November 3, 2014 | Issue 6
MIDTERM ELECTIONS
POLICING THE POLICE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
pages 10-12
pages 14-15
pages 16-17
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Ferguson Talks 14
Berlin Wall Preview 6
The IUS German Club hosts the commemoration the fall of the Berlin Wall with guest speaker-Harald Kynhoff, who escaped East Berlin when he was 11 years old.
Cram and Forget 8
Is testing really the best way for students to learn?
On the Issues 10-11
With election season coming to an end, political issues important to voters are fresh on their minds. This is your quick reference guide to the midterm elections.
For Your Country 12
Josh Medlock, staff, urges students to get out and vote, while explaining the importance of fulfilling your civic duty.
Zak Kerr, features editor, attended a panel discussing race and policing in light of the events in Ferguson, MO.
Policing the Police 15
Elijah Lossner, sports editor, discusses the advantages and disadvantages to police officers wearing body cameras.
Human Trafficking 16-17
An in-depth look at complex issue of human trafficking. Though many people are unaware of the problem locally, experts explain that this is a problem in our own back yard.
IN EVERY ISSUE Nitty Gritty 4 Events 5 Diversions 18
Women’s Volleyball
SCOREBOARD
10/21 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan College | Loss (26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 25-22) 10/24 vs. Indiana Tech | Win (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-16) 10/25 vs. Kentucky Christian | Win (25-18, 27-25, 27-29, 23-25, 15-12) 10/28 vs. Oakland City | Loss (16-25, 15-25, 17-25)
Women’s Basketball
11/4 7 p.m. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (H) 11/15 1 p.m. Malone College (H)
Men’s Basketball 11/11 7 p.m. Ivy Tech-Columbus (H) 11/14 7 p.m. Indiana Wesleyan (A)
EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION IU Southeast 4201 Grant Line Road New Albany, IN 47150 Editor-in-Chief: Aprile Rickert Print Managing Editor: Jims Porter Digital Managing Editor: Joel Stinnett News Editor: Ashley Sizemore Features Editor: Zak Kerr Sports Editor: Eli Lossner General Assignment Editor: Taylor Ferguson Design Chief: Bekah White Advisers: Adam Maksl Kendra Ulrich
Staff: Lynn Bailey Marisa Gartland Mary Kate Hailer Parker Henes Rain Hopkins Laura Hubrich Erin Mann Josh Medlock Angel Meyer Allison Nail Secoy Richey Ethan Smith Blake Stewart Paige Thompson Haley Warwick
(812) 941-2253 horizon@ius.edu
edit for brevity, grammar and style, and may limit frequent letter writers.
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THE NITTY GRITTY
POLICE
BLOTTER Oct 20 at 12:12 p.m.
An officer took a report from a faculty member that his phone was stolen from a classroom.
Oct 21 at 9:00 a.m.
An officer was dispatched Hillside Hall to assist a student who passed out in the women’s restroom and knocked loose some of her teeth. An ambulance was called.
October 22 at 1:18 p.m.
An officer was dispatched to assist the Floyd County Sheriff ’s Department on a 911 call. A man had broken into the home of his girlfriend. She declined to press charges.
October 22 at 4:59 p.m.
An officer was dispatched on a report of a suspicious individual in Central Parking Lot. Officer advised that the subject was waiting to pick up a relative.
October 24 at 10:26 a.m.
An officer was dispatched to take an accident report at the Physical Plant. A backhoe hit a campus van, causing damage.
Photo by Rain Hopkins
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was last month in Louisville’s Iroquois Park and featured over 5,000 artfully decorated pumpkins.
CAMPUS BRIEFS
NATIONAL BRIEFS
October 25 at 3:32 a.m.
“Once Upon a Mattress” opens at the Ogle Center
Manhunt ends in capture of accused cop killer
October 27 at 11:03 a.m.
LOCAL BRIEFS
Offers responded to Sycamore Parking Lot on a report that there was marijuana emanating from a vehicle. Officers found the vehicle, however, nothing was located. An officer was dispatched to Knobview Hall to assist a student who was having an asthma attack. An ambulance was called and the student was transported to Floyd Memorial Hospital.
October 27 at 3:47 p.m.
An officer took a report from a student whose wallet, which included her UCard, had been stolen off of a bench near Woodland Lodge.
October 27 at 6:14 p.m.
Officers were dispatched to Grove Lodge on a report of a student with marijuana. Jordan, Kuhn, 18 was cited for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, and issued two court summonses.
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The Ogle Center has begun production of “Once Upon a Mattress,” with guest star Lee Meriwether. Meriwether was Miss America in 1955 and played Catwoman in the 1966 movie Batman. The play is a musical comedy spin on the classic fairytale, “Princess and the Pea.” Remaining show times are Nov. 6-8 at 8 p.m. And Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m.
Bill Clinton campaigns in Louisville for Allison Grimes
Former President Bill Clinton appeared at the Ali Center in downtown Louisville on Thursday, Oct. 30 to support the U.S. senatorial candidate Allison Grimes. Grimes is campaigning against incumbent Mitch McConnell. According to the final Bluegrass Poll, McConnell has a five-point lead over Grimes heading into the election on Tuesday.
