THE
SHIELD
T h u r s d ay, A u g u s t 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 | U s i S h i e l d . c o m | V o l . 4 8 I s s u e 1
President announces retirement BY RILEY GUERZINI news@usishield.com @rguerzini
University President Linda Bennett announced her retirement at Tuesday’s fall faculty and administration meeting. Holding back tears from the podium, Bennett thanked s t u Bennett dents,
faculty, administration and support staff for making the university a community that she is “very proud to be a member of.” “Its really that time in my life,” she said. “You reach some of the milestone birthdays and you decide maybe it’s time for a change. We are looking strong and the combination of it’s a great time for the university makes it a great time for me.” Bennett said she wanted to make the announcement when all the faculty were back on campus because she
wanted them to hear it from her first. A Cincinnati, Ohio native, she received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Cincinnati. With over 25 years of teaching experience, Bennett has taught, chaired departments or been a dean at Wittenberg University, Northern Kentucky University and Appalachian State University. Bennett started at the university in 2003, serving as vice president of academic
affairs before being selected as provost. She became president in July of 2009. She said one of her primary goals when she became president was to make sure the quality of the academics were better known. “I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of is the reputation of the university is better known than when I first arrived here many years ago,” she said “The quality has always been there, we just have been a bit too modest and we need to shout it out
more. We need to let folks know the academic quality of USI.” Bennett’s run as the third president at USI will come to an end June 30, 2018. The university Board of Trustees will announce plans in the fall to begin a national search for her successor. “Remember our history,” Bennett said as advice for USI’s next president. “We were created to provide opportunity access to higher education and we were created to be a driver of economic development in this
region for the state.” Faculty Senate chair Peter Whiting said he was saddened to hear Bennett’s announcement. “I remember when she came to interview for the provost, I thought she was the perfect candidate,” he said. Whiting said the announcement also came as a shock to him. “She has had a lot of impact on campus and has really transformed the campus and she has been a good president for USI,” he said.
President, PAGE 3
Eclipse excites, engages
Illustration by Abigail Stanley
by Sarah Rogers features@usishield.com @suruhgrace
On the first day of classes, the sun will disappear behind the moon, turning daylight into twilight. This phenomenon is known as a total solar eclipse. While total solar eclipses happen every year or every other year, the total phase of the eclipse can only be viewed within the path of totality. This path generally falls within the endless miles of the Sahara Desert
or somewhere along the ocean, according to NASA. This year, the university has the opportunity to view a partial eclipse on the August 21. The Geology and Physics Department will host a public viewing of the eclipse from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. August 21 on the University Quad. Sophomore mathematics major Emma Wargel said she is “so excited for the eclipse it’s ridiculous.” “I’m constantly fascinated by anything that pertains to space or the moon and stars,” Wargel said. “I
think it’s awesome that in the middle of the day, it’s basically going to be night time for four minutes with a full sky of stars and everything.” Wargel said the seminar instructor of physics Matthew Merlo gave last year on the solar eclipse helped her to understand why the eclipse is so special. “(Merlo) explained how the sizes of the sun and the moon, the sun being much larger, and the distances of both from earth, the moon being much closer, make the projection of them on
the sky almost exactly the same” Wargel said. “When they intersect, the moon is able to cross over the sun almost perfectly.” A total solar eclipse will not be visible in Evansville until April of 2024, Merlo said. The last time a total solar eclipse was visible in the United States was in 1910. “A total solar eclipse is pretty rare for certain geographical regions, such as the United States, particularly Evansville,” Merlo said. “The shadow the moon casts is much smaller than that created by the sun in a
Eclipse, PAGE 4
Tuition on the rise by riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
The university Board of Trustees moved to increase tuition to $7,460 for the 2017-18 school year and $7,829 in 2018-19. Tuition for 2016-17 sits at $7,105. The increase also includes a $2.50 hike per credit hour per semester in the technology fee. University President Linda Bennett said the increased tuition and fees money will be used to meet on-going operational expenses along with enhancing technological security and meeting the technological needs of students.
lunar eclipse, explaining the particular selection of people able to view it.” Solar-filtered telescopes and eclipse-viewing glasses will be provided on a firstcome, first-serve basis. The eclipse-viewing glasses are necessary for viewers to wear when the sun is uneclipsed or partially eclipsed, according to NASA. It is only safe to view the eclipse within the very short window of totality when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s face, which will not be the case for viewers on campus.
“While we are not trying to minimize the fact that it is an increase, it is an increase that will allow us to hire more faculty and provide even a minimal level of compensation increase to the employees who work here,” she said. “We’ve got to make sure that we hold on to the high quality that we have and to continue working ahead to support them, because they make the education quality possible at USI.” The move to increase tuition followed a public forum held to discuss any concerns with the rise in tuition. There was no discussion from the public at the forum.
Under Indiana law, public universities are required to hold a public forum to discuss any increases they plan to make to tuition or fees. Those universities must set those rates within 60 days of the state budget bill being enacted into law. The state budget was enacted into law April 27. The state budget, House Bill 1001, is a biennial budget, which means all state finances are budgeted two years in advance. The state appropriations for USI only grant about $420,000 in new money. Bennett said a 2% increase in salaries would be around $1.4 million, so the increased state funding
would not be enough for what they want to do. Funding for state universities is determined by performance funding formulas, which calculates metrics like degree completion and student persistence. Any new funding is reallocated into a higher education pool. Universities must then earn that money back by performing well under the funding formulas. “It is the reallocation components of this that I have the strongest objections to that I think make it very difficult for a campus like USI to be able to increase the support we need,” she said.
