philip Howze, president of the faculty senate, said the meeting, besides the introduction of the 2011 budget, would include opening remarks from Chancellor Sam

Goldman, and a question-and-answer period for faculty members to ask Poshard questions.

The meeting will take place at 1 p.m. Monday at the Student Center Auditorium.

Corrections

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Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Murphysboro and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

News

Friday, April 9, 2010

PROTEST CONTINUED FROM

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The SEIU is an organization made up of 2.2 million people united to improve the dignity and worth of workers, according the organization’s Web site.

Not everyone at the protest was against the Chartwells group.

Aisha Raees, a graduate student in philosophy from Karachi, Pakistan, said she worked as a caterer with Chartwells three years ago. Although she said she had no complaints about how Chartwells handles employees, she went to the protest to show her support for fellow workers.

“They were really good employers … it’s just when they are negotiating a new contract, we want them to think of the best options for students,” Raees said. “We’re not against (Chartwells); we’re just saying to keep the best interest of the students in their minds.”

Randy Hughes, the president of the SIUC Faculty Association, said

POSTAL CONTINUED FROM

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The commission has 90 days to review the proposal, but the outcome is a non-binding opinion that the Postal Service could choose not to take into consideration.

Hughes said if the five-day plan is implemented in 2011, local offices would see some restructuring, but no postal carriers would lose their jobs as a result.

The change would save more than $3 billion per year and, though home and business delivery would be cut, post offices would remain open Saturdays and express mail service would not be affected, according to the USPS Web site.

USPS had a revenue drop of nearly $7 billion in fiscal year 2009, a 13 percent drop from the year before, according to a press release. The proposal, which was filed with the Postal

BOT CONTINUED FROM

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Students may also catch a break on student fees.

Poshard said he would not recommend four of the fees until changes were made, while trustees challenged the necessity for nearly every fee increase. Poshard said he would not recommend the increases to the Intercollegiate Athletic Fee, Mass Transit Fee, Student Center Fee or increases to University Housing rates.

Because the Undergraduate Student Government supported the Mass Transit Fee, Poshard said he would meet with group President

DIET CONTINUED FROM

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“The reason we have been told is from a lack of support from the College of Agricultural Sciences,” she said. “There have been numerous times … where she has not been given the time or supported the right way.”

Roger Tedrick, chairman for the board, said incoming Chancellor Rita Cheng would take a hard look at programs in each college and consider restructuring if necessary.

Daily Egyptian

he came to the protest to support the idea of equality.

“Everybody at this university deserves equal pay for doing the same jobs,” he said. “I think it’s important for not only the students to come out in support, but also the faculty and other members of the university to make sure the companies the university deals with treats everybody with respect and pays them like they do care.”

Students have a history of contesting decisions by Chartwells, such as protesting how Chartwells sourced its tomatoes, Hickey said.

“The worker’s here thought, ‘Let’s involve the students in this; they’ve already shown an interest,’” he said.

“The students are the key consumer here in the end and they know they matter.”

Hickey said contract negotiations would begin April 28 between Chartwells and the university.

Ryan Voyles can be reached at rvoyles@dailyegyptian.com or at 536-3311 ext. 259.

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JESS VERMEULEN | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Erica Dodt, a senior from Kankakee university studies, passes out fliers outside the Student Center, where a protesters gathered to express their

studying Thursday group of concerns

about the pay of Chartwells’ employees.

Chartwells is a food service group contracted by the university that employs student and nonstudent workers on campus.

Regulatory Commission March 30, would require Congressional approval before implementation.

Scobby said though the Internet is a cause of the decreased volume in mail, economics is more likely the real culprit.

Dai said the USPS is going to see a continued reduction in customers unless they come up with new services to offer. Cutting Saturday service, he said, is just one of the very few options they have right now.

“The demand for their service is going to get smaller and smaller,” he said.

Mancun Qi, 45, of Herrin, said the potential cut of Saturday service is not a bad idea.

“I think they should (cut Saturday service),” Qi said. “I don’t mail much.”

On the commercial side, Dai said many businesses use mail to send out advertisements and coupons to potential customers. But even that

model is changing, he said, as more businesses use Web sites, e-mail and text messaging to send out coupon codes and basic advertisements.

