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DeKalb-area students compete in taekwondo tournament / B1
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NIU names chief diversity officer Position created on recommendation of group tasked with studying minority outreach By RHONDA GILLESPIE rjonesgillespie@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois University will fulfill one of its diversity task force recommendations next month when Vernese EdghillWalden, Ph.D, steps into the role of the school’s first chief diversity officer. In a 2014 report after a three-month look at the school’s diversity and inclusion efforts, establishing the position topped a list of suggestions made by the panel of faculty, staff and students. Edghill-Walden spent seven years at City Colleges of Chicago, where she served as
provost since 2013. Edghill-Walden “will be expected to provide vision, leadership and counsel on matters of diversity and inclusion,” according to the university. The 50-year-old Edghill-Walden will reportedly draw a $100,000 to $125,000 annual salary, according to job listings. NIU spokesman Paul Palian said Friday he was unable to provide salary information for the position. Edghill-Walden expects to tread gingerly in the early days of her role, which was created because the task force said the school’s outreach to minorities, women, people with disabilities, internation-
al students and members of the LGBTQ community was splintered. Edghill-Walden is expected to corral organizations and services under one umbrella. But before she formulates and executes an agenda, the Vernese h i g h e r - e d u c a- Edghilltion leader said Walden she will have sit-downs with groups both on- and off-campus. NIU’s more than 15,000 undergraduate student body is 17 percent African American, 13 percent Hispanic and
5 percent Asian. Nearly half, or 49.9 percent, is female. The school has presidential commissions that address issues concerning minority, women and LGBTQ students, as well as persons with disabilities. “I think it’s important to hear the history and the traditions and practices, and the services and resources that already exist, then try, from that point on, to shape up a plan of how we can be more collaborative … and to coordinate better efforts and resources for the university around diversity and inclusion,” said Edghill-Walden, who received her doctorate
in 2007 from Howard University. Her foray into higher education came in 1988 when she was named director of the Black Culture Center at the University of Delaware, according to information provided by NIU. After 12 years there, she went on to head diversity at the prestigious Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. Edghill-Walden joined City Colleges of Chicago in 2007, first as an associate research director at Daley College – one of seven schools in the community college district. She moved into district-wide management and
Alcohol abuse on the rise 1 in 5 county adults at risk of binge drinking, but few seek help
leadership in 2010 and was named provost and chief academic officer in 2013. “That work has helped me understand the landscape of diversity [as related to higher education],” she said of her cumulative career experience. “Having both the breadth and depth of knowledge around academic and student affairs, as well as diversity and inclusion work, will help me understand … the in-and-out of the classroom experience as well as the community experience” at NIU. She holds a master’s degree
See NIU, page A4
Negotiators appear on cusp of nuclear deal By GEORGE JAHN and MATTHEW LEE The Associated Press
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
A new study suggests nearly 44 percent of Americans could have been diagnosed with alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives. By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Mallory Ludwig has seen many people come through the Braden Counseling Center for alcohol-related problems. Many others are alcohol abusers but are not aware, she said. “A lot of us aren’t educated about what the definition of alcohol abuse really is,” she said. “It’s socially accepted to drink. Everyone goes out on a Friday night. But even if you have a few drinks to catch a buzz, that’s abusing alcohol.” Ludwig, a substance abuse counselor at the Braden Counseling Center in Sycamore, said alcohol abuse is common in DeKalb. “Being in a college town, it’s here,” she said. “It’s hard in the college phase. Almost every college kid drinks, and it’s seen as just a college thing.” Alcohol abuse disorder is high-
By the numbers n More than one in five DeKalb County
adults are at risk for binge drinking, based on consumption. n Nearly 44 percent of Americans could have been diagnosed with alcohol abuse disorder at some point in their lives. DeKalb police, 2014 n 178 DUI arrests n 112 calls to respond to intoxicated person(s) n 48 cases of disruptive intoxication The study n 12-month prevalence of alcohol use disorder: 13.9 percent n Lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorder: 29.1 percent
ly common and often goes untreated, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The disorder can be
disabling and cause problems with work, relationships and personal or public safety, such as in the case of drunk driving. The disorder is diagnosed based on criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Symptoms encompass how much time a person spends obtaining, drinking and recovering from drinking, whether they have a desire to quit or cut down without being able to follow through, tolerance or withdrawal and others. Nearly 44 percent of Americans could be classified as having alcohol use disorder at some point in their lives, up from 30 percent 10 years ago, said Bridget Grant, one of the article researchers’ and lab chief of epidemiology and biometry at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Alcohol abuse disorder is the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in the United States,” she
said. “It’s increasing over time and very few people seek treatment.” Grant attributed the high rates of the disorder to increased heavy drinking – people, primarily in the 18- to 29-year-old age bracket – consuming five to 10 drinks in a single session. Binge drinking can be fatal, as it was for David Bogenberger, a Northern Illinois University student who died at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house after an unsanctioned party where frat members ordered pledges to drink vodka. In DeKalb County, more than one in five adults are at risk for binge drinking based on their reported consumption, according to a 2012 community analysis. Alcohol contributes to crime in the county as well, from drunk driving to theft and other crimes.
See DRINKING, page A4
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DeKalb area bicyclists gather for lengthy charity ride / A3
Get to know Mark Bushnell, the new engineer for the city of Sycamore / A2
Boat races are set for Saturday’s Kingston Fest / A6
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VIENNA – Negotiators at the Iran nuclear talks plan to announce Monday that they’ve reached a historic deal capping nearly a decade of diplomacy that would curb the country’s atomic program in return for sanctions relief, two diplomats told The Associated Press on Sunday. The envoys said a provisional agreement might be reached even earlier – by late Sunday. But they cautioned that final details of the pact still were being worked out. Once it is complete, a formal, final agreement would be open to review by officials in the capitals of Iran and the six world powers at the talks, they said. Senior U.S. and Iranian officials suggested, however, there might not be enough time to reach a deal by the end of Sunday and that the drafting of documents could bleed into Monday. All of the officials, who are at the talks in Vienna, demanded anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly. “We are working hard, but a deal tonight is simply logistically impossible,” the Iranian official said, noting that the agreement will run about 100 pages. The senior U.S. official declined to speculate as to the timing of any agreement or announcement but said “major issues remain to be resolved.” Despite the caution, the negotiators appeared to be on the cusp of an agreement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who on Thursday had threatened to walk away from the negotiations, said Sunday that “a few tough things” remain in the way but added “we’re getting to some real decisions.” En route to Mass at Vienna’s gothic St. Stephens Cathedral, Kerry said twice he was “hopeful” after a “very good meeting” Saturday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had Muslim services Friday. The two
See IRAN, page A4
AP photo
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (right) talks to a journalist Friday from a balcony of the Palais Coburg hotel where the Iran nuclear talks are being held in Vienna.
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