Indiana Statesman For ISU students. About ISU students. By ISU students.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015
Volume 123, Issue 37
indianastatesman.com
New bill could hinder sexual assault victims Nevia Buford
Assistant News Editor
A proposed bill called the Safe Campus Act could potentially impede investigations into sexual assault cases. According to an article on the Huffington Post, the Safe Campus Act “would restrict colleges from investigating sexual assault cases unless police are involved. It would allow schools to use higher standards of proof in determining guilt, making it more difficult to remove a student accused of sexual violence on campus.” The problem is that requiring all cases be reported to police could make victims less likely to report what happened to them. When the bill was proposed, a coalition of 220 organizations that work with
Amazon and Barnes & Noble compete in textbook market
sexual assault victims sent a letter to the House of Representatives opposing the bill. In the letter, they wrote that the bill “will not help in solving these problems and will, in fact, make campuses less safe for survivors.” According to a different article found on Huffington Post, if the bill is passed, all colleges that receive Title IX funding will have to follow it. Indiana State University receives such funding. Emma Leu, the president of SASS, or Sexual Assault and Survivors Support, group said she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. “I don’t think that there should be a separation,” Leu said. Part of the reason the bill was proposed, was because officials thought
that higher learning institutions weren’t equipped to handle sexual assault cases. Leu disagreed. “The investigation that the school puts on … It’s pretty serious,” Leu said. Aimee Janssen-Robinson, the equal opportunity director and Title IX coordinator, talked about the procedure for sexual assault cases. “The University policy is 922 Policy Prohibiting Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking,” Janssen-Robinson said. According to the Indiana State website, if someone violates policy 922, the university will conduct a formal investigation to determine the consequences. Leu said that the bill could affect campus in a negative way. “I think it’ll silence a lot of people, especially when they know that there’s
even more of a process they have to go through to report something,” Leu said. “It’ll make it harder for people to come forward when it’s already a difficult task to do.” Jansssen-Robinson talked about her own thoughts on the bill. “I feel that institutions need time to fully implement and evaluate the requirements that were mandated through the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which included the Campus Save Act before making additional changes to the mandates,” Janssen-Robinson said. “Campus climate studies were part of the VAWA reauthorization, and we need that data to better understand the realities of each campus and the prevention, education and response efforts needed at each institution.”
Drag Superstars
Kourtney Miller Reporter
Barnes & Noble might have some competition in taking over the college bookstore market. In February, they made it possible for students to pick up the textbooks that they ordered online by opening their first brick-andmortar store at Purdue University; this allows Amazon to deal with their customers face to-face. According to an article in Forbes magazine, in the fall, Amazon also took over textbook sales at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in an attempt to “embed themselves in the college textbook purchasing market.” Damien Miller, a freshman with an undeclared major, shared his comment about the growing competition between Barnes and Noble and Amazon. “I wasn’t aware of this,” he said. “I just assumed that most students used Amazon to get their books as a cheaper solution.” Barnes and Noble created a spinoff of their company called Barnes and Noble Education in August that is keeping them in competition with Amazon. Barron’s magazine analyzed the value of their stocks and their analysis was a very positive one. The article states that Barnes and Noble Education’s shares are now $12.50 with room to grow, making their value twice as much. “Barnes and Noble Education is undervalued, but its stocks are expected to be worth twice the amount of their current price, which is around $25,” Forbes magazine said of Barron’s analysis. After the analysis was published, Barnes and Noble Education saw a 68-cent rise in the value of its stocks. Barnes and Noble also pose a threat to Amazon because Barnes and Noble Education now operates over 700 college bookstores, including one at Indiana State University. These bookstores cover nearly a quarter of all college and university students, which includes much of the Ivy League. Rachel Mundell, the general manager at the ISU Barnes and Noble store, commented on its services. “The Indiana State University Bookstore has always been committed to providing more affordable, convenient options that give ISU students access to the learning materials they need to succeed in the classroom,” she said. The bookstore has worked to introduce helpful, cost-reducing options to students, such as the rental program. Additionally, they have worked to create a stress-free and accessible experience for students, both in the store and online. VIP shopping
AMAZON CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Marissa Schmitter|Indiana Statesman
James Bondage performs in the lip-sync portion of Wednesday’s Mister and Miss Drag Superstar, hosted by Spectrum.
Story on Page 8
ISU receives grant for bat research Morgan Gallas Reporter
The National Park Service gave Indiana State University a grant worth $100,985 for population and habitat monitoring of the bats who are affected by White-Nose Syndrome. The science department put Timothy Divoll, a graduate student working in the Center for Bat Research, Outreach and Conservation, in charge of the project. Divoll said that the team will be “using molecular tools to describe the foraging ecology of endangered bat species in different Indiana landscapes.” The research is being done because there is not much known about what the bats are eating. “We are studying bat species in two different landscapes,” Divoll said. “One is the landscapes is the fragmented area near the Indianapolis Airport, so there is a lot of agricultural fields and housing developments with a stream corridor in the middle.” The other study area is the Morgan Monroe and Yellowwood State Forest which does not have housing developments or agriculture which allows for
the team to see if the bats are eating tree harming insects. “We are going to take the bats fecal samples and extract the DNA of insects to figure out and trace back exactly what the bats are eating,” Divoll said. “We will also track the bats and figure out where they are foraging. The project requires a lot of people and coordination.” Divoll’s field work has not started just yet. “Over winter break, I will start extracting DNA, then in spring I will do more sequencing,” Divoll said. “Right now I am working with the computer science department to figure out the programming I need for the data.” When sequencing the DNA, Divoll will barcode the insect sequences with primer so that he only extracts the insect DNA. “We are doing this project for a lot of reasons,” Divoll said. “We are curious if bats are eating agricultural pests or pests to trees. No one has really looked into this from a forestry perspective. If we can figure out what habitat the bats like, then we can manage for that. If we don’t have that kind of habitat, it is possible that the tree pests can go uncontrolled.”
ISU Communications and Marketing
A presentation given at ISU’s annual Bat Festival.
The White-Nose Syndrome is causing many bats to die because of a fungus that kills bats in the winter in their caves. “When the bats emerge from their hibernacula which is the cave they spend the winter in, this fungus eats away their tissues and causes them to wake up frequently and groom themselves,” Divoll said. “They end up burning all of their fat stores. By the time they emerge, their body condition is really low.”
Bats migrate back to their summer area looking for a quality habitat. “Females need to be in a really good body condition to raise the young,” Divoll said. “For the health of their population, the females need to be in good health. We don’t know what they prefer to eat. We are researching it so that we can try to provide certain types of plants or forest dimensions to support the bats.” Page designed by Sarah Hall
2015-16 Schedule Friday, Nov. 13 IUPUI @ Hulman Center 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 Wyoming @ Hulman Center 7 p.m.
