THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 www.easternprogress.com Independent student publication of Eastern Kentucky University since 1922
THE Graffiti unrelated to last semester's scare, police say By TOPHER PAYTON christopher_payto3@mymail.eku.edu
Eastern was on high alert after graffiti was found in a bathroom which said “KILL ALL BY 10-8-15 THIS BU OOP.” The threat was found early Monday, Oct. 5, by a campus custodial worker. The custodial worker immediately called police and from there a public safety alert was sent out to
all Eastern students, said Emergency Manager Gary Folckemer. Folckemer said that due to the lack of specificity in the threat, the emergency management team decided on a timely notification to the community first thing Monday morning. In response, several campus events were immediately rescheduled and Model Laboratory School closed their doors until the following Wednesday,
Oct. 14. Model administrators made the decision to close in the interest of safety Kristi Middleton, university spokeswoman said. Model was already closed on Friday for a staff development day, and the following Monday and Tuesday for fall break. “So that population serves minor
›› SEE THREAT, PAGE 3 COURTESTY OF WKYT
How the threat gained steam through social media FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND 4CHAN AMPLIFIED UNCONFIRMED THREATS AND THEORIES By KASEY TYRING kasey_tyring@mymail.eku.edu
"While there is no evidence of an imminent danger there has been an escalation in the threat, originating from social media." For many Eastern students, social media was the first time students heard about the EKU threat. On Wednesday, the conversations on various social media sites hit a fever pitch and the subsequent unease of the campus community prompted Eastern officials to shut down campus. In an interview with radio station WEKU, Eastern
President Michael Benson explained why social media played a critical part in the decision to close campus Thursday and Friday. "The chat volume on social media had gone up exponentially and we made that call because it was at the level that people could not feel comfortable and safe, so that's when we made the decision," Benson said. Between early Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon, students and community members shared news stories and different theories about the threat through multiple platforms. According to Topsy, a Twitter analytics service, a total of 860 tweets specifically mentioned the "EKU threat" over the past 30 days. In the past 10 days, the term "EKU" has shown up more than 17,000 times on Twitter. While some of the posts mentioning EKU did not pertain to the threat, some of the most prominent posts about threat did not mention "EKU threat" but only EKU.
The first post to be shared widely across social media platforms was a screen-grab from a professor's private Facebook page. The post was published Tuesday morning. The professor said they were unaware an image of their post was being circulated. They said they were only aware of one person related to EKU who even liked and commented on the post. Another post to go viral Tuesday was a Facebook screen-grab created by an Eastern criminology student. The post originated on Facebook but the image appeared on Instagram, and Twitter. Kelsey Basham, 21, a criminal justice senior, from Elizabethtown and the post's creator said she made the post after she discussed all the different theories in one of her criminology classes. Once she felt like she had added it all up she decided to share it with her roughly 900 Facebook friends.
›› SEE SOCIAL MEDIA, PAGE 3
Theories and continuing threats spread quickly via social media, which administrators said played a role in their decision to cancel school last week.
Internet forums conjure a link between graffiti threat and 'beta males' BUT SCANT EVIDENCE EXISTS ASIDE FROM ANONYMOUS POSTINGS By KRISTI BRANHAM kristi_branham5@mymail.eku.edu
The “beta male,” a lonely, depressed and misunderstood creature. He surfaces from the depths of his dark computer-monitor-lit basement to go out into a world that mocks and deprives him of a mate only to return with a microwavable food supply and porn. His only solace is the message boards of 4chan, scantily dressed anime females and the thoughts of one day righting the wrongs done to all beta males. This is the image that has been conjured from the online Internet culture. When the words "KILL ALL BY 10/08/15 THIS BU OOP" were found in a men’s restroom in the Powell Building, the inclusion of the letters BU, led some to speculate it signified some sort of uprising by the long misunderstood beta males. The speculation intensified when screengrabbed images of 4chan forums con-
firmed the threat. So what is the beta uprising? A response from Reddit's Out Of The Loop message board, attempts to explain: The beta uprising refers to the beta men -- men who women have rejected -- some day will have a violent uprising. Because they're so frustrated with being passed over, they'll take back society. The poster later comments: "TO BE CLEAR the beta uprising isn't something real." According to 4chan’s statistical data, the majority of 4chan users are young, college-educated men with an interest in Japanese culture, video games, comics and technology. Does our elusive beta male lay and wait for an ambush attack within the forums of 4chan? There are several online forums where beta males vent their frustrations and contempt for the “alpha male” (the beta male’s natural predator) such as Reddit and Something Awful. These forums and others like them have been dubbed the “manosphere.” Some are just forums for lonely guys to share stories, interests, hobbies and other relevant rhetoric to the beta male’s plight. But others are more menacing and promote gender bias and violence.
