T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 | U s i s h i e l d . c o m | v o l . 4 6 i s s u e 1 0
Adjunct ackowledges sexual abuse allegations, placed on admin. leave by bobby shipman editor@usishield.com @ShieldsterBobby Adjunct communications instructor and former Republican City Council at-large candidate Jack Schriber told police he had Schriber a sexual relationship with a minor during his time as a teacher at Central High School, according to a report by the Evansville Police Department.
According to the police report, the victim said he was between the ages of 15 and 17 when he was “coerced into a nonconsensual sexual relationship” with Schriber. Schriber, at the time, was an English teacher and supervisor of fine arts at Central High School in Evansville from 1970 to 2007, when he retired. The victim said, according to the report, that he was “coerced … throughout the two years that the relationship lasted” and that he felt he could not end the relationship with Schriber without “suffering penalties to his academic and extracurricular school career.” The victim also said he believed there may have been other students
Schriber coerced into nonconsensual sexual relationships. The victim came forward to police July 20, according to the report. Schriber said he wrote a letter of apology to the student per the suggestion of Detective Brian Turpin. “Those days at Central still have many mixed emotions,” Schriber said in his letter. “I was much younger and boundaries between student and teacher often became blurred. In this case sexual boundaries were blurred and you became the victim. This was NOT of your doing, in any way.” In the letter Schriber also apologizes to the victim for any anguish that has been afflicted.
The deadline to withdraw from the ballot for City Council was listed as July 15 on the election calendar. Vanderburgh County Republican Party Chairman Wayne Parke released a statement that he sent to Schriber saying he was disappointed to learn of the news of the candidate’s inappropriate relationship with a student. “Even though at this point, as a candidate, you may not ‘voluntarily’ withdraw from the ballot,” Parke wrote. “As County Chairman, I believe it is in the best interest of all concerned that you end your campaign immediately.”
Allegations, PAGE 3
double-sided silence Organizations question Free Speech Zone policy by gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi The university allowed Students for Life to silently protest in their classes Tuesday with professor discretion and even sent out a mass email to faculty through the provost’s office. The students participating wore tape over their lips that read “Life.” The protest was a part of the eleventh annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity. The pro-life student organization also hosted The Planned Parenthood Project earlier this month on the Quad, which raised controversy. “(The protest) is a national ( p Students for Life President thing,” Student Schwindel said. “Honestly, Laura Schwind it’s not really ffor campus.” Schwindel ssaid its purpose was campus to benefit but for not for campu for what they students to stand st believe in. “Like when the Twin Towdown, (U.S. ers were knocked kno citizens) had a moment when they she said. “They dediwere silent,” sh whole day to it. We’re cated the who doing it for the unborn.” Schwindel said Students for to participate in Life had the right ri matter what. its protest no m “We didn’t need permission,” she said. “It is freedom of speech. choosing not to speak. It’s We are choosin Constitution, and it’s a part of the Con university.” state university An email ssent out by the provost’s office notifi ed faculty that n students would wou be participating in the Day of Silence, but it was ultimately each professor’s decision to accommodate them. them Junior English education major Lauu ren Abney, who began a counter protest to Students for Life in the Free Speech Zone, wrote that her unofficial group’s silent protest promotes
being pro-choice. “The Free Speech Zone is where silent protests should be demonstrated,” Abney wrote. “However, I find that troublesome if the whole campus is not a ‘free speech zone’ in itself. (The university) claims to be a campus where new ideas should be discussed appropriately, with proper argument and research.” The counter protesters had tape over their mouths as well, but the word “Choice” replaced “Life.” “The fact that their protest goes over a narrow outcome for women’s health, yet they wish to protest freely all over campus, is controversial,” Abney wrote. Assistant Professor of Psychology Amie McKibban oversaw the Human Equality and Animal Rights group for several years until the students interested either left or graduated. She said she found the Students for Life Protest to be taking thee idea from the Gay, Lesbian and nd Straight Education Network. GLSEN’s LSEN’s Day of Silence dates back ack to 1996. “I find it somewhat offensive that at they borrowed that concept that at already represents a small group roup of people who are silent nt for fear of rejection and nd unsafety,” McKibban an said. “There’s the idea ea of representing silence nce for unborn fetuses. A lot of the women who have ave to terminate pregnancies ancies suffer in silence.” She said the university wasn’t asn’t always clear about why hy students weren’t able ble to hold events in specifi fic areas. “Occasionally (the students) udents) would run into problems roblems not getting responses ponses back and not being eing able to use certain areas eas for silly reasons,” Abney bney said. “They were told they could ould only march around thee Quad for their silent protest rotest to not be disruptive.” ve.”
Steve Bequette needs student help solving Public Safety’s puzzles. The university’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, a required document for federally funded universities based on the
for victims to report their cases. “There is the confidentiality option if they want to stay anonymous and not report specifics,” Bequette said. “We will put it in the report, but not include any information. So they may request that it not be investigated.” While Public Safety respects the sensitivity
of Title IX violations, Bequette said investigation could be necessary. “The only way that (request) could be overridden and we would urge them to report the perpetrator or events involved would be a dire threat to the campus, safety or security,” he said. “We’ll need to take different action for the welfare of all.”
The Romain College of Business has invited Doug Joest to serve as its new Executive in Residence. He leads the business of the Evansville Regional Airport, for 10 years. Joest discovered his passion for aviation in his younger years while building models of rockets and airplanes. “Most people played sports as a hobby, but I wanted something different, so I decided I wanted to be a pilot,” Joest said. Joest attended William Henry Harrison High School. Between his junior and senior year he obtained his pilot’s license at Tri-State Air. “It was an enormous and lengthy challenge, but it gave me a great sense of accomplishment,” Joest said. After receiving his license Joest said he wanted to become a commercial airline pilot. “The flying part was what I enjoyed, but the rest was just very unappealing,” he said. “Most of the time was spent waiting.” Joest attended USI and majored in accounting. After he graduated, he moved to Texas to work as an accountant for El Paso Natural Gas for 10 years. Joest returned to Evansville to become the CFO of Tri-State Air.
by Gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
Photos by Alyssa smith | The Shield
Clery Report provides partial picture Clery Act, released statistics on disciplinary actions and criminal offenses from 2012-2014. Bequette, the assistant director of Public Safety, said when students don’t report questionable behavior, pieces of security’s puzzles are missing. In terms of sexual violence, he said security has improved by providing opportunities
zmwillem@eagles.usi.edu
Strategic Plan progresses as ‘living document’
Junior construction technology major Joshua Welage (left) and junior English education major Lauren Abney (right) wear tape over their lips to protest prochoice and pro-life arguments, respectively, Tuesday at the university.
news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
by zackary willem
romain exec., PAGE 3
Protest, rotest, PAGE 3
by gabi wy
Alum named Romain Exec. in Residence
The federal standards previously broke down sex offenses into two categories—forcible and non-forcible. For 2014, the official classifications are rape, fondling, incest and statutory rape. “A couple years ago, the FBI changed the actual definition of rape,” Bequette said. “It’s basically putting a tag on the event that hap-
pened.” A fondling incident and a rape took place on campus in 2014 compared to no reported offenses in 2013 and six forcible sex offenses in 2012. “We feel good our statistics look low,” Bequette said, “but we’re always cognizant of the fact that a lot of these go unreported.”
