Students speak out after Paris tragedy T h u r s d a y, n o v e m b e r 1 9 , 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 4
Racism
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features@usishield.com @ShieldsterMegan
Peaceful rally sheds light on racial inequality, administration shows support
by armon siadat
amsiadat@eagles.usi.edu As a black student on USI’s campus, Danesha Shelton feels hurt, scared, frustrated and alone. “Every day, I am seeing acts of hate and horrors happening on college campuses across the United States and around the world,” she said. “Yet every day here at USI no one is discussing (those issues) and that bothers me.” Shelton started that discussion by hosting a peaceful protest Monday in the Student Life Lounge. The goal of the rally, titled “Let’s Talk About What It Means to Be Black,” was to create a dialogue between students and the university administration following Mizzou’s racial tensions escalating to national headlines. At Missouri University, students felt administrators weren’t properly addressing racially-charged incidents. The students held protests and formed the group Concerned Student 1950, which eventually led to the president’s resignation. Everyday, someone asks Shelton how she’s doing and she tells him or her she’s doing “good.” “Every day I lie,” the senior social work major said. “I am not good. My community is not good. But I say it anyway.” Shelton doesn’t feel she’s in a space that will allow her to speak her truth out of fear of being silenced because of racism. “I want the people not in
Photo by Alyssa Smith | The Shield
Briony Towler, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, cries as she reflects on her experiences with racism on campus and shares it with others who attended the “Let’s Talk About What It Means to Be Black” peaceful rally on Monday in the UC East basement. Towler and many others shared the stage to talk about their concerns with racial injustices on campuses and to show solidarity with the University of Missouri.
the color community to not be afraid to engage with us,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to ask me a question because you don’t understand or don’t
by Megan Thorne
know. I’d rather you ask me than assume I’m something else (that) I’m not.” The protest, organized similar to an open mic night, invit-
ed students to tell their stories or share their fears. Students, faculty and administrators attending were asked to dress in all black. Briony Towler, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, said she experiences the same racism on campus that her father experienced in the 1950s. Senior finance major Terrance Lewis said he looks up to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Provost Ronald Rochon. “Mizzou is our neighbor,” Radovich said. “They’re (just) hours away. If it can happen there, it can happen here.” She said that while the university doesn’t have “racial issues,” she wants the university community to discuss race relations on campus in order to abstain from creating that dynamic. “If something was to spark something major, we need to know that we would be safe as a collective student body— not just the black students and not just the allies to the black community—but every student needs to be safe on campus,” she said. “No student should have to choose between their education and safety.” Rochon, President Linda Bennett, Associate Provost for Student Affairs Marcia Kiessling, Dean Bryan Rush, Vice President for Finance and Administration Steve Bridges, Director of University Communications John Farless, Media Relations Specialist Ben Luttrull and Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications Kindra Strupp were in attendance at the protest.
Emily McAtee left Paris just hours before the city faced devastation Friday night. Her fellow classmates who are studying abroad at Harlaxton College from universities including USI and University of Evansville, however, were not so lucky. McAtee said she had just arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with another student when she heard the news. “I thought to myself, ‘This is a nightmare. It can’t be real.’ I never would’ve imagined something so tragic happening so close to me, and my friends were still inside the city,” McAtee said. “It was horrifying, I still can’t believe it.” More than 130 people were killed and over 350 were wounded when eight terrorists bombed the Stade de France during a France vs. Germany soccer game, local restaurants and the Bataclan arena, all within 30 minutes. The junior management and marketing major said after touring Paris on Thursday for the university’s weekend trip, she was able to see the main tourist spots, which included Bataclan Hall, where one of the terrorists shot and killed at least 87 people. “It is quite surreal to imagine I was just there—such a magical city turned to horror in just hours,” McAtee said. “I had always grown up hearing about the magic of Paris, and Paris is indeed the city of love. It is undoubtedly shown through the reactions of everyone in Paris standing together through this hard time.” Many of McAtee’s fellow classmates remained in Paris and weren’t far from danger. “One shooting was 10 minutes from the hotel all the students were residing in,” McAtee said. “Fortunately, no students were around any of the acts of terrorism and everyone was safe in the hotel.” All 90 students were accounted for. “Paris will always hold a special place in my heart,” McAtee said, “before and even more after this act of terrorism.”
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SGA hosts ‘phenomenal’ conference by zackary willem zmwillem@eagles.usi.edu The university’s SGA hosted the third annual Student Government Association Coalition Conference Nov. 14. “The event was phenomenal,” SGA President Alexa Bueltel said. “The amount of colleges and students that came out far exceeded my expectations.” More than 100 SGA members from 12 colleges attended the event, exceeding Bueltel’s initial hopes of ten colleges. “I felt like the attendants could take the ideas we talked about and bring them back to their own colleges,” Bueltel said. The SGA implemented one large change from past years to this year’s conference. “What we did was we added an extra day to the conference,” Bueltel said. “I just felt like one day isn’t enough time to talk about everything.” SGA booked speaker, comedian, author and host Stan Pearson II as the conference’s keynote speaker.
