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TUESDAY
January 18, 2000
Vol. 107, No. 82 |
Athens, Georgia
Rain.
High 46 | Low 36
| Wednesday 56
ONLINE: www.redandblack.com
A n independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
IN WINNING FASHION
► The men's basketball team comes
away with its first SEC victory
against Alabama. PAGE 7
Bulldogs
slam Vols
Tennessee dealt ivcn'st
conference defeat ever
By LINDSAY RIDDELL
The Red a Black
A steal and layup by sophomore Shavonda
Willis, who averaged zero conference minutes
before Monday, sent Georgia’s bench full of
starters and 10,523 fans to their feet in raucous
celebration with 1:30 to play as No. 7 Georgia
handed No. 2 Tennessee its worst conference
loss in history Monday.
Deana Nolan, who led the Lady Dogs with 25
points, jumped up and tackled the rarely-used
post player as Georgia (17-2, 3-1 SEC) huddled
for its final time before celebrating the 78-51
stomping of conference giant Tennessee (13-3, 3-
1).
“(Nolan) is a great player,” said Tennessee
leading scorer Tamika Catchings, who led the
Vols with 13 points, said. “She’s been great the
last couple of times that we’ve played her. She
was awesome on the boards. She just kept
pounding them in, and we just didn’t have any
one who could stop her.”
It was Georgia’s first win over its long-herald
ed rival since 1997 and was a slice of revenge for
the Lady Dogs, who suffered their worst loss in
history two years ago to the Lady Vols.
Head coach Andy Landers said since
Tennessee lost two-time national player of the
year Chamique Holdsclaw to graduation last
year, Georgia has gained ground.
“Right now we’re as even as we’ve been in a
long time,” Landers said.
Six-foot-four-inch sophomore Tawana
McDonald pulled off what Landers described as
a “spectacular’ performance” — a 13-point, 10-
rebound double-double — in only 20 minutes
after two early fouls kept her on the bench for
most of the first half.
However, a solid performance by junior col
lege transfer Shala Crawford, who had six points,
five rebounds and three blocks, diluted
McDonald’s absence.
“Crawford does some great things, and then
she does some things like you'd do when you're
not feeling good ...” Landers said. “But she’ll get
it, and when she does, it’ll make us better."
BECKY RIED T.« K.„ . Hu. «
A Forward Tawana McDonald drives during Monday afternoon’s 78-51 blowout of
the Lady Vols. The Bulldogs’ victory puts them in a five-way tie for first in the SEC.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia 78, Tennessee 51
Georgia outscored the Lady Vols 47-21 in the
second half after leading by only one point, 31-
30, at halftime.
Defensively, Landers said the contest was one
of Georgia’s strongest performances of the sea
son. The Lady Dogs outrebounded the Lady Vols
40-36 and combined for eight blocks.
“I have a really hard time sitting there and
watching non-competitive people go up and
down the floor wearing orange," Lady Vol coach
Pat Summitt said. “We just quit, which Is
uncharacteristic of Tennessee teams. I told them
in the locker room that I haven’t had too many
noncompetitive teams. Maybe I’m up for a new
challenge. It’s not going to be a pleasant one."
There are now five teams in the SEC who hold
3-1 conference records, including Kentucky,
Auburn and Louisiana State.
Landers played down the magnitude of the
victory, saying it is best to keep the timing of the
game in perspective.
“I would like to have this game against them
at the end of the year because then we would
know what it meant," he said.
Senior Angie Ball, who was on the Georgia
squad that beat Tennessee — then on its way to
a national championship — in overtime in 1997,
said Monday's win wasn’t the most satisfying for
her.
“My most satisfying win is one that is yet to
come," Ball said.
Parking Services offers online payment
By CHANDLER BROWN
The Red a Black
Hoping to get students “out of line and online,” an Atlanta company
soon will begin working with the University to make parking tickets
payable on the Web.
Six-month-old ezgov.com (pronounced “easy-gov"), a private Internet
company, contacted the University last month saying it could offer several
online services to students, spokeswoman Molly Battin said.
If all goes well, students will be able to access their Parking Services
accounts on the Internet at (www.parking.uga.edu) and pay tickets 24
hours a day, said Jennifer Tougas, Parking Services office manager.
“We’re providing an option for those people who are comfortable with
the Web," Tougas said. "This will be another way for students to pay their
tickets, hopefully making it more convenient."
While paying parking tickets online may be more convenient, there are
a few drawbacks, Tougas said.
For one, an additional fee of $l-$5 will go to ezgov.com for its services.
The amount, which hasn't been finalized, will be added to existing parking
fines.
Also, Web payments won't be credited immediately, meaning students
trying to clear OASIS flags after hours will be out of luck.
“They’ll still have to wait until the next business day for us to process
the payment,” Tougas said, because the online payment system won't be
directly linked to Parking Services' database.
Since its launch last summer, ezgov.com has worked out deals to pro
vide various services with DeKalb County and other municipalities in
Texas and California, Battin said.
“The point is to make action with your government more pleasant,"
Battin said. “We’re trying to take the headaches and frustration out of
waiting in line.”
The company operates by charging a small fee for each transaction, she
said.
University officials met this week to finalize the deal, said Mike
Sproston, assistant manager of Parking Services.
