October 2, 2019
Volume 146, Issue 7
washburnreview.org
Established 1885
Brunner retells kidnapping escape 25 years later Alyssa Storm Washburn Review
Melissa Brunner, anchor and reporter for WIBW in Topeka, visited Washburn University to tell the community the story of how she escaped a kidnapping 25 years ago. At 7 p.m. Sept. 26, 2019 in the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center, Brunner described the horrific encounter she had as a student at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The young journalist was leaving the newsroom in the basement of the Union when she encountered her kidnappers in the parking lot. Brunner was stopped by two men who jumped out of the backseat of a van and held her at gunpoint. They took her bag and got her car keys and card. “I did what they told me to do; I didn’t take an abduction 101 course in college,” said Brunner. When they got to the ATM, the machine would not accept her bank card.
They threw her into the trunk of her car and sped away. Brunner had watched enough television to know that if someone gets trapped in the trunk of a car, they should try to kick the tail light out. After a high-speed chase with the police, the van escaped down an alley and into a park. They asked her what she thought she was doing, and then pistol whipped her before slamming the trunk shut. Brunner didn’t know what else to do besides wait it out and fall asleep. After she woke up and got out of the car, she was so tired that she fell asleep again in the alley. When she finally got up, she heard voices, but no one heard her when she screamed. “I didn’t know when or if they would come back, so I knew it was now or never,” said Brunner. Brunner chased down a school bus to get help. The bus driver let her call local police and waited with her until they came to meet her
photo by Frankie Kelley
Speaking the truth: Melissa Brunner talks about her abduction in detail. She recalled the horrific details.
in the alley. After months of investigation, the cops arrested a 17-year-old female and 5 males ages 1221. The telling by Brunner was very moving for students in attendance, such as Lauryn Massey, a freshman mass media major. “It was really interesting and cool to hear about how her experience getting kidnapped has shaped her career,” said Massey. “It was crazy to think that she is lucky to be alive and
could’ve died.” Brunner explained how to speak to a survivor who has had a similar experience. Brunner emphasized that empathy and respect are important when talking to someone who has been through something like this. Victims are more willing to talk if interviewers are respectful and not confrontational. Brunner has used her experience to help her assist reporters when investigating after a serious crimes, such as a kid-
napping, have occurred. She has never lost sight of the real people in stories and hopes that other reporters will remember that. Brunner also uses her story to remind teenagers and young adults that it can happen anywhere. She wants people to be aware of their surroundings at all times. “Be very cautious of everything going on around you, and trust your gut; it’s always right.” said Brunner.
Washburn Police Department releases annual safety report Joelle Conway Washburn Review
Brie Bradshaw commented on the importance of food on campus and the issue of student homelessness. Bradshaw also mentioned how freshmen are now expected to live on campus and the reasons behind that. “I think it’s important because… student homelessness is definitely an issue. It’s a problem that’s going to be faced for a good portion of the rest of the 10-year colleges until we can get that under control. That just comes with lowering tuition prices, allowing more aid, and more funding for universities in order to get those students that are at risk in housing. I think since Washburn does now require first years live in, all freshman students have to live on campus. I think that it’s a way to alleviate, but there are other reasons behind that. It safeguards what we have with emergency grants, the food pantry, the clothing pantry and other resources we have throughout Topeka that work in partnership with us that are really important to taking care of that problem,” said Bradshaw. Bods Feeding Bods is open Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and is located in Kuehne Hall.
Tuesday Oct. 1, Washburn University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report was made available to students. The 56-page report discusses campus safety, various procedures, statistics and more. The report is a public record and accessible to the community. Students, faculty and staff are notified via e-mail of the report and how to access it. The report may photo courtesy of Washburn University also be accessed at the uniPush of a button: There are 13 emergency telephones located versity police department. throughout Washburn’s campus. They are activated by pushing a Reports of crime or sus- button that alerts emergency services. picious activity on campus buildings, residence halls, Paul Mismaque, director of marketing and parking lots or properties should be republic relations for WSGA who has been ported to WUPO at 785-670-1153. Emerworking closely with campus officials gencies should be reported by calling 911. regarding campus safety. Mismaque is a There are 13 emergency telephones located senior double majoring in marketing and around campus that are directly connected economics. to WUPO. When activated, the telephone Because Washburn is a dry campus, tower flashes a blue light at the top. there are also procedures outlined in the WUPO provides campus safety services report for alcohol and illicit possession 24 hours a day, every day of the year. and consumption on campus by students, TPD provides WUPO with monthly faculty and staff. crime statistics for the areas surrounding All Washburn University faculty memWashburn. There is a full list of Washburn’s bers are mandated reporters and are to recrime statistics from 2016-2018 located on port any information to WUPO regarding pages 44-46 of the report. There is a daily crime, violence, potential harm, harasscrime log that WUPO maintains that can ment or other alarming information that be accessed by the public on Washburn’s may compromise the safety of a student. website. WUPO will issue a timely warning in the There are security awareness programs event of an immediate or continuing threat that may be provided to faculty, staff and to the campus community via Washburn’s students. Topics discussed at orientation e-mail system to all faculty, staff and stusessions are sexual assault prevention dents. There is also the iAlert system that and reporting, property security, reporting notifies students of incidents involving crime, domestic violence reporting and campus safety. The iAlerts can be sent via personal security. The student handbook e-mail, text or phone call. It is discussed contains information on personal safety at new student orientations, WU 101, Weland a brief overview of the topics listed come Week, Washburn’s social media and above. WUPO gives a presentation to WU campus bulletins. Students are highly en101 courses at Washburn on campus safety couraged to sign up for the program. You each semester. can sign up by going to the iAlert page on Recently, WSGA partnered with WUPO Washburn’s website. for National Campus Safety Awareness “What I like about the iAlert system is Week, where important information was that the message goes to everything: your posted for students to encourage conversaphone and email. We do not have speaker tions about campus safety among the camphones in classrooms, so the iAlert keeps pus community. students in the know if something hap“Washburn can continue their effort pens,” said Mismaque. for awareness. Campus is big and I think The full details of the security report can communication can always be improved. be found at www.washburn.edu/securiThey are doing a good job though,” said tyreport.
Video: “Interview with Riho Inomata”
Gallery: “ Washburn vs Missouri Western”
photo courtesy of pixabay.com
Swipe it up: Chartwells donates 200 Bod swipes for students in need. The program was started after several students expressed wanting to donate excess swipes to others.
Chartwells donates Bod swipes Jaluan Newson Washburn Review
Chartwells donates 200 swipes to Washburn for students in need. Washburn dining contracts through Chartwells provide food services on campus. The donation of 200 swipes was made after students requested to donate their unused Bod swipes to other students in need. Chartwells decided to donate their own Bod swipes to Washburn. The free bod swipes are open to the entire Washburn student community. The only requirement is a Washburn ID. “Chartwells is giving Washburn 20 vouchers per semester. One Bod can have one voucher per month,” said Emma Staats, Bods Feeding Bods staff coordinator. According to Chartwells Contract Liaison Janel Rutherford, one voucher equals five free meals per month. After each month that student can receive another voucher equaling five free meals. “Chartwells signed a contract that agreed on Free bod swipes for the next ten years,” said Annie Cygan, volunteer coordinator of Bods Feeding Bods. Senior history major
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Gallery: “Family Day 2019” Gallery: “Ichabods play Hornets”