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Rally takes stand ‘against hate, bigotry’
Former students respond to executive order by Megan Thorne photo@usishield.com @MeganRThorne
Photo by Megan Thorne | The Shield
Community members gather round the Clifford Circle Tuesday evening for the Interfaith Rally of Support at the University of Evansville. The rally, sponsored by the Evansville Executive Interfaith Partnership gathered community members to stand with their Muslim brothers, sisters and refugees; and to stand against hate, bigotry and the executive order. Members held signs and sang along to “One love/ People get Ready,” by Bob Marley.
by Riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
Zarmina and Naaima Mufti want President Trump to know that being Muslim is not a crime. The MuslimAmerican cousins attended the Interfaith Rally of Support Tuesday night at the University of Evansville. “Regardless of the religion, we are just trying to show our solidarity with American values and how it is completely unlawful and unconstitutional to tell people that you don’t belong here,” Zarmina Mufti said. The rally, sponsored by the Evansville Executive Interfaith Partnership, gathered members of the community to “stand up against hate, against bigotry and
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against the recent executive orders against refugees.” “Just to think people that are trying to better their lives are the ones being affected by this is disheartening,” Naaima Mufti said.
engage in support and understanding of each other. They meet on the University of Evansville campus every month. The event was organized just a day before, but the
We want our Muslim friends to know that we are not going to sit by quietly while this kind of injustice and maltreatment takes place.
pus. “This is peaceful,” Zarmina Mufti said. “No one is screaming, no one is yelling; it’s not that type of protest. This is symbolic of what our religion stands for. I feel like there is more love than hate here.” Rev. Kevin Fleming of the First Presbyterian Church of Evansville said he was “dumbfounded” by the amount of attendees and thought it was good to see that people of all religions do not support the travel ban and the implications it has on Muslim-Americans. “We want our Muslim friends to know that we are not going to sit by quietly while this kind of injustice and maltreatment takes place,” he said. “They needed to know that we are all here. We sometimes forget that we are not alone.”
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-Rev. Kevin Fleming First Presbyterian Church of Evansville
The EEIP is a non-profit organization that allies with members of all religions to
time frame didn’t stop over 200 people from crowding the Clifford Circle on cam-
Sandrita Sanabria believes that Donald Trump does not represent the American people she knows. Sanabria, a former university international student from Paraguay said although she expected Trump to win the presidential election, she was shocked to hear about the executive order. “When you think about America you think of diversity,” she said. “But now I think the order is definitely going to change everybody’s thoughts.” President Trump signed an executive order that halts immigration from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. The order also prevents Syrian refugees from coming into the country indefinitely and all refugee admissions for 120 days. “We aren’t talking about illegal immigrants, we are talking about people who have gone through a security process, people with a green card and people with dual citizenship,” she said. “I think it just violates their rights and not only that but also shows a message to the American people that these people are dangerous.” After spending last spring at USI, Sanabria said she might choose a European county to get her masters instead of coming back to the U.S. “I think international students are going to think twice before going to America,” she said. “Especially students from Muslim countries, because even if they get to America they probably won’t be able to leave the country or they won’t be able to come back and fin-
ish their studies.” When Sanabria thinks back to her experience in America she said she met so many wonderful people it’s hard for her to believe that Trump is the person representing them. Sanabria said she hopes to see things get better but believes Trump isn’t “diplomatic” but a businessman, and managing a country is harder than managing a business. Especially when he puts executive orders and wall plans in place. “I think everybody is shocked that in the 21st century this is even a topic we are talking about,” she said. “It feels like this is something you would read in history books in the 1940s not something you would read in 2017.” Souleymane Mamane Illia, a former university international student from Niger, Africa, said he believes Trump made the wrong decision banning people based on their beliefs. “It didn’t surprise me,” he said. “It’s something he has been saying since his campaign.” Illia said the order does not reflect what America is and contradicts its values. Illia said the executive order was also something he wasn’t taking serious because he never thought “such a thing would happen.” “Although Trump may have some motives behind his decision it will bring more harm than good,” he said. “He is bringing hate in American society and even in many parts of the world. So instead of solving America’s problems this will bring new problems.” Illia said it is comforting to see how people all over the world are rejecting the decision, including in his own country.
