The city of Marion saw its financial reserves almost depleted last year. Marion’s savings plummeted from $2.4 million to just more than $40,000 in 2012, according to the Marion Chronicle-Tribune.

This news came as no shock to some locals, such as former Indiana Wesleyan University student Daniel Curtis (alumnus ‘12), who viewed Marion’s financial resources as a troubling issue.

“Marion’s economy isn’t the greatest,” Curtis said. “If anyone wants to do anything they have to go to leave Marion. They have to go to Muncie or Indianapolis or Kokomo. Ever since RCA, [later called Thomson Consumer Electronics], went under, Marion’s just been in a slump.”

Curtis’ father was directly affected when the factory on South Adams and East 38th streets closed in 2004. According to Curtis, the effects of that closure are still being felt, pointing out other Marion business that recently have gone under, such as the White Castle on the bypass.

“I just feel like there’s a lot that’s going to have to happen. Marion’s going to have to come a long way,” said Curtis.

In an interview with The Sojourn, Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold said the city’s recent financial troubles aren’t related to jobs and businesses. According to Seybold, the depletion of Marion’s reserves is due to more than $3 million in health care spending in 2012 due to “a lot of sick people at city hall.”

Added to this stress on the city’s finances was the 3-year-old Indiana law that capped property taxes.

“In years past, when you have a health care crisis like we’re having, you’d raise taxes to cover that period,” Seybold said. “As a result of the cap, when you have a financial situation you go into your savings. So this year, we had to go into our cash reserves and a little bit last year to make sure our employees’ health bills were paid.”

According to Seybold, Marion actually underspent its budget by $1.4 million in 2012, so he expects a full recovery of reserves soon.

“To get back to the full $5-$7 million that we normally have in cash reserves, that will probably take us from ‘13 into ‘14,” Seybold said.

By Erika Drake

Friday morning, Jan. 11, Megan Chipman was found in front of Hotel Marion with two gunshot wounds in her head and one in her chest, according to The Indy Channel. She was taken to Marion General Hospital and pronounced dead. The suspect, Zachary Thien, was arrested the next day. Chipman had been attending Ivy Tech in Marion at the time, according to The Marion Chronicle-Tribune.

In addition to this homicide, 2013 marks the 20-year anniversary of Indiana Wesleyan University’s Tricia Lynn Reitler’s disappearance on March 29,1993.

According to www.charleyproject.org, Reitler had been writing a paper and decided to take a break, leaving Bowman Hall about 8 p.m. to go to Marsh Supermarket, a half mile off campus, for a soda and magazine.

Reitler never returned and her clothes were found bloody in a field near Center School. Her case remains open and unsolved.

Jil Mazellan (alumna ‘85), resident of Marion and wife of professor Ron Mazellan, moved into her home the same year of Reitler’s disappearance.

“Trisha Reitler was missing. You know, beautiful, blonde college student never to be found. That has always stayed in my mind,” she said.

Despite that fact, and despite the number of crimes in Marion, Mazellan stressed, “Who you choose to be in your community has a lot to do with safety.”

Mazellan feels strongly about the importance of safety for students, especially women. She said girls should never be out at night alone.

Mazellan’s experience as an IWU student attests to her warning: “I had some little bit creepy situations because I was out at night and there is just no reason you should be. [There are some people in the community who] are a lot of the times out at night looking for people who are alone.”

Mario Rangel, coordinator of Campus Police, said Marion is a relatively safe city. He cautioned students, “Be using common sense and keeping your safety in mind as you study, live and work is your best protection from harm.”

Rachael Bingham (fr) has lived in Marion all 18 years of her life. Bingham’s first witness to crime came at 14.

“Our church garage was broken into and trashed,” she said. Bingham had always felt safe in her community, but after the break-in she was afraid to go outside alone.

Bingham never feels unsafe on campus, but encourages students to “have an understanding of where you are. If the place looks shady then assume it’s shady and don’t go there.”

“Marion has a worse reputation than it probably is,” Bingham said. “It isn’t as scary as people think. If you’re smart, you will probably be OK.”

Students can stay informed through the Chronicle-Tribune. Crime stoppers is a section on the newspaper’s website that lists recently unsolved crimes, which includes anything from vehicle vandalism and robberies to at-large sex offenders.

Locking doors, staying in well-lit areas, checking the backseat of your car, telling someone where you are going and when you will return and memorizing the campus police number (4911) are some tips Rangel gave students on remaining safe during their IWU experience.

Rangel stressed, “If students are unsure of safe or unsafe areas in Marion, they can contact me or one of IWU Campus Police officers to help them.”

By: Kate Jones, Contributing Writer

Friday, Nov. 16, members of the Indiana Wesleyan University community will finally see the response to something they started praying for months ago. When student body chaplain Garrett Howell (sr) was given the vision for Night of Worship in spring 2012, he and his team took on the event in full force and never turned back.

