Unspoken series by The Echo News

Weekly Edition

Spring fashion tips Page 6 Softball receiving votes Page 12

You are the voice. We are the Echo.

Since 1913

Volume 101, Issue 21

Friday/Thursday, April 11 - April 17, 2014

TheEchoNews.com

HEADLINES Spring into Giving

In an effort to promote herself, others, and the spirit of giving, Tamee Shonk hosts the first Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show in Fairmount, Ind. Page 3

Problems in our backyard

The United States isn’t exempt when it comes to human rights violations, according to U.N. report. Page 4

Piracy and the future of the ent-arr-tainment industry. With piracy established as part of the Internet’s architecture, the question becomes one of impact. Page 5

Spring fashion files 2014

Does your wardrobe need a lift? Check out these tips for vibrant spring outfits. Page 6

An updated ‘Dido and Aeneas’

Taylor Opera Theatre’s retelling of the classic Baroque opera has scandal and social media. Page 8

The Unexpected Path

Mary Komy discusses the unexpected paths which lead her to Christ, America, and Taylor University. Page 9

Equality, not objectification

Women look to have equality not objectification all over the world. Page 10

Men’s golf fights weather conditions

The TU men’s golf team has some firepower but Monday’s storms calmed the flames briefly in the NAIA Classic. Page 12

WEEKEND WEATHER

Today

66° 41°

A combination of shifting “Very quickly, we used up the half demographics and rising costs makes A recent financial crunch has forced surplus, according to Stephen Olson, Taylor to tighten its belt a notch—and vice president for finance and chief fi- a million dollars, and that’s when we for a challenging higher ed market take a look at strategies for the sus- nancial officer at Taylor. had to make cuts,” Olson said. “It’s very

David Adams Online Editor

Kari Travis

Co-Editor in Chief

Saturday

73° 57°

Sunday

67° 43°

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CONTENTS News..........................Pg 1, Pg 2 Local....................................Pg 3 World & National.........Pg 4 Sci & Tech.........................Pg 5 Life & Times.........Pg 6, Pg 7 A&E...................................... Pg 8 Features.............................Pg 9 Opinions.......................... Pg 10 Sports.................... Pg 11, Pg 12

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‘I am just

Jeffry’ Kari Travis

Co-Editor in Chief

Just over a year ago he sat in his rusty Hyundai outside a McDonald’s in Marion. It was past midnight. He was exhausted, but that didn’t matter. Because sleep couldn’t ease the weariness of his heart. He turned off the car, the engine growl falling off into the silent screams of words he was trying to say. He’d lived in denial for years. He’d smothered the truth for months. But here it was—the painful fact— in all its raw confusion. It choked him. He swallowed it back several times. A breath burst from his constricted lungs. Then it came. Jeffry Neuhouser told me he was gay. The word was overwhelming, but the truth didn’t change our friendship. I told him so. We sat in silence together, tears marking shiny trails down our cheeks. My next statement came after several minutes lapsed. It surprised us both. “One day you will be a great encouragement to others who share your story.” Despite my own declaration, I was shocked when Jeffry began preparations a few months later to write an open confession—letter style—to his Taylor University family. Yesterday, that letter appeared across campus. Those pages describe a life story Jeffry hopes will pave the

tainability of its liberal arts education. With tuition costs raised to satisfy a demanding budget, the university was able to generate an extra $1.8 million for the 2014-15 year. But that financial buffer soon gave way to escalating costs that chewed away the

Higher financial aid awards immediately saw $1.2 to $1.3 million subtracted from the $1.8 million. With only $500,000 left to cover a pay raise for staff and a hike in health care costs, the university faced a financial dilemma.

simple math from one perspective.” University officials determined an additional $1 million in savings was needed to shore up finances. But even after a task force scraped together $650,000 of the required savings, other cuts were necessary. Storm continued on page 2

The Unspoken Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a series that will explore issues often viewed as too sensitive for public discussion. Our intent as a newspaper is not to provoke controversy, but rather to spur on authentic dialogue and positive vulnerability among Taylor’s students. The story below tackles the topic of what it is like to be a gay student on our campus. It is written as a narrative feature for the sake of integrity and impact.

Photograph by Kari Travis

Jeffry Neuhouser released an open letter to campus this week and doesn’t want students to think of him as “just gay.”

way for others who share his struggle—and desire a chance to be vulnerable about their own experiences. But Jeffry’s journey since that winter night exposes the mental, emotional and spiritual complexity of another picture. A picture of what it is to be a gay student at a Christian university. In many ways, it seems a lifetime since that first conversation between Jeffry and me. He says the road has been painful at times. One of the most

difficult plot points in the story so far has been the moment he gave voice to his secret. “There’s a lot of mental anguish, getting to that point of telling someone—your first person,” Jeffry said. “That’s kind of one of the biggest moves you can make.” As he worked to process through the mangled emotions that followed his confession, Jeffry also faced feelings of alienation within his immediate community. “From my own experience, living in a dorm was probably one of

the hardest things for me as someone who struggled with his sexuality,” Jeffry said. “There was a lot of the use of the word ‘gay’ as derogatory, or as an insult. It just made it very hard to feel accepted, and part of the floor community.” Professor Kevin Diller, Jeffry’s mentor and advisor for Choros—a campus platform for conversations about sexuality—said false assumptions and overstatements about sexual identity are factors contributing to a “misfit” mentality. Unspoken continued on page 9