“One of the few options is to stop service during the weekends,” Dai said. “The impact on people is going to be smaller.”

Matt Hardwig, owner of Crispin Glass on North Illinois Avenue, said as a business owner, the change would have no effect on him as his business is closed on the weekends.

Marybeth Roe, a senior from Murphysboro studying health care management, said it would be unfortunate to lose Saturday service, though she doesn’t use the service often.

“That sucks,” Roe said. “But, I understand it.”

James Seed, 53, of Makanda, said he knew of the plan because his sister is a Postal Service employee. Seed said the potential loss of Saturday

service does not pose a problem for him.

“As long as they keep the door open so I can get to my post office box, I don’t have a problem with

it,” Seed said.

Priciliano Fabian and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Larry Dietz to see if it was absolutely necessary.

Trustee Bill Bonan assigned SIUC Chancellor Sam Goldman and SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift to compile reports showing they have exhausted every potential cut in services requesting an increase before he would even consider voting in favor of one.

Board Chairman Roger Tedrick said student fees have also put too much of a burden on students and only the most necessary fee increases would be approved this year.

“We’re going to scrutinize them very closely,” Tedrick said. “The students have objected, and we have

listened to the students. In these economic times it makes sense.”

Tedrick said the 10 SIUE student fee increases have a better chance of passing because they received support from the Edwardsville student government.

Despite the halt on student fee increases and promise of a tuition freeze, not every student was happy.

Trinity Allison, a graduate student in dietetics from Benton, delivered a laundry list of problems and concerns about the dietetics program to the board during the public comments portion of the meeting.

Allison said the resignation of professor Sharon Peterson would

put the quality of the dietetics program at great risk. Allison said Peterson — who is chairwoman for her thesis — is the heart and soul of the program and is only leaving because of lack of support from the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Because the dietetics program requires just one agriculture elective, Allison said she would like to see the program moved to the College of Applied Sciences and Arts or College of Education and Human Services.

“I don’t think the program itself is in any physical jeopardy, but if Dr. Peterson leaves, so do opportunities for great research for undergraduates and graduates,” Allison said.

Goldman said in a press conference afterward that he would meet with Dean of Agricultural Sciences Todd Winters at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to resolve the issue.

The board’s next meeting will be May 13 at the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton. Sanders said it would be a historic day when the tuition freeze officially passes.

“Who would have thought that some day we would all say ‘I was there when the SIU Board of Trustees decided not to raise tuition?’”

Sanders said with a laugh.

Goldman said during the meeting the problems in the human nutrition and dietetics program had carried on too long.

“We will resolve it this afternoon.

It escalated beyond what we could have imagined,” he said.

A meeting between Goldman, Rice and Winters happened late Thursday, said Rod Sievers, university spokesman. He said the main goal of the meeting was to think of ways to improve relations between the department’s students and faculty.

“The students raised good con-

cerns about how they were treated by faculty and the administrators,” Sievers said. “So the college is going to take steps to hopefully improve communication between everybody, and administrators want to enforce just how the faculty should treat their students.”

Sievers said the meeting between Goldman, Rice and Winters was a result of Allison’s speech to the Board of Trustees. He said there was discussion about Peterson, but he could not comment more because of the sensitivity of the case.

Winters did not return a message left at his office Thursday, but did say in a statement that the college would try to increase communication between students and faculty.

“Every effort is being made to ensure continued success of the human nutrition and dietetics program,” he said. “Over the next several days, I will work to foster improved relationships among students, faculty and College of Agriculture administration. I am confident that the results of open and honest communication will be in the best interests of our students.”

Sievers said the immediate results of the meeting would probably not be too noticeable, but he hopes students will be able to see it in the future.

“It’s going to take some time, but by opening up communication, we can foster some trust in everybody,” he said. “Hopefully then we can move forward and improve on this.”

PAT SUTPHIN | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Matt Reed, an employee for the U.S. Postal Service for more than two years, delivers mail on one of his routes Wednesday on Beveridge Street.

Madeleine Leroux can be reached at mleroux@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 262.

Jeff Engelhardt can be reached at jengelhardt@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext.254.

