Thursday, March 6, 2014 ■ Vol. 44 Issue 25
THE
Alcohol Edition SHIELD www.usishield.com
FAFSA recognizes same-sex parents By PAOLA MARIZAN Staff writer
No Smoking
BARS REMAIN SMOKE-FREE By BOBBY SHIPMAN Staff writer
Mardi Gras festivities packed Franklin Street with beads, booze and merriment last weekend in honor of the gluttonous holiday. Whether a bar-goer fancied a funky vibe, a hipster hangout or an all night dance-party, Franklin had it all. Unless one was in search of a smokier atmosphere. Although the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Evansville’s 2012 smoking ban unconstitutional, the majority of bar and private club owners chose to keep their establishments smoke-free despite winning the lawsuit to overturn the law. Lauren McCrary, a senior public relations and advertising major, said she thinks the bars just wanted to have the rights returned. “I think everyone has their own opinions and rights,” McCrary said. “I think smokers have the right to choose if they want to smoke inside or outside and businesses have the right to choose if they are smoking or non-smoking. The ban is kind of taking away those rights.” McCrary started smoking in high-school and although she is attempting to quit, she said she is glad the ban was overturned. She works at Tin Man Brewing Company, and often visits the nearby PG Café and Gallery and Lamasco’s Bar and Grill. She said she would hate it if they allowed smoking. “I would probably still go (to PG and Lamasco’s), it just wouldn’t be quite as comfortable,” she said. “Personally, as a smoker, I really don’t like going in and sitting in a bar filled with smoke. I would much rather just step outside.” Lamasco’s owner Amy Rivers-Word said she became ecstatic when she the smoking ban was first implicated because of her asthma. “For me I had terrible, terrible trouble the first couple years when I bought the bar, I had double-pneumonia every year,” Word
said. “I was constantly sick, constantly losing my voice.” Word said she had always wanted to become non-smoking but was unsure how it would affect business. “Once the ban came through and we immediately had no difference in our numbers and in fact very soon afterwards we actually started to see an increase in revenue,” Word said. “We realized that it is really no big deal to step outside and have a cigarette.” Word said returning to smoking would have hurt business because smoker have become accustom to going outside and although many complain she, as well as other bar owners, tries to keep her customers happy. “A bunch of us all made really nice patios,” she said. “We have heaters in fact. We go through about $200 a week in propane just making sure that we keep our smokers more (comfortable).” Dalton Elpers enjoyed an evening out on Saturday. The junior business management major relaxed in the back left corner of the dimly lit Sportsman’s Bar and Grill with two friends. Elpers said he was unaware the smoking ban was struck down, but he is glad his favorite bars remained smoke-free. A Wadesville, Ind., native, he frequents a local St. Wendel hangout - Silver Bell. “(Silver Bell) used to allow smoking, and there was just so much smoke in there that your eyes watered,” Elpers said. “I just don’t like the smell. I don’t like smelling like cigarette smoke. It is just inconvenient. I would rather go home and drink there.” Elpers’s pal from St. Wendel, Lane Koester, chimed in. “You go to the boat and you come home and you’re coughing and your frickin’ throat is dry and your clothes stink,” Koester said. “As far as bars go, I don’t feel like you need smoke in them. If you want to have a cigarette, you can go outside.”
Koester said whether a bar allows smoking or not certainly factors into his nightlife decisions. “You don’t want to go to a bar where you feel like you’re going to sit down and drink a beer and it’s going to taste like a cigarette,” he said. “It’s like drinking an ash tray.” RiRa’s Irish Pub, Lamasco’s Bar and Grill, Main Gate, Backstage and Sportsman’s were just a few of many bars who remained smoke-free within days of the ordinance ending. Peephole Bar and Grill proved less swift in their decision making telling The Shield they were “on the fence.” After about a week of returning to smoking status, the bar’s Facebook page on Feb. 25, stated: “The Peep is again non-smoking effective immediately. Thanks to those of you who gave constructive feedback and comments.” A blast of polarizing comments bombarded the post. Some mocked. “Look at the tear drops falling! You can handle drinking but not smoking? Bars used to be for people who took calculated risks,” one person commented. “Giving into a bunch of pu**ies will only give rise to new demands. Pretty soon they will demand Zima on tap and clean language only.” Others celebrated. “FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Thank you Steve Alsop (bar owner). We’ll definitely be there to support you.” Amy-Rivers Word said she is happy with her decision to remain smoke-free. “When the ban came through I was thrilled and I knew the Evansville could not be that much different than the rest of the country,” Word said. “I think at this point there are only 16 cities that have over 150,00 people that allow smoking laws in the U.S. So there was no question that our demographic (Evansville) was so different that a business model of smoking could not work here.”