FEATURES

“When my family found out about my faith, I was beaten and locked up so I couldn’t escape.” - Mary Komy The unexpected path

TheEchoNews.com

April 11, 2014

FRIDAY

Unspoken continued from page 1

“It’s very easy to understand why a gay student would hope not to be discovered in our culture and on this campus,” Diller said. “There remains a prevailing, ignorant assumption that being a person who experiences same-sex attraction must mean that you are exceptionally sinful, perverted, twisted or hedonistic.” Fear of personal rejection lingered in Jeffry’s mind for several months—a fear that he conquered, one careful confession at a time. Sometimes in writing. Sometimes out loud. And always with a hope that those he told would see him as a person, not an issue. When positive reactions came, Jeffry felt blessed through the love shown him—particularly by his family. With a strong support base developing, he gained courage to be honest within more public settings at Taylor. During the fall semester of 2013 Jeffry shared his story more openly within Taylor’s Student Organization and Choros. Those who knew him prior to his “coming out” began to think more critically about gay stereotypes. Jeffry’s friend, Jake Owens—whose relationship with a family member had given him a negative perspective of the gay pride movement—has developed a new way of thinking because of Jeffry’s testimony. “Jeffry has shown me a respect for the gay population at Taylor that I have never known before,” Owens said. “In other words, when I see gay students at Taylor, I don’t immediately associate them with homosexuality. I recognize them . . . like I recognize Jeffry for all that he has taught me about leadership, faith, relationships and friendship.” Last October, Jeffry sat in my office and told me his desire to write a letter to campus, an action that required much prayer and consideration. He planned to spend several months seeking God, while gleaning counsel and wisdom from several leaders across campus. Steve Austin, associate dean of student leadership, is among those mentors Jeffry contacted when considering the impact of a public confession. Austin, who believes in the need for honesty within Christian community, said he can’t predict the type of discussion that will result from such public vulnerability. He hopes, however, that

photograph by Kari Travis

Jeffry Neuhouser wants to grow a safe space for vulnerability within Taylor’s community.

each member of Taylor’s community will approach the issue thoughtfully. “Intended or unintended, most of us have at some point contributed to others not feeling safe on campus through our words or our actions,” Austin said. “We do not have to all be aligned theologically to grow in discipleship to Christ and thus learn and relearn to love others as we are called to do.” Students and other Taylor constituents must be willing to engage such difficult discussions, particularly as the subject of same-sex attraction continues to impact campus, according to Skip Trudeau, dean of students. “This is the issue of our day,” Trudeau said. “Whether we like it or not, this issue is here and we’ve got to be a part of (the discussion).” Although Taylor University takes a clear stance on homosexual behavior in its statement on sexuality, the institution makes a clear distinction between orientation and behavior,

Trudeau said. Discipline has never been exercised on a student because of gay or lesbian attraction. “I know that there are those rumors out there because I’ve heard them,” Trudeau said. “I’ve actually seen some things online where apparently I’ve asked somebody to leave for that. It’s just not true.” Additionally, Trudeau wants students to know that Taylor’s statement is a way to begin—rather than end— discussion. And while some students with differing opinions have self-selected to leave the community, the desire is that those with opposing beliefs would be involved in open conversations. “I think with any issue, (individuals in) the Body of Christ need to be open and vulnerable with each other,” Trudeau said. “If any student has an issue they want to talk about, I hope there are places at Taylor, either with students or through other faculty and staff, that (provide)

The unexpected path Mary Komy discusses her journey to becoming a Taylor student, American citizen and Christ-follower Lexie V. Owen Contributor

When you see her walking to classes, talk with her about her career goals or listen to her rave about Starbucks, Mary Komy seems like the average American college student. You’d never guess that she’s a United States citizen as of March 14, 2014. Her arrival at Taylor University marked the end

of a journey on which she never expected to embark. She was content living as a Muslim in her native country of Sudan until God used her thirst for knowledge to lead her to him in 2004. “I wanted to learn English,” Mary said. “My English teacher gave me a Bible and I started reading it. In Islam, there is a lot of fear in the worship of God. The Scripture had the answers to questions I had about salvation, grace and love. I’d never heard of them before.” Mary’s intellectual interest in Christ was transformed into whole-hearted faith one morning when her mother woke her, claiming that her father

was dying of a heart attack. “He was lying on the floor, not moving or breathing,” Mary said. “I started praying because I had read about Jesus’ miracles. When I prayed in Jesus’ name, he came back to life.” Her father was healed, but he was not quick to accept what Mary claimed to be the source of the miracle. “When my family found out about my faith, I was beaten and locked up so I couldn’t escape,” Mary said. “But God opened the door for me and I literally walked past them.” Mary took refuge in the home of fellow Christians and came to terms with the persecution she suffered.

