GOAL-GETTER
FEM FREEDOM
Senior Hannah Miller scores first season goal for the women’s soccer team. PAGE 7
Formerly known as the Women’s Empowerment League, FEM continues the fight for gender equality. PAGE 2
THE
D aily E astern N ews
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 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. 12 W W W . D A I L YE A S TE R N N E W S . C O M
Steeples sentenced to 45 years for murder By Mackenzie Freund City Editor | @mgfreund_news
PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION BY JASON HOWELL | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Freedom from Smoking clinics are available through the Health Education and Resource Center to help students, faculty and staff who wish to quit smoking. Eastern became a tobacco-free campus on July 1.
HERC offers help through clinic By Luis Martinez Entertainment Editor| @DEN_News Eastern went tobacco free at the beginning of July along with other public universities in Illinois. Tobacco products of any kind are prohibited on campus, which includes e-cigarettes and other vapors. However, the American Lung Association created a program to help assist students in breaking their smoking habits. Amanda Harvey, the assistant director for Health Education and Promotion, said the clinic was available since 2004. “The Freedom from Smoking clinic, developed by the American Lung Association, is a seven-week clinic that assists individuals to quit smoking,” Harvey said. “There is a step-by-step plan provided to the attendees.” Harvey also said some of the staff for the Heath Education Resource Center received training from the American Lung Association. “The idea is that through the support of the
groups and the facilitator, participants will quit smoking successfully,” Harvey said. “Some of the HERC staff has been trained by the American Lung Association to offer the clinics right here on campus.” Even thought Eastern is now a tobacco free campus, these services would have been offered any way. “We want to offer services that are relevant to our students. Even though there was a change in policy, we would have offered Freedom From Smoking either way,” Harvey said. Harvey said she wants to provide services that encourage a healthy campus community through the program. “The step-by-step plan assists with participants quitting smoking,” Harvey said. “Additionally, the support from group members is key. Having support from others going through the same behavior is key.” Harvey also said while the program does offer group support, individual students could contact the HERC staff for additional support. “We do a variety each semester,” Harvey
said. “This fall semester, we had three sessions available to students and four for faculty and staff. We really look at the need and plan from there.” Different dates are available for the sessions depending on whether or not they are for students or faculty and staff. The sessions for students will be held at 4 p.m. Sept. 8 and Sept. 13, and the sessions for faculty and staff will be at noon Sept. 14 and at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 15. Harvey also said if participants show any additional interest for the sessions, there may be more in the future. “Registration is required,” Harvey said. “There is a $30 fee for students and $75 fee for faculty and staff. Faculty and staff may be reimbursed through Central Management Services upon completion of the program.” Luis Martinez can be reached at 581-2812 or lpmartinez@eiu.edu
CATS graphic designer leaves impact By Cassie Buchman Administration Editor|@cjbuchman Ira Yarbrough, a graphic designer in the Center for Academic Technology Support, died Monday, Aug. 17, 2015 at the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. Yarbrough retired from Eastern in 2014. Born in St. Louis, Mo., Yarbrough grew up in Chicago. He went to school at Eastern, receiving an undergraduate degree in art. He later received a master’s of fine arts degree in drawing and painting from Northern Illinois University. Michael Babcock, a videographer in the web office at Eastern, said he shared an office with Yarbrough for eight years.
“We shared a lot. We shared stories, thoughts and feelings about everything from the disheveled squirrel outside our office window to confidences I have only shared with a handful of good friends in my life,” Babcock said. He remembers Yarbrough as having the respect and admiration of the entire office. “He was the foundation of CATS and the glue that held it together,” Babcock said. “He was a mentor, a friend and a refuge on stressful days. He always gave an honest opinion and presented it with tact and respect.” Because he was so honest, everyone in the office wanted to hear his perspective no matter what the circumstance was. “He understood and valued the thoughts and
perspectives of everyone around him, whether he agreed with them or not,” Babcock said. “With every individual CATS hired, Ira was looking ahead. He had a real gift for understanding the dynamics of an office.” Yarbrough was even the creator of a newsletter for CATS. Babcock said it was an example of his desire for CATS to succeed in serving the Eastern community. “I would guess Yarbrough’s advice was sought after by everyone in CATS at one point or another,” Babcock said. “Yarbrough was a hard worker who always had the best interests and future of CATS in mind.” DESIGNER, page 6
Larry Steeples, 54, was sentenced to spend the rest of his natural life in prison Friday for the murder of Gina Giberson, 47. Steeples is to spend 45 years in prison, 516 days of which have already been served. He will be 99 years old at the end of his sentence. The jury found Steeples guilty of first-degree murder, rejecting claims that he acted in self-defense or that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. St e e p l e s’ a t t o r ney, Lupita Thompson, filed for a hearing to have Steeples’ sentence reduced. During Friday’s hearing, Thompson said she believed Steeples would not live to see the end of the sentence. L ARRY STEEPLES “Most healthy people only live to be about 80-years-old,” Thompson said. “My client has had medical issues along with substance and alcohol abuse.” Thompson said the sentence should be reduced because Steeples was mentally ill at the time the murder took place. Thompson told Judge Mitchell Shick that Steeples suffers from acute stress disorder, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder and brain damage, according to MRI results. Shick said Steeples’ mental illness does not mean he did now know right from wrong, however. Thompson brought Steeples’ sisters, his exwife, his ex-girlfriend and his best friend to the stand to justify his character. Thompson said the plaintiffs, represented by State Attorney Brian Bower and Assistant States Attorney Robert Scales, did not tell her there was more DNA evidence. Judge Shick told Steeples he could say something to help his case, but Steeples said he did nothing wrong. During the first court case, it was found that Steeples went to Giberson’s house on April 7, 2014, kicked in her door, went into her room and shot Giberson five times while she slept. Steeples was believed to be heard in the background of a 9-1-1 call saying things like “where’s the ambulance, she needs help.” Giberson filed for an Order of Protection against Steeples, which was broken a couple of times by both parties. The order of protection was filed on March 18, 2014 and the hearing date was set for April 8, 2014. Reports show Steeples’ murder was pre-meditated and Steeples told police he would have killed a second person. Thompson filed to have another sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. Friday. Mackenzie Freund can be reached at 581-2812 or mgfreund@eiu.edu