2015 Indiana State men’s basketball preview
New faces look to make impact this season Adler Ingalsbe Reporter
Friday, Nov. 20 Norfolk State @ St. Thomas, USVI 8:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Nov. 21-22 Ohio/Tulsa @ St. Thomas, USVI Monday, Nov. 23 TBA @ St. Thomas, USVI Tuesday, Dec. 01 Eastern Illinois @ Charleston, Ill. 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13
Butler @ Indianapolis, Ind. Noon Wednesday Dec. 09 Valparasio @ Hulman Center 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 Western Ky. @ Bowling Green, KY. 3 p.m.
The Indiana State University men’s basketball team is set to tip off the regular season when they welcome in-state rival IUPUI to the Hulman Center on Friday, Nov. 13. The Sycamores, led by head coach Greg Lansing, who is in his sixth year at the helm, will look to build off of last year’s up-and-down season. In 2014-15, ISU had an overall record of 15-16 and were 11-7 in Missouri Valley Conference games, which placed them in the MVC tournament game as the third seed. The team was matched up against Loyola, the sixth seed. The Sycamores were defeated, sending them into the offseason. When the buzzer sounded, it meant the end of the careers for a few Indiana State players, whether it was transferring away or graduation. Justin Gant and Jake Kitchell were among the departures from last season, as both graduated, while Alex Etherington and Tre’ Bennett transferred from ISU. Although the team lost two starters and two rotational players, the Sycamores will welcome several new faces to this year’s roster, as well as a few more returning from injuries or from redshirt seasons. Among the new guys on this year’s squad is 6-foot9 forward Niels Bunschote, originally from the Netherlands, who transferred to ISU from Howard College and was ranked as the 39th-best 3-point shooter in JUCO basketball. Another player who will be
suiting up for the first time for the Sycamores is junior forward Matt Van Scyoc. After sitting out the previous year due to NCAA transfer rules, the Citadel transfer could play a vital role for Indiana State. ISU also brought in three true freshmen, Bronson Kessinger, Trey Knight III and Emondre Rickman, as well as redshirt freshman Laquarious Paige. All look to earn themselves minutes and play a role. While the Sycamores have quite a few new faces, they also have some key holdovers that will look to lead the team back to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference. Seniors Devonte Brown and Khristian Smith and sophomore Brenton Scott, who was named last year’s MVC Freshman of the Year, will be the trio that leads the Sycamores on the court. Brown, named to the Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference, led ISU a year ago with his 11.9 points per game, while grabbing 4.4 rebounds. Smith put in 10.5 points per game and snatched 4.5 rebounds and was the team’s best free throw shooter based on percentage, among the returnees. Scott averaged 11.4 points per game, snagged 3.6 rebounds and connected on 44.9 percent of his 3-point shots, which made him the second best 3-point percentage shooter in the MVC. The team will also welcome back senior Brandon Burnett who missed the entire 201415 season after suffering a serious injury in the preseason. He put in 2.1 points per game during the 2013-14 season, but is likely to have a much larger role on this year’s team.
Brandon Murphy, a 6-foot7 sophomore, is another returnee from a year ago that could be a major contributor as he looks to build on a solid freshman campaign. A year ago, the Sycamores had a tough non-conference schedule that featured the likes of St. Louis, Illinois, Memphis and Butler, who was the 23rd-ranked team in the country at the time. Not to mention the brutal Missouri Valley Conference portion that had two of the best teams in the nation in Wichita State and Northern Iowa, as well as other difficult conference rivals. This year’s schedule features Wyoming coming to the Hulman Center for the Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge, road trips to Butler and Western Kentucky and a home game against Valparaiso. The Sycamores will also be a part of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam tournament, where they will take on Norfolk State on Nov. 20 and either Ohio or Tulsa on Nov. 21 or Nov. 22, depending on whether they win or lose their first game. The tournament will also host DePaul, Florida State, Hofstra and South Carolina. Once the non-conference schedule comes to a close, Lansing will lead the Sycamores into the MVC portion of the season, with their first game coming on the road against Evansville on Dec. 30. Voters predicted Indiana State to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the team will look to prove the doubters wrong, once again, while getting the program back to the top.
Saturday, Jan. 09 Illinois State @ Hulman Center 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13 Northern Iowa @ Hulman Center 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17 Wichita State @ Wichita, Kan. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20 Southern Illinois @ Carbondale, Ill. 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 Evansville @ Hulman Center 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27 Missouri State @ Hulman Center 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 Chicago, Ill. @ Chicago, Ill. 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 02 Drake @ Hulman Center 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 Bradley @ Peoria, Ill. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10 Southern Illinois @ Hulman Center 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 13 Illinois-Springfield @ Hulman Center 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 13 Missouri State @ Springfield, Mo. 3 p.m.
Saturday Dec. 19 Saint Louis @ Saint Louis, Mo. 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 17 Illinois State @ Normal, Ill. 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 22 Ball State. @ Hulamn Center 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 21 Wichita State @ Hulman Center 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 30 Evansville @ Evansville, Ind. 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 24 Northern Iowa @ Cedar Falls, Iowa 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 02 Loyola @ Hulman Center 2 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27 Bradley @ Hulman Center TBA
Wednesday, Jan. 06 Drake @ Des Moines, Iowa 7 p.m.
Thur. March 3 Sun. March 6 MVC Tournament @ St. Louis, Mo. TBA
Seniors Devonte Brown (No. 11) and Khristian Smith (No. 32)
Page designed by Alex Modesitt
indianastatesman.com
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 • Page 3 Page designed by Carey Ford
Games to watch this 2015-16 season Zach Rainey Reporter
The Sycamores will tip off their season Friday against IUPUI. With that, let’s take a look at some big games on the Sycamores’ schedule for the 2015-16 season. Wyoming — Nov. 16, Hulman Center The Cowboys are coming off one of their most successful seasons in program history, going 25-10 and eventually losing in the second round of the tournament to Northern Iowa. The Cowboys lost their leading scorer Larry Nance Jr. to the NBA, where he was drafted with the 27th pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cowboys return just one starter from last season’s tournament team and have just three upperclassmen on the roster. The Cowboys still have tal-
ent on their roster, but it may be a few years before they make their way back to the tournament. Butler — Dec. 5, at Butler The Bulldogs are going to prove to be the biggest test for the Sycamores in the early part of the season. The Bulldogs went 23-11 last season and lost in the third round of the tournament to Notre Dame in overtime. The Bulldogs return three of their starters who were also the team’s top-three scorers a season ago. The Bulldogs enter the season ranked 24th in the country. Their schedule isn’t easy by any means, but if they can make it through the regular season with between six and nine losses through a tough conference like the Big East, then they could be a tournament-worthy team.