Response, PAGE 3
Rally, PAGE 3
Universities make statements on immigration ban by Sarah Loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
President Linda Bennett released a statement through email to the entire campus community Monday afternoon regarding the recent order banning immigrants and refugees from the United States. Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State University and Indiana State University also published statements in some capacity. Locally, the University of Evansville released a statement as well. The executive order set forth by President Donald Trump halts immigration from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. It also barrs Syrian refugees indefinitely and all refugee admissions for 120 days. Though each university created a statement within a similar timeframe, the
stances in each differed. Bennett’s statement took no stance on the issue, but simply told the campus community that developments were being followed closely and with “deep concern for the well-being of our community and our nation.” “Those who go through the visa process know there is careful review of every case. That review process intensified after September 11, 2001,” Bennett said in the statement. “The coming days and weeks will bring clarification and additional executive, court and congressional action. I urge our community to be vigilant and well-informed.” Purdue, UE and IU’s statements all took a straightforward stance asking that the order be revoked or reversed. UE’s statement said the order contradicts the university’s inclusiveness. “We urge the administra-
tion to rescind this order, and we encourage political leaders from all parties and branches of government to strengthen the protections that our nation has historically extended to immigrants and refugees who want to improve their lives by working and studying in the United States,” the statement said. Purdue President Mitch Daniels and IU President Michael McRobbie’s statements also urged that the order be removed. Daniels, former governor of Indiana said in the statement that the order “is a bad idea, poorly implemented.” Out of these universities, IU, Purdue and Ball State made the statements available through Twitter, Facebook and their university websites. UE has the statement posted to Facebook and its website. The university’s state-
ment was posted to its Facebook page, but it does not appear on usi.edu. Currently, there are two Libyan students and one Yemeni faculty member on campus. University Communications said those members of the community did not wish to speak to media organizations at this time. Purdue’s statement said about 100 of its 400,000 students and 10 faculty are from the countries named in the ban. UE currently has students from Syria, Somalia and Iran. “To our students, faculty and staff who are with us from around the world, you are part of the USI family,” Bennett said to end her statement. “We are a stronger community because you are here.” To see the statments released by the universities visit usishield.com
Students lobby for Press Freedom by Riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
High school and collegiate journalists from across Indiana are taking their grievances to the Indiana state legislature. House Bill 1130 will require school corporations and state educational institutions to adopt policies that will protect student journalists. The bill is a product of the New Voices of Indiana movement that “aims to protect student journalists from unfair and undemocratic censorship and punishment for telling stories about important political, social and educational issues.” The bill also prohibits educational institutions from suppressing student media content unless it is deemed libelous or slanderous. Director of the Indiana
Collegiate Press Association (ICPA) Adam Maxl is leading the effort to pass the press freedom bill with the help of two groups of student journalists from across Indiana. The advocacy group, consisting of five college and five high school journalists, serves to help craft the bill and generate support among stakeholders like the principals association and the teachers association. The other group, the reporting group, is working on writing stories about it in their own publications and talking to local news organizations. “This whole process is student led,” Maxl said. “We hope they tell their stories on reporting without the help of a press freedom law.” Maxl said there are a lot of schools that have restrictive policies for student journalists.
Journalism, PAGE 3
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Few scabies cases reported SGA President by Riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
University faculty, staff and students were notified Jan.25 by University Communications to be vigilant for the spread of a small number of confirmed cases of scabies. Scabies, a skin condition caused by tiny bugs that burrow under the skin and lay eggs, is spread through prolonged contact with another infected individual, which includes sexual intercourse, sleeping in the same bed and sharing towel or clothing. They are typically found between fingers, wrists, ankles, elbows, groin, armpits and breasts. Scabies is common worldwide as millions of cases are reported each year according to the American Academy of Dermatology, but can rapidly spread in close living areas. The individuals who have been confirmed with having the condition have been treated according to the notification and steps have been taken to prevent the spread of the
Response
condition. The university has also identified those who may have been in close or direct contact with the individuals and cautionary measures are underway to ensure scabies is not spread to others. Campus living spaces associated with those who were confirmed with the condition are being cleaned by off-campus organization Hasgoe. “This is above and beyond what even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would recommend,” Director of Housing and Residence life Amy Price said. “We are steam cleaning the carpets, cleaning all the furniture. I feel like that’s just a good route to take.” Price said the first case of scabies was discovered late last week and a notification was sent out to everyone living on campus on Monday after more cases were confirmed. She said scabies outbreaks have occurred before on campus, but they are usually designated to one or two apartments. “When it has gone beyond one or two apartments, we talk about
emailing everyone on campus so that people are educated about it,” she said. Price said she could not disclose the buildings that have seen the outbreak of scabies or the number of cases “in order to protect the privacy of the students affected.” “People that are in this situation are already a little self-conscious because of the attention that the campus has brought to this,” she said. “Anyone that has been affected by this has been contacted by our staff.” Brandy Sitzman, the practice manager of the Health Center, said there has been a decrease in the number of scabies cases since last week, but would not reveal the number of cases they have seen. “If they have the signs and symptoms of the scabies, we are encouraging them to contact their local health care provider or to come get checked out by us in the Health Center,” Sitzman said. Additional information about scabies has been posted to the Health Center’s website at www.usi.edu/ healthcenter.
continued from Page 1
Sanabria said the protests “show the human side of Americans.” “It shows that not all American people support Trump,” she said. “Even people who voted for Trump don’t support his ban on Muslims. I think this isn’t what the American people really want.” Sanabria said her hope for the
American people is that they don’t let this order divide them. “When you have a friend with whom you do not agree with, don’t let these situations divide you,” she said. “Don’t fight with your family and friends over this… family and friends are forever.” Sanabria said she feels sorry for
international students going through these problems. “Somehow racism, which I experienced myself, has been increasing in America so I would like to tell the international students to keep strong,” she said. “…Find Americans to help you and don’t let Trump divide you.”
