Thursday, February 27, 2014 ■ Vol. 44 Issue 24
THE
SHIELD www.usishield.com
SMASH MOUTH SpringFest committee snags ‘All Star’ band By JAMES VAUGHN News editor Rumors spread – from J.T. and Beyoncé, to Maroon 5, to the Plain White T’s. A Sonny and Cher reunion was even joked about. But the USI SpringFest Executive Committee thought the “throwback” genre would suit more students. So the committee – a body of 10 to 15 students – in conjunction with the University of Evansville and the Ford Center, selected an “All Star” band. Smash Mouth will kick off the return of SpringFest with a performance April 11 at the Ford Center downtown. “In the past, students would know one or two songs and then they would be disappointed because they didn’t know more of it,” said Nick Mathis, committee co-director. “This fit very nicely into our throwback option.” The band, famous for the 90s hits “Walkin’ on the Sun,” “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” and a cover of The Monkee’s classic “I’m a Believer,” which was featured on the Shrek soundtrack, Smash Mouth continues to perform at small venues. “We wanted to do something that had never been done before,” said Jenny Wittstock, Student Development senior program adviser. “I was excited to hear we would have somebody most students would know,” CoDirector Collen Schenk said. The offer went out two weeks ago and was finalized Friday. The university reserved 1,000 floor seats. Tickets will go on sale Monday in the USI Campus Store and on the store’s website. “We wanted to give students that 24-hour access,” said Associate Provost for Student Affairs Marcia Kiessling, who oversaw the committee. Students can buy one non-student a ticket. Tickets will be on sale at the Ford Center’s box office, too. Students can pay with cash, check, credit or debit, but may not use their student accounts. “As long as you’re not using munch money, you should be OK,” Mathis said. The main act cost $35,000, with USI’s chunk coming from student fees. Love and Theft – a country music band famous for the songs “Angel Eyes” and “If You Ever Get Lonely” – will open the show. Kiessling said the university plans to offer transportation to and from the Ford Center, but the service will not be offered to non-students because of liability issues. The committee was formed last spring and members spent the academic year shuffling through artists, five of which fell through due to a scheduling overlap with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. *Visit usishield.com for Wednesday’s announcement reaction.
Cat plan advances YES NO
SGA
YES NO
?
USI
By JAMES VAUGHN News editor
Student government supports TNR procedure By JAMES VAUGHN News editor The Student Government Association unanimously approved a symbolic resolution at its Feb. 20, meeting, which backs junior Audrey Maxwell’s proposed TNR (trap, neuter, return) policy. Maxwell said administrators told her the change.org “Trap Neuter Return USI Feral Cat Population” petition she created and gained over 400 signatures on wasn’t enough. She needed “official” student support. TNR is a method of trapping the cats, spaying or neutering them and returning them to the environment from which they were collected. Maxwell believes it would keep the stray cat population under control by stopping reproduction. She presented facts to the General Assembly. Some representatives questioned alternatives, but admitted they didn’t know much about feral cats.
“I have to go back to administration with the symbolic resolution and present my case to them again,” Maxwell said after the meeting. SGA Chief Justice Adam Brothers said a symbolic resolution is special because it means the resolution is supported by the entire student body. “This shows massive support for this cause,” he said. “It does not guarantee anything with the administration, but it certainly will not hurt.” He agreed actionable steps need to be taken to mitigate the issue. “I am very happy that SGA and its members could play such a vital role in helping a student try to solve an issue on campus,” Brothers said. “This is a perfect example of how students can actually make a change on campus and how SGA is here to help.” Aaron Gottman, SGA’s assistant Vice President for research and development, helped draft
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the resolution. “The cat issue has been a constant problem on this campus for years,” Gottman said. “I noticed these cats last year as a freshman, and other students know about this issue.” Gottman, who is also an active member in the Student Housing Association, said the problem was brought to his attention a few weeks ago. He wants the administration to know their students recognize a problem and want it resolved. He said he cares about the issue beyond a professional standpoint, having taken care of animals all of his life. “The fact of the matter is that students are scared - you can’t save a life like a little kitten without getting into trouble with the university,” Gottman said. Maxwell will meet with Vice President for Finance and Administration Mark Rozewski and then, depending on how that meeting goes, Stephen Helfrich,
facility operations and planning director, Marcia Kiessling, associate provost for student affairs, and Laurie Berry, housing a residence life director. “When I originally went to (Steve) Helfrich, I think he planned on me being deterred by him saying that it wasn’t going to work,” Maxwell said. “There had been multiple students who had brought this up before and had been brushed off by the administration, so he was basically meeting with me to tell me, ‘No.’” Maxwell said the administration in general doesn’t know much about TNR. “If the student body thought it was a good idea - if the students were interested in it, then they would consider it,” Maxwell said. “But not beforehand.” Twice a year, grounds workers set up box traps to catch and send cats to animal control, where they are likely euthanized Maxwell hopes to start CATS on Pg. 3
The student publication of the University of Southern Indiana
County OKs funding The Vanderburgh County Commissioners approved funding to pay USI’s lifeguards during Burdette Park’s lifeguard training April 13, at the Physical Activities Center Pool. The university will waive the rental fee, as it’s done the past few years. But the county is responsible for the $7.50 an hour it costs to have a lifeguard on duty during the training. “It’s too cold to hold it at the pool,” Burdette Park Director Steve Craig said during Tuesday night’s meeting at the Civic Center. Craig said it would only cost the county about $35. “It’s very gracious of USI to allow us to do this,” President Joe Kiefer said. “They’ve done it several years in a row, and we appreciate that. So with that said, I vote yes.” Commissioner Stephen Melcher also voted yes. Marsha Abell was absent. “Usually it’s such a great deal for us that it’s not a big, debatable item,” Kiefer said. The university made last week’s agenda, too. The commission approved a $25,000 contribution to the free shuttle service linking USI’s campus to Evansville. The FUNDING on Pg. 3
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Page 2
The Shield - February 27, 2014
PUZZLES
TOP TEN MOVIES
Top 10 DVD, Blu-ray Sales 1. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (R) Paramount 2. Escape Plan (R) Summit Ent. 3. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (PG) Sony 4. Free Birds (PG) FOX 5. Captain Phillips (PG) Sony
6. Despicable Me 2 (PG) Universal 7. Last Vegas (PG-13) Sony 8. Justice League: War (PG-13) Warner Bros. 9. Downton Abby: Season 4 (NR) PBS 10. Dallas Buyers Club (R) Universal Source: Rentrak Corp.