Although, not all forum sites are menacing or promote violence toward women and alpha males, 4chan is anonymous and the rules and regulations of the site are very lax. This leads to virtually no accountability and could serve as a breeding ground for a rogue beta male. According to The Washington Post, Chris Harper-Mercer, shooter at UCC, could have belonged to an Internet community of beta males, calling themselves “incels” or “involuntary celibates.” Even more disturbing, Elliot Rodger, who murdered six people in Santa Barbara, California on May 23, 2014, also identified as an “incel,” according to The Washington Post. This may shed light into the basement of the beta male. Most recently, the FBI warned officials in Philadelphia about an anonymous post on 4chan stating "a fellow robot will take up arms against a university near Philadelphia. His cries will be heard, his victims will cower in fear, and the strength of the Union will decay a little more." Because the post did not target a specific college, all surrounding colleges alerted their student body and enhanced security
on each campus. No classes were canceled. The following day Philadelphia Community College issued a Shelter In Place after reports of a man threatened a students with a gun and then entered a campus building. No shots were fired and it's unclear if the incident was related to the 4chan post or Beta Uprising. According to The Washington Post, 4chan is the original incubator for most memes and behaviors that we now consider central to mainstream Internet culture and is responsible for some of the largest hoaxes, cyberbullying incidents and Internet pranks of the past five years. When users orchestrate major hoaxes or pranks they will often create fake Twitter accounts and hashtags to popularize the story or attract media attention, according to The Washington Post. This includes the meme “Pepe the Frog,” somewhat of a mascot for the beta uprising. Chances are, the beta male is as real as his mascot; a hoax and/or Internet prank originating from 4chan forums. Just as Pepe the Frog has been fueled by social media to become part of the mainstream Internet culture, so too has the beta male.
›› SEE BETA, PAGE 3
Page 2
The Eastern Progress, Thursday, October 15, 2015
CAMPUS BRIEFS
If you would like to join in the efforts to spread knowledge of human development and why it is necessary to protect human life, contact Dustin Isaacs at dustin.isaacs1517@gmail.com. Dustin Isaacs
Student organizations rally for pro-life event Beginning at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21, on Powell Corner, members of Students for Life, College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty will be joining in a silent pro-life protest. PROject LIFE intends to present the scientific argument for defending human life in its earliest stages. The rally will feature a visual presentation to depict the jaw dropping number of lives that were denied the right to live since Roe v. Wade. There will also be literature available for students to illustrate the science of pre-born human development, and offer proposals for how to aid women who find themselves in terribly difficult positions.
Lunch discussion to celebrate different cultures The Diversity Office will host a “brown bag discussion” from noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, in the south ballroom of the Keen Johnson Building. The event will celebrate people from different cultures and offer an inside look of their world, according to the press release. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch, but beverages and chocolates will be complimentary. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Paula Hansford at (859) 622-6587 or visit www.diversity.eku.edu.
Lecture to discuss the philosophy of social media
Author presents novel centered on Appalachia
New York Times best-selling author William Powers will be featured in an upcoming Chautauqua lecture entitled Deeper Digital: A New Philosophy of Social Media at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, in O’Donnell Hall, in the Whitlock Building. Praised for its insight on the digital future, Powers’ book, Hamlet’s Blackberry, resulted from his research he did at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center according to the press release. The book has been selected as a Common Read and is an EKU Read. As a result of the book’s impact, Powers became involved with the MIT Laboratory for Social Machines, an interdisciplinary collaboration that uses philosophy to rethink social media and to build technologies that the world needs in order to solve big problems and move forward, according to the press release. All Chautauqua lectures are free and open to the public.
Live @ Your Library will host a reading by Robert Gipe, at 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Main Library, Classroom 204D. Gipe, a director of the Appalachian Program at Southeast Community and Technical College in Cumberland, will be reading from his first novel, Trampoline, that was published this year, according to Eastern’s Appalachian studies page. Trampoline looks at modern Appalachia through 15-year-old Dawn Jewell, who lives in a fictional Canard County, Kentucky. She lives with her addict mother and her mountaintop removal activist mammaw, according to the page. The novel follows the unconventional coming-of-age heroine who listens to Black Flag, learns to drive, deals with mean girls and explores a first love. Light refreshments will be served at the event.
THE COLONEL’S CALENDAR
THE COLONEL’S CALENDAR Week of Nov. 13 – Nov. 19 Week of Oct. 15 – Oct. 21
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
10 a.m. Brains and Bods Unite! Powell Corner
7:30 p.m. The Beach Boys EKU Center for the Arts
7:30 a.m. Second Annual Student Artwork Exhibit Main Library
11 a.m. PROject LIFE Powell Corner
8 p.m. Volleyball vs. Jacksonville State Jacksonville, Ala.
2 p.m. Soccer vs. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, Ill.
5 p.m. Free Dinner and Discussion Wesley Foundation
5 p.m. Live @ Your Library: Robert Gipe Reading Main Library, Classroom 204D
2 p.m. Football vs. Southeast Missouri Cape Girardeau, Mo. 3 p.m. Volleyball vs. Tennessee Tech Cookeville, Tenn.
7 p.m. Rocksoberfest Fitness and Wellness Center
7:30 p.m. EKU Choirs present An Evening with Jake Runestad EKU Center for the Arts
11 a.m. Pinterest Party Jaggers Room, Powell Building
Campus shootings become prevalent nationwide SEVERAL SHOOTINGS AND THREATS REPORTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER PAST FEW WEEKS By BRIANNA WHITE brianna_white68@mymail.eku.edu
Eastern's recent threat joins a series of violent events happening among college campuses nationwide. Although miles apart, each event put college communities on edge, fearing the worst would happen on their own campuses.
