Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC December 2012 Daily Egyptian 2012 12-10-2012 The Daily Egyptian, December 10, 2012 Daily Egyptian Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/de_December2012 Volume 98, Issue 75 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Daily Egyptian 2012 at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in December 2012 by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A coordinator of Veterans Services has resigned for the second time this year. Roderick Santulan, who has been the coordinator of SIU’s Veterans Services since July, has resigned and his last day will be Dec. 11. As a result of turnover in the center’s coordinators, Veterans Services lost a grant this year that has given the group more than $100,000 in the past. Before Santulan, the center had a certifying specialist in charge for six months NICOLE HESTER | DAILY EGYPTIAN after the former coordinator resigned in January. The Hillary Juneau and father Mike King, both of Marion, register the buck shot by Juneau, who was the only one Veterans Cash Grant has been awarded to the university’s to shoot a buck at the archery deer hunt for disabled individuals at the Touch of Nature Environmental Center. Veterans Program since 2006. Both King and his daughter are disabled hunters, and King said the event was a great opportunity to enjoy The grant assists veterans and their immediate family assisted hunting and the camaraderie of others. members by aiding health insurance costs, long-term care, post-traumatic stress disorder research or treatment, disability benefits and housing assistance, according to the IDVA website. Santulan said in November that he was working hard to get the grant back for the students in the spring. Students involved in the program held a meeting Thursday night with Peter Gitau, associate vice chancellor of student life and intercultural relations. Heidi Belec, a senior studying cinema and photography and treasurer center Friday, Saturday or Sunday and vehicles at the event helped alleviate for Veterans Services, said at the meeting one of her main take part in the activities. that problem immensely. concerns with Santulan’s resignation was the grant’s status. She said although the hunt has “The distances that they were “The veterans have witnessed a high turnover with the David Oost is a hunter with been held at Touch of Nature for the taking me in the ATV would take me Veterans (Services) director position four times since 2011, multiple sclerosis who has essentially past 15 years, it was the first year the half the day to walk,” he said. “By and a majority of the veterans are unsatisfied with this lost the ability to hunt because of his center partnered with the NWTF. the time I got there, I would be so administration and needed that IDVA grant for our health disease’s e"ects. She said the partnership made for a exhausted that I wouldn’t be able to and dental,” Belec said. However, David and others like successful combination. do anything.” Gitau told the veterans that the coordinator’s duties and him had the chance to get back in the Lang-Mendenhall said southern Not only was he impressed with responsibilities were made clear to the applicants before they game this weekend with the help of Illinois groups assisted disabled hunters the service, but Oost said the location applied for the position. He distributed the form that states some southern Illinois groups. by setting up hunting areas, driving really helped the hunters relax and the director’s responsibilities to each applicant, he said. #e Illinois Wheelin’ Sportsmen the hunters to the areas and providing talk casually. “The coordinator was not asked to leave,” Gitau said. bow hunt is a partnership between food and shelter for them. She said the Above all else, Oost said events “He made the decision to do so on his own.” the Touch of Nature Environmental e"orts may seem simplistic in nature, such as this will extend his ability to SIU Veterans had the chance to meet with each Center and the National Wild Turkey but they mean a great deal to a disabled hunt for more than 10 years. He said coordinator candidate during the hiring process, she said. Federation to allow disabled hunters hunter such as Oost. even though this was his first time Students at the meeting said they never saw the distributed to go outside and do what they love Oost said he has hunted since he being far south in Illinois, he’ll be form, but some think the responsibilities required one with a little extra help. Vicki Lang- was 4 years old, but his disease has sure to come back. person to do the job of two people. Mendenhall, a therapeutic recreation made it incredibly difficult to walk “Now that I know what to expect, “I don’t think there was accurate communication specialist at Touch of Nature, said to a hunting spot and have enough returning will be easier,” he said. between the administration and the veterans because I disabled hunters across the region were energy left to do so by the time he know I didn’t have that understanding that the job of the encouraged to visit the environmental gets there. He said the all-terrain Please see DEER | 2 Veterans (Services) coordinator and the certifying official would be combined,” Belec said. “But to make one person responsible for all of that is a lot.” Belec said Santulan did an outstanding job getting to know the veterans, showing his passion for the program and handling all of the responsibilities his position entailed. Internet access across the university. university already uses works better than Another major concern was the new Students Services “We are working on (installing Wi- the old wireless installations. building, which will house all student services centers Fi) already and will continue to both O"ering the service should not be within the same building. Students and faculty will be add new areas for wireless and upgrade a problem as long as Wi-Fi points Gitau said the building’s goal is to have everything connected to the Internet everywhere current modes for improved service,” she are posted around campus, said Alex become a one-stop-shop for students. Mike Rann, an on campus by next fall. said in the email. Merchant, a junior from Grayslake accountant in the financial aid office who handles all of the David Crane, assistant provost and Cheng said the project’s funding has studying computer sciences. veteran students’ school funding and benefit processing, chief information o!cer, announced come from a budget already in place at “#ey just need to have some kind of said he will have an office within financial aid rather than at Tuesday’s Graduate and Professional the university. Wi-Fi modems at someplace (on campus),” with Veterans Services office. Student Council meeting that the “Our technology unit has a budget for he said. “#at’s about it. It’d be pricey if “If this new building is meant to keep everyone together, university plans to install Wi-Fi across hardware and software that is used for they did that, but it’s completely do-able.” then why can’t Mike have an office within the Veterans the whole campus by the beginning of academic areas, including the library and Merchant said the price could vary Services office?” said Ryan McKennedy, a senior from next school year. classrooms, and housing fees fund wireless on a project such as this, as it depends Rockford studying psychology and vice president of the Chancellor Rita Cheng said in an in the residence halls,” she said. on the quality and longevity of use the Veterans Organization. email the university is expanding wireless Cheng said the campus will not undergo university wants to get from it. capabilities on campus to improve any physical changes to achieve campus- Please see VETERAN | 3 student learning by harnessing easier wide Wi-Fi since the technology the Please see WIFI | 3 The Weather Channel® 5-day weather forecast for Carbondale DEER fraternity members also helped CONTINUED FROM 1 out tremendously, Smith said. Today Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Although many participants Although the experience took something away from the 38° 44° 51° 53° 55° helped many disabled hunters, experience, some community Oost said the deer seemed members are more concerned 23° 26° 28° 32° 42° scarce because of the month’s with the fact that people are abnormally warm weather. hunting on a nature reserve. Partly Sunny Sunny Sunny Mostly Hillary Juneau, hunter and King said even though some Cloudy Sunny disabled Army veteran, managed may view the Touch of Nature 20% chance of 0% chance of 0% chance of 0% chance of 10% chance of to bag one of two hunted deer hunt to be wrong, the act itself precipitation precipitation precipitation precipitation precipitation Saturday with the help of her father helps with population control. Mike King, who is also a NWTF Overpopulation is a problem member and disabled hunter. that could lead to unhealthy deer Juneau said she was glad and property damage, he said, as About Us to participate because the hungry deer will do whatever atmosphere was very upbeat, it takes to scavenge a meal. !e D"#$% E&%'(#") is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 50 weeks per and everyone who was present Hunting in an overpopulated year, with an average daily circulation of 15,000.