1. The Lego Movie (PG) animated 2. About Last Night (R) Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy 3. RoboCop (PG-13) Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman 4. The Monuments Men (PG-13) George Clooney, Matt Damon 5. Endless Love (PG-13) Shana Feste, Joshua Safran 6. Ride Along (PG-13) Ice Cube, Kevin Hart 7. Frozen (PG) animated 8. Winter’s Tale (PG-13) Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay 9. Lone Survivor (R) Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch 10. That Awkward Moment (R) Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan (c) 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.
Page 3 - The Shield - February 27, 2014
News Briefs Theatre piece celebrates history “Ain’t I a Woman,” a musical theatre piece, will be performed this Saturday at 7 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium. This event will take place to celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History Month. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free and open to the public. Students and family are encouraged to come. For more information, contact Christopher Rivera at crivera@usi.edu
USI Security Incident Log 02/15/2014 - 02/22/2014 Violation of University Policy Hanly Building 02/16/2014 10:52 a.m. Closed Code of Conduct – Tempering With Hanly Building 02/16/2014 10:52 a.m. Closed Alcohol – Underage Possession Hanly Building 02/16/2014 10:52 a.m. Closed Traffic Accident – Hit & Run Bayh Building 02/16/2014 12:15 p.m. Closed
Illness Report OʼDaniel Ln – Dunning 02/18/2014 8:07 p.m. Closed Battery – Simple Assault OʼDaniel Ln – Dunning 02/18/2014 8:07 p.m. Closed Illness Report Technology Center 02/19/2014 10:58 a.m. Closed Traffic Accident – Hit & Run Parking Lot H 02/19/2014 11:49 a.m. Closed Drugs – Possession Hanly Building 02/19/2014 12:32 p.m. Closed
Alcohol – Underage Possession Saletta Building 02/16/2014 12:29 a.m. Closed Drugs – Incident Saletta Building 02/16/2014 12:29 a.m. Closed
Suspicious Circumstances Rec. and Fitness Center 02/19/2014 12:52 p.m. Closed
Criminal Mischief Rice Library 02/16/2014 5:54 p.m. Closed
Illness Report Childrenʼs Center 02/20/2014 1:18 p.m. Closed
Incident Report (Information Only) University Center (East) 02/16/2014 6:02 a.m. Closed
Injury Report University Center (west) 02/20/2014 3:00 p.m. Closed
Incident Report (Information Only) OʼBannon Hall 02/16/2014 8:05 p.m. Closed Impersonation of Public Servant University Blvd 02/17/2014 10:11 p.m. Closed Illness Report OʼDaniel Lane – Whitcomb 02/17/2014 11:54 a.m. Closed Drugs – Possession OʼDaniel Lane – Whitcomb 02/17/2014 11:54 a.m. Closed Injury Report Chase Building 02/17/2014 12:15 a.m. Closed Traffic Accident – Hit & Run Parking Lot F 02/17/2014 Closed
Theft Hovey Building 02/20/2014 6:49 p.m. Closed Illness Report University Center (East) 02/20/2014 9:27 a.m. Closed Code of Conduct – Failure to Comply OʼBannon Hall 02/20/2014 9:36 p.m. Closed Injury Report Orr Center 02/21/2014 7:51 a.m. Closed Code of Conduct – Tampering With Durbin Building 02/21/2014 8:32 p.m. Closed Alcohol – Underage Possession Durbin Building 02/21/2014 8:32 p.m. Closed Drugs – Possession Durbin Building 02/21/2014 8:32 p.m. Closed
Injury Report Parking Lot B 02/18/2014 2:36 p.m. Closed Traffic Accident – Hit & Run Parking Lot M 02/18/2014 2:41 p.m. Closed
Suspicious Circumstances Newman Hall 02/22/2014 12:17 a.m. Closed
Injury Report Parking Lot C 02/18/2014 7:59 a.m. Closed
Fire Alarm – Cooking Baker Building 02/22/2014 6:52 p.m. Closed
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security. Crime Log Key • Case suspended: No suspects listed, no leads. No follow up investigation unless new information arises. • Case cleared: The incident is resolved, suspect was identified and will be adjudicated appropriately. • Case pending: On hold, awaiting new information. • Violation of University Policy: Violation of the Studentʼs Rights and Responsibilities. • Failure to comply with a university official: Any university official, from an area coordinator to a security officer. *Residential entry: Someone walked into the residence. This is different than burglary because burglary is entering with intent to commit a felony.
if you go: TICKETS:
News
WHAT? SpringFest Concert, featuring Smash Mouth and Love & Theft WHEN? 8 p.m. April 11 WHERE? Ford Center, 1 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Evansville, Ind. Students: $5 Non-students: $10 Tickets can be purchased at the USI Campus store or online @ http://usibook.usi.edu/home.aspx
FUNDING continued from Pg. 1 university, which will contribute $130,000, renewed an agreement with the Metropolitan Evansville Transit System (METS) and the county. The city agreed to contribute $25,000. “It was a fair win-win deal – everybody pitches
in to get bus service out to USI,” Kiefer said. “Students … and employees have a way to get there and back through these services.” Though the cost of the service has remained the same from year to year, Melcher said he believes it
will increase eventually as the price of gas continues to rise. “Other riders are still paying,” Melcher said. “To go out there just for USI takes a little bit more money.” The shuttle, which runs every 30 minutes,
transports students from campus to the West Side Schnucks. They can then take one free bus transfer before being charged bus fare. USI’s campus is the only METS stop outside city limits.