Since then, N.O.W. has developed into a community worship event encompassing not just IWU, but the Marion community.

“God is not limited to IWU,” said student body chaplain Emily Lumpkin (jr). “We are all welcome into the body of Christ, so for it to be offered to all of the community is an incredible way to say, ‘Marion, we want you too.’”

N.O.W. is a time of corporate worship with the community. IWU students, faculty and administrators will have the chance to worship alongside Marion residents, churches and youth groups.

According to Howell, there will be time to sit and listen to the Lord, worship through music, scripture reading and prayer.

“We’ve been using this terminology: ‘Giving God a blank canvas,’” Howell said. “It means we surrender everything we’re going to do and say, ‘God, just lead us.’”

That’s exactly what the chaplains hope will happen tomorrow night. “We’re expecting God to do bigger things,” Lumpkin said. The leaders of N.O.W. are approaching the night with an attitude of expectancy, believing that God will move through the event.

“We’ve been specifically praying for an outpouring of the Spirit,” said Howell, “that it wouldn’t just be another worship service, but that God would come in a way that was different.”

The idea of bringing the Marion community together is different for a worship service on campus. It’s not typical that the two cultures converge, but the opportunity to make it happen was something Howell specifically had in mind.

“What invites God’s spirit is when we’re living in loving community with each other,” Howell said. “There’s a lot of chances to worship on the campus, not a lot of chances to worship as an entire community.”

N.O.W. will be at 7 p.m. Friday in the Commons, with worship led by the band Alanna Story. There will be no admission fee.

“One thing to remember when you approach nights like this,” Lumpkin said, “is that it doesn’t have to be one night, but it can be the beginning of a lifetime of living extravagantly for God.”

By Kristen Stipkovich

Fall 2011 brought sadness to the hearts of many people throughout Indiana with tragic news of the Harris family’s small-airplane crash on Nov. 26, 2011, killing all passengers on board. Marion natives Ray, Ramie and Shey Harris were three of those killed, along with Indiana Wesleyan University’s Christopher Backus (jr), leaving friends and family in utter heartbreak. It may be hard to move on after losing a friend or family member, but for some, loss is motivation.

Although Ramie Harris’ hometown is Marion, Ind., she was a junior at Wheaton College in Illinois at the time of the crash. Friends Tamara Barrett, a Marion native and senior at Taylor University, and Bethany Kirkwood, took on the challenge to participate in the fifth annual Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, a 26.2 mile run, on Nov. 3, 2012, in honor of their friend and teammate, Ramie Harris. This goal is one that is not easy to accomplish alone, so that is when “Running for Ramie” came into full swing.

“I have asked people to sponsor me by mile or donate whatever they can,” said Barrett. “All the money raised goes to the [Ramie Harris] Scholarship Fund, which is designed to be given to a first-year student at Wheaton who comes from Grant County.” Harris studied at Wheaton, and had a passion for education and expressed that through hard work and motivation toward others.

Barrett explained that before the marathon, it is important to not only train, but to seek encouragement through stories, encouraging words and monetary donations. To make this possible, Barrett’s blog, runningforramie.blogspot.com, was created to show the process of training for the event, as well as to be an outlet to donate.

Fellow runner Kirkwood wrote her feelings and purpose in tackling the marathon within the blog: “I truly feel that God has brought us girls together to be a voice and hope for Ramie, and her family.”

Kirkwood said she received encouragement from Ramie Harris while playing on sports teams together in the past, and that is also what has brought her where she is today.

Kora Edwards (jr) had been best friends with Shey Harris since fourth grade, and is proud of Barrett and her mission.

“I think what Tamara is doing is absolutely great,” said Edwards. “Words cannot describe how amazing the Harrises were. The testimony of their lives continues to inspire me and many others even today.”

Edwards is actively involved with the ministry of God’s House, a local church in Marion. She explained the support the God’s House congregation has given Barrett within the past couple weeks.

“For about the past month, Pastor Ryan and Katara McCarty have called Tamara up onto the platform to explain what she is doing, why she is doing it, and to encourage those who know and love the Harris family to support,” Edwards said.

Barrett also had a booth in the church to answer any questions people may have, as well as help direct them to ways of donating.

Additionally, Barrett said the motivation from her parents, friends, Harris’ mom, Taylor and IWU students, complete strangers — basically everyone who has donated, given her advice or helped her get ready for the race in any way — has helped her to complete her goal.

“I’m doing this to honor Ramie’s life, but also to encourage those in our community that there is a greater hope we can hold on to,” Barrett said.

In addition to the running for Ramie efforts within the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, a 5K race at 10 a.m. Nov. 10 in honor of Ramie Harris has been established as well. All proceeds for this particular race will go to the promotion of health and wellness for the children of Grant County. More information can be found on the Facebook event page, “Ramie’s Run.” Information on signing up, donating or sponsoring can be found at ramiesrun.wordpress.com.