Men’s basketball kicks off regular season against IUPUI Brice Bement Reporter
Indiana State University men’s basketball will play at home Friday against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis after coming off an exhibition win against DePauw University last weekend. On Saturday, the Sycamores beat DePauw 91-71 at the Hulman Center. Guard Khristian Smith scored 19 points, hitting 9-11 shots, including one 3-point attempt. Forward/center Brandon Murphy added to the scoreboard with a couple of dunks. Seniors Devonte Brown and Khristian Smith believe they already have “great team chemistry” on and off the court. The two seniors have high hopes for their incoming freshman class and agree the freshman class meshes well with the team. The last time Indiana State and IUPUI played each other, the Sycamores won 79-66 in overtime. Manny Arop, who
graduated from ISU last year, led the attack by dropping 25 points. Arop shot 9-13 and 4-5 3-pointers. Justin Gant, also an ISU graduate, scored 18 points and shot 6-18. The Sycamores will have to step up after graduating two seniors. Devonte Brown is one player the Sycamores will rely on to lead the attack, having played 1,020 minutes with 31 starts. Brown was also second team MVC All Conference. Marcellus Barksdale and Mitch Patton, both returning this year, were the leading scorers for IUPUI. Barksdale shot 5-11 while Patton was 7-14. Barksdale had a double-double, with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Sycamores will have to be aware of him offensively and defensively. This game will be the first official regular season game so hopefully the Sycamores can kick off their season with a win. The Sycamores will play their first regular season game against IUPUI this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Hulman Center.
Valparaiso — Dec. 9, Hulman Center The Crusaders are coming off a successful season in which they went 28-6 with a tournament appearance before falling to fourth-seeded Maryland in the second round. This season, the Crusaders are gearing up for a trip back to dance this season. They return four of their five starters, including their leading scorer Alec Peters. Peters averaged 16.8 points per game and close to seven rebounds per game. It will be interesting to see how the Crusaders work in their 7-foot-1 freshman Derrik Smits into the mix. In small conferences such as the Horizon league, having big guys like Smits can almost guarantee victory on the boards. The Sycamores have had trouble in recent years stopping big guys and have let them dominate the glass, or have gotten
into foul trouble trying to defend against them. The Crusaders are a team worth monitoring this season and could do big things down the stretch. Wichita State — Feb. 21, Hulman Center The game every Sycamore basketball fan has circled on their schedule. The Shockers come into the season ranked 15th in the country and returned all of their top players like Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. The Shockers declared themselves the basketball kings of Kansas in the tournament last season when they upset their in-state rival and famed basketball school, the Kansas Jayhawks. The Shockers look to make their fifth-straight tournament appearance and would love to get over the hump and get to the National Championship game.
NEWS
Page 4
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 Page designed by Carey Ford
Debt-free college: the new Democratic mantra Katy Murphy
San Jose Mercury News (TNS)
SAN FRANCISCO — The aspiring app developers and entrepreneurs attending the new Make School in San Francisco don’t take out loans to cover tuition. There is no tuition — at least up front. Students pay 25 percent of their salaries back to the school in their first two years in the workforce, as well as internship earnings. If they don’t find a job in the tech field — or if their startup fizzles — the school gets nothing. The two-year Make School, a highly selective startup preparing students to enter the lucrative tech sector, is hardly a typical American college. But its model, billed as “debt-free education,” reflects the collective national angst over student loans and college affordability. It’s been decades since California abandoned its famed tuition-free promise, but as tuition nationwide spirals upward, stressing middle-income and poor families alike, “debt-free college” has suddenly gone from nostalgic fantasy to political sound bite. “It’s moving as quickly as any recent issue that I can think of,” said Reid Setzer, policy and legislative affairs analyst for Young Invincibles, a research and advocacy group for millennials
based in Washington, D.C. The issue has crystallized as a central one in the Democratic presidential race, with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley all calling for the federal government to spend hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade to make college affordable. In January, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to unveil a plan for free community college, prompting lawmakers in nearly a dozen states to introduce legislation to that effect. In April, a group of congressional Democrats, including influential Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, went further. They introduced twin resolutions to make all public universities — not just two-year colleges — debt-free. By August, Clinton had released her own higher-education affordability plan, complete with a $350 billion price tag. Democrats embraced “debtfree college” after getting trounced in 2014 midterm elections and seeing how well the issue resonated with voters, political analysts say. A poll by the Progressive Change Institute in Washington, D.C., found that nearly half of Democratic voters who skipped that election “definitely” would have gone to the polls if college affordability was at stake. Out of dozens of progressive causes that might have motivated those voters, “debt-
D. Ross Cameron | Bay Area News/TNS
Leslie Kim, 27, originally from the Washington, D.C., area, works on computer coding at Make School, a new two-year “college replacement” program for aspiring app developers and entrepreneurs on Oct. 26, 2015, in San Francisco. Students pay nothing up front for their education, but agree to pay a percentage of their salary for the first two years after graduating.
free college at all public universities” rose to the top of the list, the poll found. The unique deal at the Make School appeals to students like Leslie Kim, 27, of San Francisco, who said she would not have gone back to school if she had to borrow to do it. Taking out loans felt like too much of a risk. “I didn’t want to incur any
Occupational therapy students will travel with professor to Haiti Kristen Kilker
debt,” she said. And it’s no wonder: The debt burden for the average bachelor’s degree recipient rose at more than twice the pace of inflation from 2004 to 2014 — to nearly $29,000, according to a new report from the Oaklandbased Institute for College Access & Success. Under Clinton’s proposal,
families would pay what they could afford for tuition, but wouldn’t have to take out a loan to cover tuition and fees. Sanders’ plan would “eliminate undergraduate tuition” at public universities, with the federal government picking up twothirds of the tab. O’Malley’s pro-
DEBT CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Man arrested in Mizzou threats had ‘deep interest’ in Oregon mass shooting
ISU Communications and Marketing
A group of occupational therapy students will travel to Haiti over spring break to assist orphans with disabilities in a country where disabilities are seen as “a curse” for which the children and their families are often shunned. “For one thing in Haiti, there’s a lot of — what we call — occupational justice that needs to happen, meaning if you have a child with a disability, you’ve been cursed,” said Meg Ladyman, assistant professor of applied medicine and rehabilitation. “And so often the families do not bond with those children, they don’t know what to do with them. It is a reminder that they are cursed. They are sometimes ostracized from the community, so often they will give those children up to orphanages.” A student, Johannah Caress, convinced Ladyman to go to Haiti by introducing her to one of her personal face book stars — an occupational therapist named Autumn Marshall who has spent over eight years in Haiti serving children with special needs. Ladyman and the students quickly watched all of Marshall’s videos, and when they discovered Marshall was in the United States, Ladyman convinced Marshall to go to the national OT conference in Nashville, and Marshall talked Ladyman into going to NYC for Adaptive designs. Ladyman convinced Marshall to visit Indiana State University and finally, Marshall invited Ladyman to travel to Haiti. “And that trumps all,” Ladyman said. Marshall, Ladyman, speech language pathologist Kristin Sayler and Bill Farrar, founder Fountains of Hope in Carmel, Indiana, endured an eight-hour drive down gravel roads from Port-Au-Prince to Saint-Louisdu-Nord. At the end of their
Matt Pearce
Los Angeles Times (TNS)
Photo courtesy of Meg Ladyman
Luna, an orphan at New Life Orphange in Haiti, shares her big smile and inspiring story with Indiana State students.
