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T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 | U s i s h i e l d . c o m | v o l . 4 7 i s s u e 9
NEARLY 1,000 NEW REGISTRATIONS
Photo by Jordan Auker | The Shield
Freshman nursing major Trevor Adams registers to vote Sept. 20 at one of the Squawk the Vote registration tables. Adams said that even if registration had not been available on campus he would have registered to vote in the upcoming election.
Indiana voter registration comes to a close by Sarah loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
The registration effort by Squawk the Vote registered 931 people to vote. The effort came close the original 1,000 registration goal and Cynthia Brinker said everyone involved felt like it went very well. “When you think about voting and when you think about the impact of decisions made by elected officials, many of these decisions are going to have an effect on people in college right now,” Brinker said. “That age group tends to not be an age group that votes a lot. It shows the number of people voting is much lower in the 18-22 age range.” The vice president for government
and community relations said Squawk the Vote focused on individual tablings whether it be under the University Center breezeway, at the involvement fair or during events such as the recent debate watch party. Brinker said the interest came from wanting to get more people registered and knowing that there were some students on campus who would have their first chance to vote this year. “We just wanted to make it easy for them,” Brinker said. She said the biggest concern for her was seeing that there were some people who did not want to register. She said students would often say they didn’t know enough to make an informed decision. “It is important for people to exercise their right to vote,” she said. “It’s a big election.”
She said everyone should take the time to use the resources around them to learn about who is on their ballot before election day. “Take time to study it a little bit as opposed to just walking into the voting booth and picking a name,” she said. “Listen to the debates, (there is) a lot of information out right now.” Teddi Rausch said she thinks a lack of information in terms of the voting process can also hinder someone’s ability to register and exercise their right to vote. She said a lack of education can really discourage people from voting. “It’s almost like voter suppression,” the president of the College Democrats said. Rausch said before she joined the College Democrats she didn’t see much activity or opportunity to reg-
ister to vote on campus. She said if more organizations jumped on board with the effort it could be even more successful. “With that lack of effort from people on campus, I think people are just getting frustrated,” she said. Rausch said she thought Squawk the Vote was an incredible effort, but one area she feels could have used more attention was absentee voting. “Absentee ballot applications are the hardest thing to really accomplish in the sense of trying to make sure people send in those forms,” she said. She said she felt the tabling the College Democrats did was successful in the sense that they were able to target a tabling focused on absentee voting. For Daniel McMurtry uneducated voters was his biggest concern.
squawk the vote, PAGE 3
‘Out of balance’ Vaughn to bring gerrymandering to USI by sarah loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
Julia Vaughn said election rigging is real and it is called gerrymandering. Vaughn will visit the university Oct. 19 to discuss the redistricting issue as part of the MPA Speaker Series. Her event will start with a screening of Gerrymandering, a film which she said is a great educational tool. “I think a lot of people are familiar with the term
gerrymandering, but they don’t know the real impact,” Vaughn said. “It does a good job of explaining that, it’s also an inspirational story. It’s all about partisan political interest.” Vaughn is currently the policy director for Common Cause Indiana where she began work in 1995. Common Cause Indiana is a grassroots organization which aims to create open, honest and accountable government. It works as a nonpartisan system focused on the public interest.
SGA tables resolutions Organization plans to review court clerk position, budget, discipline process by riley guerzini news@usishield.com @Guerzwinski
The Student Government Association tabled six resolutions at last Thursday’s meeting. All resolutions brought up in the meeting were tabled, which means they suspend consideration of the resolution indefinitely,
usually until the next week. “Tabling allows the members to think about what’s being brought up,” SGA Attorney General Jerry Boyd said. “It’s just for them to think of different scenarios that could happen with the resolutions and just give them the time to think and kind of just digest their thoughts about what could happen or how exactly it would play out.”
