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DAILY EGYPTIAN AUGUST 28, 2013
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Fruitful team bonding
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 7
Study shows increased need for MATT DARAY Daily Egyptian
ZANE ECKLUND | DAILY EGYPTIAN SIU women’s tennis players Meagan Monaghan, Polina Dozortseva, Lauren Hoekstra and coach Audra Anderson participate in a team building exercise Saturday at the Campus Lake Boat Dock. “It is good to do stuff like this so the team gets to know each other and build their team skills in an environment that is not as stressful as competition or practice,” Anderson said. The SIU women’s tennis team was ranked 59th in the nation in a Feb. 29 Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll.
CHRISTOPHER HICKS Daily Egyptian There was a dream 50 years ago, and for many that dream is still alive today. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is documented as one of the largest political rallies for human rights in United States history, a movement that called for civil and economic rights for blacks. Organized by a group of civil rights, labor and religious organizations, the march consisted of more than 200,000 people. Observers estimated that nearly 80 percent of the marchers were black. Fifty years later, university community members
continue to celebrate the event but still acknowledge the need for continual progress. Derrick Williams, Black Resource Center coordinator, said his organization will be working in conjunction with Benjamin Smith, student coordinator of the Black Male Initiative, to bring awareness to the 50th anniversary of this historic day by hosting an anniversary event at 5 p.m. today outside of the lower level of Grinnell. “What a lot of people don’t know is that there were a lot of unsung heroes that spoke that day, particularly A. Phillip Randolph,” Williams said. “We want to highlight the hidden heroes of that day. A lot of the speeches that were given before Dr. King really laid out a detailed plan of action on how
Students across the nation are turning to loans and grants more often to help pay for college. According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 71.4 percent of students in the country received some type of financial aid during the 20112012 school year. The study, released Aug. 20, was conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Data from the study indicated that the number of students needing aid has risen from the 2007-2008 school year, when 66 percent of students required some form of aid. These numbers coincide with Southern Illinois University’s data, which shows a rising need for aid. University officials say they are doing everything possible to make the university as affordable as possible for students as aid turns from a necessity to a need. Chancellor Rita Cheng said financial aid is important for all students to have because the cost of college has become high. “I think the president has really affirmed for everybody the importance of a college education, that it is the single most important investment students can make in their futures,” she said. “But at the same time, I believe that we all recognize that it’s never been more expensive.”
to organize for jobs. This was a multi-racial march, not just for African-Americans.” Brandon Willingham, Alpha Phi Alpha president, said that his organization plans to get involved on Wednesday to commemorate the legacy and honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “We have come far, but there is still work to be done and accomplished,” said Willingham, a senior from Olathe, Kan., studying journalism. “If we as a people would work together to get to know each other and grasp the concept of unity in all races, then we will be able to progress forward as a whole.” He said every spring semester, his organization has a campus march, as well as a meet and greet breakfast in King’s honor.
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Kameron Hill, a senior from Peoria studying electronic journalism, said that being able to “communicate with any and all races” is vital in order to be able to improve. He believes that there are still many obstacles that prevent all Americans, regardless of race, from being successful. “Although many African Americans have come far, such as Barack Obama being elected president and our race obtaining the right to vote, we can’t be too proud of certain things and must continue to work hard to make sure we are equal in all aspects.” Christopher Hicks can be reached at chicks@dailyegyptian.com or 618-536-6311 ext 254
Three candidates vie for newly open state House seat SETH RICHARDSON Daily Egyptian The 115th district in the Illinois House of Representatives will have a new face for the first time in nearly 20 years. Longtime state Representative Mike Bost announced he is challenging incumbent Bill Enyart for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the 12th District, which would leave the 115th district seat open. Bost has served as the district’s representative since 1995. Three candidates — two Republicans and one Democrat —
are vying for the seat. Robert White is an insurance agent and entrepreneur on the Republican ballot. He was born in Chicago and graduated high school in Ann Arbor, Mich. White joined the Army in 1988 and served in the Gulf War. His roommate in the Army suggested that he continue his education in Carbondale, prompting him to enroll at John A. Logan College in 1992. He continued to SIU, where he graduated in 1996 with a marketing degree. White married his wife, Christina, in 1993, and they moved to Nashville in 1996. The
two eventually relocated to Mount Vernon, where he opened his own insurance agency in 2003. White made his first political foray in 2008, when he ran for the Jefferson County Board. “I wanted to serve people in my county board district,” he said. “Just looking at the issues going on reading the paper, I thought, rather than complain, I’d just go out and do my best and throw in to see what I could do to help.” White was successfully elected and eventually became chairman in 2010 under a Democrat-controlled board. He retained his seat in 2012,
receiving another four-year term. White’s decision to run for the state legislature mirrored his decision to run for the county board. He wanted to be a proactive force tackling the issues at hand instead of standing by while the legislature takes no action. “While they’re fighting the issues out in Springfield, we’re still not seeing any headway,” he said. “We need effective representation up there to fight these issues.” Terri Bryant is the second Republican who hopes to fill the district’s open seat. Bryant is the Head of the Dietary Department
for the Pinckneyville Correctional Center and the Du Quoin Impact Incarceration Program. She was born in Gary, Ind., and moved to the Trico Community Unit School District in Campbell Hill. She finished high school in south Florida while spending her summers in Jackson County. She then attended John A. Logan College before she opened Murphysboro’s Blue Bell Restaurant in 1988. Bryant joined the Illinois Department of Corrections after she left the restaurant to take care of her child. Please see CANDIDATES | 4