trip, they were greeted with unspeakable Haitian luxury: a cot with a mattress, two hours of electricity daily and cold water for showers. Electricity and plumbing are scarce in Haiti, and most families live in shacks. “There’s no trash pickup. If you get in an accident, there are no tow trucks, no police,” Ladyman said. Large U.N. tanks and guards armed with sawed-off shotguns kept the peace. Ladyman continued, “No ambulances, no hospitals, no doctors, so — you feel very vulnerable when you’re there, and it is a little bit scary as an American. However, they are very happy people. When you think of Haiti, you might ask, do you give them a fish or teach them how to fish? In Haiti, you do both.” From there, the group would travel to Marshall’s Miriam Center Clinic, which Marshall created after visiting Haiti for the first time and witnessing the lack of resources the staff had to care for the orphans. Marshall and her staff had already made a therapy gym with PVC parallel bars by hand. They spent time at the clinic assembling position-
ing equipment donated by the Indianapolis Easter Seals and working with the orphans inside the clinic. Outside the clinic, parents from surrounding villages carried their children down the mountainside to seek Marshall’s help. In addition to working with the children, Marshall has written and distributed pamphlets in Creole explaining Hydrocephaly, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, to destigmatize the conditions and teach parents that they can still bond and connect with their children. Marshall also arranges fun, monthly outings for families to encourage the bond. Ladyman believes this has been working. “[Marshall] is nothing short of the Mother Teresa of Haiti,” Ladyman said. This belief grew stronger as she watched families in need approach her at every chance, and heard the Haitian voices call Marshall’s name as they walked through the street —Autiiiim, Autiiim! Ladyman also visited Dora’s Orphanage in Port-Au-Prince and ventured into Cite Soleil,
THERAPY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The white college student arrested on suspicion of posting a social media threat to shoot black University of Missouri students expressed a “deep interest” in the Umpqua Community College massacre in Oregon, according to court documents. Hunter Park, 19, of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, told a police officer that the threat to “stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see” was “pretty much” just intended to rattle students, according to a probable cause statement from a University of Missouri police officer. Park is suspected of making a terrorist threat, a class C felony, which can bring a sentence of up to seven years in prison. His arraignment in Boone County court was set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and he was being held without bond. University of Missouri police received more than 50 phone calls about several posts on the Yik Yak anonymous messaging platform Tuesday night that concerned students and investigators. One post said, “Some of you are alright. Don’t go to campus tomorrow.” University of Missouri campus police filed an emergency request with the Yik Yak for the poster’s information and received a phone number belonging to Park that had been used to create the Yik Yak account, according to court documents. Investigators then obtained a cellphone “ping” that located Park’s phone almost 100 miles away in Rolla, where he is a student at Missouri S&T, a school in the University of Missouri system. University of Missouri and
Missouri S&T police found Park in his dorm room. Park admitted to an officer that the posts were “inappropriate,” the court documents said. “I asked Hunter why he posted about shooting black students; he replied ‘I won’t get there ... so ... I don’t know,” University of Missouri Officer Dustin Heckmaster wrote. “I asked Hunter what he meant by the phrase ‘some of you are alright; don’t go to campus tomorrow.’ Hunter smiled and stated ‘I was quoting something.’ I asked if he was quoting the Umpqua shooting; he replied ‘mmhmm.’ I asked why he had quoted the phrase; Hunter replied ‘I don’t know I just ... deep interest.’” The disclosures come after racial protests at the university culminated with the resignation of University of Missouri system president and the campus chancellor on Monday. An interim system president is expected to be announced Thursday afternoon. After the threats were leveled at black students, many stayed at home on Wednesday. Troubles continued on Thursday when a sign at the University of Missouri’s black culture center was vandalized in the early morning hours. The sign at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center appeared to be spray-painted to cover up the racist threats at the university. The sign was spray-painted about 12:50 a.m., and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the area, university police said in a statement. Freshman journalism student Isaac Jahns, 18, told the Los Angeles Times that he was walking home from a dining hall with three friends shortly
THREATS CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
ISU Public Safety police blotter Nov. 9
9:23 a.m.: A vehicle crash was reported in Parking Lot M. 5:32 p.m.: A theft was reported in Lot 14. 5:49 p.m.: A theft was reported in Lincoln Quad Dining. 6:01 p.m.: A vehicle crash was reported in University Apartments Lot 4. 9:48 p.m.: A theft was reported in the
Student Rec Center. 10:40 p.m.: Suspicious activity was reported in Jones Hall. 11:07 p.m.: A theft was reported in Jones Hall. 12:55 p.m.: Suspicious activity was reported in Jones Hall.
Nov. 10
12:42 p.m.: Theft and mischief were
reported in the University Apartments Unit 2. 1:19 p.m.: A theft was reported in Gillum Hall. 4:02 p.m.: A theft was reported in the University Apartments Unit 4 parking lot. 4:57 p.m.: A theft was reported in the Student Rec Center. 9:51 p.m.: A theft was reported in the
Student Rec Center. 12:55 p.m.: Fire property damage was reported in Sandison Hall. 10:08 p.m.: A disturbance was reported in 500 Wabash apartments. 12:55 p.m.: Suspicious activity was reported in the University Apartments Unit 4. 11:10 p.m.: A suicide threat was reported in Reeve Hall West.