Boyd said the executive board discussed getting rid of the court clerk last semester. “The court clerk, really the maximum amount they can get is around 2 hours a week, so it’s not even really profitable for someone,” he said. “I think it was a limit of 10 hours a week and they were never able to reach that.” Boyd said he and the
rules committee previously talked about having just one staff member to handle the court clerk duties such as traffic appeals, record keeping and attendance. “The executive clerk, in their requirements, there is a clause in their position to insure the smoothness of SGA, so we kind of interpreted that as we can also use them for the court,” he said.
vaughn, PAGE 3
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A guide to usi athletics
sga, PAGE 3
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Squawk the vote continued from Page 1 have much involvement with the event other than providing some talking points for an original promo video. He said he believes the effort was well intentioned but he also believes people vote with their feelings and not their heads sometimes. “Feelings get in the way of what actually makes sense,” McMurtry said. “Do
The College Republicans president said he believes there should be voter education in correspondence with registration. “It’s one thing to get registered to vote,” he said, “but I don’t know if signing up a bunch of people who are uneducated on political issues is the best way.” McMurtry said the College Republicans did not
sga
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vaughn Another resolution Boyd proposed was to allow freshman students to represent colleges with help from other members in SGA. “It’s been talked about kind of off and on but not really until near end of last year and this year we’ve seriously started to consider how exactly it would work, so we just didn’t want to put them in a position,” Boyd said. “We wanted them to have some kind of guidance. There has to be some sort of mentor in there, someone who has been here and knows how everything works a little more than they do.” Boyd handles all disciplinary issues within SGA and, in extreme cases, before they go to the university court for impeachment. “We had to redo the impeachment process last year, where it was just kind of very vague and it would be hard to stay consistent from year to year using it to make sure that it’s fair for everyone,” he said. “As the exec board every time we do a censor (warning), basically every time it would come up it would be a discussion of how would we do this and we want to make sure we are doing it right the first time, stay persistent so it doesn’t seem like we are treating someone unfairly from one case versus the other.”
Boyd said that even though they do not have to pay the position since there is nobody filling that position, they still have an allotted $2,000 out of their budget for the position. He hopes freeing up the $2,000 will allow SGA to fund other programs and resolutions. SGA has all their money allotted for specific positions, resolutions and programs at the beginning of the year. The exact budget is not known as a budget report has not been filed since June. “As far as what the budget is, they’re being even slower this year than they were last year on getting those budget reports out,” financial officer Aaron McCullough said. SGA has $750 allotted for polos for all its members, though it is not the exact amount as it could be lower. “It’s already authorized for us to spend the money that is already allotted for polos,” he said. “Usually we always go over on polos because it kind of changes from year to year because we don’t stay with the same polo every time.” Any allotted money that is not used by the end of the year goes into a savings account that is set up through the university. That money can be used for anything SGA decides to vote on.
Vaughn said she will discuss the idea of creating an independent citizens group who is in charge of redistricting as opposed to a governmental group. “In Indiana we have very few districts where voters really have an impact,” she said. “Who is going to win was determined back in 2011 when the maps we are currently using were drawn.” Vaughn said the low voter turnout in 2014 could be attributed to that factor. In 2014 Indiana had the lowest voter turnout with 28 percent of registered voters going to the polls. “If your vote doesn’t really matter, then there is good reason for voters to stay home,” Vaughn said. “(Gerrymandering) has a lot to do with voter turnout and participation. It also has a lot to do with the issues picked up.” Vaughn said the legislature is “out of balance with the voters in this state” and it shows by being more conservative than people in Indiana really are. “Hoosiers are kind of right in the middle,” she said. “We’re moderate.” Vaughn said the good news is there are people in the process who recognize that there are things off balance and there has been some look into states which don’t allow legislature to redraw the districts on the map. Vaughn said she thinks it’s important for students
10/5/15 - 10/12/15
Drug Offenses - Drugs McDonald East Apartments - Lane Building - 940 Varsity Dr. 10/5/16 12:18 a.m. Suspicious Persons Campus Housing - Clarke Lane 10/5/16 2:34 a.m. Injury Report Childrens Learning Center 10/5/16 10:05 a.m. Property Damage - University Non - Campus - New Harmony Atheneum - 401 N. Arthur St. 10/5/16 1:39 p.m. Theft Physical Activities Center 10/5/16 2:00 p.m. Harassment Residence Halls - Newman Hall 1600 Rankin Ln. 10/5/16 5:11 p.m. Fire Alarm - Cooking OʼDaniel South Apartments - Ray
Building - 8046A OʼDaniel Ln. 10/5/16 5:25 p.m. Violation of University Policy University Center West 10/6/16 1:14 p.m. Fire Alarm - Cooking McDonald West Apartments Marshall Building - 932A Eckels Ln. 10/6/16 4:40 p.m. Battery - Simple Assault OʼDaniel South Apartments Wright Building - 8114A OʼDaniel Ln. 10/7/16 11:41 a.m. Drug Offenses - Drugs - Dealing/ Manufacturing OʼDaniel South Apartments Wright Building - 8114A OʼDaniel Ln. 10/7/16 11:41 a.m. Fire Alarm - Cooking OʼDaniel North Apartments - Orr Building - 826A Crawford Ln. 10/8/16 9:06 a.m.