Marcia Kiessling, associate provost for Student Affairs, said USI’s strategic plan is unlike any other she’s encountered at other universities. “People actually know it, and people actually work toward it,” she said. “Most places I’ve worked, it’s kind of like this esoteric piece that a few people come up with and then they file it away.” The Strategic Plan from 2010-2015 consists of six goals. From continuing traditions to extending service hours, the university has worked and is still working on meeting these goals. Each goal varies in its progress over the past five years. The goals are as follows: Enhance experiential learning opportunities “There was a lot of effort in increasing servicelearning opportunities,” Kiessling said. “We’ve also increased emphasis on internships. Students want internships, and employers want that.”
Strategic plan, PAGE 3
clery report, PAGE 3
View it online now
A GUIDE TO USI ATHLETICS | FALL 2015 EDITION
Take Our Quiz! WHAT INTRAMURAL TEAM SHOULD YOU BE A PART OF?
pick up the fall 2015 edition of
THE TALON
A guide to USI athletics
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
2
PUZZLES
For weekly puzzle solutions visit usishield.com/puzzles
Stay connected Editor-in-Chief
812/464-1682 editor@usishield.com
The Shield at USI
Newsroom 812/464-1645 news@usishield.com
Twitter @usishield
Sales
@usishield
812/464-1870 sales@usishield.com
Snapchat usishield
The Shield is the student publication of the University of Southern Indiana. The Shield is a memeber of ACP and ICPA. First copy is free. Additional copies of The Shield are 25 cents.
Advertise your campus organization events in The Shield! For special on-campus discount contact sales@usishield.com m
News Tip? zimride.com/usi
Share a news tip or story idea with us: usishield.com
News
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
Clery report continued from Page 1 Five dating violence incidents occurred in 2014 and two in 2013, according to the report. “It’s always going to happen because you’re dealing with people. People don’t always get along and know how to handle it,” he said. Because this area became a component of the document just last year, Bequette said there hasn’t been enough time to analyze a trend. “We really educate, and people are cognizant of what are symptoms in bad relationships,” he said. “We educate how victims can extricate
‘
themselves from these situations.” Stalking also became a part of the report in 2013. There were two stalking reports in 2013 as well as two in 2014. “I don’t see that it’s increasing here,” Bequette said. “It usually involves relationships gone bad or wanting a relationship and being spurned. The victim has to first take that step and say, ‘No more.’” Burglaries increased from two in 2012 and two in 2013 to five in 2014. “We did see a little bump in burglaries, which is unusual,”
Bequette said. “We strongly urge everyone to take responsibility for their own personal safety. I think there’s a lax in that. People will leave their doors unlocked … It’s not usually forced entry. Some people make it really easy.” Bequette wants to enforce “see something, say something” as a primary message for students. “What someone says could be small piece of something we already have a half-painted picture of,” he said. “It could really fit in and help us with an incident that has occurred or could occur.”
What someone says could be a small piece of something we already have a half-painted picture of. - Steve Bequette Assistant direct of Public Safety
allegations continued from Page 1 for City Council Tuesday via a Facebook post on his campaign’s Facebook page. “I have tried to serve the community my entire life. Unfortunately, I have become a distraction to an important political election for our
Parke added that the Central Committee will immediately withdraw all assistance and end any communications or coordination with Schriber and his election team. Schriber announced that he had dropped out of the race
’
5 5
22
dating violence incidents in 2014
1
rape in 2014
dating violence incidents in 2013
6
forcible sex offenses in 2013
3
2
stalking reports in 2014
20 % of all campus sexual assault victims go to police
1 fondling incident in 2014
2 stalking reports in 2013
Only 20 percent of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses get reported to police, therefore a complete overview of campus safety is impossible to provide. Information for the graphic came from the USI Clery Report and statistics from the Bureau of Justice.
city,” the post read. “That is not fair to the wonderful men and women who enter the arena and seek public office. So today I am suspending my campaign for City Council At-Large. While it is too late to withdraw from the ballot, if
elected, I will not serve and I will leave the selection of my replacement to a caucus.” Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kindra Strupp informed The Shield that Schriber has since been placed on admin-
istrative leave. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke released a statement saying Schriber’s actions are inexcusable. “I am very disappointed and deeply saddened by these developments,” the statement
reads. “I have directed Chairman Wayne Parke to take the necessary actions for ending Jack Schriber’s campaign.”
advice sessions to both students and faculty.” Nancy Bizal, coordinator of External Relations, said the program gives students an example of a hardworking person. “We do this for our business students,” said Nancy Bizal, coordinator of External
Relations. “This way our students can get a first hand view of the look, walk and talk of a successful businessman.” Bizal said the university doesn’t want to waste any of the executive’s time. “The dean and I choose who to invite to the college,” Bizal said. “We chose Joest
because he is the perfect example of what an alum can accomplish with a persistent and consistent passion.” The business college holds this event up to twice a year. It happens once in the fall where they invite someone to serve as Executive in Residence. Then in the spring,
they invite someone to serve as Executive in Alumni. “The dean and I attempted to work around class schedules,” Bizal said, “to give all of our students a chance to come hear the stories of a successful businessman.”
nority faculty increased from 10.9 percent in 2010-2011 to 12.2 percent in 2012-2013. Minority students increased from 10 percent to 11.1 percent over the same time period. The Multicultural Center is active on campus with events during Welcome Week and also Live at the Apollo, an annual student talent show. The university has also been increasing the number of scholarships offered to international students.
traditions, such as SpringFest, Kiessling said. She also listed Midnight Madness, Convocation and Live at the Apollo as vital traditions to keeping university spirit. “Live at the Apollo is always full,” Kiessling said. “Sometimes they have to turn people away.”
fraternities and sororities do.”
University Center open later for special activities they want to do.” She said that’s been something the university has been wanting to do, but it lacked the infrastructure. “(The Strategic Plan) has been, I think, very successful,” Kiessling said. “I hope the president is proud of this effort because it’s a living document.”
romain exec. continued from Page 1 retired,” he said. Joest was invited to serve as executive in residence director of the Romain College of Business through the resident executive program. “It is a once-a-year program where I am invited to serve for one day,” he said. “I will be giving a speech and
Joest quickly moved up the ranks to a position on the airport authority board as chief financial officer and eventually to executive director of the Evansville Vanderburgh Airport Authority District. “I was lucky to be able to fill the position of executive director after the previous one
Strategic plan continued from Page 1 gram that helps students visualize what courses they need to graduate. “It allows you to see with this new Core 39 (what you) need to graduate in four years,” Kiessling said. “It helps you get structured.” She said the university implements an early alert system, under which students receive notification on how well they are doing in classes a few weeks in. “A lot people have no clue where they stand,” Kiessling said.
The university purchased OrgSync software in January 2012, an online program where student organizations, volunteer opportunities and leadership roles are easily accessible to students. USI has partnered with more study abroad programs and also tries to provide financial aid to those students.