Tuition, PAGE 3
Fall Commencement now ticketed by riley Guerzini news@usishield.com @rguerzini
The fall commencement ceremony will now require tickets to attend due to safety concerns with overcrowding. “We start to evaluate and predict what the number of people attending will look like early in the process, and its better for us to plan on using the tickets,” Director of University and Community Relations Sally Gries said. Despite no issues with
overflow since the tickets were introduced to the spring commencement, graduates participating in the fall ceremony will be able to acquire up to seven tickets for family and friends. Tickets will be available to reserve beginning Sept. 1. Ticketing for graduation ceremonies began in 2012, when commencement was moved from Roberts Stadium to the university campus. Last spring was the first time all five ceremonies were ticketed.
Tickets, PAGE 3
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The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
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The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
President continued from page 1
“We were really lucky to have her.” Bennett is the second university President in Evansville to announce their retirement this summer. University of Evansville President Tom Kazee announced in early July his plans to retire following the end academic school year May 31. “It was emotional for all of us,” Provost Ron Rochon said. “Dr. Bennett is a beloved individual on our campus. She has dedicated her life to this university and given so much to the campus community.” Rochon, who said he knew about Bennett’s retirement before her announcement on Tuesday, said three
words come to mind when he thinks of Bennett: accessible, humble and principled. “I have mixed emotions,” he said. “I know this is a season in her life that she wants to engage but I feel that we need her here.” Bennett hired Rochon as Provost in 2010. Rochon said he cares a great deal about Bennett and said she was one of the main reasons he moved to southern Indiana from Buffalo, where he served as dean of the College of Education at Buffalo State College in Buffalo, N.Y. He said one of the first things Bennett asked him to do was to bring student affairs and academic affairs
together. “When I came here Dr. Bennett said ‘Ron, this campus was developed by the people, for the people,’” he said. “I have come to learn and appreciate that like no other campus before.” Rochon said he has tremendous respect for Bennett’s intelligence, but believes it’s her kindness that makes her a great leader. “I remember she and I were walking on campus one day and i was just in total awe of the beauty of this place and she said ‘Ron wait until you meet the people,’” he said. “The brick and mortar is amazing, it’s wonderful, but it’s the people that make this place special.”
Tuition continued from page 1
While the tuition increase hurts the affordability aspect of the university, it still has the lowest tuition rate of any public university in
Indiana excluding regional campuses. “We remain incredibly affordable even in comparison to those other public
universities,” Bennett said “It positions us very well in terms of going ahead and supporting the education that’s here on campus.”
extra tickets depending on whether a graduate requests all of their available tickets. “The biggest thing we want to do is encourage students to visit the commencement website,” she said. “All the information is on there and if they have any questions then they can contact us.” Gries said the construction for Phase I of the Physical Activities Center will not affect the amount of seating available for the Fall commencement, but will affect some of the staging. The recent change did not please everyone however. “That was one of the things I was happy about,” senior psychology major Grant Edwards said. “I know the spring commence-
ment is a lot bigger than the fall one so I understand that they have to ticket that, but it would have been nice not to have to worry about how many people I can bring.” Edwards said he was disappointed the university did not inform graduates of the change earlier. “I didn’t get an email or anything,” he said. “I wish I was made aware of it sooner.” Edwards said he planned on having at least eight family members attend the ceremony. “With my parents, my sister, my brother, my aunt and uncle and my grandparents, I’m already out of ticketsWhat am I going to do? Tell one of them they can’t come?”
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Basketball player recovering after shooting By Gabi Wy & Taylor o’neil hall
Little Emmanuel Little, a university freshman and USI basketball player, was shot twice at a house party on the north side of Indianapolis just past midnight Saturday morning, according to a police report. Little, 18, survived de-
spite “possible internal injuries” in the police report, and he tweeted about his experience. He is the only victim listed in the police report. “Blessed to be alive rn that could’ve went all different kinds of ways I appreciate all the support man I love you guys,” Little tweeted at his profile, @E_mannnnnnn, about nine hours after the incident. Little was at the house party when several people attempted to enter without paying a cover charge, the police report states. Little tried to escort the unknown suspect out of the residence, but the suspect shot Little in the right arm and the right side of Little’s abdomen. Little then ran to a different residence to call for help. He was transported to St. Vincent Hospital for his injuries, the police report states.
Little graduated last year from North Central High School in Indianapolis, and will attend the university this fall. USI Basketball’s webpage states Little led North Central High School to two sectional titles. Little was a three-time letter winner at North Central, and was named All-MIC and honorable mention IBCA AllState as a senior. “The University of Southern Indiana has been informed that incoming freshmen basketball player Emmanuel Little sustained non-life threatening injuries near his home in Indianapolis,” the USI Athletic Communications department said in a written statement on Sunday. “With the current details available, we are hopeful for a full recovery.” The Shield reached out to Little and he declined to comment.