New Albany minister found guilty of sodomy
According to WLKY, a jury has found Isrom Johnson guilty of sodomy. Johnson served as pastor at Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church. He was convicted on incidents that occurred between March 2008 and March 2011. The victim was a 13-year-old boy. The jury recommended a sentence of 15 years for Johnson, but he won’t be formally sentenced by the judge until December.
According to NPR, a fugitive who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list was apprehended on Thursday, Oct. 30. Eric Frein,31, is accused of killing a police officer and wounding another in Pennyslvania. Frein had alluded authorities for 48 days despite a massive manhunt throughout the state. In his arraignment, Frein answered yes or no questions, but was not asked to enter a plea of first degree murder.
Ebola nurse free to come and go as she pleases
According to NBC News on Friday, a judge in Maine ruled against a state-imposed quarantine against Kaci Hickox. Hickox is a nurse who treated Ebola patients in West Africa and defied the quarantine. The judge said Hickox may come and go as she pleases as long as she is monitored for symptoms and lets health officials know where she’s going.
Major League Baseball loses a young star
The St. Louis Cardinals suffered a tragic loss of one of its rising stars, 22-year-old Oscar Taveras. He was killed in an automobile accident in the Dominican Republic on Oct. 26. According to the St. Louis PostDispatch, Taveras played in 80 games for the Cardinals last season and was widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball. His girlfriend, 18-year-old Edilia Arvelo, also died in the crash.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
UofL New Music Festival Nov. 5 - 9 7:30 p.m. University of Louisville
Festival of Trees and Lights Nov. 14 - 16 Times Vary on Events Louisville Slugger Field
Christmas at the Galt House Nov. 15 - Jan. 2 Times Vary on Events The Galt House
Nov. 3
Nov. 4
Nov. 5
Nov. 6
Live Action Roleplaying
Election Party
Fall of the Berlin Wall
SAA Car Smash
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Hoosier Room
8 p.m. University Center, Room 127
All Day Between Knobview Hall and University Center
Women’s Basketball
Health Fair
Stout Fest 2 - 9 p.m. Irish Rover Louisville, Ky
Nov. 9
IU Southeast Concert Choir and Community Chorus 3 p.m. Stem Concert Hall
Guest Speaker Harald Kynhoff: 6:30 p.m. 8-10 PM--French Lick Resort New Orleans R&B singer performing. $35
7 p.m. versus St. Mary of the Woods Activities Building
Nov. 10 Talent Show
Feat. Magician Rudy Currence 7 p.m. Hoosier Room
Autism is a World Documentary
6:30 - 8: 30 p.m. New Albany Floyd County Library
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hoosier Room
Nov. 11
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Frisbee Field
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Adult Student Center Room 206
Nov. 13
Nov. 8
Sixteen Candles 10 p.m. - Midnight Mercury Ballroom
Mint Julep Tours
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Bourbon Barrel Foods Story Ave. Louisville, Ky
Nov. 15
Veterans Day Memorial Maker Space 3D Printing Run with Our Heroes 5K 8 - 11 a.m. Lab Grand Opening Service University of Louisville 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 10:45 a.m. McCullough Plaza
Stepdad and Phinx 8 p.m. - Midnight Zanzabar, Louisville, Ky
IUS Library
Cosby Sweater and D’Arkestra 8 p.m. - Midnight Zanzabar, Louisville, Ky
The Big Masquerade 2014 8 p.m. - Midnight The Henry Clay South 3rd Street, Louisville, Ky
FALL OF THE WALL
IU Southeast German Club to commemorate 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall By APRILE RICKERT Editor-in-chief apmricke@ius.edu
Harald Kynhoff was just 11 years old when he escaped East Berlin by way of the River Elbe in 1963, just two years after the wall encircling the Soviet-controlled area was built. From 1961 to 1989, more than 8 million people in Eastern Berlin were walled off from the western influence of the American, British and western German controlled areas of Berlin. Kynhoff will speak at IU Southeast Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m., on his experiences, as part of a six-day commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, presented by The IU Southeast German Club. The commemoration will begin Wednesday, Nov. 5, when the construction af a replica of the wall will begin, between Knobview Hall and University Center. The IU Southeast community will be invited to spray-paint the wall with graffiti.
