THE
SHIELD
T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 2 7 , 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 1 1
CAMPUS HOLDS FINAL GOVERNOR’S DEBATE Candidates discuss social issues, health care
Photo by megan thorne | The Shield
Junior political science and economics double major, Rachel Johnson has a microphone put on her dress minutes before channel 14 News aired Midday with Mike Tuesday morning in the Performance Center. Johnson and Vergilio Paulino a junior political science and philosophy double major with a pre-law minor spoke about the election and talked about the advice they would give to the presidential candidates.
by riley guerzini news@usishield.com @Guerzwinski
The University Performance Center hosted the third and final gubernatorial debate Tuesday night. Libertarian candidate Rex Bell, Democratic candidate John Gregg and Republican candidate Eric Holcomb squared off in the final debate before voters go to the polls Nov. 8 to pick the next Indiana governor. The debate focused on health and social issues with the previous debates centering on Education and the Economy. The moderator for the debate, Mizell Stuart III, is a news executive with Gannett and the USA To-
day Network. He was an editor at the Evansville Courier & Press from 2007 to 2012. The debate began with Stewart and the candidates commending each other on the civility of the previous debates and the campaigns. It quickly delved into a policy debate as questions were taken from audience members on community health and social issues affecting the state. “My plan for Indiana is to get government out of the way,” Bell said. Bell, whose two children graduated from the university, said much of the social issues are up to society to change and not the government. Bell’s carried this same demeanor into his disapproval of Indiana’s decades-old ban on Sunday carryout
alcohol sales. “I’ve always maintained that anything that is legal on Saturday should be legal on Sunday,” he said. Bell’s opponent, John Gregg, holds a similar approach to government involvement on social issues. Gregg said he supports the legalization of medical marijuana and believes drug abusers should not be thrown in jail but be given rehabilitation treatment. Gregg said he identifies as a prolife democrat on a personal level, but will continue to support abortion laws and Planned Parenthood. “Our plan is based on what is best for Indiana, not ideology,” he said.
gubernatorial debate, PAGE 3
Watch party draws 11 students by sarah rogers sgrogers@eagles.usi.edu
The university hosted a watch party for the final Indiana Gubernatorial debate in Carter Hall Tuesday night. Former house speaker John Gregg, R; Rex Bell, L; and Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, R were asked questions from the public regarding health and social issues. The debate covered a series of issues, including,the legalization of medical marijuana, how the candidate’s religion might play into their decision-making, the effectiveness of the needle exchange program and how the power of pardon should be used. All three candidates identified as Christians, but said they will respect all religions. All three candidates agreed it is not the government’s place to stand in between a mother and her doctor. However, not all the candidates agreed on the issue of buying alcohol on Sunday. Holcomb said people were capable of planning ahead to buy their alcohol before Sunday, while Bell said anything legal on Saturday should be legal on Sunday. Alex Logan, a junior environmental sciences major, said she has been following all the presidential and gubernatorial debates thus far. “I thought this debate was a good change in tone from the presidential debates,” Logan said. “All the candidates seemed to respect each other and they all did a nice job of answering the questions while staying on topic.” Logan was one of the eleven students that made it out to Carter Hall for the watch party. “Obviously, I would have liked to watch the actual debate in the performance center,” Logan said, “But the tickets were taken pretty quick. My environmental politics teacher told us we could still watch it in Carter Hall if we could not get a ticket.” Logan said she will be voting for Democrat John Gregg because she tends to lean more toward the liberal side. “I liked how much enthusiasm Gregg had about helping people,” Logan said, “I think that is really important as a leader in Indiana.”
SGA seeks new Indiana Secretary of State visits Chief Justice by riley guerzini news@usishield.com @Guerzwinski
The Student Government Association reviewed applications for a Chief Justice position and tabled resolutions to expand veteran representation. SGA president Ashley Wright said she received four applications so far for the Chief Justice position. Nov. 1 is the last day to apply for the position. Only two members of the university court will vote on the Chief Justice, because one of them is running for the position. The SGA General Assembly has nothing to do with the appointment of the Chief Justice. “I am normally not in those meeting, but since there are only two people, I have to be there,” Wright said. Wright said that if any ties were to occur, she would be responsible for breaking the tie. The former Chief Justice, Dion Taylor, stepped down from the position after he was accepted into
university to talk voting laws, importance
the police academy “He chose the police academy, which is perfectly fine and I’m actually really happy for him,” Wright said. The Chief Justice is voted based on whether or not they are able to meet the criteria of the Chief Justice, which are listed in the bylaws of SGA. Some of the qualifications include three semesters of coursework at the university, they must be enrolled in a minimum of six hours, and they must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. It is the duty of the President of SGA to check all the qualifications for the candidates and make sure they are eligible. Wright said the university court would look for a candidate that the associate justice position would want to work with. “It just depends mainly on the personality and of course the qualifications,” she said. Wright said the SGA is required in its bylaws to post applications for the position in several different locations.
