FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016
IDS
LEGENDARY. PAGE 9
INDIANA DAILY STUDENT | IDSNEWS.COM
NOBLE GUYON | IDS
Indiana first in black killings From IDS reports
Indiana has the highest rate of black homicide victims in the nation, according to a new study by the Violence Policy Center. The study found Indiana’s 213 black homicides in 2013, or 34.15 black victims per 100,000 people, was double the national average for black homicide victimization, which was 16.91 per 100,000 people. The study also found the overall national homicide victimization rate in 2016 was 4.27 per 100,000; Indiana’s rate of black homicide victims is eight times that number. The national black homicide rate decreased slightly from 2012, when it was 18.03 per 100,000 people, according to the same study done by the VPC a year ago. The overall national homicide rate in 2012 was 4.50 per 100,000 people, remaining fairly stagnant from 2012 to 2013. “The devastation homicide inflicts on black teens and adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities,” according to the report. The study was completed based on unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report data submitted to the FBI. The data itself was collected by law enforcement reporting at the local level. The most recent data is available for 2013. A year ago, Indiana also made the list of top 10 states for black homicide victim rates but was ranked sixth, with only 25.48 victims per 100,000 people. The second- and thirdranked states for 2013 were Missouri and Michigan, respectively. Nationally, for black homicides in which circumstances could be identified, 68 percent were not related to the commission of any other felony, according to the report. Of these, 51 percent involved arguments between the victim and the offender and 15 percent were reported to be gang-related. The report also said a gun is the most common weapon used against black victims of homicide nationwide. The study found for black homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 84 percent were killed with
ANNIE GARAU | IDS
Father Elias Mary Mills walks the stations of the cross at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center. Mills lives at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center on Bloomington's west side, where he leads Mass and various processionals around the property's prayer paths. The Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center is considered holy ground.
FINDING GOD’S WILL Ruth Ann Wade says she has been speaking with the Virgin Mary since 1990. Since then, more than $130,00 has been donated to Mary’s Children Inc. By Annie Garau agarau@indiana.edu | @agarau6
It’s said that when the Virgin Mary first spoke to Ruth Ann Wade back in 1990, the silver beads of her rosary suddenly turned to gold. Then the messages began. “So many have been put to the test and have not survived it,” Ruth Ann said Mary told her. “But you, my child, have persevered. Because of this perseverance, my Son has chosen you for a special mission.” The mission was simple: spread love and peace throughout the world. Attempting to complete it, of course, was not so simple. Mary, and later Jesus, had many tasks for Ruth Ann. Speaking to her in the early hours of the morning, they told her to take a trip to Yugoslavia, to quit her job as a schoolteacher, to organize a prayer group, to sell her house and to purchase a small piece of land on Bloomington’s west side. They told her to keep buying the adjacent properties and to construct a simple pole barn. Then came the prayer path. Next a chapel, a guesthouse, a bookstore. For years, the calls for expansion
continued. Today, the property consists of 120 acres of lush hillside believers affectionately call the Farm. Its official name is Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center. Here, visitors can walk a winding path lined with statues, altars and flowers. They might run into Franciscan friars, nuns or the young man who mows the lawn.
“I can’t believe all this, Jesus. This is all pretty incredible.” Ruth Ann Wade
They’ll never see Wade, though. Not since the holy messages stopped. * * * On the Marian Day of Prayer, a gray and chilly day in October, Sarah Mobley sat at the guesthouse computer, scrolling through crucifixion rings on Amazon. Mobley’s family has been involved at the Farm since she was a little girl, and the retreat has special meaning for her. It’s the place where her brother works as a groundskeeper and where she likes to
spend her free time volunteering. It’s the place where her other brother, who died after being born prematurely, was laid to rest under a white cross reading, “In memory of aborted children.” A blood red heart divides the words, a jagged white line down its middle. Chimes hang near the grave so when the wind blows, like on this fall day, Mobley hears the sound and remembers all the babies who never got a chance. The 22-year-old said she realizes Ruth Ann’s claims might seem far-fetched to some. But Mobley believes the messages and said she’s not someone who’s convinced easily. “I like to question things,” she said. “I’ll always ask, ‘How do you prove it?’” The Farm has proven itself to Mobley through Ruth Ann’s descriptions of miracles, she said. Although Mobley did not see them, Jim Wade, Ruth Ann’s husband, told her he has medical records of many people who have been healed from diseases after visits to the Farm. With regard to her faith in general, Mobley said the proof of Jesus is endless. Just looking at a blade of grass, it’s clear to her there must be a grand designer SEE GOD’S WILL, PAGE 8
SEE HOMICIDE, PAGE 8
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IU matched up with Northwestern in Big Ten Tournament By Teddy Bailey
The last time IU and Northwestern met, it ended up being the turning point of two drastically different seasons. The Hoosiers’ 91-84 victory in Evanston marked IU’s second Big Ten road win in the last 38 games. Following that game, the Hoosiers reeled off six wins in their next seven games to secure a doublebye into the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Northwestern’s loss to IU was part of the Wildcats’ five-game losing skid that removed Northwestern from the national polls. Northwestern, once projected as a top Big Ten team, finished 4-14 in conference play. After two wins in as many days against Wisconsin and Minnesota, however, 12th-seeded Northwest-
IU (20-10) vs. Northwestern (17-15) 2:30 p.m. Friday Indianapolis
ern will face fourth-seeded IU in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Friday at approximately 2:30 p.m. “Regardless of who it is, it’s going to be a challenge,” IU Coach Teri Moren said. “It’s the Big Ten, it’s the tournament. We’re not going to be any different, it’s a new season for everybody.” Moren, the newly named 201516 Big Ten Coach of the Year, said her team will benefit from extra time off with the double-bye. The six-day break in between IU’s season finale and tournament opener will be the longest break for the SEE BIG TEN, PAGE 8
Lil Wayne plays Assembly Hall By Kennedy Coopwood kacoopwo@indiana.edu | @_coopwood
Rap artist Lil Wayne took center stage Thursday night at Assembly Hall. His concert was a part of the Dedication Tour, a personal thank you from Lil Wayne dedicated to all of his fans in cities he has rarely visited on his past tour runs, according to an IU Auditorium press release. The concert featured special guest rap duo Rae Sremmurd. Bloomington was his secondto-last stop on the tour — number 18 of 19 tour cities. This is the first time Lil Wayne has performed at IU since 2011 when he headlined the Little 500 concert with rapper Nicki Minaj. Assembly Hall was packed with fans. There was floor seating and three jumbo screens to project the concert to those in upper-level and faraway seating. Rae Sremmurd, a rap group composed of brothers Khalif “Swae Lee” Brown and Aaquil “Slim Jimmy” Brown, were the concert’s opening act. Their debut album, “Sremm Life,” was released in January 2015
VICTOR GAN | IDS
Rap artist Lil Wayne performs at Assembly Hall on Thursday night.
and had several hit songs, including “No Flex Zone” and “No Type,” both of which the group performed Thursday night. Austin Spahr, a senior and member of IU club hockey, attended the concert with his teammates.
His hockey team designed the jerseys Rae Sremmurd and their DJ, DJ Sremm, wore in the performance. They have also designed jerseys for performers in the past, SEE LIL WAYNE, PAGE 8