IU Southeast German Club members decorate the mock Berlin Wall at IU Southeast in 2013 (courtesy photo)
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SCHEDULE Nov. 5-6
Construction of Wall and invitation for students and community to tag it - between Knobview and University Center
Nov. 7 at noon
Film: “Sonnenallee” (1999)
Nov. 8 at noon
Film: “Goodbye Lenin” (2003) Harald Kynhoff, (left), escaped East Berlin in 1963 when he was 11 years old. He will speak on his experiences Sunday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Recital Hall at IU Southeast. “It can be anything that commemorates what the Berlin Wall was trying to prevent, which is free expression and what the people achieved by tearing it down - freeing 8 million people,” Michael Hutchins, assistant professor of German, said. “That’s one of the reasons people will be encouraged to participate and not just have the German students talk about things and spray paint, It’s the community’s expression that we’re trying to gather here,” Hutchins said. There will be films shown over the weekend, and Sunday, Nov. 9, after the last film, there will be a March to the Wall and Rally for Freedom. Monday, Nov. 10, the everyone will be invited to help tear down the wall. A portion will be saved and be on display in Knobview Hall for the rest of the semester. “One of the reasons that it’s important to Americans is that we’ haven’t experienced a shutdown of our border in our living memory,” Hutchins said. “So we don’t really know what its like to close ourselves in.”
Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Harald Kynhoff, who escaped East Berlin in 1961, will speak
Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Film: “The Lives of Others” (2006) After the film, there will be a march to the Wall and Rally for Freedom
Nov. 10
Students and community members invited to help tear down the wall Speaking presentation and all films will be held in Recital hall, and are free. For more information, contact Michael Hutchins, assistant professor of German, at mdhutchi@ius.edu.
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! This Tuesday, Nov. 4 is Election Day. Find out where your polling place is located and exercise your unique freedom to vote!
Are exams the best way to test student learning?
Some say hands-on learning allows for better retention of information
will be gone and I won’t remember,” Sacksteder said. Sacksteder said that students may retain information better and longer if professors had more hands-on It’s the night before a big exam and learning, such as projects. She said she it’s the first time you’ve reviewed your learns better when she does hands-on notes since you took them in class. All learning. you can do now is drink coffee and stay Bernardo Carducci, professor of up all night cramming in hopes of a psychology, begged the question, is it good grade. the exam that is the problem or is it the But how well do those exams study habits of the students? reflect what students have retained “When people cram for exams, that throughout the semester? information tends to be lost rather Brad Caffee, adjunct lecturer of quickly,” Carducci said. “If you want history, said he doesn’t value tests information to be retained, what you highly because meaningful learning have to do is repeat that information involves using long-term memory and and make it meaningful.” he said he believes tests do not show Carducci said he doesn’t believe the that. tests are the problem; it’s the study “Tests can only test short-term method that the student chooses to use. memory,” Caffee said. “You can cram Caffee said all that professors can for a test and then a month later, how really do is set up a system to help much do you remember?” students retain information. He said Brandon Lyons, criminal justice the system depends on the individual senior, said he agreed that testing professor, but he prefers to use does not work repetition. for retaining “The test can information in be a tool in that, the long term. but the test “Nobody doesn’t really actually sits test that well. there and It’s a utility studies the connected to the whole 12- to- 13 coursework,” week semester. Caffee said. It’s all done 48 “In my course, hours before I like to set the exam where up a system of they’re going repetition over through and time and I make refreshing and the test a part of it’s all about that.” what they Carducci Brad Caffee, remember added that adjunct lecturer then,” Lyons professors use of professor said. exams to gauge Lyons said what students that if you ask a have learned student if they based on what remember what they were tested on a the professors believe is important. week after the exam, the student would By giving exams, Carducci said, it say “no.” gives professors a true measure of what Whitney Sacksteder, graphic design students know and what they have freshman from Purdue, said she doesn’t learned over the course of the semester. retain information after she takes the “We have lots of different kinds exam. of professors, sampling from lots of “I honestly don’t remember stuff that different classes, using lots of different we did an exam over the next week, it types of tests,” Carducci said.
By LAURA HUBRICH Staff lhubrich@email.iu.edu
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You can cram for a test and then a month later, how much do you remember?
Graphic by Joel Stinnett
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Email amaksl@ius.edu
ON THE ISSUES:
2014 MIDTERM Elections ELECTIONS
By PAIGE THOMPSON and JIMS PORTER
By the time Election Day comes and goes, many Americans have had enough politics to last them until the next campaign season. Though some decisions are made directly at the polls by the voters, most changes in the political process come after the ballots have been counted. Recent years have shown a rise in issue voting, or selecting candidates based on how closely their views on issues match the voter’s own. Resources like OnTheIssues.org, a website that summarizes candidates’ views on various issues, help voters determine which candidate will best represent them and the issues they consider important. “Elections really have consequences because different parties have different platforms on issues. Whoever you elect will work towards their specific set of policies that they support,” said Rhonda Wrzenski, assistant professor of political science. ECONOMY
Many surveys indicate that the economy remains one of the top issues on voter’s minds. A recent Pew report finds that 48 percent of voters consider economic and job recovery one of the top two most important issues to their vote for Congress. President Obama said that “The economy is stronger that it’s been in a very long time,” at a news conference at the end of last year. By many metrics, his statement was true; unemployment was at a fiveyear low, the stock market continuing to recover, and key industries, like automotive and housing, continued to improve. September’s jobs report, released by The Bureau of Labor Statistics in early October, confirmed these findings. Employers had added 248,000 jobs in one month and unemployment dropped below 6 percent for the first time since before the recession. In spite of outperforming economic predictions, voters remain apprehensive about the state of the economy. Wrzenski said many voters, often refered to as “pocketbook voters,” consider their own personal financial situation when casting their vote. “If you feel your personal situation has gotten worse, you will be open to considering a challenger in the election. Economic circumstances… can impact voting behavior.”
have real consequences.