sga, PAGE 3
by riley guerzini news@usishield.com @Guerwinski
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson visited the university Oct. 20 to speak to faculty, staff and students about updates on voting laws and the importance of voting. T h e Secretary of State is Lawson the Chief Elections Officer for the state, which means they ensure the integrity of all state elections by safeguarding against hackers and voter fraud. Lawson, who has served as Indiana Secretary of State since 2012, said she realizes that print ballots are a thing of the past and she only received about 50 print ballots in last year’s election. “Hoosiers have embraced the technology of online voter registration,” she said.
She said over 100,000 voters have registered online for the upcoming elections Nov. 8, including 52,250 people in a one-day period. Lawson said voter security is also an important issue facing Indiana voters. She referenced the Help America Vote Act , which reforms aspects of voting by budgeting billions of dollars to improve elections equipment and establish election standards. The election equipment is tested by the Voting System Technical Oversight Program , which is a nonpartisan organization based at Ball State University. The VSTOP team advises the Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Election Commission on the certification of voting machines and electronic poll books in Indiana. “I think it was really good to hear, especially on the security of our voting machines that those have been audited and Indiana is one of the top states in terms
of our security,” president of the Master of Public Administration Society Travis Dickison said. The voting machines are not online, but connected to each other. “I thought it was really interesting that they’re not connected to the internet,” he said. “I always assumed that it was all connected and so it was really nice to know the security of all that.” Lawson said there has been a problem with online voter registrations as first names and birth dates of voters were changed without their knowledge. She said that she has told voters that it is her top priority to make sure they are still eligible to vote on election day. “As Indiana’s Chief Elections Officer, I have a duty to ensure these voters are not disenfranchised because they think they are no longer registered,” she said. Lawson said the case is currently in the hands of the state police. “With these facts in mind,
for anyone to suggest I am playing politics with voter registration is absurd,” she said. Lawson also stressed the importance voting makes in the state and the country. She told a story about the Harry Burns, a Tennessee state legislator who changed his vote that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. “If you look at the lower ballot races, if you don’t go out and vote for your congressman, that congressman is going to vote on a law and that law will have an impact on you later on,” Dickison said. “You might not realize it, but there’s going to be a law that affects you later on or a tax that will be increased or some sort of benefit that you will stop receiving that people don’t think about in the long term, but if you consider that this stuff happens then you can appreciate how one vote is really important.”
LAWSON, PAGE 3
2
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
PUZZLES
For weekly puzzle solutions visit usishield.com/puzzles
Stay connected Editor-in-Chief
812/464-1682 editor@usishield.com
The Shield at USI
Newsroom 812/464-1645 news@usishield.com
Twitter @usishield
Sales
@usishield
812/464-1870 sales@usishield.com
Snapchat usishield
The Shield is the student publication of the University of Southern Indiana. The Shield is a memeber of ACP and ICPA. First copy is free. Additional copies of The Shield are 25 cents.
Work for the Shield Apply online at USIshield.com/work-for-us
News
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
gubernatorial debate Gregg said at a post-debate press conference that he did not understand why there were no specific questions asked regarding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which “prohibits a governmental entity from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion.” The law has come under scrutiny by people who view it as a law which suppresses the rights of members of the LGBT community. “I believe all Hoosiers deserve better,” Gregg said. Gregg also challenged republican candidate Holcomb for not having a clear, specific policy on infrastructure. Holcomb responded to the allegations, saying
lawson
SGA
continued from Page 1
Gregg is a hypocrite for saying he has no specific plans for infrastructure policy. He said they went from talking about infrastructure to building infrastructure as Lieutenant Governor. Holcomb also responded to Gregg’s call to repeal the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. “For him to state that unilaterally is just not in the job description,” he said. Holcomb said he has confidence in the security and fairness of the election despite reports about names and birth dates being changed for online voter registrations. “I have absolute confidence (in the fairness of the election),” he said.
TV production crew provides ‘learning experience’ Barnett: It’s going pretty well. It’s a simple one, we’ve done bigger things like ball games.
by megan thorne opinion@usishield.com @MeganRThorne
The Shield spoke with Bobby Barnett who was on the production crew for the 14 News Gubernatorial Debate coverage Tuesday evening. Barnett spoke about what the crew has been doing for set-up, debate preparations and working with USI students to cover the debate effectively. The Shield: What have you had to do to set up technology-wise for the debate tonight? Bobby Barnett: We have four cameras shooting, a production truck with graphics, satellite transmission and HD technology. It’s taken about six hours to set up. The Shield: How is it going so far?
