Three single people landed dates in the CHANCE program’s “Singled Out” game Wednesday night.

The show raised money for the CHANCE organization, a group that supports and cultivates the potential of students who might not meet one or more of the NIU admission criteria.

Poets, rappers, dancers and singers opened up the show in a talent competition.

Some of the performers included Danza Quence, a dancing group; rapper Sam-I-Am; and corporate communication major Candice Currie, who won the competition by singing a version of Tamia’s “You Put a Move On My Heart.”

“She has a real, deep, soulful voice,” said Sheila Bond, a freshman hospitality administration major.

She was chosen by the audience “Apollo-style,” meaning whoever the audience clapped loudest for won.

Special guest G-Mar sang next, picking out random women in the crowd and singing to them individually, much to the crowd’s pleasure.

Junior broadcast journalism major Careese Kearney emceed the program.

A single man or woman sat behind a screen while Kearney asked questions about their style, preferences, build and voice.

Contestants whose answers didn’t match up had to leave the stage.

The show ended with Aaron Dorfman, a sophomore music performance major, and Chris McBride, a sophomore music education major, playing Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood.”

The Army tied the Air Force in the 2004 “Toilet Bowl,” which was played on the east end of Huskie Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Since 1969, the Toilet Bowl, played prior to the Super Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday, is the annual football game between members from the NIU Veterans Club. The Air Force and Army typically compete against the Marines and Navy.

Both teams receive a white toilet bowl signed with black and red permanent markers with scores from previous years.

Previous scores filled the toilet-seat trophy to the point where senior music education major and Army veteran Jennifer Webster said she is considering purchasing a new one.

This year’s game was different than in past years. Veterans of the Air Force played the Army because only one Navy veteran showed up for the event.

One Army veteran, sophomore business administration major Bill Frederickson, said he preferred playing football in the chilling snow to playing football in what he said he considered “the sands of hell” - the 135-degree temperatures of Iraq. Frederickson served six months in Iraq before being relieved in early August.

Playing on snowy, frozen ground roughly 42 yards in length and 30 yards in width, the two teams battled without turning over the ball once.

The Air Force took an injury break when Tony Marrero, a communication health-health administration major, went down with a bleeding nose. He was running down field when he took the ball in the face, said Darin Lilly, an Air Force teammate and senior business management major.

The teams tied, ending the game at 35-35.

A Woodridge man is being held at the DeKalb County Jail for his actions at a local day care center.

Charles F. Allen, 34, was arrested Tuesday after he entered Precious Kid Child Care in Sycamore and attempted to leave with his daughter, police said.

Allen, who is separated from his wife, is not allowed to pick up his daughter, but only visit her, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said.

When Allen attempted to leave with his 9-month-old daughter, an employee intervened. Allen allegedly shoved the employee out of the way, Scott said.

Allen then left the day care with his daughter. At the time he was leaving, the child’s mother arrived at the day care and got into the car with Allen.

Police said Allen then fled and drove “in a reckless manner” without securing the child in a car seat.

While fleeing, Allen also hit another vehicle. He then was persuaded by the child’s mother to return, Scott said.

Allen is being charged with aggravated battery, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and endangering the life of a child. He also was cited for operating an uninsured vehicle and failure to secure a child.

The aggravated battery charge stems from the fact that the victim of the attack was a child care worker, Scott said.

A Memphis children’s hospital is getting a big boost this year from NIU Greeks who have been fundraising for months.

Up ’til Dawn is a student-run college program dedicated to raising funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and educating people about serious pediatric illnesses, said Crystal Hoppe, president of NIU’s College Panhellenic Council.

The program has been raising money since last October, and has collected more than $10,000 so far, leading its respective collegiate division, Hoppe said.

This is the program’s first year at NIU, and seven NIU chapters are helping out. Hoppe credited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital spokeswoman Brooke Weberling with bringing Up ’til Dawn to NIU after speaking with the CPC and Intrafraternity Council last year.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital specializes in finding cures for children with serious illnesses such as AIDS and cancer, according to the hospital’s Web site. Most of the hospital’s income comes from fundraising, Hoppe said.

Fundraising for Up ’til Dawn consists of several teams of participants writing letters to friends and family members asking for donations to St. Jude, Hoppe said. All proceeds go to the hospital and give the donor a chance to participate in the program’s final event at the end of the fundraising period.

The final event for program participants will start 9 p.m. Friday at the Student Recreation Center and will end at 5 a.m. Saturday. The fundraising total will be announced during the event, Hoppe said, and winners will receive prizes and certificates.

Students interested in learning more about Up ’til Dawn can call 800-822-6344, ext. 2039, or visit St. Jude’s Web site at www.stjude.org.