Oct. 1: Umpqua Community College Oregon
Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, walked into Classroom 15 in Snyder Hall smiling, wearing black clothes and a bulletproof vest, said Tracy Heu, a student in the classroom, to The New York Times. The first reports of shots fired were received around 10:38 a.m., Heu said Mercer fired a "warning shot" towards the back of the classroom and ordered everyone to lie on their stomachs. Heu told The New York Times that Mercer told a few students to stand up one by one, then asked if they were Christian. If they answered yes, he shot them. Armed with multiple weapons, Mercer continued to open fire, killing nine and injuring seven. However, while in the classroom, Mercer deemed 18-year-old Matthew Downing the "lucky one," giving him a package to give authorities. When officers arrived at 10:46 a.m., Mercer reportedly fired at two officers without bulletproof vests. The officers fired three rounds, striking Mercer only once in the side. Mercer returned to the classroom and fatally shot himself, according to The New York Times. Federal law enforcement officials said they were examining an online conversation on 4chan, an anonymous
THREAT FROM PAGE 1
students so it’s a different set of safety issues when you’re dealing with younger children,” Middleton said. Early Tuesday morning rumors were circulated around campus of threatening notes being left under the doors of rooms in Telford Hall. Upon investigation into this new lead, EKU Police found no notes and could not find anyone who had seen a note, nor could they track where the rumor started. Residents of Telford Hall were asked to come forward to police if they had seen a note, but the students had only heard that other students had seen a note. Students received an email on Wednesday morning stating all classes were canceled beginning at 10 a.m., and the whole campus would close for the remainder of the week. An official statement from university communications
message board, and other social media forum pages, to see if they were linked to Mercer. In that, one writer said, "Don't go to school tomorrow if you are in the Northwest," according to The New York Times.
Oct. 9: Northern Arizona University Arizona
Steven Jones, 18, was taken into custody after shooting four members of the Delta Chi fraternity, killing one, with a handgun near a residence hall on the campus of Northern Arizona University, at 1:20 a.m. The New York Times reported Gregory T. Fowler, chief of the campus police department, said Jones opened fire after two groups of students were involved in a confrontation near Mountain View Hall, the residence housing most of the university's fraternities and sororities. Justin Sherman, executive director of the Delta Chi fraternity, confirmed Jones was not a member of Delta Chi and said the shooting was an isolated incident, not involving the fraternity. Jones claimed he was punched in the face during a confrontation in the parking lot, according to the Northern Republic Radio. Jones then was chased as he ran to his car to retrieve his gun, yelling that he had a gun. He then shot two people approaching him from 10 feet away. Although NAU generally prohibits weapons, they can be in vehicles as long as they are stowed, according to The New York Times. The Associated Press reported NAU President Rita Cheng as saying the event was isolated and an unprecedented incident and that classes would continue as scheduled that day.
Oct. 9: Texas Southern University Texas
Just hours after the NAU incident, someone opened fire at 11:30 a.m., at Texas Southern University, killing one and injuring one, outside of the University Courtyard Apartments on campus.
confirmed the threat has been escalated through posts originating on social media. “When things started to progress through Tuesday, eventually to [Wednesday morning] we made the call," Benson said in an interview with WEKU. "It was to the point where there was no specific threat but in the aggregate chatter, what was happening, what was being said out there, what students were reacting to, we felt the best thing to do was to shut down for a couple days and let police and various investigators look at it and see what they could come up with.” The closing of the university led to multiple cancellations and reschedules of campus events including sporting events. The football Colonels, who were scheduled to play their second Thursday-home game of the season, moved their game to Georgetown University and play in their Toyota Stadium. Soccer’s game against Southeast Missouri was also changed from 5 p.m. on Thursday at home, to 1 p.m. on Thursday at Transylvania University. Softball was completely canceled for the week.
SOCIAL MEDIA FROM PAGE 1
"I was just like, you know what, no one is telling us this stuff and it really makes sense to me and I’m sure people would like to know what’s going on if this potentially was what's happening," Basham said. "So that’s when I decided to post it.” Basham said she knew the university was probably already aware of the theory but couldn't share it because it wasn't 100 percent confirmed. “The university is limited on what information they can tell us," Basham said. "Especially if that information isn’t verified so my intent was not to put information out there, it was just speculation. I know nobody really knows what the meaning is behind it but if there is a potential that I can say something that can put everyone a little bit more aware of what’s going on so they can take some precaution on campus…then I’d like to take that opportunity with the information that I know and let everyone else know it.” Basham said she didn't know exactly how many times her post was shared but is aware of at least 46 shares between Instagram and Twitter. The only time she was uneasy about her post getting as much attention as it did was when an anonymous user on 4chan said "Some guy on Twitter put it all to-
Support businesses that support the Eastern Progress!
Two suspects were detained while a third escaped, leading the university to call for a lockdown, The New York Times reported. As of Saturday, Oct. 10, the third suspect was still at large. TSU is no stranger to gun violence with Friday's incident being the third shooting that week on campus. Tuesday night one person was shot and injured and Thursday night another man was shot and injured in the same vicinity as Friday morning's shooting. There was also another incident that occurred in late August where two people were shot, one was killed, after a man shot into a crowd near the same vicinity once again, according to The New York Times. The university released a statement Friday stating university police would increase patrols and Houston police would also increase patrols around campus. The motive for the Oct. 9 incident is unknown.
Oct. 9: Jefferson Community and Technical College Kentucky
An anonymous call was received at 3:30 p.m. from Jefferson Community and Technical College reporting possible shots fired or a loud boom, according to The Courier Journal. Students received an electronic alert at 3:39 p.m. telling them to use caution, evacuate safely and seek shelter in locked rooms if possible. Minutes later, another email was sent out reporting an active shooter on campus and that police were responding. Police did not take the threat lightly with previous threats made to Louisville and Southern Indiana University. Dwight Mitchell, spokesman for the Louisville Metro Police Department, said eight law enforcement agencies responded to the college. After searching the buildings thoroughly, police found no evidence of a threat. News of an all clear was given and the lockdown was lifted at 4:23 p.m., through text and Twitter alerts.
