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Weekly Edition
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Spring fashion tips Page 6 Softball receiving votes Page 12
You are the voice. We are the Echo.
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Since 1913
Volume 101, Issue 21
Friday/Thursday, April 11 - April 17, 2014
TheEchoNews.com
HEADLINES Spring into Giving
In an effort to promote herself, others, and the spirit of giving, Tamee Shonk hosts the first Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show in Fairmount, Ind. Page 3
Problems in our backyard
The United States isn’t exempt when it comes to human rights violations, according to U.N. report. Page 4
Piracy and the future of the ent-arr-tainment industry. With piracy established as part of the Internet’s architecture, the question becomes one of impact. Page 5
Spring fashion files 2014
Does your wardrobe need a lift? Check out these tips for vibrant spring outfits. Page 6
An updated ‘Dido and Aeneas’
Taylor Opera Theatre’s retelling of the classic Baroque opera has scandal and social media. Page 8
The Unexpected Path
Mary Komy discusses the unexpected paths which lead her to Christ, America, and Taylor University. Page 9
Equality, not objectification
Women look to have equality not objectification all over the world. Page 10
Men’s golf fights weather conditions
The TU men’s golf team has some firepower but Monday’s storms calmed the flames briefly in the NAIA Classic. Page 12
WEEKEND WEATHER
Today
66° 41°
A combination of shifting “Very quickly, we used up the half demographics and rising costs makes A recent financial crunch has forced surplus, according to Stephen Olson, Taylor to tighten its belt a notch—and vice president for finance and chief fi- a million dollars, and that’s when we for a challenging higher ed market take a look at strategies for the sus- nancial officer at Taylor. had to make cuts,” Olson said. “It’s very
David Adams Online Editor
Kari Travis
Co-Editor in Chief
Saturday
73° 57°
Sunday
67° 43°
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Facebook.com/ TaylorUniversityEcho
CONTENTS News..........................Pg 1, Pg 2 Local....................................Pg 3 World & National.........Pg 4 Sci & Tech.........................Pg 5 Life & Times.........Pg 6, Pg 7 A&E...................................... Pg 8 Features.............................Pg 9 Opinions.......................... Pg 10 Sports.................... Pg 11, Pg 12
TheEchoNews.Com
NEWS STORIES,
PHOTOS AND
VIDEO QR READER Scan with QR reader Scan by QR Code City
‘I am just
Jeffry’ Kari Travis
Co-Editor in Chief
Just over a year ago he sat in his rusty Hyundai outside a McDonald’s in Marion. It was past midnight. He was exhausted, but that didn’t matter. Because sleep couldn’t ease the weariness of his heart. He turned off the car, the engine growl falling off into the silent screams of words he was trying to say. He’d lived in denial for years. He’d smothered the truth for months. But here it was—the painful fact— in all its raw confusion. It choked him. He swallowed it back several times. A breath burst from his constricted lungs. Then it came. Jeffry Neuhouser told me he was gay. The word was overwhelming, but the truth didn’t change our friendship. I told him so. We sat in silence together, tears marking shiny trails down our cheeks. My next statement came after several minutes lapsed. It surprised us both. “One day you will be a great encouragement to others who share your story.” Despite my own declaration, I was shocked when Jeffry began preparations a few months later to write an open confession—letter style—to his Taylor University family. Yesterday, that letter appeared across campus. Those pages describe a life story Jeffry hopes will pave the
tainability of its liberal arts education. With tuition costs raised to satisfy a demanding budget, the university was able to generate an extra $1.8 million for the 2014-15 year. But that financial buffer soon gave way to escalating costs that chewed away the
Higher financial aid awards immediately saw $1.2 to $1.3 million subtracted from the $1.8 million. With only $500,000 left to cover a pay raise for staff and a hike in health care costs, the university faced a financial dilemma.
simple math from one perspective.” University officials determined an additional $1 million in savings was needed to shore up finances. But even after a task force scraped together $650,000 of the required savings, other cuts were necessary. Storm continued on page 2
The Unspoken Editor’s Note: This is the first article
in a series that will explore issues often viewed as too sensitive for public discussion. Our intent as a newspaper is not to provoke controversy, but rather to spur on authentic dialogue and positive vulnerability among Taylor’s students. The story below tackles the topic of what it is like to be a gay student on our campus. It is written as a narrative feature for the sake of integrity and impact.
