COMMUNICATING CULTURE
FIGHTIN’ ILLINI
Communication studies professor shares stories of growing up with GuatemalanAmerican roots.
The Eastern Illinois baseball team is set to hit the road and take on the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Tuesday for the second of their two meetings.
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Dai ly Eastern News
THE
W W W .D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S. C O M
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
VOL. 99 | NO. 138
State reps, senator to address union resolution By Cassie Buchman City Editor|@DEN_News Five state representatives and one state senator will be present at the City Council meeting Tuesday to discuss a resolution the council recently passed supporting part of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposals to create “empowerment zones.” If implemented, the city would not have to follow the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act when bidding for projects such as construction. According to the act, workers paid with public funds must receive a wage of no less than the prevailing hourly rate in the area. The resolution was called “Supporting Local Government Empowerment,” and it also states the community should be the one to decide whether employees
Eastern provides options to pay back state cuts By Luis Martinez Administration Editor| @DEN_News Paul McCann, the vice president for business affairs, discussed four possible options for Eastern during the last Council on University Planning and Budget meeting. Eastern has to find ways to pay back 2.25 percent of what the state of Illinois has given in terms of appropriated funds. The 2.25 percent translates to $989,100. “The state has decreased our budget money and we don’t have many places this late in the year that we can take them from,” McCann said. “At this point, what we’re looking for is things we can move around from the standpoint of funding sources in order to cover that million dollars they cut.” McCann said moving projects from deferred maintenance over to campus improvement was one of the options discussed. “ What we do is transfer the projects that we already did from deferred maintenance over to campus improvement and they be projects that would be eligible for use for both sets of funds,” McCann said. An example of one of the proje c t s b e i n g m ove d t o a d i f f e r ent fund is the remodeling of the Coleman Hall bathrooms. A second option could include moving around expenses in continuing education over to the delivery charge fee.
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should be forced to join a union or pay dues if they are employed. The representatives that will be attending are Rep. Reggie Phillips from the 110th district containing Eastern, Rep. Jeanne Ives from the 42nd district, Rep. Keith Wheeler from the 50th district, Rep. Mark Batinick from the 97th district, and Rep. Dan Brady from the 105th district. The one senator attending is Kyle McCarter. “We firmly believe this is the right thing to do because of the state of the economic condition Illinois is in,” Phillips said. “Each one of us will speak in turn to encourage the City Council and mayor to stand for the right thing in opposition from so many.” Phillips said he was told people who opposed the resolution were going to be at the meeting. “Typically on this side of the fence
when we don’t show up, our voice is never heard,” Phillips said. One of the reasons he supports the resolution and Rauner’s proposals is because of what he felt was a lack of competitiveness Illinois has with other states. “My great grandmother used to say the proof is in the pudding,” he said. “How do we fare with other states in economic, business and cost factors? Add them all up, and we’re dead last.” These other states include Wisconsin and Indiana, which also implemented right-to-work zones. Cities that are considering the rightto-work zones in resolutions on Tuesday are Naperville, Campton Hills, Vernon Hills and Wauconda. People who oppose the resolution are expected to be at the meeting to voice their opinions as well.
City Clerk Deborah Muller said she has received a number of emails and calls from people who are concerned about the resolution. “I am anticipating more participation than the last meeting,” she said. “There were some questions in regard to speaking at the meeting.” Those who want to speak at the meeting have a three-minute time limit, though they will not be timed. “If they thought about what they’re going to say and put it together in a factual statement, it would generally take about three minutes,” Muller said. “The mayor and council are very approachable; if they run a few minutes over they’re not going to stop them. But we don’t want 99 people saying the same thing.” Muller said since the representatives will be speaking at the meeting, they
will comply with the three-minute rule. Amending the city budget for the year will also be discussed. The comptroller will review elements of the proposed budget. “With unexpected expenses, what we try to do is make sure funds are coming from the right department, if funds need to be moved,” Muller said. “When we do a budget, it’s basically kind of anticipating what expenses we will have.” They will also discuss granting tourism funds to different events, such as the IHSA State Track Meets, and Red, White and Blue days. The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall. Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or cjbuchman@eiu.edu.
Walk ‘in someone else’s shoes’ to raise awareness of sexual assault By Robbie Fiedler Staff Reporter|@DEN_News The Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Services is having participants “Walk a Mile in her Shoes” to raise awareness of sexual assault at 1 p.m. Sunday in Morton Park. S AC I S i s h o s t i n g i t s s e c o n d annual walk encouraging community members to wear heeled shoes or other decorative footwear. The walk is designed to raise awareness and empathy for women impacted by sexual violence. The first walk had nearly 75 people show up to the event to walk a mile. Erin Walters, the executive director of SACIS, said at the first walk, everybody seemed to have a great time. ROTC members attended the event wearing their camouflage clothes and high heels along with red boas. “ We a r e e x c i t e d a b o u t t h i s e v e n t , ” Wa l t e r s s a i d . “ W e thought the first one went really well last year, and this one has kind of grown some.” People can expect discussion about sexual assault before the walk. Many fun awards are given out as well, such as best legs awards, broken heel award, most team spirit award for the children and fanciest shoes award. Top fundraisers will be at the event, and for the first time large sponsors will be attending as well. Walters said she really wants people to take away the idea that putting an end to sexual violence is something ever yone can participate in. This event is open to men,
women and children. “There’s not a gender distinction to who needs to be putting an end to sexual violence; we all need to be working together to put an end to sexual violence,” Walters said. “We’re all a part of this process. No one can really truly understand someone’s experience and someone’s journey until they walked a mile in their shoes.” Sexual violence can be a topic that people do not typically talk about, and this event is a way to bring it up openly, she said. “It’s often times considered an uncomfortable topic, and people sometimes avoid the topic with the idea that that wouldn’t happen to me or that or it’s someone else’s problem,” Walters said. “In fact, the statistics really reveal that the likelihood that you know someone who has been impacted by sexual violence or been a survivor yourself are very high.” Walters said the walk can open up a dialogue by making a statement that until someone has walked a mile in another person’s shoes, they cannot understand what that person has been through. “ It ’s s o r t o f a v i s u a l s t a t e ment.,” Walters said. “Here we have people walking a mile in a pair of high heel shoes who wouldn’t typically do so. We’re even challenging the gender rules a s we l l. Un t i l yo u’ve w a l k e d a mile in someone’s shoes you can’t judge their process and you can’t say you know this is why sexual violence happens.” Walters said through the walk, SACIS can work to dispel some of the stereotypes that sometimes blame the victim for sexual assault.
FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Tyler Walker, a 10-year-old Charleston resident, walks in white high heels, a red feather boa and a pink tutu during Walk a Mile in Her Shoes April 27, 2014 at Mortonson Park. The event, which was hosted by the Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Services (SACIS), served as a symbolic gesture toward an end to sexual violence. Men were invited to wear heels and experience what it is like to “walk a mile in her shoes.”
“It’s just a whole lot of fun; e v e r y b o d y i s t h e re f o r a g o o d c a u s e ,” Wa l t e r s s a i d . “ It f e e l s good to be openly supportive of
someone who has experienced something bad.”
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