Rally continued from Page 1 The executive orders, signed by President Trump Friday evening, bars refugees from any country from entering the United States for 120 days along with an indefinite ban on Syrians entering the country and a 90 day ban on immigrants from seven majority Muslim countries. “I think the executive order is complete crap,” University of Evansville graduate Beth Samelak said. “It really hurts to think that all of the progress we made over the past eight years was done away in a couple of minutes.” Samelak, who has a bachelor’s de-
JOurnalism
gree in Business Administration, said she attended the rally to support the students that supported her during her time at the university. “President Obama worked really hard to make America welcoming for everyone in the world and I really hope that Congress can get it together and stop this from happening,” she said. Rabbi Gary Mazo of Temple Adath B’Nai Israel of Evansville said there was a tremendous amount of support for the Muslim community. “The fact that this is a place of higher education and that there are
students from all of the impacted countries that are here,” he said. “We need to support them.” Mazo said the EEIP is reaching out to Muslim students with community events like the rally of support, along with hosting other events on campus. Mazo said he hopes elected officials will hear their voices and stand against anyone who creates laws that are based on hate and fear. “We are not going to stand for it,” he said. “If this keeps up, there is going to be a dramatic shift and I think they know that.”
“If you censor students while they are young they will accept that censorship later in life,” he said. ‘This isn’t going to be open season for student publications to publish libelous material.” Rep. Edward Clere (R- District 72) is the author of the bill. Clere is a former student journalist and his wife, Amy Clere, was also a journalist. “He was very interested in the bill because of his own interest in journalism,” Maxl said. “Also, he thought it would be a good educational experience.” Sarah Loesch, a student journalist from the advocacy group, said that Clere has taught her more about the legislative process. “One of the things that has really been pushed for us as students is that while we are lobbying and being the advocates of the bill itself, it’s also a huge learning experience for all of us,” she said.
Loesch, a senior journalism major, said as a student journalist, she has the responsibility of informing a community of people that might not be looking at issues outside of campus. “I think there is some fear when you put the word ‘student’ in front of ‘journalist’, that we don’t understand what we’re doing or we don’t take it as seriously as someone who is already out in the professional world, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t think that is true,” she said. “We take a huge responsibility in what we do in making sure that it is truthful and well-informed and that we follow the ethics that all journalist attempt to follow.” A hearing for the bill is set for Feb. 14. Members of the advocacy group will go before the Education committee to lobby for the bill.
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“The best journalism programs operate from less restrictive environments,” he said. “It provides students an opportunity to learn from non-censored information. Audiences always benefit from the free press.” There are two Supreme court cases that involve first amendment rights in public school. The first one, Tinker v. Des Moines, ruled “Students don’t shed their constitutional rights at the school house gates.” The Tinker case decided that first amendment rights could only be restricted if it became disruptive. In the second case, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme court ruled that a school could restrict the first amendment rights of a student if the school had “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” Maxl said he hopes the bill will bring student press freedoms back to the Tinker standard.
Sarah Loesch is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Shield.
USI Security Incident Log 1/24/17 - 1/31/17 Traffic Accident Parking Lot G 1/24
McDonald West Apartments - Hanly Building 1/25 1:12 p.m. 10:57 a.m.
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resigns by Riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
SGA president Ashley Wright resigned Jan. 20 citing her need to move forward. “I have been contemplating this for a while now, and I’m not really sure what I’m asking for, but everything happens for a reason,” Wright said in a statement released at SGA’s meeting Thursday. “Student government has always been something that I have loved, but I am realizing that I need to
move on to the next chapter of my life.” Wright was not present for the meeting Jan. 19 or Jan. 26 when her resignation was announced. Executive Vice President Ashlyn Jones will assume the role of interim President and remain the Executive Vice President until a replacement is found. Applications for the position are available online. The application deadline is Feb. 10, but Jones said it could be extended if no applications are received.