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University gets (physics)cal Board of Trustees approves new science major
At the conference, Pearson spoke about “Five Ways to Lead With Purpose,” “Developing Your Gift” and “Discovering Your Sexy From the Inside Out.” Pearson also held his workshop, which is the “Five step guide to Rehearse, Remix and Revive the way you lead.” “The message I wanted to convey was for people to find their own gift and to use that gift to benefit others,” he said. Pearson said he successfully conveyed his message and had a great experience. “What I care about is the message I give my listeners,” he said. “I felt like they all understood and accepted what I talked about.” Pearson also announced IUPUI as the winner of the bid to host the 2016 Student Government Association Coalition Conference. “I found the keynote speaker very engaging; he took taboo topics and made them open to talk about, which isn’t something many speakers can do,” said Niki DaSillva, president of the IUPUI SGA.
by zackary willem zmwillem@eagles.usi.edu A new Physics major was added to the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education to help give students more diverse options, said Kent Sheller. “I’ve been waiting 17 years for this major,” said Scheller, an associate professor of physics. “It will better improve the current minor that we offer in physics.” The Board of Trustees approved the new major, but it has yet to be approved by the Commission of Higher Education. Scheller said the major should be implemented in the fall 2016 semester. “The new major will be like any other degree,” Scheller said. “I don’t know why it’s taken so long to implement the degree, either. This is something that public institutions are sorely missing. (University of Evansville) has a physics degree as should all comprehensive universities.” The Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education had students attend graduate school with only minors in physics, but Scheller said the major will better prepare
Photo by alyssa smith | The Shield
Junior biology major Hasan Shahin checks the temperature of boiling water during a physics lab on Monday. A new physics degree is waiting to be approved by the Commission of Higher Education and is said to be available to students in fall 2016.
these students. “This addition will enable us to recruit the highest performing students in our area,” he said. The college currently offers four different tracks that physics majors can follow. The computational track and the applied track are of-
SGA conference, PAGE 3
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fered for students entering the workforce. Students can also choose a traditional graduate school track or a teaching track. “We are developing the new major with these tracks to give majors very diverse options,” Scheller said. The department plans to
spend $8,000 for purchasing new lab equipment and material for the new degree, said William Elliott, chair of the Geology and Physics Department. About 75 percent of students who major in biophysics go to pre-med or graduate school, Elliott said.
Physics degree, PAGE 3
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Zoë McGrath said this is her second encounter with terrorism in France. “I thought back to the last terrorist attacks that occurred when I was abroad (Charlie Hebdo in January) and the pain that the French must be reliving,” McGrath said. The senior French studies major and sociology minor said her initial reaction was to make sure her friends in Paris
SGA conference
were OK. She was happy to find out Facebook made a section where people could mark saying they were safe. Although the senior was about five hours from Paris at the time of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, it still makes her heart hurt remembering the pain from that attack. “Every store had ‘Je Suis Charlie’ signs in their windows, monuments with post-
ers, drawings, candles and photos popped up around town,” McGrath said. “It was the only thing we talked about in my classes. It made me feel like France as a whole is a very united country.” Lou Lavorel, a French exchange student at USI, said his thoughts immediately went for the people and families who lost loved ones Friday.
Lavorel said he was happy to know none of his friends or family members were hurt, but it’s terrible to hear about his compatriots that have died. “Despite all of the losses, we have to stay united,” Lavorel said. “Not only for French people, but humanity, because it is an attack against humanity. People who did that are not humans
anymore.” Lavorel is currently in his last year of engineering school, which is equal to a master’s degree in France. “We have to hold each other’s hands,” Lavorel said, “Staying human because they will not take the humanity that they lost.” Lavorel said people can’t blame the Muslim community for ISIS, because the ter-
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rorists don’t have a connection with them. “I am very sad that a group of people think they can use bullets as a message and dead people as a claim,” Lavorel said. “They do not inspire fear and terror to me but weakness and sadness.”
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Every day I lie. I am not good. My community is not good. But I say it anyway. -Danesha Shelton Senior social work major
Photo by alyssa smith | The Shield
SGA representative for social and cultural issues Damien Burge leads a session during the third annual Student Government Association Coalition Conference held at the university Saturday. The session asked attendees to fill out a name card identifying the ethnicity and religion they identify with and meet at least six other people in hopes of sparking diversity-based discussions.
SGA also held three breakout sessions as part of the conference, geared toward bringing attendees together. SGA’s Representative for Social and Cultural Issues Damien Burge led the third session about building diversity and how to talk race, religion and gender. “It is part of my position in the SGA to deal with diversity,” Burge said. “I believe bringing diverse people together is very important.” Burge had attendants put on a name card that identified their race and religion. Attendants then talked to one another about why they
believe in what they believe. “Everything starts from communication, and I wanted to hold a discussion-based session,” he said. Burge wanted attendants to become comfortable with talking about controversial issues by using this method as an icebreaker. “Your name doesn’t describe who you are,” he said. “The only way to know a person is to talk with them about these things.” Burge then held a group discussion about how attendants felt about diversity and ways they could try to implement change at their colleges.
“I’m glad the discussion veered more toward gender,” he said. “Gender plays a huge part in our daily communication.” Burge hopes attendants learned from the session and can implement it into their lives. “Diversity isn’t something that can fully be discussed in a single 40 minute session,” he said. “But I am confident that the session was successful in conveying my message.” Bueltel hopes the event grows larger by IUPUI reaching out to more colleges. “I’m excited to see how
IUPUI hosts the conference next year,” she said. “When they gave their bid they really knew what they wanted to do, and I see a lot of potential.” Bueltel said the event was a huge success and she is glad the USI SGA was able to host it this year. “What I wanted students to take away most from (the conference) was that no matter how small their ideas are, they do make a difference,” she said. “Their opinions, not only as a student government but as a student body, really matter.”
Rush said faculty needs to be a strong presence on campus. “We should always be visual and have open dialogue,” Rush said. “We need to create an environment conducive to students feeling comfortable and celebrate students and not make them feel marginalized.” President Linda Bennett previously spoke about Mizzou at the Nov. 12 SGA meeting in addition to attending the rally. “I’ll tell you that all layers of the university, especially president and administration, (need to) be available,” Bennett said to SGA.
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She then specifically addressed administration. “Listen,” she said. “Don’t go into a bunker and close yourself off because you’re ‘too busy.’” She advocated for open communication and said it is also up to students to prevent a situation like Mizzou’s. “Stand up for what’s right,” Bennett said. “I get really tired of folks expecting somebody else, when they hear of something really wrong, (to) actually do something. ” Gabi Wy contributed to this story.
