FINAL VICTORY
YOUNG CHEMISTS
The Eastern women’s soccer team defeated Southern Illinois Edwardsville Thursday to finish its season.
The Women Chemists Committee will host a Halloween chemistry event for girls in grades 5-7.
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Friday, October 30, 2015 “TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID” C E L E BRATI NG A CE NTUR Y OF COV E RA GE 19 15- 201 5
VOL. 100 | NO. 49 W W W . D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S . C O M
State budget impasse affects local services By T’Nerra Butler Multicultural Editor | @DEN_News A social service agency known to many on campus is facing hardships because of the current budget impasse in the Illinois government. The Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Service relies heavily on state funding and without knowing the budget, the agency is sorting out their next steps. This is the first time the agency has been faced with a threat of future closing. Erin Walters, the executive director of SACIS, said the non-profit rape crisis center offers free and confidential services to those impacted by sexual violence. She said SACIS runs off of federal funds supporting their services, including grants. Walters said the agency has used up all their reserved funds to carry them along and that the state is supposed to reimburse them for their expenses. Right now, the state has not given SACIS their reimbursement payments, so SACIS has been running their reserved funds and taken out a loan to keep their services going. Without the federal dollars the agency could close. “I’m happy to report that we did receive enough federal funds to allow us to continue for a longer period of time,” Walters said. “Right now, I do know that we are guaranteed services through the month of November and could potentially cover our expenses through December.” Walters said she does not see SACIS having any additional resources to support the services beyond December. She is working with the board of directors to determine if there are steps to take so they can make small changes to avoid closure. When SACIS began it had only volunteers. It was not until 1983 when SACIS started paid positions. Walters said she has tried to consider giving her staff furlough days, or reducing work hours, but she does not want to risk laying off her staff. “These are very incremental changes that would not have as negative an impact as if we were to have to close our doors,” Walters said. Joseph McLean, the office manager for the foreign languages department, worked closely with SACIS while being the office manag-
FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Nick Fetrell and Dan Alix hold their fellow ROTC member, Craig Sharp as he struggles to complete a mile in heels during Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Sunday. ROTC was a sponsor of the event, which was hosted by Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Servies (SACIS) on April 27, 2014.
er for the Women’s Resource Center. “I can’t believe they would hold our state hostage and put things in jeopardy like higher education and advocacy for victims of sexual assault or domestic violence, or children,” McLean said. “I think they have no conscience when it comes to that sort of thing.” McLean said the people of Illinois elected Gov. Bruce Rauner, a billionaire, and he got a foot in the door because of how the previous governor ran things. He said the rich are still getting richer so now it seems the state’s workers are balancing everything on their backs. “If education doesn’t matter, I don’t know
what matters to them anymore,” McLean said. “He better get in and do what damage he can because he can’t turn his back on the union employees and state workers and think he’s going to get re-elected.” McLean said SACIS provides a resource the community needs. He said a victim’s first thoughts should not be where to go or how much to pay. Walters said it is sad because the budget deficit has existed for years and it has not magically appeared. She said she cannot venture a guess on what caused it, but she knows who did not cause it. “It was not the survivors in this state, it
CAA revises 2 courses Shots fired By Elias Albert Staff Reporter | @DEN_News The Council on Academic Affairs made changes to curriculum in the sections of music and history during its meeting Thursday. In the music department, revisions were made to the course MUS 4980 Workshop in Music, which will now have online and hybrid options for students who wish to take it. Shellie Gregorich, a professor in the music department, gave the proposal in favor of the course adjustments. Gregorich said the music department was looking to change the way that the course was delivered and give students additional leeway in choosing the course. “This is really part of a larger revision of two of our Master of Arts concentrations,” Gregorich said. “We’re looking to increase our enrollment by just expanding our avail-
ability and flexibility.” Gregorich said the course will involve work over two different summers during sixweek sessions. She said it will start online then translate to classroom-based classes. History saw revisions by way of the course HIS 3950. This course will incorporate aspects of popular culture. Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska, a professor in the history department, spoke on behalf of the course. Rymsza-Pawlowska said the class will be known as History of U.S. Popular Culture. She said the class was something that both students and staff in the department wanted to see. “I’ve taught this class before at my previous institution,” Rymsza-Pawlowska said. “It’s exactly what it sounds like and students seem to like it a lot.”
CAA, page 6
reported on 10th Street Staff Report | @DEN_News At 8:32 p.m. Thursday, students and faculty received an off-campus crime advisory via email for a shooting reported near the intersection of 10th Street and Garfield Avenue. The Charleston Police Department responded to a report of shots being fired in the 1800 block of 10th Street. According to the advisory, a pedestrian wearing dark clothing allegedly fired shots at a beige colored vehicle. The Charleston Police can be reached at 3458422 and University Police can be reached at 581-3212.
was not individuals with disabilities, it wasn’t elderly services, it wasn’t children’s programs, nor domestic violence survivors,” Walters said. “It wasn’t all of these social services that caused it, yet it feels like they’re the ones who are suffering the most.” Abbey Haughee, a conditional relief agent, said she supervises sex offenders. Haughee has worked on SACIS’s board in the past and said she knew SACIS was in a difficult position, but she was not aware to what degree. She said a world without SACIS seems unfathomable.
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TRICK-OR-TREAT HOURS Charleston’s trick-or-treat hours will be Saturday 5:30-8 p.m. Tips of a safe night on Halloween: -Children should always be accompanied by an adult. -Parents should plan a route for their children ahead of time. -Make sure children stick to that route and stay in well-lit areas. -Children should wait to eat candy until adults have examined the goods. -Children should never enter the home of a stranger to receive candy. -Let children know to stick with their friends if going out without supervision.
FALL BACK REMINDER Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. Clocks will need to be set back one hour.