Wednesday night's showing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the EKU Center for the Arts was also canceled. There are no plans to reschedule the performance. As far as the ongoing investigation goes, Executive Director of Public Safety and Risk Management Bryan Makinen said there is information the police department and their partners have that they will not release to the public. However, he did share that they have individuals they are looking into. He said EKU Police has been working closely with the Kentucky State Police Cyber Crimes Unit who were able to identify some of the individuals they are looking at. Makinen also said there is no reason to believe the threat is related to last February’s threat found in a men’s bathroom in the Combs Building reading "BRINGING GUN TO HERE 2/11/15 DEAD STUDENTS.” “Each one is an isolated incident in and of itself,” Makinen said. “The two do not appear in any way, shape or form to be linked….not similar handwriting, not anything about the mechanics appears to be consistent with one another.”
gether." “My name is associated with putting that [theory] together and even then I was like it’s not a big deal but I woke up Wednesday morning to the 4chan post and was like 'Oh my goodness I can't do this,'" Basham said. She said she called off work at her campus job because she didn't feel safe. She added besides feeling scared on Wednesday, she doesn't regret posting the theory or how much attention her post received. “The purpose was to let [my Facebook friends] know of an ongoing theory; that’s the first thing I said," Basham said. "This is a theory, it’s not anything that’s positive. “I understand the university doesn’t want to draw attention and doesn’t want to cause this big chaotic rising of everybody freaking out all over the board but at the same time we should be able to know what the possible theories are," Basham said. Other posts originating from anonymous sources such as Yik Yak, Snapchat and 4chan were quickly copied and posted on social media sites. The most viral anonymous posts included a picture originating from Snapchat. Another was allegedly from the person who made the threat. They posted anonymously on 4chan, a forum site. The post said "It was me. I plan on killing everyone in that school, you can't stop me. The only way you can stop me from killing all these FUCKING NORMIES in the school is by completing this fourteen letter word."
Benson said the reason they offered the $10,000 reward came from reviewing the actions administrators took while handling the February threat. “After the February incident we did [an evaluation] of how it went and what we could do better and we decided this time, in order to elicit from individuals they’d be more inclined if a reward were offered, and we said ‘yeah, that would probably entice people,'”Benson said. Makinen said they are still encouraging anyone to come forward with information they might have on the threat and who’s responsible. Benson had this to say about the investigation: “We will pursue every lead as aggressively as we need to and pursue every possible conviction that we need to if this person is found guilty… and show folks we will not stand for this.” If any students hear any substantial reports of notes given to students or anything else related to the threat, they are asked to immediately contact campus police at 859-622-1111.
The post was quickly screen-grabbed and posted to social media sites where it went viral. That post alone was shared and retweeted on Twitter at least 96 times. The posts were often times used together in a collage or photo album adding all the unconfirmed reports into one post. Shelby Selent, 20, a criminal justice junior from Louisville combined four images and the tweet received 250 retweets. Selent said the tweet had 36,295 impressions. Impressions are "times people have seen this post on Twitter," according to Twitter Help. "My intentions of sharing the post was to inform people about what was going on and that was the quickest way I could think of," Selton said. "I didn't think of it to get that much attention because I took a picture of the last threat and nobody really gave that much attention or retweets." Emergency Manager Gary Folckemer stressed the importance of using social media responsibly. He said because of these viral social media posts it was hard to control what people knew as the truth. "One of the things I saw on twitter was a sort of collage where they took a piece of this and someone else's theory that they posted and piece of something else all together," Folckemer said. "Whether any of this was truly connected, time and investigation will tell," Folckemer said.
BETA
FROM PAGE 1 Internet trolls everywhere rejoice in the soft light of their computer monitors. There were a multitude of factors besetting Chris Harper-Mercer and Elliot Rodger that led to the mass murders at UCC and Santa Barbara. Mental health issues and gun laws are no doubt included. The forums of 4chan and the "manosphere," at large can not be responsible for their decisions to take lives. The beta uprising theory and the beta males responsible for it seem to be nothing more than Internet angst. The letters BU could be someone taking the prank too far, it could be gibberish or just be the rants of someone desperate to postpone a midterm. APPAREL
1 mile from campus 859-623-8561 @Soft_Shoe
805 EKU By-Pass (Light #9) TheSoftShoe.com facebook.com/TheSoftShoe
KaLeigh Underwood, Editor
The Eastern Progress | www.easternprogress.com
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Abrupt closing left more panic than peace-of-mind Progress Editoral Campus safety is nothing to shrug off, and on Wednesday, Oct. 7, Eastern took a threat seriously when it cancelled classes for the remainder of that week. The decision was a bold one, but not entirely out of line considering our country's history of gun violence and school shootings. In February, when a similar threat was written in the Combs Building bathroom stall, class was made optional for a day so students wouldn't be penalized for feeling unsafe. The announcement came the day after the university announced they were committed to continuing classes and pursing their mission of educating its students. "Just as we did with a similar threat last February, we will get through this difficult time by working together, looking out for each other and remaining vigilant," President Michael Benson said in an email addressed to campus Tuesday afternoon. "I cannot emphasize enough that the University remains open and committed to its mission. Classes are being held as usual." Less than 12 hours later, Benson released a new statement canceling classes for the week. Students, faculty and parents were concerned by the sudden
