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Daily Egyptian THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 VOLUME 98 ISSUE 118
Seven sexual assaults reported this semester Luke Nozicka
Daily Egyptian
The SIU Department of Public Safety has identified all six suspects, four of whom are in custody, in the battery of a former student near the Agriculture Building on Sept. 30, the student said. Chris Hooks, a 26-year-old alumnus who was attacked while walking toward the library about 9:30 p.m., said DPS is searching for the other two. At least two of the arrested suspects are not affiliated with the university, according to an SIU Alert released Oct. 1.
Hooks, of St. Elmo, said he was punched three to four times before falling to the ground on the sidewalk in between the Agriculture Building and Thompson Woods. He said when he fought back, the attackers, who he didn’t know, fled into Thompson Woods. Hooks, who has a bachelor of economics, a bachelor of marketing and a master of economics from the university, said the incident lasted about 30 seconds. “I had gotten a phone call and 20 seconds later I hear a ‘skip, skip, skip’ come running up
behind me, so I look over my right shoulder and I see this dude running up behind me and he just jumps up, spins and unloads in my face,” Hooks said in an interview Oct. 2. “I think I blacked out for a second.” DPS is working to build the case with the State’s Attorney’s Office, according to an email from Hooks on Wednesday. They are preparing for a jury trial, he wrote. This story will be updated online as more information becomes available.
Carnival creates sustainable ideas
12 Sexual assaults since January Aug.
7 assaults since Aug. 20
Please see ASSAULTS · 2
Luke Nozicka
Jan.
Daily Egyptian
Two Chicago police officers say women are most vulnerable to sexual assaults on college campuses between orientation and Thanksgiving break, a time period they call the “red zone.” While being in this zone at SIU, there have been seven sexual assaults reported to the Department of Public Safety, according a DPS news release Wednesday, and the online daily crime log. The department released numbers from January to Oct. 1, and two additional assaults reportedly occurred on Oct. 5 and 15. No sexual assaults have been reported to SIU-Edwardsville’s Police Department during this time period, according to an email by SIUE’s Police Chief Kevin Schmoll on Tuesday. About 14,000 students attend SIUE and about 18,000 attend SIUC, according to the university’s 10day enrollment figures. Chicago Police Department officer Jack Shilney, 49, said one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college. “It happens to about 3 percent of men as well,” said Shilney, who created a class called College Bound Safe and Sound in May 2013 with another Chicago officer, Josh Weitzman. The class educates high school seniors and incoming college freshman about crimes that occur on campuses nationwide. “For every [sexual assault] that happens at school, there are six that go unreported,” Shilney said. “When you think about that it’s like 20 percent of women will fall victim of sexual assault while they’re away at school, and then for every one of those women, six more are victims but they don’t ever report it.”
Four suspects in custody for campus battery
20 Sept. 5 11 13
14
Oct. 5
15
Source: Wednesday DPS press release and two additional reports that occured after Oct. 1, according to the online crime log.
A idAn O sbOrne d Aily e gyptiAn Savannah McCord, center, a senior from St. Louis studying business management and psychology, instructs an annual yoga class Wednesday at the Student Center, as part of Campus Sustainability Day. “If we are trying to create sustainability for the earth, it is important that we create sustainability for our bodies,” McCord said.
Gabriella Scibetta Daily Egyptian
SIU Sustainability hosted an environmentally friendly series of events for the “fall version” of Earth Day called Campus Sustainability Day. The Student Center art gallery was home to the first “Sustainival” Wednesday. Many “green,” do-it-yourself products were given out at the carnival. Popcorn, snow cones, balloons, cotton candy and coffee were prepared using sustainable methods. Sustainablity is the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance. Kris Schachel, sustainability coordinator at SIU, hosted the event and said the carnival was just the beginning of what the office had in store for anyone who wanted to participate. “We have a responsibility to prepare people, students and also faculty and staff, to help them understand the sustainability challenges we are facing and give them the tools to address those,” Schachel said. She said Campus Sustainability Day is specific to institutions of higher learning. The event included a free carnival, free
yoga class and a free showing of “Plastic Paradise,” a documentary on plastic polluting Earth’s oceans. “We wanted the carnival to be quick and attention grabbing, whereas the yoga session would be where people would relax their body and then share in an experience to learn something visually,” Schachel said. Sydne Rensing, a junior studying public relations from Albers, attended the carnival and said it was enlightening. “All of the natural products that are good for you, and all the environmental stuff, it was actually really neat,” she said. “I didn’t realize they had all of that stuff down there.” She said there were free sustainabilityrelated giveaways. “There was a lot more than I expected,” Rensing said. “We got to make our own free body scrub made out of all natural products, we got free soap, learned a lot of information about animals and we were entered into win free cups that the craft shop makes.” Vendors at the event displayed their work and handed out free samples. Verlinda Newton, owner of Sanctuary Home Spa Works, LLC., was selling a variety of soaps and explained the natural process she uses to make them. Newton grows, grinds and infuses
homegrown herbs to make different kinds of soaps. “This is a soap that most doctors and allergists would say to get because it is gentle to the skin,” Newton said. “I found that the soap that you buy in the stores is [made of ] detergent and chemicals.” Newton said it is best to use these organic and fresh products instead of exposing the skin to harsh chemicals. She said there are a few cancer patients among her customers who use her product during therapy. Sonya Willis, a graduate student from Rock Island studying human resources, is a sustainability office assistant and said there are many aspects to being sustainable. “When I came to interview for this job, I knew nothing about recycling,” Willis said. “I thought it was just recycling and I quickly found out that its about is using only what you need.” She said she feels many students are not aware of sustainability beyond recycling. “I wanted to put all of this together and it worked out very good to let everyone know that being sustainable is not about being a vegetarian,” she said. “It’s about eating fruit, drinking healthy coffee and having information.” Please see SUSTAINABILITY · 2