photograph by Brittany Smith

Mary Komy is a dedicated student and mother who relies on God in all circumstances.

people they can talk to.” A few days ago, sitting across from Jeffry in my office, I watched his face as he reminisced. The transformation was drastic. Gone was the shamed silence. Gone was the struggle for words. The truth was still difficult—but the fear he’d first experienced had faded. “Why did you decide to come out to the entire campus?” I asked. He paused for a moment to think, then looked me in the eye. “In my mind, the issue of sexuality at Taylor has stagnated,” he said. “I think it’s become just that, just an issue. I think we’ve lost the humanity aspect of it, the people behind the stories.” The point of his public confession is not to push an agenda or shift a debate to one side, Jeffry told me. Convictions and differences of opinions exist, but the goal should be to serve and respect one another. That goal demands a safe space

“I believe my family loves me,” Mary said. “They reacted that way because their eyes were not opened to the truth. It was their way of trying to protect me.” With the help of friends, Mary applied to the U.N. for religious freedom and refugee status. She escaped to the U.S. in 2007 and began her new life in South Carolina. It was there that God presented her with another unexpected path. His name was Sam. “I didn’t think there would be any kind of a connection,” Mary said, “but he was a very kind man. He was someone you loved to spend time with. He was a history teacher and had his education in England. He spoke seven languages. Many things were attractive and I was lonely and had no family.” Mary and Sam married in January 2008, moved to Indiana, and had two children. Mary was widowed when Sam suffered a heart attack in 2011. “Many times we think we plan things and try to make things happen, but everything was in God’s timing,” Mary said. “Meeting him, having two kids, and then having him go to heaven was all part of that plan. It’s not always easy, but the same God who brought me through persecution is now providing for us.” God showed Mary the next path to follow in the same way he showed her

for discussion. Taylor provides a necessary platform—but that platform only works if students step up and use it, Jeffry said. Individuals are ultimately responsible for their own words and actions. “I can tell by someone’s language how they are going to react,” Jeffry said. “That’s why I wouldn’t tell someone, because I knew that they would react negatively. How we talk about issues and people is very important.” In any struggle, shame stunts community growth, and brokenness does not define who we are, Jeffry said to me as our conversation waned. Each person, each story and each struggle is complex—and stamped with God’s fingerprint. “Don’t boil my story down to just this,” Jeffry concluded, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. “I am not ‘just gay.’ I am first and foremost a child of God. Loved by him. Created in his image. And so is everyone else.”

the first: through education. “We’d met Marylou Habecker through a friend,” Mary said. “She came to the funeral and felt that God was telling her to do something to help me. She invited me to Taylor.” Mary moved and enrolled at Taylor in the fall of 2012. Being a full-time student and single mother of two was a feat in itself, but Mary followed God’s calling to many other places. She now volunteers for the Justice Center of Sudan and has shared the story of her conversion at 167 churches. She works for A Hope Center in Indiana, which aids young mothers. She also works with groups of immigrant women, helping them learn English and connect to resources to adjust to the culture. According to Mary, she is ready to face the challenges God presents her. “Well,” Mary said, pausing to laugh, “I always believed when God opens a door for you, you walk in and enter and he will provide you with everything you need to do what he appointed you to do. That doesn’t mean it will be easy and beautiful. It’s going to be challenging. It gets stressful sometimes, but every day is a journey of his faithfulness.” Though it has lead her down many paths she never thought she’d travel, Mary stands firm in the decision that sparked her journey to becoming an American, a student, an activist and a mother. “ The one thing I’ve always been sure of is God’s grace,” Mary said. “The one decision I’ve never regretted in my life is becoming a Christian.”

Weekly Edition

Y Taylathon teams share race-day goals Page 5

25 straight Page 8

You are the voice. We are the Echo.

Since 1913

Volume 101, Issue 22

Friday/Thursday, April 25 - May 1, 2014

TheEchoNews.com

HEADLINES Bus ride to the Baltic

Explore Eastern Europe with sophomore Gracie Fairfax as she shares about her semester abroad in Lithuania Page 3

Taylathon

With Taylathon only hours away, the competitors are gearing up for a great race day. Page 4

“Heaven is For Real”

The latest faith-based film is well-acted and touching but still has its cheesy moments. Page 6

Education, sports and some cash on the side An education isn’t the only thing that Division I athletes are looking for anymore. Page 7

The Streak

The TU baseball team went 4-0 against IWU this week behind the bat of fifth year senior Jordan Coffey extending their win streak against the Wildcats to 25 games spanning the last seven years. Page 8

WEEKEND WEATHER

Today

64° 47°

Saturday

71° 43°

Sunday

69° 49°

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CONTENTS News..........................Pg 1, Pg 2 World & National......... Pg 3 Life & Times.........Pg 4, Pg 5 A&E...................................... Pg 6 Opinions............................ Pg 7 Sports.................................. Pg 8

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Heritage Weekend kicks off today at Taylor Chris Yingling News Co-Editor

Hundreds of grandparents and alumni gather on Taylor’s campus today to celebrate Heritage Weekend.