Physics Degree continued from Page 1 “We really want(ed) to build off of that program’s success,” he said, “but we didn’t have enough instructors to implement a new degree.” The opportunity came when an instructor left to teach for another university, Elliott said. “We had three tenured faculty and two instructors,” he said. “We lost an instructor so Dean Scott Gordon supported the opportunity.” The vacant position was converted to an assistant associate professor of physics,
Elliott said. “Instructors usually have a master’s degree in a single position,” he said. “The new professor will have a Ph.D to better the overall expertise of the department.” The department is currently in the process of bringing prospective professors to campus. “I really support this program,” he said. “I believe that it will add a lot to the university and the department specifically to help better our students’ education.”
briefs USI Security Incident Log 11/10/15 - 11/15/15 Criminal Mischief OʼDaniel South - Main Parking 11/10/15 11:35 p.m.
Traffic Accident Parking Lot C 11/11/15 10:03 p.m.
Alcohol - Underage Consumption 932 Varsity Dr - Morton Bldg 11/12/15 2:39 a.m.
Criminal Mischief O.S.C.A.R. Building Parking Lot 11/10/15 11:38 a.m.
Criminal Mischief Eckels Lane 11/11/15 10:15 a.m.
Incident Report 819A Moutoux Ln - Orr Bldg 11/10/15 12:25 p.m.
Criminal Mischief Eckels Lane 11/11/15 10:20 a.m.
Criminal Mischief Clarke and Schutte Parking 11/12/15 5:24 p.m. Stalking Rice Library 11/13/15 6:04 p.m.
Drugs - Manufacture/Possession of Hanly Building 11/10/15 12:37 a.m.
Criminal Mischief OʼDaniel Lane 11/11/15 10:28 a.m.
Drugs - Possession Hanly Building 11/10/15 12:37 a.m. Injury Report Ruston Hall 11/10/15 1:36 a.m. Illness Report Ruston Hall 11/10/15 1:36 a.m. Criminal Mischief McNutt Building 111/10/15 8:29 a.m. Criminal Mischief Liberal Arts Ctr 11/10/15 8:40 a.m. Traffic Accident 905 Varsity Dr - Baker Bldg 11/10/15 9:12 p.m.
Traffic Accident UC Service Drive 11/11/15 7:31 a.m. Fire - Faulty Alarm 941 University Ct - Chase Bldg 11/11/15 8:45 p.m. Residential Entry 932 Varsity Dr - Morton Bldg 11/12/15 2:39 a.m. Criminal Mischief 932 Varsity Dr - Morton Bldg 11/12/15 2:39 a.m Criminal Trespass 932 Varsity Dr - Morton Bldg 11/12/15 2:39 a.m. Alcohol - Public Intoxication 932 Varsity Dr - Morton Bldg 11/12/15 2:39 a.m.
Fire - Alarm - Cooking 8045B OʼDaniel Ln - Ray Bldg 11/14/15 12:05 p.m. Fire - Alarm - Cooking 8037A OʼDaniel Ln - Hendricks 11/14/15 4:26 p.m. Violation of University Policy Clarke Lane at McDonald 11/14/15 4:40 p.m. Fire - Alarm - Cooking 8038B OʼDaniel Ln - Hendricks 11/14/15 6:08 p.m. Lost Property Report 905 University Ct - Matthews 11/15/15 11:02 p.m. Fire - Alarm - Cooking 8024A OʼDaniel Ln - Boon Bldg 11/15/15 5:53 p.m. Fire - Faulty Alarm Leslie Building 11/15/15 7:33 p.m.
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security.
Lego League History teams to lecture to advance explore Two teams that competed artifacts, in the university’s STEM Reculture sources Center’s 2015 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Qualifying Tournament will be moving forward to the 2015 Indiana State FLL Championship. The championship will be held in Fort Wayne on Dec. 12 with representatives from Shoals Elementary School; teams RoboRox and RoxStars. The challenge tasked teams taking a Trash Trek into the unforeseen terrain of trash. The challenge made teams rethink they way they looked at everyday trash items and reduce the amount of trash created or improve the way it’s handled.
Adjunct instructor in history Marvin Susott will be presenting “North of the Wall: Artifacts and Cultures beyond the Walls in Roman Britain.” This presentation will explore the creation of the Antonine Wall and Hadrian’s Wall and what impact they had on trade and culture. The piece begins at 3:00 p.m. Nov. 20 in Kleymeyer Hall in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center. Susott is the final speaker in the College of Liberal Arts Faculty Colloquia Series, which features individual public lectures from current faculty research.
Alumni to host ‘Lighting a Tradition’
The university’s Alumni Association will host the 25th annual Lighting a Tradition at 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 23. This event joins alumni, students, family and friends as festive lights illuminate the Quad. There will also be a cooking decorating contest held by the Student Board of Directors. Participants of the event will also be able to take a selfie with Santa for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card. The affair begins in front of the Rice Library and followed by refreshments inside University Center East.
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Features
The shield | november 19, 2015 | Usishield.com
Diversity on display International club takes to the runway to show university cultures
‘Pilars of support’ aid campus veterans by abigail suddarth acsuddarth@eagles.usi.edu
Photo by alyssa smith | The Shield
Freshman business major Abdullah Almuslin walks down the runway dressed in an Arabian thobe with the rest of the models at the end of an international fashion show Monday. The fashion show was one of the first events to kick off International Education Week at the university.
by megan thorne features@usishield.com @ShieldsterMegan Margarita Argote jumped on stage, let out a high pitched sound and began stomping her feet to the beat of a traditional Mexican song. The Intensive English Program student represented the Mexican culture Monday during the International Reception and Fashion Show, where students and faculty dressed in garb from different countries around the globe. Argote is a dance and English teacher in Mexico, where she said she feels privileged to be able to educate her students with her new knowledge. Although it makes Argote sad that there is violence in her country, she said she still enjoys representing its culture to keep it alive. “I deeply love my country and its traditions,” Argote said. Coralys Miranda-Reyes, a junior international studies, anthropology and Spanish major, said she enjoyed representing both the Indian and African cultures. “It was really great to experience another culture’s wardrobe,” Miranda-Reyes said. “Once you wore it, you felt like you were a part of (the culture).”