Increase the graduation rate Advising centers are now available within every college so students can meet with their advisors and create a plan for graduation, Kiessling said. The university purchased DegreeWorks, an online pro-
Increase diversity of faculty, staff and students In the fourth year update on the university website, mi-
Preserve and nurture the campus community One component of preserving the university community is keeping up with campus
Provide leadership in Indiana and the region “I think our student leaders and their capacity in their organizations do a lot of interface with the community,” Kiessling said. “The examples are things like the Dance Marathon and some of the philanthropies that the
a few years ago on the Day of Silence (about LGBTQA issues),” she said. “The university allowed us to walk around the Quad with signs and tape over our mouths.” The group did not seek anything more than usage of the Quad for that day. “We did our best to work with the university and within their guidelines and rules,” Steltenpohl said. “We never asked to go into classes. We always asked for professor permission and in all cases my professors said yes.” She said activist activities shouldn’t be brought into the classroom especially if they are disruptive. After hearing that the provost’s office notified fac-
ulty about Students for Life’s protest, Steltenpohl said the process oversteps classroom boundaries. “If we had tried that with regard to our same sex marriage protests, we would have been told a flat out no, guaranteed,” she said. “I wouldn’t support (bringing the protest into classrooms) regardless of the topic or position…and I’m sure the university would have said the same thing if we tried it.” Contrary to Steltenpohl’s account, former dean of students Angela Batista said the provost’s office did notify faculty during the protests Steltenpohl was a part of. “We sent out something to faculty and staff,” Batista
said. “We let faculty know some students would be choosing to be silent. Students were required to communicate with faculty.” Batista, who left the university in Spring 2015 said the Free Speech Zone is only for events not sponsored by the university or official student organizations. “If anybody is quiet, there’s no need for them to be in the Free Speech Zone,” she said. During Students for Life’s presentation of the Planned Parenthood on the Quad, men from the Gideon Society were handing out Bibles at crosswalks, which confused some students. “(It was) in no way con-
Become a 24/7 campus “Basically we’re trying to make the campus more vibrant,” Kiessling said. “On the weekends, we’re trying to have more services available to students and for more hours.” The library and the REC have expanded their hours. APB coordinates movies on Thursdays and Saturdays as opposed to only on Thursdays before the Strategic Plan. “We’ve made efforts and continue to make efforts,” Kiessling said. “We’re going to give student organizations an opportunity to keep the
nected to Students for Life,” Christine Hoehn, director of religious life, said. “I don’t think the Students for Life knew the Gideons would be there on that day, and I didn’t realize it when we scheduled the Gideons in August.” Hoehn said she doesn’t think the Gideons were ever disruptive. “They see this as a service,” she said. “They’ve been very good about it. If people find it to not be helpful, that’s not how the Gideons want it to be.” She said she personally hasn’t received complaints, but she heard of one instance of a complaint to the Dean of Students Office. “One person complained
protest continued from Page 1
Crystal Steltenpohl, a 2011 USI graduate, was president of HEAR during her time at the university. “I remember us having a lot of trouble scheduling events beyond simply finding an appropriate space,” she said. “The general consensus of those involved in the organizations I was involved in was that it was due to the nature of our groups and the events we held.” Steltenpohl said for most of the controversial events her group held, they focused on providing fair representations on different sides of an issue and letting people decide their stance freely. “HEAR did a silent march
USI Security Incident Log 10/12/15 - 10/18/15 Fire - False Alarm Teaching Theatre 10/12/15 9:29 p.m.
Welfare Check Security Bldg 10/15/15 1:00 p.m.
Fire - Alarm - Cooking 804B McDonald Ln - Branch 10/16/15 9:08 p.m.
Illness Report Teaching Theatre 10/12/15 9:45 p.m.
Fire - Alarm - Cooking OʼBannon Hall 10/15/15 1:02 p.m.
Theft Technology Ctr 10/16/15 9:45 a.m.
Traffic Accident Parking Lot G 10/13/15 4:28 p.m.
Property Damage - University 946 Varsity Dr - Lane Bldg 10/15/15 2:40 p.m.
Fire - False Alarm 8134A OʼDaniel Ln - Whitcomb 10/17/15 4:21 p.m.
Suspicious Circumstances Saletta Building 10/14/15 8:11 p.m.
Illness Report University Ctr (West) 10/15/15 3:34 p.m.
Traffic Accident - Hit & Run 907 Varsity Dr - Baker Bldg 10/18/15 4:56 p.m.
Illness Report Deaconess Student Health 10/15/15 10:07 a.m.
Fire - Alarm - Cooking 913A Eckels Ln - Hanly Bldg 10/15/15 6:02 p.m . Fire - False Alarm Boon Building 10/16/15 11:59 p.m.
Fire - Alarm - Cooking 8033A OʼDaniel Ln - Hendricks 10/18/15 8:04 a.m.
Injury Report Broadway Sports Complex 10/15/15 10:36 p.m.
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security.
he said no, and he felt like he was being pressured to take the Bibles,” Hoehn said. Hoehn came to the university in 1999, and she said the history of the Gideons coming onto campus existed long before her arrival. Hoehn also said events sponsored by religious life are mostly approved by the university, and the Gideons have been visiting campus for so long that it’s not questioned by faculty. “If it’s a problem, if it creates any uproar or if it upsets people, that’s not how we want our organization to be,” she said. Bobby Shipman contributed to this story.
briefs Priority Registration starts Nov. 2
Southern race development presentation
Human subject seminar Oct. 29
Students that are eligible will be able to take advantage of priority registration for the spring and summer semesters beginning the first week of November. To register, head to myUSI and sign up for classes under the Self-Service tab. Meetings with advisors are encouraged, but not necessary for registration. If you cannot register on your assigned day, you may register on any other registration day after yours. A full schedule of when students may begin registering as well as a list of criteria are listed at https://www.usi.edu/registrar/registration/registrationschedule.
Assistant Professor of History Kristalyn Shefveland will be giving a presentation at 3:00 p.m. Friday, October 30 in Kleymeyer Hall. This presentation, titled “Racial Classification and the Eastern Shore: Records of Bastards Miscegenation, and Infanticide in Colonial Virginia” examines the indigenous intersections to race development in the South during the Colonial times. She will also be discussing how communities lived throughout the Eastern Shore. For additional information on this event, contact Dr. Shannon Pritchard via cell at 812-465-1023 or by e-mail at snpritchar@usi.edu.
The Institutional Review Board of Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education is holding a seminar from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29 in University Center 206. The Institutional Review Board is the governing body of research regarding human subjects. This particular seminar will review the basic ethical propositions regarding research using human subjects, how to navigate their process at USI and tips on how to get your human subject protocol approved swiftly. For more information, contact Glenna Bower by email at gbower@usi.edu or by phone at 812-464-1709.