Dancing out of

Darkness Kari Travis

Heritage Weekend, initially established six years ago with the dedication of the Memorial Prayer Chapel, has been celebrated on campus to commemorate the rich history associated with Taylor. The event has been held on the last week of April since its inception, according to the development office.

think there’s any other community like Taylor’s community,” said Sherri Harter, associate vice president of development. “Part of that is because of the heritage. People leave here, but they don’t leave here by continuing to be a part of Taylor’s heritage.” Roots continued on page 2

The Unspoken Editor’s Note: This is the second article

Co-Editor in Chief

One bowl of ice cream. It sat in front of her for 20 minutes while she fought. For gravity, for air, for logic. One bowl of milk, cream and sugar. It sat in front of her while facts twisted in her mind. Ice cream—anywhere between 125 and 350 calories per half cup. The sweet concoction was tantalizing, but a single spoonful was poison. One bowl of fear, doubt and insecurity—long frozen and forgotten, now melted in a puddle of creamy confusion. The bowl stood its ground; she cracked under the pressure of battle. “I’m not touching it!” Ellen Aldridge declared. “I’m not touching it!” Terror engulfed her. If she lifted the spoon to her mouth, she would never stop eating. The panic crashed in— Arms wrapped her in hugs, and above the clash of thoughts in her head, Ellen heard other voices. These belonged to friends—fellow patients in the treatment center—who were gathered around her.

While fun events such as Taylathon, Grandparents Day and the alumni soccer game highlight the weekend, Heritage Weekend focuses on the people who give to continue the prosperity of Taylor’s campus and students. “Heritage Weekend does celebrate Taylor’s rich heritage, and I don’t

in a series that explores issues often viewed as too sensitive for public discussion. Our intent as a newspaper is not to provoke controversy, but rather to spur on authentic dialogue and positive vulnerability among Taylor’s students. The story below explores what it is like to be a student suffering from an eating disorder—while trying to balance other pressures of life.

Once trapped in addiction, Ellen Aldridge is now living—and learning—to dance with renewed freedom.

And they knew the truth. This was not about ice cream, or sugar or calories. It was not about losing weight. It was about losing everything— her habits, her behaviors and even her identity—so she could again find something worth living for.

Ellen has struggled with body image since she was 6 or 7, but her eating disorder didn’t truly develop until high school. Rough home experiences during those years, including her brother’s attempted suicide, made emotional healing and resolution a risky venture. In Ellen’s world, there was only one

Photograph by Kari Travis

reliable solution to the problem. Gymnastics. A competitive athlete who excelled on the floor exercise and vault, Ellen relied on her sport to tumble, tuck and twist out tension she wasn’t able to resolve in other areas of life. Then came an element that knocked Ellen off balance. Unspoken continued on page 4

LIFE & TIMES

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Dancing continued from page 1

During her freshman year of high school, Ellen tore her ACL, taking her out of training during sophomore year. “By then, I put so much of my stock and identity in gymnastics that losing that was like losing myself—it was like losing everything,” Ellen says. “The only way I knew how to deal with life was going to the gym, getting physically exhausted and then going home and crashing.” The sudden imbalance in how she dealt with negative emotions and influences left Ellen scrambling to find a crutch. Her new coping mechanism was as basic as a math equation. “I came up with this formula in my head where I was like, ‘Well, since I’m not burning calories in gymnastics, I need to stop taking in calories,’” Ellen remembers. “‘And that’s how I’ll maintain and stay the same while I’m not training.’” When Ellen returned to the gym after a year off, her eating patterns continued. Her constant goal was to take her skills to the next level. The formula—like a physics formula—made sense to her. Reduced mass equaled an increase in flight ability. An increase in flight ability equaled a higher performance level. But Ellen forgot to take in one part of the equation: Loss of mass equals loss of muscle. And as Ellen’s muscle tissue deteriorated, so did her ability to complete and land rotations on tumbling passes and vault skills. The results were disappointing, but by the time Ellen reached her final year as a competitive gymnast, she was hooked on her eating behaviors. After she graduated high school and quit gymnastics, the habits only escalated. “I thought, ‘Even though I’m not