news. The bravado of the administration was something we could all stand behind. They told us every resource was looking into the threat, and we would all be safe so long as we stood together. That all crumbled Wednesday morning, as students panicked over what new information the university must have had. Parents raced to campus to pick up their students. As the day progressed, the university remained tight-lipped on what caused them to cancel classes. Later in the day, Eastern officials decided to consolidate all the students still on campus into a handful of dorms. They did this in order to implement security measures to fewer dorms and better protect all the students by keeping them together. The idea is sound, but from the students' perspective it seemed like a last minute decision. It made students worry even more about what university officials knew and weren't sharing. Through emails with various administrators, we've learned there was nothing specific that caused them to shut down the campus and move the students around, but that it was done to keep residents safe. In an interview with WEKU, Benson said the volume of discussion on social media sites was the main reason for closing the university. It took a full day for the university to answer any questions regarding their decision, and it was a day of speculation and unease. The decision to close the university was not a bad one, it was the only one to make in that situa-
tion. Students likely wouldn't have come to campus if classes were still in session. It's hard to focus on learning when you're looking over your shoulder every other second. But the way the administration made and announced the decision should have been more transparent. You can't send people into a panic when they are already in a panic. And not elaborating on the reasons for the abrupt closings led to an even greater panic. We understand the nature of ongoing investigations and how much information can and can't be released, but even a simple, 'no, this rumor isn't true,' or 'yes, this rumor is true,' about the handful of rumors in circulation would have gone a long way toward easing the minds of Eastern students. That's how you create a healthy and safe atmosphere. Another issue that arises because of this latest threat is what's going to happen next time? It's hard to say whether something would have happened if the campus was full of students Wednesday and Thursday, but professors and students alike were discussing the coincidence that the threat was made so close to midterms. Should we expect the campus to be held hostage every time someone doesn't want to take a test? Is the university going to say it will stand strong, only to back down at the last minute? The only thing certain is that it's 2-0 for threats getting students out of classes. Soon, everyone is going to think they can get out of class by scribbling on a bathroom stall.
Moving forward after UCC campus shooting Jen Caudill EDITOR'S NOTE: Caudill, is currently enrolled at Eastern. She attended high school in Oregon. Pieces like these are harder to write than most. It is hard to put into words exactly what I want to say and how to convey it in a way that would make sense when I am this emotional. On Thursday morning, everything was routine. I was meeting with a student who I mentor through the NOVA Program. I decided on a whim to check Facebook on my phone. But my feed was filled not with stupid memes and ordinary status updates. Instead, the feed was filled by friends from my hometown calling out for role call and to say that they were okay. "I think there's been a shooting." I was stunned as more of these messages came in followed by a news feed from LEX18 reporting a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, had been the scene of a shooting. At that point, I was no longer numb. I went to the first office I could before I began to shake and sob, crying out "oh my god" over and over because that's all that was in my head. When I was in high school, I created an art book called Returning to the Roots which explored my desire to return to Kentucky where I had spent my years before high school. What I didn't realize then was that I had developed stronger roots to Douglas County, Oregon, a fact I didn't realize until my second semester at Eastern. I went to a small high school in Oregon, as many high schools out there are, known as Yoncalla High School. At the time, there was 100 people in total at my school, staff and students. I spent 2009-2012 there, the entirety of my high school days building strong roots to the community and to the area. In 2011-2012, I attended UCC with several of my classmates in a dual-credit set up for creative writing. My mom and I would often drive to Roseburg since it was the closest larger town. By larger, I mean they had a Walmart.
Many times I had been on UCC's campus for school band and choir competitions and I spent a lot of time there for the state's honor band and honor choir. I even took my ACT there where we had been given the wrong classroom number and had to travel through campus looking for the test. I have memories of sitting at the fountain with my best friend and her boyfriend who has grown to be like a brother to me. We would always just sit around talking while we waited for a ride off campus. There was always a singular feeling of safety on campus. Douglas County itself is a tight knit community that's extremely safe and idyllic. Violent crime just doesn't happen back home. It isn't like Lexington where I regularly hear about yet another gun-related death. Things like this just don't happen, and I know that's what everyone says, but it is extremely true of Roseburg. Over the last few days, I've felt shaken to the bone even here in Kentucky at what happened. I now know to have been emotionally distressed due to the crisis. I've spent a lot of hours not sleeping and instead talking to my close friends back home to help them through this tragedy. I'm always turning on the news for updates. I felt utterly alone and so far away from home. If I were there I would heal better because I would be with my community who is also feeling this tragedy so deeply. I've spent hours on the phone and email and texts with my mom who is back in Oregon. Our conversations mostly consist of us just repeating "I love you." We're now hyper aware that one event can change eveything. It took talking to the Disaster Distress Helpline to realize that I could heal even being far from home. They advised me to write about it in the coming days. What also helped was my best friend from high school's words. She told me last night, "You're not alone. You could see it in people's eyes today especially UCC alumni," she said. "We're all trying to get through this but at least we're doing it together. We just need to move forward... Be strong for us." "We are UCC, we are Douglas County, we are Oregon and our roots are strong. Even though we are shaken now, it'll take more than yesterday's events to bring us down. We'll still be here for you." I know this tragedy is far from here and that many are, as President Obama said, numb to this. I can understand the sense of numbness for something that isn't close to home. It isn't something I wish anyone to experience, and not something you can understand through
