Daily Egyptian 10/26/11

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Community mourns

after earthquake; prepares relief effort BRENDAN SMITH Daily Egyptian AVETT BROTHERS ACT SERENADES SHRYOCK Seth

Students, staff and faculty said they are grieving in wake of Sunday’s earthquake in Turkey. The 7.2 magnitude quake caused severe damage to the eastern part of the country, most of which occurred outside the city of Van. Though the official death toll rises as rescue efforts continue, many publications have estimated at least 400 casualties and more than 1,350 injuries from the devastation.

Kemal Akkaya, an associate professor in computer science and faculty adviser of the Turkish Student Association, said he was distressed by the amount of youth affected by the disaster. “When you look at the news, you see a lot of young people and kids suffering and being pulled from the wreckage,� Akkaya said. “Right now a lot of people are living in tents and under blankets, without food or water. It’s extremely sad.�

Akkaya said he grieves for the earthquake victims, because he experienced a similar instance firsthand. The professor was a victim of Turkey’s biggest earthquake in 1999, which struck the northwestern part of the country, including the capital of Ankara, where he lived at the time. The quake killed more than 17,000 people and left approximately half a million others homeless. “Turkey is an earthquake country; almost every city is a part of a zone,� Akkaya said. “Each time we have something like this, we have a lot of discussion on building codes and making them better. Then, after a couple of months, they forget about it.�

Avett plays with the Avett Brothers Tuesday at Shryock Auditorium. Southern Lights entertainment announced a venue change for the concert Oct. 19, and moved it from the SIU arena to Shryock Auditorium.

Though it was difficult to move seating charts from the Arena to Shryock, Ashley Wright, the auditorium’s box Akkaya said he hopes the country’s attempt on entering the European Union will encourage Turkish officials to better enforce building codes, as regulating the codes is one facet of the union.

Carla Coppi, director of International Students and Scholars, said most Turkish students at the university come from the Istanbul and Ankara area, though a few students have transferred from the eastern part of the country.

Although she hasn’t yet heard of any students on campus who have had friends or family personally affected by the quake, she said she wishes the best for victims and their families. “I hope that in times like this we look at earthquakes in other parts of the world that have had devastating impact on their population and their citizenry that their infrastructure can come back as soon as possible and that life can return to normal,� Coppi said.

Coppi said though she’s optimistic, she knows devastation of this magnitude can be irreparable. She said her experiences with past students during the wake of tragedies in Honduras, Haiti and Mexico have exposed her to the malevolence of natural disasters.

ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

office manager, said things worked out for the best. “It was a challenge, but overall I think it was a much better venue,� she said. The band’s first major label record, “I and Love and You,� peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 bestselling albums. The band appeared at the 53rd Grammy Awards, playing alongside Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan.

Mustafa Dagoglu, a senior from Addison studying automotive technology and president of the TSA, said he was devastated by Sunday’s news. Although Dagoglu is a native of Istanbul, which is on the Western side of the country, he said he is deeply concerned and feels a connection to those affected. “Even though I don’t know the people and their not family or friends, I still grieve for them,� Dagoglu said. “This could happen anytime, any day to any country. Innocent people lost their life, lost their husbands, wives, sister, brothers. It doesn’t matter who it happens to; it’s still a sad situation that we don’t want to happen anywhere.�

Dagoglu has taken leadership in regards to the quake, speaking to local news station KFVS-12. He is currently developing a relief effort for the country in association with TSA. He said as members of the Turkish community in Carbondale, he and TSA members said they feel an obligation to the citizens of their home country. “We’re Turkish; we share the same background as them,� Dagoglu said. “I think it affects us how much or how little we study it at the moment because we’re still trying to take all of it in.�

Fresh food systems to expand across Illinois JACQUELINE MUHAMMAD Daily Egyptian Fresh produce from local markets will now have an increase in availability as four grants were given to organizations in Illinois, including two from the southern Illinois area. “There is a growing interest in local healthy foods across the nation and Illinois is in an outstanding position to not just consume the food, but also produce it and make it an active part of our economy,� said Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon. “Historically, it’s part of what our economy has been based on ... we’re still a giant Ag. state and we are looking for ways to expand and diversify how we are agricultural producers.�

Simon announced Thursday the Farmers Market Promotion Program of the United States Department of Agriculture will award a grant of $89,648 to Food Works of Carbondale, a southern Illinois not-for-profit organization with a mission of local, sustainable food systems development for the region. The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees will receive $81,058 to help establish a Farmers Market Association, a

Amanda Morgan, a senior from Grand Tower studying agribusiness economics, and her mother Pamela Morgan, also from Grand Tower, pick okra Monday at their farm Mississippi Moon Naturals.

With new grants to assist southern Illinois farmer’s statewide system open to all farmers to receive educational, political and network support.

STEVE MATZKER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

markets, the Morgan’s said they think this as a viable option. As excited as they are, Pamela Morgan said she remains realistic. “You got to crawl before you walk,� she said. “But I’m determined to see this through.�

Including Illinois’ grants, there were a total of 149 awards in 42 states across the country for grants

from FMPP. Growing Home Inc., of Chicago — an organization that operates to

promote and demonstrate the use of organic agriculture as a vehicle for job training, employment and community development — will receive $79,300. Faith in Place, also of Chicago — an organization that helps people of faith understand issues of ecology and economy — will receive $39,270 for its 15 Chicago-area winter farmers markets.

Faith in Place’s grant will also be used to support the development of a congregational-supported Community Supported Agriculture program in Champaign.

Dayna Conner, executive director of Food Works, said the grant money will allow the organization to provide two years of farmer training to emerging growers.

The group will conduct a comprehensive farmer-led training and mentoring program for at least 60 new farmers and ranchers in southern Illinois and adjacent states.

She said the grant from FMPP supports Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings, a one-year farmer training program for new and transitioning growers.