Miranda-Reyes said she is a “world citizen,” which made learning about different cultures and their attire intriguing. “I loved my (African) outfit, it was so flowy and wonderful,” Miranda-Reyes said. “It was so intricate as well, it may have been one long piece, but it had its own intricate jewels.” The junior said she had to research Indian culture to understand the traditional hand gestures and how to say “Hello” and “Goodbye.” “It was an awesome experience to have with so many people from around the world,” Miranda-Reyes said. Jackeline Yagual said she organized the event with the help of the Center of International Programs. “(At events) you learn more about other cultures and their traditions,” Yagual said. She said the university needs more international events to help educate and bring people together. “I am very passionate about international cultures,” Yagual said. “I love to know about other cultures. I think the fact that we can represent the different attires that people have all over the world is an amazing idea.”
TOP: Julia Schuecking, a senior business administration major, greets the crowd during an international fashion show in the UC 2219-20 Monday. The international student from Germany was sporting tradition Indian dress among other students representing fashions from cultures all over the world. BOTTOM: Margarita Argote, an Intensive English Program student from Mexico, dances across the stage during an international fashion show in which students dressed in clothes representative of multiple nations from all over the world on Monday in UC Room 2219-20.
Professor of social w o r k Va u g h n DeCoster saw a need for helping DeCoster soldiers both physically and mentally and served as a military clinical social worker during the war in Iraq to do his part. On Veterans Day, the university offered services for veterans that included free meals, dental services provided by the University Health Professions and a panel discussion of veterans. DeCoster took part in a career panel discussion, sponsored by career planning services. “We had corporate pilots, airline pilots, EPS pilots, a host of aviation people, the executive director from the airport and aircraft controllers,” he said. “It was really cool.” DeCoster was deployed once in 2006 to 2007. “I was a conditioned officer in the army reserves and commanded a combat stress team in Baghdad,” the director of Master of Social Work Program said. He provided mental health care, educated commanding officers and worked with some preventative health care. “A big chunk of what we did was when a soldier or soldiers were killed we would do critical instance stress debriefings,” he said. “Within a day we would get the teams that were affected together and have them tell their story of what they experienced.” Group discussions help the healing process because the group’s collective memory tends to be more accurate, DeCoster said. The primary job of a military social work is to prepare soldiers to return to the line of duty, DeCoster said. “We’re occupational medicine,” he said. “Because really sometimes the best thing for them is to not return to duty, but when you’re in a combat situation and you’ve got to keep what they call ‘operational strength’ up.” Losing patients in the line of duty was the hardest part of his job, DeCoster said. DeCoster considers the
people he worked with while in the army as family. “It’s incredible, the survival skill when you’re in the service, how quickly you make friends and how warm and open and accommodating the people are in the service,” he said. “The people that I served and worked with were some amazing folks and that makes it all worthwhile.” DeCoster joined the army in 2003 after his recruitment officer told him there was a shortage of social workers. Since WWII, Americans of lower socioeconomic levels tend to enlist in the military the most, DeCoster said. When wealthier, more affluent Americans did enlist, they rarely died in action. Clinical Assistant Professor Jennifer Bartek said everyone has something to offer in order to give back to veterans. The clinic coordinator collaborated with the Veterans Support Services in order to hold the second annual Veterans Dental Hygiene Clinics. “The Veterans seen in our clinic were provided a complete assessment of their oral cavity, radiographs, oral health education, dental hygiene treatment, recommended referrals and fluoride if needed,” she said. About 48 veterans attended the event. Manager of Veteran Military and Family Resource Center Joel Matherly said his main goal is to offer assistance to veteran students and to keep the university compliant with the Department of Veteran Affairs’ education requirements. “We decided to step outside of the box and create our pillars of support: education, employment, behavioral health and community outreach to rise to the challenge of the needs our student and community veterans have,” he said. About 403 veterans, currently serving military personnel and dependents of veterans attend school at the university. There are about 20,000 veterans living in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey Counties. “Our goal is to assist them in our pillars of support,” Matherly said, “to help them achieve success in any area so they can transition back into civilian life and obtain their personal and family goals.” Megan Thorne contributed to this story.