indianastatesman.com
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 • Page 5 Page designed by Carey Ford
DEBT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 posal would expand Pell Grants and call on states to freeze tuition. All the Democratic candidates have also proposed allowing borrowers to refinance their loans at lower interest rates. The GOP candidates have been noticeably silent on the subject. “I think Republicans will get to this issue, but they’re not there yet,” said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, which represents college presidents at some 1,700 institutions nationwide. Ashu Desai, the 23-year-old co-founder of Make School, said widespread concerns about student debt and abuses in the for-profit college sector influenced his decision not to charge tuition up front. Instead, the school charges a percentage of graduates’ wages — or, alternatively, an investment in their startup — instead of a flat fee. “If you have $100,000, $200,000 in loans,” he said, “you’re not going to be an entrepreneur.” But one expert took issue with Make School’s claim that it offers a “debt-free
THERAPY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 the third largest slum in the world. While there, Ladyman noted the children’s hair turning orange — a sign of malnourishment. Ladyman traveled alone to Dora’s where she met a worker named Ben while completing range of motion (ROM) on contracted limbs under the mango trees. Through Ben, who spoke English, the staff barraged Ladyman with questions: “What would you do with kids like this in America?” Ben said, “I plead with you, come back here and bring supplies and training and educate us.” Danielle Hobbs, a second-year graduate student from Bloomington obtaining her Master’s in occupational therapy, is the student leader for Haiti trip, which will take place over spring break 2016. Since the first meeting in late August, six occupational therapy students have committed to the trip. Hobbs expressed excitement about the trip and looks forward to working with a vastly different culture. She says the group wants to dispel misconceptions about the disabled. “I believe that we all will gain a new appreciation for our everyday lifestyles, and will help us to become better, more understanding therapists after we graduate,” she said. An original base payment of $1000 is due in December to secure their flight ticket with Fountains of Hope, for which
MIZZOU CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 before 1 a.m. when he heard someone scream near the black culture center. “I heard a male voice scream out, ‘You black ... you’re not welcome here!’” said Jahns, who is white. When Jahns turned and looked toward the culture center, he said he saw a black woman sprinting away from the site toward a nearby parking garage. But he said he didn’t know if she had been the target of the racist comment. The university’s black student government, the Legion of Black Collegians, responded defiantly early Thursday morning.
M-W-F
education,” given that the average graduate is expected to eventually pay a total of $80,000. “That’s exactly what a loan is,” said Sandy Baum, who has co-authored the College Board’s annual report on college-pricing trends and who has advised Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “I think that anything that disguises debt as something else is worrisome.” Several Make School students interviewed for this story said they think the delayed payment ensures the school will give them the kind of training and mentoring they need to succeed. The first class of 32 students, most in their late teens and early 20s, will spend their two years attending lectures, interning at local companies and working on their own projects. “I think it’s a really good model,” said Ryan Kyungheui Kim, 23, who lived in Korea, India, Idaho and Los Angeles before moving to San Francisco. “The school needs to make sure the students are doing fine so they get a good job.” Debt-free college means different things to different people, Hartle said, but politically it has become a metaphor for college affordability. they are trying to raise money through fundraising websites such as Plumfund and Fundly. The group is also accepting donations of toys for the children and materials for their trip, such as sorting bins, switches, PVC piping, iPads and trifold cardboard. “We are still accepting contributions in any form and are very grateful for those supporting us,” Hobbs said. They will accept donations until they leave the United States on Sunday, March 13. They will return the following Saturday. “We’ve got a lot to do when we go back, some of these kids can’t fit in their wheelchairs at all, as they are way too big, the wrong fit — but we use what we have, what’s donated,” Ladyman said. Individuals who wish to donate money, toys or materials are encouraged to reach out to Danielle Hobbs,dhobbs7@ sycamores.indstate.edu. A number of the students — Hobbs, Amanda Criste, Chelsea Dause and Audrey Ortiz — have created crowdfunding websites to cover their costs. “What I would like to move people to do would be to examine and ask themselves the question, how can you use your skills in a developing country?” Ladyman said. “I never thought, as an occupational therapist, about using my skills in a developing country. That would never have crossed my mind until a student insisted.” “We’re not afraid. You clearly are,” the group tweeted. “Stay strong Mizzou.” A spokesman for the University of Missouri Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment on the sign vandalism. Police previously said a threatening phone call had been made to the building Tuesday, but no evacuations were ordered. The building was also the site in 2010 where two white students dumped cotton balls on the lawn in what black students saw as a racist message. Two men were arrested in the incident and were convicted of littering. © 2015 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
DEBT-FREE COLLEGE Highlights of proposals from the three Democratic presidential candidates: Hillary Clinton’s plan: Families would make “a realistic contribution” to tuition, but would not have to take out a loan to cover tuition and fees at public universities. The plan would also lower student loan interest rates, allow students to refinance, expand GI benefits for veterans and give federal grants to states that promise students a “no-loan guarantee.” Cost: $350 billion over 10 years Bernie Sanders’ plan: Would “eliminate undergraduate tuition” at public universities, with the federal government picking up two-thirds of the tab. Would expand work-study programs, set interest rates for undergraduates at 2.3 percent and allow borrowers to refinance. Cost: $750 billion over 10 years Martin O’Malley’s plan: Would set a “national goal” for students to graduate from any public university, debt free, encouraging states to freeze tuition. Would expand federal Pell Grants to help students with non-tuition expenses and allow borrowers to refinance. Cost: $400 billion over 10 years As time goes by, he added, policymakers will need to be more specific: Which students will benefit from the plans? Will private institutions be included? What strings will be attached to the federal money? And where will all the money come from?
AMAZON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 nights and de-stress events have been made available for ISU students to help create a more relaxed and positive college environment. “The Indiana State University Bookstore is a complete support system for students. We’re here to help, and that has made all the difference,” Mundell said. Amazon enrolls many college students in their Amazon Prime membership program. Even though it is a highly profitable program, its members spend twice as much as students who don’t use Amazon. They offer a free six-month Amazon Prime trial called Amazon Student. The
“Talking about paying for something that could be this expensive is a real buzz kill,” Hartle said. “The cost of these programs could be frightfully expensive.” © 2015 San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
program provides free two-day shipping, but then automatically converts into a paid Amazon Prime membership after the trial period is up. Because of the success of this program, Amazon’s stock prices are soaring. They don’t particularly enjoy the competition of Barnes and Noble Education, but both are definitely in the running to take over the college textbook purchasing market. Alexis Miller, a junior criminology major, gave her opinion about the Barnes and Noble bookstore. “I have used Barnes and Noble for my textbooks since I started here, and I really like using them,” she said.