Please see AGRICULTURE| 4

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Daily Egyptian

Elements

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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About Us The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 50 weeks per year, with an average daily circulation of 20,000. Fall and spring semester editions run Monday through Friday.

Summer editions run Tuesday through Thursday. All intersession editions will run on Wednesdays. Spring break and Thanksgiving editions are distributed on Mondays of the pertaining weeks. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale, Murphysboro and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

Mission Statement The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

Copyright Information © 2011 Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers Inc.

Publishing Information The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Offices are in the Communications Building, Room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901. Bill Freivogel, fiscal officer.

Calendar events Up ‘Til Dawn: Team up to Fight Cancer

· 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Nov. 19 at the Recreation Center · A letter-sharing event in which participants bring 20 addresses of people they know. The addresses will be used to send out letters asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. There will be free food, games, prizes and much more. · For more information, email uptildawnsiu@gmail.com or call 309-824-2075.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

News

Daily Egyptian

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State owes universities millions

SARAH SCHNEIDER Daily Egyptian Southern Illinois University Carbondale is one of the nine public universities in Illinois owed more than half a billion dollars in state appropriations. The state is almost $54 million behind in payments for fiscal year 2011 and almost $23 million for fiscal year 2012 to the Carbondale campus. These payments are usually due in August but legislators extended the deadline last spring to Dec. 31.

In the 2010-11 academic year, 4 percent budget cuts to all departments and four furlough days were implemented at SIUC to make up for the deficit. This academic school year, Chancellor Rita Cheng has said furlough days will not be implemented but a 2 percent budget cut was made to all departments.

SIU President Glenn Poshard said the payments for FY11 must be paid by Dec. 31., but this might not happen.

In her first quarterly report in April, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka predicted the deadline to be extended again.

“If the backlog of general funds bills at the end of the fiscal year is indeed similar to last year, the state will be unable to close the fiscal year 2011 lapse period by the traditional August end,” the report said. “In fact, Illinois was unable to pay off all of fiscal year 2010’s liabilities until Dec. 31 last year, and could face similar challenges this year.”

Poshard said if the money is not received by the state it could

be devastating to both Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses and their communities.

“After going through years of cuts here to our state appropriation, the last two years or so we’ve seen a tremendous cash flow back up. We’re just saying that we can’t manage effectively if now they’re going to say, ‘Well, you’re not going to get all that money that’s left,’” he said.

SIUC tuition increased by 6.9 percent in May, but unlike other state universities SIUC had a decrease in enrollment of 1.1 percent for fall 2011.

Poshard said if the money is not received by December as planned, the university will have to make adjustments such as additional cuts and efficiencies.

“We’ve been going on the fact that we’ve been told that we are going to get our money,” Poshard said. “But it’s so late now that we’re getting worried.”

The University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana is owed the most of the nine universities. University of Illinois is still owed $174 million from FY11 which led to furlough days and a 6.9 percent tuition increase in the 201011 academic year.

Randy Kangas, University of Illinois’ associate vice president of planning and budgeting, said the university has no plans to institute furlough days this year and cash flow is monitored daily.

“All the units have reduced spending, reduced purchases, all of the usual cash flow things,” he said.

Kangas said the university has a tremendous deferred maintenance

backlog that needs to be addressed.

He said there is no indication there will be a tuition increase.

The university has carried forward balances and tightened cash flow so payroll can be made first, he said.

“I don’t see the state catching up anytime soon so we are kind of caught in that situation right now,” Kangas said.

Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas sent a letter to employees of the university in Macomb Sept. 28 saying the university is owed $12.4 million for FY11 and $15.6 million for FY12.

Darcie Shinberger, director of university relations for Illinois State University, said WIU’s primary obligation is to continue and meet payroll, which is $9 million a month, and to provide necessary services to students.

“For the past several years, Western has been extremely fiscally conservative in order to meet these obligations,” she said. “All spending continues to be limited to immediate operational needs only, and all purchases over $500 must continue to be submitted for vice presidential approval.”

Shinberger said the university continues to review vacant positions in order to hold as many to conserve funds.

The vice presidents and presidents approve all new hiring, she said, and the current cash balance will allow payroll to be met through December.

According to the Associated Press, administrators at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston have relied on internal borrowing and expense

Money Illinois owes to

state universities

as of Sept. 8:

Northern Illinois University DeKalb $45.61 million

Northeastern Illinois University Chicago $6.01 million Chicago State University Chicago $16.11 million Governors State University University Park $14.96 million

Illinois State University Bloomington-Normal $37.37 million

Western Illinois University Macomb $25.49 million

University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana $305.98 million Eastern Illinois University Charleston $20.88 million

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville $25.22 million

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale $76.62 million

SABRINA IMUNDO | DAILY EGYPTIAN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE ILLINOIS COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE WEBSITE

cutting to make up for lack of money.

EIU Vice President for Business Affairs William Weber said tuition has been increased and the number of employees has been decreased.

According to the AP, Northern Illinois University has filled fewer positions when people retire as a result of late payments.

SIUC has 280 vacant positions that Cheng has said most likely will not be filled.

Poshard said SIU administration has tried to take the proper steps to keep the universities running when so much money has been backlogged.

“We haven’t laid off anyone,” he said.

“Nobody’s missed a paycheck.”

Tara Kulash contributed to this story.

Sarah Schneider can be reached at sschneider@dailyeygptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 255.

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News

Daily Egyptian

AGRICULTURE CONTINUED FROM

1

The program has three components: hands-on farm experience, mentorship with a farmer and a series of classes in which farmers and other agricultural professionals will learn business planning and marketing education.

Simon serves as the chairperson of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, a forum for state agencies that have an impact on rural Illinois and its citizens.

She said she promoted the availability of FMPP funding through GRAC and wrote a letter of support on behalf of the SIU Board of Trustees.