Topher Payton Editor-in-Chief Christopher_payto3@mymail.eku.edu
Kayla Lasure Social/Greek Life Editor Kayla_lasure@mymail.eku.edu
Kasey Tyring Managing Editor Kasey_tyring@mymail.eku.edu
Lexi Walters Copy Editor Alexia_walters29@mymail.eku.edu
Brianna White News Editor Brianna_white68@mymail.eku.edu
Dan Klapheke Video Editor Daniel_klapheke@mymail.eku.edu
Kristi Branham Features Editor Kristi_branham5@mymail.eku.edu
Amelia Wilson Design Editor Amelia_wilson111@mymail.eku.edu
Evan Nichols Sports Editor Evan_nichols11@mymail.eku.edu
Tara Leisure Designer Tara_leisure@mymail.eku.edu
KaLeigh Underwood Perspectives Editor Kaleigh_underwood9@mymail.eku.edu
Jordan Burke Designer Jordan_burke31@mymail.eku.edu
the news as they begin to follow their routine reporting and subsequent arguing over gun control policies. Look into all the facts and not just what you hear. I offer you the resonating opinion that I share with many in my area that the answer is not more or less guns, but better mental health care for many in this country. Mental health continues to be stigmatized and hard medical care is hard to access for many Americans. While a great majority of people will never commit a crime like this due to mental health, targeting the root of the problem is the only way to start to reduce the rate of violence. After all, a tool is a tool and the only way to reduce the use of a tool is to get rid of the reason it is being used. Above all else, I ask that you don't remember my home for this shooting but for the people. Our area is full of loving and caring people that are strongly working together to heal this wound. We are made up of so many different people but still exist in harmony with one another. It is peaceful and not a place where violence happens. You may have heard that prayers are not enough, and in a way they aren't, but they are something. Your support, your thoughts, and your prayers regardless of what religion, help us heal. But action is what will help to prevent it from happening again. I ask you to not focus on the shooter. He doesn't deserve to be glamorized and sensationalized. Instead, share in the experiences of the survivors, take in the memory of the victims, and don't let this become just another statistic and forgotten tragedy. Please, remember my home as it was and what we try to make it be once again. Remember Douglas County as I do: tall strong fir trees, people who bring you pie because you just moved in; a community quick to accept someone new as one of their own. Teachers who love their students and care about their personal stories. People who want to learn and give back to the community that nested them and raised them. Think of us as a place of peace, a place where businesses open their doors to those in need. Where despite hardships, people still respect and love each other enough that violence just doesn't happen. Remember us. Remember them. In remembering, reach out to the people you love and let them know you love them. Hold them close. We lost beautiful people with bright and beautiful minds Thursday. Please don't let their lives be reduced to a single statistic.
STAFF
Reggie Beehner Staff Advisor Reggie.behneer@eku.edu Sam Dodson Business Manager Samantha.dodson@eku.edu
The Eastern Progress, Thursday, October 15, 2015
Page 5
Former colonel shares experience of NAU shooting Justine Caeg EDITOR'S NOTE: Caeg attended Eastern for one semester in 2012. She now attends Northern Arizona University. The night that will forever live so vivid in my mind, and the minds of countless others began like any ordinary Thursday night would have in the small, college town in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was a night full of pre-gaming, an outfit my mother would have not approved of, and deciding how we were going to spend our night, because after all, the weekend had finally begun for the students at Northern Arizona University. One of my good friends, who had just turned twenty-one made the executive decision that we were going to ring in the weekend by going bar hopping downtown, and frank-
ly, that was just what I needed after the stressful week I encountered. As we arrived downtown, the energy was electric and so was I after the three mixed drinks and tequila shot I guzzled down. As my friends and I made our way out of the last bar, the events that followed spiraled my friend and myself into a nightmare I so desperately wanted to wake up from. A guy approached my friend and myself and with a concerned look on his face and told us that there had been a shooting on the campus at NAU. A little buzzed and in denial that anyone would ever open fire in the one of the most uneventful towns in America, I brushed off the comment and headed into the shuttle to take us back to our apartment. As we got onto the shuttle, I realized that my friend had not gotten over the claim that someone was firing shots on campus as quickly as I did. She summoned over a shuttle attendant and asked if the rumors were true. In the most solemn tone she nodded her head and quietly whispered that four men from Delta Chi were shot and one of them was dead. The face of a guy that I briefly dated and a member of that same fraternity appeared in my mind and my heart sank. I can’t explain it, but I had this burning conviction that he was one of the victims. I texted him “Are you okay?”, hop-
ing that I was wrong and that my concern was just the tequila shot talking. A few seconds went by and I was alerted that the text never delivered because his number was disconnected. I cringed, knowing that this was not a good sign. As I tried my best to keep my composure for my friend, who was already beginning to lose it at the seams, I stumbled with her back into our apartment complex. It wasn’t long before I had dropped my purse on my bedroom floor, when I received a confirmation text from a friend that one of the victims was indeed my ex. Frantic, I called him and he told me the few details he knew about the situation. Relieved to hear that the guy I had once known so well had a good fighting chance to live, as well as his two other fraternity brothers, my heart ached for the one who was no longer with us. As we talked on the phone, I cried the hardest I have cried in quite sometime. The tears I shed were not for myself, but for the victims, their families, their fraternity brothers, and the entire Flagstaff community. In my broken heart and soul, I knew that this senseless decision of the man that pulled the trigger had forever tainted the near perfect, small college town so many had come to love.
Campus Sound Off Do you feel that Eastern handled the threat appropriately? "Yeah. I feel safe. Although, I think they could have told us more about what it all meant."
