ROAD TRIP
PRIDE POWER
The Eastern men’s soccer team prepares for a three-game road trip against Missouri State.
Pride is getting ready to celebrate LGBT History Month with movies and events for all to participate in.
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Tuesday, October 6, 2015 “TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID” C E L E BRATI NG A CE NTUR Y OF COV E RA GE 19 15- 201 5
VOL. 100 | NO. 32 W W W . D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S . C O M
Senate hearing exposes stark budget reality
By Jehad Abbed Associate News Editor | @DEN_News State Sen. Scott Bennett asked Eastern President David Glassman how much longer the university could continue operating given the current state budget impasse during the State Senate Higher Education Committee’s budget hearing Monday morning. “I don’t know a date or month,” Glassman said. “But I can say that we would be somewhere in the spring semester.” Glassman said he feels it is almost “unthinkable” the state would allow for the budget issues to carry over into the spring. “(Students) would be scared, just as I am scared,” Glassman said. “If we have no budget and no assurance from the state that we’re going to get a budget, it puts us in one of the most precarious positions that Eastern Illinois or any university in any state has been in.” Because of recent court rulings, 90 percent of state spending has been committed, but the 10 percent involving state support for higher education remains unsettled, according to State Sen. Pat McGuire. McGuire also serves as chair of the Higher Education Committee. This final budget hearing, in a series of four held across the state allowed representatives from Eastern and Illinois State universities, Lake Land College and Danville Area Community College to voice their issues speaking directly with the senators running the committee. Colleges and universities typically receive a combined $2 billion from the state budget, but are now being forced to subsidize state grants and programs in the likes of the Monetary Award Program in hopes the budget crisis is resolved before the end of the current semester. Political science major Jose Durbin said his
JOSH SAX TON | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
President David Glassman, (center) along with vice presidents Blair Lord (right) and Paul McCann, (left) speak with the State Senate Higher Education Committee on Monday about the university budget in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
personal situation, including family medical bills, forces him to draw financial aid from as many as four different sources. Durbin said many students, not unlike him, would find it troubling to attend public universities without the MAP grant; an award he says allows students the “dream” of going to college. McGuire was nearly at a loss of words upon
hearing Durbin’s explanation of his account trying to earn higher education. “I want to commend you for your determination,” McGuire said. “For not being crushed, frankly, by what you have to do to assemble this package of financial resources. My hat’s off to you.” More than 2,000 Eastern students receive the MAP grant and are being billed on good faith
the money will be there at the end of the semester, Glassman said. Paul McCann, the interim vice president for business affairs, said the university is prepared to carry the same action into the spring semester with the understanding legislature will do their job to pass the bill.
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Automatic BOT vice chair dies Monday at 87 fire alarm notices disabled By Stephanie Markham Editor-in-Chief | @stephm202
By Roberto Hodge News Editor | @DEN_News Eastern’s fire alarm automatic notification system will be offline campus-wide effective immediately until further notice. This outage also affects University Court Apartments. The fire alarm used to notify the authorities automatically when triggered, but the system will no longer provide that service because of a malfunction, according to an email sent by Cathy Johnson, the administrative clerk in facilities, planning and management. If there is a fire, students, faculty and staff must call 911. Although the automatic notification is not working, the alarms are still in operation and will alert if an emergency occurs. Roberto Hodge can be reached at 581-2812 or rlhodge@eiu.edu.
Robert Webb, the vice chair of Eastern’s Board of Trustees, died at 1:32 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. Webb, of Mattoon, was 87 years old. Arrangements are incomplete at Schilling Funeral Home in Mattoon. Webb served as the chair of the board twice and has been a member since Aug. 2004; he was also president of Lake Land College from 1972 to 1984. Webb had previously been a teacher and principal at Harvel Elementary School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University as well as a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of Illinois. Rene Hutchinson, the chair of the board, said Webb used his insight into higher education to carry out his passion for making both Eastern and Lake Land better places for students. Hutchinson said Webb called him last Thursday to say he regrettably might not be able to carry through with his duties on the board. “He sounded quite ill, but to take the time to say it was a pleasure to serve on the board, that shows what a true man he was,” Hutchinson said. Joseph Dively, a board member, said Webb was a great colleague and leader, and he will miss the friendship they developed while serving on the board together. “He was a very effective leader,” Dively said. “He chaired the committee that found (President) Bill Perry, which is something I think he would be most proud of.” Dively said Webb was supportive of the ef-
FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Robert Webb, the vice chair of Eastern’s Board of Trustees, died Monday after serving on the board for 11 years.
forts of both Eastern and Lake Land. “He took initiative (for the boards) to work more closely together for the benefits of students,” Dively said. Webb was known for asking great questions, which became an asset last year during the search for Eastern’s next president, Dively said. Hutchinson also said he was “taken aback” while listening to Webb ask questions of the presidential candidates to see if they really had what it took to fill the position.
Because board members are appointed by the state governor, Hutchinson said he is not sure when a replacement would be selected, especially considering the current stalemate in Springfield. “He will truly be missed in upcoming meetings,” Hutchinson said. “He was a giant of a man in serving both Eastern and Lake Land.” Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or samarkham@eiu.edu.