way the university can continue to say “no.” “If I go through all of the steps they gave me, I would be going to the President and I would be going to the media,” she said. “There is no limit to the amount of publicity and the amount of support I can get for this cause because it really is the only statistical way you can humanely reduce a cat population.” Maxwell’s goal is to get the policy changed before next winter. She urges members of the community to do their own research in order to
understand the benefits of TNR rather than relying on the university’s statistics. Kiessling said Maxwell is taking the appropriate route. “Student organizations represent the voice of the students,” she said. “I think she’s doing the right thing by going through the organizational system rather than around it.” She said it’s good Maxwell has done her homework. “I have no idea how this will turn out,” Kiessling said. “I think she’s doing what she should be doing to influence change.”
CATS continued from Pg. 1 educating the USI community soon, she said. “I hope they’ll say yes to me now and I can get this going before there’s more kittens on campus,” she said. But she’s not so sure things will move that quickly. “I think I’ll go through a lot of bureaucracy before I can get it done,” she said. When asked if more pushback from the administration would stop her, Maxwell said, “Oh my gosh, no. I have so much support. So many people have come up to me saying that they tried to do
this when they were students and they didn’t get anywhere. I’ve gotten the farthest - I feel like it’s my responsibility to finish this.” Maxwell sought out nonprofits, which she said are writing her letters to present to administrators during meetings. “The university has to accept some type of stewardship in this,” she said. “They have to protect their students and the cats that are living on their land. They can’t just ignore the problem.” Maxwell said she doesn’t feel there’s any
Wait common with Children’s Learning Center’s credentials By RACHEL CHRISTIAN Staff writer A widely advertised service available to students, staff and faculty is the Children’s Learning Center, but many people are unaware of how long the waiting list is. The center provides daycare and preschool services for children between the ages of two and five and offers discounts for those with lower incomes. According to the center’s website, the average wait is about a year. “Many new parents are surprised at how long the waiting list is, but the wait is pretty typical of child care centers like ours,” said Jill Raisor, liaison between the center and the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Educa-
tion. Many factors, such as accreditation, make the waiting list lengthy, Raisor said. There are only a handful of daycares in Evansville that are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the center is one of them. NAEYC is an organization that requires facilities to meet stringent safety, social and academic standards. Moriah Smothers is a lecturer in the teacher education department and the mother of a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old. She said NAEYC certified is something she wants in a daycare. “It’s important to us because it indicates the highest quality childcare facil-
ity,” she said. Another factor impacting wait times is the physical size of the building. Raisor said the accreditation mandates that only 10 2 year olds are enrolled at any given time. “That’s what a lot of parents don’t understand,” Raisor said. “Our facility just isn’t that big.” The Learning Center can accommodate more preschool age children than 2 year olds. The center doesn’t enroll any children under the age of two. Raisor said she would love to see the center expand in the future. The prices also stay competitive with others in the area, she said. The Evansville ARC Child Life Center, which shares similar credentials,
also has an extensive wait. Michelle Myers, program supervisor at the Child Life Center, said the average wait before a child is accepted into a program is “usually at least a year.” She also said some children never get in at all. Raisor said in order to avoid this issue, parents should put their child on the waiting list as soon as possible. “I usually suggest looking around for daycare shortly after the child is born,” Raisor said. The center accepts both students’s and faculty’s children, as well as members of the community. Priority is given to student parents and children who have a sibling enrolled at the center.
Retiree benefits could change By JAMES VAUGHN News editor A Benefits Study Group is proposing eliminating retiree insurance benefits for those hired after July 1, and placing restrictions on benefits offered to current employees. The committee, headed by Vice President for Finance and Administration Mark Rozewski, met with some faculty and staff Feb. 13, and sent a PowerPoint presentation with a breakdown of the proposed changes to all employees. Under the new plan, eligibility for benefits would be determined by a point system. An employee’s age and years of service must add up to 57 in order for them to receive benefits unless they have been benefits eligible for at least 10 years come July 1. “The committee was trying to weigh both age and years of service,” Rozewski said.
The university is open to feedback, he said. “One thing I did notice going out into the campus community is there absolutely is, I think, broad and deep consensus,” Rozewski said. “These are problems that must be solved now. This is one of those difficult problems where you can expect a range of informed opinions. We’re getting those range of opinions and we’re studying them.” If approved by the Board of Trustees May 6, the new plan is expected to reduce the university’s unfunded liability to $52 million in 20 years. “Eventually it declines to nothing,” Rozewski said about the remaining liability. “With no new entrance to the retirement healthcare benefit pool, essentially people age out of the program.” If the program continued as is, the university would have an unfunded liability of $102 million by
2032. The number of retirees has increased by 52 percent since 2007. Eligible employees, as well as their spouses and dependents, qualify for reduced medical, dental and life insurance premiums. Employees who have been at the university for 10 to 14 years pay 75 percent while the university contributes 25 percent. Employees with 15 to 19 years under their belt pay 50 percent, which the university matches. Employees who have been at the university for over 20 years pay 25 percent while the university covers 75 percent. The committee recommends reducing the university’s contribution to its Defined Contribution Plan. Right now, it is 11 percent of an employee’s first $10,800 in salary plus 15 percent of the remaining salary. The new contribution would just be the 11 percent. It also recom-
mends changes to the Public Employees’ Retirement Plan (PERF) for support staff, which includes a new Defined Contribution Plan that will include a 7 percent contribution from the university. Faculty and staff could opt to receive a one-time salary increase this year if the proposed changes pass. “It’s a migration from one form of compensation to another,” Rozewski said. “Some more of it - at the employee’s own election - could be spent now. Many people probably wouldn’t do that, but they could if they wanted to. That’s the flexibility we’re referring to (in the PowerPoint).” He said the committee worked hard to create a thorough document and urges faculty and staff to view the information. “We’re looking at a path forward,” Rozewski said. No changes will be made to current retirees’ benefits.