Tickets continued from page 1
Gries said the tickets will be distributed Nov. 13-16. “Our goal in distributing the tickets before Thanksgiving is when students are spending the holiday with their family, they can give the tickets to their family members at that time,” she said. Gries said the university will be condensing the ticket request process this year The process includes completing a formal application for graduation form and a diploma form, along with a commencement reservation form and a ticket request form. Gries said they will combine the reservation and ticket request forms to eliminate paperwork for students to fill out. She said there could be
Some laundry rooms to require Eagle Access Card
Beginning this semester, laundry rooms in the Residence Halls, Community Center and O’Daniel South will only be available through an Eagle Access Card. The laundry rooms in McDonald East will continue to be available through coins only.
Cowden hired as online learning director
Belle Cowden was named as the first executive director of online learning Aug. 1. Cowden, who served as the director of continuing and
briefs distance education at the University of Northern Iowa, will work to advance the goals and objectives of online learning at the university and provide leadership in developing and implementing online learning strategy. As executive director, she will also align the direction and vision of online learning with USI’s strategic plan goals of purposeful and sustainable growth, access and opportunity by design, and excellence in learning for the entire USI community. Cowden has bachelor’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, and computer science from Coe College. She also has a master’s degree in educational technology and a Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and instruction from the UNI. In 2013, Cowden received the 2013 Innovators Award from the Iowa Distance Learning Association.
USI Security Incident Log University to host free workshop The university will host a free workshop on the best practices of working with the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center Thursday, Aug. 24 at 8 a.m. at the Griffin Center on campus. The workshop “Doing business with Crane” will provide an in-depth look at how to engage with Crane as a contractor,entrepreneur, an industry that can leverage their intellectual property or a potential employee. NSWC Crane is partnering with USI, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, WorkOne Southwest, Southwest Indiana Chamber, American Job Center and Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville (GAGE) for this workshop.
8/2/17-8/14/17 Fire- false alarm Support Services Center 8/2/17 3:45 p.m.
Property damage Health Professions Center 8/6/17 4:53 p.m.
Fire- false alarm OʼDaniel North Apartments 8/12/17 8:55 p.m.
Incident report Public Safety Building 8/3/17
5:14 a.m.
Criminal Mischief Burdette Tail 8/8/17
5:08 a.m.
Drug offense McDonald East Apartments 8/13/17 8:24 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
Injury report Childrens Learning Center 8/8/17 4:00 p.m.
Drug offense McDonald East Apartments 8/13/17 8:24 p.m.
Fire - false alarm Support Services Center 8/4/17 2:49 p.m.
Criminal Mischief Liberal Arts Center 8/8/17
4:30 a.m.
Fire- false alarm McDonald East Apartments 8/13/17 8:24 p.m.
Property damage Ruston Hall 8/4/17 p.m.
Property damage Clarke Lane 8/9/17 a.m.
11:46
Code of Conduct- Tobacco McDonald East Apartment 8/13/17 8:24 p.m.
Illness report Campus store 8/3/17
Incident report Public Safety Building 8/5/17
11:21
9:48 p.m.
Violation of University Policy University Boulevard 8/5/17 9:48 p.m.
Property damage Parking Lot K 8/9/17 Incident report Rice Library 8/11/17
Injury report Childrens Learning Center 8/14/17 12:06 p.m. 1:46 p.m. Injury report OʼDaniel North Apartments 8/14/17 2:50 p.m. 3:02 a.m. Incident report OʼDaniel North Apartments 8/14/17 4:45 p.m.
Information gathered from USIʼs Public Crime Log, provided by USI Safety and Security.
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Features
The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
Community responds to Charlottesville
Photo by Sarah Rogers | The Shield Hundreds gathered outside the University of Evansville for the “E really is for everyone” rally Sunday afternoon. The rally was a peaceful response to the tragedy that occurred in Charlottesville just the day before. Attendees were encouraged to bring signs and posters of their own creation.
by Sarah Rogers
features@usishield.com @suruhgrace
Hand-made signs towered over the sweatdrenched faces of Evansville residents Sunday afternoon. No shouting, no violence, no fighting; only a contemplative silence. Yet the hundreds of people were protesting. The group of people, diverse in age, gender, ethnicity and race, stood in unison singing “We Will Overcome” in response to the violence and hate in Charlottesville, Virginia from just the day before. Charlottesville became a national concern after
the Virginia town’s white nationalist rally turned deadly. Local and national government officials have condemned the violence that took place. “The Events in Charlottesville have called us away from our normal Sunday afternoon routines,” University of Evansville President Tom Kazee said. Kazee was one of eight speakers who spoke at the rally put on by the Evansville Executive Interfaith Partnership. The slogan of the rally was “E really is for everyone” which plays off the official brand for Evansville“E is for Everyone.” “I want to challenge everyone to create and sustain
an environment where everyone feels safe,” Kazee said. “Welcome to the rally for love.” Lexi Baxton, an incoming freshman, said she came to the rally to support those in Charlottesville and spread love. Baxton held a sign that read, “In diversity, there is beauty and strength.” “I loved the atmosphere of the rally,” Baxton said. “There was an inclusiveness about it with all religions and races standing together for the same cause.” Baxton said she wasn’t shocked that people like those in Charlottesville exist. “Being biracial, I was already aware people like
that were out there,” Baxton said. “People make small racist comments and it seems small, but atrocities like Charlottesville start with something as small as a racist joke.” Baxton said it is amazing to see the Evansville community come together. “It’s easy to forget good people are out there,” Baxton said. “This rally showed people out there care about what is going on and want to see things change.” Jamie Bond said she came to the rally because she “loves everyone.” The 30-year-old Evansville native said her passion for protests started when she was young. “My parents were those
classic 70s hippies,” Bond said. “The brought me to rallies and marches and I developed a love for standing up for a cause.” Bond said she has been to countless marches, the biggest being the Women’s March in Washington D.C. However, even going to so many, she finds each one important to her values. “I stand for these causes because every single person is different,” Bond said. “Everyone deserves to have a voice and be shown love. I came today to support those in Charlottesville who no longer have a voice.”