Photos by alyssa smith | The Shield
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Annual feaste to fund Ireland trip by Amelia Peterson agpeterson@eagles.usi.edu For several evenings in December Carter Hall will be transformed into a renaissance-era castle in West Coast County Clare, Ireland. Guests are invited to take part in a feast served by lords and ladies, complete with live music and a five-course meal. At the university’s 46th annual Madrigal Feaste, performers wearing period clothing will reenact a time when townspeople were invited into a castle or baron hall to celebrate the upcoming harvest season. “(Madrigal Feaste) is absolutely the best way to start the holiday season,” said Daniel Craig, choir director and associate professor of music. The evening’s meal will be served in progression with skits and songs performed by the USI Chamber Choir and Women’s Choir. “There will be music playing while people are eating, and then we will do a concert of sacred and secular music at the end of the evening,” Craig said. After 26 years directing Madrigal Feaste, Craig said he loves to see the familiar faces of guests who come to the performance year after year. Many of these regulars know the songs and sing along throughout the evening. “I also love to watch new folks come and be absolutely amazed at how wonderful the choir sounds and how well they represent the school,” Craig said. “I love watching the progression of the stu-
dents over a period of time. We have an amazing choir this semester.” Christine South, who will perform as the queen Lady Margaret Fitzgerald, said spending time with the choir is what excites her most about Madrigal Feaste. “(The choir) already spends eight to 10 hours together a week, but there’s something about Madrigal that really brings us all together,” South said. The senior English education major said her character could be described as royal and professional but has a sense of humor as well. She and the king play off of one another’s humor throughout the evening. “The king and the queen are there to watch over the feast, so we move lines a lot and introduce some of the songs. We stand there when people walk in and bow to them, and they bow to us in return,” South said. “It’s just a really cool role.” South said she loves all of the costumes, especially the deep red dress that she will wear as Lady Margaret. She also enjoys the music she will perform alongside the other members of the choir. “All of the music is fantastic, but my favorite song would have to be ‘An Irish Blessing.’ We always sing that one to conclude the Madrigal Feaste, and it was arranged by our director, Daniel Craig,” South said. Kyle Leadingham, who will perform as the Chancellor, said his favorite song for Madrigal Feaste is “The
Boar’s Head.” “The Chancellor is actually the person in charge of the entire city,” Leadingham said. “In the show he’s kind of like a servant. I go around greeting people, and I’m going to talk about the rules in the ‘Book of Etiquette’ along with telling the story of the boar’s head.” The junior radio and television broadcast major said this will be his second year as Chancellor, because Madrigal Feaste was cancelled because of hazardous weather conditions in 2013. The event was snowed-out and could not be rescheduled because other events were already scheduled to take place in Carter Hall. Leadingham said he is excited for the guests this year, who will get to enjoy a fantastic show. “There are going to be jesters going around the room, joking around and acting like children,” Leadingham said. “There’s going to be a little bit of magic from time to time, and you just never know when there’s going to be a sword fight. We’ve had those in the past, and they’re pretty incredible.” Another member of Madrigal Feaste’s character ensemble is the Cryer, performed by sophomore radio and television broadcasting major Allen Karch. This character announces each group that enters before they are seated and declares the name of each food item as it arrives. “As Cryer, I’ll get to meet everyone that comes. Seeing all these different people
Photo by The Shield
Ward Meff blushes as “wenches” Erin Wolford (second from the left) and Jessica Gulley (third from the left) prepare their lipstick to add to his already kiss marked head, while wenches Lauren Wagner (far left) and Deavon Rolley (far right) admire during the 45th annual Madrigal Feaste in Carter Hall December 7, 2014.
come together to just enjoy our feaste together. I’ll enjoy that the most,” Karch said. Karch said his favorite piece performed by the choir is a powerful song called “Media Vita.” “Last year, as I recall, we sang (Media Vita) about midway through the feaste to lead into the concert portion of the night, and it was empowering,” Karch said. To enjoy the festivities of Madrigal Feaste, guests can purchase adult tickets for $34 each or student, child, or senior tickets for $28 each. For $75, one may attend the event as a Royal Patron. A portion of the $75 Royal Patron ticket fee provides a
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
Madrigal Feaste Dec. 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. Carter Hall Adult ticket: $34 Student, child, or senior(60+) ticket: $28 Royal Patron ticket: $75
tax-deductible donation to USI Chamber Choir. The proceeds support the choir’s endeavors, such as its upcoming trip to Ireland, during which the choir will compete in the Mayo International Choral Festival. “It’s the first time we’ve taken this group to competi-
tion, and this is our 12th international tour,” Craig said. “We’ve been singing in the Irish language now for over 10 years, so we’re going to go compete with it and see what happens—an American choir going after the prize.”
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Nov. 29, 1983
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 33” attempts to blend reality and fiction to create a moving story, sadly some of the bad elements of both sink into the movie. A dramatized version of the 2010 San Jose mine collapse in Chile’s Atacama desert, “The 33” has moments of brilliance peppered throughout long sections of boredom. To refresh memories of the real-world event: because of a combination of owner negligence and bad timing, 33 miners were trapped at the bottom of a Chilean gold mine for 69 days. Much like “Titanic” (1997), it’s reasonable to assume the moviegoing public is walking into the theater with at least a cursory knowledge of the Chilean miners. Unlike James Cameron’s ridiculously successful story of tragedy on the high seas, “The 33” forgot to add a meaningful fiction plot to keep the audience entertained during the rough patches of real-world boredom. Reality doesn’t follow a three-act story structure. The miners spend well over
a month underground with a steady flow of supplies to the outside world, thus creating a movie with brief moments of thrilling action spread out over much longer scenes of bland real-world boredom. What little of “The 33” that has been juiced up with fiction is painfully obvious. Characters have the exact right witty response immediately, a male and female character at odds with each other eventually develop a pseudorelationship, and every single loose end is tied up. In the real world, this event
Rating 2/5 BY Gavin gaddis
became national news as the miners’ families and friends fought the apathetic mining company’s attempts to simply assume the men had died instantly. Antonio Banderas serves as the star power for the film, portraying outspoken unofficial leader of the miners, Mario Sepúlveda. Sepúlveda is portrayed as a personification of the “one of the guys” stereotype, defusing hot situations with jokes and is able to get along with everyone. That is, until one of the four big moments where Sepúlveda steps into frame and gives a long, powerful monologue. Not the most visually entertaining thing put on film, but Banderas is able to dig deep pull it off. If you’ve a particular interest in the real-world incident or have read the biography on which this film is based, it’s worth a watch. If the idea of two hours of dark mine footage spliced together with incredibly bright footage of the surface doesn’t sound thrilling, give this one a pass.
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Opinion
The shield | november 19, 2015 | Usishield.com
Screagles Call Question: “What are your Thanksgiving plans? Any volunteering?”