going to be the gymnast anymore, maybe I can make my new identity the thin, fit one. And then people will like me for that.’ So the summer after I graduated high school was the summer I started purging. I think at that point I realized, ‘This is not normal anymore.’” Ellen arrived at Taylor that fall after making a promise to her parents that she would go to therapy while at college. In reality, Ellen saw her new surroundings as a chance to act under the radar—to go about her daily habits without detection. That plan worked. “I was like, ‘This is really cool, because nobody knows me; I’m just this anonymous face in the Taylor community—I’m invisible—I can do whatever I want. Nobody asks me where I’m going or what I’m doing.’” Though the year started well, it quickly spiraled into a destructive lifestyle Ellen thought she could control. Meals were battles fought in secret, especially when Ellen was surrounded by wingmates from First South English. “I would start with something really healthy . . . a salad. And then people would always be like, ‘Oh, Ellen, you’re so healthy. You always eat so healthy. I want to be like you.’” But the girls around the dinner table didn’t know about what always followed. Ellen, whose body was starved for any type of nourishment, sneaked sugary and fatty foods to her room—where she binged in secret. Then, she purged. Ellen hid it from everyone, including her roommate, Lauren Harvey. Lauren hadn’t previously encountered a friend with an eating disorder. In spite of that, she noticed odd patterns in Ellen’s behavior—things like erratic sleep cycles and severe mood swings. Months went by. Ellen said nothing to Lauren.

Photograph by Kari Travis

Ellen wants others to see that eating disorders are deep, emotionally-based issues, and are never just about food.

On a dark November night, the truth came. “She asked if we could talk, so we climbed onto my bed and I sat Indian style facing her,” Lauren says. “She told me that she had been struggling with an eating disorder for a couple of years and it was a constant weight on her back she couldn’t shake. She told me she had bulimia. She told me she hadn’t told anyone before and she would like me to keep it a secret.” Hugs were exchanged. Lauren assured her roommate she would be supportive and encouraging. Then, Lauren kept Ellen’s secret. Today, she says it was one of the biggest mistakes she made. But the territory was new, and Lauren was unsure how to handle it. “I kept it all to myself and it was a

lot to bear,” Lauren remembers. “I had no idea what I was doing, nor did I understand the gravity of the situation. I have learned throughout my time at Taylor that sometimes the most loving thing isn’t the thing that seems the most loving. Eating disorders are serious issues, and not telling someone about it could be really dangerous.” High-risk eating patterns and disorders like Ellen’s are a widespread problem—and have grown more prevalent across the U.S. in recent years. Twenty-five percent of college women rely on binging and purging as a weight-management technique, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. While no campus-specific statistical information is available to show hard numbers about the prevalence of eating disorders among Taylor students, Bob Neideck, director of the Taylor Counseling Center, has anecdotal experience dealing with both eating disorders and disordered eating. Taylor’s counseling services treat a handful of clinically diagnosable eating disorder cases each year, Neideck says. Additionally, problems of food obsession, addiction and disordered eating are prevalent, and are no longer limited to just female students. However, the issue tends to snowball most within female circles on campus. “Girls talk about it in a sense of, ‘Oh, I ate too much; oh, I can’t eat this,’” Neideck says. “And then they watch each other. They watch what everybody eats. They sit quietly and go, ‘Ha, I ate less than her.’ They might not announce it, they might not say anything about it, (but think) ‘Oh, she went up and got a dessert. I didn’t. Okay, I’m all right.’” It’s this type of unhealthy thinking and focus toward food that can foster an atmosphere of eating dysfunction, Neideck says. The problems are individual and, as is true in Ellen’s case, often exist prior to a student’s enrollment at Taylor. And since binging and purging is seen in a shameful light, it tends to be the disorder kept most private by those who struggle. “There are a lot of emotional dynamics that play into it that I don’t think the Christian community or Taylor causes, or doesn’t,” Neideck says. “But you get 40 girls on a wing who are driven, who are trying to succeed, who are kind of insecure because they’re young and they’re trying to sort themselves out—put all those things together and it’s like, ‘Wow, she’s so much thinner than I am.’ You start to compare, because people naturally compare.” At times, Ellen felt trapped by comparison in her dorm—unable to speak openly about her problem, and unable to look away when food was a centerpiece during wing interactions. When she overheard wingmates talking about health and dieting, her addiction fed on the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one obsessed with losing weight. Still more frustrating to her were the girls who didn’t seem to pay attention at all to what they ate. And the private battle raged on.