Students aim to start LGBT+ sorority by Sarah Loesch editor@usishield.comw @seloesch
Just a week ago an LGBT sorority on the university campus was only an idea. Now, under the direction of Sam Monsen, an art education major, the idea is taking form. Monsen was talking to a few friends about an LGBT inclusive sorority and found they had an interest. “There is a gender and sexuality alliance club here, but it’s not very active,” Monsen said. “We just thought it would be nice to have an all inclusive safe space and hangout.” The sorority Monsen is hoping to start is Gamma Rho Lambda. The national sorority is a multicultural sorority for women, transwomen, trans-men and nonbinary students of any race, culture, or sexual orientation. Monsen first discovered Gamma Rho Lambda from a Huffington Post article and decided to look into the organization more. Monsen reached out to the national chapter and is currently in talks with the Vice President of Expansion who has sent some recruitment materials to be used on campus. Currently there are three people involved, including Monsen, with an interest in starting the chapter. One interested party is freshman psychology major Candace Porter. “There needs to be a lot more representation for LGBTQ and all the other acronyms, just because it is so heteronormative in the mid-
west,” Porter said. “They need to know that they are loved and there is a place for them.” The group is not yet officially affiliated with the national organization, as it is still in phase one of the process, making them an interest group. To move on to phase two there needs to be 15 interested members and a written petition to join. Once that process is done they will be a colony, an unofficial chapter, before moving to stage three as a recognized chapter of the national sorority. Monsen has also reached out to Student Development on campus to see what is needed from the university standpoint. The only people not admitted into Gamma Rho Lambda are cis-gender males, Monsen said because they have a fraternity of their own. “If any male is interested in starting the gay male version of the national fraternity out there and wanted to get together with us we could help each other,” Monsen said. Monsen said the university is not a bad place for members of the LGBT community, at least not from personal experiences. “Personally I haven’t ever felt threatened,” Monsen said. “I know Southern Indiana isn’t the best area for it and Evansville isn’t the biggest town so I wouldn’t say it’s as safe here as say San Francisco, but it’s just nice to have somewhere to go or someone to talk to and that definitely can’t hurt.”
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Features
The shield | February 2, 2017 | Usishield.com
Senior embarks on year-long campaign Charity Calendar Giving Graciously Campaign January: Evansville Rescue Mission February: Easter Seals March: Ronald McDonald House Photo courtesy of megan gresham
Senior criminal justice and sociology major Megan Gresham adopted 12 charities to benefit over 12 months as part of her Giving Graciously Campaign.
April: St. Jude Children’s Hospital
by gabi wy features@usishield.com @GabiCWy
May: Make a Wish Foundation June: Hadi Shriners July: Chemo Buddies August: Vanderburgh Humane Society September: Kids Shouldn’t Have Cancer Foundation October: YWCA & Holly’s House November: United Caring Services December: 911 Gives Hope
When Megan Gresham saw a tattered, empty donation box outside of an animal shelter, she wiped her tears and started thinking of what she could do to help. Gresham, a senior criminal justice and sociology double major, started the Giving Graciously Campaign as her New Year’s resolution, adopting 12 charities to benefit for the 12 months in a year. “Seeing that box got my wheels turning,” she said. “All these places are in need and no one, including myself, really thinks about that.” Gresham said she made a poll on Facebook to decide on the charities, which include the Easter Seals, Ronald McDonald House, Holly’s House and the Vanderburgh Humane Society. “I’ve had a lot of people from far away who have said me donating and doing all these things for charity has been infectious,” she said. “Other people have donated in their communities, and that’s the ultimate reward. Me making a difference here is making a difference in different communities.” For the charity this month, the Evansville Rescue Mission, Gresham has been collecting hats, gloves and deodorant sticks. “Everything counts, and everything’s appreciated,” she said. “A lot of the scarves I personally donated were simply in the back of
my closet. It’s amazing seeing that piece of clothing I don’t use turn into something someone else needs on a daily basis.” Gresham said her box for donations has been filling up. “The other day, some stuff fell off of the box on my desk,” she said. “I was in a bad mood until I picked stuff up and it wouldn’t even fit in the box. It made me stop and smile because I thought it would be hard to fill.” Gresham said she hopes to keep spreading the word so that others give back alongside her. “Just one person can make a difference,” she said. “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into it.” Austin Bruce, Gresham’s boyfriend, said Gresham has always put others before herself. “One of the first times we ever hung out, she gave her own sweatshirt to a lady sleeping under a walkway,” he said. “Her face lights up when she’s giving back to others.” Together, Gresham and Bruce have bought hats and gloves to donate to the Evansville Rescue Mission. “I feel like the people out there could use it more than
we ever could,” Bruce said. He said since Gresham has started the Giving Graciously Campaign, she seems “brighter.” “She wants as many people as possible to act in this with her,” Bruce said. “She hopes other people give back and do whatever they can to help.” Gresham’s friend and former sorority sister Claire Parmelee said she hopes to tag along in Gresham’s campaign efforts and also do some work on her own. “While she has her group she’s helping every month, I thought of also reaching out to families or someone we know in need,” the junior communications major said. “That could be making them a meal or taking kids to the zoo, or buying books or flowers.” Parmelee said she’s inspired by Gresham to give back to causes greater than herself. “[Gresham] touches every heart that she comes in contact with,” she said. “She works for what she gets, and she’s such a beautiful person.” Parmelee said the campaign was a “genius idea” and almost wishes she thought of it herself. “I hope it’s successful,” she said. “I want [Gresham] to get the best outcome. She has one of the biggest hearts out of anyone that I have ever met.” To donate or learn about volunteer opportunities, visit the Giving Graciously Campaign page on Facebook.
