Indiana Statesman For ISU students. About ISU students. By ISU students.
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016
Volume 123, Issue 42
Gate security for Lincoln Quads completed Nevia Burford News Editor
The construction for the Lincoln Quad gates was completed over the semester break and now offers a more private and safe atmosphere in the quads. The construction was delayed because of homecoming and off-site work that had to be completed. “There is a delay in the work being done on-site as the gates are being manufactured off-site and then brought in. So, we do as much site work as possible and then we wait until the gates are complete and moved in. This is not unusual,” said Amanda Knerr, the executive director of Residential Life. Knerr said the construction involved placing new gates in all four corners of the quads. Card access was added to some gates, to allow access for those with disabilities. The new gates were installed after residential life collected opinions and researched how to improve security.. “In the spring of 2015, we held several focus groups with students about their
Maggie McClennan | Indiana Statesman
Gate construction comes to a close as residents of Lincoln Quad return from winter break.
concerns regarding safety and security. We also did an internal review regarding safety and security at Lincoln Quad,” Knerr said. Based on these issues, it was decided to place the gates to provide more security to residents. Knerr said the Lincoln Quad community is unique at ISU because it does not require students to walk through a com-
mon area before entering their rooms and this could allow for individuals not affiliated with the university to enter the area freely. “We determined that it would be best to close in the courtyards creating a more private atmosphere for residents living in that community and accessible only to community members and their guests. All guests and residents to Lincoln Quad
will go through the main Lincoln Quad Community center to access the living space, creating a more tightly controlled, and thus safer, living environment,” Knerr said. Demetrius Loggers, a sophomore chemistry major and Lincoln Quad resident, had mixed feelings about the gates. “I thought it was an inconvenience for it to be done during finals week last semester. But it could be useful for security purposes,” Loggers said. Darius Mahome, a sophomore construction management major and resident of Lincoln Quads, had a similar view. “I feel that the gates add a sense of security, and that makes the school look more professional,” Mahome said. The gate construction is one of a few projects and renovations in the Quads. “We are also involved in a current lighting study to improve lighting around the Lincoln Quad area and also involved in a landscape project within the quad areas to provide more friendly outdoor gathering spaces for members of the community,” Knerr said.
Public ISU says goodbye to its latest graduates safety promotes one of their own Miguel Lewis Reporter
Kourtney Miller Reporter
The promotion of Tamara Watts to lieutenant was announced to the ISU Police Department on Nov. 10, 2015 and became effective on Nov. 16, 2015. She was sworn in Dec. 3, 2015. The promotion process consisted of completing an application, reference checks and a background check. Watts said there were two people that applied for this promotion within the department. A written test was required, in which a score of 70 percent or better was needed to advance to the interview portion of the promotion process. The first round of interviews consisted of an interview with an outside campus law enforcement lieutenant, an outside law enforcement captain, and two Indiana State University employees that are outside the police department. The final round of interviews was conducted with the chief of police and the assistant chief of police. The scores were then calculated from each portion of the assessment process. The candidate with the highest score was awarded the promotion. As the new Clery Compliance lieutenant, Watts’ duties will consist of coordinating the Clery Compliance efforts of the department, as well as working collaboratively with various offices at ISU to ensure the institution’s compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, and associated regulations. In addition, Watts’ responsibilities include general law enforcement duties, directly supervising and managing supervisory and non-supervisory employees when needed, coordinating the agency’s grant procurement efforts, managing the IACLEA Accreditation Standards for the best professional requirements for campus law enforcement agencies and assisting with crime prevention programming. Joseph Newport, chief of ISU’s Police Department, commented on Watts’ promotion. “We are lucky to have someone with Lt. Watts’ talents here at the
PROMOTION CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Indiana State seniors prepped for graduation and were jumping for joy at the commencement ceremony in December. Dean of Students and Ombudsperson Al Perone said that graduation and commencement are very intimate, not only for him, but for the families of students and the staff and faculty as well. “In the past we have had issues with there not being enough tickets for students’ families to attend, so that had to be fixed,” Perone said. In previous years faculty, were allowed their own section in the Hulman Center. Today faculty have been allowed access to the same area as the students to create more room and allow for more guests to attend the commencement ceremonies. This new accommodation has created more intimacy because now students are able to shake hands with the same professors whose classes they attended. When asked if graduation has changed much since he’s been with Indiana State, Perone said no. “It doesn’t change but the faces d,” Perone said. “I am responsible for the processional and the recessional of the ceremony. This means that before the ceremony even begins I make sure that everyone
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December graduates line the halls of the Hulman Center waiting their turn to walk acros the stage and accept their diplomas.