Features
Page 4 - The Shield - February 27, 2014
Campus ‘mother’ retires after 25 years
Photo by SHANNON HALL/The Shield
Mary Alice Weigand works on Wednesday, two days before she will retire. She has worked at the university for 25 years.
By BOBBY SHIPMAN Features editor In 1993, a young Venezuelan student came into University Division in a panic. The senior administrative assistant at the time, Mary Alice Weigand, could barely understand him, but when he pulled out a piece of paper, she knew how to help. The paper had indentions of letters pressed onto it from an old dot-matrix computer without ink. After providing him with coffee and a snack from her goody drawer, Weigand was able to fix the problem at hand. From that moment on, the boy looked at Weigand as a mother figure and spent a significant amount of time with her and her family. He even referred to her as his “American Mother.” The same year, Weigand’s 17-year-old son was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his chest that was roughly the size
of a football. The boy offered to donate platelets her son would need to stay healthy. Unfortunately, the Venezuelan native had been out of the country within the last six months and was unable to donate due to medical law. With her retirement only a few days away, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students, Mary Alice Weigand, reflected upon this story with The Shield, along with her time at USI (spanning 25 and a half years). Her most fond memories being of the diverse students who came into her life and her ability to help them in any way she could, she said. “The students, I think, really keep you young. They keep you thinking young, they keep you feeling young, they keep you energized,” Weigand said. “To me, there is no greater pleasure than to take care of the students. Whatever their problem is, I want to find a way to a solution.”
Weigand began her journey at USI in the summer of 1988, subbing for a call-in telephone operator, and then went to work for the university’s bookstore, where she said she fell in love with the interaction she had with students. Since then, Weigand held many positions at USI including jobs with the accounting office, academic affairs and university division. “The students that I worked with in University Division - so many of them I still stay in contact with,” she said. “I’ve met their husbands or their wives or they have brought their little babies to see me. That is such a gratifying experience.” Weigand said she looks back fondly to when USI was a smaller community and how everyone seemed to know everybody. “During that time, I lost my son and I lost my husband. And (USI), at least at that time, was like a family.” she said. “I think they try to be now, but it’s
gotten to be so large that a lot of the names I hear calling me I don’t even recognize.” Weigand has worked in the Dean of Students Office as an administrative assistant since Barry Schonburger was the dean of students. “What I think really stands out for Mary Alice (Weigand) is the fact of how well she relates to students,” Schonburger said. “She was just wonderful at being able to read what the student was thinking and what their concerns might be. In many cases resolving whatever their concern was very quickly, to the point where maybe they didn’t even need to talk with me.” Schonberger worked alongside Weigand for many years and even nominated her for the “Phenomenal Women of USI” award given out by the Multicultural Center to women for their contributions to the university, which she was awarded in 2012.
He said Weigand’s relationships with students went beyond her desk job. “I could think of times when she would take a student to lunch or dinner or even had a student that was having a difficult time, for some short period of time, even find a place for them to stay for a few days,” he said. SGA President Zack Mathis has known Weigand since 2010 when he first came to USI as a freshman and she accepted his application to join the association. “She really just shows that she cares,” Mathis said. Her personality is what Mathis said he will miss most about Weigand. “She always has funny little quotes and sayings any time you talk to her,” Mathis said. “She always provides an open environment at the entry of the office even if what comes past her isn’t always pleasant.” Mathis said although Weigand has met many students, she likes to pick certain ones out and that he is lucky he and his brother share that bond with her. “She always says we are really sweet and that we are like her kids, so it’s been really nice having her around,” he said. “It feels pretty special. She is a really caring person.” Mathis said he thinks Weigand’s presence at USI has helped create a more engaged and welcoming community. “I think everyone at USI is going to miss her,” he said. “She has left a great impact over the years here. She has been able to effect a lot of people - always in a positive way.” While eating at an “Outback Steakhouse” in Terre Haute, Ind., Weigand said a young male waiter kept looking at her table funny. “I kept thinking to myself, ‘I know him,’” she said. Finally, the boy approached her and admit-
ted he recognized her from working in University Division. She said she was astonished to run into him years later in Terre Haute. The boy continued to tell her how supportive she was. She said he told her the following: “When I was down, you always had something positive to say. When I was hungry, you always gave me a snack or a cup of coffee. Before that, I didn’t believe in myself and I didn’t feel like anyone else did either. When you reached out to me, it felt like I was attached to someone and it made all the difference in the world.” Weigand said the boy attributed his ability to earn his degree to her kindness. Her last day at USI is Friday. Although she will miss USI, Weigand plans to keep in touch with all of the people she has connected with over the years and return when she finds the time. “Growing up, I always wanted to be a mother,” she said. “I guess that has always been in the forefront of my mind.” Weigand has five grandchildren and three of them live in Indianapolis. She said staying in Evansville makes it hard to get quality time with them that she will after retirement. “The thing that I will remember the most is the experience with the students,” she said. “I have met so many of them and I have so many ‘adopted grandchildren’ here. They’re just wonderful young people and to see them do so well - it’s like I have had a success the same as they had. The didn’t just invest in the university, they invested in their relationship with me and I invested (in) my relationship with them. It’s almost indescribable.”