Organizers said they are aiming for a launch date of Feb. 3. If the system
works well, the University may look for other ways ezgov.com can offer its
services to students, Tougas said.
Child of
professor
murdered
Suspect in custody; police
say other arrests possible
By MIRANDA MANGUM
The Red a Black
A Henry County man is in custody and charged with
the brutal Thursday night murder of a professor's son,
and police said they are not ruling out the possibility of
more arrests.
Michael Zenos Akin, 21, is charged
with killing the son of Kent Middleton,
journalism department head of the
Grady College of Journalism and Mass
Communication.
“We’re still exploring what possibili
ties are out there,” said Lt. W.J. Smith
of Athens-Clarke police. “If there was a
third party, we won’t know until he pre
sents himself to us.”
The teen, Arthur Middleton. 16, died
in his mother’s home near Cedar
Shoals High School from shotgun
blasts to the head and abdomen.
Someone called 911 from the house
and hung up around 9 p.m., but Art
Middleton was dead before paramedics
reached the scene, according to police
reports.
Police returned the 911 call and an
unknown person answered, but the line
went dead before authorities could get
much information, Smith said.
Art Middleton was discovered by his
mother, who came home sometime
after the 911 call but before police
arrived.
“A beautiful life was lost for noth
ing,” Kent Middleton said. “It's unfath
omable.’’
Police found Akin with Art Middleton’s 1994 blue
Mazda Protege.
Akin was apprehended Friday night in a Stockbridge
trailer park after someone reported seeing the car earlier
in the day. Akin was brought back to Clarke County
Saturday morning and was charged with first degree mur
der. Police found a shotgun in the car with Akin but won’t
know if it was the same gun used to kill Middleton until a
ballistics test comes back.
Police said at least one person has told them he saw
Middleton and Akin together in East Athens, although
police won't say what type of social situation the two had
been seen in together.
Smith said police now know who made the 911 call, but
he wouldn't say Monday who it was for fear of jeopardiz
ing the criminal case. Akin will appear in Superior Court
Feb. 1 for his bond hearing.
Middleton, a junior at Cedar Shoals, was an “outstand
ing" student and an editor on the yearbook staff, said
Charles Worthy, principal of Cedar Shoals High School.
“He was a dynamic, incredible young man — every
teacher’s dream," Worthy said. "It’s just a tremendous
loss to our school and our community. It’s hard to imagine
this has really happened."
— Contributing: Chandler Broum, Kristen Wyatt
MORE INSIDE
»■ Students and faculty read to the news ot the murder. 3
AKIN
MIDDLETON
HOLLY PICKETT ITBhMlUH
▲ Lauren Kate Freeman, right, walked away wtth the MIm UGA
crown at the Saturday night patent. Story, Page 5
Adams remands Omega appeal
Mullendore, Legal Affairs to negotiate new sanctions with chapter
By SAMIRA JAFARI
The Rrd a Black
University administrators are awaiting
negotiations with the national organiza
tion of Omega Psi Phi fraternity concern
ing the group’s return to campus after a
hazing incident last spring.
University President Michael Adams
appointed a three-member faculty com
mittee, which met Nov. 18, to decide the
national organization’s appeal of the eight-
year suspension.
The original suspension ensured that all
previous members involved in the hazing
would graduate before the return of the
organization, said Richard Mullendore,
vice president for Student Affairs.
Adams nullified the committee’s recom
mendation to reduce the sanction to a
two-year suspension preceding a two-year
period of probation of the fraternity.
The matter was turned over to
Mullendore to discuss the fate of the fra
ternity on campus.
“The national organization has been
instructed to negotiate on when they may
return to campus," Mullendore said.
In a Dec. 16 letter to Fred Gray, Jr., the
organization’s attorney, Adams, said he
found the Issue to be an “unusual case"
because the national organization expelled
the oruy four members of Omega Psi Phi
before the Office of Judicial Programs held
the original disciplinary hearing.
In the letter, Adams said he was
“remanding this matter to the vice presi
dent for Student Affairs to work with (the)
organization to formulate a plan for any
future recognition of a local chapter at the
University of Georgia under the sponsor
ship of the national organization of Omega
Psi Phi.”
The national organization has not yet
responded to the request, and attorneys
for the fraternity could not be reached for
comment
“The return of the local chapter will
depend on the national organization’s atti
tude and what they are planning to do dif
ferently,” Mullendore said.
Mullendore would not comment on
what changes the University expects of the
organization.
“It would be premature going into those
details without having spoken with the
national organization yet," Mullendore
said.
But initiating negotiations for the fra
ternity's return is the national
organization’s responsibility, Mullendore
said.
Adams pointed out in the letter that the
hazing Is the second of two violent Inci
dents In 1999, and negotiations are neces
sary to prevent further problems under
Omega Psi Phi's name.
The first Incident occurred Jan. 30,1999,
when members of Omega Psi Phi were
involved In a fight with members of Kappa
Alpha Psi fraternity at a sorority-spon
sored step show.
Adams also said he "appointed a task
force to review the structure, functions
and procedures of the Office of Judicial
Programs ... to avoid the problems which
arose in this case.”
The original Incident occurred when
four members of Omega Psi Phi allegedly
beat a new pledge Intermittently for sever
al weeks last spring.
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