Picking up the pieces
Three weeks after a fire caused extensive damage to Unit Four at the University Apartments, cleanup is done and students will be returning to their homes
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TAMERA RHODES News Editor Cleanup and restorations are completed from the recent fire at the university’s family housing while construction is underway to ensure displaced students may return to their apartments beginning Monday, said Amanda Knerr, director of residential life. Knerr said all residents on the first and second floors are now back in their apartments since the Oct. 1 fire at the residence hall, located at 101 Crawford Street. She said occupants of the third floor are scheduled to return to their apartments on or before Oct. 21, and students who resided on the fourth floor are expected to return by Nov. 4. Jeff Fisher, chief of the Terre Haute Fire Department, said the fire started in the bedroom and the contents were a total On Oct. 1, a fire caused severe water and smoke damage to several loss due to smoke and water apartments in Unit 4 of the University Apartments. Total damage from damage. the fire is estimated to be more than $10,000 (Photo by Bob Rhodes). He said the total estimated
damage from the fire is more than $10,000 and was caused by unattended incense burning. Fisher said somehow it came into contact with a flammable material, most likely paper, and was fueled by wind from an open window. Knerr said multiple apartments were affected and required various renovations. “There were multiple apartments where there was damage from water and smoke,” she said. “The apartment where the fire originated, [was] basically a complete rebuild.” Knerr said residential life is currently doing a comprehensive review of the apartment lease and terms and conditions this fall which would include fire safety policies. “When the final recommendations for changes are approved, they will be communicated directly to current residents and added as part of the lease for incoming residents,” she said.
Students talk race and ethics over pizza DIJONNA’E MORGAN Reporter Not only were Indiana State students greeted with pizza and lemonade to start off the night at 7 p.m. in the events area of the Cunningham Memorial Library on Friday, they were also educated on politics, ethics and a book, titled “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.’ The “Pizza and Politics” event, hosted by Carly Schmitt, a professor of political science and
the on-campus coordinator for The American Democracy Project, gave students the chance to engage, learn about and question the situations we live in today, as well as the circumstances Henrietta Lacks was placed in during the Jim Crow era. “It creates a form, an actual environment that heightens engagement and political issues. A lot of times there are no places for students to go to come together to do these sorts of things, and so I think the mission of The American
Democracy Project is to create the next generation of civically-minded and civically-engaged citizens,” she said. “It’s a way for students to become more active, engaged and knowledgeable about the world, community and the campus.” Students were seated at various tables where surveys had been placed prior to the start of the event, where they had to answer and soon speak out about the discussion questions that revolved around health care, HeLa cells, informed
consent and social inequities that pertained to the University Fall Read. This year’s fall read revolved around the book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” which describes the story of an AfricanAmerican woman who had been raised in poverty with little to no education. After having a tumor removed, doctors used cells from the tumor CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Monday October 21, 2013 Indiana State University www.indianastatesman.com Volume 121 Issue 24
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Elephants in the room: The shutdown is over, but the fighting isn’t PAGE 7
Think Pink: Greek life members save and shave for breast cancer awareness PAGE 16
Hungry for change:
Students voice their opinions to the SGA
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