4
Features
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
Students reflect on domestic violence by abigal suddarth asuddarth@eagles.usi.edu Khloe Miller, became one of 45 victims who died as a result of domestic violence last year in Indiana alone. Miller was shot and killed by her boyfriend who then turned the gun on himself. The freshman psychology major’s story opened the Flowers on the Lake Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Students and faculty members marched silently from the Liberal Arts building to Reflection Lake in honor of victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Each person in attendance received a pamphlet rolled up in a cone shape containing a variety of colored rose petals. At the end of the event everyone threw their petals into the lake. The Albion Fellows Bacon Center, the Sexual Assault and Gender Violence Prevention Task Force, the Counseling Center, the SAC Club and the Gender Studies program sponsored the event. Dyllan Kemp, a criminal justice and sociology major who witnessed domestic abuse both in her family and through a friend read Paullette Kelly’s poem “I Got Flowers Today.” “I think it’s really important that we all come together and say something, especially at a college campus,” the junior said. Events like Flowers on the Lake keep people aware of the issues, which can lead to survivors seeking help, Kemp said. “If it helped one person it was worth it,” she said. Associate professor of criminal justice and director of gender studies Melinda Roberts concluded the event by ringing a bell 45 times to honor the victims who died of domestic violence related deaths last year. Domestic abuse is broad both in the types of relationships where it takes place and what type of abuses occur, said Counseling Center senior staff psychologist Stephanie
Photo by hannah spurgeon | The Shield
Annabelle Blaha throws flowers into the lake behind the Liberal Arts Center after the Flowers on the Lake Ceremony ended on Thursday. Students and faculty gathered around Reflection Lake to toss flower petals into the water honoring victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
Cunningham. Abuse can occur in dating relationships, between parents and children, between roommates and other close relationships, not just in marriages, the Outreach and Training Coordinator said. “It’s not a heterosexualspecific phenomenon,” she said. “So I think often times folks in the LBGTQ community are left out of this conversation.” Abusive behaviors include emotional manipulation, verbal abuse, dictating how one’s partner dresses, controlling their finances, limiting who they spend their time with and in extreme cases physical abuse and homicide, Cunningham said. “Most abusive relationships don’t start out as abu-
sive,” she said, “and that is a key part of why they occur and why people stay in them.” Usually abusive relationships start out wonderfully and slowly the abuser becomes more critical of the abused partner, Cunningham said. The abused partner then makes excuses for their abuser in hopes of eventually returning to when their relationship was good. “(The relationship) will go from fairytale, wonderful, over-the-top fantastic to start being more critical and jealous and controlling and over time that will become more prevalent,” she said. “The abusive partner would start putting more controls on who the abused partner could spend time with, and manipulate them until they are iso-
lated from everybody else.” Red flags for abusive relationships include jealousy, isolating a partner from friends and family and restricting what activities the partner can do, Cunningham said. “If you see bruises on your loved one and they’ve got the story that sounds pretty shady and unlikely,” she said. “It’s a very big indicator that there could be something that’s going on.” Watching a loved one go through an abusive relationship can be hard, Cunningham said, but it’s important to remain supportive for when he or she is finally ready to leave the relationship. “But I will say that it is so hard for people to retain that support because it’s like
watching a loved one with an addiction,” she said. “You want really badly for them to make better, healthier choices, but if they’re not quite at that point yet of being able to do that, then there’s not a whole lot that we can do besides just be there and be supportive.” Once a person is finally ready to leave his or her abusive relationship, Cunningham said, their loved ones can help them to seek resources such as the Albion Fellows Bacon Center, the Counseling Center or the YWCA. The Albion Fellows Bacon Center provides a shelter for domestic abuse survivors as well as support group counseling and legal advocacy, intern Alix MacDonald said. “We provide advocates to
the hospitals,” the senior psychology and gender studies double major said. “Any time there’s a victim that visits an emergency room for either domestic violence or sexual assault we’re called out by the hospitals.” All services at the center are free of charge and confidential, she said. “There’s so much bystander effect with domestic violence,” MacDonald said. “We see it and we think it doesn’t actually happen in lives like ours, but just for one person to say, ‘Are you okay?’ or, ‘Do you feel safe all the time in your relationship?’ can save someone’s life.”
University hails the trail
by Nick Leighty
ndleighty@eagles.usi.edu
Celebrate the Trail will recognize the collaboration between county, park and the university, Dave Enzler said. The celebration will take place at the USI-Burdette Trail, where participants will be able to take a bike ride and walk along the six mile trail. The event will also include a free lunch and giveaways. “I’m on there every day for about an hour. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, once I hit the woods, (all my worries) are all behind me,” said the director of Recreation, Fitness and Wellness. Lunch will be provided to all participants at noon following a short ceremony involving President Linda Bennett, retired park director Steve Craig, a USI alum and Enzler. Hot dogs, bratwurst, drinks and other food items will be available to all who come. “Like the sign says, ‘Enjoy Mother Nature’,” Enzler said. “Having this at the end of October can be a little iffy weatherwise, but it’s when the path is at its peak when it comes to beauty.” Craig said he helped organize the event as well as bringing about the construction of the trail, inviting each sponsor and each community figurehead to the event. The design and construction started in 2007 and ended in 2012. The idea for the trail came about after Craig saw how out of shape the trails were. “It’s unique, having a university connected to a park,” Craig said. The organizer said with approximately 75 percent on USI property and 25 percent on Burdette Park property, it came at no cost to the university. When the construction began, a large sum of money was used from the park’s fund to further the project. Funding was complete after
April 28, 1988
Photo by Alyssa smith | The Shield
A bicyclist takes on the USI-Burdette Trail Monday afternoon. This threemile paved path will be honored at “Celebrate the Trail” on Saturday.
receiving two grants for $1 million each as well as a donation of $80,000. It was important that no taxpayer money was used for the project, believing it could go toward better projects around the city, Craig said. “It’s a big thing when a park or entity puts up some of their own money,” Craig said. “It was instrumental on commissioner backing.” Despite retiring in Dec. 2014, Craig has been a huge benefactor for the path, saying that, regardless of his current position, he wants the event to continue for years to come. Since the inauguration of the trail in 2012, the university’s bike program has become much
more popular. With an upwards of 40 bikes available to rent, nearly all bikes are rented out constantly. “It’s a really nice working partnership,” said Jon Bosley, Assistant Program Director of Outdoor Adventure. If weather becomes unfavorable, a decision will be made based on the appearance of thunder and lightning whether to continue on with the event or to postpone it. This information will be available online on the university’s website prior to the event. Posted at various points along the route will be water stations manned by university faculty and student volunteers
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
Celebrate the Trail 10 a.m. Saturday USI Burdette Trail Free
The Shield is the first record of history at USI. As the university celebrates its 50th anniversary, The Shield looks back at events and issues we covered throughout the past five decades.
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
5
THEATRE REVIEW
Actors sow emotional depth in ‘Grapes of Wrath’ by Bobby Shipman editor@usishield.com @ShieldsterBobby Despite a few first-night fumbles, the cast of USI Theatre’s latest production managed to ensnare its audience with passionate acting and relatable intensity. “The Grapes of Wrath,” adapted for stage by Frank Galati, kicked off the 20152016 season Thursday with a nearly packed house. For those who haven’t read the John Steinbeck novel at least three times as required reading throughout their educational adventures, a plot synopsis may be in order. The play follows the Joads, a financially-burdened family of sharecroppers, as they trek west in search of work. Performing Arts Chair Elliot Wasserman directed the sobering tale that masked its numerous set changes with beautiful acoustic renditions of 1930s tunes. While the Pulitzer Prize winning story proves arduous to endure, Wasserman’s direction guides the tale with a quicker step and charming laughs, all while remembering to take care of the more emotionally dense scenes. The play stars characters
Tom Joad (Conner Keef), who has just returned to his farm from a stint in prison for killing a man in a brawl, and Jim Casy (Cameron Ward), a former preacher and avid drinker. Although statuesque and convincing in his role, Keef’s thick accent proved indiscernible and distracting at times and also seemed to fade mildly halfway through Act II. Ward remained strong, however, from start to finish. His eyes pierced the crowd as he spoke each word with a fierce delicacy. With every passing moment Ward’s evangelistic diction strengthened and he and Keef blossomed into a dynamic pairing. Wasserman utilized local actors to fill the youngster roles as well as the more mature characters, which was a smart choice because of strong casting. Ma and Pa Joad gave powerful performances while Granma and Granpa were darling side-chucklers. Although, these strong roles overshadowed many of the side actors and may have led to a seeming lack of presence from university students, despite the large cast. However, Craig Belwood, Elle Gensic and Nolan Spinks
Photo courtesy of photo services
The cast of USI Theatre’s production of “Grapes of Wrath” performs a song as the Joads, the family of sharecroppers the play centers around, prepares to travel west to California in search of work during a dress run through prior to opening night.
