HOME GROWN
MOVING ON
Two local Eastern rugby players work to improve their skills for the 2013 season. Page 8
Brenda Major will no longer be the director of admissions after nine years. Page 2
Dai ly Eastern News
THE
WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013
VOL. 98 | ISSUE 23
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
Campus | CRIME
LOCAL | COUNCIL
By Bob Galuski News Editor @DEN_News
addresses crimes at meeting
Eastern students react to ‘Barn Party’ shooting Mayor After hearing about the gunshots fired during Saturday’s “Barn Party,” Shamika Austin said her first thoughts went to her friends at the party. “Honestly, I was upset,” she said. “My friends were at the party, and they were calling me, freaking out, panicking, talking about gunshots.” Austin, a freshman political science major, said her feelings of safety off campus had declined since the incident. Austin said if she had to rate her level of feeling safe, it would be a five out of 10. In light of the shooting at the “Barn Party” at 634 W. State St. Saturday, students have had mixed reactions to the level of safety they feel off campus. Hannah Lamzik, a freshman music major, agreed with Austin and said she is now reconsidering any weekend plans. “It makes weekends scarier to be off campus,” she said. Lamzik added because she lives in Pemberton Hall, her room faces Fourth Street and she can hear and see how people act during the weekend. Lori Knoechel, a junior elementary education major, said she was astonished when she found out about the shooting. “If it was such a large party, it should have been watched over,” she said. Carlos Giraldo, a sophomore biology major, said he feels both on-and-off-campus safety needs to be evaluated. “Any person could be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. “It could be a place everybody goes to hang out.” He said another concern he had was getting back home at night for both him and his friends.
By Seth Schroeder Editor-in-Chief @DEN_News
“I wouldn’t want my friend to be walking home at night,” he said. “It’s a safety hazard now.” Knoechel said she is also taking precautions after the shooting. “I won’t put myself in that situation,” she said. “I wouldn’t go to a huge party where it might not be safe.”
STATE | FINANCE
Charleston Mayor Larry Rennels gave a written statement at the city council meeting Tuesday at City Hall addressing Sunday’s “Barn Party” incident, saying the city is dedicated to the safety of its residents. “I want to make it clear that the city of Charleston will not tolerate that kind of behavior,” Rennels said in his statement. “We will prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue, as K atie Smith | The Daily Eastern Ne ws we have in the past, to make every effort to proABOVE: A trash can tect your property, to keep you safe and to preoverflows with convent events that have the potential of becoming tainers of alcohol at violent from being held in the city of Charlesa strip mall parking ton.” lot off West Lincoln He also said in his statement that CharlesAvenue Sunday. ton would need help from its residents in orLEFT: The parking der to stay safe. lot was covered with “The most important thing that you can do shards of glass from to keep Charleston a safe place in which to live smashed bottles and and raise your family is to report everything littered with emptied that looks or sound suspicious,” he said. “I can cans and tickets to assure you that your personal information will a party, which took be kept private.” place at a warehouse Rennels said anyone who owns or manages on West State Street a building large enough for events with several Saturday, according hundred people to be aware of the possibility of to a press release violence, property damage and liability. sent by Charleston Building owners or managers should be wary Police Department of anyone looking to rent the property for a Sunday. one-day event and offers to pay more money Blevins said she was supposed then expected, he said. Hannah Blevins, an undecided freshman, said she still feels as to go to the “Barn Party” but said “Make sure that you know what organization safe going off campus as before the ticket price was too high. you are renting to and exactly what their event She said the price was $25. the shooting. will involve,” Rennels said. “If you have any Danisha Campbell, a junior concerns, please contact the Charleston Police “It’s the first time I’ve really heard of something like that sociology major, agreed with Department or City Hall and provide whatever happening here,” she said. “I Blevins, and said her thoughts information you have about the event.” also heard it was from people not about safety off campus have not He also said city officials would help buildchanged. from here.” ing owners determine if their property has the SHOOTING, page 5 proper facilities, features and equipment required for a safe public event. Other city council members Jeff Lahr, Tim Newell, Matt Hutti and Brandon Combs said they agreed with the mayor’s statement concerning the shooting. Rennels said he emailed the statement to motion a call for referendums on the 1 percent of earners in Illinois—those Illinois constitution that would en- making more than 2 million dollars each council member before the meeting so act a progressive tax on individual in- a year—would see their tax rates in- they were able to read it and give him feedback ahead of time. comes, and thus, has quickly become crease by 3.5 percent. He also said members of the council met Though Jakobsson said those numa point of contention in Springfield. The proposed bill—House Joint bers are not necessarily concrete, as with Eastern officials earlier that day to discuss Resolution Constitutional Amend- the bill must first pass in the General how to prevent future violence. Rennels said Dan Nadler, the vice president ment 33— would be the first step in Assembly before even reaching ballots implementing what Jakobsson refers for the 2014 general election, she also for student affairs, sent out an email earlier that to as a “fair tax” that would effective- acknowledged the rates reflected what day to several RSOs saying late-night parties on ly raise tax rates for Illinoisans making she called an ideal and fair tax system. campus would be canceled while the “Barn Par“Because of all the cuts we’ve seen ty” incident is under investigation. over $196,000 annually. During their meeting, the council also apAccording to Jakobsson, those in education and other services, this making more than $196,000 would bill needs to pass,” Jakobsson said. proved the mayor’s appointment of Ken Baksee a .9 percent increase in their “Higher education can’t do its job er, former director of campus recreation, to the tax rate. Those making more than without people being prepared. This Charleston Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. $500,000 would see a 2.2 percent needs to pass as soon as possible.” MAYOR, page 5 TAX, page 5 raise in income taxes, whereas the top
Fight over Illinois tax system continues Progressive tax on incomes may pass By Robert Downen Administration Editor @DEN_News The fight over reforms to the Illinois tax code will likely be a divisive issue in the state’s next gubernatorial election, according to two state representatives hailing from separate sides of the political aisle. Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, a Democrat, and Rep. Ron Sandack, Repub-
lican, both agreed pending legislation that would introduce a progressive tax system into the Illinois tax code will be a focal point in upcoming elections, with the latter going as far as calling it a fight for “the soul of our state’s future.” The significance of the legislation, however, appears to be one of only a few things the two representatives have found common ground on outside of an acknowledgement of the state’s ongoing financial woes. Currently, the Illinois constitution requires a flat tax among all corporate and individual income taxes. New legislation introduced by Rep. Jakobsson, however, has put in