involved, including the banner carriers and special needs students, are on the same timing. With so many people involved with commencement, it can become chaotic. Once the ceremony has begun I am responsible for time only.” The commencement ceremony in December is different from the one in the spring as well. There is only one commencement ceremony in the winter, but there are two in the spring. In the winter there are not as many students going through the ceremony, but in the spring
there are more than double the students. Having two ceremonies is another way that ISU has helped fix the ticketing issue. Since there are two ceremonies each spring, the programs are different as well. For the ceremony in the morning, there will be a reception that would be held later in the afternoon, but for the ceremony that takes place in the afternoon, the reception would be held in the morning. Despite all of the commotion that is likely to take place during the planning of graduation, students are still as excited as ever.
Senior David Jordan is one of the students that will be graduating in the spring and even though he did not have a reason to attend this winter’s commencement ceremony, he is eager for his turn to walk across the stage. “The road to graduation at ISU has been an interesting one, and I feel like the ceremony will be very similar to that of high school — except there is more hype,” Jordan said. “I’m not exactly sure what is to come after graduation, but whatever it is I know it will be good. I cannot wait until May is here.”
ISU students look to be more involved Miguel Lewis Reporter
Indiana State has been working on the upkeep and renovation of campus over the years. Students were initially told that fountain renovation would be done at the beginning of the fall semester, but as the semester progressed, the finish date continued to be pushed back. To some students, this was disappointing. “I think (ISU) should have done and should push to do a better job at keeping us informed about campus construction,” Ally Miles, sophomore theater major, said. “The fountain is one of the main attributes of this campus and when the finish date got pushed back a lot of students had no idea what was going on.” Among all of the commotion, President of SGA, senior sports
management major, Vernon Cheeks assured campus that he and his team have been working behind the scenes to make Indiana State the safest, most secure campus possible. For example, it was expressed that one of the reasons why renovation of the fountain was not complete yet was due to setbacks and maintenance issues. The main concerns of Indiana State and the construction workers was to ensure that the renovation was done properly because there would be no time to go back and do it again. Cheeks went on to say, “We are working on a lot of things for second semester and a lot of them have been behindthe-scenes work, including the fountain. I appreciate the expressed concern of the students because it gives me a chance to show them what my team has been working on.” Safety concerns have likewise
been expressed among students. Most students are aware that there have been various rave alerts throughout the last semester and more of them seem to have involved gun sightings. Miles thinks that the campus alert system could be utilized more properly. “Maybe having a texting system or app that students could sign up for would push our efforts in the right direction,” Miles said. “Most students are already on their phones already anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt.” Other student concerns include the activity of SGA on campus. There are students that feel as though the students of SGA could be more involved with the rest of the students of campus. For example, welcome week is popular on ISU’s campus because it gives students a chance to enjoy their time on campus, mingle with other students and
attend the events hosted by SGA without having to worry about the stress that classes may bring. Riley Leonard, a sophomore theater major, thinks that more of these events would be beneficial throughout the semester. “SGA should host more fun events like concerts, patio parties and more events like those during welcome week spread throughout the semester,” Leonard said. “It would help relieve the stress that usually starts to set in midway through the semester.” With new accommodations like the Rave Guardian App, which is designed for the safety of students, renovations of the emergency poles around campus, renovations of the African American Cultural Center and more, Cheeks and his team assure that they are doing the best job they can and that there are great things to come in the future.