also shone as Al, Ruthie and Uncle John. Each actor played their differing roles well and stayed true to character evoking laughs, tears and empathy from the audi-
ence throughout. It would be a lie to say there weren’t a handful of times where the play dragged slightly or the theater’s poor acoustics lived up to their ear-
straining reputation, but overall “The Grapes of Wrath” was powerfully acted and carefully constructed. The play made for a pleasurable evening that hopefully plant-
ed a seed of enlightenment in viewers to reflect on the evergrowing advantages available for them today.
Performance breaks silence University to host U.S. premiere of Spanish play by amelia peterson agpeterson@eagles.usi.edu “All Who Are Left,” a theatrical performance covering topics as broad as war and as personal as the search for identity, will premiere for the first time in the United States at USI. The performance discusses the horrors of war, Nazi concentration camps and all of the outcomes of the World War II in Spain and the rest of Europe. “There are people in Spain who think that it is better to forget, but for many, this is very problematic,” said Raúl Hernández Garrido, writer of the original Spanish version of the play. This dilemma of silence after war is portrayed through the personal story of a young woman’s search for her father. Although she believed
that he had died in the Spanish Civil War, she finds that he may have survived at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria. The play depicts her search to uncover the past, which was often buried. Hernández Garrido is spending a semester at the university to teach courses in world languages and cultures and performing arts and to direct the performance of “All Who Are Left.” “It was very exciting to direct a version of my original work as translated by Dr. Hitchcock because I usually direct versions of my own works in Spanish,” Hernández Garrido said. The playwright said he has directed a few of his own plays in the past, but he typically prefers to bring in a fresh perspective to adapt his writing for a performance. “In theater I think that it
is very interesting that there are two halves, the written half and the directed half,” he said. “When I have to direct something that I have written, I make an effort to think that I am different as the director than as the writer.” Hernández Garrido said his role could be described as “schizophrenic,” since he first created the story with the mentality of a writer and then took on the role of director to bring the words to life on stage. This meant cutting some of his original words to make the play as concise and
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
United States Premiere of “All Who Are Left” Oct. 29-30 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. Mallette Studio Theater (Lower Level of Liberal Arts Building Free
Adjunct brings ‘fresh ideas’ to university by Abigal suddarth asuddarth@eagles.usi.edu Allison Guzman has traveled as far as Spain and Ecuador for her work Allison Guzman and is now on her way to Kleymeyer Hall to discuss the Spanish Civil War and its portrayal in contemporary Spanish literature. The adjunct assistant professor of Spanish at Providence College in Rhode Island will speak at 7 p.m. on Wednesday as part of this year’s Berger Lecture Series. The Liberal Arts department takes turns each year finding and sponsoring speakers for the lecture series which honors Sydney Berger, an Evansville lawyer who fought for Civil Rights and social justice. Guzman will discuss historical memory, Spain’s history starting from the Second Republic until now and the relationship between Spain and Germany during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, Berger said. “Many people in the U.S. may admire the ‘exotic,’ but we don’t immerse ourselves in other cultures,” she said.
“Mainly because we don’t have the opportunity to do so and we don’t tend to seek out people with different viewpoints.” Most people from other countries are generally aware of events taking place in the U.S., but few Americans are familiar with foreign affairs that aren’t relayed from corporatesponsored media, Guzman said. “People from Hispanic Countries will say that U.S. citizens think they are ‘el ombligo del mundo,’ literally ‘the belly-button’ or center of the world,” she said. By studying Spanish languages and cultures, Guzman said, people can draw comparisons between the Spanish Civil War and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States today, women’s rights movements and social reform. Unlike World War II, the Spanish Civil War, which ended in 1939, did not end fascism, Associate Professor of Spanish, David Hitchcock said. “Two generations of Spaniards only knew this
very closed authoritarian rule in which state censorship was a given and which basically half of Spain, the half that had lost the Civil War, were silenced,” he said. Guzman will focus her speech on the lasting legacy of the Spanish Civil War and the generations born and raised after the war ended, Hitchcock said. “The war wasn’t something you talked about even if you were on the winning side,” he said. “You knew that there was this constant tension that was unspoken.” A person might never learn what happened to a family member who went missing during the war and wouldn’t be allowed to ask questions, Hitchcock said. Guzman, who completed her Ph.D. only four years ago, has already written 12 academic publications. “I think she’s got a lot of fresh ideas to share about this topic,” Hitchcock said,.“And I think it’s really a tremendous asset to our college of Liberal Arts here to be able to combine this with the play performances that’ll be coming up the next
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
Allison Guzman will speak 7 p.m. Wednesday Kleymeyer Hall Free
powerful as possible for a live audience. “People who are not familiar with the theatrical process don’t know that it’s not that common for a playwright to direct his own plays,” David Hitchcock said. “Usually you turn it over to someone else, and then you’ve washed your hands of it.” Hitchcock translated Hernández Garrido’s play “Todos Los Que Quedan” into the English adaptation. The associate professor said that it is also rather unusual for a playwright to write a
piece in his own language and then come to the U.S. to work with the translated version. “(Hernández Garrido) is kind of working between two languages in many ways and doing a fantastic job of it,” Hitchcock said. Hitchcock said that when he first read “Todos Los Que Quedan” four or five years ago, he loved the theme that people have an inherent need to break the silence after a tragedy and put back together the fragmented pieces of their lives and, in this case, the life of a nation. “All Who Are Left” takes place after the death of Francisco Franco, the fascist leader of Spain who controlled the country after the Spanish Civil War. The emerging leaders at the time made a decision that no one should talk about the past. They called this silence the “Pacto del Olvido,” the pact of forgetting.
“One of the messages of the play is the high price of silence,” Hitchcock said. “While it’s not the only artistic work in contemporary Spain or contemporary Europe that deals with these kinds of issues, it is one of the most poetic ones.” Hitchcock said that “All Who Are Left” is a good play to bring to the U.S. because these topics are very accessible to an American audience. Hitchcock said the performance will resonate with a broad audience and has many themes that are relatable today. “The themes are relevant when you see the refugee situation from Syria,” Hitchcock said. “For example, and all of the atrocities that still occur in the world because of tribalism or religious doctrine.”