New Harmony Gallery features theater masks by Taylor hall tohall@eagles.usi.edu
After making theater masks for more than 20 years, Jonathan Becker’s works will be on display at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art. “It always feels great to be recognized for the work I’ve done. I was deeply flattered to have been asked to display work at the gallery. I have only had three gallery shows in the last 20 years. My masks are used for performance, so they are seldom on display,” said Becker who is an associate professor of theater, specializing in movement, at Ball State. The gallery brought Becker’s masks to New Harmony as a part of its outreach partnership with USI. Its mission statement says the gallery aims to provide an opportunity to artists and to create dialogue within the region. “I enjoy seeing[the masks] all in one place from time to time. It reminds me that I have created a body of work and that inspires me to keep moving forward and exploring new things,” Becker said. “The masks
in the show were chosen to show the wide range of types of masks that are offered by the studio. I think there are designs in the show that span at least 20 years of sculpting.” For Becker, crafting masks isn’t just a business venture, ”he sells some of his masks on his website theater-masks.com”, it means telling a story. “Masks are an expressive form. They are living sculptures. To create a mask is to create something that allows one to transform, to speak more deeply of the human condition and to tell stories that speak to the struggle of what it is to be human,” Becker said. Becker said his inspiration isn’t limited to a single category when it comes to creating a mask. “I am inspired by all sorts of things,” he said, “I am inspired by masks of other cultures, animals, objects and the never-ending provocations that are ever emerging from my imagination.” Becker has been crafting masks since 1986 while he was a student at The International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, and even though he still makes
Photo by Jordan Auker | The Shield
Many of Jonathon Becker’s theater masks on display at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art. The masks will be on display until Feb. 18 when a closing ceremony will take place.
masks, his approaches are different. “The masks have changed, and the work has progressed over the years. It is easier to experiment because I don’t see every decision as precious any longer,” Becker said. “If I spend 6 hours on something and it isn’t working, then I
just scrap it and start over. It’s all part of the process now and not something that seems like a failure or waste of time.” The New Harmony Gallery is featuring Becker’s works until Feb. 18 when the closing ceremony is scheduled to take place. “I think it’s just a time
for me to meet folks and I’ll talk about the masks a little,” Becker said. “I always wind up demonstrating a mask or two since they look completely different when worn than when hanging on the wall.”
The shield | February 2, 2017 | Usishield.com
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REVIEWS
‘Death Race’ reboot offensive, cheap, hilarious
“La La Land” deserves the hype
On Netflix now “Death Race 2050” is a single hopeful flower blossoming on the nuclear wasteland that is American satire. In the year 2050 the United Corporations of America, headed by a flamboyant Chairman (Malcolm McDowell at his scenery-chewing finest), hosts a yearly crosscountry race in which drivers score points by killing pedestrians along the way. Overpopulation, global warming, corporate espionage, virtual-reality headsets, underemployment and a slew of other modern concerns and issues are touched on during this ridiculous romp across America. Or, at least the four or five shooting locations in Southern California we’re pretending are all of America. We as a country lost the ability to make a good piece of satirical comedy when someone paid actual money to see “Meet the Spartans” in 2008. Even the “Death Race” franchise has suffered since then, losing all bite and humor in this post-Spartans world we condemned ourselves to live in with three sequels so lame I can’t remember their names without Googling them. Then with seemingly no advertising besides podcast interviews, this modern remake of Roger Corman’s
classic appears on Netflix. The social commentary is as deftly handled as a blunt hammer, the effects are cheaply done and the majority of the cast and crew barely have a Wikipedia page per person. In a world where film crews purposefully employ cheap special effects as a marketing technique (e.g. every film attempting to be “so bad it’s good” in the past decade), it’s hard to accept a movie that looks cheap because it actually is cheap. Some of the graphics are impressive, but all one has to do is look at the cheap plastic pieces threatening to fall off these supposedly bulletproof race cars, or notice that all of the high speed shots are just sped up footage, to notice there isn’t a lot of money behind the camera.
In theaters now In a way, this makes the film all the more loveable. A friend and I made a game out of how many times we’d see the same length of intestine used whenever a person was chopped in half or disemboweled. Underneath the veneer of duct tape sets and porn-y acting beats the heart of a snarky writer attempting to be as funny as possible. One scene that typifies the subtle but not at all subtle wit of “Death Race” comes at the end of the second act when two female characters walk into a bar and have a conversation that doesn’t center around a man. The fact that they don’t discuss a man is important only because the sign above the bar labels it “Bechdel’s Bar” in obvious reference to the infamous Bechdel test, and a direct middle finger to anyone taking the movie seriously. There’s something to be said for a film that in one scene features Malcolm McDowell surrounded by topless women for no reason, then knowingly passes a feminist test just to be a smartass. This movie requires an open mind, a sense a humor, some friends and possibly a few adult beverages. If you can fulfill at least two of those, you’ll have one hell of a viewing experience.