Photograph by Kari Travis
Jeffry Neuhouser released an open letter to campus this week and doesn’t want students to think of him as “just gay.”
way for others who share his struggle—and desire a chance to be vulnerable about their own experiences. But Jeffry’s journey since that winter night exposes the mental, emotional and spiritual complexity of another picture. A picture of what it is to be a gay student at a Christian university. In many ways, it seems a lifetime since that first conversation between Jeffry and me. He says the road has been painful at times. One of the most
difficult plot points in the story so far has been the moment he gave voice to his secret. “There’s a lot of mental anguish, getting to that point of telling someone—your first person,” Jeffry said. “That’s kind of one of the biggest moves you can make.” As he worked to process through the mangled emotions that followed his confession, Jeffry also faced feelings of alienation within his immediate community. “From my own experience, living in a dorm was probably one of
the hardest things for me as someone who struggled with his sexuality,” Jeffry said. “There was a lot of the use of the word ‘gay’ as derogatory, or as an insult. It just made it very hard to feel accepted, and part of the floor community.” Professor Kevin Diller, Jeffry’s mentor and advisor for Choros—a campus platform for conversations about sexuality—said false assumptions and overstatements about sexual identity are factors contributing to a “misfit” mentality. Unspoken continued on page 9
NEWS
TheEchoNews.com After Pennsylvania school stabbing, authorities and community ask: ‘Why?’
www.cnn.com
Storm continued from page 1
In order to make up for the remaining $350,000 deficit, Taylor decided to discontinue three full-time positions in the Educational Technology Center, Facility Services and Student Development. A part-time job within the Registrar’s Office was also discontinued. Additional savings were made through the retirement of four individuals from Alumni and Parent Relations, the library, the provost’s office and Information Technology. Those positions will not be replaced. “To the four people who are retiring, we are grateful for their faithful service,” said Taylor President Eugene Habecker. “To the four people who fill the positions that are being discontinued, this was a very difficult decision to make—and I know it is (a) significant hardship for them.” Attempts to provide as much notice and transition assistance as possible were made to those whose jobs were discontinued, Habecker said. All offices affected by the cuts have been directed to ensure essential services are still provided to students, faculty and staff, according to the university. In an economy where conditions are driving the costs of college education higher, Taylor isn’t the only
It’s that time of year. High schoolers flood Taylor’s campus as Youth Conference begins. Dorms are packed to
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university looking for ways to balance the budget while still maintaining quality. Peer universities within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) are suffering similar financial straits, according to university Provost Jeff Mosier. Anderson University, a sister institution near Taylor, suffered a 7 percent dip in enrollment over the past three years, an event that forced the institution to seek $3 million in budget cuts. Similarly, Houghton College, a private Christian institution in New York, cut 10-15 percent of its academic budget for the 2014-15 school year. Other CCCU schools facing financial issues include Calvin College in Michigan, Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind., and Bethel University in Minnesota. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how we compare against them, it matters how we are internally,” Olson said. “Are we internally structured, financially, to fulfill the mission Taylor’s called to do? I would say right now, yes, we are, but as you know, we have to take $1 million out of the budget next year to remain so.” Mosier sees several external factors that are behind escalating costs, the most significant of which may be a shrinking demographic.
“It’s like the perfect storm in higher education,” Mosier said. “Expectations for careers, the escalating costs of higher education, the services of a residential college—(all) are extremely expensive as compared to a public or commuter school.”
average student receives a 31 percent discount on his or her tuition due to these scholarships, a metric known as the discount rate. That’s a 9 percent increase compared to 10 years ago. Selling a liberal arts education like Taylor’s in a sluggish economy is also an obstacle to overcome, Olson stated. A four-year degree from a rural, private, Christian institution may not seem as valuable in light of the many other educational options available. “We have to articulate our own value proposition,” Olson said. “What makes Taylor worth paying for?” Convincing prospective 18-yearolds that Taylor is worth their while— and their wallet—is the most difficult challenge for the Taylor community, according to Olson. As Taylor seeks to increase enrollment and capture the attention of diverse and changing student populations, financial demands remain. Because the university is committed to keeping tuition increases low, Olson said further budget reductions will likely be necessary. “I have a hard time imagining not needing to do further cost reduction in the future,” Olson said. “It’s painful. But it’s something we need to continue looking at in the future.”