REVIEW
‘Goosebumps’ leans heavily on nostalgia, tropes In theaters now “Goosebumps” is best seen while wearing the rosecolored glasses of childhood. If the audience read a ton of “Goosebumps” novels during their adolescent years, they’re going to have a good time. The film follows Zach (Dylan Minnette), a high school student who moves next door to spooky neighbor R.L. Stine (Jack Black) and their misadventures attempting to recover monsters released from original manuscripts of the popular “Goosebumps” novels. In my mind, there are two types of movies specifically released around Halloween: spooky films which genuinely bring about moments of terror or shock from the audience, and poorly executed—or intentionally cheesy—movies which make a mockery of genuine horror, thus becoming a more childish version known as “spoopy.” “Goosebumps” definitely falls into the latter category. It presents the standard cliches of horror films while also using the same plot beats R.L. Stine favors without an ounce of spookiness while still draped in the trappings of horror. A parade of popular monsters, creatures and scenarios
familiar fans of the books are shown to the reader in rapidfire fashion during the final act of the film. Very few scary situations occur in “Goosebumps” due to the monsters being so faithfully reproduced from the books. Call me jaded, but I find it hard to be afraid of a cartoonish werewolf wearing a basketball uniform and sneakers. The real reason you’re watching this movie is Jack Black. After some underwhelming film choices in the last decade, it’s quite refreshing to see him taking on
Rating 3/5 BY Gavin gaddis
a genuinely fun role as R.L Stine. In addition, Black voices “Goosebumps” fan favorite monster Slappy T. Dummy, a voice role I feel compelled to mention for being one of the most memorable parts of the film. His maniacal performance felt on par with Mark Hamill’s Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series,” which I consider the pinnacle of loveable villains. One glaring flaw in “Goosebumps” is an attempt to give depth to human characters. In a given creature feature characters get maybe ten to 15 minutes of development before the spookiness begins. “Goosebumps” seems to spend at least twenty to twenty-five minutes on stating and re-stating character motivations. While I want to argue in favor of this movie, preaching it as a self-aware campy scary movie for kids, I genuinely feel kids who aren’t fans of the books would be bored silly by the second act. If you’re a grown adult who has little to no interest in the books, you might be sold in the idea by the film “Goosebumps,” but you won’t be incredibly entertained by the film itself.
6
Opinion
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
Screagles Call Question: “What did you think the first time you went to the REC?”
Name: Zac Drieson Major: CIS Grade: Freshman Answer: “I thought it looked small because my high school has a NFL sized weight room.”
Name: Josie Wanner No escape | morgan falconer | The Shield
A call for creative costumes by Vanessa Roach vrroach@eagles.usi.edu Each Halloween I used to look forward to eating candy until I couldn’t breathe, binge watching old horror movies and dressing up in costumes. But in my experience, college-aged students have a whole new way of celebrating Halloween. Somewhere in a female’s young-adult years they are expected to trade scary for sexy, and candy for cocktails. I have a problem with this. There has to be more options beyond a naughty nurse or a minion. Women may choose to wear a “sexy” cos-
tume or a ridiculous one, but few option exist in-between. A mother wouldn’t take her child trick-or-treating provocatively dressed, so stores provide these sorts of costumes for this reason. For the childless, and often younger women, the other spectrum of costumes are available. To prove my point I typed “women’s costumes” into Google’s search engine. The popular choices were sexy Batman, a Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader, a plethora of tight Avengers costumes, a sexy Chucky (seriously?) or the Cat in the Hat (again, seriously?). Further searching brought
the usual horde of vampire, witch and cat outfits that were both extremely tight and short, or inappropriate for fall weather. Halloween costumes used to be about dressing scary like a favorite actor/actress or to show off a creative outfit, but frankly now it has turned into a holiday where it is socially acceptable and even encouraged to dress provocatively. As children we are given candy for dressing in cute costumes and showing off to neighbors. But as young adults society often sends girls the message that Halloween is a chance to be
someone else—someone more attractive, mysterious, popular and sexy. High school and collegeaged women no longer try to dress cute, funny or scary. Outfits designed to grab attention no longer do that because so many girls wear them. In fact, the more creative and less stereotypical a costume is, the more attention it will grab. And it will be positive and healthy attention from both genders. Stereotypical costumes like the nurse, cop and cheerleader will always be on the shelves because they sell. Personally, I take pride in making my costumes creative
or unusual. The years that I’ve done so have also been the most fun Halloweens I’ve had, too. Partly because I wasn’t cold or uncomfortable. Halloween is a time to express yourself by dressing up in costumes. Unfortunately many stores limit their costumes to what is trending including more provocative options. But there are many sites on the internet that sell unusual costumes or give ideas for creative costumes. Just like finding the perfect dress, when time is taken to find an unusual costume no one else has, it makes the holiday much more memorable.
Unauthorized Tips to overcome Advice ‘spooky’ Blackboard by Gavin Gaddis
Deactivate autopilot
Recently I’ve noticed some telltale signs that people on campus—students and staff alike—are beginning to fall into a form of human autopilot. It seems to be a seasonal issue, as I’ve encountered it both at USI and at Henderson Community College when I was working on my Associate’s degree. Without fail I come back from fall break to find a cloud of apathy surrounding campus. Hunched shoulders, low-slung backpacks, nodding off in class, I see it all. This new atmosphere leads those affected to make mistakes more often than normal, as they’re simply going through the motions of school and work. Discussion boards on Blackboard stay empty, someone writes on a projector screen after mistaking it for a whiteboard, student workers skip shifts to start assignments for which they’ve had weeks to prepare. We’ve all made little mistakes, but it’s time to be more aware of them. Perhaps it’s the weather changing. Maybe the looming thought of finals is becoming too real. Maybe it’s simply a coincidence. I advise taking a moment to step back and analyze how things are going.
Did I write down all of the homework I need to have prepared by next week? Am I budgeting useful amounts of work, school and social time? Am I only remembering fun assignments for classes I like? That last question in particular is a large pitfall for me every fall semester. Fun weekly assignments not worth many points easily stick in my brain, while super important semester-long papers are shunted to the part of my brain where higher level algebra lives. Even as I write this piece I’ve discovered an incredibly important piece of homework due very soon that slipped my mind, trapped in the bottom of my backpack between a protein bar and a Walther’s Golf and Fun laser tag score sheet. It’s fine to mentally check out on occasion, but perhaps take a few moments to make sure you’re firing on all cylinders this week. Get some exercise into your daily routine, make an effort to study and write papers in different locations than you normally do. Find activities that are physically and mentally stimulating enough to banish that cloud of “meh” that’s following everyone around.
THE
EAGLE EXAMINER
What are you doing now that midterms are over? Homework
100%
Doing fun stuff
0%
Relaxing
0%
Eight people responded to last week’s Screagles Call poll.
by Osman Bien Aime orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu Many of us regularly use Blackboard, so I don’t think it’s particularly controversial to say that the service is beneficial, and the ease of access it provides can’t be overstated. But it’s October, Halloween’s coming up, and it’s the middle of the semester. I feel like sharing a spooky story. So take a seat, dim the lights, hold your paper close and prepare to be spooked. It was a quiet Friday evening, and I was logging onto Blackboard to work on an assignment due that Sunday morning. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, as I went over the instructions for the assignment. “Please go over the linked content and write a twopage paper explaining your thoughts on it.” I’d been using the service
for years, and as someone who’s taking a pair of Distance Learning courses this semester. I know how great it is as a platform for creating and managing classes. “No sweat,” I thought. But something wasn’t right. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find the linked content. There should have been something there when I clicked—something to go over and base my paper on—but it was nowhere to be found. No amount of refreshing the page could make it appear, either, and it was then that I came to the horrifying conclusion: I had an assignment due on Blackboard in less than two days and no way to actually do it. Okay, so maybe that story wasn’t spooky. After emailing my professor, the error was fixed and the due date was rescheduled, so there was no
harm done. But when things like that happen, it’s easy to get a little worried a little panicked, even. So, how can one achieve the least heart-pounding Blackboard experience? Make plenty of time. It’s better to work on assignments sooner, rather than later. If an exam opens on Monday, and is due on Sunday, I try to have it finished by Tuesday. That way if something comes up I’m ready to take action. Most importantly, if something does happen, contact your professor. They’re here to help, so let them know if there are any problems, or if an extension might be needed for an assignment. Blackboard is a regular part of our lives as students, and things are going to go wrong from time to time. But when the scariest thing is missing out on a grade, your best defense is preparation.