cation. He said they would be able to explain some of the different ideologies to people and how they vary. McMurtry said not all republicans follow the same line of platforms and the same with the other parties as well. He said he does not believe the parties necessarily have to work together for political goals but they need
to bring an ideological debate to the forefront. “Our politics in America today have become who is the better person and by what measuring stick,” he said. “The debate of ideas, it’s not so much ideological debate, but character attacks.”
continued from Page 1
USI Security Incident Log Code of Conduct - Cohabitation McDonald East Apartments - Lane Building - 940 Varsity Dr. 10/5/16 12:18 a.m.
“What I feel happens in this county is that we are taught to think with our feelings about morality,” McMurtry said. “Everyone has ‘my truth’ as opposed to what the country was built on, eternal truths.” He said right now his group is in contact with the Young Americans for Liberty trying to put an event together focused on voter edu-
the research to get past all the lies and banter, when you figure out what actually happens you end up being able to make a better informed decision.” He said he feels it’s no secret that most people are brought up in a left-wingbiased public education system, but if they informed themselves they might not be liberal so easily.
Code of Conduct - Sexual Harassment McDonald West Apartments Durbin Building - 908B McDonald Ln. 10/10/16 9:27 a.m. Code of Conduct - Visitor Violation McDonald West Apartments Durbin Building - 908B McDonald Ln. 10/10/16 9:27 a.m. Code of Conduct - Tobacco Smoking McDonald West Apartments Durbin Building - 905A Eckels Ln. 10/10/16 11:44 p.m. Fire - False Alarm (Construction or other means) McDonald West Apartments Durbin Building - 905A Eckels Ln. 10/10/16 11:44 p.m. Welfare Check McDonald West Apartments Jackson Building - 817B Jarrett Ln. 10/12/16 12:08 a.m.
Found Property Report Physical Activities Center 10/10/16 8:00 a.m.
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security.
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“If your vote doesn’t really matter, then there is good reason for voters to stay home, (Gerrymandering) has a lot to do with voter turnout and participation. It also has a lot to do with the issues picked up.” -Julia Vaughn Policy director for Common Cause Indiana
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FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
MPA Speaker Series - Julia Vaughn Oct. 19 @ 5 p.m. Kleymeyer Hall Free
to know about gerrymandering and the issues surrounding it because young voters have been tradition-
ally the least participatory in elections. “Sure it’s complicated, but gerrymandering is at
the root of this process,” Vaughn said. “...You can’t just sit on the sidelines.”
briefs ‘Celebrate the Trail’ set for Oct. 22
Connie Lawson Heidi Garza to visit to host Latin university dance night
USI and Burdette Park will again host Celebrate the Trail, a bike ride and walk on the USI-Burdette Trail. There will be free lunch and giveaways throughout the day. Registration for the event begins at 10 a.m. at either USI-Burdette Trail at University Boulevard on the USI campus (6-mile roundtrip from USI to Burdette Park). Broadway Avenue at USI’s Broadway Recreational Complex (4-mile roundtrip). Burdette Park’s Building 13 (short walks/rides within the park, or 6-mile roundtrip to USI). Bicyclists will start at 10 a.m. and walkers will begin at 10:45. Students interested in biking have the option to rent a bike from the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center with their student id. If inclement weather is to occur the event will be canceled by 9 a.m. that morning.
Secretary of State Connie Lawson will visit the university Oct. 20 to present ‘Why You Should Vote.’ She is Indiana’s Chief Election Official and her focus is on ensuring ‘integrity and security’ for elections. The event will take place in the Traditions Lounge in Unviersity Center East from 1-2 p.m.
Heidi Garza from Heidi Garza dance studio will host a Latin dance night Friday. She will teach salsa, merengue, bachata and more in Carter Hall A-C. Food and prizes will be available. Any questions about the event should be directed to Cesar Berrios.
Salary negotiation Staff council workshop pumpkin carving contest planned for Oct. USI’s Staff Council will hold a pumpkin carving contest this year with two categories, carved and decorated. There will be prizes awarded. Pumpkins entering the contest must be delivered to a table outside UC East/West before 10 a.m. October 28. Winners will be chosen by secret ballot.