By winter 2011 Ellen reached the climax of the crusade against her own body. After eating two pieces of pizza for dinner one night, she tried to purge. When she couldn’t, panic struck. Ellen’s body was in shock. Sick and terrified, she couldn’t move from her bed. That night, she ended up in the hospital, suffering dehydration and excruciating kidney pain. “I thought, ‘This is it,’” Ellen recalls. “‘What I’ve been doing is finally catching up to me. My kidneys are failing.’” Though the problem was a simple urinary tract infection, the incident was enough to scare Ellen into believing she was not invincible. She saw the truth at last: Her addiction was out of control. Finally, after years of hiding, she stepped out and asked for help. The summer between Ellen’s freshman and sophomore years, she checked into Selah House, a treatment center in Anderson, Ind., for women with eating disorders. It was the toughest move of Ellen’s life—what she calls a 180-degree turn from her situation at Taylor. All control was gone. “That sense of freedom and independence that was so intoxicating to me—all that was taken away,” Ellen says. “I had no freedom. No independence. I was watched literally 24 hours a day. Bathroom. Shower. Sleeping. Never alone.” But while she could no longer rely on binging, purging or exercising to release the anxiety induced by every meal, Ellen was relieved to be in an environment where her destructive behavior was not an option. For the first time in years, Ellen ate three meals a day. She learned how to digest food again. And while her body hurt and healed, so did her heart and mind. Sometimes that meant crying over a bowl of ice cream—an action that in any other setting would be severely misunderstood. “All these people got it,” Ellen says. “And they would hug you, and hold your hand, and be like, ‘Just take one bite. You got it!’” During therapy, Ellen truly became a Christian. That change was the reason for her sustained recovery after she walked out of Selah’s doors five days before the beginning of her sophomore year at Taylor. “I was dead when I got here,” Ellen says of her first year at Taylor. “I was dead spiritually. Emotionally. Almost physically . . . the whole treatment aspect itself in learning how to eat again was helpful—but until that moment, I still knew I would go back to my habits right when I got home.” Recovery is not instant, Ellen says. While she hasn’t sobbed all over a bowl of ice cream in a while, she still struggles from time to time. Every day is a step on the long road to restoration. And the transformation of Christ’s power is what helps Ellen taste life— and what gives her a restored sense of self-worth.

Weekly Edition

Lucius concert tonight Page 6

Bandkamp continues tradition Page 5

You are the voice. We are the Echo.

Since 1913

Volume 101, Issue 24

Friday/Thursday, May 9 - May 15, 2014

TheEchoNews.com

HEADLINES

Photograph by Abigail Pollock

Bring them home

The U.S. pledges to help Nigeria recover the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terror group. Page 3

Hey Brandkamp, why are you wearing that shirt? Jeff Yoder passes down the Friday guy to a lucky freshman. Page 5

d un

een foun

ts have b partmen

rs of the

t all hou locked a

night.

a Campus

A very tangled web “Amazing Spider-Man 2” is uneven but still spins along. Page 6

The sexual pluralist revolution: reasons to be skeptical

The sexual pluralism movement has grown in Western culture recently. Page 7

Softball lights up tourney en route to Nationals

The TU softball team won the Crossroads League regular season title and followed it up by winning the conference tournament last Friday at home. Page 8

WEEKEND WEATHER

Today

72° 58°

Saturday

74° 57°

Sunday

81° 65°

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Open doors, open to threats Students compromise own security with negligence Abigail Pollock

World & National Editor

It was 3:30 in the morning, and the outer door of Wolgemuth opened easily without a key card. Exterior doors to apartment housing are meant to be secured at all times, yet the Wolgemuth doors are often found unlocked. Chief of Police Jeff Wallace brought up electronic errors in the lockdown system as a possible explanation for malfunctions. “The electronic systems in the residence halls in charge of lock down are not without fault,” Wallace said. But what we have found is that prior incidents of the door being propped open multiple times will start to offset the connections that it requires, leading

Out Last at

Kari Travis

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to maintenance issues.” Hannah Espiritu, a senior living in Wolgemuth, shared that it was not uncommon for her to find the external doors unlocked during the day. “It bothers me that the doors are unlocked often, and that anyone from on or off campus could come in and have access to most of the apartments without anyone noticing,” she said. Many students do not lock their apartments or dorm rooms behind them on a daily basis. Bikes and cars are also left unlocked, and valuable possessions such as laptops can be found unattended in common spaces. In fact, most students rely on a combination of external security measures and faith in the Taylor community when it comes to safety. The question may be whether there is inherent conflict between student

Co-Editor in Chief

It’s her face: the only part of her body She can control. You’ve seen it. You know what it looks like. Her mouth is a bright smile—stretched to its limit. Her eyes are open to the world—and closed to the inner battle. She wears her face like it’s makeup. She never goes out without putting it on. She wears her face to project happiness—because that’s all She wants you to notice. In class. At lunch. When She waves at you in the hall. When She hangs out with you on the weekend. You don’t know what it means. You don’t know why She wears it, or why She keeps it. But She knows.

safety and the desire for open, trusting community. “We have an amazing community here. But we don’t live in a fenced in, locked down, walled facility—we are an open campus. We have facilities that are open to the public, as it should be,” Wallace said. Security priorities remain focused on exterior locks and their ability to prevent initial entry to secured buildings. Residence doors not managed by a front desk are intended to be open only when there are workers in the building. All residence hall exterior doors are locked down at 1 a.m., according to Wallace. “The only time doors are open or unlocked are if somebody opens them. When we come around to residence halls at three in the morning, and there’s a rock in the door, that’s a problem. Propping open doors is the

Open continued on page 2

The Unspoken

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Editor’s Note: This is the third

article in a series exploring issues often viewed as too sensitive for public discussion. Our intent as a newspaper is not to provoke controversy, but rather to spur on authentic dialogue and positive vulnerability among Taylor’s students. The following is an alleged account of sexual abuse as told by a Taylor student to The Echo. The student’s name has been omitted for privacy and legal reasons.

