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The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, January 29, 2013
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
NU staffer finds bear hanging at Tech desk Alleged race issue a ‘personnel matter,’ under review By JOSEPH DIEBOLD
daily senior staffer
Northwestern warehouse associate Michael Collins arrived at his office in the Technological Institute basement on Dec. 3, just as he had each workday for the last five years. But on this particular morning, Collins noticed something different about his office: A black stuffed panda bear, a gift from his niece that normally sits next to a When I stuffed white saw that bear cat on his hanging there, desktop, was hanging from it reminded a rope next to me of black the desk, as if it had been Americans lynched. getting hung “When I and lynched. saw that bear hanging there, Michael Collins, it reminded NU warehouse me of black associate Americans getting hung and lynched,” Collins said. “That hit close to home because I have had a family member in my past, back in the ‘60s, who was hung in Mississippi, so to a black person, that’s horrifying.” Collins, who said he is the only black employee among the almost 50 people he works with, said he immediately called University Police to report the incident and later filed a report with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. University spokesman Al Cubbage said he learned of Collins’ report last month. Cubbage called the issue a “personnel matter” that was being handled internally by both University Police and administrators. “It was reviewed by the appropriate offices within the University administration, including University Police,” he said. Cubbage said any results of the investigation “would not be disclosed publicly.” Prior to finding the bear, Collins said he had multiple race-related altercations at NU with a white coworker. This included him being the target on separate occasions of a racial slur and verbal threats, as well as arguments on Facebook about President Barack Obama’s race. He said University Police told him they were unable to prove the individual was the one who hung the bear. Collins has since sent two emails to upper-level administration. The first, dated Dec. 14, was sent to President Morton Schapiro among others. Collins said Schapiro’s response indicated it was the first he had heard of the incident. “He kind of apologized and said this should not be tolerated at Northwestern,” Collins said. But more than a month later, Collins
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‘DEAD KIDS ARE NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE’ Photo courtesy of Allison Williams, Design by Tanner Maxwell and Christine Nguyen/Daily Senior Staffers
Community calls for gun control in memory of 3 slain By CIARA MCCARTHY
the daily northwestern
Carolyn Murray has worked to strengthen gun control in Evanston for six years. But city efforts to curb Evanston street violence — which claimed three young lives in 90 days in the fall — came too late to save her son. In July, Murray began plans for Evanston’s first gun buyback program to decrease the number of firearms on the streets, occasionally receiving advice and input from her 19-yearold son, Justin. Just two weeks before the buyback was scheduled, Justin was shot and killed as part of an ongoing gang-related feud. The elementary school shooting less than a month later in Newtown, Conn., caused national grief and outrage, thrusting the issue of gun control to the public’s attention. But gun violence has plagued Evanston and Cook County for years. As gun control legislation unfolds on the county, state and national level, Evanston is unlikely to pursue a legislative solution to firearms, instead
» See RACE, page 7
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turning to alternative methods to decrease violence. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said City Council will not pass laws that could result in an expensive court case. Instead, city government will offer support to larger-scale measures while experimenting with hands-on solutions in Evanston, such as December’s gun buyback program, the city’s first.
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We need to revamp the way we’re looking at violence . Otherwise ... God help us for the future. Carolyn Murray, mother of Justin Murray
In recent months, Cook County has worked to pass progressive gun control measures, including what is likely the country’s first gun or “violence” tax on firearms. Still, gun control activists say strong measures in Cook County aren’t enough; weaker gun laws throughout the country enable the proliferation of gun
trafficking into the county. Murray said an immediate review of gun violence in Evanston is crucial in order to save innocent lives. “We need to revamp the way we’re looking at violence,” she said. “Otherwise, God help us this summer, God help us for the future.” THREE KILLED IN 90 DAYS For one of his first assignments of the 2012 school year, Evanston Township High School freshman Dajae Coleman wrote a moving tribute to his family. “I believe that support from family and friends really helps,” he wrote. “I think the kids that are on the street not doing anything with their lives don’t get the type of support they need from family.” The 14-year-old wrote about 4:30 a.m. gym workouts with his grandfather, the lessons he learned from his basketball coach and his mother’s constant encouragement for him to never settle. Just two days after Coleman submitted the essay, he was fatally shot » See GUNS, page 4
As support grows, Boy Scouts announce potential changes By CAT ZAKRZEWSKI
the daily northwestern
Will Oliver attained the rank of Eagle Scout after a decade of scouting and remembers his own experience as “welcoming.” The Weinberg sophomore is gay. Although he never experienced discrimination in his own troop, Oliver has heard from many who have, after beginning If next week goes well, this alast petition fall on could be a Change.org really promising challenging the Boy Scouts turning of America’s policy excludpoint in the gays from organization’s ing its ranks. direction. On Monday, the petiWill Oliver, tion topped Weinberg 115,000 signasophomore tures and the organization announced plans to discontinue policies excluding gay Scouts and troop leaders as early as next week. “After my experiences in the past few months, having heard from hundreds of scouts and leaders who were humiliated under this policy, I can appreciate how historic this moment is for many American families,” Oliver said. “If next week goes well, this could be a really promising turning point in the organization’s direction.” Oliver’s petition calls specifically on the National Geographic Channel to air a disclaimer before its new reality show “Are You Tougher than A Boy Scout?” that informs viewers of the organization’s policy. Although the channel’s public relations department did not respond to The Daily on Monday, The Washington Post reported last week that the channel released a statement that said the network was an equal-opportunity employer. “We certainly appreciate all points of view on the topic, but when people see our show, they will realize it has nothing to do with this debate (over the Boy Scouts’ LGBT policy), and is in fact a competition series between individual scouts and civilians,” the network said in the statement. The National Geographic petition began to gain widespread support Wednesday when it was endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Oliver’s was not the first Change.org petition addressing this issue. Last spring, a petition with more than 200,000 supporters called for the Boy Scouts to reinstate a mother who was removed from her role as Cub Scout leader for being gay. Rich Ferraro, a spokesperson for GLAAD, said more than 1 million Americans had
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» See SCOUTS, page 7
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