“It’s important to go vote,” she said, “but you also Rhonda Wrzenski have to keep in mind that when you’re voting for Assistant professor of political science someone, [you need to] have realistic expectations, because you’re only voting for one person. No matter… how committed they are to a particular issue, they may or may not be able to support it. They need the support and cooperation of the president as well as the other members in that institution to EDUCATION be successful.” Education is one of the hot button topics of Regardless of the outcome of the election, the po- this midterm election. Wrzenski said this is litical process doesn’t end when the lever is pulled. because so many governors are up for reelection across the country. For issue and party voters alike, the battle over Incumbents, in some ways, will have to run on hot-button issues like abortion, immigration and decisions they made several years ago when the economy was worse, Wrzenski said. Those the environment continues. Here is a quick reference guide to some of the most decisions often included cuts to education. easy for a challenger to criticize the intalked about issues from this election, and whether “It’s cumbent for cutting education… because that your candidate of choice wins or loses, the debate is not popular.” Though many states are adopting the Comover these issues is sure to wage on. WOMEN’S ISSUES
Equal pay is one of the primary women’s issues in this year’s midterm elections. Some Campaigns, like that of Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, have made this and the Violence Against Women Act two important talking points. Wrzenski said there has been a shift in popularity in terms of women’s issues. In 2012, there was a lot of media coverage over women’s health and reproductive rights. “Candidates and voters have shifted in looking at women and reproductive health to looking at women and equal pay,” she said. That is not to say that contraceptive and reproductive rights have not been a part of this campaign cycle. In a recent C-Span interview, Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America said that, “despite the fact that polling shows that seven in ten Americans actually support legal access to abortion, we only have three in ten governors who support full and legal access to abortions.” Hogue added in the interview, “Women’s access to our own healthcare decisions is not a single issue. If we can’t make our own choices, there is no such thing as economic equality; there is no such thing as job security if we can’t actually have access to full family planning. This is a fundamental issue,” she said.
mon Core State Standards, Indiana is not one of them. Kentucky, however, adopted the standards in 2010 and implemented them during the 2011-2012 school year. The Common Core State Standards are a set of high-quality academic standards in Mathematics, and English language arts/literacy. Indiana State Superintendent Glenda Ritz and Governor Mike Pence have been at odds with his new education agencies such as the Center for Education and Career Innovation, which was created to “align the state’s workforce development efforts under one roof,” Indiana Public Media reports. In March, Indiana became the first state to drop the Common Core Educational Standards, an initiative heavily associated with President Obama. “I think anything affiliated with the president tends to be seen in a negative light this election, and common core is just another one of those aspects that people are equating in that way,” said Wrzenski.
Rob Ostermaier/Newport News Daily Press/MCT
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Groups such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are making large strides to bring voters to the polls on Election Day. Wrzesnki said that representatives from the HRC have made appearances and ran ads in several states supporting democratic candidates. Same-sex couples currently have the freedom to marry in 32 states. Three additional states, Kansas, Montana and South Carolina, are situated to follow suit. Though same-sex marriages have recently become legal in Indiana, Kentucky still has a pending decision. Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, running for Senate in Kentucky, supports allowing same-sex marriages. “I believe others should have the opportunity to make that same commitment,” Grimes said, as reported by The Huffington Post. Others, like republican senate candidate Ron Grooms of Indiana, oppose same-sex marriages. “We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We applaud the citizens of the majority of States which have enshrined in their constitutions the traditional concept of marriage, and we support the campaigns underway in several other States to do so,” he said. “Support for LBGT issues can be an effective selling point in more progressive states,” Wrzenski said. “But it won’t be an issue that will appear universally in every state. You’ll hear about it in states where it would be to the advantage of the Democratic candidate.”
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
Though the legalization of marijuana for recreational use is only on the ballot in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Colombia this election, some media coverage has deemed 2014 the “Marijuana Midterms.” These ballot measures represent growth of the legalization movement, positioning recreational legalization to be one of the biggest issues in 2016. Though she does not see it as a primary issue in this campaign cycle, Wrzenski agrees the outcome could position it to be a bigger issue in the next election. “As more states legalize… it is harder for the federal government to ignore and take a passive stance on the issue,” she said. This movement is especially important to some in Kentucky, where a strong lobby working for the legalization of hemp—marijuana’s less fun cousin. Hemp was once a staple for many Kentucky farms. Although it is still classified as a controlled substance, a farm bill earlier this year legalized industrial hemp production for research. Wrzenski said that even though many voters see the two issues as being synonymous, she doesn’t think they have to be. Those opposed to the production of hemp believe legalization could decrease their ability to keep marijuana off the street. Others believe the increase in industrial hemp production may indicate a softening on the federal government’s stance on marijuana.