Name: Christopher Cannon Major: Radio/Television Grade: Sophomore
Who invited him? | morgan falconer | The Shield
We work for you Staff Editorial With student publications making national news recently, The Shield staff feels it’s a good time to discuss the role of the collegiate journalist. Earlier this month tensions on the University of Missouri campus reached a boiling point as the student group Concerned Student 1950 actively protested then-System President Tim Wolfe, citing racial inequalities and a lack of representation in campus administration as their main concerns. On Nov. 9 several Mizzou students uploaded footage of protesters harassing student media attempting to cover the event, using hand-made signs to claim a public part of campus as a “media free safe space.” One such video shows student photographer Tim Tai, a
photojournalist on assignment for ESPN, being verbally and physically harassed by a mob of students. Before becoming a journalist, Tim Tai was (and remains) another member of campus. As any photojournalist can attest, student press want to report and document events that matter to their respective campuses. When media arrive to cover an event, regardless if they’re local or university media, their presence means the event is newsworthy. It’s not common practice for journalists to cover an event simply because they have nothing better to do. Enough time and effort is expended on covering important news that we simply don’t have the time to waste on fluff. There has to be a meaningful story or important development to make it worth the attention.
More importantly: if the media does not cover something, the event might as well have never happened. We put a lot of work into our job to ensure the whole of campus is covered and receives a free and balanced news source. Before continuing, it’s worth noting that by Nov. 10 all “safe space” signs were removed and replaced with signs and handouts encouraging protesters to support any media in their midst. This almost immediate change in outlook is welcome, but the fact that a student protest on First Amendment rights attempted to censor media coverage in the first place is cause for concern. Not all media succeeds as providing a fair and unbiased report of popular events, particularly national news outlets. But the more localized an outlet is,
the more true to form the story will remain when it is properly reported. When something happens on campus, it’s our territory as university journalists. We are the closest ones to the issue and as such, are equipped to do the best job of being honest, inclusive and providing context for the event. Blocking us from doing that only hurts any given cause. We, as college journalists, fully support the voice of the students. To quote a front page editorial in the first issue of the The Spartan Shield, published Oct. 15, 1968: “We recognize both the value of and the necessity for divergent opinions and the right for all voices to be heard on any and all issues. It is therefore our intention that The SHIELD provide a medium for these voices in editorial statement and in readers’ comments.”
Answer: “I won’t be doing volunteer work but will be active on social media. I’m using Thanksgiving to make a difference through social media. I will also be seeing my family in Ohio.”
Name: Taylor Webster Major: Photography Grade: Freshman Answer: “I will be volunteering at Drumstick Dash and seeing family”
Name: Leigh Houser Major: Psychology Grade: Senior Answer: “I have to work all Thanksgiving, even on Black Friday. No volunteering because of work.”
Veterans Day, Black Friday: halfTHE every day SHIELD off your sanity by Vanessa Roach
vrroach@eagles.usi.edu Last week I asked my preschool classroom if they knew why we celebrated Veterans Day. Less than a quarter of the 4 and 5 year olds knew what the holiday was, and only two knew the date. The responses were somewhat amusing, one boy decided it was a day that “old people dress up in nice clothes and wave flags, and we celebrate that they’ve lived so long.” I realized that we as Americans should be doing more to recognize those who serve(d) our country, and not only on Nov. 11. I see many students in army uniforms on campus and know many faculty and students who have served in the military. On Veterans Day, I saw a girl walk up to a man in uniform at the library and thank him for his service. USI does some nice things to recognize veterans, including a free meal at The Loft, but we as students should make sure they know how grateful we are for them every day. I’m particularly irritated when I see advertisements on TV promoting their annual Veterans Day sales. Not that stores should give away free beds to veterans (although that would be pretty cool), but
a commercial thanking our veterans and/or offering special prices for them shouldn’t be too much to ask. On a positive note, many restaurants are offering free appetizers or meals for military personnel on Veterans Day. Buffalo Wild Wings offered free wings for heroes and Applebee’s served a free entree with a valid military ID. Starbucks recently created a program where they offer veteran employees free college for their child or spouse. It is important to remember the students and faculty who have served in the military at the university, even if they aren’t wearing the uniforms. Two of my professors alone have served in the military, and it is interesting to hear their experiences. Of course, we should definitely show recognition for our veterans and military on Nov. 11, but also show our appreciation and support the other 364 days of the year. To anyone who has served our country, and now attends or works at the university, I personally want to thank you all for your service and all you do to ensure America is a place where its citizens can feel safe and free. You are the real MVP.
by Morgan Falconer mefalconer@eagles.usi.edu What in the name of 75 percent sales is wrong with people? (The answer is cleverly hidden in the question.) Black Friday is coming near, much to the dismay of retail workers around the country. According to the American Association of University Professors, 45 percent of college students have worked full time while enrolled and 80 percent have worked part-time. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that one fifth of those people worked in retail. So try to give employees a break this year. I know I’ve been caught in the chaos before, both as a customer and as a sales associate. After being on both sides of the mayhem, I still don’t understand why middle-aged parents cut Thanksgiving short to trample their fellow PTA members for a shiny new microwave. Em-
orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu
EAGLE EXAMINER
Do students have a voice at USI? Yes
50%
No
33%
I don’t know
17%
12 people responded to this week’ s Eagle Examiner. Check usishield.com and social media for this week’s poll.
focuses on the exact opposite sentiment. Instead of being thankful for what they have, people are rushing out to buy more things. It’s also been moved ahead of schedule. Many stores are opening their doors Thanksgiving night. Shoppers acting calmly are actually helping their own cause. They make service easier and help employees keep their cool in this highly stressful time. The ultimate way to go easy on retail workers, is to not leave the house at all. Why rush out for deals when things like Cyber Monday are becoming increasingly popular. Crazed shoppers can stay at home instead. They can buy new iPads on their old iPads on the dinner table. Even though I fear computers will become sentient and taking over the world, I think this is one thing they can take over. Each person who stays home is one less customer I have to deal with.