As far-fetched the idea of singing to express our feelings is for the general public, the musical “La La Land” feels real. The widely acclaimed movie featuring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone has been racking up accolades since the start of awards season, garnering the coveted Oscar buzz. Based on the stunning performances, it’s well-deserved. “La La Land” is not pitchperfect. The vocals and music, while pleasant and clear, aren’t mind-blowing. It’s honestly the raw passion in the two main characters’ portrayals that propel the movie from a simple musical to a powerful force to be reckoned with. Stone, playing Mia, isn’t given much to work with in terms of character depth. Mia is a struggling actress, whose singular character development consists of failed auditions and a mundane work life. However, Stone takes a one-dimensional character archetype and transforms her into a person the viewer will care about. Her singing voice will falter as Mia’s
spirit quivers, exposing Mia’s littlest vulnerabilities. When Mia is doing well, Stone steals the scene with a confident, unignorable presence. Gosling, with much more individual character depth, plays the part of Sebastian, a traditional jazz lover forced to compromise to get by. He is believable, relatable and lovable as he aspires to own his own jazz lounge. When he meets Mia, his life changes. The story is pretty basic: two artists fall in love but are hindered by the pressures of their work. “La La Land,” however, is not a happily-
ever-after story, and that’s one of its strengths. Viewers get a lot of “this is how it could’ve been” moments as Mia and Sebastian fall apart. It feels much more realistic than the musicals that mend problems with an uplifting song at the end, and it probably provided much more opportunity for Gosling and Stone to give Oscarworthy performances. The picture as a whole is an enjoyable watch. Never once did the two-hour film feel long or dragged out as Mia and Sebastian’s relationship developed from season to season. With pretty simple characters and a far from complex plot, I questioned why I cared so much about Mia and Sebastian’s fate. I felt so compelled to find out what happened to these two characters, a testament to the actors’ abilities to so poignantly express the struggle of balancing love and work. “La La Land” is glitzy in its musical numbers, but relatable at its core. It’s no wonder why it resonated with so many of its viewers.
Rating 4/5 BY Gabi Wy
Rating 5/5 BY Gavin gaddis
Hypnotist brings students together
Intern finds valuable learning at SS&C
Photo by Jordan Auker | The Shield
Two students from the hypnotist show hug it out Monday, as one of them is pretending to be Beyoncé (guy on right) and the other is her biggest fan in the world (girl on the left) in Carter Hall. The hypnotist was brought to campus as part of Homecoming Week activities.
Photo Courtesy of Nigel Meyer
Abigail Bridges, a senior finance major, works during the day at her internship with SS&C Technologies. The compnay is a hedge-fund management compnay that works with SS&C employees.
by Nigel Meyer nmmeyer@eagles.usi.edu
Abigail Bridges sits down at her desk to finish her reports in the large, open ground floor of the two story building. On her desk are two computer screens, from which her mouse moves back and forth, as she transfers information from one window to another. The senior finance major is one of the four USI interns at SS&C Technologies, a hedge fund management company, where they work alongside SS&C employees. She uses an accounting system called Total Return. “It generates reports based on the daily trades and the stock market when it closes,” Bridges said. “It generates reports from that, and so we kind of do all of the accounting for certain hedge funds.” Bridges works for the New York team, but there are over 250 employees at
SS&C that are divided into separate departments. She explained to me the other interns work in different departments. Chris Courvelle, accounting and finance major, also interns at SS&C implementing clients’ records into SS&C’s system. He works with cash reconciliations as well. Courvelle finds the differences in the bank and personal records of clients and tries to find where the problem is. He says that the records should match, but they never do. Clay Scarafia is the head of the internship program at SS&C. He said they like to treat interns no different than new hires, yet they are very supportive. “No one is going to be left behind,” said Scarafia. Bridges said SS&C has been helpful and supportive with USI students who intern through the company. “There’s no pressure,” she said.
“SS&C has always been a huge supporter of USI, and I think that is really important,” Bridges said. “They do a grant for their interns, basically, where you take a class at USI for internship credit and this grant pays for part of your salary as well. So that’s nice.” Bridges also interns at Victoria National Golf Club as an assistant to the private accountant. Though SS&C has been an enriching and eye-opening experience, in her future career she plans to do something more in line with the work she does at Victoria National. “I don’t know if hedge fund management is something that I’m going to pursue in my career, but it’s definitely something that I never would have seen any other way,” Bridges said. “It’s the perfect mix of the finance and the accounting, and you don’t really get that in your classes, really.”
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Opinion
The shield | February 2, 2017 | Usishield.com
SCREAGLE CALL Question: “What is your opinion on the Women’s March?
