October 14, 2021

Page 1

Thursday, October 14, 2021

IDS Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com

Recent concerns surrounding IUPD policy have raised questions about sexual assault. Who is responsible for addressing this issue? How can Hoosiers stay safe? And most importantly,

Where do we go from here? Read more, p. 5

'His window is closing' IU graduate student Yi Jia seeks partial liver donation

By Cameron Garber garberc@iu.edu | @garber_cameron

COURTESY PHOTO

IU graduate student student Yi Jia and his wife Shiqiao Wang wait for Yi Jia's test results Oct. 18, 2020, in the IU Health Bloomington Hospital Emergency Room. Yi Jia went to the emergency room for a fever and abdominal pain when he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. By Lauren Ulrich laaulric@iu.edu | @LaurenUlrich5

Yi Jia, IU masters student from China, urgently needs a portion of a living donor’s liver to treat his stage four colon cancer, which spread to his liver. Jia’s wife Shiqiao Wang said Jia was diagnosed October 2020 after she brought him into the emergency room for a fever and abdominal pain. The symptoms were caused by a cancer tumor that spread to his liver and is unremovable, she said. Jia has undergone chemotherapy to control the spread of cancer cells to his other organs, Wang said. Wang said Jia is left with just one opportunity to survive: a living donor with tpye A or O blood to donate part of their healthy liver to replace Jia’s liver. “This is the only chance to be cured of his terrible disease, but his window is closing,” Wang said. Wang said Jia’s doctors told

them chemotherapy can only prevent the spread of Jia’s cancer for nine months. Jia is seven months into chemotherapy, leaving only six weeks to get a transplant. Wang said Jia was selected as a candidate for liver transplant in early September. “Before that, there was no hope,” Jia said. "It was just a matter of time, but after they presented this plan, we feel like there's all of a sudden a hope to be cured completely.” If he receives a donor, Jia’s transplant would be performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. According to the hospital, the operation poses some risk to the donor. The liver can regenerate, so both parties usually have fully functioning livers after a successful transplant. Donors’ livers typically grow back to normal size within six to eight weeks of surgery, according to John Hopkins Medicine.

The hospital has a 100% survival rate for living liver donors, according to its website. Donors must be 18 to 55 years old in good health and have a compatible blood type to the recipient. Jia said his diagnosis is the worst thing that could have happened after he came to IU from China with Wang in 2019. Jia said he left his job in China to pursue a masters degree in education so he can improve educational opportunities for underprivileged children. Jia said he is most concerned not about himself but for his family. “When I was diagnosed with this disease, I think I tried to control my emotions for Shiqiao, my wife, and for my family,” Jia said. “I'm the single child of my family, so it's really bad news for them.” David Rutkowski, an IU School of Education professor who works closely with Jia, said he recently found out about his situation and is

helping to share his request. “Yi’s just one of the sweetest, gentlest, kindest people,” Rutkowski said. “He always has the biggest smile.” IU can live up to its values by helping Jia’s cause, Rutkowski said, and the IU community should make a commitment to supporting international students in times such as these. Rutkowski said he is hopeful Jia will receive a liver transplant. He said if Jia does, he will make the world a better place because of it. “He just needs one match,” he said. “It can happen. Someone may do it.” Those interested in donating can contact Vicki Garcia, NMH donor transplant coordinator, at 312-6950340 or visit www.nm.org/livertransplantation. For more information or to share Jia’s request visit www.liverforyi.com, @liverforyi on Facebook or @findaliverforyi on Instagram.

IUPD chief says policy protects survivors By Wei Wang daviwang@iu.edu | @WeiWangDavid23

The IU Police Department said its policy to not include specific locations of sexual assaults on its public crime log is to protect survivors, which comes as sexual assault cases continue to increase this semester. According to IU NewsNet’s Sept. 30 report, IUPD changed its policy to no longer name specific locations of reported sexual assaults on its public crime log. In response to the report, IUPD Chief Jill Lees said the department’s best practice is to not include specific locations of sexual assaults since at least March 2019 when she assumed her current position. “This is not a new policy,” she said. “This is something that is very common practice at other universities and municipalities to protect the survivor coming forward to make a report.” Lees said including specific locations for sexual assaults might discourage students from reporting them to the department. “There are students that really want us to provide the exact place and location these crimes are occurring, but our number one safety and priority is the survivor,” she said. “If we give exact locations on things, we feel like that survivors might not feel as comfortable to come forward and file a report with

Bloomington implements traffic pattern The City of Bloomington is implementing new traffic patterns across East Seventh Street as the 7-line project nears completion. The new traffic pattern removes all stop signs along East Seventh Street from North Walnut Street to North Indiana Avenue. Traffic approaching East Seventh Street from North Washington Street, North Lincoln Street, North Grant Street and North Dunn Street must stop and yield to traffic, including cars, bicyclists and pedestrians. The 7-line project is a protected bike lane which will connect downtown Bloomington to IU’s campus. The bike lane is separated from the road by a concrete divider and will have two lanes to allow simultaneous travel down East Seventh Street to the east and west, according to the City of Bloomington project website. Construction for the 7-line project began in the summer of 2021 and is expected to be completed by this winter. Temporary flags, electronic message boards and other traffic signs have been put in place along East Seventh Street to increase awareness of these changes, according to the release.

Cardinal Stage presents annual Rocky Horror Picture Show By Alexis Lindenmayer lindena@iu.edu | @lexilindenmayer

Cardinal Stage will present its 16th annual screening of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 10 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. People can buy tickets in advance on Cardinal’s website or by calling the box office from 12-5 p.m. on a weekday. Tickets can also be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office. “If you're a fan of ‘Rocky Horror’ at all or if you've ever just been intrigued by the idea of ‘Rocky Horror,’ it is really an event like no other,” Cardinal Marketing Manager Cassie Hakken said. “It’s super fun, super interactive and full of folks that love Halloween and the campiness and excitement of it.” This Halloween cult classic follows the recently engaged couple Brad and Janet after their car breaks down in front of the mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Through song and dance, they meet a variety of weird characters as Dr. Frank-N-Furter unveils “Rocky,” his new creation. Audience participation is a big part of “Rocky Horror,” Hakken said. Prop bags with costume accessories and guides on how to participate in the show will be available for $5 in advance and in the lobby. Before the screening, attendees can participate in a costume contest and a “devirgination ceremony” by local drag queen, host and producer Oriana Perón. The “devirginization ceremony” is a “Rocky Horror” tradition, Hakken said. The host will invite anyone who hasn't seen a screening of “Rocky Horror” up on stage to participate in fun group activities. This year, Hakken said there will be more social distancing to keep everyone safe. For the costume contest, Cardinal will invite anyone wearing a costume to participate. The audience will vote through cheers and there will be

SEE ROCKY, PAGE 4

SEE IUPD, PAGE 4 WES KILGORE | IDS

TOP Sophomore Aanya Jain, senior Grace Yoder and sophomore Grace Sarrazin stand Oct. 8, 2021, outside the Sample gates in protest of the IUPD policy not to list the location of reported sexual assualts on the crime logs. IDS FILE PHOTO BY MATT BEGALA BOTTOM (Left to right) Freshman Sam

Dark, sophomores Grace Sarrazin and Aanya Jain talk to a student Oct. 8, 2021, at the Sample Gates. The group is petitioning IUPD's policy not to disclose locations of sexual assault.

COURTESY PHOTO

Cardinal Stage will host its 16th annual screening of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 10 p.m. on Oct. 23 in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets will be sold for $15 in advance or $20 at the door.


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