The Shield: I know you guys did a lot of sports coverage, what are some differences between that and the debate coverage in terms of setting up? Barnett: We used to do a lot of sports, but now it’s mainly news coverage. For sports the coverage is fairly similar, but with sports you have more cameras involved and more microphones. The Shield: Are you looking forward to anything during the debate? Barnett: Hopefully it will be trouble free and there will be no issues or problems. The Shield: I heard that students are allowed to help with the event, is that
true? Barnett: They have been helping with set up and they are going to be running cameras tonight as well. It takes several entities to pull something like this off and a number of folks. There is about 20 people involved.
The Shield: What has it been like working with the students? Barnett: It’s nice. It’s good for them too, it’s a learning experience. It’s been fun and is good training and teaching. That’s the part of it, they are the replacements, we have to show them the ways.
The Shield: Have you done anything like this before? Barnett: Not with a debate, but I’ve done stuff with ESPN. This is much smaller. I’ve been fooling with this stuff for 30 years, it just takes time to do it.
Puppies & Positivity: OT class teaches students to manage stress
continued from Page 1
There are two types of voting models in Indiana: precinct voting and voting centers. Lawson said she has worked to switch all counties from the precinct voting model to the voting center model. She has been an advocate of voting centers since authoring legislation as a state senator in 2010 to allow any county in Indiana to move to the voting center model. Twenty- six of Indiana’s 92 counties have made the switch to voting centers since 2010, including Vanderburgh County. The county has 136 precincts, but now voting only takes place at the 22 voting centers around the county.
3
‘
You might not realize it, but there’s going to be a law that affects you later on or a tax that will be increased or some sort of benefit that you will stop receiving that people don’t think about in the long term, but if you consider that this stuff happens then you can appreciate how one vote is really important. - Travis Dickison Master of Public Administration Society president
’
by riley guerzini news@usishield.com @Guerzwinski
Six students from an occupational therapy synthesis class held a stressrelieving event on the Quad Tuesday to raise awareness for the symptoms of stress and promote stress-relieving resources. “We joined together as a group and helped come up with the idea for the project and go through the university to plan to get it registered and everything,” occupational therapy graduate student Kyle Courtney said. “We ended up partnering with the counseling center and the recreation and fitness center.” Activities for stressrelieving included cookie decorating, making stress balls with flour and balloons, and bike riding. We were on our way to get lunch and when we saw the bikes,” said freshman nursing major Emily Baer. “I thought it was fun. It was definitely a stress reliever.” The Vanderburgh County Humane Society also attended the event. They brought a guinea pig, a rab-
bit and two dogs for students to play with. “We played with the little puppy Lola,” said freshman dental hygiene major Morgan Katron. “She was adorable.” Courtney said he and his classmates decided to hold the event as a community project. Because college students undergo a lot of stress throughout the semester, Courtney said the goal of the event is to raise awareness for some of the symptoms of stress. “We’re trying to identify that some people don’t always notice whenever they’re really stressed out,” he said. “They don’t always handle it in a positive way.” Courtney said he is trying to promote activities on campus that will help students manage their stress in a positive way. “A lot of people also aren’t really aware of maybe the free services that the counseling center offers and a lot of the free events that the rec puts on that are kind of geared at fun, leisure activities like intramural sports,” he said.
The counseling center offers group and individual therapy sessions. “So if a student is feeling overwhelmed in the amount of stress that is in their life, they can actually go in and meet with the counselor,” Shelby Tarantino, an Occupational Therapy Graduate Student said. “They also offer a quiet room in the counseling center that has a massage chair and it’s dark and there’s nice music. It’s kind of like a stress relief room.” All of these events or services put on by the counseling center are free for students through student fees. The counseling center is located in the Orr Center. “We’re also trying to promote Occupational Therapy and what it can do, because a lot of people don’t really know what an occupational therapist does,” Courtney said. He said occupational therapists manage particular lifestyle factors of a person and is the “problem solver” that fixes those issues or finds ways that people can adapt to meet their needs.
continued from Page 1
“For a paid position, since it is paid, I have several legal obligations I have to do as well,” she said. She said she is required to post the position on the career services webpage, all organizations on campus through the presidents email the shield, University Video, housing newsletter and for the RA’s, and on myusi.
“I pretty much posted it anywhere I could put it,” she said. A resolution was also tabled that allows for an expanded representation for student veterans. “Basically we just want to expand who can represent student veterans,” Attorney General Jerry Boyd. “Currently its only U.S. veterans who are discharged with an
honorable condition.” The eligible representatives will be expanded to spouses, dependents, and USI Reserve Officer’s Training Corps. There are currently only two positions for Veteran Students Member at Large, one of which is already filled.
