DE Since 1916
Daily Egyptian MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014 VOLUME 98 ISSUE 110
Run, hide or fight for your life Dana Stoerger Daily Egyptian
A door is kicked open, and behind it is an assailant with a gun. Do you run, hide or fight? ROTC cadets must make this decision during active shooter drills to help cadets learn how to react in dangerous situations. One such drill took place Thursday on Greek Row near Campus Lake. “We want to make it more real for them,” said Maj. Matt Morse, SIU
assistant professor of military science. Morse and officers from the Department of Public Safety conducted scenarios adapted from the “Run. Hide. Fight.” program, designed by the U.S Department of Homeland Security. Morse said this program aims to help people respond to an active shooter on campus. “This is some new curriculum that came down this past summer,” Morse said. One drill included cadets simulating active
shooters on the floor of a campus building. Cadets had to respond to stun grenades thrown near them and blank bullet cartridges fired at them. Their responses ranged from running from the threat, hiding or fighting. “It is something I thought about, and contacted the police department and asked what can they do for us. What can you show our students,” Morse said. “We always train for the ‘what if?’ … now we’re prepared.” Please see PREPAREDNESS · 2
Horsing around in Prairie du Rocher Ill. tax debate affects SIU Dana Stoerger Daily Egyptian
L ewis M arien D aiLy e gyptian Peyton Lachance, 8, left, and Lane Leonard, 9, both of Prairie du Rocher, are pulled on a carriage by their horse Sunday in Prairie du Rocher. Lachance and Leonard, who are neighbors, share the horse. “Usually I’m the passenger while Lane is the driver,” Lachance said. Jim Leonard, Lane’s father, said they ride with one of Lane’s six horses around the town almost every weekend. “Usually they have one of their bigger horses when they’re out here, but they like to change it up sometimes,” Jim Leonard said.
Taxes are an ever-present force in Americans’ lives, and the debate about how high they should be rages on in Illinois government. Illinois politicians are debating whether to let the Temporary Tax Increase of 2011 expire in January 2015. The Temporary Tax Increase of 2011 raised the individual income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent. According to the Operating Budget Book for 2015, the fiscal year 2014 projected gross Individual Income Tax receipts are expected to bring in more than the original estimate of $17.7 billion. “The revenue in excess of forecast was primarily driven by capital gains on asset sales, dividends and interest income,” according to the budget book. Bruce Rauner, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, said the bill needs to end during a campaign stop at the Hunter building in Carbondale on Sept. 30. “In the next year we need to go back down [from 5 percent] to 3.75 percent, that’s the law. Then we need to roll it all the way back to 3 percent,” he said. Rauner said he would like to increase sales taxes to make up for the shortfall in revenue from the income tax cut. “Right now, we only tax products, and we could be taxing some services,” he said. Rauner said other states with more balanced budgets have a broader sales tax. Please see TAX · 3
Toxic algae reduces triathalon to duathalon Austin Miller Daily Egyptian
Campus Lake closed Friday because of high levels of toxic algae. While there have been no reports of dead fish or injured people, the 32nd Annual Doc Spackman Memorial Triathlon on Saturday appears to be the only thing affected by the algae. Kevin Bame, vice chancellor for administration and finance, said a university employee noticed the water was looking different, and tests were conducted which revealed traces of a toxic blue-green algae in the water. Bame said warning signs have been posted and everyone should stay out of the water until the university declares the lake safe. The race, named in honor of former SIU athletic trainer and fitness expert, Robert ‘Doc’ Spackman, has made its transition from spring to fall. The race features a 350-meter swim, a five-mile bicycle ride and two-mile run. A new “Sprint” race—a 700-meter swim, 10-mile bike, and 4-mile
run—was added this year. The swimming legs of reach race were canceled, which turned the triathlon into a duathlon, said Jason Davis, event organizer. Davis said he heard the news about the lake Friday morning and began contacting more than 50 competitors. “It really took me by surprise,” Davis said. “We had a practice swim on Tuesday night and the water was just fine.” Nathan Wells, a 25-year-old graduate student studying environmental policy at the University of Michigan, had the best overall time in the race, finishing in 32 minutes and 31 seconds. Wells said he has raced two triathlons in Chicago and competed in the Spackman because his friend, David Broughton, was looking to get into the sport. He said he was relieved the swimming portion of the triathlon was canceled. “When I woke up this morning and saw what L uke n ozicka D aiLy e gyptian the temperature was, I felt better knowing I Participants of the 32nd Doc Spackman Triathlon Festival run around Campus Lake Saturday. The triathwouldn’t have to get in the water,” he said.
lon became a duathlon, a run then bike competition, after the university removed the swimming portion
Please see ALGAE · 3 because of toxic algae in Campus Lake.