Sylvia Smith-Thoms, assistant

professor in animal science and food nutrition, said she co-wrote the proposal with Pat Stieren, coordinator of the Illinois Farmers Market Network, on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

She said the funding will establish a farmers market association as a notfor-profit organization focusing on professional development, resources and support for farmers, farmer’s markets and the market’s local communities.

“Farmer’s markets represent farmers growing produce and the access of fresh fruits and vegetables to local communities, and we want to support that with assisting managers by providing education, networking and political support to best run their

market,” Smith-Thoms said.

Polly Washburn, developmental director of Growing Home Inc., said the money from the grant will be used to establish a new farm stand for the sale of vegetables from its urban farm. Washburn said the grant will also be used to purchase refrigeration equipment, marketing supplies and conduct educational programs to increase access to healthier foods for Chicago residents.

In a press release, the USDA said in the 23 southernmost counties of Illinois, 14 counties were identified as having one or more food deserts, areas where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. As a result, more than 40 percent

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 of projects funded by FMPP this year serve one or more food deserts and another 20 percent will be implemented in communities with a poverty rate of 20 percent or higher.

Both Washburn and Smith-Thoms said they will use the grant money to help local growers take Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) benefits, which helps lowincome people and families buy the food they need for good health.

“We want to educate farmers, and managers of the markets about accepting SNAP benefits there is billions of dollars as more and more people are using SNAP,” Smith-Thoms said. “If more markets, market managers and

farmers understood, knew how to use it and accepted it we could make a lot of money for them and in turn it will bring more fresh food to people.”

Kathryn Phillips, communications spokeswoman for Simon, said the locations where the grants were distributed are significant because they show how farmers markets and local food markets are not just rural economic development tools but rural and surburban economic engines.

“We are seeing changes in policies that are encouraging urban farming and the grow local and buy local movement which is something government officials are trying to encourage throughout the state,” she said.

LIFE Center pool closed; drains don’t meet standards ELI MILEUR Daily Egyptian The LIFE Community Center pool will be closed indefinitely because its drain covers do not meet national standards.

Water safety has always been an integral part of the Carbondale Park District’s mission, Executive Director Kathy Renfro said.

“We hold ourselves to the highest standards,” she said.

Located at 2500 W. Sunset Drive, the pool lacked compliance with the 2007 Virginia Graeme Baker Act. The law sets forth a number of safety standards for pools, including criteria for drain covers. The law is named after a young girl who died as a result of being trapped on the bottom of a hot tub by the suction of its drain.

The pool was ordered closed

Oct. 1 by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

According to a Park District press release, there is difficulty obtaining drain covers from suppliers to put in the pool.

Renfro said pools across the country are experiencing problems complying with the act because older pools are all different, which makes it difficult to apply broad regulations.

The Park District is working with the engineering firm Asaturian, Eaton & Associates in building a custom drain cover, she said.

Renfro said she hopes to work with Illinois Department of Public Health to arrange a reopening of the pool while the replacement drain is being completed. However, she said the department has not given any kind of time frame for reopening.

“We’re anxiously awaiting a

response from the Department of Health,” Renfro said.

She said the Park District had to lay off 20 employees while the pool is closed. LIFE Center records show that the pool sees an average of 1,400 swimmers a month.

The LIFE Center was originally exempt from the law because its drains are gravity flow, not suctionbased, Renfro said. However, as the law was being implemented, changes were made and the LIFE Center fell out of compliance with the new standards, she said.

The gravity flow drains depend entirely on the force of gravity, so they don’t pose the same risk that suction drains do, Renfro said. The pool, built by the YMCA but now owned by the Park District, has been open since 1968 and has not had any entrapment issues, she said.

The majority of the district’s classes at the LIFE Center have been canceled, Renfro said.

In the meantime, the Park District and the Recreation Center are working together to reschedule some aquatic classes at the Pulliam Hall pool.

“Rather than completely canceling them, we were able to provide them with pool space,” said Sally Wright, associate director of programs for recreational sports and services.

The two pools are similar in that they’re kept warmer than competition pools, she said.

This isn’t the first time the two organizations have supported each other, Wright said.

“They’ve done the same for us in the past,” she said.

The Park District classes did not conflict with any of Pulliam’s normally scheduled activities, Wright said.

Renfro said it’s been more difficult rescheduling evening classes because Pulliam is closed then, and breaking the schedule of classes has an adverse effect on the participants.

“When you’re engaged in a regular exercise program and you stop exercising, it doesn’t take long to lose what you’ve gained,” she said.

Renfro said what’s been hardest to deal with is laying off workers and disappointing people who use the pool. All the paperwork involved just feels like work as usual, she said, and unfortunately, working out everything with large government agencies takes time.

“You can’t really hurry up the process,” she said.

Renfro said the maintenance staff is taking advantage of the empty pool to perform repairs that normally require temporary closures.

(GLWRULDO %RDUG Leah Stover Editor-in-Chief

Lauren Leone Design Chief

Pat Sutphin Photo Editor

Kathleen Hector Managing Editor

Sarah Schneider Campus Editor

Tara Kulash City Editor

Cory Downer Sports Editor

Brendan Smith Grind Editor A&E Editor

Editorial Policy Our Word is the consensus of the Daily Egyptian Editorial Board on local, national and global issues affecting the Southern Illinois University community. Viewpoints expressed in columns and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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OUR WORD

For SIU’s sake, contract issues need to be settled soon Some people have told the Daily Egyptian that we appear biased toward the unions in our coverage of labor issues on campus.

The Daily Egyptian wants to make one thing clear: We are not pro-union. We are not pro-administration. We are pro-SIU. We want the issues settled in good faith and as quickly as possible.

It may seem we’ve only been covering the unions’ side, but that’s only because the unions talk to us more. Administration has been pretty tightlipped about the subject, relying on emails with its spin on the issues to the campus community. It has chosen not to bargain through the media, and certain discussions at the negotiating table could

W

e are not pro-union. We are not pro-administration. We are pro-SIU. We want the issues settled in good faith and as quickly as possible.

be illegal to leak to the press.