REVIEW: Theatre presents Greek tragedy
By CALEB RILEY Staff writer
USI Theatre’s presentation of “Medea” by Robinson Jeffers is an emotionally stimulating adaptation of the Greek tragedy, leaving its viewers in silence at the final darkening of the lights and in applause when the performers bowed to the crowd. The plot of the play centers on the struggling relationship of Medea and her husband Jason, leader of the Argonauts. Jason has left her for the king of Corinth’s daughter, and she is heartbroken and thirsty for vengeance. As the story plays out, we see Medea’s descent into madness and the culmination of her revenge on Jason. Spoiler alert: it gets bloody. The cast of the show was on the top of its game during Saturday’s performance, and every actor brought their character to life. Viewers could feel the
hatred and anger emanating from Presley Roy’s depiction of Medea, and Antonio King represented the gradual devastation of Jason’s character in such a way that the audience had no choice but to sympathize with him. Makeup and costume design also helped pull the audience into the play. Medea’s striking red robe, her wild hair and tattoos on various parts of her body portrayed her as the crazed woman she was meant to be, while Jason’s body armor and soldier dress displayed him as a man not easily broken. The nurse, the tutor and other accompanying actors also were dressed in ways very appropriated to their respective characters. Scenery, effects and the set only helped to facilitate the mood of Medea. The stage was quite unique with grungy metal blocks, twisting bars and ropes arranged in a seemingly random fashion, yet allowed for characters to position themselves above
Photo by BLAKE STAYROOK/The Shield
The last showing of the play will be Friday.
and below others for dramatic effect. Behind the set stood three large angular pillars used as a backdrop for the action and often had images projected on them to
represent what was happening in the background. The lighting and sound also helped to exhibit the tension of the play with vivid flashes of yellow and red often accompanying
loud booms, which occurred at the height of the action. Overall, the performance of “Medea” by the USI Theater was a fantastic work of art with vivid
imagery, emotionally invested acting and the enthralling story line of a woman gone berserk.
Page 5 - The Shield - February 27, 2014
Features
Students taste cultures at food expo By BRADIE GRAY Staff writer Those who put on the food expo can say they served hundreds Friday. The International Food Expo sold all of its 500 tickets to students, faculty and even some of the Evansville community members during the annual event. With food selections from 25 countries, singing and dancing from around the world, Carter Hall stayed packed during the expo. “I was curious to see all the countries presenting their dishes,” German exchange student Andrea Loppenberg said. “I wanted to show my dish because a lot of Americans think we just eat sauerkraut and drink beer, which is kind of true, but we have a lot of other stuff, too.” Loppenberg, along with the rest of the German representatives, served käsespätzle, which is essentially a noodle, cheese and onion casserole. Loppenberg said it was an easy, popular dish she learned how to make from a fellow German student. Although the variety of food grabbed most of the hungry guests’s attention,
Photo by BLAKE STAYROOK/The Shield
International students join the stage together to work the wobble.
many eyes were focused on host Adam Haskins and the performances that took center stage. “I have a lot of experience with theatre performance, so I am comfortable in front of an audience,” Haskins said. “I am also really good friends with Giselle Fernandez (International Club member), so when she asked, I immediately said yes.”
Performances introduced by Haskins included a Japanese Ocarina performance, a fashion show, a Haitian drum performance and dances from Jamaica, Japan and Brazil. Despite all of the action happening on stage, Haskins still said the best part of the International Food Expo is the food itself. “I am actually a vegetarian, except for one day out
of the year and that day is the day of the food expo,” Haskins said. Although most of the performances were planned, some impromptu singing and dancing took place on stage. The DJ played different popular songs from each country, causing the natives to take to the stage to show how their culture gets down on the weekends.
One performance that stole the hearts of the female audience was by Fernando Veronez, a Brazilian exchange student, with an impromptu performance of “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars. “A girl just asked ‘Can you sing to me?’ and I just said ‘OK. I can try!’” Fernando said. “I have to be honest with you. I did mess up a few of the words
in English because I do not speak it, but I still tried. It was for fun.” Fernando said getting up and singing in front of people is easy, simply because he is from Brazil and that’s what he does. Behind the fun and games of the expo, however, is an incredible amount of work. Students and faculty involved put countless hours of work into every aspect of the event. “Before the fall semester even ends, the officers meet together to kind of go over which countries will be involved, deadlines to set for when to turn recipes in, work with Sodexo to get that organized because they meet with the chefs, set deadlines for volunteers, and get entertainment ready to go. All before this day even happens,” said Nicole Vernon, adviser to the International Club. Vernon has been involved with the expo for six years now and said all the hard work paid off this year. “Just looking at them (the students), and seeing how excited they are to show some part of their culture and country here, is what makes it worth it,” she said.
V for Vagina: Monologues give back to area By BOBBY SHIPMAN Features editor Post-Valentine’s Day dazes have USI students daydreaming about roses, candy and steamy nights, but for the past month, a handful of Eagles have been viewing sexuality through a more anatomical lens: the vagina. Eve Ensler’s awardwinning play “The Vagina Monologues” takes the stage at USI for the eighth annual year at 7 p.m. March 4 and 5 in Forum III. The play is a compilation of monologues discussing the daily struggles women face. Assistant Professor of Philosophy Mary Stoll directs the program.
