Daily Egyptian DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015
SINCE 1916
VOL. 99 ISSUE 44
A bbie i yun | Daily Egyptian Participants at the Children’s 1k Autism Color Fun Run/Walk throw colored powder in the air during the color blast, the final event in which participants gather to create a color cloud, on Saturday at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex. The children’s 1k walk/ run had four color blast stations with volunteers spraying blue, yellow, red and green powdered paint on the runners. The Autism Society of Illinois-SIU Chapter, who organized the event, provides services to individuals and their families living with autism, while offering training and spreading awareness about autism. Raising an autisic child can cost families more than $60,000 per year in medical and other expenses. The proceeds from the Color Fun Run/Walk benefits the Autism Society of Illinois-SIU Chapter.
Fire destroys Carbondale home Tyler DAvis | @TDavis_DE Residents of a West Hospital Drive home were alerted Sunday morning that their house was on fire — not by their fire alarms, but by the owner of the neighboring Dairy Queen. Alexa Lyons, who lives in the house at 208 W. Hospital Drive said the building caught fire about 10 a.m. Sunday. She said the alarms in the structure did not go off until six people and a dog were evacuated from the home. Four SIU students live in the house, owned by Home Rentals. There were also three students from different Chicago colleges visiting the home, named after the 1978 film “Animal House,” at the time of the blaze.
1,700 people sign petition to replace Rauner as a commencement speaker
luke nOzickA | @LukeNozicka
Please see FIRE | 3
Following the news that Gov. Bruce Rauner will be one of three keynote speakers at this year’s May graduation, a student created a change.org petition asking the university’s administration to replace him. “Choosing him as a keynote speaker is a slap in the face to SIU students and faculty who already deal with underfunded programs and facilities,” according to the petition page, which was started by Emily Neal, a senior from Paducah, Ky., studying radio, television and digital media. “How can anyone be
of students or these types, I want it to be a unified voice.” With the uncertainty of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget, which would slash 32 percent of state funding to higher education, Shelton said his job as student trustee will be to make sure essential programs do not get cut. In regards to President Randy Dunn’s 6 percent tuition increase recommendation, Shelton said a tuition increase is not good, but it is something students may have to deal with. “College is already hard enough to afford,” he said. “All I can do as a trustee is to make sure that tuition increase is being reciprocated positively on the other side. If you’re going to increase tuition, let me get more resources for students.”
Shelton, who was a resident assistant from August 2013 to May 2014 for Schneider Hall’s Black Male Initiative floor, said he is familiar with being a leader. He said he hopes to help get the student trustee vote appointed. “Decisions were being made... and the students had no input,” he said. “Yeah the trustee was there to do the best he could, but at the end of the day, there was no vote. If you don’t have a vote, you don’t have a voice.” As comedy director for the Student Programming Council, Shelton said he is used to and enjoys organizing events for students. “A couple Wednesdays ago, we had a comedy show in the ballrooms, and 900 students were there,” he said. “The best part about that was the next day,
A iDAn O sbOrne | @AidanOsborne_DE A firefighter extinguishes remaining hotspots on the roof of a Carbondale home that set fire Sunday.
The cause of fire is still being investigated, but Lyons said she believes it was an electrical fire. There is no estimated cost of damage
and no injuries were reported by the students, said Doug Biggs, assistant Carbondale fire chief.
expected to celebrate progress when our keynote speaker is someone who only intends to set us back?” Rauner, who is proposing a 32 percent cut to higher education, will speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony — for students in the College of Business and the College of Education and Human Services — on May 16. As of 10 p.m. Sunday, the petition had more than 1,780 supporters. Neal, who is graduating in May, said she felt offended and insulted when she heard the news that Rauner would be a keynote speaker. Please see RAUNER | 3
Students hope to become next representative on board DAily egypTiAn sTAff The next Carbondale student representative on the SIU Board of Trustees will be elected later this week. Voting for the position, currently held by Adrian Miller, begins at 6 a.m. Tuesday and ends at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Three students are running for the position and below is more information on each candidate. Allen C. Shelton Allen C. Shelton, a junior from Chicago Heights studying communication studies, said if elected Carbondale’s next student trustee, he will represent students with positivity and progression. Shelton, vice president of SIU’s Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, said as
student trustee, he will hold open forum discussions with students at least twice a month to better understand their issues and needs. “Students complain or want things to happen on campus and they don’t know how to get to that, have that outlet,” he said. “I’m going to be that outlet.” Shelton, who looks up to President Barack Obama, said he will meet with organizations — such as Africana Studies, the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Resource Center and the Undergraduate Student Government — to be their voice on the board. “If we get everyone together... we can really hash out some things,” he said. “I don’t want to be focused on these types
@DAilyegypTiAn
when I was walking to Morris Library, and hearing students... talking, ‘Man, did you go to the comedy show last night? That was a great time. I needed that laugh.’” Tariq Collins Tariq Collins, a junior from Munster, Ind., studying philosophy, wants students to vote for him as the next student trustee because he plans to increase inclusivity on campus. Collins said with Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts to public universities, students need to unite and let their voices be heard. “The budget cuts are something that need to be dealt with,” he said. “We should come together as a student body and try to fight this.” Please see TRUSTEE | 4
For updates on the announcement of top chancellor candidates, which could be today, follow us on Twitter.