USI Security Incident Log 10/19/16 - 10/25/16 Illness Report 207 Governors Hall 10/19 1:19 a.m.
Illness Report Leslie Building 10/19 8:07 p.m.
Property Damage- Other Parking Lot C 10/21 2:09 p.m.
Illness Report Noble Building 10/19 3:51 a.m.
Illness Report Carter Hall 10/19 8:26 p.m.
Injury Report Broadway Avenue- Farmland/Bike Path/Woods 10/22 10:45 a.m.
Traffic Accident Branch Building 10/19 4:31 p.m.
Traffic Accident University Boulevard 10/20 9:07 a.m.
Fire- False Alarm Bayh Building 10/19 5:42 p.m.
Illness Report Education Center 10/20 1:06 p.m.
Traffic Accident University Boulevard 10/19 6:38 p.m.
Suspicious Circumstances USI Foundation Offices 10/21 6:42 a.m.
Fire-False Alarm Bayh Buidling 10/19 7:45 p.m.
Suspicious Circumstances OʼBannon Hall 10/23 1:25 a.m.
Theft OʼDaniel South Laundry 10/23 4:14 p.m.
Drug Offenses: Drug- Possession Ruston Hall 10/25 1:44 a.m.
Illness Report Rice Library 10/21 11:41 a.m.
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security.
20 QUESTIONS Election edition
There are 13 days left until the general election. Until Nov. 8 The Shield will answer a question a day that concerns how, where and when to vote. Like The Shield on Facebook for the next question.
Q: A:
Do I have to vote on Nov. 8? Voters do have the option to early vote, but if voters do not use that oportunity Nov. 8 is the final option. In Vanderbugh County early voting began Oct. 12 and will continue until noon Nov. 7. If you have any questions call the Election Office at 812-435-5122.
For students voting in Vanderburgh County possible early vote centers can be found at http://www.evansville.in.gov/index. aspx?page=3430
4
Features
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
‘I have always loved dogs’ Sigma Tau Gamma member brings puppies to campus, reduces stress
Photo by sarah rogers | The Shield
Emily Klingstein freshman nursing student (front left), Courtney Parsell freshman Occupational Therapy student (front right), Lauren Hardeveck freshman Biology student (back left), and Megan Dyer freshman nursing student (back right) share a blanket as two puppies hop from lap to lap being petted by all the girls Wednesday morning.
by sarah rogers sgrogers@eagles.usi.edu
Wednesday seven wriggling puppies were escorted onto the quad on campus. The white painted plastic fence that surrounded the balls of canine joy carried signs that read: Pet-a-pup $1 per hour, or $3 for an all day pass. Dillon Baker a sophomore in Psychology organized the event through
his fraternity—Sigma Tau Gamma. “I have always loved dogs,” Baker said, “My fraternity brothers and I walk dogs at the Humane Society of Henderson every Saturday. The seven puppies being petted by various USI students were from the same shelter. “This is our first time hosting such an event,” Baker said, “I know it is a stress reliever for students and it has always had a good turnout when the
SHIElD’s Halloween WEEKEND movie LINE UP FRIDAY THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
“The movie has the ability to take your imagination, mix it with a little spookiness and produce a beautiful work of art. The soundtrack is amazing and Panic! At the Disco does a cover of one of their songs so instant bonus points.” - Megan Thorne, Opinion editor
saturday ADDAM’S FAMILY VALUES
“Even if you’re a pretty happy person, there’s a little ‘I’m not perky’ Wednesday Addams inside us all. The movie is your favorite spooky family at its best.” - Gabi Wy, Features editor
sunday THE WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
“There’s not much I can say about this movie except it is a perfect encapsulation of the late 80s. My best Halloween movie night was spent watching this bootleg recording of a live Halloween news segment gone horribly wrong.” - Gavin Gaddis, Community Engagement Manager
PITCH IN! community service opportunity! ALL USI STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO THE CLEAN EVANSVILLE PROJECT WITH THE USI ROTARACT CLUB SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5 9 A.M. - 11 A.M. MEET AT LORRAINE PARK AT 1201 S. BOEKE RD. Trash bags and gloves provided plus free t-shirt for volunteers
For questions contact USI ROTARACT PRESIDENT - Betzy Ramos at 317-512-5884 or bjsuarezra@eagles.usi.edu LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @USI ROTARY
rec has done it in the past.” Olivia Johnson, a Spanish and Biology Pre-Medical freshman, cradled a butterscotch puppy in her arms as it laid its head in the crook of her arm. “Seeing all these puppies makes me miss my own pets at home,” Johnson said. Johnson said she owns a guinea pig named Maximus Hamilton and an English Spaniel named Holly. “My family has owned Holly for
13 years,” Johnson said. All the money raised by Sigma Tau Gamma will go back the animal shelter. “This event is a trial run for our fraternity” Baker said. “We had to jump through a lot of hoops to get this approved by the university. If we prove we can handle it, hopefully we will be able to do more events like this in the future.”
