News
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Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016
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It’s On Us to teach bystander intervention Sanah Baig Staff writer
DeKALB | The Student Association’s It’s On Us campaign will be partnering with Health Services to offer bystander intervention courses this semester. Two years ago, SA joined the campaign which is a presidential task force that aims to work with universities to prevent sexual assault. NIU is one of more than 200 student leader groups the White House has partnered with for the national campaign, according to an Oct. 12, 2015, Northern Star article.
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Obviously there will always be some times where you can’t prevent [sexual assault] and it’s not anyone’s fault except the perpetrator, but you have to be smart about what decisions you make.” Christine Wang SA Senate Speaker
Health Services offers bystander intervention courses, but SA plans to partner with it to help facilitate the sessions, said SA President Giuseppe LaGioia. Officials will teach students about sexual assault awareness and prevention, LaGioia said. He hopes to have the classes open by October. “We both had similar campaigns with It’s On Us, so I kind of wanted to bring them together,” LaGioia said. “Getting the SA involved [with the wellness center]
decisions you make,” Wang said. The campaign’s YouTube channel features videos of celebrities discussing the importance of consent prior to sexual encounters. “There’s one thing I can never have sex without,” actor John Cho said in a YouTube video on the campaign’s channel. “It’s not something I can carry in my wallet or something I take. It has to be given to me. It’s consent. Sex without it is not sex. It’s rape.” Videos of celebrities delivering messages are not the only campaign strategy. With preventative measures, Wang said the rate of crime can be reduced. “I mean, I’m not going to walk home alone from Greek Row to New Hall at midnight,” Wang said. “I’m not [going to] do that. I’m [going to] ask someone to walk with me or have to ask someone to drive me. Preventative measures are always the best way to make sure incidents of crime and everything like that low.” Wang said bystanders can play Madison Kacer | Northern Star Student Association President Giuseppe LaGioia hopes to bring new initiatives to the It’s On Us campaign this fall. an important role in sexual assault prevention. was an initiative I wanted to take research about what strategies re- at some point in their lives, ac“It’s only better to speak up now on over the summer, so that’s ceived the most feedback. cording to the National Sexual than regret it later that you didn’t what I’ve been working towards.” “I like doing a lot of research,” Violence Resource Center’s web- speak up,” Wang said. LaGioia said he hopes to con- LaGioia said. “I want to see what’s site. SA Speaker Christine Wang tinue marketing the campaign by been done in the past and see what said prevention is the best way Safety services tabling and hanging posters. worked and what hasn’t worked. I for students to protect themselves Bystander intervention courses: “We have our own initiatives read those and see if they can be from sexual assault. that we plan on taking as SA,” La- better. I communicate with a lot “Obviously there will always 815-753-9767 Gioia said. “We want to keep it go- of different people to see what be some times where you can’t 24-hour escort service: ing, because it’s a great campaign.” they think about it.” prevent it and it’s not anyone’s 815-753-1212 LaGioia said his brainstorm proOne in five women and one in fault except the perpetrator, but After hours shuttle service: cess for the campaign starts with 71 men will be sexually assaulted you have to be smart about the 815-753-1558
Unity March draws crowd Marisa Pieroni and Julia Martinez Staff writers
DeKALB | Students, community members, local faith organizations and law enforcement gathered at MLK Commons to partake in the annual Unity March. Participants gathered for the Unity Walk at 6 p.m. Wednesday to start an open dialogue about unity and aspire positive change, according to a Sept. 14 NIU media release. “It’s important for the university to work together to build a stronger community,” President Doug Baker said. “It is particularly important at this time as a university so we can teach others how to work and solve problems together.” The Unity Walk began in 2014 when
New Hope Baptist Church pastor Joe Mitchell asked NIU police chiefs for their support to host the event in order to strengthen the DeKalb community following the events at Ferguson, Missouri, according to NIU Police Chief Thomas Phillips. “We want to show unity and start a dialogue on race relations in our community,” Phillips said. “This year, everyone after the march is invited to get together to develop strategies on how to be more inclusive of our community members.” The Rev. Ana Blechschmidt, Sycamore resident, is the spiritual adviser for the NIU Pagan Student Association. Blechschmidt said s h e hopes
Marisa Pieroni | Northern Star
NIU Police Chief Thomas Phillips
people will be able to find common ground by engaging in a unified activity. “As far as the unity of peoples goes, it’s not faith based; it’s humanity based,” Blechschmidt said. “It’s very much a necessity for going forward.” The Unity Walk is a first for Tatyana Coleman, freshman double hospitality management and pre-physical therapy major. “The word unity means a lot to me,” Coleman said. “It’s everyone coming together to make a change and to make a stand for something.” Baker has spoken at the Unity March event every year since 2014, and said this year was the biggest turnout from students. “At the university, we strive to provide an inclusive environment where students, staff and surrounding community [members] feel valued and engaged,” Baker said. Participants were asked to walk along Normal Drive to Lucinda Avenue to Greenbriar Road and back to MLK Commons. Transportation was provided for those who wanted to participate, but were not able to walk. “I sincerely embrace the importance of civil discourse and welcome the opportunity of solution-based dialogue,” said DeKalb Mayor John Rey. “The chance to dialogue with students and civilians represents my interest in solidarity with NIU.”
New gaming license passes Gaming | From Page 1
Jacobson identified himself as a commercial business owner with a business that may seek approval for the use of video gaming terminals. He said that council should put a definitive expiration date on the moratorium. “The reality that it is a low-cost build out or a low-cost operation is in most cases tacitly false,” Jacobson said. “The reality is most of these operators are multi-tenant locations that are filling commercial space in DeKalb.”
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[We] need to give the staff the opportunity to discuss the matter at public meetings, to provide an opportunity for additional public input [on] the issues. ” John Rey Mayor of DeKalb
City Manager Anne Marie Gaura recommended that if approved, the expiration for the moratorium be no sooner than six months from the current date. Multiple aldermen agreed that an expiration should be put on the moratorium. Sixth Ward Alderman David Baker said the expiration should be set before the spring city council election. “I, for one, would like for the seated council to make this decision,” Baker said. “If we get too close to the election time, it’s
[going to] be real easy for people to think ‘we’ll let the people coming into council decide this.’ Unless we get going, [this issue] is just going to get kicked down the road.” A 5-2 vote set the moratorium in place until March 13. Council can lift the moratorium anytime sooner if they see fit, Frieders said. City council plans to discuss regulations on gaming facilities in the DeKalb area specifying items such as the distance between two facilities and the maximum number of gaming terminals allowed per business in preparation for the lift on the moratorium. “What we want to do with the moratorium is to avoid a rash of new video gaming applications while a study is being made,” Mayor John Rey said. “[We need] to give staff the opportunity to discuss the matter at public meetings, to provide an opportunity for additional public input [on] the issues. Then [we need] to frame the feedback that we’re hearing and pose the criteria that council wants to see in a video gaming local ordinance that may be more specific than what we have on the books today.”
Video gaming businesses • Fatty’s Pub and Grill, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway • Sullivan’s Tavern, 722 E. Lincoln Highway • Hometown Sports Bar and Grill, 241 E. Lincoln Highway • Shelby’s, 2581 Sycamore Road