Jeff Engelhardt contributed to this story.

Ryan Voyles can be reached at rvoyles@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 259.

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Editorial Policy Our Word is the consensus of the Daily Egyptian Editorial Board on local, national and global issues affecting the Southern Illinois University community. Viewpoints expressed in columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Extreme liquor views detrimental, offensive Dear Editor: Apparently in the absolute world of James L. Desper Jr. an extra venue for sales of alcohol will somehow immediately result in children and women being beaten, rapes rising, and drunks rampantly grocery shopping.

These views are not only ridiculously puerile but, on a level, deeply

offensive. To make such a blanket statement is utterly detrimental to any dialogue concerning the causes of domestic abuse and other violent crimes. As a person who has been a victim of multiple crimes at the hands of intoxicated people, I understand that while alcohol was a factor, it was not the true cause.

Criminals are the cause of crimes.

Thieves steal. Rapists rape. Jerks beat their children. The fact that alcohol can be involved in these kinds of things is only one of many possible factors concerning this type of behavior. While on some weird trans-dimensional level Desper thinks he is fighting the fight for the victims, arguments such as his only further prevent real inspection

and analysis of the causes of some of our worst social crimes.

Desper’s comments seem more like a rather late argument for the repeal of the 21st Amendment and the reinstatement of the Volstead Act than of the words of someone truly concerned with rooting out the problems of domestic or sexual abuse.

While I do applaud the Daily

Egyptian for continuing to provide a forum for this froth-mouthed crazed reactionary rhetoric, I do think that this kind of paltry attempt at incendiary argument needs to be recognized for what it is: ridiculous, offensive and incredibly detrimental.

Ray Martinez sophomore studying liberal arts

EDITORIAL CARTOON

GUEST COLUMN

How to ease transition from military to civilian culture CHUCK HEES JON MARIN Counseling Center Every student goes through his or her own transition when he or she begins college. In this article, we address some of the issues that veterans face as they transition from a military to a student/civilian culture.

Although veterans face some unique challenges in their own transitions, there are numerous ways fellow students can help create a safe and supportive environment that assists in these transitions. Some simple ways to begin creating a welcoming environment include welcoming military personnel home and expressing appreciation for their service.

Students can be supportive by patiently listening to a veteran’s experiences or concerns and offering to aid with the transition process by helping veterans find campus resources or become involved in campus activities. Being helpful can also involve avoiding actions or questions that minimize the challenges a veteran may face or pressuring a veteran to reveal specifics about their service they choose not to share.

For example, questions such as “Did you kill anyone?� or “Was it all worth it?� can lead to increased alienation and a sense of disconnection among veterans and civilian students.

For faculty and staff, there are some things to consider when working with veterans. These students

may be older than traditional college students and have a different sense of priorities. Typical student concerns like grades, parties and joining organizations may not have the same significance to veterans, who often voice a sense of greater maturity and seriousness than traditional students.

In the military, there is a clear definition of rank, authority and overall structure. A soldier can see an insignia and know immediately who is in charge, but on a college campus those cues are absent. Providing a veteran with a clear protocol can aid in the transition. You may notice some veterans prefer to sit with their back to the wall, perhaps in the back of the classroom or near a door.

This is normal for someone

trained to be alert and helps the student feel safer. This highlights how veterans are coming from an intense and close community with a strong sense of cohesion. When a veteran starts a program, take the time to give them a walk-through of the department to help them feel accepted and understand who the members of the department are so they know who to turn to when they need help.

The culture of the military promotes strength and those in our classroom have been empowered by that training, but it may make it more difficult to seek services, particularly those related to mental health. Not all veterans have seen combat. Even among those who have seen combat, not all develop mental health prob-

lems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If you or a veteran you see on campus seems to be struggling with this transition, feeling isolated or different, or has trouble coping with their experiences in the military, then they may need some assistance. Seek first to understand where they are coming from and encourage those who need it that it also takes strength to ask for help.

Our goal is to ease that transition by understanding the strengths and challenges these members of our community face in this shift in identity from that of a soldier to a student.

Jon Marin and Chuck Hees are Professional Psychology Interns at the Counseling Center.