Party policy prep by Morgan Falconer mefalconer@eagles.usi.edu It’s almost Halloween, which means we have broody vampire costumes to make and spooky parties to attend. There’s a lot to anticipate. With every party comes its own holiday-specific set of rules. The standard rules still apply: don’t drive home after drinking, go with a friend who doesn’t have a record for ditching, “no” means “no,” etc. Halloween parties bring out the wilder side in people, so a few more rules need to be established. Costume consent People dress in ways they normally wouldn’t dress. If a woman wants to dress in a way that emphasizes her feminine curves, that’s her choice. A sexy costume does not equal consent. Only a “yes” equals consent.
Going to a party When preparing to attend a Halloween hullabaloo, it is best to figure out what kind of party it is beforehand. If it’s a family-game-night-type get together it probably isn’t a good idea to sneak in a flask or wear something too gorey. This applies if the host is accepting trick-or-treaters as well. If it’s a drinking affair, it’d be best to leave the board games at home. Although they’re really fun, it’s likely people would be too drunk to understand how to play, and board games are really expensive. Wearing an elaborate costume isn’t wise either. There are plenty of opportunities for it to get ruined. Screening movies For anybody showing horror movies at this year’s Halloween celebration keep in mind how this could affect guests. Everybody loves a good cheesy eighties scary movie, but showing some-
thing like The Human Centipede, with no warning, is not OK. Keep it classy. Horror flicks with deep, complex story lines are hard to pick up when dropping in or out. Movies that have an obvious or simple plot line are best. Unless all people present have specifically agreed to watching something that messed up, stick to movies like The Nightmare before Christmas. Be sensitive If people from religious backgrounds, or anybody with reservations about the occult, are invited to the shindig, don’t pressure them into playing with ouija boards or breaking into cemeteries. Halloween pranks like these are why cops are usually posted outside Oak Hill cemetery every year. People go to parties to have fun, and it really sucks when someone ruins the night with devil magic.
Major: Nutrition Grade: Freshman Answer: “I thought the gym equipment was nicer than I thought it would be. However I wished there were healthier snacks in the vending machines.”
Name: Josh Graber Major: Engineering Grade: Freshman Answer: “I was really impressed when I first saw the REC. It was very clean and organized.”
THE
SHIELD Editorial Board Bobby Shipman Editor-in-Chief Gabi Wy News Editor Megan Thorne Features Editor Gavin Gaddis Opinion Editor Sarah Loesch Sports Editor Ellen Cooper Chief Copy Editor Jessica Stallings Visual Editor
S ta f f Amanda Morrison Special Publications Manager Brian Tenbarge Page Designer Philip Kuhns Page Designer Alyssa Smith Chief Photographer James Vaughn Community Engagement Manager Emily Hollingsworth Copy editor
Sales & Marketing S ta f f Jonathan Stilley Sales & Marketing Director Melia Rowland Business Manager APPLY NOW Marketing Manager Ashleigh Carroll Layout & Design Manager Ugurkan (Oguz) Akkaya Circulation Manager Robert Buhmann Sales Consultant McKenzie McCormick Sales Consultant Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials represent a consensus opinion of the editorial board
Sports
The shield | october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
7
Graduate program prepares students for future
Photo by AMber Pretsch | The Shield
Top Photo by Isaac Williams | The Shield
Bottom Photo Courtesey of PHoto Services
(Above) Assistant women’s basketball coach and student of the new sports management program Stephanie Gelhlhausen watches as players run sprints at their first basketball practice on Thursday. (Top Right) PAC supervisor, Justin Ahlbrand, (right) plays corn hole with USI alum Jeff Neidlinger (left) during midnight madness on Friday. Ahlbrand is one of eight students in the sport management graduate program. (Bottom Right) Pitcher Brooke Harmening winds up for a pitch during a game in 2015. Harmening is now a graduate assistant for the softball team while working toward her master’s in sports management.
by sarah loesch sports@usishield.com @ShieldsterSarah Justin Ahlbrand said a graduate program where he can work at his own pace is perfect. Ahlbrand is one of the ten students who entered the Masters of Science in Sport Management program at the beginning of the 2015 fall semester. He works in the Physical Activities Center as a supervisor and athletic events often consume his evenings. He also schedules teams, makes sure they have the equipment they need and runs events at the PAC. Ahlbrand finished his undergrad at the university in Dec. 2013 and then took his job a little more than a year ago.
“The timing (of the grad program) was great,” he said. The program offers a normal two-year path for students to complete 30 credit hours to earn their master’s or an accelerated path where students start to earn their undergraduate and graduate degrees when they enter as freshman. This allows students to complete a master’s degree in five years. Ahlbrand always wanted to get his master’s and his hope is to one day become an athletic director. He also recently married and said he and his wife like the idea of staying in Evansville, especially since both of their families live there. “I kind of wanted to stay at USI,” he said. “(As a campus employee) I go to school for free. I wanted to take advan-
tage of that.” Ahlbrand said a master’s degree is a great addition to a résumé. “I hope having a master’s will put me ahead of the competition,” Ahlbrand said. The program has been great so far for Ahlbrand who said his job is not a normal nine to five. “Having (the graduate program) online is a plus,” he said. “It works really well with my job.” Stephanie Gehlhausen said the program is perfect for her job as well. The women’s basketball assistant coach spends most of her days in practices and once basketball season begins her weekends are spent on the court. “I heard about it last January straight from Glenna Bower,” she said. “I was so
excited for the all online option.” Gehlhausen said she knew she needed a master’s degree and she wanted it to be a topic relevant to sports. She explored other graduate programs but said with her job it didn’t work to go to another college. The program is designed to be completed in two years, but Gehlhausen said she wants to complete it as soon as possible. She said having a master’s degree for coaching is important, especially if someone aspires to a head coaching position. “I love coaching,” Gehlhausen said. “In nearly every position a master’s is preferred.” Brooke Harmening was ready for her orientation into the public administration graduate program before
hearing about the opportunity to enroll in a program for sport management. “I was so overwhelmed by (the orientation),” she said. Another student mentioned the sport management graduate program to her and she said she felt it was more on path with her undergraduate, a major in kinesiology. Harmening said when she came to USI four years ago from Whiteland, IN she didn’t know what to expect from Evansville, but the city quickly became home. “Ever since then I’ve never wanted to leave,” she said. “I love the community, the school. I don’t go home as much now that I’m older.” Harmening investigated other graduate programs at other schools, but said none of them worked for her. “I don’t know if I would
get that same, positive environment somewhere else,” she said. Harmening said the graduate program is something that will help with jobs in the future and she would be more than happy to take a position in Evansville. “Evansville is like my second home,” she said. “I would take a job here, Evansville is a smaller city, but it is growing so much.” Despite being so sure of where she wanted to complete her master’s program, the current graduate assistant for the softball team said one of her downfalls is not being able to decide her career path. “I think this master’s program could help me figure out what I want to do,” she said. “I’m already learning so much.”
