Special Graduation Issue pg. B1 T h u r s d a y, d e c e m b e r 1 0 , 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 6
Two sex crimes reported on campus Add/ by Gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi Two separate sex offenses were reported on the university crime log Nov. 18 and Dec. 2. Both were documented as forcible rapes. The Nov. 18 account occurred at 1:24 p.m. in Newman Hall. Although the incident was reported to Public Safety, Central Dispatch said no law enforcement was
called or sent to the scene. The forcible rape recorded on the crime log at 9:59 a.m. Dec. 2 allegedly occurred in the campus apartments sometime between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Nov. 23. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s office initially responded to The Shield’s call with no information concerning an assault reported around 10 a.m. Dec. 2. Central Dispatch said law enforcement was called at 9:49 a.m. Dec. 2. The Shield
provided such information to the sheriff’s office and requested the public incident report. The sheriff’s office provided the incident number and told The Shield to fill out a formal request. The first request was submitted Dec. 7. After several follow-up calls, the request was denied Dec. 8. The sheriff’s office denied The Shield’s request for the Dec. 2 incident report because of the record’s classification as an “investiga-
tory record” involving a sex crime with a suspect “never criminally charged,” according to an email response. Release of the record was said to possibly “malign, defame, slander or otherwise damage the reputation” of persons involved or “expose a person to unlawful retribution.” Director of Public Safety Steve Woodall confirmed both reported sex offenses. He said once an individual reports an offense,
they choose whether or not to involve law enforcement. No matter the investigation, the university is required to document the report in the crime log as well as the annual Clery Report. Dean of Students Bryan Rush could not confirm either case or current investigations but said in any case, proper investigation and concern for the victim will be prioritized.
by Gabi wy
DEPUTIES Public Safety increases law SHIELD enforcement presence CAMPUS
Photo by ALYSSA SMITH | The Shield
Sheriff’s Deputy Jason King watches over the many students gathered in the Free Speech Zone during The Campus Ministry USA’s demonstration on Monday. King said he wasn’t asked to go watch over the event but felt “they might need me out here.”
by GABI WY news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi Director of Public Safety Steve Woodall said having off-duty officers on campus is nothing new, but Public Safety has been increasing their presence at an estimated cost of $50,000 per year. While several news articles surfaced within the past months reporting the university as the only four-year public institution in Indiana without armed officers 24/7, Woodall said those reports had no bearing on Public Safety’s decisions. “(The increase of officers) is not anything to do with any specific incident,” he said.
“We started this roughly at the beginning of the semester.” Woodall said armed, off-duty officers from the sheriff’s department are present on campus more often now but not necessarily 24/7 or on a consistent schedule. He said they won’t have assigned stations, but the officers are to walk the buildings, assist when Public Safety is called and help with traffic. “We’ve always had a high presence and visibility of law enforcement,” Woodall said. “We’ve always used them for athletics, commencement and those types of events.” Woodall said the current system of having off-duty officers most of the time should continue indefinitely.
drop policy keeps faculty involved
“From what I’ve heard from everybody, I’ve heard (the increase) is well-received,” he said. There are two theories about the effectiveness of law enforcement presence on any college campus, Woodall said. “Some say it acts as a deterrent, and some say it doesn’t,” he said. “If the campus community feels more secure with law enforcement here, that says in itself that it has acted as a deterrent. I’m a firm believer in perception is reality.” One of the benefits of more officers on campus is a faster response time, Woodall said.
news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
Faculty Senate voted to endorse a policy requiring an instructor’s signature to add or drop any class after the registration period at its meeting Dec. 4. The new add/drop policy has been in the works since the beginning of the semester when Vice President for Enrollment Andrew Wright brought a tentative plan to Senate. At that time, faculty responded with concern for their voices in the policy. Since then, Wright has developed a new policy with faculty’s involvement in mind. The policy, expected to be implemented before the spring semester, requires new freshmen and degree-seeking undergraduates with less than 30 credit hours to obtain both an instructor’s and advisor’s signature before adding or dropping classes. Students with more than 30 earned hours, non-degree students and graduate students only need an instructor’s signature. “They have to meet the faculty member,” Wright said. “That’s the way it’s been and how it will be, no matter what level the student is.” He said students often have to run between offices to get an add/drop form signed. The new policy allows students to obtain the department chair’s signature in lieu of the instructor. If the department chair isn’t accessible, the issue will move up to the college dean. Wright said terms and conditions are made clear on the form to accommodate students and faculty unfamiliar with the new policy as well as to remind other faculty of the policy details. “Students have to sign it. It gives the student responsibility if they come back later and say, ‘I didn’t know,’” he said. Wright said the policy still needs to be tweaked. “I have chatted with several people to see if (the policy) has met their needs, and it seems to,” Wright said. “I want to find out (if there’s) any feedback from this group, and then go from there.” Senate Vice Chair Cindy Deloney-Marino asked Wright to consider the chemistry department in making the add/drop policy.
POLICY CHANGE, PAGE 3
ARMED OFFICERS, PAGE 3
‘Radical’ preachers call for repentance by Armon Siadat amsiadat@eagles.usi.edu Joshua Borchert, a selfproclaimed “gangbanger for Jesus,” hurled insults, quoted the Bible and spit on a freshman Monday in the Free Speech Zone. Known as Brother Josh by The Campus Ministry USA, a non-denominational group that preaches at pride parades, high schools, bars, holiness churches and the Chicago SlutWalk, Borchert was on campus to “inspire (students) to repent” and promote the group’s online reality show. His approach to preaching is inspired by John the Baptist, he said. “(His) ministry was so radical it only lasted six months,” Borchert said. “He (stood) for removal of all sin. That’s kind of what we are.”
While the group’s methods are radical in today’s society, it’s not radical based on Christianity of the Bible, Borchert said. “Paul spoke in public,” he said. “Jesus spoke in public. The disciples spoke in public. John the Baptist spoke in public.” Borchert said the group was started to have intellectual discussions about God because college is a place of learning. “In their college years, (students) are thinking more about life, the meaning of life, the purpose,” he said. “So we’re here just to give them our opinion, our view, and hopefully they’ll want to pick up the Bible, read the Bible and find out for themselves.” Colin Dixon, a junior psychology major, attends Bible studies on campus.
“I think (Borchert) is wrong,” he said. Dixon said the preacher doesn’t show the true love of Jesus. “He’s a false prophet,” he said. “He’s just telling everybody they’re wrong and they’re going to hell for things they can be forgiven for.” Freshman engineering major Sergio Stroud said the crowd, which ebbed and flowed around 100 students at a given time, reacted they way people should have–angrily. “He’s pissing everybody off,” he said. “Calling girls ‘hoes’ and ‘sluts’ is not right and judging people calling them ‘Muslim’ is not right as well.”
PREACHER, PAGE 3
Photo by ALYSSA SMITH | The Shield
Brother Josh, a member of Campus Ministry USA, and freshman biology major Justin King discuss their views on Christianity in a crowd of students in the Free Speech Zone Monday.