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The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Friday, January 24, 2014
Find us online @thedailynu
Officials relay safety protocols
I’m a believer
By Paige Leskin
the daily northwestern @paigeleskin
Annabel Edwards/Daily Senior Staffer
ogre achievers Communication junior Alex Christ stars in the Dolphin Show’s production of “Shrek The Musical.” This year marks the Dolphin Show’s 72nd annual production. See more green on PAGE 2
Administrators look to refine college transition By Mark Ficken
the daily northwestern @mark_ficken
After the inaugural quarter of the First Year Experience, administrators are gathering feedback from about 460 students in the college transition program and considering structural changes for next year. The program, also called IGNITE, was designed to be an extension of Wildcat Welcome. One quarter of the freshman class was enrolled in the program and met occasional in small, peer adviser-led
groups. Run by the Office of New Student and Family Programs, IGNITE is meant to help students with their transition into college. This year’s pilot program is as much an opportunity for gathering information as it is for ironing out programming problems, said Josh McKenzie, director of the First Year Experience. Students were randomly chosen and automatically enrolled in the program because they wanted a cross section of students from each school with different levels of enthusiasm, he said. “We wanted to know ... what was their progression of thought?” McKenzie said.
Infographic by Nicholas Hall
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
“What did they perceive of the program or what we were offering? We needed to know all of that in case, in the future, we move it to everyone. That’s the approach we took this year. It’s been great for data collection.” According to statistics from the Office of New Student and Family Programs, 89 percent of students involved with IGNITE said they view it as important. However, 60 percent of students said they did not have the space to build meaningful relationships with others in the program. Attendance for all events is mandatory. Some students, however, were unhappy with the selection process, making them unwilling to engage in the program. Peer Adviser Eleanor McEnaney said she has had some issues with her group being reluctant to talk or questioning the program’s purpose, but even these moments seemed helpful. “It was hard,” the Communication sophomore said. “It really just depended on your group and if people were willing to think about having to do the program. So it was difficult at times, because people were being nonresponsive or in a bad mood.” But beyond the numbers, McEnaney said she thinks IGNITE helps students feel welcome at the university and hopes the program will help students get involved on campus. » See ignite, page 10
In light of recent campus shootings, University Police and the Evanston Police Department officials said they have adequate training and procedures in place to respond to incidents on Northwestern’s campus. Unlike other schools, NU has an armed campus police force that is always on duty, said Daniel McAleer, deputy chief of University Police. However, he said even campuses with armed officers, such as Purdue University, are still susceptible to violence. Violence has been reported at universities across the nation this week. A shooting at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. on Tuesday left one student dead. One student was shot and injured Monday at Widener University in Chester, Pa. Shots were reportedly fired Wednesday at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. but officials later said it was a false alarm. “Unfortunately, lessons are learned every time there’s a shooter,” McAleer said. “And we have learned how to deploy our resources.” EPD and UP continue to update their practices to reflect what has occurred at school shootings nationwide. After the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, UP underwent its most
drastic change, McAleer said. Instead of waiting for SWAT to arrive, University policemen were taught to pair up and engage the suspect right away. With many school shootings recently in the news, some Northwestern students have been shaken. “I get a little more nervous each time I hear that there’s been a shooting on a college campus,” Weinberg freshman Miranda Liu said. “It always makes me think about if there was one here.” McAleer said UP has an extensive protocol for emergencies. Officers have ballistic shields and rifles in their squad cars, as well as tools used to break through any suspect barricades. Through a notification system linked with Blackboard, UP can send out alerts of a campus shooter through sirens, speakers, a posting on a breaking news site and social media statuses. UP does not work alone in its emergency efforts. EPD acts in a supportive role to UP, Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. “(UP officers) have intricate knowledge of the building,” he said. “They have the keys and video footage.” Parrott said that in the case of a death, EPD acts as primary investigator. Both departments complete rapid deployment and training together to ensure the same protocols are used during an incident. » See Safety, page 10
Pet shelter policies under scrutiny By Ciara Mccarthy
daily senior staffer @mccarthy_ciara
The nonprofit that operates Evanston’s animal shelter has come under scrutiny in the last year after volunteers questioned the center’s high dog euthanasia rate. Volunteers say the shelter’s kill-rate for dogs is just under 50 percent, which means the shelter euthanizes almost as many dogs as it puts up for adoption.
Community Animal Rescue Effort, a volunteer organization which finds homes for abandoned animals, operates the cityowned shelter, according to its website. The Evanston Police Department employs the city’s animal warden, who is responsible for taking in stray dogs and cats and handling any animal control issues in the city, EPD Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. C.A.R.E. handles day-to-day shelter operations and is responsible for organizing adoptions. » See Animal, page 10
Source: Community Animal Rescue Effort
rUFF spot Berto is up for adoption at Community Animal Rescue Effort. C.A.R.E. is an all-volunteer, nonprofit that operates the Evanston animal shelter.
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