Name: Andrew Bales Major: Business Admin. Grade: Senior Answer: “It was so inspiring to see women come together to fight for their rights, but I felt it became more about bashing Trump and I don’t think that does any good at this point.” The ugly truth | philip kuhns | The Shield
Make change not memes by Osman Bien Aime orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu
This past month has been the wildest for politics since, well, last month. But, if you have any grievances about our nation, you have to recognize that the time for passiveness is over. What good is sharing a meme or making a passiveaggressive tweet about the presidency or the recent controversial decisions it has made? What purpose does it serve, or how does that change things I understand that sometimes we laugh because it is easier than getting furious about how our country conducts itself, but making jokes over social media does not do anything to im-
prove the world around us. Make all the snarky quips you want about “alternative facts;” Lord knows I have, but can we all just take a moment and acknowledge we were lied to? Sharing Facebook posts and commenting with “OMG, THIS” cannot be where our interest in the matter stops. I think we are allowing ourselves to be distracted from very real issues. But it is not all blissful ignorance, not by a longshot. These past few weeks have seen people take to the streets and assemble in protest of a government they no longer feel has their best interests in mind. Just this past Friday, the Trump administration issued a 90-day immigration ban.
The response was demonstrations outside of airports around the country and aid being offered to people facing possible deportation. Though it was not retracted fully, the ban has since been revised. Action, not passiveness. That is what gets things done. I understand the reticence in getting too deeply involved. I understand the fear that it’s too difficult to represent what you believe in. But, whether you want the nation to change or to remain as it is, you are not going to accomplish anything by doing nothing at all. And telling Trump to “cash you outside, how bow dah” sure as hell counts as doing nothing at all.
Arrested for freedom by Bailey Meenach bemeenach@eagles.usi.edu
Three students from Kellogg Community College were arrested on January 20 for handing out copies of the United States Constitution. The students told their peers about their Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) chapter, an organization that seeks to identify, educate, train and mobilize young people committed to winning elections on principle. The students arrested were informed by campus security they were breaking the school’s “soliciting policy” by not requesting permission to talk with their peers. The school’s soliciting policy reads, “Soliciting activities on campus are permitted only when the activities support the mission of Kellogg Community College (KCC) or the mission of a recognized college entity or activity.” Young Americans for Liberty’s mission is to fight for the rights that are in the Constitution, meaning that this “event” clearly follows the mission of its university approved organization.
When did handing out the Constitution at a public university become means for arrest? A public university is funded by taxes, meaning that those arrested have essentially paid for the right to be there. Cliff Maloney Jr., president of Young Americans for Liberty stated, “Remember, this is a public, American tax-payer funded community college. A place that is supposed to not only uphold the Bill of Rights, but set an example for its students. Yet, the administration’s actions are a direct violation of the First Amendment. Who knew the Constitution was so controversial? Time in the slammer for handing out pocket constitutions? This is insane.” When did a historic document such as the Constitution become unwelcome on college campuses? The Constitution is a document that stores information on our rights as American citizens. According to the lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom, the students were told to stop because they were “impeding students’ access to education.” Handing out a historic
document for students to educate themselves is now delaying their education? This statement alone is absolutely ridiculous. These students were exercising their rights granted by the First Amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The arrested students were simply handing out Constitutions and advertising their chapter, which is a form of freedom of speech and expression. As campus security took the student’s Constitutions, hopefully they kept one to read. Sadly, Kellogg Community College hasn’t been and won’t be the only case like this one. Students, we need to remember that we have rights. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “The greatest danger of American freedom is a government that ignores its Constitution.
America, make some room by Sarah rogers opinion@usishield.com @suruhgrace
I hate the term alien. Like children with tearstreaked dirty faces are from another planet. I do not understand how Americans can have such a disdain for immigrants, and then turn around and say how sad it is that people in other countries are living through atrocities. You would think the average American could see the link between the oppressed and the millions of families simply hoping to defy the odds and have a chance to build a life in the land of the free. Freedom to the free is taken for granted like a child whose parents have always been financially capable of supporting them. The child does not realize how lucky they are; they have never known any differently. We have never known anything but freedom, forgetting other countries see our land of the free as a lifeboat from the oppression and corruption they face every day. The freedom of America is rumored about in other countries with the hesitation of those who have a hard time believing freedom like that could actually exist. We stick our lifeboat in the middle of shark infested waters, watching the people struggling to avoid inevitable death. Instead of adjusting to make room, we write “I am sorry for your hardship” on dollar store cards and let them sink to the bottom of the ocean. America, don’t act like you care if you close your front door with a padlock every night. Don’t act like it bothers you if you see the women and children on television as an emotional appeal for political leverage. Don’t act like you
would do something to change their situation if you see the Hispanic population as stealing American jobs. Immigrants are not a concept. Oppression is not an idea. Refugees are not political jargon. Somehow we are comforted by donating five dollars to a charity for people in another country, but we don’t want to see them cross into our land to actually try to make something of themselves. We want the starving children and crying mothers to be a faraway issue we mention briefly at Thanksgiving. We comfort ourselves with the reassuring words of “it’s not our problem.” For so long, we never had to see the problem. We could pretend it didn’t exist. I don’t think it is much of a stretch to say we can no longer pretend it’s not our problem. Refugees fleeing their countries from political turmoil and oppression is not an invention of the 21st century, yet we act as though we have been introduced to a new concept, taking our time deciding if we buy it or not. There is no denying Donald Trump’s 90 to 120 day ban on middle eastern refugees has not created uproar in the United states. Here’s the thing, we don’t have to deal with this problem alone—we are not the only lifeboat floating above shark infested waters. If we help, another lifeboat will help. Maybe another lifeboat will come with shark poison and then all those simply trying to stay alive can finally happily swim home. All it comes down to is a question of whether we are willing to do the right thing at the right time. America, only you can answer that question.