Students question theatre safety Steven McCallister changed his major because he felt unsafe in Mallette Theatre. The former theatre major said the genie, an aerial lift truck; the scaffold, an elevated work platform used for lighting purposes; and electrical cables in Mallette are cause for concern. He witnessed someone move a genie while students were on it. He saw tools fall from a genie and said he is worried someone might get hit and killed. But his fear didn’t end once he left the department – he is concerned for the safety of other students, too. McCallister hopes that with the new theatre come safer working conditions. “I’ve never seen a harness or a hard hat,” he said. “(The new theatre) should take out a lot of what’s happening over there. I am mostly concerned about somebody falling from the scaffolding.” Theatre breaks OSHA regulations McCallister provided a slew of photos taken inside the theatre, which is located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center, The Shield is a designated public forum.
Photo courtesy of Steven McCallister
By PAOLA MARIZAN Staff writer
o s h a
usi theatre dept.
s t a n d a r d s
after The Shield received detailed information about potential safety hazards from two sources who wished to remain anonymous. One photo shows a blue Genie with three legs. The fourth leg rests on the floor next to the genie, unattached. According to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, the brakes should be set and the outriggers, when used, should be positioned on pads or a solid surface. Wheel shocks should be installed before conducting an aerial lift on an
incline. A second photo of a scaffold shows only two outriggers, which are supports for the scaffold, where there should be four. According to OSHA regulations, any damaged or weakened scaffold - from any cause - should be immediately repaired and should not be used until the repairs have been made. Another photo shows two students working on a scaffold without harnesses or hard hats. THEATRE on Pg. 3
The student publication of the University of Southern Indiana
With the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline right around the corner, students should be aware the Department of Education made changes to the FAFSA, which could affect students who live in same-sex households. Millions of students in need of financial assistance fill out the FAFSA every year. On this year’s application, students can select the “unmarried and both parents living together” option. Students who live in same-sex households can also add more than one parent to the application. “Mother” and “father” is now “parent 1 (with a father, mother or stepparent option)” and “parent 2 (with a father, mother or stepparent option).” The changes will not impact the majority of students, according to the Department of Education, but same-sex and unmarried household students could see a decrease in financial aid due to the addition of another parents’s income. USI Financial Aid Counselor Sean Riley said it is easy-to-read language following the Supreme Court’s June decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited agencies from recognizing same-sex marriages. FAFSA on Pg. 3
StartUp winners look ahead By PAOLA MARIZAN Staff writer
It’s the next big thing for StartUp Weekend 3.0 winners. The Greek BD team, composed of Kettering University students Aaron Simmons, Ryan Allen and USI student Adam Simmons (Aaron’s brother), won first place Feb. 23, after a weekend of preparation and presentations. Greek BD presented the idea of a software designed to manage fraternities, sororities and other Greek letter organizations. The software includes tools to manage memberships, finances and judicial cases. As the winners of Startup, Greek BD received an automatic entry to the preliminary competition of the Venture Sharks business competition. The winners of the competition, which is scheduled for April 16-17 in Louisville, Ky., will receive a package valued at more than $10,000. Second place went to Delicious Street, a product created by USI students Jason Litherland and Austin Craig, 2010 alumnus Kenny Lasley and Alan Strahinic, an Indiana State University student. The Delicious Street project is a proposition to develop an app which would allow users to STARTUP on Pg. 3
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