Submissions

Notice

Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information. Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Letters are limited to 300 words and columns to 500 words. Students must include year and major. Faculty must include rank and department.

Others include hometown. Submissions can be sent by clicking “Submit a Letter� at www.dailyegyptian.com or to voices@dailyegyptian.com.

The Daily Egyptian is a “designated public forum.� Student editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

We reserve the right to not publish any letter or guest column.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Daily Egyptian

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Daily Egyptian

Features

Friday, April 9, 2010

On the road, making a killing

Highway maintainers remove roadkill, help public safety TRAVIS BEAN Daily Egyptian Heading south on U.S. Highway 51, Scott Imhoff spots a dead deer and pulls off the road.

Flies cover the animal. The smell is rancid. But Imhoff approaches the deer without hesitation and ties a rope around its leg.

Pressing a button, a small crane hoists the animal and places it in the bed of Imhoff ’s truck.

It is just another day for Imhoff.

“It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s got to be done,” Imhoff said.

Imhoff is a highway maintainer for the Illinois Department of Transportation and his job is to pick up debris on the highways, which includes roadkill.

Wednesday was a typical day for Imhoff, which included burying a smashed turtle, scooping up a dead cat with his pitchfork and dumping a decaying deer into a landfill.

While that may seem like a lot to some, Jim Kerley, another highway maintainer at IDOT, said his job is pretty slow this time of the year.

“During hunting and mating season — that’s when we get a lot of them,” Kerley said.

Keith Meyer is operations engineer for IDOT’s Ninth District, which covers the 16 southernmost counties of Illinois. The district’s maintenance yards scattered across the region cover 3,700 miles

of road.

“It’s an enormous job,” Meyer said. “It’s a job that you never really get done doing, but keep doing it day in and day out.”

During the fall, Imhoff said he gathers between 15 and 20 dead deer per day. Summer is the roughest time of the year, he said, as animals are covered in maggots and bake in the sun for hours.

One day earlier, he said he came across a bloated deer that was days old and smelled awful. After 22 years on the job, he said it is an odor he has not gotten used to.

“It was pretty disgusting,” Imhoff said. “Mainly, we just hold our nose and try to get it done.”

Imhoff ’s job is only half-done once the deer is in his truck. After that he must travel to a maintenance yard that holds years worth of dead animals. After shoving the deer into the pit, which lands next to a rotting turkey, he uses a front loader to bury the animals with mounds of dirt.

Imhoff said he has been burying roadkill in the same landfill during his 22-year career.

“If we get one pit filled, we build another one,” Imhoff said. “It’s a

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dead animal cemetery out there.”

Just outside the landfill is Imhoff ’s office, where he and his co-workers sit and swap roadkill stories. The crew said they have picked up everything from cows to horses and armadillos to river otters.

According to a Rockford Register Star report in August 2008, IDOT exceeded its budget in 2008 and considered cutting Imhoff ’s job, noting fuel costs and other expenses. However, IDOT received funds from the state and the jobs were kept.

Meyer said the highway maintainer’s job is extremely important to public safety, as roadkill causes many drivers to slow down or drive around it.

Brett Berger, another highway maintainer, said dead animals are dangerous to drivers, which makes his job important.

“It’s hazardous, you know?”

Berger said. “Those big animals out there, we have to get rid of them.”

Travis Bean can be reached at tbean@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 274.

t was pretty disgusting. Mainly, we just hold our nose and try to get it done.

— Scott Imhoff highway maintainer for IDOT

World & Nation

Friday, April 9, 2010

Nuke treaty signed, but menacing issues lurk JENNIFER LOVEN The Assocaited Press PRAGUE, Czech Republic — The nuclear weapons cuts President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed on Thursday would shrink the Cold War superpowers’ arsenals to the lowest point since the frightening arms race of the 1960s. But they won’t touch the “loose nukes” and suitcase bombs seen as the real menace in today’s age of terrorism.

“This ceremony is a testament to the truth that old adversaries can forge new partnerships,” Obama declared. “It is just one step on a longer journey.”

The warheads covered by the treaty are lethal relics of the Cold War, and even with the planned reductions there will be enough firepower on each side to devastate the world many times over. And of more immediate concern are attempts by terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and nations such as Iran and North Korea to acquire or use nuclear weapons.