One reason it may seem easier to side with the unions is because we have a direct relationship with the faculty and staff who are part of the negotiations. In class, professors can give students personal insight into the strike from a faculty standpoint. Emails sent by the administration to update the campus community are impersonal.

Sometimes students even feel insulted by certain dialogue such as, “Students ‌ should not be used as unwilling pawns in the disagreement

between the parties.�

But are we just pawns? How far does the student voice really go in this situation? The unions have encouraged students to take a stand against the administration, but are they just using us? We’re caught in the middle, but it doesn’t seem like we can do much to sway either side. And why would we want to sway to one side anyway? None of us know enough about the bargaining to fairly judge the situation. We only know what the unions and administration tell us. The negotiations are

behind closed doors. The information both sides present could be easily skewed to persuade us to rally for them.

It’s frustrating that we pay our tuition and expect quality education, but we might be cut short. While we think it is selfish of teachers to walk out on us, it is also ignorant of the administration to think replacements could give us the same level of wisdom as seasoned professors.

As student reporters, we carry a dual relationship with the contract talks. Our student life is affected by this but we also must remain as neutral as possible. The situation is not in our control, but the Daily Egyptian hopes for a speedy agreement between both parties.

GUEST COLUMNS

How it ends in Iraq The following editorial appeared Monday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: As President Barack Obama announced on Friday that the last of 39,000 U.S. troops deployed to Iraq would be home for the holidays, a lot of names came flooding back.

Fallujah. Ramadi. Triangle of Death. Neocon. Anbar Province. IED. VBIED. WMDs. Firdos Square. Shock and awe. Abu Ghraib.

Paul Bremer. Blackwater. Coalition Provisional Authority. Mosul. Ahmad Chalabi. Halliburton.

Hillbilly armor. Shaped charges. Yellowcake.

Spider hole.

This Iraq trivia test could go on, as the war did, for nearly nine years, but what would it prove? Indeed, what did the war prove?

That a powerful military force can, fairly quickly, depose the leader of a smaller sovereign nation. (For further reference see “A� for Afghanistan and “L� for Libya). But it's far more difficult to bring order to a diverse collection of tribes, ethnic groups and religious sects that were crudely combined into a nation.

That in counterinsurgency warfare, indigenous forces with short supply lines have a huge advantage (see “V� for Vietnam). That a people riven by a sectarian split that began in the seventh century will violently resist outside efforts to impose solutions.

Much of this should have been known going in, but there were forces inside George W. Bush’s administration who were convinced of the righteous need to spread democracy by whatever means necessary.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who had spent decades arguing for a leaner,

more agile military, felt validated at how quickly U.S. Special Forces, in league with tribesmen from Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, had overthrown the Taliban government.

So on March 20, 2003, U.S. forces went in light, three Army divisions and the First Marine Expeditionary Force, behind heavy bombing and missile strikes, moving rapidly north from Kuwait to Baghdad and beyond. Three weeks later, on April 9, the statue of Saddam Hussein fell in Firdos Square.

But well before that, as the 101st Airborne Division was fighting outside Najaf and Nasiriya, its commander, a relatively unknown two-star general named David Petraeus, was asking his staff and reporter Rick Atkinson of The Washington Post "Tell me how this ends."

Eight years and seven months later, we have the answer: A guy who was in the Illinois state senate at the time would make a deal with an Arabic literature scholar who then was living in Syria. Obama was willing to leave a few thousand troops in Iraq past the end of the year, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he couldn't get his parliament to give U.S. troops immunity from prosecution for any violation of Iraqi law.

Will Iraq hold together after the last U.S. boot leaves the ground? Its security forces are all trained-up, but the Sunni-Shia and secular Shiareligious Shia splits remain volatile. Sectarian war is less likely than it was five years ago, but one violent confrontation could change that.

The Kurdish north remains restive. To the east lies Iran, a most intrusive neighbor.

The United States could stay for another generation and not fix any of that.

Get a face tattoo, not a tiger JENNIFER O’CONNER PETA Dozens of animals — enjoying a taste of freedom for the first time in their lives — were shot dead in Zanesville, Ohio, after their suicidal owner opened their cage doors. Tigers, lions, bears and primates, no doubt confused, frightened and exhilarated, experienced only a brief whiff of autonomy before being blown away with high-caliber weapons. What body count do lawmakers need before they finally outlaw exotic pets?

Although what happened in Ohio should be a wake-up call to legislators, astonishingly, it may not make much difference. Countless people in recent years have lost lives and limbs to their "pet" tigers, pythons, bears and primates.

In a well-publicized case, a Connecticut woman had her face and hands ripped off by her friend's chimpanzee. A Florida toddler was strangled to death by the family's python. A 9-year-old girl died after being attacked by her stepfather's tiger.

This list goes on and on.

And yet even in the wake of these devastating incidents, there is no federal law that prohibits people from keeping wild and dangerous animals. Most states barely address the issue.

In August 2010, after a 24-year-old man was fatally mauled by a bear kept at a private menagerie in Columbia Station, Ohio, then-Gov. Ted Strickland signed an executive order banning the possession, purchase, sale and breeding of dangerous wild animals. His successor, Gov. John Kasich, told state wildlife officials not to enforce the executive order so that his administration could study the hardship that such a ban would impose on small businesses — presumably ani-

mal dealers. His postponement left Ohio, like many other states, with no laws governing the private possession of potentially dangerous wildlife. In the wake of more than four dozen dead animals in Ohio, one must wonder if the governor has lost any sleep over his procrastination.

There is not one legitimate reason anyone needs to keep a tiger in a backyard pen, an alligator in a kiddie pool, a python in an aquarium or a bear in the basement. Like face tattoos, wild animals are procured for the "wow" factor, but the misery that the animals endure and the danger to public safety are both incontrovertible reasons for outlawing exotic animals as pets.