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
5
REVIEW
Judging the Old Courthouse
h l t y n o
On display now
M as h
p
M
a i d e m u
One week a month The Shield will focus on reviewing a variety of mediums within entertainment.
Don’t read in the dark Available on Amazon With Halloween just around the corner, many are trying to get into the holiday spirit by watching scary movies, carving up pumpkins and visiting local Haunted Houses. However, if you wish to experience shivers crawling up your spine and the thrill of being creeped out, I highly recommend picking up the novel “The Call” written by Peadar O’Guilin. If you thought the aspect of “The Hunger Games” was terrifying, it seems like a playdate for teenagers compared to the horrendous fight for survival that is the Call. Set in future Ireland where the country has been cut off from the rest of the world, faeries known as the Sídhe take vengeance out on humankind for taking Ireland away from them by making every teenager sometime in their adolescence experience the Call. The Call is when a teenager is unexpectedly whisked away to the hell that is known as the Gray Land, where they spend 24 hours that is merely 3 minutes in the human world being hunted down by the Sídhe and trying to survive the 24 hours so they can return to their world. Because of this, teenagers spend their whole lives training and preparing for when they are Called, even though people rarely return alive and unmutilated. The Call is as unpleasant as it sounds, and after reading the book you will be glad you do not live in
a world as terrifying as the world these teenagers live in. Throughout the story you are introduced to many different teens that attend an academy that serves to train them, and as each and every one of them are Called, you find out just how awful the Sídhe are. The whole time they are hunting the teenagers, they are happy and treating it all as an innocent game. They never act evil or menacing. The faeries smile and laugh as they hunt their prey, even if some of their own are killed in the process. It is very terrifying how gleeful they are when they kill and mutilate characters. When they mutilate people, they describe it as “making them beautiful”. They even wear clothes made from human skin and body parts. And all the monsters in the Gray Land are made from trapped humans, such as hunting dogs made from stretched out human beings. Very messed up and bone-chilling. Despite the horrors
that awaited the characters, there were many that were extremely interesting and admirable due to their strong ambitions to survive. Especially the main character Nessa. What I found admirable about the story itself was that Nessa has a disability, and because of it she works harder than anyone else at the academy to be able to stand a chance at surviving the Call. Even though her teachers and peers pity her and are convinced she will not survive the Call, Nessa never lets others dull her sharp confidence. She is a strong character who proves disabilities don’t stop you from being able to accomplish things, even if you live in a world of fear. I would definitely define this novel as a horror story. Not only because of the thrilling grotesque and dark atmosphere, but because it leaves you grateful that you do not live in a world with vengeful Sídhe that steal you away to a place made of living nightmares where you have more chances of dying than surviving. “The Call” is a bloodchilling, heart-stopping nightmare that awaits to haunt your sleep. If you read this novel, be sure not to read it in the dead of night unless you wish to be haunted by the images of grinning, vengeful Sídhe who can’t wait to sink their fingers into your skin.
Rating 4/5 BY Darrian Breedlove
Follow us on Twitter
@usishield
zimride.com/usi
I’ve yet to find a single acquaintance who lives in the Evansville area that had a positive opinion of The Old Courthouse Catacombs. Now that I’ve been through the place myself, I can see why. A mainstay of Halloween culture in Evansville, the Catacombs take over the unfinished basement of the gorgeous old courthouse for several weeks to offer a haunted house experience. For $15 one can experience ten to fifteen minutes of people in cheap Halloween masks or half-assed makeup shouting at you through a haze of fake smoke and body odor. The walk itself is constructed out of a series of plywood walls arranged in a way that guides visitors into various rooms full of props and actors meant to terrorize and frighten. In theory this approach could be genuinely horrific, given the reality that one is in an old basement with uneven
dirt floors one couldn’t instinctively run to safety even if they wanted to. The scariness of the Catacombs falls apart almost instantly as guests are allowed to walk through at their own pace, which is usually just fast enough that most visitors are turning the corner to either see a scary moment ending or an actor awkwardly re-setting to catch another group. During one such moment an actor tried to take advantage of him being caught off guard and improvised by leaning over a railing and shouting “Om nom nom” at the person walking in front of me. In my year of reviewing movies for this publication I have not laughed harder at a single moment than I did at that person genuinely believing the phrase “om nom nom” would instill fear in our hearts. The best part of the whole attraction is entirely free to the public: the actors outside.