A salary negotion workshop will be held from 3-4:30 Oct. 18 in UC 2207. The workshop aims to teach attendees the skills and confidence to earn “fair compensation.” The workshop is free but there is registration. Registration can be made by calling 812-464-1865.
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Features
The shield | October 13, 2016 | Usishield.com
‘Know the signs’
Photo by The Shield
Annabelle Blaha throws flowers into the lake during last years event behind the Liberal Arts Center after the Flowers on the Lake Ceremony ended.
Flowers on the Lake to raise domestic violence awareness by SARAH LOESCH editor@usishield.com @seloesch
Chrissy Wicks said domestic violence starts behind close doors. “We don’t know how bad it is getting for somebody,” she said. “It’s good to know the warning signs.” Wicks is a senior victim support specialist at the Albion Fellows Bacon Center which will host the fourth annual Flowers on the Lake today with the university’s Sexual Assault Gender Violence Prevention Committee During the awareness event attendees will hear students speak about the deaths of victims due to intimate partner homicide. Attendees will be given cone-shaped pamphlets filled with flower petals and following a moment of silence the petals will be scattered in Reflection Lake. Wicks said that each year they have a decent sized crowd with about a 100 to 200 attendees.
She said due to the location it is most often university students who attend but Flowers on the Lake is open to the community as well. “(Flowers on the Lake) is really just awareness,” Wicks said. “We just want to make people aware there are some things they can do.” She said it is important that people know the warning signs and perhaps how to intervene if they feel a friend is in danger. “Students get to inspire hope in ending violence and help victims and their families heal,” Melinda Roberts, director of gender studies said in a news release. “The month of October marks a time of awareness about domestic violence.” Roberts said it’s meant to push individuals to speak up about the issue and to help comfort the families. There will also be life-sized cutouts around campus which represent real victims in Indiana. There will be a bad on each silhouette which tells that person’s story.
Photo by The Shield
In honor of those who were lost due to domestic violence, all of the students toss in their flowers behind the Liberal Arts Center during last years event.
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
Flowers on the Lake Today @ 4 p.m. Labrinth in front of the Liberal Arts building Free
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Facts Evolved from the “Day of Unity” which was held in October 1981. Conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Intended to connect advocates who were working to end violence against women and their children “Day of Unity” became an entire week with activities at the local, state and national level The activities followed the common theme of mourning those who died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who survived and connecting those who work. The first domestic violence awareness month was observed in 1987. It was the same year the first domestic violence toll-free hotline started. Two years later Congress passed the law to designate October of 1989 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Now the Day of Unity is celebrated the first Monday of Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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The shield | October 13, 2016 | Usishield.com
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‘Moral and ethical’
Instructor to discuss obligation to students by sarah loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
Xavia Harrington, English instructor, will be presenting “The Ethical Implications of College Teaching and Student Development.” There will be a discussion and Harrington Q & A immediately following the presentation. The Shield spoke with Harrington to discuss her presentation and where they idea began. The Shield: Where did the idea from your presentation come from? Harrington: I am full time English faculty, but I am also a doctoral student at Bellarmine University. A lot of things you read as a graduate student are to push your knowledge base. I’m able to do that a lot because I’m so interested in social justice. My PHD is in social justice, equality and inclusion in education. Helping the student to become a better person a lot of people haven’t really discussed. If we don’t think about those intersections (race, gender, social class) we won’t ever be able to reach students. Professors never really sit down to have those conversations. I thought this would be an interesting topic, I should talk to other professors about what are our moral and ethical obligations to these students. Test and quizzes have to happen. But between those what are you doing to make these students a better per-
son? I hear tons of professors complain about students (not doing all their work, etc), but I rarely hear professors say ‘I wonder if I’m doing everything I can to help them.’ The Shield: What do you consider your teaching philosophy to be? Harrington: My teaching philosophy is one that is fairly modern. I consider students to be at the center of my classroom. I make students talk about stereotypes and we talk about what makes someone a good person. We talk about food insecurity, gender differences, really different ways to look at English. I don’t give them a dry article because it doesn’t relate to them. I want to make the items we discuss accessible and applicable. The Shield: Do you find most students respond well to your style of teaching? Harrington: In any college setting you are going to have a student or two who is going to feel college isn’t for them, that’s inevitable. But I will admit that in terms of my classes I make sure students know I am accessible. I answer emails fairly quickly, you would be surprised how many students comment on that. It’s never a large classroom management issue. In the event I do have a student (who isn’t responding well), the student doesn’t want to help me to help them or her. Most of them come around.
students, before, during and after class. I’m not going to bore them with student-development theory. We aren’t experiencing students who are picture perfect. We aren’t always having students who are 19 and at the top of their game. Some of them have jobs or are supporting families.
