Alestle Vol. 69 No. 33

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ALESTLE

the

Student thespians prove less is more page 4

Belmont Bruins’ bats beat Cougar baseball page 7

GAME LOANS thursday, 04.06.17

alton — east st. louis — edwardsville

vol. LXIX no. XXXIII

Carbondale to borrow Edwardsville money to maintain operations TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter SIU President Randy Dunn and SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook addressed a room full of SIUE students, faculty and staff March 30, to answer questions about Dunn’s recent proposal to borrow money from Edwardsville to keep the SIU Carbondale campus operational. Dunn announced his decision March 29, in his column, “The System Connection,” which also said Carbondale will have to make around $30 million in cuts. He said Carbondale is projected to be in deficit spending within the next month. Dunn said he can identify the $30 million worth of cuts Carbondale has to make.

“If I was put in a room and told to do it, I know it can be done,” Dunn said. Although the campus will definitely have to make around $16 million in cuts next year assuming a budget will not pass, Edwardsville is in much better shape. The money Carbondale will be borrowing will come from Edwardsville’s unrestricted funds, which Dunn said should not have any impact on the day-to-day operations of the Edwardsville campus. According to the Bellville News-Democrat, SIUE has $70 million in unrestricted reserves available for Carbondale to borrow. Dunn assured the SIUE community that Carbondale will pay back the money. The time frame is not confirmed yet, but Dunn said it depends on whether or not the state

SIU President Randy Dunn speaks to Edwardsville faculty, staff and students in a Q&A session regarding the budget crisis, March 30, in the Science Building East auditorium. | Caitlin A. Lally / Alestle

provides stopgap funding to the university. “You’re not going to see us draining these funds,” Dunn said. BUDGET | pg. 3

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campus adds new staff, reinforces awareness efforts

MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter With new coordinator for Sexual Assault Prevention Education Samantha Dickens, SIUE is striving to make Sexual Assault Awareness Month better than before. Dickens was brought in after a grant was approved for SIUE to further educate college students on the topic of sexual assault back in October. Dickens was hired in February. With this new outlook, SIUE plans on making changes regarding the topic. According to Dickens, some faculty will undergo training during the summer with Green Dot for sexual assault awareness, the campus as a whole will strive to be more collaborative and SIUE will be getting rid of the online Haven program that students were required to take. “My role is going to be a lot of coordination,” Dickens said. “There are so many great events going on at this campus around sexual assault awareness [and] domestic violence awareness, but there are so many happening that people don’t know. So we will get a few people at each event — my job is to be the person that knows all of that and can talk to people.” Dickens said she will be facilitating a response team that will work together on policy revision and programming. She also aims to ensure that SIUE is actually preventing sexual assault and domestic violence on campus. Criminal Justice Professor Trish Oberweis said sexual assault can be anything from kissing someone when it is unwanted to touching someone anywhere a swimsuit would cover.

Pride Week opening event from noon - 2 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the Goshen Lounge

Freshman fatally shot in North St. Louis CAITLIN LALLY Alestle Editor-in-Chief

Left, senior psychology major Samantha Hinshaw, of Wood River, and practicum counselor Alyssa Lazzeroni host the Clothesline Project April 5, in the Goshen Lounge. The event, in which people decorate white t-shirts and hang them, is one of many being held for Sexual Assault Awareness Month throughout April. | Caitlin A. Lally / Alestle

SIUE freshman Khiry Taggart was fatally shot and found in a crashed car in North St. Louis at 2 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, according to St. Louis County Police reports. The 18-year-old Chicago native was pronounced dead at the scene located near New Halls Ferry Road and Greengrass Drive. Taggart was accompanied by two women in the car. One, a 19-year-old, also had a gunshot wound and was transported to a nearby hospital, where she remains in stable condition. The second was uninjured. The SIUE community received an email Tuesday afternoon from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple. “As we mourn the loss of this young man, our entire SIUE community sends its condolences to Khiry’s family and friends,” Waple said in the email. Students may talk to Counseling Services, the email said, by calling 650-2842 or by visiting the office located on the lower level of the Student Success Center. According to police, the investigation continues. No suspects have been identified at this time. Anyone with information can call police at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

“When we think of sexual assault, we think of rape, and while it is, there are a lot of other behaviors,” Oberweis said. “Statistics have shown that 1 in 5 all the way to 1 in 3 women experience sexual assault during their college career, and 5 to 8 percent experience rape, and it is usually during that first semester that has the highest risk window.” Oberweis said it is usually the same offender that repeatedly commits sexual assault. She also said alcohol is the nation’s leading date rape drug by a mile. This problem affects SIUE in her eyes, but also affects every other college campus, too. “Without a doubt, every college campus faces sexual assault,” Oberweis said. “But SIUE isn’t special in that sense. SIUE is probably more responsive than

other schools.” According to Oberweis, SIUE’s ability to handle sexual assault efficiently is partially due to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple. “One of the first things [Waple] moved to address was the understanding and preventing sexual assaults,” Oberweis said. “There has been a lot of movement on campus this past twelve months and that has been because of him.” With a program coordinator, SIUE will be able to accomplish more as a whole. Events are hosted by the departments of women’s studies and theater and dance, various student services and University Housing frequently, but there hasn’t been one individual to unite or connect them — until now. “Instead of having a pile of puzzle pieces, now it can be the

full picture,” Oberweis said. According to Dickens, SIUE won’t necessarily be having more events this month, but rather more collaboration. “In years past, with the Clothesline Project, Megan Denton is a counselor with Counseling Services, she has done that [for several] years,” Dickens said. “The voices event — that has been done two years previous to this one. Lindsay Serrano, our confidential adviser, has really been the facilitator for that.” Dickens said other events will include the Walk-a-Mile event at Lindenwood University in Belleville, the Silent Protest Against Sexual Assault and Denim Day. Below are the Sexual Assault Awareness Month events listed with dates and locations:

Voices Choices presentation from 7 - 9 p.m. Monday, April 10, in the MUC Conference Room

Silent protest against sexual assault at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, on the Stratton Quadrangle

Walk a Mile in Her Denim Day all day Shoes event at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 26 Saturday, April 22, at Lindenwood University in Belleville

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