The DeKalb Fire Department is set to put a little bling-bling into its new ride, thanks, in part, to a federal grant.

The grant, as part of the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, will award the department $96,805. The department plans on using the money to purchase equipment for a new rapid intervention vehicle, Fire Chief Lanny Russell said.

Items to be purchased include new air packs and portable radios for the vehicle.

“Everything is going to make the vehicle safer,” Russell said.

The new intervention vehicle was purchased last year with a similar $300,000 grant. The vehicle is set to arrive this summer and will replace the department’s current intervention vehicle, which Russell said “has seen its better days.”

“It’s being custom-built,” said Russell, of the vehicle. “It will help us keep current with technology.”

The vehicle will resemble a traditional fire engine, but lacks water or rescue ladders, said Bruce Harrison, assistant chief of operations. However, the vehicle will have more sophisticated equipment on board to better respond to non-fire emergencies, including traffic accidents and structure collapses.

Lt. Eric Hicks, who was one of 10 members on the committee responsible for designing the vehicle, said it will be the first vehicle the department has had with 100 percent new equipment.

DeKalb was one of 7,000 departments nationwide to receive funding from the grant program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Nationwide, more than $750 million in grants were awarded.

The program is great, Russell said, adding that it benefits more than just the fire departments.

Being able to receive money without having to tax residents is an advantage, especially during times when many municipalities have to raise taxes to cover other costs, Russell said.

The Rev. Sandra Olewin, a Methodist missionary, came to DeKalb last Thursday as an emissary from a New Jersey-sized country that has seen 4,000 killings over the last three years.

Her stop was part of a six-month, 22-state lecture tour, “Living Under Military Occupation - What Americans Need to Know About the Israeli Occupation.” The tour’s purpose is to educate Americans and to help bring resolution to the turmoil in Israel.

The lecture began with Olewin sharing her experiences of living in Israel for the last seven years and working across the lines of religious denominations. She explained how she lived with and ministered to Palestinians over the last three years, sharing in their joys, discomforts and pain.

With her she brought a call for help from the community she lived with and a commission to greet the people of America by saying: “It is our common faith in God and in the love of Jesus Christ that binds us together to find a way across many oceans to work for a [peaceful] world where God’s reign is on earth as it is in heaven.”

Olewin said her community had been disappointed in the past when millions of Christian tourists would come to Israel, not knowing Palestinian Christians existed, or that they were under occupation, or what that really meant.

Since then, Olewin has made it her purpose to spread the stories of these people that are not being covered by traditional media. She believes if she can provide an understanding of life in Israel, it can aid the peace process.

“Very seldom do you see the daily reality the Palestinians are under and the pressure and violence they are living with on a daily basis,” Olewin said. “One of my big goals is to help these stories get out and to give life and voice to that.”

Olewin said the overriding reality for Israelis is a sense of fear of terrorist attacks surrounding every aspect of daily life. For the Palestinians, there also is fear, and an existence in which no aspect of daily life has gone unaffected due to military presence, curfews, roadblocks and the destruction of private property in cities surrounded by barbed wire. She said she believes both groups feel they are stuck and have no hope for peace.

“A good sign is people are starting to come together to meet and talk,” Olewin said.

A video was presented to illustrate the daily tragedy along with a seed of hope. The video documented a Palestinian family that was removed from its home with virtually no notice. The home was demolished by the Israelis. It was the fifth home lost by that family to demolition.

The video showed the cruelty and the loss experienced by the family. It also showed a small group of Israeli citizens who came to defend the family and, in the end, helped them rebuild their home.

The video informed the audience of the pressure and violence of daily life in Palestine and to show the possibilities for cooperation.

“If you put a video like this on ‘60 Minutes,’” said Craig Greenman, NIU philosophy professor, “it would change the entire U.S. foreign policy. People do not know the realities and the history of what is going on. If you give people the facts, they will make the right choice.”

NIU’s Information Technology Services is changing the logon process for the university’s network systems.

“In an effort to improve security of systems at NIU, ITS will begin to enforce the use of eight-character alphanumeric passwords across all platforms beginning [today],” said Elizabeth Leake, associate director of ITS customer support services.

The decision to enforce the eight-character password resulted from a State of Illinois audit recommendation.

“NIU is audited because we are operated by the State of Illinois and must show proof of compliance with best practices and audit requirements on behalf of the taxpayers,” Leake said. “It isn’t being done as a result of an increased risk or occurrence. The risk always has been there. By enforcing a standard across all platforms, we hope to further improve the security and privacy of our patrons’ personal information.”

