In this Issue Vol. 44 Issue 10
ʻDig for the Cureʼ pg. 8
ʻCompanyʼ review pg. 4
Thursday, October 24, 2013
THE
SHIELD www.usishield.com
Photos by BLAKE STAYROOK/The Shield
Freshman Steven Torres attempts to fill his cup at the new Coca-Cola machines that debuted on campus last week.
Smart fountains debut on campus
By JESSIE HELLMANN Staff writer
Students who came back from fall break with the intention of refilling their week-old cup at a fountain machine on campus were in for a surprise – they couldn’t. The university hired a company, ValidFill, to remodel USI’s fountain machines, which now only fill up cups that have electronic chips on the bottom. “We just had a lot of theft going on,” said Food Services Manager Chris Briggs. He said the university lost an
estimated $90,000 a year from drink thefts. “The equipment will pay for itself in less than a year probably,” he said about the $38,000 system. Each cup comes with a chip on the bottom, allowing the student only one refill that must be used within 90 minutes. “If you go to any fast food place, people usually don’t stay longer than an hour and a half,” he said. “Ninety minutes is plenty of time to have lunch and grab a refill before you leave.” Briggs said the university employed its old system for 10
years with no problems, but lately, it had gotten out of hand. “The past four years the theft just exploded,” Briggs said. “People were thinking drinks should be free to them.” Briggs said he noticed students were getting creative about how they would steal drinks. “People would come in with cups that were duct taped together, putting drinks in plastic bottles, putting them in their own to-go containers. I see some people bring in (a) 60-ounce thermos to fill up,” Briggs said. “We’ve had people keep their cups for weeks or days and keep
reusing them, and even bring in cups from fast food places down the streets and use them.” Briggs said the new system is not only going to save the university money, but it will save the customers money, as well. “When people are stealing, companies pass the cost onto their customers. Everyone has to do that when there’s theft,” he said. He said because of the new system, it is unlikely the university will increase drink prices. In fact, they will be able to give discounts on refills. Junior biology major Ana
Curry said she has mixed feelings about the upgrades. “In theory, it’s a good idea, but it’s poorly planned,” she said. “I think that students should get at least two refills. The prices for sodas are pretty high and to only get two drinks?” She said she’d rather drive to McDonald’s and purchase a soda for $1. “I’d still get twice the amount of soda I paid almost $2 for at USI,” she said.
Death of former student opens eyes Options exist: Don’t drink and drive By JAMES VAUGHN News editor Zachariah Houghland tweeted, “I want to impact someone’s life for the good, because helping others before helping myself has always been the way I try to be,” on Sept. 11. He died three days later. The 19 year old was committed to turning his life around, said Maddie West, one of Zach’s closest friends. The former USI student was on leave from City of Hope, a faith-based recovery center in Louisville, where he had been for more than three months. He was granted permission to go home the weekend he died. “He was trying to better his life and find God,” West said. Zach struggled with prescription drugs and a variety of other substances. Though his friends and family may never know the exact cause of the accident, West knows he was drinking – she was with him minutes before his vehicle flipped multiple times, killing him instantly. The night of the accident, the group of friends was at a bonfire in St. Wendel, a town 15 miles northwest of Evansville. “It wasn’t like he was at some rager,” the sophomore journalism major said. “He wasn’t slammed. He hadn’t been drinking hard alcohol or anything like that.” West said they were enjoying a relaxing night out in the country. “We were drinking beer. We were just hanging out,” she said. “When he left, he was as cool as can be. I think that just goes to
show that it doesn’t matter if it’s one beer or if it’s 10, you can still be affected by alcohol.” West said a couple of their friends who had recently gotten DUIs tried to talk him out of driving home. “They just kept saying, ‘Man, it’s not worth it – it’s not worth getting in trouble again,’” she said. “No one ever thought to warn him, ‘Hey, don’t leave because you could die.’” No one thinks it’s going to happen to them, she said. Zach thought he was invincible. “There was nothing he couldn’t do, and if you told him he couldn’t, he was going to prove you wrong,” West said. “He was the most stubborn person I’ve ever come across in my life.” She said she offered Zach a spare bedroom because she lived nearby, but he refused. “He said ‘I’m fine. I’m just going to go home,’” she said. “So we were like, ‘Okay, see ya.’” And that was that – until they heard sirens. “We were like, ‘It’s almost one in the morning – what happened?’” West said. “It’s a really small town. Everyone knows everyone.” Being nosy, they followed the emergency vehicles down Boonville-New Harmony Road. “No one even thought it could be Zach,” she said. “It took us an hour to realize it was him because I was standing there looking at his truck and I couldn’t even tell what it was.” She said the rest of that night is a blur. She passes the site of the acci-
dent every day, where a cross on the side of the road is a constant reminder of where one of her best friends took his last breath because he decided to drink and
But SAFE Rides are not reported, she said. Students should also be aware that if an underage drinker is in danger, the Indiana Lifeline Law
They just kept saying, ‘Man, it’s not worth it – it’s not worth getting in trouble again.’ No one ever thought to warn him, ‘Hey, don’t leave because you could die.’ -Maddie West drive. “He did what he’d always done and didn’t think anything of it,” West said. “He did what everyone does. Think of a time you’ve been at a party and someone really called their parents to come pick them up – it just doesn’t happen.” Dean of Students Angela Batista said students have options. USI partners with Evansville’s River City Yellow Cab Company to provide students with an alternative during emergency situations. Any student currently enrolled can use SAFE Ride as long as they have their Eagle Access Card on them. The ride is not free, but there is no charge at the time the ride is taken. It will be charged to the student’s university account. A $20 limit per ride has been established. Only one student has utilized the service this month. “I think part of the reason students don’t use it is because if they call, what does it mean for them?” Batista said. “Maybe there’s some fear.”
grants them immunity from certain alcohol-related regulations, including minor possession, minor consumption and minor transport. USI’s Student Government Association partnered with students at Indiana University and Purdue University to push for
the law, which was enacted in 2012. As for West and her friends they learned from the accident. “It has opened everyone’s eyes so significantly,” she said. “It isn’t until something absolutely tragic happens that you learn from it.” She said she can’t count the number of times she’s heard a friend say, “You’re not leaving,” or “You’ve been drinking” or “You’re not driving” since the accident. “My friends and I are so much more aware now,” she said. “I can be at a party and see a girl trying to leave that I’ve never seen in my life and now I would walk up to her, grab her by the shirt and shake her and say ‘Look what can happen.’” West, who was the last person to hear Zach’s voice and hug him, carries his obituary with her
Photo courtesy of MADDIE WEST
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