ISU women take on Lehigh in the NCAA Tournament Complete coverage from Sunday night’s game at Hilton Coliseum is available online at
iowastatedaily.com
March 22, 2010, Volume 204 >> Number 120 >> 40 cents >> iowastatedaily.com >> An independent newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
MONDAY
Government
U.S. House passes health care bill 219–212 By David Espo AP Special Correspondent WASHINGTON — In a 219–212 vote, the Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation extending health care late Sunday. Republicans were unanimously op-
posed. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature. The vote capped a yearlong quest by Obama and Democrats to overhaul the system and reshape a sixth of the economy. Triumph in their grasp, Obama and House Democrats demonstrated com-
mand of the votes needed to pass landmark health care legislation Sunday night, a climactic chapter in a centurylong quest for near universal coverage. The House argued its way through a thicket of Republican objections to extend coverage to 32 million Americans who lack it, ban insurers from denying
coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and cut deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade. “We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, health care for all Americans,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., as the vote neared.
She partnered with Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, DNev., in more than a year of turbulent struggle. Republicans readily agreed the bill would affect everyone in America, but
see VOTE on PAGE 14
Funeral
International Students
Student loses life in crash over break
Experience of a lifetime
The fu- Funeral neral for ■■ Time: 10 a.m. Tyler Dan■■ Date: March 22 ielson, 19, a sophomore, ■■ Place: St. John Apostle Catholic is today. Church, NorDa n i e l walk son died in a car accident March 13 while traveling through New Mexico, according to a News Service press release. Five other students were traveling in the vehicle at the time of the accident, and all but one had been released from the University of New Mexico Hospital just two days later, according to an article published by the Ames Tribune. Anand Patel, 18, a former student; Jiahui Liu, age unknown, enrolled in the intensive English and orientation program; Peng Bao, 20, a freshman in electrical engineering; Wei Feng, 22, a graduate student in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; and Christina Cole, 22, were also in the car at the time of the crash. Danielson’s funeral is set for 10 a.m. in St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, in Norwalk. He will be buried in Boone. Alcohol was not listed as a contributing factor in the crash, according to an incident report from the state of New Mexico Department of Public Safety. Officers were called to the scene of the accident just after 7 a.m. March 13, according to the DPS report. Patel struck a median and rolled the vehicle, ejecting four of the six passengers.
—Daily Staff
Administrative Abuse
Professor opposes trial results By Sarah Haas Daily Staff Writer Daniel Krier, associate professor of sociology, filed a flurry of post-trial motions and supporting briefs March 10, including one asking Judge William Pattinson to reject the jury’s guilty verdict and find Krier innocent of abusing the administrative complaint process. Krier was found to have abused ISU administrative complaint procedure against two ISU sociology professors. A jury ruled that Krier did not use the ISU administrative complaint process for its intended purpose and awarded the plaintiffs, Terry Besser and Betty Dobratz, $18,442 for monetary damages and $24,000 in punitive damages. During the trial, which occurred March 2–5, Krier’s attorneys argued he was acting within the scope of his employment when he filed the complaints and was immune to punishment. Previously, Mark Sherinian, Do-
see IOWA STATE on PAGE 4
By Leonardo Guaiquirian Rivera Daily Staff Writer Thousands of international students from different backgrounds come to Iowa State every year. Some enjoy their stay more than others, but essentially all they want is to make the most out of their college experience, enjoy it, make new friends and fit in without forgetting about their cultures and who they are. Davendra Jayasingam, senior in computer engineering, came to Iowa State from Malaysia in the fall of 2008. “I haven’t been back since, but I will go back this summer,” Jayasingam said. He explains his parents call him three times a week, and he also communicates with them through Skype at least once a week, which helps him deal with homesickness. “My experience at Iowa State has been fantastic. I love the campus, the greens and the professors. I have nothing bad to say about the Ames community,” Jayasingam said. “It’s pretty, peaceful and quiet, which I think is fantastic. I don’t feel threatened when I walk around, especially on campus.