Freeing free speech by Osman Bien Aime
THE
ployees have to cut their festivities short as well. Dealing with ravenous customers is not our idea of a fun holiday tradition. Traffic, video games, a story with a twist ending— all perfectly normal things to get angry or overly emotional about. New headphones, though, I can take it or leave it. Sales associates aren’t too enthusiastic about waiting on overly-excited employees either. Shoppers like that don’t get the full extent of customer service on Black Friday to start with. After said shoppers are done shouldering their way to grab the last toaster out of another customer’s hands, employees feel even less compulsion to help Thanksgiving, as an American tradition, is supposed to be about reflecting and giving thanks for all of the wonderful things in life. Ironically, Black Friday, the holiday following directly after Thanksgiving
USI’s free speech zone provides a platform upon which we can assemble and speak out to the student body at large, but its very nature as a ‘zone’ clashes with my idea of free speech. In the fall of 2013 I had the misfortune of encountering James Gilles. Among other wonderful things, Gilles shouted at the crowd of 20-somethings that had formed around him that people were going to Hell for befriending atheists and homosexuals. I remember taking comfort in the knowledge that his bigoted proselytizing was contained in a tiny patch of dirt, where most of the student body would never even see him. Two years later, I simply don’t feel the same way.
There are issues that we care about, no matter what side we ally ourselves with, and when we cannot assemble wherever we want, wherever our message will be heard loudest, free speech itself is being compromised. Just last month on our own campus a silent protest was held outside of the free speech zone with students making known what stance they take on the debate of pro-life vs. pro-choice. Not only was a light shone on the issue that day, a stance was being taken by students against the hypocrisy of the free speech zone. The words of Lauren Abney, a junior English education major and one of the protesters interviewed by The Shield comes to mind, “...I find that troublesome if the whole campus is not a ‘free speech zone’ in itself.” Conversely, there is the
Concerned Student 1950 demonstrations being held on Missouri University’s campus grounds right now, where the student body has taken advantage of Missouri’s abolishment of free speech zones to decry a discriminatory system that clearly isn’t serving its needs. At the university, demonstrating anywhere we please shouldn’t be a freak outlier, it should be the norm. This is our campus, our voices should be heard across every square foot of it. No matter the issue at hand, the ideal environment for free speech should be a truly free one. We should find the concept of the Free Speech Zone both ironic and archaic. I certainly do, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more students are assembling in said zone to denounce it in the future.
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
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
Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials represent a consensus opinion of the editorial board
Sports
The shield | november 19, 2015 | Usishield.com
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Back to the mat Students revive club wrestling on campus by Sarah loesch sports@usishield.com @ShieldsterSarah Braxton Lee started wrestling in sixth grade, but he fell in love with the sport his sophomore year of high school. He transferred schools, quit all of his other sports and poured everything he had into wrestling. “My head coach was like a dad to me and I really fell in love with (wrestling) after that,� the sophomore said. “He always had the mentality that if you were going to do something, be the best at it and don’t sell yourself short.� Three weeks ago Lee brought club wrestling back to USI. He said he missed wrestling a lot from high school and he knew a lot of other students on campus felt the same way. The process was a “long, drawn-out thing,� but Lee said he was able to set up all the necessary meetings and secure an advisor.
Now, three weeks later the team has about nine wrestlers who attend as many of the triweekly practices as they can. For Lee, the opportunity to wrestle in college brought the chance to see if he could work like he did in high school. He and another wrestler on the team would wake up at 5 a.m. and begin their day with a run. Then they would lift weights, go to school, wrestle and end the day with another workout. “All day being with someone who would push me to my limits made me want to stick with it,� Lee said. The bond he created with that wrestler is one Lee said is normal in the wrestling community. He said once wrestlers know another person has poured their heart into something as much at they have it is an immediate connection. “I’ve known (my current team members) for three weeks and I don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t talk to them about,� Lee said.
One of those new members is freshman Brendon Helm, who said the connection comes down to mutual respect for the other person. “It’s an attitude, we all have the same attitude toward (wrestling),� Helm said. “It’s really easy to relate to people around the sport.� Helm said his general love for the sport brought him to the wrestling club after he decided not to attend college for NCAA wrestling. He decided against college wrestling because he was ready to move on with his life. “You know going into (wrestling) you can’t make a living off of it,� Helm said. “You can’t make money, there’s no profession for it, but you’re basically doing it for the love of the sport.� Lee said a lot of the guys on the team had that same mentality. “We all loved it enough to do it, but we sold a lot of ourselves short,� he said. “We didn’t think we could (wrestle in college). We decided
Photo by Angela Moore | The Shield
Jordan Cravens, a senior sociology major, wrestles Braxton Lee, a sophomore business administration major, at wrestling practice Monday night at the RFWC. Wrestling is now being introduced as a club sport at USI.