Drama workshop sparks creativity
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ECLIPSE continued from page 1 Photo by Gabi Wy| The Shield Junior philosophy and theatre major Andrea Morgan Doyle reads lines for one of the plays presented by the STAGEtwo Playwriting Workshop participants and community actors. Dale wrote a play that her fellow students performed at the event Friday evening.
by Gabi Wy
editor@usishield.com @GabiCWy
When Andrea Morgan Dale heard her professor speak about Plato’s “Symposium” and the philosophy of love last fall, she knew she had to write about it. “My play, ‘The Philosophy of Love,’ is about two philosophy professors who fall in love,” the junior philosophy and theatre major said. “They debate about what love is and what it’s supposed to be.” Dale participated in the STAGEtwo Productions Playwriting Workshop this summer, under the leadership of English instructor Alice Shen. Actors performed excerpts of Dale’s play and five others produced out of the workshop at the university Aug. 5. “The two don’t know it, but they’re in love with
each other,” Dale said. “The male professor is actually married.” Two university students, juniors Cristine Pyle and Brock Murray, read the parts for the two characters Dale created. “I think (playwriting) is really interesting,” Murray, a criminal justice major, said. “People are motivated to do it by different things, and it’s cool that people in this area are motivated to put their efforts into this art.” Dale started working on “The Philosophy of Love” before the workshop, so she and Murray had already read through her script for different audiences. “I have a feeling the character was based on me,” Murray said with a laugh. “He’s jaded and egotistical.” Murray, who is also a theatre minor, said he ap-
preciates all of the acting and collaboration that took place at the workshop. “I think more than anything I love the passion people have for this,” he said. “I’m moved by how interesting it is.” Workshop leader Alice Shen also presented a oneact play she wrote, titled “Second Skin.” The play follows three longtime friends as they travel to a tattoo parlor and delve into their inner selves. University professors Molly Brost and Stephanie Young lent their voices to characters fellow faculty member Shen created. “Through the month of July we’ve been doing this workshop,” Shen said. “We started with reading, and then had several days of writing...we had workshops, we brought drafts in and gave each other feedback.” STAGEtwo asked Shen
to lead the overall workshop, and she was onboard immediately. “Everybody was so open to suggestions,” she said. “We shared kind but constructive criticisms to make our plays the best they can be.” Shen said the workshop was a great way to foster creativity. “In community theatre we have so much collaboration,” she said. “It’s a way that we keep telling our own stories.” Shen said community theatre is vital in the community, and she was thrilled to see USI be a part of it. “People talk about how there’s nothing new in the movies, but that’s okay, we can come up with our own stories and collaborate,” she said. “We have original content.”
NASA states serious eye damage and even blindness can occur from staring at the sun’s face for too long. Merlo said the event on the Quad is open to university students and members of the community, as well as 600 elementary school children who have been invited to participate in the event. Merlo and a few other faculty members from the physics and astronomy department will be available to answer questions regarding the eclipse and the science behind it. “What we are doing on the Quad is a great way to get people interested in physics and astronomy,” Merlo said. “If you have never looked through a telescope or have much knowledge on astronomy, this program is a great introductory to the science behind what creates the eclipse.” Merlo said this event is unique because it takes place in the middle of the
day. “It will be very obvious to everyone something unusual is going on,” Merlo said. “Most eclipses occur early in the morning or late at night when people don’t feel like making the extra effort to view it. The timing of this eclipse will give people who wouldn’t normally make a point to view the eclipse a chance to see what it is all about.” Freshman nursing major Kynda Eaton said she has always loved outer space since she was a child, even creating a desire to become an astronomer. “This event is more special for me because of my love for science,” Eaton said. “I am able to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness behind it.” Eaton said she is planning on watching the eclipse on the Quad. “It’s such a rare event,” Eaton said. “It adds a bit of magic to life.”
The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
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New trustee wants to ‘speak for students’ by Sarah rogers
features@usishield.com @suruhgrace
Anjali Patel said she now has the ability to have her voice heard. “I have the unique opportunity to speak for students and let the university know what they truly want out of their college experience,” the new student trustee said. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb appointed Patel, a junior biology and economics major, to the university Board of Trustees, effective July 1. A student trustee is one of nine voting members on the Board of Trustees, bringing a student voice to the decision-making process of the university. The university established the student position in 1985. Patel said she would like to see greater recruitment for the university outside of Evansville and the surrounding areas. “I want to see greater diversity on campus,” Patel said. “I want to see the university make a conscious effort to seek students from
northern Indiana and even outside the United States.” Patel is involved in the Honors Program, is a member of the Pre-Professional Health Club and Timmy Global Health and maintains a 3.5 cumulative GPA. She worked as a resident assistant for Housing and Residence Life and previously worked as an AMIGO. Patel is involved in Student Ambassadors, Southern Indiana Dance Marathon, the Student Alumni Association and Volunteer USI. Patel will serve as the student trustee for two years. Kristina Walker, director of advising for the Romain College of Business, said she has known Patel since she did business advising as an AMIGO. “Right away I could tell she cared about students,” Walker said. “She worked diligently during orientations to make the day less stressful for freshman.” Walker said Patel will make a good student trustee because of conscientiousness. “(Patel) is very thoughtful in what she does,” Walker said. “She is never impul-
Photo courtesy of anjali Patel
Anjali Patel poses on the Business Center’s balcony. Patel will serve on the university Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2019.
