BYE, BYE, BYE
Eastern’s football team enters their bye week while three other teams in the OVC remain undefeated. Page 8
TUTOR TURMOIL
Homework Heroes, a program that lets Eastern students tutor other Eastern students, has seen minimal participation this semester. Page 2
Dai ly Eastern News
THE
WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
VOL. 98 | ISSUE 37
administr ation
WEIU to outsource master control By Robert Downen Administration Editor @DEN_News A lack of future grants and funding from the federal government has forced WEIU to begin a process to outsource its master control services to an Arkansas-based media company. Jack Neal, general manager of WEIU Radio and TV, said the station’s budget is simply too small to continue updating the current master
control system located in Buzzard Hall. Two employees oversee the current system, and though Neal said the application of the proposed $337,000, five-year contract could take as long as ten months, he said it is likely that at least one of the two positions will eventually be dismissed. “Theoretically, both of those positions will go away,” he said. “I’d obviously like to see those positions move somewhere else within EIU, but I can’t promise anything.” The station, which provides radio and television
programming to 22 counties throughout central Illinois, began the transfer of master controls following approval from Eastern’s Board of Trustees late last month. Neal said the switch to an outside control system realistically would not save the station much in the way of operational costs, but said the looming need to replace the necessary equipment would have forced the station to reallocate money from content creation. “That’s one of the things we’re protecting by
doing this,” he said. “We’re a content creator, primarily. That’s what we want to make sure we can spend our money on. I think it’s one of the natural evolutions of this time.” In past years, WEIU has received roughly 75 percent of its control funding through the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP), a federal grant program designed to promote public broadcast projects.
WEIU, page 5
c ampus
Students stand silent against domestic abuse
Jason Howell | The Daily Eastern Ne ws
The Women’s Empowerment League held an hour of silence Monday outside on the Library Quad to raise awareness for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Deija Dunning, a freshman psychology major, came up with the idea because most domestic violence incidents are never reported.
ADMINISTRATION
Link provides composite sexual assault resources By Rachel Rodgers Special Projects Reporter @rj_rodgers The implementation of the sexual assault prevention website sets Eastern apart from other universities in Illinois by having an identifiable link on the main homepage, President Bill Perry said. The Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Resources and Prevention site was launched on Sept. 11. The link to the site can be found at the bottom of the Eastern homepage in the form of a teal ribbon. “I believe it is now easier to access information and easier for individuals to report incidents,” Perry said. “Revising our website is part of a larger effort to enhance campus security and safety.”
The idea for the site was introduced in March, and Perry said the project was planned and put together during the summer. The site contains links to 20 different sexual assault informational pages including definitions of terms, reporting options, medical options, support services, resources, university procedures, risk reduction and bystander intervention. Jackie Hines, the associate director of the Counseling Center and Sexual Assault Prevention, said the purpose of the new site is to provide comprehensive information that is readily available for students in one place. “Our hope is to decrease confusion regarding where to find information and to make sure that the information being provided is consistent,” she said.
Jenny Greenberg, a junior English major and the president of the Women’s Empowerment League, said though the site provides a good start to improving how the university responds to sexual assault issues, students should be made more aware of these new initiatives. “Unless you are told about the tiny button at the bottom of the page, you are not going to know that it is there,” Greenberg said. “It’s a good step in the right direction, but much greater strides will need to be made to show that the university supports victims and doesn’t want them to feel alone.” Hines said making electronic resources about sexual assault available is crucial in technologydriven times and provides an outlet for resources on and off campus. “Trends in working with college students sug-
gest that students seek out information online at high rates,” Hines said. “Individuals who have been traumatized may have difficulty seeking out services in person and may feel more comfortable seeking out information online.” She added the Counseling Center formed a university workgroup at the beginning of the summer including Sandy Cox, the director of the Counseling Center; Jody Stone, the associate director of residential life and conference services in housing and dining; Heather Webb, the director of Student Standards; University Police Chief Adam Due; and Cynthia Nichols, the director of the Civil Rights and Diversity office. Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.