She wears the face today so you won’t ask about what happened to her last night. It started with days of hugs and kisses. With coffee, and promises, and comfort and cuddling late at night. With the discovery of a high price tag. It escalated with months of threats and tears . . . and time after time of telling him no—followed by violation. It sustained in a pattern of manipulation, and heedless sex, and helplessness and bruises on both her skin and her soul. But it was never enough. And when escape was blocked by locked doors and hurtful hands, She gave into his voice. The voice that said no one else would ever love her. Because She was used. Because She was spoiled. It culminated in a night of sobs and

number one security threat that we face,” Wallace said. Breuninger was designed as a double-security system, with card swipes on both exterior doors and doors leading to individual halls. It is much more difficult to retrofit an older existing building for card access, however. Vice President for Business Administration Ron Sutherland confirmed that a review of all manual key and electronic card key processes is currently underway on campus. Wallace is part of a team evaluating associated safety and logistical issues, which will present recommendations for Taylor’s next steps in security. “It’s expensive, and it may take time, but it doesn’t mean it won’t get done. We put residence halls as a very high importance—the most important, in all of our discussions so far,” Sutherland said.

Photograph by Kari Travis

shudders as She laid in the back of the car and begged. Just one more time, he told her. If She truly loved him, She would let him have her. One more time. “If you love me and you love God like you said you did, why wouldn’t

you want to honor me and to honor God?” She asked. “Why is it so important? Is it more important to you than I am?” She told him She didn’t want it. He took her without permission. And She laid there and cried. Unspoken continued on page 4

LIFE & TIMES

TheEchoNews.com

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Her story is raw, painful and utterly significant. But it is not unique. While Taylor’s campus police have seen no formal reports regarding sexual abuse this year, that doesn’t mean such cases don’t exist, according to Jeff Wallace, chief of campus police. Bob Neideck, director of Taylor’s counseling center, knows from anecdotal information and stories that these incidents have occurred among students. Sexual coercion involves any behavior in which a person feels pressured to perform in a sexual context with which he/she is not comfortable, Neideck says. Though he has not seen much violent assault play a role at Taylor in the past, forced, sexual behavior is very much a problem. And while men do occasionally suffer under such coercion, women are more likely to be the objects of sexual aggression. “They get talked into it, they get convinced into it, they sometimes get threatened into it, and then they feel guilty—and feel ashamed that they did those things,” Neideck says. “And that’s often the case why more serious, aggressive sexual assaults aren’t reported.” Any student who experiences a sexual incident that makes him/her feel unsafe or insecure should immediately contact campus police, the counseling center or residence life directors, Wallace says. These resources exist to help students feel protected and encouraged—a fact that may not be realized by those in need. “Statistically, because there have been no reports, I can’t say that this type of behavior is occurring on campus,” Wallace says. “But I also can’t say that it isn’t. My goal and the goal of others is to protect and care for students. But I can only do that if students come to me. I want anyone—with any issue or concern—to come to me.” In many instances, women feel—falsely—that they are to blame for an incident because they may have placed themselves in a vulnerable situation, Neideck says. And while he would like to see women empowered to grow beyond those negative experiences, his primary goal is that they recognize any kind of forced, sexual behavior for precisely what it is. A total violation of a woman’s right to her own body. “You don’t deserve to be forced to do anything sexually,” Neideck says. “Whether you made a mistake . . . or not. That’s a mistake. But you didn’t deserve what happened. And there’s still the idea of ‘no means stop.’ Period. I say that to guys. I say that to girls. It doesn’t matter how far along it’s gotten. If you say no, he/she stops.” Two significant factors in the aftermath of sexual coercion or abuse are shame and guilt, according to Neideck. Both are stifling. And both are notorious for feeding the silence of those who suffer.

She was alone. At least that’s how She felt. The ugliness charged forward endlessly. There was no respite. There was no redemption. There was only a desperate yearning for love, and the twisted substitute she was offered. She had started in a bright place, but now she was in the dark. And the more she tried to find the light again, the more his fingers bruised her, his words cut

That atmosphere exists at Taylor, but for students who continue to fear negative reactions, the importance of reaching out to authority figures for help must be emphasized, Manganello says. Neideck says the solution to this problem begins with teaching students—female students in particular—how to identify abusive behavior. Much of that insight can come from counseling and from peer support within the campus community.