‘
I have the unique opportunity to speak for students and let the University know what they truly want out of their college experience. - Anjali Patel Student Trustee
’
sive and always fully thinks about how her actions will impact every kind of student. As a student trustee, she will be making decisions that will have a large impact on those around her.” Walker said it has been “wonderful to see” Patel take on more progressive leadership positions. “(Patel) is not a pushy leader,” Walker said. “She is always listening to others. As the student trustee, she will do well at listening to the voices of students and taking those opinions into
account.” Patel said she doesn’t know if she will ever be fully prepared for the position. “I think I am as prepared as I can be,” Patel said. “Working in various campus positions such as AMIGOs and Housing has really prepared me and made me aware of what people want out of the university.” Patel said one of the areas she feels freshman are discontent is the limited amount of Residence Hall space. “Freshman want to live in the Residence Halls,” Pa-
tel said. “I am hoping that the university will be able to add more of this type of housing so we can build a community more than we already do.” Patel said she is excited for this edition in her leadership journey. “I hope I show people I am approachable and personable,” Patel said. “I want people to know they can come to me with their concerns and what they would like to see the university improve upon. That’s the whole point of my position.”
REVIEW
‘Baby Driver’ perfectly blends hot tunes, hotter rubber
Muy bien: album exceeds expectations
In theaters now Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver’ blends car chases, excellent actors chewing scenery, and a mind-blowing soundtrack into a movie so enjoyable I’ve seen it in theaters twice since its June 28. release. To be completely honest, writing this review make me tempted to pick up tickets for a third go-around. Cursed with a strong case of tinnitus after a childhood accident, Baby (Ansel Elgort, hopping off the burning hulk of ‘Divergent’ to actually act) spends his waking hours listening to a wide spectrum of music on his vast collection of iPods. While listening to said music, he possesses an almost supernatural ability to steal and drive cars quickly. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line Baby made the mistake of crossing Doc (Kevin Spacey), a mysterious kingpin who only sets up heists with different crews each time out of superstition. The only common thread throughout his crime spree is putting Baby behind the wheel. The film sets us up with a few jobs to get the feel of the world, Baby being forced to drive for criminals exhibiting just enough
expertise to be dangerous but also insane enough to be worrisome. Among the more sane criminals are lovebirds Buddy (Jon Hamm, absolutely stealing this movie as his character grows) and Darling (Eiza Gonz(accented a here)lez), followed by the equally hilarious and terrifying Bats (Jamie Foxx). Just as Baby gains a glimmer of hope that he is about to finish his last job for Doc, a beautiful diner waitress named Debora (Lily James) walks into his life. Run the Jewels, Bob & Earl, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Barry White and many more are represented throughout the film as the soundtrack seems to interweave itself with reality. Every gear shift and gun
Rating 5/5
Available on Spotify shot is carefully edited to be in time with whichever song is currently playing. Big budget movies as of late have been quietly filming city and rural locations in and around Atlanta, GA while trying to pass them off as other parts of the country (or even the world). Edgar Wright goes the complete opposite direction, making Atlanta almost a character in its own right. Each car chase is planned out to such detail they can be mapped on a map of the city and actually make some sense as to why Baby would take the routes he takes. ‘Baby Driver’ is pure, distilled car chase movie. It won’t win any Oscars, it won’t change how films are made, but it is still one hell of a ride. This is what happens when you let big actors play with their toys without the pretense of aiming for the Academy greats. Jamie Foxx goes full Looney Toons insane, Kevin Spacey plays the snarky mob boss the way he wants to play and Jon Hamm… I’ll let you find out what Hamm’s playing around with. Go see this movie.
“Spinning on Blue” by Bien exceeded my expectations. Mostly because I had none. The Nashville pop-indie trio made their self-titled debut EP back in September of last year, according to Indietronica. Only having a handful of songs, the group has mainly featured singles. Bien released the single “Spinning on Blue” earlier this summer after their last single in 2016. The song features a single female voice, reminding me of a more mellow Sara Bareilles. It didn’t take long to see Bien’s brave venture outside the lines. It’s no secret that most indie songs are on the sadder side. Some might call them depressing, but I say good music is good music.
Beginning with the words, “Wake up, wake up, wake up, the sun is rising, the day is here for us,” the first line highlights Bien’s happier, almost juvenile tune. Bien’s compilation of synths, strings and vocals creates a synthetic sound that accomplishes the hope filled message perfectly. Coming to the chorus Bien sings, “We’re all spinning on blue watching the same clouds, breathing in, breathing out.” The song is filled with such simple and innocent hope that mutual understanding and love can be reached, and I would say that’s timely. I do not think Bien is trying to make a political statement, however, it’s hard not to pick up on the blaring messages that our world is in need of some
Rating 5/5 BY sarah rogers
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BY Gavin Gaddis
@usishield
healing. What better way to heal than through the simple nature of childlike wonder? “Spinning on Blue” wasn’t the most fantastically composed song I’ve ever heard. Yet, its message reminds me of the reason songs have power and are remembered for centuries. “There’s so much going on in the world right now, and we really wanted to write something that encouraged people to remember we’re all sharing this planet,” Bien told Indietronica. “It’s our kind of ‘seize the day’ song that reminds us to take in the beauty and wonder of the world and the people around us.”