ONLINE TEASERS
The weekend concludes Sunday morning after a final session and a lunch banquet. “Our biggest hope for this weekend is that students understand themselves in a deeper way and that they are justified through Christ as long
as they have faith in him,” said YC co-director senior Allie Sleeting. “We are excited for Taylor to once again open its doors to high school students and actively be the hands and feet of Christ right here on our own campus.”
Youth Conference commences Contributor
April 11, 2014
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Man blamed for crash at Fla. Day Care surrenders www.bigstory.ap.org
Photographs by Sarah Topp
Ally Horine
Youth Conference commences
TOP FIVE NEWS EVENTS OF THE WEEK
High schoolers and college students worship and learn about God together during Youth Conference 2013.
Youth Conference kicks off this afternoon
High school students arrive to campus today to participate in Taylor’s annual Youth Conference, or YC.
capacity and lines at the DC stretch for miles. But for these high schoolers, this is a weekend to remember. High school students arrive on campus today to participate in Taylor’s annual Youth Conference (YC). This weekend-long event includes four chapel sessions, a service project and a concert. The speaker this year is Jeffrey Dean, a Christian teen speaker
“Are we internally structured, financially, to fulfill the mission Taylor’s called to do? I would say right now yes, we are, but as you know, we have to take $1 million out of the budget next year to remain so.” To bear these costs, Taylor needs a stable—if not increasing—number of students to attend. Although Taylor’s enrollment has been largely stable for the past three years, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education, the market for these students is shrinking. To attract a broader demographic, Taylor’s recruitment efforts must become more creative—and more expensive, according to Olson. To recruit diverse students, Taylor offers a variety scholarships in increasing numbers and amounts. The
and pastor, who will be speaking on the theme “Justified.” “The idea for this theme came from Galatians 2:16,” said YC co-director senior Dan Clemens. “We selected this theme because we feel high school students often struggle to understand the concept of not being ‘good enough.’ We want to bridge the gap between works and faith, and help students to understand they are loved despite their imperfections.” One unique aspect of YC is that high school students get the opportunity to meet in small groups with college students. Each small group is comprised of four to six high school students and two Taylor students who volunteer to lead for the weekend. Taylor students not leading small groups also have the ability to invest in these high school students by hosting them in their dorm rooms. These arrangements facilitate deeper conversation and provide college students with an ability to mentor the high school students for the weekend. “I am really excited to engage with students, and share with high schoolers that might not know the Lord,” small group leader and freshman Taylor Coats said. “As they leave this weekend, I want them to know they are loved by an amazing God, and to get a taste of the capacity of what his love means.” Along with the sessions and small groups, students will have the opportunity to participate in a service project tomorrow afternoon. This project will involve repainting the walls at the Indiana University Nursing Center in Hartford City. After the service project students will have a session tomorrow night followed by a concert performance from Christian rap artist Derek Minor. This concert is also open to the Taylor student body, and tickets will be available at the door for $8.
Capturing Beauty, Conquering Fear
Capture Beauty Week this past week sought to empower women through the abolition of fear. Saturday
Taylor Sounds travels Europe
The Taylor Sounds Chamber Ensemble taught high school students and performed in Moscow, Madrid, Budapest and more over spring break. Tuesday
summer
blackboard
details
• Completely online classes • Span the summer term (5/27 - 8/15) • Register through TOWER along with your fall classes • $350 per credit hour • No registrar approval needed
courses BIB110 BIB210 BIB313 CAS110 CAS120 COS104
ECO201 ECO202 ENG110 ENG230 HIS124 HIS125
HUM230 IAS110 MAT110 MAT120 PHI413 PHP100
PHP200R PHP402 PSY110 PSY200 REL313 SOC220
more info
online.taylor.edu/summer
In The Loop Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
YOUTH CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES, 7-11:59 p.m., KSAC 110 Field House
OPERA THEATER: “DIDO AND AENEAS,” 8-10 p.m., SHM ButzCarruth Recital Hall
MOMENTUM VOLLEYBALL, 5:307:30 p.m., Odle Gym Basketball Court
TSAT SATELLITE LAUNCH TELECAST, 4-6 p.m., Euler Lembright Atrium
GEORGE MACDONALD LECTURE SERIES, 7-8:30 p.m., AEC Classroom (ZON 109B)
EASTER CHAPEL, 10-10:50 a.m., Rediger Chapel Auditorium
EASTER BREAK STARTS AFTER LAST CLASS
NEWS
TheEchoNews.com
