Daily Egyptian MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
VOL. 100 ISSUE 16
SINCE 1916
Jacob Wiegand | @JacobWiegand_DE Community members gather Sunday evening at a candlelight vigil for the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris at Carbondale Town Square.
Community members gather to support victims and mourn ANNA SPOERRE | @ASpoerre_DE
Candlelight reflected in the faces of young and old Sunday evening to support France and mourn the deaths of at least 132 killed and more than 350 wounded Friday in a series of attacks in Paris, the deadliest in France since World War II, according to CNN. More than 100 community
members came together for the silent candlelight vigil at the Carbondale Town Square Pavilion. Mayor John “Mike” Henry was among those in attendance, in addition to members of city council and fire department. Henry said he was glad the community could come together spur of the moment. After allowing the crowd a few
minutes of silence to reflect on the events, Peter Vanmuylder, who organized the event, addressed the crowd. “We are all outraged, sickened and overwhelmed by these recent attacks on Paris and around the world.” President Barack Obama called the crimes an attack on humanity,
and promised to offer France, America’s oldest ally, whatever assistance it needs in combating terrorism. Vanmuylder said it is difficult to stay quiet and sit still in the aftermath of acts against humanity, which is why everyone gathered Sunday night. Vanmuylder said he immediately
spoke with his family and friends overseas when he found out about the attacks. After contacting a couple of friends, he said he put together the event. Sixteen hours later, it became a reality. “I was in shock,” Vanmuylder said. “I had to do something.” Please see VIGIL | 2
DOD funding explains SIU’s militarized university ranking CORY RAY | @coryray_DE
While SIU lacks a fleet of tanks, one study shows the university’s military ties. A recent study from Vice News ranked SIU as the 23rd most militarized university in the U.S. and said military relations at universities has been on the rise since 9/11. One explanation for the university’s ranking is the amount of financial support Department of Defense for research and the 28 offcampus programs on military bases, said University Spokesperson Rae Goldsmith. SIU’s extended campus has programs for students serving on military bases in states across
America, with many in Illinois but others as far as California. “We have been active on military bases and supportive of veterans on our campus for many, many years,” Goldsmith said. “It’s actually a point of pride for us.” Vice News reported a total of nearly $1.5 million in Department of Defense research and development funding to SIU; however, the figure reported by Vice is ambiguous as it does not state the time period in which the amount pertains to. Kathleen Campbell, an audiology professor researcher in the School of Medicine, was granted $2.5 million by the Department of Defense in 2013. Additionally, Brandon Cox, a pharmacology professor at the
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School of Medicine received nearly $1.5 million in September from the Department of Defense in hearingloss research. In total, Campbell said the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health and other sources have granted her more than $11 million to research drug and noise-induced hearing loss. Hearing loss is a major concern for troops in the military because it frequently affects them. “[Noise-induced hearing loss] is the most expensive and the most common disability in our troops,” Campbell said. Campbell is developing an oral drug that could treat the effects of noise-induced hearing loss and is
working on having it approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Goldsmith also said programs offered at the university such as cyber-security may attract graduates to military or government-related jobs. The Southern Illinois Collegiate Cyber Co-op scholarship is funded by the National Security Agency and grants 14 one-time scholarships at $1,000 each to SIU students. Vice reported the school ranks 26th in producing top-secret clearance level scientists and engineers. Of the total student population, 5 percent of students at the university use a GI Bill, a veteran benefit, to cover tuition, according to Vice.
Vice also cited the school’s military ROTC program and the Department of Homeland Security as other related government affiliations. The Department of Homeland Security recognizes the School of Information Systems and Applied Technologies as a a national Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. “We have a commitment, a long-standing commitment, to serve veterans and duty military,” Goldsmith said. “We are offering relevant academic programs just like we do for every other group of students we serve.” Cory Ray can be reached at cray@ dailyegyptian.com or at 536-3325