Obama and Medvedev showed solidarity for a spring showdown with Iran. And, beginning Monday, leaders of 47 countries will gather in Washington in an effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, crack down on illicit nuclear trafficking and lock down vulnerable nuclear materials around the world.

Introduced Thursday with trumpet fanfare, the two grinning presidents sat at an ornate table in Prague’s hilltop presidential castle and put their signatures to a landmark successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Nearly a year in the making, the “New START” signaled a bold opening in previously soured U.S.-Russia relations. If ratified by both nations’ legislatures, it will shrink the limit of nuclear warheads to 1,550 each over seven years, down about a third from the current ceiling of 2,200.

Ratification in the U.S. Senate will hardly be automatic, requiring 67 votes in the 100-member chamber during a congressional election year when cooperation can be hard to come by.

Beyond that, urgent international nuclear tasks still face the two leaders.

For example, they are trying to forge agreement among themselves and four other nations — China,

France, Britain, and Germany — on how to tackle Iran’s continued defiance of United Nations demands that it cease enriching uranium. The West insists Tehran seeks to develop nuclear weapons; Tehran says it is after peaceful nuclear power.

At Obama’s side, Medvedev made Russia’s support for considering a fourth round of U.N. sanctions on Iran clearer than ever. “We cannot turn a blind eye to this,” he said of Tehran’s intransigence.

But that was not the main question heading into the leaders’ talks, which ran overtime to about two hours. At issue, as representatives from the six partners prepare for what Obama called “ramped-up” discussions in New York, is how weak any new sanctions regime would need to be to get Moscow on board — not to mention China, an even more stubborn holdout.

Medvedev said sanctions should be “smart” — designed to change behavior, not to bring down the hardline Iranian government or impose hardship on Iran’s people. The Russian leader said he had outlined for Obama “our limits for such sanctions,” and Obama Russia expert Mike McFaul said those discussions got very specific.

“In all negotiations, people talk about their red lines and their bottom lines and we negotiate,” McFaul said. White House officials would not reveal details of the private conversation, concerned that it could threaten progress. But Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said that a total embargo on refined petroleum products into Iran, which depends heavily on such imports, was out of the question for Moscow.

There is talk of hitting refined petroleum product deliveries some other way, but sanctions on Iran’s energy sector may be jettisoned altogether as too tough for Russia or China.

Obama repeated his flat declaration that “strong tough sanctions” will be agreed to this spring. He said “we will not tolerate” any actions by Iran that risk a new arms race in the Middle East or threaten the security of the international community.

The president faces another key test in that drive when he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington on the sidelines of Monday’s 47-nation summit.

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Sports

Daily Egyptian

Friday, April 9, 2010

Freshman’s performance nothing short of ‘Amazing’ RAY MCGILLIS Daily Egyptian When fres hman left fielder Nick Johnson walks to the plate at Abe Martin Field, his walk-up music requires just a single word to describe how the 6-foot-1 lefty from O’Fallon has been playing in his first year at SIU — “Amazing.”

“A kid in my conference in high school used it and I always thought it was the coolest walk-up song,” Johnson said. “It’s just intimidating, so I thought it would be cool to use.”

Kanye West’s hit song has described the play of the freshman accurately — Johnson is hitting .355, second among all freshmen in the Missouri Valley Conference and third on the SIU roster.

Junior second basemen Blake Pinnon leads the team with a .364 batting average, but Johnson held the title for the season’s first 16 games, peaking at .485.

Through his first 12 games in a Saluki uniform, Johnson went 19-40 at the plate and recorded a hit in each contest.

“I try to be aggressive; that’s kind of my thing,” Johnson said. “I’m more of a free swinger if you want to call it that.”

After his first streak was snapped, Johnson went hitless in just one game before putting to-

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e’s a fast kid and brings a lot of different tools with him. He’s a good player, but like I said before, he’ll be a great player in years to come.

gether a seven-game hit streak.

Despite his aggressiveness at the plate, Johnson didn’t strikeout until his sixth game and 15th plate appearance.

Head coach Dan Callahan said he never knows how much an incoming freshman will contribute to the team until they are thrown into a game situation, but each recruit is expected to have an immediate impact.

