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Where Ohio and Hollywood meet
UT shocks Syracuse
Independent Collegian IC The
Monday, March 28, 2011
Serving the University of Toledo since 1919
Record turnout for ‘Big Event’ By Megan Gross IC Staff Writer
arrived. With such a large amount of volunteers expected to attend, Big Event members were unsure how things would turn out. But Ally Gligor, director of recruitment for commuters, organizations and faculty, felt confident in the team. “I really think it’ll run s m o o t h l y, ” she said. Gligor said she was surprised at the number of registered students. She said they never would have expected this number of people. Josh Beekman, director of the Big Event this year and a sophomore majoring in psychology, was shocked by the number of volunteers this
A record-breaking 660 students were registered for The Big Event this year. The motto for the morning, “One big day, one big thanks,” pumped up the students who willingly sacrificed their Saturday for a few hours of service to their community last weekend. Volunteers were expected to help with outside yard work in various areas of the local community by trimming branches, mulching, gardening and cleaning gutters. The Big Event, hosted by groups including Student Government, the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office of Academic Engagement, was initially set up as a thankful gesture from students to the community for their continuous support. Things appeared to be shaky as students first
year brought as well. According to Beekman, the Big Event started at UT more than 10 years ago, but the exact year it started is unknown. The attendance was large enough to be recognized by the public in 2002 with almost 300 participants. Beekman said the Big Event is not only important to the community but also to the students helping. “It’s the best way to show value in the community,” he said, “It shows dedication.” That same dedication was what Beekman said improved the number of participants — Big Event, Page A4
www.IndependentCollegian.com 91st year Issue 48
Jason Mack / IC
Final Four Seniors Jessica Williams (left) and Melissa Goodall (right) celebrate after the Rockets beat Syracuse 71-68 in overtime of the Elite Eight yesterday in front of over 5,000 fans at Savage Arena. UT will host Charlotte (27-9) in the Final Four of the WNIT at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Admission is free for students courtesy of the Office of the President.
Author discusses bullying
HSC worker arrested for running pill mill
By Vincent J. Curkov IC Staff Writer
By IC Staff
Author, artist and postop transgender Kate Bornstein visited the University of Toledo to talk about gender, suicide and bullying in her performance piece “Sex, Bullies and You: How America’s Bully Culture is Messing With Your Sex Life” this past Wednesday. Bornstein is known for her book “Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws.” “The incidence of youth suicide have touched me deeply,” Bornstein said. “I’ve been suicidal six times in my life that I can remember, but I have always found something else to do.” Not all of the suggestions in her book are positive but are simply better than suicide, Bornstein said. Her book suggests you try telling a lie, making a deal — Bullying, Page A4
Nick Kneer / IC
Author Kate Bornstein discusses her book “Sex, Bullies and You: How America’s Bully Culture is Messing With Your Sex Life” during a presentation at UT last Wednesday.
Community-based clinical worker on the University of Toledo’s Health Science Campus Oscar Linares was terminated from the campus after being arrested for running a prescription pill mill last week. The Monroe Pain Center in Monroe, Mich., which police raided last week, has been run by Linares since 2006. Following a 15-month investigation, Linares was arrested and charged with unlawfully distributing prescription drug controlled substances including OxyContin. Police began investigating the pain center after they received complaints from Michigan and Ohio pharmacies and the Monroe-area enforcement team. Linares was also charged with health care fraud for billing Medicare for more than $57 million. According to reports, around 4,000 patients from Michigan, Ohio and other states were given prescriptions for more than 2 million
painkillers and narcotics from April 2008 to March 2010 by Linares. According to a federal affidavit for the case, Linares allegedly called the pain center an “untouchable empire.” In the affidavit, authorities describe thousands of patients coming from surrounding areas, often two or three in one vehicle, and waiting for hours for a prescription from Linares without ever seeing a physician. Police also allege some of the patients were selling their prescriptions in the parking lot of the pain center with Linares not stopping them, stating he was “not the police.” If Linares is convicted, he faces a $1 million fine and 20 years in prison. Lawrence Burns, vice president for external affairs and interim vice president for equity and diversity, told the Toledo Blade Linares did not participate in the “education or training of medical students or residents, nor did he ever provide health care at UTMC” during his time at UT.
Reacting to officer’s death By Vincent D. Scebbi Features Editor
Though he was laid to rest Friday, the memory of fallen Sandusky Police Officer Adam Dunn still lives with his family, friends and officers from across the country. Dunn, 30, was shot five times while making a self-initiated stop on Tyler Street at 3 a.m. on March 19. Dunn made the stop because Kevin Randleman, 50, did not have lights on his bicycle, according to reports. Dunn was shot five times by Randleman where he was not covered by his bulletproof armor and Randleman was shot in the arm twice. Dunn died minutes later. Randleman was taken to the University of Toledo
Medical Center where he is on round-the-clock surveillance. Once he recovers, he will be transported and held in the Erie County jail without bond. Recently, Randleman was indicted by an Erie County grand jury and could possibly be sentenced to death. Toledo Chief of Police Michael Navarre said in an interview with the Independent Collegian the death of a police officer close to Toledo emphasizes the risk associated with serving as an officer. “I think when it happens this close to home as it did in Sandusky last weekend, it reinforces in their minds the inherent danger that goes with wearing the uniform and the badge and reinforces the importance of officer safety and relying on their training and
making sure they back up each other,” Navarre said. “But it also makes them face a grim reality where at times there is nothing they can do to prevent someone from turning and pulling a gun and a bullet from striking them and killing them.” The “grim reality” Navarre referred to is the fact that approximately 175 officers are killed while on duty every year. “When officers sign up and accept the job, they recognize that there is danger involved and that sometimes during their career they may not be able to go home to their families, just as Officer Dunn was not able to go home to his wife and two small children,” he said. — Officer, Page A4
Kevin Sohnly / IC
Project Linus UT students make a quilt as part of Project Linus, which provides blankets to children who are are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need.