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The Government Isn’t Broken. We Are. It’s our duty to vote, and it’s good to get involved. Tye Mcfarland, music business freshman
Opinions...
By: Josh Medlock Staff jrmedloc@ius.edu
D
espite eight inches of snow and bitter cold, thousands of people gathered on the White House lawn January 20, 1961 to witness President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. During his address, Kennedy delivered his now-famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” The young president urged Americans to participate in government to create a better world. At the time, civic duty was viewed as an essential responsibility. The early 1960s signaled the era of the Peace Corps and the Students for a Democratic Society. More than 63 percent of the population voted in the 1960 election—a percentage we haven’t reached since. Today, faith and approval of government is nearing all-time lows. The Congressional approval rating currently sits at an anemic 14 percent. The 113th Congress, plagued with gridlock and extremism, is poised to pass less bills than any other Congress in history. Congress’ dysfunction came to a head last year, when the entire government was forced to shut
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I’m not going to vote because I haven’t been able to look at the news long enough to make an educated decision. Kelsey Taylor, accounting junior
down over disagreements with the budget. It is clear people aren’t happy with their government. Many even say our system is broken. This grim reality is a far cry from the hopeful, exuberant outlook of the early 1960s. What has happened in the last 50 years? Public participation in America has dwindled since the days of Kennedy. Voter turnout is nearing all-time lows, especially for young people (the same demographic that pushed for change in the 1960s). In 2010, the last midterm election, just 24 percent of Americans between 18 and 29 voted. This contrasts with the 61 percent of citizens over the age of 65 who voted that year. Midterm elections always see lower turnouts than presidential elections, but voters in presidential elections have also steadily decreased over the past five decades. Voting isn’t the only civic duty America lacks today. According to a new Rasmussen Report, more than one-third of Americans don’t know which party controls the House of Representatives and which controls the Senate. Knowledge of current political issues and events is necessary for a representative democracy. Our system relies on informed, engaged citizens to intelligently elect officials to govern them. The fundamentals of our democracy haven’t changed since the 1960s, but we have. Americans vote less than ever before, aren’t as knowledgeable about government, but are increasingly critical of the officials that represent them. According to another 2014 Rasmussen Report, three-fourths of Americans don’t believe their local member of congress deserves reelection, but, according to the latest projections, a majority of congressmen are expected to win reelection. If citizens do not vote and participate, they will end up with a government that they don’t approve of. If we hope to fix our country, we, as educated citizens, must be informed on political issues our government faces. Our generation, unlike those before us, have access to dozens of websites devoted to informing voters, such as opencongress.org and ballotpedia.org. It is now easier than ever to prepare for the ballot box. If we hope to fix our country, we must spend 15 minutes on November 4 to vote. If we continue to waste our single most important civic duty, gridlock and polarization will continue to weaken
I’m voting because I want my opinion to be heard. Shelly Hansome, graphic design Senior
our government. If we want to rid congress of extremism, we must vote for the smartest voices, not the loudest. If we hope to fix our country, we must continue to be informed after Election Day. This means keeping track of what our Representatives and Senators are doing from time to time. Websites like Govtrack.us were created for this very reason. President Kennedy, in a lesser-known speech, said, “The educated citizen has an obligation to serve the public…he must be a participant and not a spectator.” Before we hope to fix our dysfunctional government, we must fix ourselves.
I want a career in digital media. I always want to be on top of what’s going on, in my school and in my town. I love to tell stories. I get really into following sports. I like to learn new things. I want to learn how to take awesome photos. I want to know how to really use a video camera. visit an adviser today! I find magazines fascinating. I sometimes wonder why there are so many cat videos on the Internet. I dig design. I’m curious about what makes people tick.
IUS has a major for all of it:
journalism.
More Service, Less Politics
Race and policing: By ZAK KERR Features Editor zakerr@ius.edu
PANEL DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF FERGUSON
who had been killed and yet, they’re on trial for some pictures that were on Facebook, for being hostile in school. Later on we get an autopsy and Michael Brown is found to have had weed in his system. That did not get him stopped that day.” By forming a narrative around who these people are, we can justify how we police them, Brooms said. “Then that creates particular reactions, responses in our interactions that problematize how people engage in public spaces,” he said. Joseph Grant, lecturer of criminology and criminal justice and 24-year retired veteran of law enforcement, said that he looks at the policing issues in Ferguson from a training standpoint. “We also have to look at the quality of our training of officers,” Grant said. “Not only in defensive tactics,
but in their interpersonal skills, the tactics, the strategies that they use. I’ve seen a lot of videos where officers were involved in shootings and they have poor tactics that put them in bad positions that make hasty decisions. Where if they had used better tactics, the situation may have turned out differently.” Police officers need to get to know the people they are serving, act with compassion and be morally courageous, Grant said. “You have to do the right thing for the right reason, even if nobody else is standing up for you,” he said. “And that’s a hard thing to do. It’s a hard thing to do. But when you accept the role of a police officer that is your responsibility; to take control of your life. You take control of your attitude, your behavior and influences, the attitudes and behaviors of others.”