“As far as lineup changes, it is still an everevolving process, but Nick Johnson has proven he should play,” Callahan said.

Every freshman on the team’s roster has seen playing time, but Johnson has started 22 of the team’s 29 games, the most among Saluki freshmen.

Sophomore first basemen Chris Serritella said it didn’t take long for Johnson to fit in with the rest of the team.

“He’s a riot; he does a lot of goofy things,” Serritella said. “He’s a funny kid, and every day is a new thing with him.”

— Chris Serritella sophomore first baseman Like Johnson, Serritella hits from the left side and led the team in hitting as a freshman. Serritella hit .325 and had four three-hit games, appearing in 48 of the team’s 52 games in 2009. Through 28 games this year, Johnson already has had four three-hit games under his belt.

Johnson does not possess the same power as Serritella yet, but he said Johnson uses his abilities wisely and that is why he has been successful.

“He’s more of a line-drive guy and uses his speed to his advantage,” Serritella said. “He’s a fast kid and brings a lot of different tools with him.

He’s a good player right now but, like I said before, he’ll be a great player in years to come.”

He has proven the ability to excel on the diamond, and Johnson has approached his academic performance with the same aggressiveness.

Johnson was a four-year honor roll student at O’Fallon High School and is majoring in pre-medical/biological sciences at SIU. Callahan said Johnson is a self-motivated individual and that will take him far in life.

WHAT: Three-game weekend series SIU — 2nd place (15-14, 4-2 MVC) WITCHITA STATE — 1st place (20-8, 5-1 MVC) WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday 2 p.m. Saturday 1 p.m. Sunday WHERE: Wichita, Kan. — Eck Stadium (7,851 capacity)

“He is very conscientious about getting better and performing well while also being very conscientious in the weight room and classroom,” Callahan said. “I think he epitomizes what we look for in a true student-athlete.

“Is (Johnson) going to be a pro-ball player?

I don’t know. It’s hard to predict that right now,” Callahan said. “But he does several things very well that pro scouts are looking for and my gut feeling is that, in time, he will develop into a pro prospect.”

Ray McGillis can be reached at rmcgillis@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 269.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Classifieds

Daily Egyptian

9

10 Daily Egyptian

Study Break The Duplex

Friday, April 9, 2010

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Across 1 Large swallows 6 Loosen (up) 10 Joseph who brought Shakespeare to Central Park 14 Director Kurosawa 15 Plant with thick, fleshy leaves 16 Morlock prey 17 Elementary particle 18 Neeson of “Nell” 19 Undecided 20 Abbr. followed by a year 21 Criticize a small town?

23 Old Ford 25 Bad luck 26 Checking for doneness at the grill?

30 Jackie Chan and others 31 Magic 8-Ball response 32 Rug feature 35 Giving word?

36 Fertilization targets 37 Priestess in Bizet’s “The

Pearl Fishers” 39 West famous for “Come up sometime and see me” 40 Tournament pass 41 Scarecrow portrayer 42 Certain pork thief?

45 St. Clare’s town 48 Finish by 49 Spelling contest notice?

52 Name on some Kmart shoes 55 Subordinate 56 Mountain lake 57 Op artist Bridget 58 List of games, briefly 59 Presque Isle’s lake 60 Bury 61 __ d’oeuvre 62 Opposite of bleak 63 N’awlins sandwich, and this puzzle’s title Down 1 Hunter’s quarry

Thursday’s answers

2 Some are made from koa wood 3 Amount rarely paid 4 Spendthrift 5 __ Bernardino 6 Belt or sock 7 Et __ 8 Knock around 9 Tennessee’s largest city 10 Eddie of “Frasier,” for one 11 Orally 12 Blue books?