Tigers and lions are hard-wired to control vast territories and to hunt and kill. In the forests where they belong, bears enjoy digging, constructing cozy nests, climbing and searching out treats such as berries; they are intelligent, curious and energetic, and need to range far and wide.

Primates, too, roam and spend their days socializing and foraging. None of these animals stands a chance of ever living a happy, normal life in captivity.

Laws exist to keep both people and animals safe — everything from requiring us to wear seatbelts to banning dogs from roaming the streets. Yet there is still an entrenched lack of interest in enacting any laws at the state and federal levels when it comes to permitting your neighbor to harbor an 800-pound Bengal tiger that is just one high-jump away from being in your backyard.

How many animals must languish in basements and backyards, how many people must lose their lives or limbs, how many animals must die in a hail of gunfire before this outrageous cycle of abuse is outlawed once and for all?

Gus Bode says: Send us more letters! If you can write coherently and would like to share your perspective with the world, please consider lending your voices to our pages.

To submit a letter, please go to www.dailyegyptian.com and click “Submit a Letter� orr send it to Opinion@dailyegyptian.com. Please make your submissions between 300 and 400 words. If you have questions, give us a call at 536-3311 ext. 263.

Submissions

Notice

Letters and guest columns must be submitted with author’s contact information, preferably via email.

Phone numbers are required to verify authorship, but will not be published. Letters are limited to 400 words and columns to 500 words. Students must include year and major. Faculty must include rank and department. Others include hometown. Submissions should be sent to Opinion@dailyegyptian.com.

The Daily Egyptian is a “designated public forum.� Student editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

We reserve the right to not publish any letter or guest column.

6 Daily Egyptian

The Grind

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The McRib makes a McComeback CHRISTINA REXRODE Associated Press NEW YORK — The McRib, the elusive sandwich that has inspired a cult-like following, is back.

McDonald’s Corp. announced Monday that the boneless barbecue pork sandwich, usually available in only a few stores at a time, will be sold at all U.S. locations through Nov. 14.

Most of the time, it’s up to local franchises to determine when and if they want to sell the McRib — except in Germany, the only place where it’s available perennially. But McDonald’s said the response was so great last

November when it made the McRib available nationally for about three weeks that it decided to bring it back this year. The company, which previously hadn’t sold the McRib nationally since 1994, declined to give specific sales numbers.

The sandwich, which is dressed with onions, pickle slices and barbecue sauce, was introduced nationally in 1982. With 500 calories and 26 grams of fat, it’s slightly trimmer than the Big Mac, which has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. And just like the Big Mac, the McRib has become a popular McDonald’s offering.

There are Facebook groups like

“Bring Back the McRib!!!” There are Twitter tags, where posts range from “Lucky me, the McRib is back” to “If you eat McRibs, you need to re-evaluate what it is you actually want in life.” Last year, the guy who won McDonald’s $1 million Monopoly grand prize was ordering — you guessed it — a McRib. Earlier this month, former Playmate Jenny McCarthy contacted the McRib Locator website for help finding a McRib in southern California: She got one in Fountain Valley.

The website’s creator, Alan Klein, said he suspected something was up when traffic exploded from about 150 hits a day to about 4,000 in the

past week or so, as more fans reported sightings. People are sending him photos of their McRib variations: the McRib with lettuce and tomato, the McRib with bacon, three McRibs stacked on top of each other.

Klein, a meteorologist in the Minneapolis area, runs the website in his spare time with help from his wife, Kimberly. He created the Locator in 2008 because he wanted to learn how to use the Google Maps program for work, and because he had fond memories of eating the pork sandwich while growing up on a hog farm.

“We’ve been spoiled this year and last year with it being around

nationwide,” he said. “But I hope it stays elusive because otherwise nobody will come to our website.”

If the McRib is so popular, why not just offer it all the time? McDonald’s likes to stoke the enthusiasm with an aura of transience.

“Bringing it back every so often adds to the excitement,” said Marta Fearon, McDonald’s U.S. marketing director, who added that she’s not sure if the McRib will reappear in stores every fall.

And how can it be called a McRib if it doesn’t have any bones? Said Fearon: “That gives it this quirky sense of humor.”

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Grind

First lady Obama talks about access to food in Chicago SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press CHICAGO — First lady Michelle Obama said Tuesday that parents can't be expected to give their children healthy food if they don't have good options for groceries nearby.

Obama, who is leading a nationwide effort to lower childhood obesity rates, spoke at a Chicago Walgreens store that had expanded to include fresh produce and grocery staples. She called it an example for other parts of the city and the country.

“We can talk all we want about making healthy choices about the food we serve our kids, but the truth is that if parents don't have anywhere to buy these foods, then all of that is really just talk,” Obama said.

Walgreen Co. has tested about a dozen such stores in Chicago and plans to add 19 more soon. They look like mini-grocery stores added onto a traditional pharmacy, with aisles of fresh fruits, vegetables, bagged salads, eggs and milk.

There are also pre-made salads and sandwiches for on-the-go meals.

Store employees said the fresh food has been popular with customers.

Keica Abrams, who has been a customer for about two decades,

called it “imperative” for the store to have fresh vegetables and fruits.

She said she's diabetic and once when her blood sugar was low at the store, she had an apple and juice to get it regulated.

The addition of the grocery also gives parents healthy options for their children, she said.

Obama’s address was the closing remarks to a mayors’ summit on expanding urban food options.

She challenged the mayors to look for ways to attract grocery stores and other businesses selling fresh produce for communities in need.

The first lady announced in July that Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Supervalu Inc., and other retailers plan to open or expand 1,500 stores during the next five years in areas without easy access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods.

She has said 24 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in such areas nationwide.