Almost three months after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., the city has continued to be the epicenter of racial and policing discussions in America. To bring the discussion to IU Southeast, the Department of Political Science and the newly founded Political Science Club hosted a panel discussion with speakers from both IU Southeast and the University of Louisville. Veronica Medina, assistant professor of sociology, started the panel with a discussion on the controlling images surrounding race in America. “Controlling images in our society are designed to make racism, sexism, poverty and other forms of social injustice appear natural, normal and inevitable,” Medina said. These controlling images usually come from outside of the group that they are oppressing, Medina said. By creating a universal representation we are flattening out the diversity of these groups and individuals. “Basically, what we do is blame the victims for their circumstances because of the stereotypes we attribute to them, failing to take into consideration how structural conditions shape those particular types of stereotypes,” she said. Derrick Brooms, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Louisville, said that these controlling images can be seen in both the cases of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. “So then when I’m asking people, ‘What do you think about the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman Photo by Zak Kerr court case?’ People were On Oct. 15, the IU Southeast Department of Political Science and the Political Science Club hosted “Race and Policing - Events in saying that Trayvon Martin Ferguson, Mo.” On the panel, (L-R): Derrick Brooms, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Louisville; Joe Grant, lecturer was on trial,” Brooms said. of criminology and criminal justice; Elizabeth Gritter, assistant professor of history and Veronica Medina, assistant professor of “I just want you to think about that. Here’s somebody sociology. The panel was moderated by Margot Morgan, visiting assistant professor of political science.
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Policing the police: Opinions...
By: Elijah Lossner Staff elossner@imail.iu.edu
His lifeless body lay in the street for nearly four hours after being shot dead by police officers. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past two and a half months, then you probably guessed who I am referring to. Michael Brown. The shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old on Aug. 9 sparked daily protests in Ferguson, Mo. that continue to this day. The once sleepy town has drawn some heavyweights in the world of political activism, from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, to wellknown Harvard professor and political activist Cornel West. They, as well as many others, and especially the family of Michael Brown want to know what in the world happened in the minutes and seconds leading up to this tragic, and probably preventable, shooting. We know this isn’t an isolated case of the questionable, and sometimes avoidable, use of excessive force. All you have to do is a Google search of unnecessary police shootings and see for yourself. As I began to think more and more about police killings and the abuse of power, a phrase popped into my head. Cops with cameras. What if all police
Can cameras put an end to officer brutality?
officers in the United States were required to wear a camera? Ha! It’s so obvious. God, I’m a genius! I had just solved the problem. So I promptly began to do a bit of research and was disappointed to find out that this idea wasn’t conceived in my mind, and is more than an idea. It is happening already in more and more towns and cities across the U.S. One of these towns is Rialto, Calif. A population of about 100,000 that employs 66 police officers. According to the NY Times, in February 2012, all 66 officers began wearing body cameras. In the first year after the introduction of the cameras, the use of force declined 60 percent and citizen complaints fell 88 percent. And according to the Wall Street Journal, in some cases, cameras have shortened the amount of time it takes to investigate a shooting by police from two to three months, to two to three days. Cameras may ease some citizen’s fears of police misconduct, but can also be extremely beneficial to police officers themselves. They can be used to back up and justify the use of force and significantly decrease complaints against police officers. Case closed. Right? Not so fast. Joseph Grant, lecturer of criminology and criminal justice, and former Louisville police officer, says that the camera doesn’t capture everything that happens during an incident. And while he agrees that the cameras are a good idea, they are not the cure all to police misconduct. Grant says that as much emphasis should be
Nothing takes the place of a well-trainded officer. Joseph Grant, lecturer of criminology and criminal justice
placed on the proper training of police officers as it is on technology. “Everyone is looking for the camera to solve the problem of police misconduct, in particular, the use of excessive force,” Grant said. “Nothing takes the place of a well-trained officer.” Grant says that the solution to the problem of police misconduct is not the cameras, but that they are only one tool. “Everyone is looking for a quick fix to police misconduct. There is no quick fix to the problem,” Grant said. “It requires organizational change and part of that is emphasizing sound decisions in the hiring of police officers and the continued training of those officers.” Another worry is privacy. When do officers turn the camera off? Does the camera run when officers are questioning the victim of an assault? Will a search of a suspect’s house end up on the evening news? Can the video be altered? All valid questions that add to the complexity of the issue. But if you were raised in a poor black community that has experienced decades of abuse by police officers, you might notice a larger question missing from this column. Say an entire incident is captured on camera and shows an officer using unnecessary force. You might ask, does that guarantee that justice will be served? On March 3, 1991 members of the LAPD were unaware that they were being video-taped while they repeatedly beat and kicked Rodney King while he lay defenseless on the ground. The video was shown on most all major news outlets for months. American’s were shocked at the sheer brutality of the beating and any rational human being could see that it was an open and shut case. On April 29, 1992, the four officers charged in the beating were acquitted. Shortly after the announcement, came the L.A. riots in which 53 people were killed and about 2,000 injured. We’ve seen that cameras can only do so much, but they don’t address the decades of hostility between police officers and communities that see themselves as persecuted by police. However, body cameras are a step in the right direction in providing more transparency and accountability on both sides. And just in case you were wondering, according to a story by the Wall Street Journal, police in Ferguson have a stock of body-worn cameras, but have yet to dispense them to their officers.