OPINION
Page 6
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 Page designed by Sarah Hall
Combating the holiday blues Kirstyn Quandt Columnist
Sheneman/The Star-Ledger
Don’t completely lose yourself to your video games Kylie Adkins
Opinions Editor
“Fallout 4” came out on Tuesday and has since been the only game anybody has talked about. Many people have been waiting for this sequel for a number of years, and they have only been getting more excited this year since the announcement at E3 and the release of the app “Fallout Shelter.” “Fallout 4” has already beat the record for most concurrent play time on Steam, and even though I understand this hype, I still fear for my fellow gamers. While games are getting more and more immersive, I fear that we will become
too immersed in these fantasy worlds. With the release of the game, Bethesda released a fake doctor’s note for people to skip work or school to play the game on its launch. In a utopia, we could stay at home all day and play video games, but we all have jobs to do or things to study. Now, as an avid gamer, I’m not saying to excise video games from your life, just moderate how long you spend playing them. Spending too much time with any hobby can become detrimental to other areas of your life. I know how social video games have become, and while that is great, it is still impersonal and a far cry from personal interaction. Since the advent of cell phones, instant messaging and a generally more digital world, many people have lost the ability to interact person-
ally with others; anymore, we need some kind of screen to look through. If we continue to immerse ourselves, companies will make more immersive games — creating a never-ending chain that could stop all productivity whatsoever. That may be a bit apocalyptic, but it is one possible path this technology can take us down. Virtual Reality is quickly developing into a practical tool for video games, and from there it could be used for almost anything. Google Glass envisioned a world with a digital interface. The future is not far from our grasp, and while that is awesome, it is also dangerous. We risk becoming desensitized to actual problems in the world. There’s a chance people could become apathetic to the suffering of others, or worse, they could become apathetic to their own suf-
fering. This thinking, or lack thereof, can be dangerous. By giving up mental autonomy, you are checking out of this world and its problems. While we could all use a little vacation from our day-to-day lives, maybe we should take an actual vacation rather than a stay-cation to play “Fallout 4.” Now is the time to return to a more organic way of connecting to one another, texting and messaging are fine, but they can’t replace actual interaction. The same is true for many things in life. As opposed to buying Madden, maybe use that money to go see a game with some friends instead. Video games are a great hobby and a good way to make friends, but they should never be your only hobby or take over your life so completely that it is detrimental to other areas of your life.
The holidays are a time to celebrate family, reminisce on how much you hate cold weather and to consume numerous bakedgood calories with reckless disregard. With so much hustle and bustle going on from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, there is rarely time when you find yourself alone. However, if you ever do, don’t let the holiday blues consume you. Instead, cherish the moments that come along once a year with your loved ones and spend a little less time sulking and a little more time appreciating and loving the people who are there with you. Luckily, on fall and winter break there isn’t much you have to do. So sit back with your beautiful, red Starbucks holiday cup, engage in conversation and be completely in each and every moment. Of course your relatives may ask you endless times about college and whether or not you are in a relationship, but take them as compliments of inquiry and not as nuisances. No matter how many times you have to respond, “No grandma, I’m not seeing anybody,” know that she means well and in her sweetness is honestly just curiosity about your well-being, not judging your inability to have a relationship. We have all heard of the phrase “holiday blues” and I don’t discredit its authenticity. You see numerous couples going to Christmas at the Zoo and exchanging heartfelt gifts and can’t help but think, “I wish that was me.” Then naturally, you follow that up with a tub of cookie dough and a flick bursting with the empowerment of women, but that’s not the point. It is important that you don’t let a relationship, or the lack thereof, define your holiday break. There are many positives to
being single that you rarely see when you are blinded by the millions of engagement rings flooding your timelines during the next few months. So let me explain a few. First and foremost, you are able to spend more quality time with your family and friends and not have to worry about balancing multiple Christmases or spending ridiculous amounts of money on gifts for your significant other. Those funds can be put toward something for yourself like a nice treat or if you’re feeling generous, a little something extra for your loved ones. Enjoy the little moments spent sitting around the house in the mornings reminiscing on old memories and enjoy the fresh aroma of unbelievably strong coffee that only your mother can make. In the simplest terms, use the holidays to relax. At school you are doing things for others and constantly running around trying to get everything done while trying to keep your sanity. Take this time to snuggle up with a good book or a Netflix binge and relax. For once, don’t think about all of the meetings on your agenda, just think about you, that lovely cup of hot cocoa and how nice it is to have a legitimate couch. Your biggest worry should be the decorating of the tree and if your ornaments are just how you like them, not the drama of a significant other or the stress of academics. Lock that in your dorm room for the entirety of break and try your best to focus on family and all of the great things going on in your life. Finally, utilize the holidays to get your life back together. Even if it is nearly in shambles or already there, it only takes a few changes to get you back on track. While eating healthy is tough during the holidays, you can make a genuine effort to work out while you’re home or to change a few habits here and there. If you have always wanted to try something new, like a painting or cooking class, explore those options while you have some free time. Also, catch up on some much-needed sleep because well, you deserve it. Kudos to you for making it
BLUES CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Religion is not a determining factor for president Joe Lippard
Assistant Opinions Editor
Last weekend, some of the Republican presidential candidates attended the National Religious Liberties Conference in Iowa. The three candidates in attendance were Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee. Some people have criticized the event for being bigoted; Kevin Swanson, the man who created the event, is known for his vitriol against those in the LGBT community. He has advocated that gay people be put to death, and at the conference last weekend, he said if he was invited to a gay wedding, he would “sit in cow manure and I’d spread it all over
my body.” The man is known for his hate. We know that at least one of the candidates knew about Swanson’s anti-gay rhetoric. Before the conference, Ted Cruz was interviewed by Jake Tapper, who informed him of Swanson’s remarks. Tapper then asked Cruz if he was promoting “conservative intolerance,” knowing what Swanson has said about gay people. Cruz responded that he didn’t know what Swanson had or hadn’t said before launching into his talking point that he’s been fighting for religious liberty “for decades.” But Jake Tapper had just told Cruz what Swanson had said about gay people. Cruz could have said that he disagreed with Swanson on his remarks that gay people should be put to death, but he didn’t. This could possibly be trouble for the candidate, since his not saying that he disagreed could possibly be interpreted as a tacit agreement with Swanson.
Swanson also gave Ted Cruz questions in a Q&A at the conference this weekend. The first “most important” question that Swanson asked Cruz was, “How important is it for the President of the United States to fear God, and what does that mean to you?” To which Cruz replied, flatout, “Any president who doesn’t begin every day on his knees isn’t fit to be commander in chief of this nation.” This is obviously an issue. I mean, a presidential candidate who claims to be all about religious freedom says that a person can’t be president unless they spend every morning praying? That’s kind of the exact opposite of religious freedom. Now, it is important to point out that Cruz did not explicitly say that atheists couldn’t run for president, just that they weren’t fit to be president. Personally, I have a feeling that once he gets some backlash for these comments, he’ll use his wording of
Editorial Board
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 Indiana State University www.indianastatesman.com Volume 123 Issue 37
Alex Modesitt Editor-in-Chief statesmaneditor@isustudentmedia.com Kristi Sanders News Editor statesmannews@isustudentmedia.com Kylie Adkins Opinions Editor statesmanopinions@isustudentmedia.com Dajia Kirkland Features Editor statesmanfeatures@isustudentmedia.com Rob Lafary Sports Editor statesmansports@isustudentmedia.com Marissa Schmitter Photo Editor statesmanphotos@isustudentmedia.com Carey Ford Chief Copy Editor The Indiana Statesman is the student newspaper of Indiana State University. It is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the academic school year. Two special issues are published during the summer. The paper is printed by the Tribune Star in Terre Haute, Ind.