The number of Chicago residents without access to fresh food has declined nearly 40 percent in five years, but more than 380,000 of the city’s 2.7 million residents still live in areas with few or no grocery stores, according to a report this week by the Chicagobased Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group.

Most of the pockets with

few or no grocery stores are on Chicago’s South and West sides, including neighborhoods around the Walgreens store where Obama spoke.

Researcher Mari Gallagher said expanded pharmacies are a good first step, but they don't replace grocery stores.

“It’s not where you would get your regular three squares, but it will help those that are in a pinch, she said.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced 17 grocery stores will open in the Chicago area to help address the lack of access to fresh food. Some will sell foods from urban farms, he said.

Emanuel has made eliminating so-called food deserts — areas with few or no grocery stores — a focus since he took office in May. However, several projects were in the works before he took office, including a task force of city officials and major grocers committed to opening stores on the South and West sides.

Advocates do credit Emanuel with bringing a new energy to the issue. He’s promoted urban farming and brought together mayors on the issue. Those at the summit were from cities including Somerville, Mass., Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Baltimore.

Daily Egyptian

7

Comics

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Daily Egyptian

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Goin’ Off the Rails by Todd Santos

ACROSS 1 Sick Puppies: “___-Polar” 4 Syd Barrett: “The ___ Laughs” 10 Piano-driven Denver band 14 Narc 15 Major Cali music store 16 “I’m so glad you have ___ track mind like me” (Train) 17 Rockers ___ 6 18 Teen idols cast them 19 50 Cent’s label G-___ 20 Immortal: “Blizzard ___” 22 Matthew Sweet: “Nothing ___” 23 “Musta got ___ somewhere down the line” (J. Geils) 24 Dylan cover girl Rotolo 25 Three-piece band 29 “Only Time” singer 30 Iconic jazz trumpeter 31 “___ ... I Said” (Neil Diamond) 32 Pink: “There ___” 34 The Sounds song inspired by Pat Benatar?

36 ’81 Ozzy “Diary of a Madman” hit 41 Singer Shelby 42 What The Roots’ guns are?

43 “Turn to Stone” band (Abbr.)

44 Reunion bands rise from them 46 Miracles: “You’ve Really Got a Hold ___” 50 Tour stats 52 Michael Jackson: “___ Don’t Care About Us” 53 Sludge metal melody?

54 Negative critic, slangily 55 Billy Joel song about Austria?

57 Rockers known for synchronized dancing 60 ’77 Asimov-inspired Alan Parsons album 62 Indie rockers ___ Ponys 63 Cylinder of tape 64 Come up with a song idea 65 “Fatboy” band 66 Stand ___ 67 ’07 Seal album 68 What you don’t want a good show to do DOWN 1 Stereo knob 2 One of Buddy Holly’s last hits 3 “Take ___” (Mary J. Blige) 4 Empire of the Sun: “Half ___” 5 Plugged-in items 6 John of X 7 Kinks song about Hollywood 9/25

Boulevard “World ___” (Killswitch Engage) They’re used to get backstage Krautrock band “Thinking Out Loud” artist Sexsmith Singer DiFranco Philly R&Bers Az ___ Bee Gees: “___ Alive” Stones: “Almost Hear You ___” Beatles: “Lovely ___” Queensryche “Promised Land” song Foreshadowing heavy metal band?

Type of “shot” bad boy rockers get “Did I disappoint you?” U2 song Country music show Hee ___ What you have to do to paparazzi Gang of Four song that cut out? ’05 Oasis hit ’10 Ringo Starr album Area record company lawyers avoid “Morning __ Broken” Cat Stevens Dead: “In the ___ of my life” Frankie Valli smash A Horse With ___ Shock rocker Marilyn Wiped away a take Pompous rocker (Abbr.)

Democratic Submarines song What Chrissie Hynde and Ray Davies were Ambient house band C major, e.g.

Rare find Meat Loaf: “___ out of Hell”

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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jumble Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jumble

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Answer here: 7XHVGD\œV Yesterday’s $QVZHUV

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: MAMBO CLUNG BURROW TIGHTS Answer: Her eyes had become dry and itchy, but luckily the person next to her had this — THE SOLUTION

Aries – Today is an 8 – If you follow the instructions (and your instincts) carefully, you succeed on your first attempt. Use imagination.

Focus on love, and give it away. It comes back ten-fold.

Cancer – Today is a 7 – You’re lucky in love today. Home, friends and family delight. Do your inventory and pay bills, and then reward yourself by sharing quality time.

Libra – Today is a 9 – You’re learning to be successful.

Continue reinventing yourself.

Provide well for family. Love is the important thing. Be patient with someone who isn’t.

Capricorn – Today is an 8 – Get clear about finances. Do the paperwork. A good suggestion from an unlikely source leads to a profitable venture. Social networking pays (in more ways than one).

Taurus – Today is an 8 – Perfection’s possible through collaboration. Explore the idea of new partnerships, and be open to a surprising turn of events. Set down strong roots.

Leo – Today is a 7 – It’s time to act on the lessons you’ve learned in the past. Your family is there for you when you need them. Move quickly. You’ve set up all the pieces.

Scorpio – Today is a 9 – A whole world of possibilities await.

Choose the ones that light you up, for yourself and others.

There’s no time for holding grudges. Dive into action wholeheartedly.

Aquarius – Today is an 8 – Your growing expertise is attracting attention. Ignore this, and plow on. Minimize distractions to focus on getting the job done.

This leads to success.

Gemini – Today is a 9 – There’s a lot of energy in the air. Manage it well and your productivity will be off the charts. Get ready for more. Take an active role in your environment.

Virgo – Today is an 8 – A creative challenge launched now could be quite lucrative.

Your learning abilities are on the rise. Study hard while you play, but remember: no pain, no gain.

Sagittarius – Today is an 8 – Get serious about your strategy (but not too serious). Your typical sense of adaptability gets special appreciation now.

Slow down to contemplate from a different perspective.