“It (is) really funny. People think it’s all really sad and about gang rape, and I mean that’s in there, that’s part of the story of vaginas, but there’s so much funny stuff,” Stoll said. “There are really hilarious monologues about aging and about dating, and discovering new things about yourself. We have had people literally falling down in the aisle laughing.” Stoll said the production will take a different turn this year. “We have two spotlight monologues this year, which will be monologues that no one has ever heard before,” Stoll said. “One is called ‘And Then We Were Jumping,’ which deals with some of Eve Ensler’s
kind of personal issues with her father, but also putting that in a broader political context of gender politics.” The other spotlight monologue “One Billion Rising” is about encouragement all over the world to rise up against gender violence, she said. “The Vagina Monologues” features students, alumna and faculty alike. “Some of them are really passionate about thwarting sexes,” Stoll said. “So we’ve got some people that really care about gender inequalities.” Stoll said the main purpose of the monologues is to give women a voice over oppression. “It’s not that there aren’t that many of us (women),
but the way that oppression works is we’re not allowed to talk about it right?” she said. “If we don’t talk about sex and we don’t talk about our genitalia, we can’t talk about it when we are violated. So the silence is how you keep a non-minority oppressed. It is just by not giving them the social spaces in which to talk about it.” Senior psychology and philosophy double-major Alexandra Levine plans on having women’s empowerment workshops or becoming a rape rehabilitation major after graduation, so it is no wonder she was attracted to the play in her freshman year at USI. “I fell in love with it, and every (year) since 2010, I have been volunteering to
do it. So this is my fourth year,” Levine said. Due to seniority, Levine said she was unable to do her favorite monologue “My Angry Vagina” until now. “It is kind of an overview of the frustrations that a lot of women have about what it’s like to be a woman in society,” she said. “What it’s like to go to a gynecologist, the frustrations of things like tampons and thongs, and the way that people treat their vaginas.” Levine said she loves the crowd’s reactions each year. “It’s always priceless. Sometimes they’re shocked and you can see people’s mouths drop and they’re like, ‘what did she
just say?’” she said. She plans on participating in the monologues regardless of where her future takes her, she said. Tickets cost $7 and 90 percent of the proceeds go to the “Willow Tree” of Posey County which works on providing assistance to women and girls dealing with domestic assault and violence. The other 10 percent goes to the “Global V-day Campaign.” “They can’t keep their electricity on right now. So even if people hate (the show) just come and make a donation,” Levine said. “Because that’s why we are all volunteering to do it. We are all just trying to help those women that are in the shelter system.”
New speaker-series lets faculty give last speech By STEVE BABCOCK Staff writer At Amie Mckibban’s “Last Lecture” presentation, students arriving less than 10 minutes early found themselves standing in the back, sprawled out along the aisles or sitting on the floor in Kleymeyer Hall on Feb. 19. USI’s “Last Lecture” series came from Student Development and poses the question: “If this was your last time to address a group of students, what would you say?” The student body selected Amie Mckibban, an assistant professor of psychology who has been at USI for four and a half years, as the first speaker in the new series. A mixture of emotions flowed through the audience while McKibban spoke on a wide range of topics. Whether it was experiences shared with her sister leading McKibban to become an LGBT activist, the struggles of growing
from a “student who did not like school” into becoming a vibrant professor or life as a Midwestern woman and triplet from Kansas, McKibban enthralled her listeners with the variety of stories. “Singular actions will not change the world, but I promise you, they will make a difference in someone’s world,” she said. In the part of her lecture that captured the audience’s attention the most, McKibban describes the moment when her sister confided in her that she is gay, the tears they shared as her sister struggled with hateful messages written on her dorm door and the time two siblings were confronted by anti-gay protestors at a concert. McKibban’s experiences have not only led her to become a professor, but a vocal defender for the LGBT community and everyone who struggles against discrimination, as well. “Silence is interpreted as acceptance, and I am no
longer silent,” she said. Instead of using her lessons to ace standardized tests, McKibban said she would rather see her students go change the world. Alex Bailey, a senior in one of McKibban’s Human Sexuality classes, lauded her professor’s performance. “I thought it was great. Her stories were very relatable,” Bailey said. “I really liked the story she shared about her teaching, her journey to get to that point because she had so many trials along the way. It was really inspiring.” Like much of the audience, Bailey said she plans to attend the next “Last Lecture.” “I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “I think people should start coming to them because you can take a lot away from them, I think. I really like the idea and hope that it continues.” Student Development will attempt to host another last lecture every year.
“Justice Leage: War” In theatres now Prepare yourself for an invasion that is changing everything comic book fans thought they knew about the Justice League. Set in DC’s New 52 universe, “Justice League: War” is an animated action flick that introduces you to the newest Justice League origin story. People throughout America are missing thanks to aliens with a funny resemblance to the monkeys from “The Wizard of Oz.” This is all it takes to bring together the mightiest heroes for their first bout against the warmongering Darkseid. With an evil plan to reform the planet and turn humankind into mind-controlled monsters, Darkseid won’t let anything get in his way - not even Superman. Rating 3/5
Something that bothers me is the alien invasion story that seems to keep showing up in every super hero movie as part of their driving force for over-thetop fight scenes. Why do buildings have to be destroyed and why is America the only country to be invaded? It’s just getting old. I fear that the “Man of
Steel” sequel will have a similar story with a different villain but hopefully not. What I really enjoyed were the jabs characters take at each other. Dialogue like the Green Lantern and Superman making fun of Batman for just being a crazy person in a mask, Wonder Woman ironically yelling at Shazam to stop acting like a child or Batman giving everyone a hard time for not being as smart as him are just a few of my favorite moments. “Justice League: War” isn’t the best DC animated adaption, but it will definitely scratch that itchy anticipation for the Man of Steel sequel with the unofficial title “Batman vs. Superman.”