13 Cold War put-down 21 Narrow waterways: Abbr.

22 Bass attachment?

24 Endangered state bird 26 Munchkin creator 27 Annapolis sch.

28 Kvetch’s words 29 Mauna __ 32 Bouncer employer 33 Opposite of aweather 34 Henry VIII’s sixth

36 Olive __ 37 Burden 38 1950s-’80s Chevy utility vehicle 40 Runner’s problem 41 Big bell sound 42 Two-footers 43 Spanish pronoun 44 Retailer whose middle name was Cash

Horoscopes

By Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

Today’s birthday — This is a year for sharpening the focus of your sensitivity, diplomacy and tact. Use these tools to balance your leadership skills. You want to be on your own, free from all limitations. Self-awareness can help realize dreams.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 5 — Adjust your focus to include group activities you really care about. Evaluate your role and choose your path.

1

2

3

4

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold boarders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Taurus(April20-May20)—Todayisa6—When discussing matters with the group, choose your battles carefully. You want to appear independent, but no need to go crazy.Take the middle road.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) — Today is a 7 — Concentrated effort pays off. Although ideas expand to fill available space, you benefit from aligning heart and mind to pursue a single objective.

Thursday’s answers

Cancer (June 22-July 22) — Today is a 6 — The object of your attention is far away, but don’t lose focus. Put headphones on, or do whatever works to eliminate distraction. It’s important.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 6 — It’s time for you spend quality time with your significant other. This works creative magic. Feast at an exotic locale and take in a foreign film.

45 Put to shame 46 Watch handle 47 Feast that includes the Cup of Elijah 50 Tropical tuber 51 Tennessee state flower 53 Nautical leader?

54 Big Apple ltrs.

57 Tear

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 5 — Narrow the scope of partnership activities to focus on independent or impulsive activities. Doesn’t sound practical?This is no time for logic.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 6 — From among the myriad tasks at work, choose one that appeals to your soul. Once that’s complete, choose another that suits your sense of priorities.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Leave work at work. When you come home, expand your perspective to include delicious food, and a movie or music.Take someone else along.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 6 — Tiny details appear, and you want to make everything fit. Something resists being squashed into place, so a slight shift is in order.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 6 — You discover a single tree that represents perfect harmony and balance. Too bad you can’t take it home. Use it as a symbol of how to integrate heart and mind.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 6 — It would be easy to spend all the available cash.

Instead, take extra time to consider each purchase.

Can you wait until next month?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Shut most of the world out to attend to deeply personal matters today. Aligning your desires with circumstances could be thorny. Use every sense to devise solutions.

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

SNALT

Score

to

©2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TENKO BUBYCH FLYTAL Answer:

“

NEW BIBLE Jumble Books Go To: http://www.tyndale.com/jumble/

by Mike Argirion and Jeff Knurek

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

” (Answers tomorrow)

Thursday’s answers

Jumbles: NAIVE COVEY SWIVEL APPEAR Answer: What the sailor with the noisy bunkmate wanted when the ship docked — “SNORE” LEAVE

Sports

Friday, April 9, 2010

Saluki Insider In its 76th edition, the Masters Tournament at Augusta got underway Thursday and Fred Couples sits atop the leaderboard after the opening round. Tiger Woods sits two strokes back and shot a personal-best opening-round score of 68.

Where do you think he will finish?

RAY MCGILLIS

Before we go any further, I believe I’m on record saying that he would be wearing a brand-new green jacket come Sunday. With that said, I already answered this question. Should he win it all, all the other players on the tour might want to look for a new line of work. By nature, tigers are dangerous. But a motivated Tiger is just scary.

rmcgillis@dailyegyptian.com

I feel as though Tiger knows how important this year’s Masters is. If he can win, a lot of his problems will go away. The focus on Tiger won’t be on the material the TMZs of the world provide but, instead, it will be on his ability to overcome all of the pressure on him. Tiger just needs to remember to play with the proper wood and he will win it. I think he can do it.

DEREK ROBBINS

drobbins@dailyegyptian.com

Behind a bunch of semi-attractive blondes.

RYAN VOYLES

rvoyles@dailyegyptian.com

SOFTBALL

ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Sophomore shortstop Haley Gorman throws to freshman catcher Sydney Shelton during practice

Salukis to welcome Sycamores TRACK & FIELD

Monday at Charlotte West Stadium. The Salukis will host a three-game series against Indiana State.

RECORDS: SIU — 24-12, 9-1 MVC ISU — 14-19, 1-9 MVC WHEN: Noon and 2 p.m. Saturday Noon Sunday WHERE: Charlotte West Stadium

TENNIS

SIU set to ‘relay’ Women home, in Oxford men travel WHEN: All day Saturday WHERE: Oxford, Miss.

