The Alestle Vol. 74 No. 17

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HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPIRITUALITY THIS SEMESTER page 4

thursday, 01.28.21

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SIUE ROTC CADET DIES AFTER OFF-CAMPUS SHOOTING page 3

vol. 74 no. 17

The Student Voice Since 1960

New bill causes strong reactions from student organizations, police, lawmakers KRISTINA JOHNSON JOHN MCGOWAN reporters

Two St. Louis artists, Dan Ricketts and Evan Nichols, collaborated on this mural last summer to encourage residents to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic using the iconic imagery of Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Calude Monet and Michelangelo. I Khoi Pham / The Alestle

A nearly 800-page bill that includes major changes to police accountability measures, usage of military equipment, court reforms, police licensure and prisoner rights has stirred up strong opinions in and out of law enforcement in Edwardsville. The bill, which passed on Jan. 13, will now go to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office before being put into effect. The bill has gained the approval of the College Democrats of SIUE, who believe this bill could put forth a new standard for Illinois police officers. see BILL on page 2

SIUE looks forward to future Health Sciences Building DANA MCLENNAN copy editor

Architects and designers working on SIUE’s new health sciences building hope to limit its carbon footprint and give students in the healthcare programs a head start in real-world applications. On Jan. 14, the Illinois Capital Development Board announced they had selected architectural design firm HOK-St. Louis to move forward on the new Health Sciences Building project. The project was estimated at approximately $105 million in the 2019 Capitol Bill as part of Gov. J. B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois plan. Craig Holan, director of Facilities Management, said HOK will assist the design of this building by creating a bridging document. The bridging document identifies the school’s needs and vision for the

building, how they might be met and a cost estimate but leaves the creativity up to the builders. They will also consider the facility’s placement and how it will integrate with the buildings next to the proposed site near Research Drive. “One of the reasons why they were selected is that the campus was originally designed by [Gyo] Obata, the ‘O’, in HOK. In their presentation, they talked about the campus design and presented concepts for how this might fit into not just the original design, but a potential working off of that design for the future. So, they had a more holistic approach, I think,” Holan said. Chancellor Randy Pembrook said SIUE is committed to being a good environmental steward by committing to being LEED certified. “The concept of LEED certification, that is a commitment that SIUE has made to itself to our community, that every new

building that we build from now on will be at minimum LEED Silver certified,” Pembrook said. The new building will be required to meet a LEED Silver certification requirement, ensuring that energy conservation goes into the new facility’s planning. Projects can accumulate points for meeting guidelines set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. According to the USGBC, this process includes requirements such as efficient energy and water use, ecological impact into the existing area and the materials used in the project. Illinois passed the Green Building Act in July, 2009 which requires all state-funded construction to achieve LEED Silver. Under the Compiled Illinois Statutes this also includes renovations to existing structures. Holan said that HOK will ensure the bridging document includes ways the

builders can meet these goals. They will also include future considerations for designing the building to meet the growing needs of the SIUE medical programs and how they will serve the surrounding area. “And so the things that we’re trying to balance at this point are, what programs, what labs, what classrooms will be in the health science building, which we’re imagining 200,000 to 220,000 square feet, which would make it the largest building on campus, “ Pembrook said. Currently Pembrook said the construction of this building has led to discussions about renovating Alumni Hall where the School of Nursing is currently located. “But then what are the things that maybe won’t fit into that building that we need to be thinking about regarding Alumni Hall and renovating Alumni? So that’s see CONSTRUCTION on page 3

COVID-19 vaccine not required at SIUE until approved by IDPH NICOLE BOYD copy editor

SIUE students will not be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine for now, but a new team is working to navigate the logistics of vaccinating students in the future. Lakesha Butler, professor in the School of Pharmacy and SOP Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said SIUE students are not currently required to get the vaccine because the vaccine has not been through the full approval process. “Right now the COVID vac-

cine is not mandatory anywhere, and it’s mainly due to it being emergency-use approved, so it has not gone through the full approval,” Butler said. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple said another reason students are not required to get the vaccine is because college students are designated to be vaccinated along with the general population. “We’re still in 1A. 1B is next, and as of today, higher education — colleges, universities — are not in 1B, so not in the next phase. So … the documentation, in 1B, it says education, but it’s really

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about K-12 and childcare centers and daycare centers,” Waple said. Waple said SIUE must follow Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines to require vaccines. “A vaccine requirement, or mandate, would have to be approved by the Illinois state legislature … we would have to take direction from IDPH and the state in order to make any vaccination mandatory, including COVID-19,” Waple said. Student Affairs is establishing the Vaccine Implementation Team in order to plan the logistics of vaccine distribution. Waple said

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the team is defining the parameters of vaccine distribution per IDPH and Madison County Public Health Department guidance. “We’ve started vaccinations in School of Dental Medicine and some of our clinical site faculty, staff and students and frontline healthcare,” Waple said. “So we’ll let campus know who’s been in 1A, then we will talk about who’s in 1B … and then develop a logistics plan if we were to become a mass vaccination site … and then the marketing campaign to roll out to campus, including frequently asked questions and website development.”

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Butler serves on a panel of Black healthcare professionals who are working with pharmaceutical companies to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine. Butler said the reason for the panel is distrust of the vaccine, specifically in Black and other minority communities. “I, too, was very hesitant about getting the vaccine, especially when it was first going through the first phases of the clinical trial, for numerous reasons,” Butler said. “But once I received more insight and understood the efficacy see VACCINE on page 8

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