By BILL BURKE, Staff writer
Opinion
Page 6 - The Shield - February 27, 2014
THE
SHIELD Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Shannon Hall editor@usishield.com News Editor James Vaughn news@usishield.com Features Editor Bobby Shipman features@usishield.com Opinion Editor Jessie Hellmann opinion@usishield.com Sports Editor Chris Procacina sports@usishield.com Chief Copy Editor Rachel Marquart copy@usishield.com Visual Editor Amanda Brinkman visual@usishield.com
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Guest Commentaries
‘Why we can’t be friends,’ SpringFest Committee By JESSIE HELLMANN Opinion editor Shame on you, SpringFest committee. As a USI student, I have suffered - and I do mean suffered through three years of bad SpringFest performances and disappointments. Yes, I understand the committee works very hard to make sure students have a good time, but there are financial restraints, which leaves us with acts like Jason Derulo and Mike Posner. So, when you tell me USI will partner with the University of Evansville and the Ford Center to bring more attractive acts, I get really excited. Then, when you posted a picture of a studly Adam Levine on the SpringFest page with his face blacked out saying you’ll make an announcement about who’s coming soon, I nearly peed myself.
And then I learned who’s really coming to SpringFest. And it’s not Maroon 5. Or even close. There are some things we don’t joke about in this world, and I can say that even hinting about the possibility of bringing the sexiest man alive to Evansville when it’s not happening is very cruel. I didn’t think it could get any worse. Until the SpringFest committee again posted a picture of two artists with their faces blacked out - Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. If there’s anyone I love more than Adam Levine, it’s JT and Beyonce. Look, I’m not as mad as I may appear. We can all have a good laugh about this later. But let this be a lesson to the PR and marketing students on the SpringFest committee: I may be a journalism major, but I do know
?
that good PR agents don’t get the public’s hopes up about something that’s not going to happen. I understand you wanted people to attend your special announcement
ceremony Wednesday, but this was the wrong way to get students hyped up. You set an unrealistically high standard with Maroon 5 just to let them down with Smash Mouth.
Opposites don’t attract By Armon Siadat Copy editor Whoever coined the cliché “opposites attract” obviously didn’t live in a dorm or residence hall during their freshman year of college. Unless you decide to room with your best friend from high school, someone you met on your class Facebook page, or, in some cases, your twin sister, you are most likely going to “go random” and room with a total stranger. During housing registration, students are able to complete a very brief survey with questions ranging from “Do you keep a clean room?” to “Are you a smoker?” While this is
merely a crutch in a complex game of Matchmaker, Housing and Residence Life’s current system of pairing up roommates has not only become ineffective, it has become problematic. Having a roommate can be one of the most difficult endeavors, but what happens when you get paired up with someone who is literally the antithesis of yourself? What if you told housing you keep a clean room and it looks like not one, but two tornados touched down in your room? What if you told housing you want to study in your room, but you can’t even get through reading an entire sentence because
earplugs can’t drown out the noise? What if you told housing you don’t drink, but your roommate likes to party and has a habit of coming back at 3 a.m. wasted? What if this is not even scratching the surface, but you’re told you don’t have good enough reasons to move out? I can think of 11 rooms off the top of my head where at least one roommate has moved out due to conflicts derived from being paired with the wrong person. Housing messed up and I was originally assigned to live with a female upperclassman RA in an apartment in the very back of campus. Honestly, I’d
rather be living there than in my current room assignment at this point. If housing were to come up with a more in-depth survey, that incorporated personality traits as well as interests, students would have better odds of getting paired with “the perfect roommate” due to a wider range of questions, as opposed to the basic ten currently being used. If housing would at least take a closer look at their current survey’s answers, there would be less students moving out and I would be spending less nights in the Newman Multipurpose Room.
Signed opinions represent the views of the author and not the views of this newspaper. Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials represent a consensus opinion of the editorial board
Write a letter to the editor at opinion@usishield.com
Spring Break tips to keep in mind By Brenna Wu Staff writer
I guarantee a lot of students are excited for Spring Break. Usually students break into two groups: one group goes down to Florida for sunshine and fun while the other group of individuals might head home for their break to see their families. I personally get the opportunity to head down to Florida to play tennis with my teammates for the whole week and still have time to soak in the sun. The great thing about Spring Break is the getaway from school, professors, and even roommates that you cannot stand. But, I do have some Spring Break tips before you head out next week. Definitely watch what you post on your social media accounts. You are still a student at the University of Southern Indiana. Sometimes things do come back to bite you in the butt. On some nights, be the designated driver. Your friends may want to party, which is always a blast, but make sure you or someone else is the DD. Go for a run along the beach or get some form of exercise. Yes, you might be there only to have fun, but take in the sun, the beach and the air, and maybe go for a walk or just run with some friends. Have fun. The last tip is something I definitely think everyone will do. Spring break is the one time before summer that you may get to spend with your friends from USI or wherever else. Take the time to truly enjoy it. Those tips are just some that even my high school teachers preached to their students before they left. Wherever you go for spring break, do enjoy it. Take pictures to always remember the memories you made on that trip. One last thing: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. But if you do, take pictures.
Page 7 - The Shield - February 27, 2014
Sports
Basketball honors seniors Taylor Wischmeier
Ariel Barnes
Stephanie Carpenter
Nicole Hazemi Lawrence Thomas
Ben Jones Orlando Rutledge
Chuck Jones Jessica Parker
DeAndre McCamey Manny Ogunfolu Aaron Nelson
Aubrey Minix
13 players take court for last home game By CHRIS PROCACINA Sports editor The USI men’s and women’s basketball teams will close out their regular seasons on Thursday against Bellarmine University. With both teams already clinching home court for the first round of the GLVC tournament, the Eagles have one more game to play during the regular season. Rodney Watson, head coach of the men’s team, said the unusually high number of seniors have helped lead the team. “We have a high range of seniors. First of all it’s an unusual number with eight seniors,” Watson said. “Each one of them have their own individual stories. LT (Lawrence Thomas) came in really about the same month I came in.”