see FOREIGN on PAGE 14
Xuetong Mao, right, sophomore in electrical engineering, looks on while Zengweijie Chen, freshman in electrical engineering, sings a Linkin Park song at K-TV, 119 Stanton Ave., on March 14. K-TV, an abbreviation of Karaoke Television, is a type of karaoke where people rent rooms and groups have private karaoke parties. Photo: Rashah McChesney/Iowa State Daily
Special Olympics Iowa
Iowa Legislature
Games have ‘great impact’ on leader
Phone-use ban while driving may come true
Hieber assumes role of president to continue assisting the disabled By John Lonsdale Daily Staff Writer When J. Elaine Hieber goes to work each day, it isn’t a job to her. It’s a blessing. Just starting her two-year term as president of the board of directors for Special Olympics Iowa, Hieber jokes that it’s more work than she wants. With 14 full-time staff members at her aid, she supervises the programs of the organization and provides opportunities for more than 11,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across the United States. After being promoted as the interim athletic director at Iowa State at the beginning of the new millennium, Hieber retired two years later, in 2002. Having been on the Special Olympics Iowa board of directors for almost 24 years, Hieber says that because she is not fully employed with the university, she can give more of her leadership and time to the organization. “I’m stepping it up,” Hieber said. The first Special Olympics Games were held in 1968 in Chicago. Since then, the Special Olympics have been held in more than 130 countries, and more than 3 million individuals have participated in the games. With roughly 3 percent of the world’s population with intellectual disabilities participating in the games, Hieber said, the program has a long way to go in opening up opportunities for people.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was approached to fund the 1968 event. Fueled by the disabilities of her own sister Rosemary Kennedy, Shriver pursued her goals of developing the Special Olympics Hieber and increasing the awareness and participation of intellectually disabled people not only in the United States, but all around the world. Hieber never had a family connection or a close tie to anyone who was intellectually disabled. To her, it was rewarding opportunity to give back in a special way. “I’ve led a blessed life,” Hieber said. “The opportunity to improve the lives of others just really struck a chord with me.” In 2006, Ames was selected to host the firstever U.S. Special Olympic Games. The first nation games in the United States, the 2006 games were the first ones at the time because many of the athletes went to international competitions, where international teams had a small number of athletes. Serving as chairperson of those games, Hieber facilitated the effort to increase the number of athletes from all 50 states participating in the national games. Numerous accolades are still being given to Hieber and the Special Olympics Iowa faculty to this day for the 2006 games. While Hieber discusses the ways that the 2006 games were such an important part of Special Olympics Iowa’s success, she is anxious and ready for the summer games to return to Ames this coming May 20–22. She encourages
The Iowa Legislature is considering a bill that would limit electronic communication, such as using a phone, while driving. Authors of the bill say the goal is to make Iowa’s roads safer by decreasing distractions. “I think texting [while driving] is very dangerous and irresponsible for any age,” said state Senator Herman Quirmbach. “It involves taking your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel and your mind off of driving.” An earlier version of the bill banned the sending of text messages by drivers, but as the House and Senate have amended the bill, it has expanded to possibly ban e-mailing and even calling, as well as texting. The House and Senate have both passed separate versions of the bill, but they disagree on some of the technicalities. Should text messaging include reading and writing, or just writing? What about e-mailing from a phone? Is texting far enough? Or should all electronic communication be banned also? To what age group should the bill apply? All of these questions are at the center of the debate. “I think it’s all dangerous,” said state Rep. Beth WesselKroeschell. “I try not to even adjust my radio in the car.” The bill was first introduced by the House. Originally, it stated that no one could send a text message while driving. The Senate then passed the bill, but it added a prohibition to sending or reading text messages, and it also banned writing and reading e-mails on a phone or laptop. The bill was then sent back to the House. The House broadened the extension of the bill by banning the use of cell phones while driving, except in “hands-free” mode. The House bill was amended to only apply to people under the age of 18, as part of Iowa’s graduated driver’s license program. The Senate rejected the amendment, and now the bill goes back to the House for de-
see OLYMPICS on PAGE 14
see TEXTING on PAGE 14
By Heidi Ebert Daily Staff Writer