FASt FACTS What: When: Where: Cost:
College of Liberal Arts Faculty Colloquia Oct. 21 @ 3 p.m. Kleymeyer Hall Free
They start asking for help. The Shield: What do you hope the post-presentation discussion will focus on? Harrington: I’m hoping that students will be open and honest about their relationship with professors. Students will tell me ‘you’re one of the professors that doesn’t feel like a professor.’ Should you remind a student once or twice that they have a big assignment? I argue that you should. I would also like to hear from trans-
The Shield: What was your undergraduate career like in connection with your topic? Harrington: When I was an undergrad I had so many mentors. So many people I could call on if I was frustrated. I needed people’s advice who had already gone through it. Looking back I know I couldn’t have graduated if I didn’t have those people I could go to for help. USI is good at providing
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My teaching philosophy is one that is fairly modern. I consider students to be at the center of my classroom. -Xavia Harrington Instructor of English
fer students. How does USI faculty compare to where they’ve been. Open and honest conversations, I want to hear how professors approach teaching vs. how students think they should approach teaching. Students can come and get their voices heard.
When we talk about all those different interactions. I do not believe every student will like us, let alone love us. I’m not that naive, but if you’re here to be a resource I think students will start to see that professors are trying to help them be a better person. Just getting students to know we are there to help is a big step. The Shield: Is there anything else you would like readers to know? Harrington: I think with the current state of life in general there has been a lot of strife in terms of race, gender identity, homophobia and islamophobia. There are a lot of fears. These fears seem to trickle down into higher education. It’s important to talk about students interacting with issue in the world. At the end of the day students come into your classroom thinking about these things. When you start to think how our students are being affected by the things of the world we really do our students a disservice when we don’t know about them.
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people resources, but I don’t know how many professors really think about how they could be a resource. I’m not there to guilt trip the professors, but I’m there to tell them. ‘here are all the ways I was helped’, what the literature says, if we think about student development in terms of our interactions with our
Responses are edited for length and clarity.
REVIEW
Upcoming theater
The Glass Menagerie
It certainly is ‘A Seat at the Table’ On Spotify
When: Where: Cost:
Oct. 13,14,15 @ 7 p.m. Oct. 16 @ 2 p.m. USI Performance Center Students-$7 Employees- $10 Adults- $12 Seniors- $10 Non-USI Students- $10
In the Red and Brown Water When:
Oct. 27-29 @ 7 p.m.
Where:
Mallette Studio Theater- LA 105
Cost:
Free
Solange Knowles is Beyoncé’s younger sister. She is the same woman featured along with Jay Z in the now infamous elevator video from 2014. But “A Seat at the Table,” her third studio album, shows she’s much more than just Beyoncé’s sister or the woman that attacked Jay Z in an elevator. The sound “A Seat at the Table” provides is a flashback to an older, but just as aware, time in R&B music. It’s also an album that celebrates being black and raises awareness to cultural approbation. Several tracks and interludes from the album have a central theme of searching for black culture; they give a glimpse into what it’s like to be black in America. Most notably is the song “Don’t Touch My Hair,” which highlights the struggle many women of color must face as it pertains to their hair. In the song, So-
lange compares her hair to her pride which is violated every time someone asks to touch it. There’s also “Interlude: Tina Taught Me,” which features a spoken word message from Solange’s mother Tina. The message from her mother is, “…it really saddens me when we’re not allowed to express that pride in being black, and that if you do, then it’s considered anti-white.” Not only does the message from her mother bring forth the notion of searching for an identity, but so does the song “Where Do We Go”
which is about her mother’s family leaving New Orleans when she was a child due to racial tensions. The music on this album is more than just easy listening R&B and features artist ranging from Master P to Kelly Rowland. Many of the songs create a deeper emotional pool for the listener to plunge into. For example, the sense of wanting to avoid pain which is pertinent to many people no matter the color of their skin can be seen in the form of “Cranes in the Sky.” The album builds from the beginning with “Rise” all the way until the end with “Closing: The Chosen Ones” making this a complete album, but one that isn’t for everyone. This isn’t music that’s going to be played in a club on a Saturday night. Knowles has done well to distance herself from her sister’s sound by creating one that feels older and more sophisticated.