Because of poor planning I ended up sitting in my car across the street from the courthouse for two hours, and I was greatly entertained by the two actors dressed as Michael Myers (“Halloween”) and Jason Voorhees (“Friday the 13th”) scaring people waiting in line. Neither actor broke character and truly did give life to these well-known characters, so much so they managed to look terrifying even when pausing to participate in selfies. At one point Jason stalked behind my car to scare a group of pre-teens on my side of the street and I genuinely felt some worry bubble up, hoping he wouldn’t turn and notice I was inside the car. Save some money and just bring a thermos of coffee to the corner of 4th and Vine, maybe bring a friend and watch two horror movie icons cause scares for hours on end.
Rating 1/5 BY Gavin gaddis
The House of Lecter: weirdly spooky On display now While the House of Lecter haunted house on Main Street never fully delivers a scary experience, there is something to be said of its plucky can-do attitude. There is something to be said about the House of Lecter’s location. Crammed into one of the skinny three story walk-ups that line Main, one doesn’t expect there to be as much space as the tour’s designers have squeezed out of the building. While Lecter’s sister attraction (the Old Courthouse Catacombs) feels like someone has shoved a dump truck full of discount Halloween decorations from Wal-Mart into an unfinished basement, this haunt’s antiquated spooky setup has a charming appeal. Visitors to the Courthouse have zero frame of reference to where they are besides being in a basement. One is lost, but theoretically has somewhere to run if fight-or-flight were to fully take over. Lecter removes that hypothetical entirely by taking up three full stories. Once a visitor has gone up the first set of stairs, they’re essentially strapped in for the duration unless they turn and go against the flow of traffic. You know you’re in a building, but it is easy to underestimate just how much space is in the building. Some hallways go on
longer than you assume the building should, some switchback sections go on long enough I could’ve sworn they were wider than the building seemed from outside. Unfortunately quite a few of the problems that plague the Catacombs have also taken up residence in the House of Lecter. While the line of visitors is stopped every fifteen or so guests to allow the actors time to reset their spooky setups, there really isn’t much difference. Either one is expected to be scared of a costumed actor pretending to be a statue, an actor banging a thing on another thing to make noise, or an actor jumping and shouting at the top of their lungs. The props are of a similar quality to Lecter’s big brother haunt as well, with some sections seeming positively ancient. One section in particular consists of nothing more than a bunch of plywood walls with classic horror movie monsters painted in colors that react well to blacklights. It’s meant to be a sort of waiting area for guests as those ahead of them try to keep balance while walking through a spinning tunnel (my absolute favorite part of the exhibit, being disoriented and trying to walk past a creepy zombie lady is a fun combo). My disappointment with
Rating 3/5 BY Gavin gaddis
both horror locations’ “more stuff equals more scares” attitude can be summed up with the final room in Lecter. After descending lots of rickety stairs I began to hear John Carpenter’s classic theme to “Halloween” begin to play. In my head I envisioned a sort of final boss to the haunted house, a room in which guests are forced to walk through a room while being stalked by Michael Myers, possibly brandishing a giant kitchen knife and blood-stained coveralls. Instead I turned the corner to some sort of halfassed asylum scene in which a bunch of actors in masks and makeup that had nothing to do with each other formed a human funnel to the exit door, as if they were trying to get us out of the building as fast as possible. In the end, these locations’ bread and butter isn’t the college age crowd, it’s the countless minivans that pull up and drop off a gaggle of pre-teens for a few hours. Any suggestions I can give to improve the terror of Lecter or the Catacombs would simply make it worse for those willing to drop $20 to walk through a cloud of body odor and equate jumping at loud noises to being scared.
6
Opinion
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
Don’t throw it away| CArlos baquerizo| The Shield
Growing up without gender roles by megan thorne opinion@usishield.com @MeganRThorne
I never grew up with gender roles. When I was younger, my mom would help my dad fix our house and help him work on the car and my dad would help my mom in the garden and clean the house. When work had to be done, the person who was fit for the job would do it, instead of basing it off of
gender. From a young age, my parents always taught me that just because I was a female it didn’t mean that I wasn’t capable of doing things meant for a “guy.” My mom and dad would both be there to teach me how to fix my car, cook and take care of a house. They wanted me to be independent. Gender roles didn’t matter and they shouldn’t. Just because I am a fe-
Discover what you can do by Osman bien aime orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu
For the first time in a very long time, I’m breaking up my schedule and taking an elective. I can confidently say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. When you register each semester, it is suggested that you prioritize your core classes. What classes are necessary for your major? What do you need in order to graduate? I am not saying that your required classes aren’t important. Lord knows they should be at the top of your list, especially when your classes can be filled up in minutes, leaving you high and dry for a semester. But, we cannot forget how much fun it can be to take an elective course, or to break up the mundanity of our schedules with one or two each semester. This is what I have learned this semester. After years of just taking the classes I needed, I am taking the opportunity to explore something I
have never tried before— acting. Two days every week, I meet up with a group of awesome people who share my curiosity toward the performing arts, people who help me realize, I should have done this sooner. It has been a breath of fresh air, to shut off the part of my brain that just soaks up lecture after lecture on operant conditioning and the clinical interview and do something so wildly creative. Acting is now something I love doing, something I never would have known I could enjoy so much if I only took my required courses and ignored everything else. We never know what we can do if we never do it, and that is why I encourage you to take advantage of the hundreds of courses this university has to offer. I found something I love doing when I decided to take an elective, and when the options are so diverse, there’s sure to be something amazing waiting for you, too.