against it last minute. Now there’s this.� Through the club, both men can enjoy the sport without some of the added pressures. The group won’t get to
compete in travel tournaments this year, but once they do they will get to compete against NCAA teams as opposed to only other club teams. “We’ll go to open meets,�
Lee said. “We’ll get to see what it would have actually been like if we’d gone to a college to wrestle.�
Clarity for fans in stands NCAA Basketball rule changes
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Illustration by Phillip kuhns | The Shield
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The shield | november 19, 2015 | Usishield.com
The Verbal Commitment By Sarah Loesch
Use your uniform as your cape
This past week I researched hunger statistics, the food-insecure population in my community and ways to help not only during the holidays but the whole year. I did all of this because of the men’s soccer team. Prior to doing a story on the team’s community service I rarely thought of doing any of my own. I knew there were people who needed help, but I never took that step to reach out my hand. I don’t think this makes me a bad person (some may disagree), I simply think it makes me one of the many people who don’t know what
the next step is to help those around them. This is where the athletes come in. Athletes have influence and power. They can be seen as heroes in the eyes of children and adults alike. In sports, for an athlete to be considered a hero they have to excel as an athlete as well as have good character in their everyday lives. “With great power there must also come ... great responsibility.” This may be a quote from a Spiderman comic, but I think it ties together the idea of an athlete using their power for
good. It’s not to say college athletes, or pro athletes for that matter, signed up to be changemakers when they put on their uniform, but I think they at least inherited the opportunity. It is great that athletes on campus help the community and do their part in bettering the lives of those less fortunate. That’s an example of athletes using their power. They have the numbers, they have the resources and they have the time, though that may be debatable. What they need now is to
use their influence. The men’s soccer team has served meals at the Evansville Rescue Mission for four years. This year was the first time I’d ever heard of it, and I was surprised to learn it was not public knowledge. I understood the team members don’t serve meals to earn recognition or publicity, so I was glad they agreed to let me write their story. Leading by example is hard if no one can see the example. As public figures on campus, different athletes can show the good they do for the community to their peers. They can be that first domino to set off a chain reaction of do-gooding. I could be overselling the influence athletes have, but I don’t think I am. Simply from hearing the soccer team’s story, I began my investigation into places that need help/donations in Evansville, and I would honestly be surprised if none of The Shield readers did the same. Embrace the power. Embrace the influence. Constitute change.
briefs Eagles head to GLVC Tournament The volleyball team will compete in the GLVC tournament for the 16th consecutive year. The team came away with a victory during their senior day match against McKendree University to qualify for the tournament which starts Friday. Their first match will be against McKendree University. If the team loses the first game they will be out of the tournament. The group beat Mckendree with strong performances from Quin Shoultz and Abbey
Winter. Shoultz was three kills away from a tripledouble and ended the game with eight kills, 35 assists and 10 digs. Winter had 13 kills and three blocks.
Men’s XC hopeful for next race The men’s cross country team is hopeful for a strong finish at NCAA Division II Championships. Two of the men’s leaders were sick during the qualifying race but still performed well enough to help the team to championships. Senior Johnnie Guy and
junior Noah Lutz both had flu-like symptoms that Head Coach Mike Hillyard is hopeful both will be gone by the time for the next race. Guy is a contender for an individual title. Junior Chase Broughton could place in the Top 40 which would earn him AllAmerica honors, an honor senior Tyler Schickel earned last year.
Volleyball player earns 1,000 dig Right side hitter Erica Oberbroeckling became the 10th player in USI history to
reach 1,000 career digs. She earned this during the team’s 20th win of the year against Bellarmine University. Oberbroeckling had 15 kills to lead the Eagles. During the same match senior middle blocker Abbey Winter excelled with six kills and then added five more throughout the rest of the match. Sophomore libero Shannon Farrel led the team with 21 digs and junior setter Quin Shoultz added 43 assists. The team has had a successful year so far with multiple team members reaching career highs and receiving honors.
scoreboard Men’s Basketball Nov. 13 80 - 88 Nov. 14 91 - 73
woMen’s basketball Nov. 14 46 - 77 Nov. 17 37 - 81
volleyball Nov. 13 3-2 Nov. 14 1-3
Upcoming Games Men’s basketball
woMen’s basketball
7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 PAC Kentucky State University
Noon Nov. 21 Ashland, Ohio Ashland University
7:30 p.m. Nov. 27 PAC Ohio Valley University
5:15 p.m. Nov. 24 PAC Alice Llyod College
7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 PAC Midwestern State University
2:00 p.m. Nov. 29 PAC West Virginia State Univ.
7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 PAC Mckendree University
5:15 p.m. Dec. 3 PAC Mckendree University
Men’s/Womens x-Country
Volleyball
11:15 a.m. / 10 a.m. Nov. 21 Joplin, MO NCAA II Championships
2:30 p.m. Nov. 20 East Peoria, IL Mckendree University
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE RAVEAlert USI RAVEAlert gives critical and timely warnings - via email, text message, and voice message - about emergencies, severe weather and other incidents impacting the University community. Everyone with a USI email address is automatically enrolled in the RAVEAlert system.
Stay Informed, Stay Safe Log into myUSI and click on the RAVEAlert icon on the Dashboard Channel to begin. You can add additional emails, mobile and landline numbers.
Winter Car Care Battery: Make sure terminals are tight and clean. If lights seem dim or vehicle starts are sluggish, have the electrical system (including battery) checked by a technician. Radiator: Check coolant strength with a hydrometer. Recommended protection level is -36 degrees. Never check hot.
Belts/Hoses: Check belts for cracks or fraying. Check hoses for leaks, bulges, or cracks. Make sure clamps are secure. Windshield Washer/Wipers: Make sure reservoir is filled with washer solvent. Replace wiper blades if needed. Fluids: Check oil, brake, transmission, radiator coolant and power steering fluid levels. Follow owner’s manual directions. Air Filter: Hold air filter up to a light. If you can’t see through it, replace it. Tires: Inspect wear. Check pressure with a gauge when tires are cold. Refer to owner’s manual for recommended air pressure and tread depth specifications. Lights/Signals: Activate to make sure all work properly. Survival Gear AAA recommends you carry these items in your car during the winter months: ice scraper & brush, boots, gloves, hat, blanket, tools, flashlight, tire traction material (such as sand or cat litter), food, jumper cables, First Aid Kit, cell phone, flares or reflective triangle, and shovel.