MIND THE GAP
BATTLING FOR POSITIONS
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Student Body President Kaylia Eskew seeks to close the distance between students and faculty
Members of the football team show off defense during a preseason scrimmage.
Dai ly Eastern News
THE
WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013
VOL. 98 | ISSUE 3
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
c ampus | ministry
RETURN
C ampus
Executive position vacant in RHA
JED
OF THE
By Jarad Jarmon Student Governance Editor @JaradJarmonReporter
K atie Smith | The Daily Eastern Ne ws
George Smock (Brother Jed) preaches repentance to students Monday at the Commemorative Courtyard. With him were his wife, friend and a guestpreacher he recruited while speaking at a university in Portland, Ore.
Preacher, family visit Eastern once more By Katie Smith Photo Editor @DEN_News George Edward Smock said he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ in 1972, and from there he has been visiting college campuses preaching repentance to students. Monday he returned to Eastern’s campus. Smock, known by the moniker Brother Jed, last appeared at Eastern in April. He and three other witnesses arrived at about 10:30 a.m. Monday and stayed until 4 p.m. to have an open dialogue with students on the campus’ Commemorative Courtyard in front of Ford Hall. Accompanying Smock were Sister Pat, 24-year-old Mikhail Savenko and Smock’s wife, “Sister” Cindy Smock. The four originally intended to speak in front of the Doudna Fine Arts Center; however, they were asked to relocate after a professor complained that their activity was disrupting classes. “If you’re going to influence them, you need to get out where they are,” Smock said. As students walked by Smock and his witnesses told some of the women they would go to Hell if they did not act more proper, and they should have more self-control when it came to
things like sex. Taylor Bainter, a senior art major, said she disagreed not only with the Smock’s message, but also with their right to be on campus. Bainter composed a petition to prevent Smock and his followers to preach on campus. “It’s not the actual message, but how it’s being said,” Bainter said. “It’s on our campus, and they’re guests. We
benefitting anyone, is not helpful to our society and is probably not true,” Mire said. Although students were quick to call Smock uncompassionate, he said he has only love for the audiences he preaches to. “I think students accuse us of being unloving. But they have a misunderstanding of love, essentially acquainting it with some emotional feeling,”
"If your speech isn’t disturbing the people, we don’t need a first amendment," George Smock (Brother Jed) want to take back our campus.” Smock, however, was not surprised by the effort to ban him from campus and said it is a typical reaction from students. “After they’ve made their jokes about the crazy preachers, it’ll probably provoke a lot of serious dialogue about religious issues,” he added. Leon Mire, a senior philosophy major, and member of the EIU Society for Free Thought said he agreed Smock’s message was delivered in too harsh a manner. “The idea of how the eternal torture for anyone who doesn’t believe in this particular message is a toxic idea that we need to wake up and realize is not
Smock said, “where as love is a choice, it’s an act of the will.” Danah Hemes, an associate campus minister at the Christian Campus House, said she was upset and emotional at the sight of Smock and his approach to preaching the Word of God. “It really frustrates me,“ she said. “I think it is going to further remove people from being open to a loving God who really cares about people on this campus and wouldn’t call them names.” Sarah Cochran, a freshman premedicine major, said a different approach to the student body might encourage members to be more openminded. “I recommend that they don’t do it
in the public where everyone can hear it,” she said. “I feel like they should have it in a private setting so that people who want to come and hear it can.” Cochran’s reaction is one the Smock’s have been faced with before. Cindy Smock attributes their controversial methods to the Bible. “The men of God went out to where the people were to try to reach the type of person who’s not interested in this type of lecture, and not interested in a bible study right now,” she said. “We’re trying to get the rebellious ones, the hard-hearted, the party animals, to get their attention and wake them up.” Smock said he agrees with Cindy Smock’s belief that the controversial tactics of religious preaching come from good intentions to persuade their audience to repent for their sins and live a life for God, regardless of their sometimes offensive claims. “If your speech isn’t disturbing the people we don’t need a first amendment,” Smock said. Katie Smith can be reached at 581-2812 or kesmith2@eiu.edu. For the in-depth version of this article go to:
dailyeasternnews.com
Kyle Swan, the previous Residence Hall Association treasurer, resigned from his executive position at the end of the spring semester. Swan left the position and transferred to University of Miami to pursue studio music engineer and criminology majors. “I couldn’t do both majors at Eastern,” Swan said. “Miami is a little more renowned.” He said he would be more able to network with those in his profession. Swan was the RHA treasurer for Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Swan said he originally would have run for RHA president last semester but he did not want to commit to a serious position knowing he applied for the University of Miami. Mark Hudson, an RHA adviser and the director of housing and dining, said he as well as many other people in RHA knew Swan was trying to go to Miami. “He got to transfer to a school that he has always wanted to attend and got accepted and so he went,” Hudson said. Swan said it was nice to work with other students at EIU who were like minded about the organization. The job as treasurer entailed keeping track of the RHA checkbook and having it organized. When RHA members needed to spend money on programs and other necessities, the treasurer would give them a request form so they would be able to spend the money. Members of RHA would then give the receipts to the treasurer in order for him or her to balance the checkbook. Swan said the upcoming treasurer should always keep the books up to date. “Don’t wait until you have a lot of stuff to do because you can get backed up,” he said. “It can become very confusing where you’ll start losing receipts.” He recommended they make sure the books are good three to five times a week. While RHA officially has no one currently positioned as treasurer, the RHA budget is being handled. Resident Director Laura Imbirowicz said Jody Stone, the associate director of housing and dining resident life, and herself are taking care of the budget while the position is open. The elections for the treasurer position will be convened at the first RHA meeting of the fall semester at 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 at Lincoln Hall. Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.