male doesn’t mean I have to wear pink dresses and only know how to cook for a family, and it certainly doesn’t mean my work-related dreams should be put down. A woman’s place isn’t just in the kitchen and a man’s place isn’t just at work. A man shouldn’t have to know everything there is about cars because it’s masculine and if a woman fixes cars for a living they should
be looked down upon. There is a lot of controversy going on about Donald Trump’s opinion on women. After Monday night’s debate, 1996 Miss Universe winner, Alicia Machado spoke out about how Trump would call her “Mrs. Housekeeping” based off of who she was and her Hispanic culture. When young children watch these debates, they are hearing these comments
about gender roles, they are learning what “their place” in the world looks like according to certain people before they can make a decision. There are shows like “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding” where they show young girls learning how to “take care” of their husbands. Making sure they “understand” that they aren’t allowed to have a job. They make sure all the men know how to work in
Bridging the political divide by Sarah rogers sgrogers@eagles.usi.edu
When college students introduce themselves, they might say where they are from, what their major is and maybe their political affiliation. As if identifying as a Republican or Democrat defines us as people. Can I just say on a spectrum of love and loathe, I entirely loathe this election season. The reason is not as simple as the candidates running are both on my notfavorite-person list. The reason is not even that this election is an embarrassment, although that is a factor. The reason is this whole idea of a nation dividing into political groups when it is trying to pick a leader to bring a nation together. It seems counterproductive. I do not understand why voters have to claim liberalism or conservatism, why we have to call other political groups names, or why we have stigmas regarding people who claim certain political affiliations. Like if you are a Republican, you are a racist homophobe who wants to shoot all the Mexicans with your AK47. Or if you are a Democrat,
you are a pretentious snob that claims to care about all people, but really just sit in your multi-million dollar home sharing Facebook posts about social issues “no one is doing anything about.” The founding fathers who created our government system knew the forming of political parties would bring division instead of unity to a nation. They might have been onto something. When citizens are forced to choose between one side or another, division is inevitable. I find it bitterly humorous that our country is worried about persons beyond our borders, when in reality, the only thing that will destroy our nation is us. We will destroy our nation from the inside. We will break apart unity. We will create lines of division called conservatism and liberalism. These are the lines that will divide us, that will continue to breed hate and intolerance, and that will keep us from uniting as a strong nation. The ironic point to mention is most people do not 100 percent fall into one political ideology. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and yet, they are still forced to
choose. Wouldn’t we have much better candidate options if we did away with political groups, and simply nominated people based on them as a person and not how much they can talk bad about “those Democrats” or “those Republicans.” There is no such thing as “those Democrats”, and there is no such thing as “those Republicans.” Time and again we see in American culture that when we label people as a group, instead of individuals, they stop being people. They become this abstract “otherness.” We saw it with Jewish people, we saw it with African Americans, we saw it with Japanese people, and we are watching it now with Muslims. Maybe I sound like a lunatic writing about doing away with political parties. And maybe I don’t understand all the, politics, for lack of a better word, that go into political parties— the immense money needed, the immense support, etc. But I have to believe there is a better answer than turning everybody against each other when we have to elect a president. We have to learn how to stand together, or we will never succeed as a nation.
the fields and do the dirty work. And all though sometimes we look at it and joke around about how it’s still happening, it’s still wrong. I understand that it’s their culture but it’s also 2016. Regardless of your gender identification, I firmly believe you should do what makes you happy, regardless of the gender assigned to the certain role. Not everything has to be based off gender.
THE
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 NOW HIRING Marketing Manager
LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICY
Danielle VanHooser Layout & Design Coordinator
The Shield accepts original, unpublished letters for all of its readers. Letters should be no more than 250 words, signed and have a telephone number for verification. The editor reserves the right to edit for length, style, and grammar. Pieces will appear in The Shield online. Letters can be submitted online or via e-mail.