Rating 5/5 BY taylor o’neil hall
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Opinion
The shield | October 13, 2016 | Usishield.com
Don’t be blind-sided by
your ballot staff editorial The final voter registration date for Indiana passed Oct. 11. Now each voter’s focus should shift to finding a convenient voting center and brushing up on the issues as they relate to each candidate. There are far more candidates on the ballot than Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Don’t be blindsided by your ballot. Don’t walk into the booth and only recognize the names of the people running for the top government seats. Think about the community you live in and the offices within it, whether you are voting where you live for school or absentee voting for your hometown, the issues do effect you. For example, this election year, Vanderburgh County has multiple races including
county commissioner, school board and coroner. The government officials within your communities can have a more direct impact on your life than the men or women elected to serve at a national level. As college students, think about the issues that could affect you in your four years and how some local offices could impact them. Issues such as taxes, education reform and city development could all have an impact on you as you complete your college career and transition into the community as an independent adult. Change starts from the ground level and works its way up. In that sense each vote cast is one vote for a changemaker, someone who can truly make a difference at the grassroots level for the community they represent. When looking at the candidates find their views. Don’t only listen to what you hear
about them through campaign ads or newscasts. Most candidates, even on a local level, have a website or a Facebook page. Look in those places for answers to the questions you might have on their policies. If you walk into a voting center with no knowledge of the candidates, no matter their level, you only do yourself a disservice. If you’re registered there should not be much that stops you from casting your vote on Nov. 8. Being registered is the first step and exercising the right to vote with an informed opinion is second. The excuse you don’t know enough about the candidates is simply not acceptable. That’s a problem with an easy solution. That solution is a little research. Explore the candidates, explore the issues and explore what you are looking for in a leader.
THE
Know who they are by osman bien aime orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu
I am going to bust The Shield’s chops for a second, because I need to address a mistake that was made in a previous issue. An individual we interviewed was misgendered, and I would like to explain why we need to change our understanding of gender as a whole. Attending university and being around such a diverse student body has gone a long way toward changing my black-and-white perspective toward gender. I have even started to use gender neutral pronouns in casual conversation. Suppose I am speaking to someone who identifies as transgender, genderqueer, or non-binary. They would prefer being referred one way over another. For me, referring to that person by their name or as “they” or “them” would be ideal. This is of particular importance to me because of the ongoing discussion of gender neutrality in public facilities. The Shield ran
an article wherein they interviewed a student on the issue. Said student identifies as non-binary, and they were misgendered as male. This error has since been rectified, but it’s important to consider how serious that could be if it had been left as-is. In this particular situation, it was just a little embarrassing for us and the interviewee, but if those edits were ignored, then that person and everyone who shares their identity would effectively be misrepresented to the point of erasure. As an active member of society, I think I have a responsibility to discard my “call ‘em as I see ‘em” mentality, learn how people want to be viewed, and give them no less than that. Likewise, I think the media-even us at The Shield-have an even greater responsibility to do so. It is through us that the student body has a voice, and we owe it to them to represent them correctly and fairly.
What’s the cost? by megan thorne opinion@usishield.com @MeganRThorne
When people think of attending college often they think of student loans, debt and financial need. According to debt.org student debt in the United States adds up to $1.2 trillion and since 1980, tuition costs have gone up 757 percent. Seventy percent of college students leave university with an average debt of $33,000. Many students have the burden of finances hanging over their heads as soon as they step through the door of their first class. Students have to worry about how they will afford their next meal when they should be worrying about homework. We are forced to work extensive hours at our jobs to try and afford college to avoid loans or to prepare to pay them off after graduation. Instead of trying to major in something they love students have the constant fear of not having a wellpaying job after college ends to support them. Although FAFSA is helpful for some, it can barely help those who “can afford two toppings on their Papa John’s pizza.” As society drops a bag of money onto our back we have to carry our burden around for years after we graduate. There are currently 43.3 million Americans facing student debt and face an average monthly payment
of $351 a month. Not to mention other bills, families and necessities that contributes to massive amounts of debt. Not only does it have an affect on what we spend our money on, finances play a role with mental health. According to the Atlantic.com “It’s been well documented that financial strain can have measurable mental and physical effects. A 2013 study published in Anxiety, Coping and Stress, for instance,
found that ‘those with greater financial strain perceived more stress, had more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ill-health.’ And significant or growing debt, can be a major cause of overall financial stress.” Financial burden is hard to face. It’s not right that we spend our school careers stressed about where are next penny will come from. Don’t let debt cost you your health and sanity.