Pisces – Today is an 8 – Clean up after your creative bursts of expression. Old ideas come into renewed prominence. Limitations ease. A dream is close to reality.

Endings prompt new beginnings.

Sports

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

TRAINER CONTINUED FROM

12

“I just sat there and thought ‘You could be out there golfing,’ and really got down on myself,” Crystal Fuehne said. “But then I had to remind myself ‘Crystal, you have a good life, but you can‘t have everything.’”

After Crystal Fuehne finishes her degree, she said she might try to get certified to become an occupational therapist’s assistant.

Joe Ragusa may be reached at jragusa@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 269.

DAWGPOUND CONTINUED FROM

12

“This year, I really think that fans’ minds are going to turn around because a lot of the new guys on the team are much better than some of the older guys we had,” Donets said. “I think that what it really comes down to is a winning program, which will attract fans like in 2007 when SIU went to the Sweet Sixteen.”

Donets said after the Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2007, the program had slowly started to diminish, but the Dawg Pound will go back to old traditions of loud noise and game interaction to increase the number of fans and

excitement for the game.

“I’m working on bringing back old traditions,” Donets said. “At every game, I’m always in the front row screaming and cheering.”

Junior point guard Kendal BrownSurles said the Dawg Pound and fans are like a sixth man on the floor and give the team that extra boost it needs to play at the next level.

“When the crowd gets into the game, it makes you want to play harder,” Brown-Surles said. “The support base always helps us as a team, and it’s a good feeling to know you have support. They get us hyped for the game. When you come out and see your school colors everywhere and people cheering, it

Daily Egyptian makes you want to give your all. Fans make the game easier because they are on our side, no matter what.”

Donets said the Maroon Crew, an additional group associated with the Dawg Pound, is a jumpstart to building the Dawg Pound back up by bombarding every student who walks by during the week to get in the school spirit.

“We hand out different fliers and posters with schedules of game times on them as a way of encouraging students to come out and have some school spirit,” Donets said. “We make sure students know what’s going. Besides, what else are you going to do? The dining hall close at 7 p.m. and no one

11

goes out to about 10 p.m. Go out and have some fun at the basketball game.”

Donets said an increase in fans can potentially determine how well SIU’s basketball team performs, but students have to show support by getting involved and attending games.

“The basketball players want fans,” Donets said. “We’re a Division I program so we should have fans. We got a little spoiled but they still need their support no matter what and fan base could definitely change the outcome this year,”

Brandon Willingham can be reach at bwillingham@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 269

Swimmer’s vigor goes distance in pool, classroom AKEEM GLASPIE Daily Egyptian Junior distance swimmer Kirsten Groome has set multiple SIU and conference records, but she doesn’t want to be defined only by the achievements she gains in the pool.

During her off-time from swimming, the chemistry major can be found working in the lab pursuing her other passion, science. While being an athlete takes up a lot of her day-to-day life, Groome said she has found some time to balance the student side of college.

“Coming here you have to be a student athlete. Student comes before athlete,” Groome said. “Adjusting to that after my freshman year and taking some hard classes, I had to find a balance and I’ve done that this year.”

Groome said she has learned to take the same approach to schoolwork as she does to swimming, look at everything positively.

“I like to do my best in everything to do. But, instead of panicking if I don’t do as well I wanted to, I tell myself I can only do the best I can,” Groome said. “If it was a hard practice, I’m going to go at it hard, and then go hard the next day until I can’t go anymore.”

Groome displayed her work ethic early in life and by 8-years-old, Groome said she realized she wanted to pursue swimming competitively. Since then, Groome said swimming has been a huge part of her life. It has allowed her to travel to seven countries as part of the National Junior Team, U.S. National Team and the World Swim Team, but her career was almost grounded before it started.

“I was at the YMCA with my mom and I saw some older kids taking swim lessons.

I didn’t play sports when I was younger, so

trying to convince my parents was pretty hard,” Groome said. “They finally let me do swim lessons and it started from there.”

After she nearly missed the qualifying round for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and with the approaching 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Groome said she has some difficult decisions to make about her future.

“It is possible that after this year I could really go for (the 2012 Olympics), but then again I have a career to think about,” Groome said. “I may go to medical school or graduate school for chemistry, it all comes down to what I decide next year.”

Assistant coach Scott Olsen said he believes Groome can manage the rigorous training for the U.S. National Team and attending school.

“You can make it work if you want it bad enough, its doable. It’s been done in the past at bigger schools, which do it every four years,” Olsen said. “It takes dedication. It’s something you can’t do on a whim, but the main thing is being hungry for it.”

Saluki sophomore Csaba Gercsak has also been in a similar situation after he competed in the 10k swimming event at the Beijing Olympics. With two Olympic level talents on his swim team, head coach Rick Walker said he realizes the sacrifices that athletes make when representing their countries in the Olympics.

“It’s an extreme amount of dedication, even when a student works during school it takes dedication, and an athlete is no different,” Walker said. “Sometimes it requires more time because its not just the time they put into the pool, but they have to be ahead of the game to make sure they don't fall behind, when they miss class for competition.”

Groome said her previous time with the national team was the time of her life, but whether she chooses medical school or the

ISAAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Junior distance swimmer Kirsten Groome swims during practice at Edward J. Shea Natatorium. Groome said despite her rigorous training schedule she is still able to keep her head above water

academically, though she had a hard time adjusting from homeschool to college.

Groome didn’t qualify for the Olympics four years ago, but said she entertains the idea of trying to make the team for 2012.

Olympics, Walker said he thinks she will be successful in life.

“She’s finished as high as fourth in the world at the World Championships, so she's world class,” Walker said. “When she puts her mind to something, even if she

comes up short, she’ll do anything and everything to make it happen.”

Akeem Glaspie can be reached at aglaspie@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 269.

