ON THE HUNT
The Eastern football team sets goals for a winning season including conference title and perfect record. PAGE 7
ENROLLMENT EFFORTS
Eastern hosted an open house Monday to welcome new students. PAGE 2
THE
D aily E astern N ews
Tuesday, October 13, 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. 37 W W W . D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S . C O M
Local churches respond to extreme teachings By T’Nerra Butler Multicultural Editor | @DEN_News As a man goes from state to state in order to express his thoughts to students of America, ministries around Eastern’s campus try to stay level-headed about his expressive evangelization. Brother George Edward “Jed” Smock Jr. is an evangelist spreading the word of God by speaking publicly. Brother Jed travels around campuses telling students to convert to a religious lifestyle. The ministers around campus feel the best method of dealing with him is to ignore his words. Paige Roberts, the director of the Wesley Foundation, said it is upsetting to the students who have witnessed him on campus. She said the center has a large number of students who are in the LGBT community and the evangelists can be hateful in their language to the members of the community. “The last time one of the groups was here we set up a ‘Space of Grace,’ where we were set up across the sidewalk from them,” Roberts said. “We made posters that shared scriptures expressing God’s love.” Roberts said while in the space the group wanted to show students how all Christians are not hateful and knowing God is much more loving. She has been at Eastern for 11 years and said this year they wanted to show up Brother Jed’s negativity with a space of positivity. Roy Lanham, the director of Newman Catholic Center, said he has known about Brother Jed since he has been at Eastern, which is 30 years. He said Brother Jed uses a type of ministry called a Herald Model of evangelization, which is a form of street preaching.
CHYNNA MILLER | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Paige Roberts, the campus minister at the Wesley Foundation, posts up the Grace Space signs in protest to Mikhail Savenko and Ryan Simpkins discussions with students on Monday in the Library Quad. Roberts said the Grace Space allowed them to silently counter protest against radical evangelists.
“My struggle with Brother Jed is not the fact that he wants people to know Christ, but he uses coercion, meanness and he’s vindictive,” Lanham said. “And I don’t read anything of that nature in the Gospel on how one comes
to know Christ.” Lanham said his approach is wrong and it is unfortunate for students to have to witness it. He said the only way he will disappear is if people ignore him.
He said if no one paid attention to him, he would be speaking to the wind and he would eventually leave campus.
CHURCHES, page 6
Free flu shots to be given Wednesday Eastern to By Lauren Graham Staff Reporter | @DEN_News
Eastern Health Service and the Coles County Health Department are having free flu shots for students, faculty, staff, and retirees at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Ballroom. The flu shots for students are in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Ballroom and then in the Bridge Lounge for the staff, faculty and retirees. Students need to bring their Panther Card, but faculty, staff and retirees need not only their Panther Card, but a valid insurance or Medicare card. Lynette Drake, the director of Health Service, said the reason students, staff, faculty and retirees are not in the same room are because Health Service is provided just for the students and the Coles County Health Department are provided for everyone else. “They are programmed together and they run flu shot programs on the same day because of the campus flu campaign,” Drake said. “We try to encourage everybody to get flu shots on that day.” Health Service is trying to decrease the spread of flu on campus, so the flu shots are free on Wednesday without an appointment. The shots will still be free for students all year, but will require an appointment. About 1,000 shots for students are given with the set-up of several tables, to be able to immunize many people.
Flu Shot Information:
Where: Free flu shots will be administered in the Martin Luther King Jr, University Union Ballroom.
Who: Flu shots are for students, faculty, staff and retirees.
What you need:
Students need to bring their Panther Card, faculty, staff and retirees need their Panther Card and a proof of insurance or Medicare.
Why:
Flu shots keep students and campus healthy during the upcoming flu season. Drake said that all students have to do is come in, take care of the paperwork needed and get the flu shot, which could take only five minutes.
Drake said it is ver y quick, ver y fast and it’s in a very public place where students can come in between classes or during lunch, whenever students have the free time to get it done. “This is very quick, very efficient and we put a lot of resources together to provide this and we hope that students will take advantage of it,” Drake said. When it comes down to the question of how many people at Eastern get the flu, Drake said that it just depends on the year. Drake said the more people who get vaccinated the less opportunity exists of spreading the flu. The flu this year is supposed to be a little worse from last year’s flu. “The flu vaccine, which is developed for distribution this year, is supposed to be very effective against the strength that we’re seeing and that’s good news,” Drake said. Drake said that in previous years, faculty members walked over with their entire class, and got flu shots done in 15 to 20 minutes. “I would just like to say this is a wonderful collaborative effort between the Health Department and Health Service that we enjoy providing every year,” Drake said. “It’s fun to offer and people really seem to appreciate it.” Lauren Graham can be reached at 581-2812 or ldgraham@eiu.edu
stay open upcoming semester Staff Report | @DEN_News President David Glassman sent out an email Monday afternoon saying the spring semester will begin as usual. The email was sent in response to student concerns questioning if the campus would open the following semester. Spring registration started on Monday. “There is no doubt we will be able to complete the entire semester as usual,” Glassman said in the email. The university is still waiting for the state budget to be completed to receive the state appropriations for the current academic year. Glassman said the state and the university has been through this type of crisis in the past. “We fully expect that our funding will come through this year and we are making contingency arrangements to operate the university until those funds are received,” Glassman said.