Name: Trent Dischinger Major: Kinesiology Grade: Sophomore Answer: “I don’t know the entire reason behind the march, but I didn’t have a problem with it.”
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Name: Alli Webster Major: English Grade: Senior Answer: “I wasn’t able to go, but I liked what it stood for.”
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Sports
The shield | February 2, 2017 | Usishield.com
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Runner continues strong start
Scores Men’s basketball Saint Joseph’s College
Jan. 26 113-122
USI
University of Indianapolis
Jan. 28 66-81
USI
Women’s basketball Saint Joseph’s College
Jan. 26 66-85
USI
University of Indianapolis
Jan. 28 47-58
USI Photo by The Shield
Kate Henrickson participates in the Stegemoller Classic near the start of the 2015 cross country season at Angel Mounds.
by Sarah Loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
Sophomore Kate Henrickson, a runner for the cross country and track and field teams, earned her third first-place finish during the indoor track season this year. The Shield spoke with her to talk about her connection to running. The Shield: What events are you currently participating in? Kate Henrickson: I’m just doing the 800 meter and the mile.
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The Shield: Is there a certain event you like the best? Henrickson: I probably like 800 meter the best just because it is shorter. The Shield: When did
you start running athletically? Henrickson: Track I started in fifth grade and then cross country in high school. The Shield: What has kept you in the sport for this long? Henrickson: I just really like racing. Then I do like a lot of different distance runs; it’s not the same thing every time. The Shield: When did you know you wanted to run in college? Henrickson: I actually wasn’t sure. I didn’t run my freshman year at the university. I walked onto the team my sophomore year. The Shield: Was it hard to get back into the sport?
Henrickson: It was kind of hard to get back into shape after taking a year off. The Shield: Did you and Coach Hillyard discuss that before you joined? Henrickson: Yeah, he started my training less than he would have if I hadn’t taken the year off and then we built off that. The Shield: Do you have any goals for yourself this season? Henrickson: I want to raise my personal best in the different distances. The Shield: Are you close to that goal for any distance right now? Henrickson: I was close to a personal record in the mile the last time I ran it.
To see photos from basketball games visit USIshield.com Upcoming Games
Taylor earns national honor
WOmen’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball Feb. 2 7:30 p.m. Missouri University of Science and Technology Physical Activities Center
Feb. 2 5:30 p.m. Missouri University of Science and Technology Physical Activities Center
Feb. 4 3:15 p.m. Drury University Physical Activities Center
Feb. 4 1 p.m. Drury University Physical Activities Center
women’s Tennis
men’s Tennis
Feb. 3 11 a.m. Indiana University Southeast Evansville Tennis Center
Feb. 3 11 a.m. Indiana University Southeast Evansville Tennis Center Feb. 4 3 p.m. Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
woMen’s Track and Field Feb. 3- 4 All Day Don Denoon Invitational Carbondale, IL
Feb. 5 Noon Butler University Indianapolis, IN
Photo by The Shield
Men’s Track and Field Feb. 3- 4 All Day Don Denoon Invitational Carbondale, IL
Senior guard Jeril Taylor was named the Division II Bulletin Player of the Month for January. He has earned two Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Month awards this month as well. During the month of January, Taylor averaged 24.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He joins six other men’s basketball players who have earned this award in the past. Taylor set a single-game record this month with his 50-point performance against Truman State University. Taylor and the men’s team will return to the PAC this week.
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The shield | February 2, 2017 | Usishield.com
Apply at usishield.com
2017 - 2018 Housing Renewal Select your space March 21 - 31 Apply and contract before March 21 to receive earlier room selection appointments. Current residents don’t miss out on the chance to pick the room you want (as available). If you do not choose your room in March, you will be able to select a room in June after freshmen and transfer students.
Step 1: Apply Fill out the application under the Housing tab in myUSI for the 2017-2018 academic year to let us know you are interested in living on campus. The application includes a $50 fee that is paid online.
Step 2: Contract Do not wait! Sign your contract as soon as you apply! The contract includes a $200 pre-payment for the 2017-2018 academic year. *IMPORTANT NOTE* A housing contract is for the full academic year. (fall and spring)
Step 3: Select You will receive a selection appointment via your USI email. Room selection will be March 21 - 31! Questions? Visit www.usi.edu/housing/housing-applicationcontract/fall-2017spring-2018-contract/