Sorority recruitment numbers soar See page 6
Celebrity ‘death effect’ creates Houston fans See page 19
Delle Donne buzzer-beater tops Drexel See page 28
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Volume 138, Issue 17
No shots fired in 4 years
Students to revamp game day traditions
BY ALEXANDRA COSTA Copy Editor
BY EMILY MOORADIAN
Despite becoming armed four years ago this month, university police officers have yet to fire a bullet since they were granted permission to carry weapons on foot. Albert “Skip” Homiak, executive director of Campus and Public Safety, said he would not feel secure having a police department without weapons. ‘We’ve tasked our officers with making a difference out there, making the community safe,” Homiak said. “I think the community should feel safer because officers carry weapons.” Before the university’s policy change in February 2008, university police officers were allowed to keep weapons in locked boxes in their patrol cars. Now each of the 48 certified officers can carry a Sig Sauer .40-caliber pistol after completing a six-month basic recruitment course at the either the Delaware State Police Training Academy or the New Castle County Police Academy. Neither Homiak nor University police Chief Patrick Ogden were on the university police force when
See GUNS page 13
Staff Reporter
Courtesy of Todd Toso
Junior Todd Toso, who calls himself DJ T-Squared, performs original songs at clubs and parties around campus.
Student DJs mix tracks, land gigs BY DANIELLE BRODY Administrative News Editor
Following the likes of David Guetta, DeadMau5 and Avicii, students at the university are becoming self-taught disc jockeys and music producers, gaining a fan base and landing paid gigs. Students like junior Ryan Touhill are finding inspiration from these DJs by learning the skill
and investing thousands of dollars in software, speakers and lights. Student DJs are playing at sorority and fraternity parties, campus events, local bars and clubs—and making money. They are also creating mashups, remixes and original songs. Touhill, who calls himself DJ Ronin, said students on campus love electronic dance music, or EDM, and the trend is gaining popularity with raves like Ultra Music Festival,
Dayglow and Barstool Blackout. He said he believes the DJ scene grew at the university because there is a lack of nearby nightclubs which offer that style of music, and student DJs can do almost the same thing at a campus party. “The cool thing about Delaware is that it was such a spark kind of thing,” Touhill said. “We love this
See MUSIC page 13
While the 2011 Homecoming week featured an award ceremony, a buffet and a Main Street restaurant tour for graduates, university officials said current students were offered few opportunities to celebrate, aside from the pre-game tailgate. To help increase participation, Director of Alumni Relations, Cindy Campanella, announced the creation of the university’s first-ever Homecoming student committee in December. “We can try to put together things we think students want to do, but doesn’t it make more sense for students to have a direct hand in planning exactly what it is they want?” Campanella said. The committee will conduct the planning, managing and marketing of the 2012 event, and will hold bi-monthly meetings beginning this March through Homecoming itself. Applications are due by
See COMMITTEE page 12
Schools aim to prevent child abuse BY DARREN ANKROM Senior Reporter
After a year marked by highprofile sexual abuse scandals in colleges and churches around the country, efforts to promote awareness and reform have reached the university. The presidents of Delaware’s largest colleges joined the state’s Attorney General to commit to
1 News
the Stewards of Children program Thursday afternoon at a press conference at the university’s Visitor Center. “This is an important opportunity for our higher education community to be proactive in our defense of children,” university President Patrick Harker said. “As a community, we have to commit to protecting our most vulnerable populations.”
14 Editorial
15 Opinion
The program will come to the university, as well as the campuses of Delaware State University, Delaware Technical & Community College and Wilmington University, to train staff and students to properly recognize and respond to suspected child sexual abuse cases. The university will begin offering training this spring, according to J.J. Davis, vice president
See PRESIDENTS page 12
17 Mosaic
THE REVIEW/Tom Lehman
Presidents of Delaware’s largest colleges discussed the importance of recognizing child sex abuse at universities at a Thursday gathering.
21 Day Trippin’ 27 Classifieds
28 Sports