For those whose passwords do not follow the new standards, there is no need to rush out and get a new password just yet, Leake said.

“If you are currently using a password that doesn’t follow these guidelines, the next time your password is due to be changed, you will need to create an eight-character alphanumeric combination,” Leake said. “It doesn’t magically take place [today], but thereafter as new passwords are created.”

Enforcing the new passwords seems to have had little effect on students thus far.

“I haven’t heard anything about it,” sophomore management major Brian Kazmierski said. “It doesn’t seem like a big deal though. I’ll change it when I have to.”

When choosing a new password, Leake suggests avoiding common words, names, birthdays, addresses or other information that could be available to the public.

For those interested in changing their password, visit www.webfoyer.niu.edu. You must know your current password to get a new one. If you do not know your current password, call 752-7738.

A Shabbona man has been charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse stemming from an alleged incident that occurred several years ago.

DeKalb County Sheriff’s police arrested Ron Panttila, 40, of Shabbona on Friday afternoon. The victim told police the incident occurred several years ago.

Panttila is being held in DeKalb County Jail with bond set at $50,000.

Fred Anderson, a Delta Omicron Sigma fraternity member, uses the holiday season as an opportunity to help others through charity.

Toys for Tots is a U.S. Marine Corps program designed to help disadvantaged children during the holidays.

Delta Omicron Sigma, a national veterans fraternity, will be involved this year to help raise money and collect toys.

“We wanted to do some kind of community service,” Anderson said. “We figured that this would be a good fit for us.”

The fraternity thought supporting Toys for Tots would be a great idea because many of the brothers are Marine Corps veterans.

Toys for Tots campaigns are conducted in more than 450 communities in all 50 states each year. The campaigning usually lasts from October to Dec. 22. After Dec. 22, the organization prepares the toys for delivery.

Collections already began at NIU, and will be accepted until Dec. 20.

The Holmes Student Center’s south bus turnaround and the Campus Life Building have boxes where new toys can be dropped off.

There is no preference as to the types of toys donated, just as long as they are new and unwrapped, Anderson said.

The primary goal is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them to children by Christmas. The organization also accepts monetary donations.

The community plays a big role in the process. Dan Gallagher, a community coordinator of Toys for Tots in DeKalb County, said almost $5,000 was collected last year.

Social service agencies call the community coordinators to advise them which and how many children are in need of help. Police and teachers also may be aware of children in need of assistance.

Sycamore, Genoa, Somonauk and Sandwich also are pulling together to help the organization in DeKalb County.

The organization urges the community to get involved to bring happiness to many children this year.

“Anybody who wants to be involved can,” Gallagher said.

For more information, or to make a donation, call Dan Gallagher at 815-784-2606 or Fred Anderson at 847-668-9858.

The increased number of police on patrol during Homecoming weekend wasn’t just a coincidence - it was the result of “Operation Campus.”

“Operation Campus” is a cooperative effort between local police departments and the Illinois State Police, used when extra patrols are needed in campus towns.

It is a random program that takes place when “there is something going on,” said DeKalb police Lt. Jim Kayes. Usually, DeKalb police ask for the assistance of the state police during events that bring increased amounts of people into the area, such as Corn Fest, NIU’s Homecoming and graduation.

“The extra police presence was especially needed this year,” Kayes said. “This was the worst it has been in years when it came to parking.”

During Homecoming, businesses on the west side of DeKalb were hit especially hard with the increased amount of cars. Traffic brought the west side to a stop on the Friday night of Homecoming weekend. To alleviate the congestion in the area, police had to shut down some businesses for the night.

The main focus of “Operation Campus” is “to keep alcohol out of the hands that it doesn’t belong,” said Master Sgt. Lincoln Hampton of the Illinois State Police.

The operation is performed randomly on campuses around Illinois to deter the sale and consumption of alcohol to minors, driving under the influence and the violation of other traffic laws.

During Homecoming weekend, there were 36 arrests for illegal possession or consumption of alcohol by minors, 28 arrests for failure to wear seatbelts, seven arrests for operation of an uninsured motor vehicles and three arrests for drug violations.

Student Association President Shaun Crisler unveiled proposed budgets for the SA magazine and improvements for organization offices at the inaugural meeting of the SA Media Board.

Crisler will request $19,247, which is subject to the approval of the SA Senate, from the general reserve fund to pay for the magazine for the rest of the academic year.

“It can’t be supplemental funding, so the only place it can come from is the general reserve,” Crisler said.

When combined with the $17,436.35 already spent on the magazine from Crisler’s Sept. 21 executive allocations budget, the total cost of the magazine will grow to $36,683.35.

