Oct 31, 2013

Page 1

In this Issue USI vs. IU pg. 7

USI vs. IU pg. 8

Vol. 44 Issue 11

Thursday, October 31, 2013

THE

SHIELD www.usishield.com

USI crawls with Halloween activities By BOBBY SHIPMAN Staff writer USI’s campus crawled with activities this week as Halloween approached. The Student Housing Association (SHA) hosted a cookout and pumpkin painting event Monday. Faculty and staff made their way into the dorms with their kids Tuesday evening for Boo Bash, an annual event in Newman and Governor Halls. The resident assistants guided families through the halls where residents passed out candy and hosted games like pin the tail on the cat and pumpkin coloring. Originally called “Safe Trickor-Treat,” Boo Bash began in 2003. Residence hall students wanted to sponsor trick-or-treating for employees and local neighbors, said Michael Stokes, area coordinator. He said the program began in Ruston and O’Bannon but was moved to Newman and Governors sometime later. Stokes said residents get the opportunity to see faculty and staff on a different level. “They are seeing them outside of their office, outside of their classroom, in a different kind of

role,” he said. Students were invited to the SHA Light up the Night in Eicher barn Tuesday, where they ate s’mores and listened to local acoustic musicians around a campfire. Also on Tuesday night, students got the chance to dance and participate in a costume contest in Carter Hall. They posed for pictures in a photo booth and made waxmolds of their hands, said Kendra King, homecoming and special events chair. Pumpkins, which were decorated by students on UC East’s patio, were used as accents at the dance. Students who prefer to celebrate Halloween on Halloween have a few options tonight. The Activities Programming Board will show “The Purge” at 9 p.m. in Forum 1. “Students can wear costumes (to the movie) and there will also be a contest there, too,” King said. SHA will announce the winners of a Halloween decorating contest in the student apartments and residence halls tomorrow. “I encourage students to get involved in whatever way they want, but just to be responsible with the decision that they make

Photos by BLAKE STAYROOK/The Shield

Freshman Brooke Garrison hands out candy to youngsters during the annual Boo Bash in Newman Hall Tuesday.

whether it be on campus or off campus,” said Karen Huseman, assistant director of programing in student housing. Huseman hopes the contest will promote creativity among campus residents, she said. Dean of Students Angela Batista said our programs don’t hold as much tradition as schools with more history. “I think, in general, because we are so young, our programs have room to become traditions,” she said. Several universities developed unique Halloween traditions. Students at Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT) drop pumpkins from the tallest buildings on campus as part of an annual Pumpkin Drop. Participants design canoes and race them in costume during the University of Connecticut’s Night of the Living Dead Canoe Race. Other college traditions include a haunted Halloween trail (Texas A&M) and a Halloween concert (Carleton College). “If you live in a very diverse, big city, there are more opportunities because there is a lot more diversity in the way people celebrate,” Batista said. Public Safety Staff Sergeant

Brian McWilliams said no additional security measures will be implemented on Halloween. He said the offduty Vanderburgh County sheriff’s deputy will patrol campus and housing Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. as usual. Security will keep an eye out for anyone who might be displaying suspicious behavior and, given unusual circumstances, may increase security activity, he said. Although no Halloween-spe- A princess, accompanied by her brother, asks for cific policies ex- candy in Newman Hall Tuesday evening. ist, USI does ban masks and fake Off campus, the USI Demoweapons on camcrats showed Halloween spirit pus. Friday by volunteering to work “Given the current climate on Boo at the Zoo, an event hosted college campuses, people tend to by Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic get nervous when they see a perGarden. son in a mask, especially if they have a toy gun or something like HALLOWEEN Pg. 3 that,” McWilliams said.

State reps speak about Lifeline Law

Photo by NIGEL MEYER/The Shield

Greg Zoeller speaks on campus Oct. 23, about the Indiana Lifeline Law.

By DENNIS MARSHALL Staff writer

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and State Senator Jim Merritt spoke on campus Oct. 23, to raise awareness for the Indiana Lifeline Law, which protects young people from criminal repercussion when they

are seeking help for alcohol-related medical emergencies. The law protects young people from the charges of public intoxication, minor possession, minor consumption and minor transport. Zoeller wants students to be leaders in their community, he said to a crowd of about 50

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people inside the Business and Engineering Center. “Most students aren’t going to listen to the Attorney General or a State Senator, but people will listen to their friend,” he said. Zoeller said he thought the bill would be killed by the prosecutors, but to their credit, they made a compromise and the bill

was passed. “It was a student-ran initiative that was passed without a single no vote. Not a single objection,” Zoeller said. “It has saved lives already, and it will save more,” Merritt said to the crowd. “Attorney General Zoeller and I are here to avoid more tragedies.” He said he didn’t want it to

The students publication of the University of Southern Indiana

sound like they were encouraging underage drinking, but this was a common-sense law. Merritt said he authorized the bill because the students who came and talked to him were so passionate about it. “They are very professional, and they made good points. They had made their own arrangements with their own law enforcement and they thought it should go statewide,” he said. “After thinking about it for a little while, I felt it was the right thing to do.” Student Government Association President Zack Mathis said USI will create a video to raise awareness of the Lifeline Law, following in the footsteps of Indiana University and Purdue University. “Members in our general assembly found it and thought it would be great to have students of the USI community speak to the other students promoting the highlights of what this law is and how it can protect the students,” Mathis said. He said he wants to see the video included in orientation sessions for every incoming freshman. “It’s something that every student should know about,” Mathis said.

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