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Saluki swimmer keeps head above water in academics, athletics

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11

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Athletic trainer returns to class after fatal car accident, two-year layoff SIU volleyball trainer goes from not being able to speak to finishing her degree JOE RAGUSA Daily Egyptian Marvin and Donna Fuehne were fast asleep when they got the call about their daughter that would change their lives forever. “That was an awful call ‌ they had already airlifted her to (Saint Louis University Hospital), and just knowing that hospital, it’s usually pretty critical,â€? Donna Fuehne said. “We just didn’t know anything, (we) took off and left to go down there.

They told us she was in an accident, but they couldn’t tell us any details of her condition.�

Crystal Fuehne, now athletic trainer for the SIU volleyball team, drove with six of her friends from Keyesport to a friend’s cabin by Carlyle Lake to celebrate the end of her junior year. Shortly after midnight on May 24, 2009, a drunk driver swerved into their lane, hit their car, killed three of her friends and put Crystal Fuehne into a medically induced coma for two months. Crystal Fuehne is back at SIUC now to finish what’s left of

her athletic training degree, but it wasn’t an easy road back. Crystal Fuehne’s recollection of the entire event, as well as the months that followed, were based solely on what her parents and two of the survivors, John Lampen and Casey Athmer, told her. “I don’t remember anything about the accident. I don’t even remember taking the finals, or even a month before the accident,� she said. “As far as I knew, my friends that died just went on vacation.�

Crystal Fuehne broke five vertebrae in her back, along with her jaw and shoulder blade. Her most severe injury was to the left side of her brain, which meant a lot of her recovery time was spent getting movement back in her right arm and leg. “I was in the ICU for two months, then I went to St. Mary’s in Clayton, Mo., and I don’t remember, roughly, the first two weeks of that,“ Crystal Fuehne said. “My mom said I couldn’t sit up or do anything like that.�

Not only could she not sit up,

ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Crystal Fuehne, a senior from Damiansville studying athletic training, was involved in a car accident in May 2009.

The accident killed three of Fuehne’s friends, and left her in a coma for two months.

Because of the accident, Fuehne had five screws in her thoracic vertebrae, part of the spinal column. “I was lucky they were in my thoracic vertebra,� Fuehne said. “Because (vertebrae) don’t really control movement.�

ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Crystal Fuehne, a senior from Damiansville studying athletic training, studies for an exam Monday in her fourth floor Neely Hall dorm room.

Fuehne was involved in a car accident in May 2009 where a drunk driver swerved into her lane. she needed several surgeries on her brain due to complications. Doctors couldn’t operate on her back until some of those complications were resolved, and she ran high fevers while time was spent regaining basic motor functions, which was hard for her parents to bear. “The doctors told us with a brain injury, it’s a very, very slow process,�

Donna Fuehne said. “It’s just two steps forward, and one step back. It seemed like every time we turned around, something was happening again.�

Once she made it to Saint Mary’s, the recovery process went smoother for Crystal Fuehne. She started physical therapy, regained half her strength in her right arm, and was also able to communicate “yes� or “no� for the first time since the accident.

She worked with a speech therapist a few days after she was admitted to Saint Mary’s and finally spoke her first words since the accident. “For two months, we didn’t really

The driver hit her car, which killed three of her friends and left her in a coma for two months. “Day-to-day, I don’t feel like I’ve made that big of a progress,� she said. “But when I look back even a month ago I feel like I’ve gotten stronger.�

know if she was going to make it or not. At one point, (the doctors) told us they didn’t think she’d be able to talk again,� Donna Fuehne said. “Then all of a sudden, one day she said ‘Mom.’ Oh my gosh, I’ll never forget that day.�

Crystal Fuehne continued to make progress during her stay at Saint Mary’s. She walked more and more each day with assistance, continued her work with the speech therapist, and she was discharged Aug. 20, 2009, and started physical therapy at the Center for Comprehensive Services in Carbondale. “She was already walking, so we needed to work on her balance, strength and help her utilize the right side of her body a little bit more,� said physical therapist Eric Manzano. “We wanted her to walk on her own and a lot better than she did her first day here.�

Crystal Fuehne continued to work with Manzano and the staff at CCS for the next two years, gradually decreasing the amount of days she spent there until she had her last

session with Manzano Aug. 11. “We felt that she was one of our success stories,� Manzano said. “How she is now compared to how she was when she first got here, she’s done very well for herself. She worked really hard and she was really motivated.�

Crystal Fuehne is now enrolled in three classes while also working toward getting her drivers license back, though she said her degree is her top priority. “Life has been a lot different. I used to go out all the time,� Crystal Fuehne said. “That has definitely slowed down in my group of friends.�

Crystal Fuehne admits she still has trouble coping with her limitations.

Think First — an organization that preaches brain and spinal cord injury prevention — held a golf scramble fundraiser for Crystal in Keyesport the weekend of Oct. 14. Even though she wasn’t really a golfer before, she said it was hard for her to sit on the sidelines.

Please see TRAINER | 11

Dawgs prepare to be unleashed for season BRANDON WILLINGHAM Daily Egyptian As college basketball season vastly approaches, Division I teams have one goal in mind: winning.

A superior fan zone is a homecourt advantage and creates the

atmosphere of the game.

Many fan zones such as the Orange Krush at the University of Illinois and the Cameron Crazies from Duke University set the tone of basketball games with chants and vivid color schemes.

According to the Daily Illini, the

Orange Krush has a membership of around 1,300 fans, while Duke’s athletics website reports more than 1,200 fans representing the Cameron Crazies.

Members of the Dawg Pound at SIU, a student-based organization with an initiative to create an

intensified atmosphere and increase student attendance for all Saluki athletic programs, said this year they seek to have a greater impact in attendance and support in the outcome of the men’s basketball season.

Sam Donets, Communications

Director of the Dawg Pound, said he expects an increase in fan attendance for the 2011-12 season because SIU’s basketball team brought in a different group of guys to play.

Please see DAWGPOUND | 11