Currently, Taylor’s plan is to plant more trees south of the parking lot and then to build a wetlands area north of the Randall Environmental Science Complex, according to Sutherland. Building the Breuninger bayou
Pro-Russian separatists to go ahead with eastern Ukraine referendum www.cnn.com
Rebels Blow up Historic Aleppo Hotel in Syria www.abcnews.go.com
New frog species found in troubled Indian habitat www.hosted.ap.org
Safety, like nearly everything else that happens within community, is not individualized. Students have a responsibility not only to themselves, but to their peers as well. According to Cavanagh, campus culture can be problematic when it comes to personal safety. “Students just need to be aware of their assumptions, think through personal safety and understand the issues. Don’t think you’re immature because you’re taking appropriate precautions. Lots of times, any concern is dismissed as being paranoid, as if people are more mature if they don’t care about safety,” Cavanagh said. In addition, one of the greatest strengths of a community is its ability to look out for one another. If a door is malfunctioning, students can report the issue to residence life or campus safety. Students can cultivate awareness of people who they don’t recognize or who look out of place. Even if a student isn’t personally willing to confront a stranger, it is appropriate to notify a Taylor staff member about a potentially suspicious person or situation. When it comes to communal responsibility, the most pressing issue
is doors being propped open, according to Cavanagh. “This article is especially appropriate with the end of the year coming up. People prop doors open while they move stuff in and out. I just don’t know what the middle ground is on that. I don’t want to be a jerk if someone is moving a couch, but safety
should not be compromised for convenience. The most important thing is that people are around and they recognize each other—that’s where our best security is,” Cavanagh said. “What’s amazing to me is that students will walk past (a rock or branch propping a door open) all day and not do something about it,” he added.
Open continued from page 1
When security is high priority for a university, it should be no less so for the students themselves. A significant amount of student safety on campus comes down to personal responsibility, Wallace emphasized. “Unfortunately, a lot of people within the Taylor community think we live in a bubble where crime doesn’t happen. There’s a personal responsibility that has to play in. We can’t guarantee the security of a bike that’s not locked up, or a laptop that’s left unattended. We are a Christian community, but not everybody here has the same version of what that means for their personal life and their moral code,” Wallace said. Students can protect themselves in a number of ways, from locking unattended rooms and bikes to keeping valuables with them at all times. Additionally, there is safety in numbers, according to Director of University Apartments Jon Cavanagh. “If you go running on the roads, don’t go at night, that’s just dangerous. Even during the day it’s smart to take someone with you—or at least let someone know where you are going, and have your phone on you in case of an emergency. Why take unnecessary risks?” Cavanagh said.
University Advancement shoring up Taylor finances through growing endowment David Adams Online Editor
Editor’s Note: In “The perfect storm,” we discussed Taylor’s $1 million budget shortfall for the 2014-15 year and the choices the university made to make up the difference. In this story, we will address some of the university’s methods of pursuing long-term sustainability. “Death spiral. Downward momentum. Difficult steps.” These are a few terms Bloomberg used to describe the financial situation facing America’s small, private universities. A dire prediction? As many as half of these universities (out of the 4,000 total) could fail in the next 15 years, according to Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. That deserves another descriptor from Bloomberg: “Depressing.” Taylor’s financial health has been reasonably good in the past few years, thanks to stable enrollment and a growing endowment, according to Vice President for Finance and CFO Stephen Olson. But that doesn’t mean Taylor is out of the woods. “Here’s one of my beliefs about business that I think applies to higher ed,
Monica Lewinsky opens up on affair with Clinton www.news.yahoo.com
Correction
“A journey home” on the front page last week was incorrectly attributed to Angelina Burkholder. The article was written by Lindsay Robinson.
ONLINE TEASERS Waiting on a call
Some of your friends may be superheroes. Learn more about the Taylor students who volunteer for Upland’s Emergency Medical Services— students by day, saving lives by night. Monday
Rise of the documentary
Streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu have made documentaries mainstream. From the controversial films “Blackfish” and “Jesus Camp” to heartbreakers like “Dear Zachary,” the world of documentaries has never been better. Wednesday Photograph by Tabitha Hillebrand
Doors are supposed to lock at 1 a.m. and only open with a card swipe.