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Opinion
The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
Self-worth can’t be spoon-fed
THE
SHIELD Editorial Board Gabi Wy Editor-in-Chief Riley Guerzini News Editor Sarah Rogers Features Editor Gavin Gaddis Opinion Editor
Illustration by Abigail Stanley
by Gabi Wy editor@usishield.com @GabiCWy
I stood in the bathroom at work, bent over the toilet as chunks of vomit and water splashed up into my face. The tears running down my face mixed with the saliva dribbling down my chin. Disgusted? Most people would be. But until today, the day I’m writing this piece, I chose to do that every day for several weeks. Nobody knew. I’ve had an eating disorder in the past, but I’d been in solid recovery for about five years. It took very little to trigger my recent descent--I felt like nobody
wanted me around and I watched a few movies about eating disorders, pushing me over the edge. When people know you’re ill, they start asking questions. They beg you to stop, and they promise you that everything will be okay. I thought I needed someone to tell me that. To prove myself right, I posted on one of my personal Instagram accounts, hinting I had relapsed. I waited, and I got the responses I craved. People who hadn’t talked to me in weeks asked me if I was okay. People I didn’t know asked me if I was okay. Friends sent me the responses as I sat silently until my mom called me for din-
ner, ate it and went back upstairs to purge. Evidently, I thought, this is what it takes for people to care about me. It wasn’t until I started writing this that I had a reality check--I didn’t need someone else to make me talk about my problems and beg me to stop--I needed to be that person for myself. There’s always a reason to live. And I mean really live, not being robotic and acting out a cycle of purging and restricting. I guarantee you there are people out there that care, but it’s so easy to fixate on the ones that don’t really matter. I realized that I really didn’t want to spend my life on a disease that could cause a blood vessel to burst in my
seek help right away. I’m very lucky to have resources in place to get the support I need. But ultimately, those services can only do so much. It’s up to you to make a real change in your life. In one of my residential treatment centers I was at about five years ago, I would chant with other girls every morning, “You are strong, you are beautiful and you are a badass motherfucker.” You’re lucky if you have someone to tell you how great you are, but I’ve learned that sometimes, you have to be that person for yourself. Today, I choose to be, and I hope you will, too. After all, you’re worth it.
eye or a heart attack from a loss of electrolytes. I didn’t want to end up dropping out of classes like I did in high school to go inpatient. Honestly, it’s hard to come to that realization. With mental illness, you can’t always see clearly. There’s no singular fix for eating disorders or mental affliction--but this is how I overcame my dip back into hell. There are people who struggle with what I did this summer, much worse, and for much longer. I’m by no means saying you can just wake up one day and stop. I’m honestly going to struggle with eating again for a while now. If you know you’re vulnerable to relapse or venture into unhealthy behaviors,
opinion@usishield.com @opiniongavin
The inventor of the guillotine was not executed with a guillotine. Goldfish don’t have 15 second memories. Albert Einstein was not bad at math in his grade school years. These are easily checked slices of so-called common knowledge, yet they persist to this day because they’re incredibly easy to share and make the recipient feel smarter for having consumed such simple information. It’s time to kill the bad facts. The biggest common thread throughout every
school of education on this campus is the idea that every student should be able to employ critical thinking. We’re all paying thousands of dollars to be here, might as well put that to good use. It’s even possible for a not quite correct image to be presented by simply deleting information one doesn’t want to present. Sure, the friendly-looking ex-CNN reporter seems to be reporting on the latest news from the White House, yet even the most cursory of research shows she’s only talking about things that cast our government in a positive light, including skipping over the infamous health care bill failure to pass the Senate. Arguably the biggest
piece of news on the airwaves at the time, yet Real News didn’t cover it. Huh, wonder why? Given we live in an America where the executive branch of the government has started a Facebook video series akin to USSR state-run propaganda television, now more than ever it’s important to keep one’s wits about them. As a student body, we should look for these false or cherry-picked facts as the semester progresses. Just because someone with a doctorate tells you that for every five miles of highway one mile must be straight so that planes may land in a time of war, doesn’t mean it’s true. If anything, these easily com-
Robbed by housing by Bailey Meenach bemeenach@eagles.usi.edu
In order to live on campus, students must fill out a Housing Contract by the beginning of May. If one, for any reason, needed to cancel their housing contract over the summer they would have to pay half the housing tuition for the fall and spring semester. This is completely ridiculous. I, as well as many other students, didn’t fill out a housing contract until late May, weeks past the deadline of May 1. Circumstances change quite rapidly beyond our control during the summer. Financial aid gets cut, housing situations change, etc, but if we aren’t able to predict the future of where we will be in the next three months, we are forced to put up with fees that we can’t necessarily afford. This guarantees universi-
ty housing as a money pit. The university needs to look at this policy and evolve. Having students sign housing contracts closer to the school year seems to be the greatest solution. Students are more likely to have insight on their situation in July than they would at the beginning of May. I understand that this would make the housing worker’s jobs much harder, but it would save the students thousands of dollars. Another solution to this problem would be to change the “consequences” of canceling housing contracts. Currently the consequences of canceling housing require one to pay half of the rent for the apartment for two semesters. It could just as easily be that the housing department would keep your deposit. It allows consequence without taking unnecessary money out of student’s pockets.