the answer to backpedal on his remark. Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta brought up an interesting point about Cruz’s statement. He asked the reader to “imagine what his reaction would be if Sen. Bernie Sanders said someone who wastes time praying in office wasn’t fit for the presidency.” And it does bring up the very high likelihood that, if a candidate said that praying was a waste of time and someone who did it wasn’t fit to be president, Ted Cruz would probably be one of the first ones to condemn those remarks. And let’s not forget that the Constitution expressly forbids a religious requirement in order to hold public office. Article VI, paragraph 3 states explicitly that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” So, yes, an atheist can be president. Freedom of religion also means freedom from
religion. And personally, I believe that anyone of any faith should have an equal chance of getting elected. A person’s religion doesn’t determine their policies — at least, if they’re a good politician. Ben Carson said earlier in the year that a Muslim should have to give up components of Islam in order to be president, but I think that his statement was extremely short-sighted. A person does not have to give up their religion to be president, but the president should not govern based on his religion. It is wrong (and unconstitutional) for the government to force others to live by one specific religion’s tenants. For example, I would disagree with a Jewish president outlawing pork in the same way I disagree with a Christian president outlawing gay marriage or abortion. Not everyone follows the same religion in the United States. That freedom of religion is part of what makes this country great.
Opinions Policy The opinions page of the Indiana Statesman offers an opportunity for the Indiana State University community to express its views. The opinions, individual and collective, expressed in the Statesman and the student staff’s selection or arrangement of content do not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the university, its Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or student body. The Statesman editorial board writes staff editorials and makes final decisions about news content. This newspaper serves
as a public forum for the ISU community. Make your opinion heard by submitting letters to the editor at statesmanopinions@isustudentmedia.com. Letters must be fewer than 500 words and include year in school, major and phone number for verification. Letters from non-student members of the campus community must also be verifiable. Letters will be published with the author’s name. The Statesman editorial board reserves the right to edit letters for length, libel, clarity and vulgarity.
indianastatesman.com
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 • Page 7 Page designed by Sarah Hall
BLUES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 through the semester; now, you can finally relax. Let your parents cook for you, do your laundry if they are generous enough and spend time however you wish. There aren’t many times in life where this is the case so cherish being with your family, indulge in those scrumptious treats even if you’ve already had three and be thankful for where you are
To place a classified ad call:
(812) 237-3025 fax us: (812) 237-7629 stop by the office: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Room 143, HMSU or send us an email: statesmanclassifieds@isustudentmedia.com
FOR RENT NOW RENTING-FALL 2016 Studios, 10 Bedroom Houses & Apartments Available. Contact us for information and showings SharpFlats.com 812-877-1146 or sharpflats@gmail.com
and who you’re with. When you begin to feel lonesome during the holidays, know that it’s normal. Know that the feeling will go away and you aren’t doomed to eternal single-dom. You aren’t entering into a minor state of depression and there are plenty of others that feel the same way. So find those sulking sisters and bond over the beautiful fact that you are single and have the freedom to do what you want this holiday season.
Liner Rates
CLASSIFIEDS ISU Organizations
Rates are for the first 20 words. Extra words are 15¢ each.
*Fraternities, sororities, student organizations and departments (includes Greek notes): $5.00 per issue
Business Classifieds
Deadlines
One liner ad for one issue: $7.00
Business Frequency Discount
For Monday Issues: 3 p.m. Thursday For Wednesday issues: 3p.m. Monday For Friday issues: 3 p.m. Wednesday
NICE HOUSES FOR RENT 4 & 5 Bedrooms CLOSE TO CAMPUS Lower rent for additional people Call 812-232-6977
ADOPTION
Same liner ad in three or more consecutive issues: $6.00 per issue
EMPLOYMENT
STUDIO AVAIL. JANUARY Sunny upper apartment Includes all utilities. 700 S. 5th St. sharpflats@gmail.com 812-877-1146
Ad Classifications
Business Opportunities, Career Services, Check-It Out, Child Care, Employment, For Rent, For Sale, Greek Notes, Internships, Jobs Wanted, Lost and Found, Personal, Resumes/Typing, Roommates, Services, Spring Break, Subleases, Tickets, Travel, Tutoring, Vehicles, Wanted to Buy
Student Advertising Manager, 237-4344 ISU-statesmanads@mail.indstate.edu
Alex Modesitt
Editor-in-Chief, 237-3289 StatesmanEditor@isustudentmedia.com
THE STORK DIDN’T CALL We hope you will. Happily married, loving, educated, traveled, family oriented couple wishes to adopt newborn. Dominick and Liz 1-877-274-4824 www.lizdomhopetoadopt.com
SUDOKU ANSWER
AVAILABLE JANUARY 2 bedroom apartment located at 926 S. 6th St. Price includes heat, water, and sewage. Call to see 812-877-1146 sharpflats@gmail.com AVAILABLE NOW Beautiful 4 bedroom 2 bath unit Newely renovated, central air, dishwasher, porch. Price includes all utilities. Laundry in building. 1027 S. 4th St. Sharpflats@gmail.com 812-877-1146
SHu •DoP•K: u ow to
lay
Each Row must contain the numbers 1-9 Each column must contain the numbers 1-9 And each set of boxes must contain the numbers 1-9 solution found in classifieds for following issue.