When a female student steps forward to deal with the false guilt that comes with any type of sexual violation, much of the mentoring and counseling process is focused on empowering voice, according to Neideck. Part of that empowerment is helping women to see their value apart (or separate) from what has happened in their lives sexually. It also encourages abused or violated females to find ways to stand up for themselves—and

Illustrtation by galleryhip.com

her and his body used her. After a while, she gave up trying. Every day She put on her face and walked into a world where she believed no one would be willing to take a peek behind her smile. “I was afraid people weren’t going to have grace,” She says today. “That they were going to judge.” In a culture apt to undermine the stories of of sexual abuse victims, it is important to be careful of what—and how—we communicate with those who struggle, according to Linda Manganello, assistant professor of communication arts at Taylor. Manganello, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology and specializes in gender communication, believes an important step in combatting the cycle of sexual abuse is the creation of an atmosphere in which women, and men, can feel safe to speak out.

Taylor’s Administration wants you to know... 1. Our primary concern is for those who are victims to make sure that they receive the help and support they need. 2. If you are a student who has experienced sexual abuse—or knows of students who have been victims of sexual abuse—then act immediately by going either to your hall director, the counseling center or the Center for Student Development. 3. The appropriate university officials will then be notified and the pertinent procedures will be implemented.

“Getting people to even recognize that what’s happening to them—whether it’s verbal, sexual, emotional or physical is wrong—is sometimes this learning point,” Neideck says. “It’s just hard to start. So when you get other friends, peers, saying, ‘That wasn’t okay—that was abusive,’ that’s great.” A friend was what She needed, She says today. Someone who could help take off her face. Someone who could help reveal her face for what it was. A dangerous mask. “We need to know what the red flags are,” She says. “We need to know. We need people watching into our lives. We need people (speaking) into our lives. . . . Not controlling our lives, but really just friendship, and honesty and mentoring.”

their values—in the face of future attempts at coercion. But while strengthening female response to any type of sexual aggression is important, efforts to break the cycle shouldn’t stop there, according to Nicholas Kerton-Johnson, associate professor of political science at Taylor, who teaches on gender-related issues in international relations. Kerton-Johnson, a mentor to women and men who struggle with sexual abuse and related behaviors, believes a solution to the problem will be found only if the Taylor community also tackles the men’s side of the issue. Of greatest concern is that male students don’t realize the amount of pain women can carry through abuse, whether verbal, physical or sexual, Kerton-Johnson says. That worry is directed in particular by his personal observation of male students who sometimes

What is sexual assault? Sexual assault and abuse is any type of sexual activity that you do not agree to, including: Inappropriate touching Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration Sexual intercourse that you say no to Rape Attempted rape Child molestation (Information from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

replicate—or take advantage of— the abuse cycle. “Often, girls who have been abused will seek comfort in men,” Kerton-Johnson says. “So to what extent are the male students at Taylor being equipped to know how to treat women who have been abused . . . and not replicate cycles? I think that it’s as important (as helping the women) to say to the male, “OK, how are you actually responding?” And while Kerton-Johnson views Taylor’s community as a largely positive environment for emotional and spiritual care, he says an unhealthy “holiness mentality” may contribute to a prevailing silence whenever sexual abuse—or problems like it—occur. “I think it’s worth asking whether ignorance of the extent of the problem of abuse amongst female students and failure in communicating this on campus is because of the Christian culture that we perpetuate,” Kerton-Johnson says. “A religious culture that says, ‘You shouldn’t have problems. Or you should be more holy. Or you brought it on yourself ’ . . . I do think that there is a danger of a culture where it is not safe to be vulnerable.” Manganello has also observed this threat within Christian community at large and—like Kerton-Johnson—wants students to be aware that when bad things happen, honesty should be the first response. Honesty about the good face, the bad face and even the ugly face. “If we are really called to be the body of Christ, that means all of it,” Manganello says. “That doesn’t just mean that we’re called to be the body of Christ on Sunday. It means when I bring my brokenness to you, and you bring it to me. And I think that (response) is also to encourage students to say, ‘This (problem) is real.’” The problem is real. It was a fact She didn’t realize until long after the nightmare ended. “I just thought that it was normal,” She says. “That’s why I thought if I told someone, they would just laugh at me, because ‘What’s so special about your case? This is just what happens to people. Boys will be boys. It’s your own fault. You let him have you the first time, so it’s your fault now.’” Today, She looks back, sees the marks on her body—and mind— and knows what happened to her is not OK. She is still healing. But every day, She refuses to wear the mask. She refuses so that you can see her. In class. At lunch. When She waves at you in the hall. When She hangs out with you on the weekend. And She hopes you can look and not flinch—whether you see joy, or anger, or laughter or pain in her wide-open eyes. It might be uncomfortable. It might be hard. She knows. When you see the truth in her eyes, you might just be looking in a mirror.

If you need help you should call… Jeff Wallace, Chief of Campus Police (765) 998-5396 or (998) 5555 Bob Neideck, Director of the Taylor Counseling Center (765) 998-5222 Skip Trudeau, Dean of Students (765) 998-5368