Jan. 27, 2016

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

97th year • Issue 19

Mens basketball team falls to OU SPORTS / 6 » www.IndependentCollegian.com

Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919

INSIDE

Read Online... UT emeritus professor donates war memorabilia to Delaware District Library in Ohio.

Fellowship and food UT Students and Toledoans volunteer to feed the homeless population downtown.

COMMUNITY / 4 »

“Living sustainably and efficiently is not cheap from a short-term perspective, but we must see it as an important investment.”

EDITORIAL Lower gas prices come at a cost OPINION / 3 »

Women’s Basketball The Rockets lost 59-41 at Eastern Michigan SPORTS / 6 »

CRIME

UT student assaulted

Pi Kappa Phi chapter suspended pending investigation by UT and Toledo police By Colleen Anderson Managing Editor

Editor’s note: This story contains language that readers may find offensive, including racial slurs and cursing. Campus officials suspended Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s local chapter while they investigate allegations of an off-campus, racially motivated assault on a University of Toledo student. Rayshawn Watkins, a secondyear majoring in marketing, filed a report early Sunday, Jan. 24, with the Toledo Police Department after he was allegedly attacked at a party hosted at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house at 3530 Dorr St. The UT Pi Kappa Phi chapter was suspended without prejudice by the university and the national fraternity organization, which UT President Sharon Gaber said is standard during an investigation, and means that the suspension is not meant to

reflect negatively on the chapter or imply that a decision has been made regarding their involvement. Gaber said the exact repercussions will be unknown until the investigation has concluded, but any actions taken will be based on the guidelines found in the student code of conduct. The president of UT’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi did not respond to an email request for comment, but the national organization published a press release concerning the chapter’s status on Monday, Jan. 24. Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Timmes also said in the press release that members of UT Pi Kappa Phi have been instructed to cooperate fully with the investigation. “The safety of our members and guests remains one of the fraternity’s chief priorities,” Timmes said in the press release. “Pi Kappa Phi is also committed to a culture

of diversity and inclusion that promotes respect for the identities and backgrounds of all people.” TPD has classified this incident as “ethnic intimidation by reason of race, color, religion or national origin.” Watkins said as he walked up to the house entrance around 11 p.m. on Saturday, he heard shouts of the N-word from the windows above the frat house, but Watkins said he ignored it because “that happens every day here — people call me the N-word all the time.” Later in the evening, Watkins said his girlfriend knocked over a Christmas light, and Watkins attempted to put it back in its place. According to Watkins, a member of Pi Kappa Phi approached and asked him what he was doing. Watkins also said the member was aggressive and used See Assault / 8 »

PREVENTION

MORE ONLINE

Vigil held in student’s memory By Amanda Pitrof and Lauren Gilbert Editor-in-Chief and Copy Editor

The dimly-lit auditorium was filled with about 200 people, sitting somberly in rows and listening intently to University of Toledo Pi Kappa Alpha President Mitchell Wiese, who stood on stage before them. As he talked, the lights slowly died down and he lit a candle. Weise exited the stage and walked to stand in front of the first row of people, still speaking, and began to light their candles. Each person with a newly-lit candle turned to light the candles of the people sitting behind them. The light spread from candle to candle, row to row, and before long, the room was illuminated by wavering light. This demonstration opened the Jan. 21 vigil for Chase DuVall, a UT student and Pi Kappa Alpha member who died by suicide, and represented his light and how he shared that light

with others. As candles were extinguished and the lights slowly raised, people got up on stage one by one to share stories from his life. Although the audience was made up of individual groups, they came together as a community of sharing stories and support with each other. Below are stories from some people who knew Chase.

Tanner DuVall - brother “My friend Lauren and my ex convinced me to join choir my senior year. However, I was pretty unaware of most all musicals. But there was one that everyone kept talking about, RENT. So I ask Chase if I can borrow his copy of it, and he agrees. I watch the movie nearly to its completion, and I swear to God, Chase had to of had his ear to the wall — because our rooms are adjacent to each other — because as soon as the funeral scene for Angel begins, I by no means cried, but I

let out the smallest sniffle, and he bursts into my room ‘IS IT THE FUNERAL?! DID YOU CRY?’ I screamed at him ‘GET OUT!’ so from then on out he greeted me in the most flamboyant voice possible by saying ‘Brothers!’ which is a reference to RENT. I am not sure if he meant it as a way to mock me at first, but he did it for a good five years strong.”

Jason Trujillo – Pi Kappa Alpha brother “The guys in Pike needed something to rally behind to keep them going, knowing that we’re still able to achieve good

Finish reading this piece online at www.IndependentCollegian.com

New Java City stand opens

“The controversy really makes me sick, and I am ashamed of the Oscars.”

EVAN’S COLUMN The 2016 Oscar Controversy OPINION / 3 »

This photo was posted on Twitter by a friend of Watkins following the assault.

ABIGAIL SULLIVAN / IC

University of Toledo students take a break between classes at the new Java City kiosk in Memorial Field House as student manager Tatyana Buchanan serves up their caffeinated requests. The new stand offers a variety of syrups to flavor their coffee.

SAEPP hosts online harassment workshop By Jessica Harker and Amanda Pitrof News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

What can you do to help prevent harmless online flirting from turning into harassment? What does sexting have to do with domestic violence? How is social media involved in it all? These questions and more were the focus of the Sexual Assault Education and Prevention Program’s online harassment workshop held Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 12-1 p.m. in the Student Union. According to Lindsay Tuttle, the coordinator of both SAEPP and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs program at the University of Toledo, the goal of the workshop was to help the university community become more aware of the resources that are available to them through the counseling center and SAEPP. Tuttle said the program had roughly 25 people attend. “Obviously technology is in the forefront,” Tuttle said. “We know that social media is not going our way and having people understand some of implications that can then occur and some of the issues that can occur with oversharing on social media.” The workshop hosted three speakers and focused on a discussion-based atmosphere, explained Tuttle. The atmosphere was meant to allow people the opportunity to ask questions and engage in the topics presented. “People have the ability to ask questions, sit around and eat some pizza ... and really have a frank conversation about some of the issues that are occurring all over college campuses,” Tuttle said. The speakers included Lisa Pescara-Kovach, an associate professor of educational psychology, and Oregon police division detectives Janet Zale and Ryan Spangler. “We talked about pretty much just the difference between men’s and women’s online crimes,” said Jordyn Panza, a first-year majoring in criminal justice who attended the event, “how each gender is kind of victimized and the consequences of them aren’t the same.” See SAEPP / 8 »


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