"I don't feel comfortable here on campus because I live in the dorm. I went to my friends house."
Tyler Napier Hometown: Harlan Major: History Year: Freshman
Abdullah Alzarani Hometown: Saudi Arabia Major: ELS
"I think they handled it well. It was a good idea that we closed on Wednesday. It's better to be safe than sorry."
"Everything was good and there was a lot of security. I felt safe. Everything was good."
Jeremy Carter Hometown: Cincinnati Major: Forensic Sciences Year: Sophomore
Minyaher Urgessa Hometown: Ethiopia Major: Marketing Year: Freshman
"I think closing campus was an appropriate response. I was here until Friday and they consolidated us into a few dorms. I didn't think that was the smartest move because if something did happen we were all just sitting ducks."
"I think they handled it well. You can't take anything like that lightly. But I thought having two dorms open was a little much."
Ashley Powers Hometown: Erlanger Major: Sociology Year: Senior
Catie Wells Hometown: Cincinnati Major: Elementary Education Year: Senior
Evan Nichols, Editor
The Eastern Progress | www.easternprogress.com
Coney’s five touchdown passes fuel Colonels blowout of Tennessee Tech By EVAN NICHOLS progress@eku.edu
Tennessee Tech (2-4, 1-2 OVC) had no answer for Colonel quarterback Bennie Coney as the junior threw five touchdowns to lead Eastern to a 48-17 romp of the Golden Eagles. After finding points on each of its first seven offensive possessions of the game, Eastern (3-2, 2-0 OVC) took a comfortable 41-10 lead into the locker room and compiled a total of 489 yards of offense during the first half. The Colonels gained 208 yards on the ground and 281 yards through the air before the intermission. Eastern finished with a total of 629 offensive yards for the game, while TennesJOHNNA SPEAKS/PROGRESS see Tech could only muster EKU wide receiver Arien Beasley (33) races for the end zone on his way to a 70-yard a total of 211 yards. Eastern’s aerial attack account- touchdown in the Colonel’s 48-17 win over TTU. ed for 382 yards and the ground game totaled 247 cylinders from the opening back Bryan Green on two just kept going and talking yards against the Golden kickoff as Eastern jumped more touchdown throws about it out there - ‘We’re out to a 17-0 lead at 3:03 in during the first half. Both gonna get this done, lets go, Eagles. scores came from three lets get it going’ - and they The game was scheduled the first quarter. Eastern’s first score came yards out. Coney complet- really showed a lot of mental to take place at Roy Kidd on the third play of the game ed 32 of 46 passes for 351 toughness.” Stadium on Thursday night, Senior running back but due to a security threat when Coney found fresh- yards, five touchdowns and man-receiver Arien Beastwo interceptions. Dy’Shawn Mobley put the on Eastern’s campus, the ley on a 70-yard touchdown “We prepared right and final stamp on the game by game was relocated nearly pass down the left sideline it showed out on the field,” scoring on a 9-yard touch40 miles away to Toyota Staof the field. Beasley led all Coney said. “We could have down reception with 3:36 dium in Georgetown. “Our kids have embraced receivers with 136 receiving played those guys in the remaining in the fourth the new normal, and that’s yards and one touchdown parking lot and still have put quarter. Mobley has been up a fight.” rounding back into form afthat nothing’s normal,” on four receptions. On the Colonels’ very After blowing a 21-point ter a nagging hamstring inEastern Head Coach Dean next drive, Coney threw a lead during the fourth quar- jury hampered the pre-seaHood said post-game. “I think it just shows our jump ball toward the back ter of last year’s meeting son All-American during kids’ toughness. Everything corner of the end-zone that with Tennessee Tech, as the first few games of the just keeps coming at them. his 6-foot-6 wide receiv- well as a 14-point lead late season. Mobley led all They’ve got responsibilities er Devin Borders climbed in the fourth quarter against rushers with 115 yards on and they’ve got things that the ladder to bring down. Kentucky during last week’s 25 carries. “Dy’Shawn is they’re committed to and The touchdown reception overtime loss, Head Coach Dy’Shawn, he’s elite,” Coney their teammates are count- capped a 13-play, 81-yard Dean Hood was hesitant to said. “All it takes is one play ing on them. When that’s drive to give Eastern a 14-0 take his foot off the gas and for him.” Eastern will be back in happening, you just have to lead nearly seven minutes put the reserves in for Eastern. action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, into the game. Borders finface the brutal facts of real“I really like how they Oct. 17 when the Colonels ity and you’ve gotta do your ished the game with five job, and they’ve done that,” catches for 36 yards and a finished,” Hood said. “We travel to Cape Girardeau, touchdown. didn’t get the job done Mo. to face the Southeast Hood said. Coney would go on to at Kentucky, we blew a Missouri State Redhawks Coney and the Colonels’ offense were firing on all find senior tight end Ben 21-point lead against these (2-3, 1-0 OVC). Madon and junior running guys last year and our guys
Thursday, October 15, 2015 Page 6
Eastern dominates Tennessee Tech in second OVC game JOEY CHAPMAN If the last two weeks of football have taught fans and media anything, it’s that this Colonels squad is a force to be reckoned with. Put them in a loud stadium against an SEC team, or change the site of a home game on short notice, this team will deliver. Junior quarterback Bennie Coney had the game of his life against Tennessee Tech last Thursday, throwing for five touchdowns on 3246 passing and 351 yards. The offense finished with 629 yards and Coney was honored as the OVC Offensive Player of the Week. The defense held Tech quiet by only allowing 211 total yards of offense. For the second week in a row, Eastern held the opposing team to under 65 rushing yards with TTU only amassing 63 yards. Ohio State transfer Noah Spence has continued to prove his worth, and was recently added to the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. Don’t let the 2-2 record fool you, because the team’s worth and strength goes far beyond it. There aren’t words that can properly articulate how good this team is and how far they’ve come. To be this good, Eastern still has plenty to do if it wants to win the OVC. Jacksonville State is still touted as the top team in FCS and is playing as strong as ever. The Gamecocks will face Tennessee Tech this weekend, which could be a major indicator as to what could happen when Eastern faces the team on Halloween. For now, Eastern has to focus on the two games ahead of itself, both homecoming dates with plenty on the line. The Colonels will also have to show just how strong it is on the road as only two of the six remaining games will be played at Roy Kidd Stadium. As the season progresses, there still isn’t much to scrutinize about the team. Coach Dean Hood seems to be working his magic with the squad as both the offense and defense are performing at their peak. It’s still a long road until the playoffs begin. The Colonels look great now, but no one can begin to predict what will happen over the next several weeks. Eastern will have to continue to take it one game at a time and hope that it can continue to ride the momentum of several strong showings that have its season on the right track.
