Thursday, April 9, 2015 | Volume 210 | Number 133 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
Forging an Identity
GSB elects new speaker, vice speaker of Senate By Michaela.Ramm @iowastatedaily.com
Iowa’s contributions in Civil War remembered on 150th anniversary By Matthew.Rezab@iowastatedaily.com
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hen an artillery shell dropped through Wilmer McLean’s kitchen fireplace on July 21, 1861, he decided it was a good time to move. The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas, was the opening large scale battle between Union and Confederate forces... and it was happening in McLean’s front yard. Prudently, he decided to relocate to a safer location — Appomattox Court House, Va. Less than five years later, Gen. Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy was discussing terms of surrender with the Union’s Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in McLean’s new home. The war had come full circle, not only McClean, but the entire nation.
From Virginia to the Heartland Today marks the 150th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Va. — effectively ending hostilities between the Union and Confederate forces, and allowed the mending of the torn fabric the nation had become. Iowa soldiers did not play a major role in the final battles around Richmond and Petersburg leading to Lee’s surrender, but that doesn’t mean Iowan’s role in the war was minor or insignificant. “Most Iowa troops fought in the Western Theater,” said Jerome Thompson, State Curator of the Historical Society of
Iowa. “Iowans were at places like Wilson’s Creek in Missouri and Shiloh [and] Vicksburg. [Iowans] also served with William T. Sherman.” Throughout the war, approximately 79,000 Iowans volunteered for service, 13,000 of whom did not return home. Iowa sent a more men per capita than any other state in the Union. President Lincoln called for each state to raise a regiment of 1,000 soldiers to quell the southern uprising, believing the war would last no longer than six months. Iowa Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood worried he’d be able to find the necessary volunteers. “They only wanted one
“What a cruel thing war is... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors.” - Gen. Robert E. Lee
Courtesy of Michael Hoskins
Michael Hoskins, senior in history and ROTC cadet, enjoys spending his weekends reenacting Civil War battles. Hoskins will become an officer in the 168th Iowa Infantry Regiment when he graduates.
regiment, but they filled 10,” said Michael Hoskins, senior in history and ROTC cadet. Warriors from the Hawkeye State were also known for their ferociousness and dedication in battle, especially in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. Thousands of Iowans and other Midwesterners held the point long enough at the “Hornet’s Nest” in the face of wave after wave of Confederate troops and brutal cannon fire to give Grant time to form a final defensive line and eventually turn the tide of battle. “You read some stories on them and [the Iowans] were just crazy,” Hoskins said. “They were the Rambos of their time.” Iowa also has the distinction of being the only state to field a regiment of men all age 45 or older. They were nicknamed the “Grey Beards” and served with distinction.
Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge Grenville M. Dodge moved from Vermont to Iowa in 1851 after graduating from Norwich University. He spent the next decade of his life as a railroad surveyor until the war broke out and he was appointed Colonel of the 4th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was later appointed by Grant as commander of a division in the Army of the Tennessee, where his troops aided Grant and Sherman by “rapidly repairing and rebuilding the railroads, bridges and telegraph lines destroyed by the Confederates.” Yet, it was Dodge’s acumen as a pioneer of military intelligence and his post-war work for the Union Pacific on the transcontinental railroad.