Thomas was Watson’s first recruit when he joined the university five years ago. Thomas and fellow senior Taylor Wischmeier are the
Ogunfolu, Ben Jones and Aaron Nelson all made their way to USI from playing at other programs. Senior Chuck Jones found his way
Game against Bellarmine at the PAC Women’s game @ 5:15 p.m. Men’s game @ 7:30 p.m. *Games are free to students after presenting student IDs.
only two to start and end their careers with USI. “We’ve been through it all, done it all and seen it all,” Wischmeier said of his four years playing alongside Thomas. Fellow seniors DeAndre McCamey, Orlando Rutledge, Manny
onto the team after being discovered in a USI badminton class. Women’s head coach Rick Stein has nothing but appreciation for his team’s five seniors. “This group didn’t just all come in together,” Stein said. “But over time, they certainly have grown
together as a senior class and it’s hard to believe how fast it goes.” Like the men’s team, only two current seniors, Nicole Hazemi and Stephanie Carpenter, started and ended their careers with the Eagles. Jessica Parker, Aubrey Minix and Ariel Barnes round out the women’s class. “It’s been a great experience. I (am) really glad that I came here. I love my coaches. I love my teammates. We’re all a close-knit team and it’s been really fun,” said Parker, who transferred to USI from Eastern Illinois University. Tip off for the women’s game is scheduled for 5:15 p.m., while the men are slated to start at 7:30 p.m. today.
Women’s golf faces difficult challenge By CHRIS PROCACINA Sports editor Any adversity the USI women’s golf team looks to face on the courses this year will fail in comparison to what they are already enduring. Preparation for the season has been a whirlwind of confusion as Head Coach Don Bisesi has been diagnosed with cancer. “We’ve had to practice on our own,” senior Taylor Merriss said. The women are doing
what they Bisesi can to stick together in a sport that focuses more on individual
outcome rather than the team. “Pretty much when we text each other, it’s all in one big group text. Everyone knows what is going on,” said Merriss, who finished 12th in the GLVC tournament last season. With the High Desert Classic hosted in Las Vegas, Nev., by fellow GLVC member University of Missouri St. Louis soon approaching, the team is looking at the possibility of someone other than their coach accompanying
them. “The AD (Athletic Director) is trying to find someone to help us and our coach may be helping us as well. It’s kind of tough right now,” Merriss said. Despite the turmoil, the women maintain that their ultimate goal is still to make it to nationals. “I feel like this whole season everything is up in the air at this point,” sophomore Molly English said. She plans to follow up her record after a season
average of 82.5 strokesper-round, third best on the team, her freshman year. “I had a pretty good freshman year, but I’d like to finish this season stronger than I did,” English said. Holly Bumpus, Mariah Richardson, Kori Jacobson and Allison Koester join the team as this year’s incoming freshman. The Eagles also have returning sophomore Anastasia Carter. As a freshman, Carter
finished 4th in the GLVC tournament earning allconference honors. Senior and Bethel College transfer Kaelyn Lingenfelter will look to finish up her career after earning All-GLVC honors in her first year with USI. Carter, Ligenfelter and junior Griffin Glasscock all managed to earn Academic All-GLVC accolades last season. The High Desert Classic will take place March 2-3.
The Shield - January 9, 2014
Page 8
Varsity Club assists athletes with scholarships By ROBERTO CAMPOS Staff writer Cream-colored paint covers the 200 walls and a ledge that overlooks a multi-purpose basketball court in Physical Activities Center (PAC) 200. But a step closer, bluedouble doors with a sign on top that reads “USI Varsity Club” stands out. Founded in 1970-1971, the Varsity Club was created by a group of faculty, alumni and people interested in raising money for basketball scholarships who were from Indiana State University-Evansville, before USI became independent. Since its inception, the Varsity Club has graduated from donating money to basketball scholarships to donating money for scholarships that go to all 15 of USI’s varsity sports. It has donated over $2.4 million in scholarships that are provided to USI student athletes. “The Varsity Club is a really unique group,” Athletic Director Jon Mark Hall said. “At the Division II level of athletics, there aren’t many groups like this that volunteer their hours (or) give their dollars to a program such as ours, so they mean a great
deal to us. ... I think most Division II schools would be somewhat envious of our set up we have.” With around 300 members, the Varsity Club hosts a variety of events and fundraisers that members can attend and meet student athletes. The Varsity Club opens its doors in PAC 200 during home basketball games exclusively to members and their families to socialize with other members and student athletes after the game. Members are able to attend games for each of USI’s varsity sports. The organization will sometimes host Varsity Club events at other sporting events, such as baseball or soccer games. Lawrence Thomas, senior guard for the men’s basketball team, has felt the support from the Varsity Club over the course of his athletic career - especially when he had to red shirt due to an injury sophomore year. “You don’t see too many Division II college programs with the support that we have with the Varsity Club,” Thomas said. “Every game, home and away, they’re there to support you - even off the court. They’ll be there if you need a person to talk
to. When you’re down, they’re always good positive people to interact with.” Don Powers, a USI alumnus, has been a Varsity Club member for 25 years and joined to support the school he graduated from and its student athletes through an organization that was not present during his college career. “Varsity Club is important because it helps student athletes that may not get a full scholarship and helps alleviate some of the cost to them,” Powers said. “It’s important that student athletes need to know who’s working for them to help them in any way we can that’s legal, that don’t violate restrictions by the NCAA, … and every athlete that I’ve talked to understands that and appreciate(s) us very much.” “I think if anyone can afford the minimum amount to join the Varsity Club, they should know that it goes for a good cause,” Powers said. “It’s not unwarranted to them. Their money will not be a donation that someone’s forgot about. It actually goes out to something to helps kids that need the help.” For more information about the Varsity Club visit www.gousieagles.com.
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