New faces not problem for basketball teams by sarah loesch sports@usishield.com @ShieldsterSarah This year’s women’s basketball team has something to prove. Randa Harshbarger, a sophomore guard, said people see the team as an underdog after seven seniors graduated last year. Harshbarger said the team is ready to come out and see what they can do “to shock people.” The team brought in seven new players this year that are a mix of freshman and transfer students. Rick Stein, the women’s head coach, said for the team to succeed this year the group will need to see an impact from the recruiting class. “We have a new group,” Stein said, “More than half of the team is new.” He said the team’s starting postions are up for grabs ev-
eryday. Despite the new faces the head coach said the team isn’t all that young. The team has six returning players that are meshing well with their new teammates. “It’s pretty amazing how quickly the group has bonded,” Stein said. One of the returning players is sophomore Kaydie Grooms, who started all 32 games last year as a freshman. The 5’10’’ guard said she is excited to see what the team can do this year. Grooms was the only underclassmen in the starting five last year, which gave her the chance to become even closer with the seniors. “I’ll have seven friends for life,” she said. She said she was nervous about so many players leaving, but this year there is a lot of talent on the team. “(Workouts) have been going really well,” Grooms said.
“We’re all on the same page.” Brett Benning said the men’s team also has good chemistry and everyone has the potential to have a great year. The sophomore guard played in 23 games last season as a freshman and said this year he wants to make a bigger impact. Benning said one difference this year is the team has a lot more “big guys.” “We just got a lot more size,” he said. Rodney Watson also said a strength of the men’s team is size along with the men’s work ethic. “Our guard play has length and depth,” the men’s head coach said. “Several guys can shoot the ball (well).” The team added two freshmen to their class of recruits that otherwise was made of transfer students. Watson said Alex Stein and Jacob Norman impressed the veteran players on the
Photo by AMber Pretsch | The Shield
Sophomore guard Kaydie Grooms guards sophomore forward Megan Dahlstrom during a practice Thursday. This was the first practice of the season for the women’s team.
team with their mentality and physicality. Both the guard and for-
ward are Evansville natives and graduates of F.J. Reitz Memorial High School.
“Both have a chance to be very good,” Watson said, “for a very long time.
briefs Woman’s golf wins invitational
Guy named runner of the week
Roberts leads women’s team to victory
The women’s golf team finished its two-day tournament with a total of 614 on Sunday to take first place. It was one of ten teams competing in the Maryville Fall Invitational at Annbriar Golf Course. Three USI golfers filled the top three spots. Allison Koester, a junior, won medalist honors. Senior Anastasia Carter followed in second and Brittanie Garrison tied for third place. The Eagles play their last tournament of the fall season Oct. 26-27 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Senior Johnnie Guy was named GLVC men’s cross country runner of the week after the UE Invitational on Saturday. Guy beat 102 other runners to come in first during the race. He crossed the finish line with a time of 24 minutes 38.10 seconds. The men’s team finished the invitational one point from a perfect score. Guy has the opportunity to win his third straight GLVC title in the upcoming GLVC championship.
The women’s cross country team placed first at the UE Invitational and Emily Roberts led the team. Roberts finished the 5K with a time of 17:28.5 to add her second win of the season. The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association named her the Division II Women’s National Runner of the Week. This is the first time a women’s runner has earned this honor in USI’s history.
8
The shield |october 22, 2015 | Usishield.com
scoreboard
Basketball broadcast
Men’s soccer Oct. 16 1-2 Oct. 18 0-2
Watson radio show to start in Nov.
woMen’s soccer Oct. 16 3-0 Oct. 18 1-0
volleyball Oct. 16 0-3 Oct. 17 1-3 Oct. 17 0-3
men’s & Women’s Cross country Oct. 17 UE Invitational 1st of 10 teams
women’s golf Oct. 17 GLVC Fall Preview 1st of 10 teams Photo Courtesey of Photo Services
Head coach Rodney Watson lays out the game plan to members of the 2014-15 men’s basketball team during a game agaisnt Davis Elkins College. Watson is the ninth head coach for the men’s team and 2015-16 will be his seventh coaching season.
by Mackenzie Drew mldrew@eagles.usi.edu The Rodney Watson on Basketball radio show starts Nov. 2 at the downtown Turoni’s. Radio sportscaster Dan Egierski and men’s basketball head coach, Rodney Watson are at Turoni’s every Monday night for one hour during basketball season to share insight on basketball, players and other sporting current events. Jerry Turner, Turoni’s president, said the show started when Bruce Pearl coached the USI men’s basketball team, continued with
Rick Herdes and now Rodney Watson. Each show athletes join Egierski and Watson, to share their story and connect with fans. “The better the team, the more participation,” Turner said, “but some years even though it hasn’t been the best year, we do very well also.” Turner said he and his wife are fans of USI basketball and they attend almost every home game. He said he doesn’t know if this helps the relationship he has with coaches, but said they always get along. “One year I think we had the show at Buffalo Wild
Wings,” he said. “The next year they were back (at Turoni’s).” Turner said the contract is renewed each year and they hope to continue it in the future. Watson said the show gives him the chance to talk about coaching and decisions he makes. “Sometimes people are wondering, ‘Why in the world would he do that?’,” Watson said. With this show he said he hopes to “talk basketball” and answer all the questions fans have about the program and games. The show gives fans a bet-
ter understanding of not only the program being run, but an insight into the player’s lives outside of basketball. Watson said it would be hard to say who the goofiest player to interview will be. “That would be a pretty long list,” he said. “You never know.” Watson is excited for all his players to tell their stories on air and connect with their fans.
Upcoming Games Men’s & women’s soccer
volleyball
1:00 p.m. / 3:30 p.m. Oct. 23 St. Louis, Missouri Maryville University
7:00 p.m. Oct. 23 PAC University of Indianapolis
2:30 p.m. / Noon Oct. 25 St. Louis, Missouri University of Missouri St. Louis
3:00 p.m. Oct. 24 PAC Saint Joseph’s College
men’s & Women’s XC Sarah Loesch contributed to this story
Noon | 11:00 a.m. Oct. 24 Somers, Wisconsin GIVC Championships
ARE YOU READY FOR FLU SEASON? How do I know if I have the flu or what to do to take care of myself? Learn the symptoms. www.cdc.gov/flu/takingcare.htm How can I prevent getting the flu? Learn more about prevention. www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm
Clean hands save lives When should I wash my hands?
• Before, during and after preparing food • Before eating food • Before and after caring for someone who is sick • Before and after treating a cut or wound • After using the toilet • After changing diapers or cleaning up
after a child who has used the toilet • After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing • After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste • After handling pet food or pet treats • After touching garbage
Learn more about handwashing. www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
6:00 p.m. Oct. 27 PAC Trevecca Nazarene University