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Human trafficking is thought to be a third world problem. But selling people is big business in Kentucky and Indiana
Graphic by Joel Stinnett
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By ETHAN SMITH Staff etlsmith@ius.edu
t can turn an immigrant into a slave, a teenager into a prostitute, a boyfriend into a pimp, a child into a sex worker. Human trafficking is often thought of as a problem only in third world countries. But 83 percent of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are American citizens, according to the United States Department of Justice. Melissa Castellano, human trafficking program manager at Catholic Charities of Louisville knows this statistic all too well. “Human trafficking is incredibly prevalent. It’s hard to know exactly how much is happening or exactly where it is because it’s such a hidden crime, but I think it’s very present,” Castellano said. In Kentucky there were at least a 160 cases of human trafficking over the past six years according to Kentucky Rescue and Restore, a Catholic Charities of Louisville project aimed at combating human trafficking in Kentucky. And in Indiana there were at least 73 cases of human trafficking from 2008 to 2012 according to the Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans, a task force funded by the Department of Justice. Because human trafficking comes in so many different forms, people often don’t recognize it when they see it, Castellano said. In her own work she has encountered boyfriends who force their girlfriends to be strippers or prostitutes, teenage runaways who engage in survival sex and look to their pimp for protection, and sometimes she comes across the unthinkable. “Some of the kids in Kentucky are being sold for sex by their own parents, foster parents or other relatives. They’re being exchanged, kind of rented out, to get drugs and things like that,” Castellano said. “They’ll give the child to a pedophile or a drug dealer for a few hours in order to get money or drugs.” Amy Leenerts, founder of the Free2Hope foundation, has heard similar stories. Stories of pimps sending underaged girls into high schools to recruit more underaged girls. Gangs that stab women with needles full of heroin so they will do anything to get another high. Or “Romeo Pimps,” who seduce women in college or at the mall and then blackmail them into prostitution with explicit photos. She said that human traffickers prey on vulnerability. Whether its financial problems, immigration problems or something as simple as self confidence and independence issues. And due to a lack of awareness, many victims don’t even know what’s happening until its too late. “Parents have no idea what’s going on, school systems have a very limited idea of what’s going on and the general public just doesn’t know,” Leenerts said. “They think that it’s something that only happens
in asian countries. They just don’t have a clue how of reasons, but none of them involve ‘wow this is what much is happening right here in our area.” I want to do when I grow up’.” While underaged girls are at the highest risk of She said this view of commercial sex has led to a victimization, the average age of sex trafficking vicdisturbing trend where sex trafficking has become tims in Kentucky is 21 years old. And Leenerts said a staple of big events like the Super Bowl or the once they’ve been victimized, they won’t last very Kentucky Derby. Where women are viewed as just long, often dying from physical abuse or drug abuse another essential part of the party atmosphere when around the age of 34 on average. a big event rolls into town. Leenerts takes the issue of sex trafficking very se“Basically anytime you have a big event with a parriously. As a child, Leenerts was the victim of sexual ty atmosphere and lots of men, you’ve got an increase abuse, and at 19 years old she was raped. With the in demand for commercial sex,” Kuzma said. “The Suhelp of a mentor, Leenerts came to terms with her per Bowl would be one, we’ve got the Indy 500 every past and knew she had to do more to help others. year, Brickyard 400, the NCAA tournament, all these “I just knew I had to do something in that venevents will be attracting that kind of crowd.” ue. And I thought the worst thing I could think of, Kuzma said that they have been increasingly worse than sexual abuse, worse than rape, was sex monitoring these events for signs of sex trafficking. trafficking,” Leenerts said. “It’s taking another huBut she said as long as there is a demand, there will man being, and taking something away from them, be a supply. And that the only way we can solve the through no choice of their own.” problem is by changing the way we view commercial While Leenerts notes the importance of taking sex and the victims of human trafficking. care of those who have already been victimized, Detective Michael R. Pawul of the LMPD Street she believes the most important thing to do is Enforcement Squad agrees with Kuzma. He said this raise awareness so that people can avoid becoming willful ignorance of the issue is particularly frusvictims in the first place. But she fears many people trating for LMPD because they rely mainly on tips avoid the issue because they don’t want to believe from civilians and confidential informants to identify that it happens in America, which is only making victims of human trafficking. things worse. “People don’t want to believe that the hispanic male “It just gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and it putting on their roof is an illegal immigrant being seems inexhaustible. It’s so prevalent and there’s exploited for labor, they just want it done for cheap,” so much money to be made,” Leenerts said. “I mean Pawul said. “It’s that way with sex trafficking too, people are giving up selling drugs and guns to do unless they’re a minor or they’re handcuffed to a bed this.” or held at gunpoint, people don’t think that it’s sex According to Abigal trafficking.” Kuzma, director of conAnd as the problem continsumer protection for the ues to grow, human traffickIndiana attorney genering operations are becoming al’s office, human traffickincreasingly sophisticated. ing is the fastest growIn Louisville where there are ing, and second largest large groups of immigrants criminal enterprise in the who have a language and world behind the illegal culture all their own, these gun trade. She said one of trafficking rings have become the many reasons hualmost impenetrable. man trafficking, and sex “Once you call this network trafficking in particular, they screen you to make sure has been able to grow so you speak the part. When quickly is that many peothey’ve done that they’ll send ple view it as a victimless you to another house where crime. they again make sure you “The rationalization of speak the part and look the the person that is using part. You pay those guys and this girl is ‘oh these are they’ll give you a chip or a two people voluntarily marble of some sort, which having sex’. That’s not you take to another location what’s going on here, at which is essentially a brothall,” Kuzma said. “These el,” Pawul said. are people that have often Kentucky recently passed lost a home, are financiala Human Trafficking Victims ly stressed or drug addictRights Act, which among othed. There are a whole lot er things enables safe harbor Photo by Ethan Smith Amy Leenerts, founder of Free2Hope Foundation.