The magazine is called Huskie Highlights, and its purpose is to highlight the accomplishments of student organizations.

“The goal is to keep it positive,” Crisler said.

Although there is an editor, Crisler will retain some creative control over the magazine to make sure it has “taste” and appropriate focus. He said he will review the magazine before it is printed so he understands the reasoning behind what will be published.

“It’s as independent as a magazine can be [that is] funded by student fees,” Crisler said.

Six thousand copies of the magazine will be published monthly. Crisler said he thinks it doesn’t make sense to print more copies until a readership is built.

“With any small grassroots effort, you definitely want to try small,” Crisler said. “I don’t want to print 25,000 copies just to have 25,000 copies. It doesn’t make sense for this to be the first time and print 25,000.”

Crisler said he will explore increasing the amount of copies published each month if the magazine is received well by students.

“I definitely want to build a readership,” Crisler said. “I want to get them in the residence halls [and] get them in the different complexes and make sure people are reading them. I hope 6,000 copies is way short.”

The first issue of the magazine is almost finished, said Allison Thompson, SA director of public affairs. The first issue should be published before the end of the month.

“With this being the first issue and not many people outside of the SA knowing about the Huskie Highlights, it’s been a little bit of a matter of filling space, too,” Thompson said. “I think that this first issue is probably going to be a lot SA-orientated, and then with the goal in the future to obviously have it just be ‘organizationally focused.’”

Crisler also presented the board with a $12,341.15 budget for improvements to the organization offices at Campus Life Building, Suite 190. Of the proposed budget, $12,129.50 is for new computers; the rest will go to office supplies.

This funding is in addition to the $4,830 spent on providing the offices with Internet access and phones. If the senate approves the additional expenditures, the SA will have spent $17,171.15 on improving these offices.

“Those offices are not user-friendly, which is probably why they are not being used,” Thompson said.

SA Vice President Andrew Becerra and Crisler will meet with the organizations that currently have offices to explain the updates to the offices. Becerra and Crisler also will explain that these groups will be expected to begin holding regular office hours.

“We don’t want to make an investment this large and have people not utilize their offices,” Crisler said.

The senate created the media board Oct. 20 to oversee areas within the SA pertaining to technical services, organizational Web sites and any other major media outlets.

In 1986, NIU left the MAC in what now is viewed as a bad move. It doesn’t look like the Huskies will leave the MAC again anytime soon.

NIU President John Peters said there could be as many as 24 teams to change conferences this season, but he doesn’t expect NIU to be one of them.

“All the changing of conferences started with the ACC and Big East, and then there is a domino effect,” Peters said. “NIU is really centered in the MAC and we are really pleased to be in here.”

One current member of the MAC, Marshall, already has announced it will join Conference USA next year. Rumors have said NIU may not be far behind.

“We always listen, but I see no reason to go to Conference USA,” Peters said. “They’ve lost so many teams, there’s no definition to them. We left the MAC a while back; that was a mistake.”

The MAC has seven teams in the East and West divisions this year. With the loss of Marshall, the MAC East will have six teams. MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst said the Big East is looking for a ninth member for football and possibly could be looking at Central Florida, which is a member of the MAC for football only.

An invitation, however, has been extended to Central Florida to join the MAC for all sports. They have until the end of this week to respond, NIU Athletics Director Cary Groth said.

“My own opinion is that you have 12 or 14 teams,” Groth said. “Northern Illinois, as far as I’m concerned, we don’t want 13 teams for scheduling purposes.”

The MAC would need to add a new team to make an even number if Central Florida did accept its invitation to the MAC.

“When all is said, there could be almost 20 percent of Division I-A switching conferences,” said Chryst, who was at the NIU-Ball State football game on Saturday. “I think everyone is still waiting on the Big East to see how it might sort out. Certainly when things are going well, you want to stick together. Having said that, the competitive core of our conference - who we are, what our values are - are all still here.”

The MAC has two bowl tie-ins, with the GMAC Bowl and the Motor City Bowl. Conference USA has five bowls it is affiliated with. Groth doesn’t feel that will be the case in the near future.

“If you look at the differences in the football programs in the Conference-USA and the MAC, the Mid-American Conference has done a much better job,” Groth said. “Yes, the Conference-USA has more bowl tie-ins, but those bowl contracts are coming up. I think what Rick Chryst is doing is giving us the opportunities to have more bowl opportunities. I emphasize, Northern Illinois is very happy in the Mid-American Conference.”

NIU football coach Joe Novak said the Huskies are in the best league for them as a program.

“I think our football’s better than Conference USA,” Novak said. “We got out of this league 20 years ago and made a mistake. We’re in a great league for us and I hope we stay right where we are.”