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The Government of the Student Body senators have elected Ben Crawford as speaker and Michael Snook as vice speaker of the Senate. Crawford was appointed as speaker with a vote of 24-7. In the first Senate meeting of the fiscal year, five senators were nominated for the position of speaker: Ian Marlenee, Kathryn Leidahl, Danielle Nygard, Ben Crawford and Ryan Starn. Crawford said the the speaker is to be the face and voice of the entire student Senate. “[The senators] are all committed and responsible individuals,” Crawford said. “The speaker is to help make you efficient. I won’t be the speaker, I will be your speaker.” Former Sen. Erick Dietz said this was the most important vote the Senate will have for the next couple months. “This is going to set the tone for the rest of the time on GSB,” Dietz said. “The speaker is the leader of the Senate. They need to be active and they need to be vocal. It’s critical to have the drive and dedication to get Senate to the best it can be.” As the next speaker, Crawford will be offered a scholarship due to a recent passing of a compensation bill. Crawford said the compensation has nothing to do with what makes a good leader. Sen. Abbie Lang said the senators should not vote based on whether the candidate wants compensation. Sen. Michael Snook agreed that compensation was irrelevant. “I’m not here to be popular, I’m here to benefit the students,” Snook said. “Crawford is smart and clear-headed, and I believe he is clear and systematic in his approach.” Sen. Brittany Gaura threw her support behind Crawford and said she believes the other can-
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Tanning restrictions proposed for teens By Alex.Hanson @iowastatedaily.com Tanning for teens may become a thing of the past under new legislation being debated in the Iowa Legislature that would restrict access to tanning facilities for anyone under 18. Senate File 232 was passed by the Senate on a mostly party-line vote, 26-23. The bill states “a tanning facility shall not allow a person under 18 years of age to use a tanning device.” State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, authored the Senate bill that would restrict access to teens. He defended the law,
citing the dangers of cancer and said he has support of many in the medical industry. “The importance of this bill is about the prevalence of skin cancer,” Quirmbach said. “The dermatologists who brought this to my attention are convinced and have the data to support this, that people, especially young people who do a significant amount of tanning, have a much greater incidence of skin cancer.” Quirmbach noted that a large number of medical groups of lobbyists have signed on to support the bill, including the American Suntanning Association. Other supporters, Quirmbach said, include the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action
Network, the Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Polk County Medical Society. “It sounds like something that’s kind of innocent, you go get a tan to look good for prom, but when skin cancer sets in, you don’t look so cool anymore,” Quirmbach said. Quirmbach said he was not sure if the House would take up his bill, which has been sent to the House but has not been assigned to a committee. The House passed a similar bill out of the House Human Resources Committee on a 15-5 vote, but with some different language. The House bill includes the same language related to age restrictions, but also includes some regulations such as a requirement to post warning signs in tanning facilities and a requirement that tanning salons must provide customers with a written warning about the dangers of using tanning devices.
Michael Rowley/Iowa State Daily
New legislation that is being debated in the Iowa Legislature would prevent anyone under the age of 18 from gaining access to tanning facilities.
Lecturer speaks about the lives of women in prison By Carolina.Colon @iowastatedaily.com Rachel Williams called upon her audience to think about the alarming prison rate statistics while they were watching “Orange is the New Black” for entertainment. Williams mentioned this and other aspects of life in prison at her lecture on Wednesday, where about 130 students gathered in the Great Hall to listen to her experiences working with women in prison. Williams is an associate professor of gender, women’s and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa. She has worked with several projects including Detroit Race Riots, The Prison Chronicles, which are a series of stories about working in women’s prisons. Williams has worked with incarcerated
women since 1994. Williams started her conversation giving the definition of prison. The main characteristics seen in prisons worldwide are composed of intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality. “Women in prison are a very particular population,” Williams said. “Only 10 percent are female in state prisons.” Nearly 8 in 10 women were abused before prison. About six to 10 women were sexually abused in the past. Seven in 10 women have minor children. Williams said having a child while being in prison is punishing your child. “When you watch ‘Orange is the New Black’ for entertainment think about these statistics,“ Williams said. Levi Jensen, sophomore in child, adult and family services, said Williams’ topic is one not talked about enough. “When it comes to women in
Williams
prison, it’s an issue that needs to be talked about more,” Jensen said. Williams also addressed how individuals make money out of prison. Calling a family member behind the bars is an expensive hour. According to the Iowa Prison Industry, workers go to prisons to help make furniture to teach offenders the skills needed to be successful citizens upon release. Some of Iowa State’s furni-
ture was made in prisons. Open a drawer — if living in a residence hall — check the side and notice it says, “Iowa Prison Industries.” Prisons in Iowa are overpopulated by roughly 12 percent, with Hispanics and Black the majority of this percentage. About 39,000 individuals are in the prisons of Iowa. Substance abuse is considered an element of mental illness in women. “I go to the women prison at least one time a week. I’ve done this for at least 16 years,” Williams said. “The thing about prison — life goes on. They will tell you stories that are crushing, you think of how they lived through this and they still find ways to continue with life.” After prison, it can be hard to make a life. Individuals consider you as a criminal, employers often won’t offer work and prisoners also have a felony on their record.
What actually happens to people who go to prison is that they tend to disappear from our memories and create an enemy for the society to feed on, Williams said. “Prison dehumanizes everybody, not only the people who are actually incarcerated,” Williams said. “Even the doctors, nurses that work hard everyday to help prisoners.” Madison Bates, junior in child, adult and family services, said Williams was very engaging and fun to listen to. She is also involved in a project named Women’s Collective, which sends students to different prisons, where they work in circles. Women’s Collective has been around for about four to five years. Williams found the biggest problems women face while being in prison were motherhood, medical care, substance abuse and healthy relationships.