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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016
SWINGERS | University Swingers traveled to Iowa, where they took second place in a swing festival Continued from page 1 The Swingers competed against teams from across the Midwest at the event, which also offered classes on various types of dances. Choreographer senior Shanon Barton said the University Swingers always are looking to learn more about swing dancing so they can teach it to others and spread their love of this dance style. She said they do so by attending workshops and having weekly Wednesday and Sunday practices. Although swing dance has historical roots, Barton said the Swingers find ways to make it modern. For example, she said the group’s performance for the competition featured traditional 1930s steps and Beyoncé moves. Having fast-paced songs with different dynamics makes it easier to choreograph and more enjoyable to dance, Barton said. Additionally, she said the performance captured the audience’s attention. Barton said most of the work the Swingers do happens during their weekly practices, but two weeks before the competition, they began to practice everyday for two hours. She said outside of practice, many partners will practice together, and also exercise and maintain a healthy diet. Senior Christina Scocchera, Swingers vice president, said she has been a part of the team for three years and competed against some of the same teams during past swing festivals. Scocchera said teams that had previously beaten Truman placed below
KPD takes over sexual assault investigation By Johanna Burns and Chris Burk
Assitant News Editor and Contributing Writer index.newseditor@gmail.com
Submitted photo Seniors, Christina Scocchera and Adam Raines perform a dance move at the Heartland Swing Festival. The University Swingers took second place this year. the Swingers at the Heartland Festival this year. Scocchera also said because the first place team was made up of rising professionals and the third place team hired professional choreographers, it was still rewarding to come in second place. For these reasons, Scocchera said she was excited to see the Swingers on a path to improvement. Swingers secretary junior Allison Kelly said three choreographers designed the team dance, taught it to the dancers, and then worked hard with the team to master it before leaving for Midterm Break. Kelly said getting to Heartland is the Swinger’s goal every year, and working toward it is exhausting but rewarding.
Sara Holzmeier, Department of Public Safety director, sent out an email Sunday morning announcing a reported sexual assault now under investigation by the Kirksville Police Department. The assault allegedly took place in the early morning of April 10 between a female Truman student and a male acquaintance at a Truman State fraternity house on Michigan Street. “Since it occurred off-campus, we contacted KPD and had them meet us at the hospital,” Holzmeier said. KPD Detective Steve Feeney said the process usually involves a preliminary interview with the reporting victim. Feeney said from that point, there are a couple different routes the investigation can take. Feeney said if the victim is injured, the police might call an ambulance or take the victim to the hospital. “If there was a sexual assault we’re going to ask that they go to the ER to do a rape kit,” Feeney said. Feeney said a rape kit involves a doctor examining the victim and collecting evidence and clothing. “We’re going to try to identify our suspect and where the crime took place,” Feeney said. Feeney said if they locate the suspect, the police department interviews the suspect and collects evidence. Feeney said
depending on when the incident occurred and was reported, they might do a suspect rape kit. The police will collect evidence from the location of the crime. Feeney said the department fills out a sexual assault questionnaire. Feeny said the department brings in someone from victim support services to help facilitate those questions. “When it is females that come in a report this [sexual assault], sometimes it’s hard for females to talk to males,” Feeney said. Feeney said once they have answered the questionnaire and gathered all the evidence, the department passes on a report to the prosecutor’s office. The process can vary in the amount of time it takes to investigate, depending on factors such as lab results and whether or not the investigators can locate the suspect, witnesses and location of the incident, Feeney said. “It’s something that we try to jump on and get done,” Feeney said. “Nowadays if we don’t get everybody talked to right there then stuff travels pretty quick, so it’s pretty hard for us to get good interviews.” Feeney said once the report is filed the police department’s role in the case is finished, with the exception of testifying. Feeney said victims can call emergency dispatch, contact a police officer, the police department, crisis lines or victim support services, or go into a hospital to report a sexual assault. Feeney said he could not comment on the alleged sexual assault case that is currently under investigation.
Student Senate candidates explore campaign techniques By Jonah McKeown and Paige Yungermann Staff Writers
With the U.S. presidential nomination process in full swing, Truman State students are launching their own political campaigns. Student Senate elections will take place April 18-19. Campaigning began last Monday, and many candidates plan to explore new and innovative methods of reaching potential voters. Student Senate is a student-run organization that works with other organizations like Faculty Senate and the Board of Governors to enact change on behalf of the student body. Junior Kyra Cooper, Student Senate ethics justice and head of this year’s elections, said any full-time student can run for Student Senate as long as they have a 2.75 GPA and have attended at least one Student Senate meeting. Cooper said
most Senate hopefuls are in the process of collecting signatures on petitions from fellow students to allow them to enter the race — a potential presidential candidate and their running mate need 250 signatures together, while 150 signatures are needed for candidates for other Senate positions. Many presidential and vice presidential candidates will designate a campaign manager and other team members to assist them. Cooper said many candidates use social media and posters to promote their candidacy, and many choose to campaign outside on The Quad. Although there is no set cap on how much a candidate is allowed to spend, Cooper said there is an unwritten understanding not to spend a large amount of money on a campaign. Although candidates are free to use a variety of media and methods to promote themselves, Student Senate outlines some restrictions and guidelines —
Now accepting scholarship applications for 2016-17
students are not allowed to campaign in the Student Union Building, for example, or in residence halls. “It kind of depends on how you want to creatively approach the process,” Cooper said. “I know students are really good at finding new, innovative ways to campaign.” One student basing his campaign heavily on social media is sophomore Brandon Bethel, who is running for Funds Allotment Council chair. In addition to using social media, Bethel will speak to different organizations on campus to gather support. “[Running for Student Senate] is definitely an undertaking,” Bethel said. “It’s a lot of work. You definitely have to be prepared for it. It is something that there could be politics involved in it, so you have to have your goals and ideals and stick to those and defend them, but it’s also pretty good experience, too.” Bethel said he does not see the point in
spending large amounts of money for this campaign, and said so far he has only spent $6 to purchase a website domain name. Junior Clarissa Todd and freshman Remy McClain are running for president and vice president, respectively. The pair has employed two campaign managers to help them gather support. In addition to using more traditional forms of social media like Facebook, Todd said they are exploring the possibility of getting a Snapchat geofilter that would cover part of campus on the day of the election. Several U.S. presidential candidates already use Snapchat filters. “It’s less about brand new features since Truman’s policies are still older policies about what you can and can’t do [for your campaign],” Todd said, “So considering things like Snapchat filters don’t have regulations yet, we’re very much having to toe the line when we can and make sure it’s passed by several people beforehand.”
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