University housing needs to understand that it is working with broke college students, not Daddy Warbucks. If you can’t afford to pay the high housing rates, how would you be able to afford rent somewhere else and half of your dorm? The university gets our money in multiple ways. We pay tuition. We buy books. We pay multiple fees to even be on campus. Why should we be charged more to try and save money? These changes would not be hard to implement and the university can indeed function without charging students these ridiculously high fees. I strongly suggest that the university change and evolve its housing contract cancellation policies. It wouldn’t be hard and the university is able to stand without that funding.
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Forgo factiods, find facts by Gavin Gaddis
Taylor O’Neil Hall Sports Editor
moment we considered building an infrastructure that would’ve drastically changed the average American’s interaction with air travel. It would’ve become much cheaper and easier to commute via small plane, and owning a smaller plane probably would’ve become much more achievable. Of course, this truth doesn’t fit in 140 characters. It’s not as simple as telling someone every five miles of interstate highway has to have one mile of perfectly straight road so Air Force One could land in a time of war. A skeptical approach often proves best, my fellow students.
municated non-facts have much more interesting true roots to them than the actual factoid. In the May/June 2000 issue of Public Roads, Richard Weingroff wrote a delightful piece on this very topic, digging up a 1943 plan that might have sparked the long-shared “one in five rule” myth. In essence, Commissioner of Public Roads Thomas MacDonald proposed a plan to boost the economic growth of aviation in the United States by building many small air strips near highways, even going as far as to coordinate with nearby gas stations so they’d stock aviation fuel for said planes. The plan was never executed, but for a brief
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Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials represent a consensus opinion of the editorial board
No less than your best by Osman Bien Aime orbienaime@eagles.usi.edu
It is 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning, and I have just wrapped up an overnight shift at a two star hotel. My boss looks over everything before I leave, and asks me how the night went. No one came in; no one called. I sat silent and motionless in a swivel chair for eight hours. I give my boss well wishes for the day ahead, I hang my shirt up in the back room, and I clock out. This would be the last time I do so. Passion is everything. No matter what you do, you have to love doing it. You have to be happy; otherwise, what is the point? I worked that job for two years, sitting in isolation behind an old Dell com-
puter. One night, while printing off some documents, I was suddenly struck with the thought: I am no longer content with doing this. I’m capable of more, and I’m not achieving that by being here. It is so easy to just let the unfulfilling become the norm. The question is, why do that? There are options in every direction; why not explore them? Reaching one’s full potential should be their number-one priority. One shouldn’t just accept their lot in life, especially if it prevents them from bettering themselves. If someone is studying in a field they no longer have interest in, they shouldn’t just power ahead and hope they learn to like
it in time for graduation. They should either change majors entirely, or find a new focus in their field that actually is gratifying to them. Plenty of people work a job where they don’t enjoy what they do, or where their employers and peers treat them poorly. A paycheck can come from anywhere; so don’t be afraid to leave and find a better job. I was no longer willing to accept stagnation at that desk, so I worked up the nerve to move on to greater experiences. Rather than settling into a position where their full potential will never be reached, one should break away from the norm and find what they are passionate about.
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Sports
The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
Volleyball works on team bonding
Photo Courtesy of Photo Services The women’s volleyball team rallies before a game during the 2016 season. This year the team added more depth to the team with bench players. by Taylor O’Neil Hall sports@usishield.com @lieNOrolyaT
Leah Mercer said this year’s volleyball team has something none of her other teams have had. “We have depth this year like we’ve never had before,” the head volleyball coach said. “We’re going to have 16 bodies and we’re coming off a season where we had like 12 healthy.” The added depth creates options for the lineup, something last year’s team didn’t have because multiple injuries forced players to play out of position. Because of this, Mercer said she’s excited for the season to begin and hopeful for its outcome. “We have a lot of depth at each position,” she said. “We got to see our girls play
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We have depth this year like we’ve never had before.
- Leah Mercer Volleyball Headcoach this summer at camp, and we made sure they understood that when we come back, it’s a blank slate and people are going to be fighting for positions.” Because of NCAA rules, the coaching staff had to wait until the week before classes to hold practices with the team, but that hasn’t stopped the players from practicing on their
own. They’ve been holding their own version of practice called “captains speak” practices, where the players put themselves through twoa-days before the coaches can meet with them. “We always come early even though it’s not required or anything,” senior defensive specialist Shannon Farrell said. “It’s some-
thing we always want to do to help figure things out as a team.” Farrell, who’s playing in her final season at USI, said the team uses the players-only practices to focus on their cohesion and communication on the court. There’s bonding on and off the court, as the players opt for dinner together multiple times during the week
New year, new intramural leagues
Photo by The Shield Sherry Tynes, the Information Systems Associate in the USI Foundation office, returns a serve during a game of Pickle Ball during their weekly faculty game in 2016.
by Taylor O’Neil Hall
sports@usishield.com @lieNOrolyaT
The university’s intramural sports are changing. Starting this school year, dodgeball and futsal, which is like soccer, only played indoors and with less people at a time, will no longer be held as one-day tournaments. Instead, each will have its very
own season since being reclassified to “league sports,” Brandon Szachta, program coordinator of intramural and club sports, said. At USI, there are two categories of intramural sports: tournaments, which are held over the course of one or two days, and leagues, which receive a full season that ranges from two-to-four weeks. Szachta said the decision to give futsal and dodgeball a full intramural
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season came from him and Joe Gratz, the assistant director of intramural sports, after both seeing a large turnout of teams at each one-day tournament last year. “We got like 20 teams, which is a lot to have for a tournament,” he said. Aside from having a full season for teams to play in, students that play in the dodgeball and futsal leagues will also receive a different shirt than the one they were given last year.