After an overtime loss, EKU soccer bounces back on Senior Day By ROBERT RISTANEO progress@eku.edu
The Colonels lost to the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (7-5-2, 2-2-1 OVC) 1-0 in overtime on Thursday. The game was moved to Lexington and played at Transylvania University due to campus threats made earlier in the week. The game was tight throughout as it was the third game in a row the Colonels (2-12, 2-4 OVC) out-shot its opponents. Eastern out-shot Southeast Missouri State 10-9, but could never capitalize. Redhawks junior mid-fielder Christine Rohde headed in the game-winner two minutes into overtime to seal the game. Colonel senior forward Amani Thomas was all over the field, being moved from forward to defender in the middle of the game and never coming out. Eastern sophomore goalkeeper Anna Hall made one save on the day. The Colonels returned to action Sunday for Senior Day as UT Martin (4-9, 2-3 OVC) came to Richmond once campus activities were allowed to resume. The Colonels won 2-0 as sophomore mid-fielder Emmi Carroll was the hero of the day, scoring both goals. The game was scoreless throughout until Carroll came off the bench in the 75th minute and caught a pass from freshman forward Bailey Bounds to put
Eastern on the board. Carroll came up big again 10 minutes later to seal the 2-0 lead and the win for the Colonels. Eastern had not beaten UT Martin since 2011, which was a year before this senior class had arrived on campus. Eastern once again out-shot the competition by a count of 13-11. Senior goalkeeper Samm Melton got the start in the net for the first game since Sept. 13, and she made six saves and did not allow a single goal.
The win helped move the Colonels closer to the five conference win mark that its been looking for since the start of the year. Eastern currently sits in a fiveway tie for the last two playoff spots with two conference wins and only four conference games remaining in the season. “Our girls did an outstanding job today of understanding their individual roles, but also putting together a complete team effort,” Eastern Head Coach Andrew Fleming said following the win. “We were obviously very good defensive-
ly against a team that is traditionally as good as anyone in our conference. I’m especially happy for the six seniors who showed tremendous perseverance and character throughout the year.” Seniors Dani Cant, Melton, Thomas, Katie Bright, Mikala Ferguson and Merrissa Vault were all honored before the game and started for the Colonels. Eastern returns to action for a 5 p.m. kickoff, Friday, Oct. 16, when the Colonels travel to Eastern Illinois (3-10-2, 1-4-1 OVC).
PHOTOS COURTESY OF UTM SPORTS
(Left) Emmi Carrol (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring two goals in EKU’s 2-0 victory against UT Martin. (Right) Seniors Samm Melton (0), Amani Thomas (16), Katie Bright (14), Mikala Ferguson (5), Dani Cant (13) and Merrissa Vault (23) pose for Senior Day.
Colonel volleyball drops two weekend OVC matches on the road By JOEY CHAPMAN progress@eku.edu
Coming off a loss to Murray State, Eastern looked to win big on the road and improve its OVC record. The Colonels (3-18, 2-4 OVC) made the trek to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to face the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State University. Eastern was on its way to a win in the first set, but the Redhawks rallied late and fought its way to a 26-24
victory. Their strong play carried over into the second set, as Southeast Missouri State denied a comeback from the Colonels and took the set 25-20. Eastern came out of intermission and killed the Redhawks’ momentum by coming out strong in the third set and working its way up to a 19-14 lead. Two kills from senior outside hitter Ally Peters allowed the Colonels to establish a comfortable lead and Eastern eventually took the set 25-17.
Eastern couldn’t carry the momentum into the final set, where SEMO went on to win 25-20, picking up the 3-1 win. Eastern had to quickly rebound on Saturday when the Colonels took on UT Martin. In an intense first set, neither the Skyhawks or Colonels could establish an advantage. Eastern fell behind late and couldn’t rebound, losing 25-23. Eastern would have to battle back in the second set, this time leading 23-22. The Sky-
hawks tied the set at 23-apeice, though Eastern went on to win 26-24. UT Martin came out of the locker room and won big in the third set, 25-18. Eastern’s hopes of winning were derailed in the fourth set, when the www battled from behind to win 25-22, winning the match 3-1. Eastern continues it’s stretch of road games this weekend, where it’ll face conference foes Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech.