T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 | U s i s h i e l d . c o m | v o l . 4 6 i s s u e 9
A RIVER CITY SNAPSHOT Alumna designs Evansville’s first geofilter
University considers tenure policy change by gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
Photo by alyssa smith | The Shield
USI alumna Amanda Brinkman takes a selfie using the new Evansville geofilter she designed, which is the city’s first and only Snapchat filter. The design was inspired by the city’s riverfront.
by Megan thorne features@usishield.com @ShieldsterMegan
USI alumna Amanda Brinkman wanted to shine a light on the “up-andcoming” city of Evansville by creating a Snapchat geofilter. Geofilters are special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations. Many major cities have filters, which show up when location settings are turned on. Brinkman graduated in May with a major in graphic design and works as a marketing specialist for Sodexo and a freelance designer for the Campus Store. Brinkman said after traveling around and using other cities’ filters, she was
inspired to create one for Evansville. “In Evansville we have nothing like that to utilize, and I always wanted that,” Brinkman said. “Then one of my friends sent me a link with the instructions to (make the filter), so that’s when I really just sat down and did it.” As for the design, Brinkman said she didn’t think Evansville had a strong single element that represents its image. “I tweeted out, ‘What would you want to see in an Evansville filter?’ and no one really had any good suggestions,” Brinkman said. “So I just googled Evansville and the only thing anyone could think of was the riverfront.” The filter represents the
sign at the riverfront that reads “City of Evansville,” which sometimes isn’t even visible, Brinkman said. “When it floods you can’t even see it,” she said. “How beautiful that I brought something to the surface that really isn’t visible.” Brinkman said there are directions to keep the filter in a set pixel size so it can fit on a phone and also how to set the margins and for its location. “I had to specify the location I wanted it to be in, but I did that kind of quickly, and I missed some parts near Newburgh that I wish would’ve had it too,” Brinkman said. After waiting five days, Brinkman said she re-
ceived an email saying that the filter would take a few hours for it to work, however, it took three days. “I even had to ask the Snapchat people on Twitter, why isn’t this working?” she said. “It was a long process just because I was so excited.” Brinkman said she saw her design pop up on snapchat during the Fall Festival. “It gives me a sense of pride because I personally made it,” Brinkman said. “But I also just think it’s great that I gave people something to commemorate a moment within Evansville and we didn’t have that before.” Brinkman said she does plan to make another geofilter for either Evansville
or the university but hasn’t decided on a design yet. However, she is taking suggestions. Gracie Craft, a two-year Snapchat user, said she is happy to finally see a filter for Evansville. “I think it is really neat that Evansville has been noticed enough to get a filter in general,” the freshman theater major said. “I think it’s really cool that all of my friends are able to put that on their Snapchat story.” Craft said with all the events happening in Evansville, it is a good thing for the city to have. “I think it will get the city more noticed,” Craft said, “which will be good.”
Provost Ronald Rochon visited Faculty Senate Oct. 2 and said the university is looking to change tenure policy to become consistent across campus. “We want to look at each of the colleges at the university,” he said, “and examine their structure in regard to … assessment, evaluation and securing promotion and tenure for the campus.” The university hopes to make policy more efficient and straightforward, Rochon said, and that could mean making the process of applying for tenure uniform across all university colleges. “We’re looking at our faculty handbook, which holds our policies and practices in writing,” he said. “We’re examining those narratives and looking for ways we need to insert changes and/or additional language to provide clarity.” While he contributed to the meeting, Rochon said faculty ultimately drove the conversation. “It was a good meeting,” he said. “It was healthy and extremely important. When I left that room, I felt very good about the progress we made with that discussion.” Rochon said only faculty truly see each other’s day-to-day work. “University colleges make recommendations to my office,” he said. “For me, the most important part in regards to assessment is to have (professors’) peers make the recommendations. (Those are) other scholars and other teachers in (their) field and in (their) discipline who understand (their) body of work.”
Tenure changes, PAGE 3
SGA denies external relations applicants by gabi wy news@usishield.com @ShieldsterGabi
SGA turned down two applicants for Assistant Vice President of External Relations during its meeting Oct. 8. The general assembly will review more applicants at future meetings. The meeting went into an executive session, meaning that the discussion about the two applicants remains confidential within the general assembly. At the conclusion of the executive session, SGA President Alexa Bueltel
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told applicants Lauren Downen and Aaron Gottman that neither would be appointed to the position. “The representative of external relations is the face of SGA,” Bueltel said. “We need to make sure they are voicing the opinion of SGA and not their own personal opinion.” She said this representative would also run a committee for public relations. “It’s a very time-consuming position,” Bueltel said, “but it’s also a very rewarding position.” On top of her presidential duties, Bueltel has also
been fulfilling the duties of the AVP of External Relations and hopes to appoint someone to that position as soon as possible. “I would rather keep doing it until we find someone that’s qualified for the position,” she said. Lauren Downen, a junior marketing major, is an associate justice of the university court, but she hoped to become more involved with the general assembly of SGA. “I would like to connect to marketing research and see what the best way to connect with students is,” she said.
SGA Representative, PAGE 3
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Photo by gabi wy | The Shield
Senior business administration major Aaron Gottman and junior marketing major Lauren Downen chat with Dean of Students Bryan Rush and assistant dean Laurie Berry during SGA’s executive session. Gottman and Downen both vied for the AVP of External Relations position.
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