Intramural, Pg. 8
before the coaches see them again, she said. Though Farrell said she hasn’t noticed anything the team needs to improve on before their first match, keeping the same level of excitement throughout the whole season is the most important issue she and other upperclassmen are stressing to their underclassmen teammates. “We can’t let a couple bad games or bad points mess that up,” she said. The volleyball team’s regular season doesn’t begin until Sept. 1 when they play the University of North Alabama in the UWF Hampton Inn-vitational held in Pensacola, FL. But before then, they play exhibition matches at Oakland City this Saturday and host Kentucky Wesleyan Aug. 26.
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The shield | August 17, 2017 | Usishield.com
brief New soccer assistant coach
By Taylor O’Neil Hall
What issues are athletes allowed to speak about?
One name remains off of an NFL roster as training camps near completion: Colin Kaepernick. The 29-year-old made ripples last year when he started kneeling instead of standing for the National Anthem. To many onlookers, Kaepernick’s actions were seen as an afront to the police and military, not as an American citizen practicing his First Amendment rights. The fact that Kaepernick threw for 2,241 yard last season and had 16 touchdowns with a 4:1 TD-INT ratio leads sports writers and his former peers in the NFL to believe he’s being blacklisted by the 32 owners and GMs around the league. Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks provided strong words when asked about Kaepernick’s unemployment. “What is it about?” he said. “It’s not about football or color. It’s about, ‘Boy, stay in your place.’” If Sherman’s views on the matter turn out to be accurate, then what message does this send to younger
athletes, mainly those in high school or college? Are they supposed to stay in their place as well? Are they supposed to sit there idly while class discussion after class discussion goes on without chiming in because, you know, it’s not their place to speak on anything other than sports? The term ‘gladiator’ is often used when describing football players because of how violent the sport is and the amount of harm the men do to each other, all in the name of entertainment. Like football players and other athletes, the public didn’t care what the gladiators’ thoughts were on the direction of the country. All they cared about was being entertained. This raises two questions. Will it ever be appropriate for athletes to have an opinion on something other than sports? And of course, the most important question, how would USI react if their players decided to do something similar to what Colin Kaepernick did?
The University of Southern Indiana women’s soccer team named Larry Nohalty as the new assistant coach this week. This isn’t Nohaltys first time coaching soccer, for
the past two years Nohalty was a part-time assistant coach for the Screaming Eagles, where he coached the goalkeepers. Aside from that, Nohalty also spent time as a head coach for Sporting Southern Indiana club teams since 2004. While there he was apart of five state championship teams. Nohalty has been a member of the National Soccer Coaches Associations of America (NSCAA) since 2012 where he obtained advanced regional and goalkeeping licenses. While he attended USI, Nohalty played on the men’s soccer team as a goalkeeper from 1990-94. He was a member of two GLVC championship teams during that span.
Intramural If an intramural sport at USI is reclassified to a league sport from a tournament, the students in the league receive a t-shirt marking which specific intramural league they play in. These t-shirts are different for each league, unlike the t-shirts students receive for participating in tournaments, because those don’t say which specific tournament the student played in and say the same thing no matter the sport. There will also be a completely new 4v4 flag football tournament, Szachta said. “Flag football is probably our most popular league right now,” he said. “We have the
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 Unpack and Unwind New Student Dinner 5 p.m.-7 p.m., University Center Eagle Experience: Community Development Residence Hall Community Meetings Freshmen Apartments—McDonald West 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Residents will meet outside of their buildings FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 Convocation 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Physical Activities Center Welcome Bash Dinner 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., The Loft
For complete schedule to go www.usi.edu/welcomeweek Follow Us. We’re Social. Facebook usihousing Instagram/Twitter @usihousing
most teams sign up for flag football, so we decided we’d also do something in the spring for it.” The deadline to sign up for the futsal league is Aug. 28, and the season will be held from Sept. 5 through Sept. 20. As for the dodgeball league season, it won’t be held until the middle of the spring semester. The 4v4 tournament will be held at the end of the spring semester and will take place over the course of twodays, with some of the games happening on a Saturday and the tournament’s conclusion taking place on a Sunday.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 Eagle Experience All sessions check in at Performance Center Lobby UNIV 101 Sections 901-927 9 a.m.-Noon UNIV 101 Sections 928-947; HS1-3; NO1; NO2 Noon-3 p.m. UNIV 101 Sections 948-974 3 p.m.-6 p.m. SGA New Student Welcome Dinner 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., UC East and West SUNDAY, AUGUST 20 Block Party (food and games) 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Community Center Eagle Experience: Community Development Apartment Community Meetings, 9 p.m. McDonald East in East MPR (Willard) McDonald West outside Community Center O’Daniel North on lawn outside of HRL office O’Daniel South behind Jennings