Quote day of the
Word “AFind” dverbs
SHORT ACROSS BRISKLY LONG SLOWLY AGAIN DOWN LOUDLY SOFTLY AHEAD EARLY MONTHLY SOMETIMES ALMOST EASILY NEARBY SOMEWHERE ALREADY FAST NEVER SOON ALSO FIRST NOWHERE THEN ALWAYS FOREVER OFTEN THERE ANYWHERE FORWARD ONCE TODAY APART GENTLY PRESENTLY TOMORROW AWAY GREATLY QUICKLY UPWARD BACK HENCE QUIETLY WEEKLY BEFORE HIGH QUITE WISELY BEHIND HOMEWARD RARELY YESTERDAY BELOW HOWEVER RATHER LITTLE REALLY
Comedy is surprises, so if you’re intending to make somebody laugh and they don’t laugh, that’s funny. – Norm MacDonald
FEATURES
Page 8
Friday, Nov. 13, 2015 Page designed by Grace Adams
Drag Superstars put on a show Staff Report
Nikki St. Queer, a previous Miss Gay ISU winner asked the audience, “Can I get an attitude check, y’all?” and the audience then yelled back, “Hell yeah!” Wednesday, Spectrum hosted the Mister and Miss Drag Superstar show called “Drag me to Wonderland.” Samantha Smith, senior chemistry major, is the vice president of Spectrum and head of ISU Drag Committee. She explained the show for those who are unfamiliar with the event. “For years it had been Miss Gay ISU, and two years ago we started having drag kings compete. This year we changed the title to Drag Superstar because we understand that not everyone who holds the title identifies as gay,” Smith said. In Dede I, Spectrum had a runway and lip sync competition. The four contestants — James Bondage, Tommy Lovgun, Keisha Von Lord and Cheryle Teasman — picked songs that meant the most to them, or songs that would get the crowd hyped up, and they performed to their best ability. A few
of the songs included “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “I’m Burning Up,” which they lip-synced and danced to. The contestants were not only judged on their stage performance, but also their talent and an on-stage question. There were five judges at the performance, including Dr. Kand McQueen, Dr. BD Hartman, Sarah Campbell, Miss ISU Madisson Brower and Miss Ebony Jalynne Messer. Brower said it was her first time at an event like this. “I got asked to judge a few days ago. I’ve never been to anything like this before. It’s definitely fun and different,” Brower said. Throughout the show, audience members could give money to the superstars as “tips,” which counted toward the proceeds. All the proceeds went to Council on Domestic Abuse. They raised more than $200 plus donated canned goods. Brenda Simmons and Rebecca Moore, representatives from CODA, spoke about why this event is so important. “I get to meet all kinds of people (for this job). When Spectrum
reached out to us, we were very fortunate. This is a group we really need to reach. I was so grateful they reached out to us,” Moore said. Scarlett Litre, also known as ISU student Sean McCool and former Miss Gay ISU, spoke about why CODA is so important. “I am standing up here today against domestic violence. I am a part of something that accepts so many people. I have been there; I’ve been through that. I am a survivor (of domestic violence),” McCool said. Alexa Mayer — also known as Charlie Cobbler and the president of Spectrum — spoke about how she felt a sense of community at the event. “There is such a sense of community in this room,” Mayer said. “It’s so cool whether you have been to Spectrum before or you just came in because you walked by; it’s so great you came. Family is a choice, and you guys right now are a super hella family.” As the show finished, all of the contestants gathered on stage. St. Queer demanded a drum roll as she announced this year’s
Miss and Mister Drag Superstar. Mister Drag Superstar was Tommy Lovgun, also known as ISU student Sammy Hopkins. Miss Drag Superstar was Cheryle Teasman. Smith, who helped put together the show, said she was pleased with the outcome after all of the work she put into it. “It’s been in the works since last semester,” Smith said. “It involved getting contestants to apply, finding performers to perform, book the space, order the stuff, picking a theme, a lot of phone calls — I think I’ll leave it there. It turned out really well. It’s really cool we raised so much money and canned goods.” All students are welcome to join Spectrum for weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in HMSU. Students were also encouraged to attend Take Back the Night next week. Stories will be shared by students like McCool, and CODA will be at the event to support those who need to it. (Erica Garnes and Marissa Schmitter contributed to this report.)
Marissa Schmitter | Indiana Statesman
Contestant Keisha Von Lord.
Annual event empowers women against domestic violence DJ Reynolds Reporter
Submitted Photo
Mary Ellen Doucette-Lunstrum’s Criminology 230 class poses on their Nov. 5 trip to the Federal Corrections Complex in Terre Haute.
Criminology class visits penitentiary Ryan Ballinger Reporter
One criminology class at Indiana State University was recently given the opportunity for hands-on learning. Mary Ellen DoucetteLunstrum, a professor of criminology, and her Crominology 230 class visited the United State Penitentiary in Terre Haute, a high security prison. “This is a unique experience so it is not open to the public. This is because of security reasons and high demand,” Lunstrum said. She explained that students did not interact with any inmates, also because of security protocol. Lunstrum explained how the prison made this trip not only exciting, but also educational for the students. The Executive Assistant of the prison showed the students a slideshow with information such as how
to get a job in prisons. The presentation also gave statistics, some facts about the prison and how it works. The EA also explained how all the guards and staff have to do training to get used to instructional situations. Rita Knott, a senior criminology major, said that the prison was a lot different than what’s depicted on TV. “The prisoners were not locked in their cells; they were not shackled, chained or even handcuffed,” she said. “None of them ever wore any orange suits like you see on TV.” Lunstrum, who had worked in a prison for 23 years, said she expected a reaction like Knott’s from her students. The students visited sections of the prison such as the “Life Resources Area,” for prisoners who are about to get released back into society. They toured the
drug rehab center, recreation center and the UNICOR area, which is where the prisoners work jobs. In this one they made military shirts. There was also an area for prisoners to do hobbies such as painting, crafting or even leather working. She added that the prisoners pay for this — the budget at the prison does not fund it. Lunstrum also gave helpful advice for students in criminology. “You never know what it really will be like working in a prison, in fact I thought I would never work in a prison. I eventually got used to it though and worked there for 23 years,” Lunstrum said. She said she was happy to give the students the opportunity because she too was once like them, and wanted to give each student a chance to see if criminology is the right fit for them.
Gender Studies 450 will be hosting the annual Take Back the Night event on Wednesday from to 8:30 p.m. in Hulman Memorial Student Union, Dede I. The course — Student Activism in Theory and Practice — helps students explore many foundations of student activism like philosophy, social, political, legal and artistic views. One of the course descriptions is organizing the Take Back the Night march and rally. The event itself includes a resource fair, a rally and a march. Take Back the Night aims to increase awareness of all forms of gendered violence. During the event, students will be raising money and collecting
goods for Terre Haute’s Council On Domestic Abuse, a community partner of the event. Take Back the Night isn’t just an Indiana State University event; it takes place around the world. It has been an occurring event of marches and rallies since 1976. In 1976, in Belgium, women attending the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women had walked together holding candles to show protest in the ways in which violence infiltrates the lives of women worldwide. As a worldwide of movement to “take back the night,” women walk without fear throughout the night and reclaim the roads and streets, which for many long years has been a source of fear and violence. This international event is organized by allies of local community service agencies,
universities, religious organizations, governmental entities, businesses and private citizens. The mission of the event around the world has evolved to not just ending sexual violence of women but of all forms of violence against all genders and sexual identities. The women who had participated in the earliest event formed the Take Back the Night Foundation in 2001 in order to support the events throughout the United States and the world. The event welcomes all participants to help the world be a better, safe place from all forms of sexual violence, not just for women, but for all. Anyone who has questions about the event and what it stands for can contact Katherine Fredlund at katherine. fredlund@indstate.edu.