SHIELD Editorial Board Sarah Loesch Editor-in-Chief Riley Guerzini News Editor Gabi Wy Features Editor Megan Thorne Opinion Editor NOW HIRING Sports Editor NOW HIRING Chief Copy Editor Jessica Stallings Visual Editor
S ta f f NOW HIRING Special Publications Manager Abigail Stanley Page Designer Philip Kuhns Illustrator NOW HIRING Chief Photographer Gavin Gaddis Community Engagement Manager
Sales & Marketing S ta f f Anthony Ross Sales & Marketing Director Olivia Meyer Business Manager illustration by megan thorne | The Shield
NOW HIRING Marketing Manager Danielle VanHooser Layout & Design Coordinator Gavin Gaddis Circulation Manager Sam Anslinger Sales Consultant
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Sports
The shield | October 13, 2016 | Usishield.com
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Basketball readies for season
Photos by JEssica Stallings | The Shield
Junior center Davis Carter is interviewed by athletic communications Tuesday afternoon in the Physical Activities Center.
Senior Tanner Marcum, junior Kaydie Grooms, redshirt-freshman Janie McCloughan and sophomore Alex Davidson pose for photos during the 2016 Media Day in the Physical Activities Center. Men’s basketball coach Rodney Watson adresses the media at the 2016 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media day.
Women’s assistant basketball coach Randa Dallas and senior center Ruta Savickaite joke around during their free time Tuesday afternoon in the Physical Activities Center. Savickaite played in 23 games in the 2015-16 season and saw one start.
Senior Tanner Marcum is interviewed by a local television station during the 2016 Media Day Tuesday. Marcum is one of five seniors returning for her final year with the team.
Upcoming Varsity Games
Scoreboard Men’s soccer
WoMen’s Cross country
William Jewell College
Oct. 7 0-3
USI
Rockhurst University
Oct. 9 2-1
Oct. 8 Conference Crossover 3rd of 13 teams
USI
WOMen’s soccer
Men’s Golf
William Jewell College
Oct. 7 0-3
USI
Oct. 10-11 Midwest Regional #2 11th of 26 teams
Rockhurst University
Oct. 9 2-1
USI
University of WisconsinParkside
Quincy University
Men’s soccer
Oct. 14 5 p.m. Drury University Springfield, Missouri
Oct. 14 7:30 p.m. Drury University Springfield, Missouri
Oct. 16 noon Missouri University of Science & Technology
Oct. 16 2:30 p.m. Missouri University of Science & Technology
Men’s Cross Country WoMen’s Golf Oct. 8-9 Maryville Fall Invitational 1st of 10 teams
Volleyball
WoMen’s soccer
Oct. 7 1-3
USI
Men’s Cross country
Sept.24 3-0
USI
Oct. 8 Conference Crossover 2nd of 14 teams
Oct. 22 GLVC Championships Rolla, Missouri
woMen’s Cross Country Oct. 22 GLVC Championships Rolla, Missouri
Men’s golf Oct. 31- Nov. 1 Trevecca Nazarene University Gallatin, Tennessee
WOMen’s Golf Oct. 17- Oct. 18 Big Apple Lady Invitational White Plains, New York
volleyball Oct. 14 11:30 a.m. Northwood University Auroroa, Illinois Oct. 14 5:30 p.m. Alderson Broaddus University Auroroa, Illinois Oct. 15 1 p.m. Tiffin University Auroroa, Illinois
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The shield | October 13, 2016 | Usishield.com
Healthcare Professions Career Expo
Monday, October 17, 2016 10 a.m.—2 p.m. Carter Hall, University Center West Healthcare employers will be on campus recrui ng students for full- me and part- me jobs and internships. Plan to a end and bring several copies of your resume to share with poten al employers. EAGLE CAREER LAUNCH 812-464-1865 career@usi.edu www.usi.edu/careerservices Eagle Career Launch is USI’s online job
Be more than a leader
Be an RA !
Spring 2017 Hiring Consideration Application deadline October 30
Fall 2017 Hiring Consideration Application deadline January 20
Application available through OrgSync in the Housing portal. https://orgsync.com/46768/forms/201150