Gavin Gaddis Circulation Manager Sam Anslinger Sales Consultant
Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials represent a consensus opinion of the editorial board
Read The Shield every Thursday Illustration by Philip Kuhns | The Shield
Sports
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
7
Midnight Madness showcases 2016-17 basketball teams Students enjoy free food, activities in PAC by Sarah rogers sgrogers@eagles.usi.edu
Lines started at the doors of the Physical Activites Center and stretched down the sidewalks and onto the streets in the 68-degree weather. The cause of the crowd this past Friday was Midnight Madness. “Midnight Madness is intended to promote the men and women’s basketball teams” Turner Baehl said. Baehl, a junior accounting major is the physical activities student worker for Archie’s Army. Archie’s Army is the organization that puts on Midnight Mad-
‘
year in a row. “My favorite part is watching the cheerleaders,“ Mosier said as she dipped her free hotdog in ketchup. “I think it is incredible they can do all those lifts and flips.” Mosier said watching the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams run onto the courts made her miss being an athlete. Gabi Baker, sophomore exercise science pre-occupational therapy major, is a member of Archie’s Army. Baker stood behind the t-shirt laden tables, passing out free red Archie’s Army shirts as the line made its way into the gym.
I love watching the hype before the basketball stuff starts. -Gabi Baker Sophomore exercise science major
ness every year. “Basically I set up everything you see in the gym,” Baehl said, “I set up the bleachers, the games, and the blow-up Archie.” Whitney Moiser, a junior special education elementary education major sat in the stands at Midnight Madness for the third
’
Photo by jordan auker | The Shield
Sophomore Jacob Norman jumps over senior Bobo Drummond during the annual dunk contest at Midnight Madness in the Physical Activities Center.
“Our job was basically just to count the number of people that came tonight” Baker said. “I love watching the hype before the basketball stuff starts. So many people came out tonight and it was so fun to watch them get excited.” In addition to running the tshirt stand, Archie’s Army pro-
Upcoming Games Men’s Basketball Nov. 1 6 p.m. Purdue University West Lafayette, IN
Men’s Golf Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Trevecca Nazarene University Gallatin, TN
briefs Basketball show starts Halloween night The Rodney Watson on Basketball radio show is set to start Oct. 31 at Turoni’s Pizzery and Brewery on Main Street. The show is done live
with an audience who Watson and Dan Egierski accept questions from. The show focuses on USI basketball and overall college basketball. The show airs from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. each Monday except for Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 and 16. It will air for 20 weeks on WEOA 98.5 FM and 1400 AM.
Men’s Soccer Oct. 30 GLVC Tournament 1st Round
Volleyball Oct. 28 7 p.m. Missouri Univeristy of Science & Technology PAC Oct. 29 3 p.m. Drury Unviersity PAC
cheer on our team,” Baker said. “We have recently started having pep-blocks for volleyball and soccer too. Being in Archie’s Army is a great experience for college students to have to just be goofy and take pride in your school.”
vided free food and games such as cornhole and spike-ball. Archie’s Army’s goal is to encourage students to take pride in their school and support the athletics, and Midnight Madness is just one way to achieve that. “We encourage students to stand in the pep block with us and
Cross country led by junior Junior Bastian Grau fell 16 seconds from the top spot during the GLVC Championships. He earned his first AllGLVC honor with a time of 24 minutes, 18.18 seoncds. This was his first GLVC Championship meet.
Other members of the men’s team earned Top 5 spots including Chase Broughton. He was followed by senior Noah Lutz and Darin Lawerence who finished sixth and seventh respectively. The team will be back on course Nov. 8 when it hosts the NCAA Divsion II Midwest Region Championships at Angel Mounds.
Scores WOMen’s soccer
Men’s Soccer McKendree Univeristy
Oct. 21 0-0
USI
University of Illinois Springfield
Oct. 22 13
USI
Oct. 14 0-2
USI
Missouri Univ. of Science Oct. 16 and Technology 3-1
USI
Drury University
Women’s Golf
Men’s Cross Country Oct. 22 GLVC Championships 1st of 13 teams
Oct. 24-25 Trevecca Women’s Fall Invitational 4th of 13 teams
Women’s Cross Country
Volleyball
Oct. 22 GLVC Championships 1st of 14 teams
Saint Joseph’s College
Oct. 21 3-0
USI
University of Indianapolis
Oct. 22 3-1
USI
Now Hiring 2016-17 Sports editor apply online at usishield.com
8
The shield | October 27, 2016 | Usishield.com
Fall frisbee in full swing
Photos by jenna bowman | The Shield
The men’s ultimate frisbee team particpated in its third tournament of the year this past weekend. The group traveled to an Indiana University hosted tournament Oct. 22-23 following its Octhrowberfest tournament. The team does not yet have it’s spring schedule announced, but there are no more tournaments planned for the fall season.
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