Dodging dark financial days too,” Olson said. “There’s really only three ways to be financially sustainable in the long run. One is to raise your price. One is to cut your costs. And the third one is to increase your market share.” Raising the price obviously isn’t the best option for students and families, according to Olson, and the first round of cost-cutting has already taken place, with more likely to come in the coming years. “So the other option is to grow the market share, which means either growing the total student population or perhaps becoming less enrollment-dependent, (primarily by) growing the endowment,” Olson said. Taylor continues to face a challenging and expensive market for recruiting students, as discussed in the previous article in this series. But despite the financial downturn of 2008, the endowment has grown faster in the last nine years than ever before, according to Vice President for University Advancement Ben Sells. Since President Eugene Habecker’s presidency began, the endowment has grown by $132 million, including 11 gifts of $1 million or more, according to the Advancement office. Individual gifts from friends, parents, businesses and alumni totaled 163,838 in this period. “In broad strokes, the university has been very fortunate (to receive) the
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gifts that have been given,” Sells said. “We have a very loyal alumni (base). . . . They continue to share the core convictions of the university, and they continue to appreciate their own Taylor experiences.” Satisfied alumni, however, are not the only ingredient for a healthy endowment. Sells said Taylor has received fewer unrestricted gifts, which the university can use as it sees fit, in recent years. Instead, donors prefer to give to particular causes they value. The Advancement Office has responded by identifying key university needs and creating proposals for donors to support. “Broadly developing a compelling case and then developing some very concrete proposals and then putting those proposals in front of people who would be captured by the vision about an endowment, for whatever it may be, could really advance the mission of the university,” Sells said. No target has been set for how large Taylor wants the endowment to grow in coming years, according to Sells, but the endowment will likely receive more priority after the Campus Center has been funded. Under the direction of the Advancement office, Taylor is beginning to take steps to avoid Bloomberg’s dark warnings of “disorder” and “default.” The Advancement office just might help Taylor escape this perfect storm.
The endowment is the key to helping Taylor stay financially afloat.
Graphic by Free Graphic Download
Building
the
Breuninger bayou Plans are in process to restore the Breu parking lot wetland Hannah Haney News Co-Editor
Breuninger Hall opened its doors to students this fll, but was met with a series of small crises. There were problems with windows, air conditioning and washers and dryers. Then one problem came up that was a bit more dire. Taylor University was notified by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) that the southwest corner of the parking lot was built on a wetland area and a small stream once ran under the two ponds outside Breu. “(The stream) is a tributary that eventually leads to Taylor Lake, (which) overflows to the Mississinewa River and wherever there is flowing water; it’s part of the tributaries they (IDEM) control,” said Vice President for Business Administration Ron Sutherland. “So it was kind of two parts. There’s the wetland area that was south by the parking lot and the stream itself.” Taylor University began applying for a permit to begin reconstruction on the protected area, which IDEM later accepted. “In particular right now, we’re in a time where the neighbors can respond—because they have to write the neighbors around the property (to) let them know, so that they have a chance to respond. Then they’ll issue a final (plan),” said Sutherland.
IDEM has required Taylor to either restore the wetland area where it was originally, or to build a new wetland area somewhere else on campus. Currently, Taylor’s plan is to plant more trees south of the parking lot and then to build a substitute wetlands area north of the Randall Environmental Science Complex, according to Sutherland.Both areas will then require monitoring for a five-year period, pending IDEM’s final approval.
“(The stream) is a tributary that eventually leads to Taylor Lake (which) overflows to the Mississinewa River and wherever there is flowing water; it’s part of the tributaries they control.” Sutherland clarified that since the contractor was the one who was responsible for the mistake, the university would have to pay no costs in the restoration of the wetlands. “All of this is being done at the expense of the contractor (Touchstone) and (their) insurance,” said Sutherland. “Because they were responsible for all of the permits and all the applications. So there’s no student dollars or debt that’s being issued to make this remedy. It’s all at the responsibility of the contractor. They’ve been great working with us to try to make this right.” Changes will potentially begin in the fall.
In The Loop Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
IFC CONCERT: LUCIUS, 8-11 p.m. Mitchell Theater
BEACH BASH, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Taylor Lake
THE MIRACLE WORKER, 2-5 p.m. Mitchell Theater
HONORS CHAPEL, 10 a.m. Rediger Chapel Auditorium
SENIOR SEND OFF, 5-7 p.m. Taylor Lake
STRING CONCERT, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ButzCarruth Recital Hall
ADORATION CHORUS CONCERT, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ButzCarruth Recital Hall