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SHIELD T h u r s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 0 , 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 3
republicans rally Trump elected president, local republicans remain majority
FIRE urges USI to adapt speech policies by sarah loesch editor@usishield.com @seloesch
Photo by gabi wy | The Shield
Former USI College Republicans President Donovon Phipps high-fives Holli Sullivan, a confirmed state representative after election night. The two shared a celebratory moment alongside Sullivan’s daughter Savannah as the Republican Party claimed the majority of local election wins.
by Gabi Wy & Riley Guerzini As he watched the presidential polling results after 11 p.m. election night, Daniel McMurtry said he was “a little nervous and cautiously optimistic.” “(Donald) Trump wasn’t my first pick,” the president of the university College Republicans said, “but he’s definitely the one I would prefer to win this election.” McMurtry, a senior engineering major, said watching the Republican candidate barely pulling ahead was “absolutely exhilarating. “It’s very much surprising me that
Trump is winning,” he said. “If Trump becomes president, it’s indicative of a culture shift. Under the Obama administration, political correctness has been forced on us.” As for the Indiana elections, McMurtry said he’s pleased with Todd Young’s win for the U.S. Senate and Eric Holcomb’s win in the gubernatorial race “Todd Young was down 10 points, and his comeback to win was really inspiring,” he said. “I was expecting him to win.” At 11 p.m., he saw it likely Trump would pull the victory, but he said “anything’s possible.” Junior business administration major Carrington Crutcher said he was sur-
prised by the election and its impact. “I didn’t expect the race to be this tight,” he said, glancing at CNN’s election coverage on the TV screen above him. Crutcher said he was anxious to vote in the election and wanted to instill in disenfranchised voters that voting is still important. “I didn’t know what to expect at the polls,” said Crutcher, who voted in his first election. Crutcher said he was interested in two local races involving Democratic State Representative for District 77 Ryan Hatfield and District 1 County Commissioner Ben Shoulders.
Election, PAGE 3
Watch parties focus on local races ‘Engaged in ‘Teach them while they’re young’ the process’
Photo by megan thorne | The Shield
Photo by Sarah rogers | The Shield
One of the three candidates elected for County Council, Angela Koehler Lindsey, R, sheds tears of joy and hugs of congratulations from friends and supports on her victory Tuesday night at the Republican Watch Party. Lindsey said it has been a long process and she is relieved the election has finally come to a close.
by Gabi Wy & Sarah rogers Nicholas Wildeman, a USI alum and Vanderburgh County Council at-large candidate, kissed his three-month-old son Matthew and pensively watched a projector screen displaying election results. “My time in the (Master’s of Public Administration) program helped solidify my love for public service,” Wildeman said at the Republican
Watch Party election night. He graduated from USI for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Wildeman, who ultimately didn’t win the ticket, said campaigning was a ‘learning experience.’ “Like any good researcher, I’ll revise and resubmit,” he said. “For now, I’ll go home and kiss the wife and kids.” Wildeman said it was a huge night for Republicans, claiming the majority of local races and at the
time he left the watch party, presidential candidate Donald Trump was in the lead. Don Counts, a veteran, came to the Republican Watch Party proudly wearing his US Marine jacket and veteran hat covered in local candidate buttons as well as Trump buttons. “I want to see Trump win because he shows more concern for veteran affairs and for the VA hospital than Clinton,” Counts said.
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The crowd erupted in cheers at the Democratic Watch Party Tuesday night. As Ben Shoulders took in the win for County Commissioner he fist pumped the air and embraced his wife, Shannon Shoulders as he celebrated his victory.
by riley guerzini & megan thorne Two year old Jackson Windhorst ran around Party Central wearing a shirt with the U.S. flag across the front and a patriotic hat, Tuesday night at the democratic watch party. “You have to teach them while they’re young and teach them the importance of voting,” Laura Brown Windhorst said. Windhorst, Evansville’s City Clerk,
said she brings him to everything. “We took him to the election office when it was closed and he got to vote,” his mother said. “He was excited to say he voted.” Windhorst said she grew up around politics and believes teaching children the importance of voting should be done at a young age. “I always understood how important it is to vote and I’m doing the same with him,” she said. Ben Shoulders,
Evansville’s new county commissioner said he wants to focus on the young generation in order to keep them in Evansville. “I think we really want to focus on the quality of life, green space and what Millennials really want,” Shoulders said. “We have three small kids and it’s all about young families, young college students and young people getting out of college, we want to track talent and retain talent”
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The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education sent a warning to the university about its speech policies via national certified mail Nov. 1. The mailing identified to the university which policies led to the red light rating and was sent to 111 public colleges and universities “for clearly and substantially restricting student and faculty speech on campus.” Azhar Majeed, an author at FIRE said the two university policies are a harassment policy and an internet usage policy Majeed said the issue with both falls in their broad language. The student handbook: Student Rights and Responsibilities- Social Media Policy states that students may not “make comments about members of the USI community either in a specific or nonspecific way which negates the culture of civility on USI’s campus.” Majeed said social media is something students use quite often and can cover a lot of the speech they participate in. “A term like civility is such a subjective and vague thing,” Majeed said. “It can really be in the eye of the beholder.” Majeed said the term is ambiguous and it makes it hard to tell what the actual intent of the policy is. “We would encourage them to streamline it,” he said. The harassment policy falls under the Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct Policy. Majeed said again the policy goes a little too broad and includes jokes. He said a one-time joke or comment should not be viewed as harassment, but if it is part of a larger pattern it should be prohibited. Majeed said FIRE rates roughly 440 colleges and universities as public institutions which have no excuse for policies which impede free speech. When reached for comment Nov. 4, the university said they had not received a letter from FIRE. Monday, Ben Luttrull, media relations specialist said the university had received the letter. “Once we have had a chance to fully review it we will reach out to you,” Luttrull said in a text message. Majeed said the law is clear when it comes to student’s First Amendment rights on public college campuses. “This is not a new argument FIRE is making,” Majeed said. “All we are really asking is for public institutions, like USI to follow the law.”