LAST WEEK: Women’s team: Won first place with 171.50 points Men’s team: Won second with 138 points Won first place in nine events

MEN’S LAST SINGLES MATCH AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Falk De Beenhouwer (SIU) def. Maximilian Phillips(NIU) 6-1, 6-2 Anton Leonenko (SIU) def. Greg Czajkowski(NIU) 6-0, 6-2 WOMEN’S LAST SINGLES MATCH AGAINST MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY Jennifer Dien (SIU) def. Ashley Canty (Murray) 6-1, 6-2 Emily Whitney (SIU) def. Alexis Webb (Murray) 6-1, 6-1

Daily Egyptian

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Student-athletes perform for Haiti Talent show raises more than $1,200 STILE T. SMITH Daily Egyptian For just one night, SIU’s student-athletes stepped off the courts, fields and tracks and stepped onto the stage.

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Association of Black Psychologists hosted a student-athlete talent show Thursday night, with all benefits from the show going to the Yele Haiti Foundation.

Joe Alleria, a senior wide receiver for the SIU football team and SIU’s SAAC representative for the Missouri Valley Conference, said he was amazed at the turnout for the show. “For this being the first year, I’m definitely satisfied with how many people we got out here,� Alleria said.

Alleria said he got the idea for the talent show from Drake when he attended a MVC SAAC meeting. “I thought it sounded cool, so I came back, mentioned it to everybody here in our SAAC group and we’re just kind of running with it,�

Alleria said.

More than $1,200 dollars were raised by the talent show.

Alleria, along with junior inside linebacker Connor James, won the competition with an acoustic rendition of a song by Eminem. “It might have been a little biased,� Alleria said. “We had a big

STEVE BERCZYNSKI | DAILY EGYPTIAN

œœI

Members of the women’s basketball team, from left to right, Nneka Nwani, Christine Presswood, Katrina Swingler and Ashley Giritharan lip-synced a version a Tina Turner act Thursday during

t will send a child to school. It will make a world of difference — Isaac Marcelin doctoral student

group of football guys out here and that definitely helped.�

The team of Alleria and James was just able to edge out the duo of freshman golfers Jeff Miller and Jake Erickson, who did a dance

inspired by the Jabbawockeez.

Members from the volleyball, cross-country, men’s golf, men’s swimming, men’s tennis, women’s basketball and men’s and women’s track teams also competed in the show.

Along with the performances, Isaac Marcelin, a doctoral student in business administration from Haiti, spoke to the crowd to tell it about Haiti’s progress since the earthquake Jan. 12, as well as how much of a difference the dona-

an all-athletic talent show in the Student Center. The event was sponsored by the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee. All the proceeds were given to the Yele Haiti Foundation. tions have made. “It will send a child to school,�

Marcelin said. “It will make a world of difference.�

Erica Smith, student advisor for SAAC and former member of the SIU women’s basketball team, said the SAAC and the APB both wanted to do something for Haiti, so they decided to combine efforts. “They’re in a very bad place over there, so we just wanted to help them out,� Smith said.

Chris Excellent, president of the ABP, said he was actually affected by the Haiti earthquake. “I had a cousin killed in the whole disaster,� Excellent said. “I just wanted to help out how I could.�

Alleria said he hoped to bring back the talent show next year, where it would hopefully be even bigger.

Stile T. Smith can be reached at ssmith@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 256.

BASEBALL

TRACK & FIELD

JESS VERMEULEN | DAILY EGYPTIAN

DAN DWYER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Senior cross-country runner Jason Ordway leaps over a hurdle Tuesday during practice at Lew Hartzog Track. The men’s and women’s track and field teams travel to Oxford, Miss., this weekend to compete in the Ole Miss Relays. See PAGE 11 for Weekend Preview.

Freshman left fielder Nick Johnson takes a cut at a pitch during a 3-1 victory against Bradley Saturday at Abe Martin Field. Johnson is batting .355 and is 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts on the season. SEE PAGE 8 for the feature on an ‘Amazing’ baseball player.