laws, so that judges can expunge the records of those they believe to be victims of human trafficking. Pawul said this is a step in the right direction, but there is still much more that needs to be done. Pawul was lead detective on a recent case of labor trafficking here in Louisville. A chinese restaurant owner had his workers, many of which did not speak English, living in his basement and working 14 hour shifts for only $4.80 an hour. But this was the first labor trafficking case in Jefferson county. And since many people, including the judge, didn’t fully understand it, the defendant went free. “The judge admitted in open court, ‘I do believe these people are being wronged but I think its a product of their own doing,’” said Pawl. One of the victims in the case, a chinese woman who was brought here illegally by others, was told that her children were too expensive to take care of here in America. Those that brought her here said they would take them back to China for her. She lost contact with them, and Pawul believes the children were sold either into slavery or sex slavery. Emily Neil, a forensic nurse specialist with the University of Louisville, Kosair Charities Division of Forensic Medicine, said that many victims will usually hide the fact that they have been victimized, making it even harder to identify or prosecute the offenders. “These victims don’t come out and say they’re victims. There’s shame associated with it, there’s control issues associated with it and they’re fearful,” said Neil. “Much like the victims of domestic violence don’t always come out and say that they’re victims. There’s kind of a stigma.” Identifying victims has become increasingly important as awareness of the issue begins to grow, Neil said. As a certified sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), she said they often look for things like fear of eye contact, evidence of malnutrition and sleep deprivation, or an inability to answer to simple questions. “If you ask her where she is, or he is, and they can’t tell you. That’s a sign,” said Neil. “Because what happens is these victims are transported around so much, they just lose track of where they are, literally.” Neil said there are no set protocols for dealing with this yet and that they are having to learn as they go. For now they are focusing on providing the necessary medical care, such as pregnancy and STI testing. While also contacting the proper authorities and the national hotline who keep a database on all possible cases of human trafficking. But she feels there is more to be done. “I think we can always do more, I think there are some great organizations who are bringing this to light, and the more people that learn about it the more people can help,” Neil said. “But until it’s gone, we can always do more.” If you suspect someone is the victim of human trafficking call the national hotline at 1-888-373-7888. But if you believe they are in immediate danger call 911.
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Fall Family Fun:
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A look at Joe Huber’s Farm, Orchard and Winery
By LAURA HUBRICH Staff lhubrich@ius.edu
oe Huber’s Family Farm, Orchard and Winery, located in Southern Indiana, offers things to do for individuals and families of all ages. Each fall, Huber’s offers tractor rides to pick pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, various treats at the bakery in the Farm Market and wine tastings at the winery for those 21 and up. Here’s a glimpse into what Huber’s has to offer this fall. Left: Marcella Hawk, Administrative Assistant of Huber’s said that right now the most popular items in the bakery are apple and pumpkin products.
Below: Huber’s offers a wagon ride over to their pumpkin patch so guests can pick out the perfect pumpkin.
Below: Huber’s offers several fun cutouts for children and family to take pictures in.
Above: “We make everything on a daily basis. Everything is fresh and even on weekends we sell out of different varieties,” said Hawk.
Above: Huber’s not only has large pumpkins, but they also sell colorful gourds.
Below: Marcella Hawk, Huber’s administrative assistant, said that almost every child that comes into the bakery buys a cookie. “Our cookies are as big as your face,” Hawk said. “Almost everybody that comes to the property comes to the bakery and buys something,” Hawk said.
Above: Hubers also has pumpkins already picked for sale along with smaller pumpkins painted by hubers employees for decoration.
Above: Huber’s Winery has been around since 1978. Winery manager Samantha Huber says that Huber’s Winery offers wines ranging from very sweet to very dry. Huber said there is a wine for everyone, while the sweeter wines are the most popular.
Left: Outside of Huber’s Farm Market sits their inflatable pumpkin.