THE
alestle
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Criminal justice professor speaks on police reform
Trivia night with drag queen emcee raises funds for scholarship
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
Athletic director joins NCAA Softball Selection Committee PAGE 8
Thursday, April 28, 2022 Vol. 75 No. 28
the student voice since 1960
Cougar Bucks discount to decrease by 5 percent LIV KRAUS reporter
Starting July 1, the Cougar Bucks discount for Dining Services will decrease from 10 percent to 5 percent. Any student ID at SIUE can be loaded with Cougar Bucks, which is real money that can be used to purchase items at a discount on- and off-campus. Jeffrey Waple, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, said the decrease in the Cougar Bucks discount will only be for the dining options on campus and not the Cougar Store. He said that by cutting down the discount by 5 percent, it will allow the university to redistribute funds that will aid in reviving dining options for the fall. Waple said, in order to reopen more dining locations and extend the hours of operation, there needs to be more staff. “It allows us to redistribute the funds so we can hire more students, more staff, extend hours and do all those things we need to do to support our university a little bit better,” Waple said. Waple said unlike most other universities, SIUE doesn’t have a buffet-style of dining where students swipe a card and have access to an unlimited amount of food. “SIUE is a unique dining operation. It’s the first campus I’ve been at where it’s more of a retail operation than an all you
CURRENT COUGAR BUCKS DISCOUNT
NEW COUGAR BUCKS DISCOUNT
(10% OFF)
(5% OFF, EFFECTIVE JULY 1)
Sandwich from Sammiches
$5.18
$5.46
Single Cheeseburger from Boss Burger
$4.95
$5.23
Chick-Fil-A Sandwich
$3.74
$3.94
Starbucks Grande Mocha Frap
$4.59
$4.85
Disclaimer: Prices calculated do not account for taxes can eat,” Waple said. Waple said the university decided to get funding for these issues through the Cougar Bucks discount decrease. Cambria Johnson, senior in liberal studies, said she is not a fan of the recent changes being made to Cougar Bucks. “I think it’s ridiculous and ultimately not a smart decision because it will deter more peo-
ple from using Cougar Bucks,” Johnson said. Johnson said she would like to see the funding for dining options come somewhere else besides Cougar Bucks, like from fundraising or donors. Johnson said the advertising for the new Cougar Bucks discount did not mention that it was a decrease and that it should’ve been made more apparent.
“The advertising was not clear and I didn’t even realize there was going to be a change in the discount,” Johnson said. Molly Tippen, first year nutritionist student, said all first year students who are living on campus are required to have some sort of meal plan. “I feel like it shouldn’t be required because I only eat in the MUC a few times a week and it
can be a little expensive on top of paying for other college-related things,” Tippen said. Tippen said the decrease in the Cougar Bucks discount doesn’t bother her, but she can see where other students might be frustrated. She said it makes sense for them to cut the discount down. “I think it seems fair if they’re going to be needing the extra money. I know that prices are going up everywhere now,” Tippen said. Tippen said she is excited to see what dining options look like in the fall and the change to Cougar Bucks seems like a small price to pay. Morgan Jackson, senior in computer science, said he’s noticed the posters that advertise the change all over the MUC. “I think one of the biggest things that annoyed me the most was their method of announcing it. It almost looked like an advertisement, like a promotional deal. There was no explanation with it, just a promotional poster plastered across campus telling you there’s going to be a worse deal than the previous year,” Jackson said. Jackson said once he realized why the change was being made, his perspective slightly changed. “Initially, I was very annoyed. Upon the realization that it may mean longer hours or more dining options I’m a little more okay with it,” Jackson said.
Drop-N-Serve event brings students together for community service LIV KRAUS reporter
The Kimmel Student Involvement Center hosted the Drop-N-Serve event, which allowed students to drop in, craft a service gift and donate them to community agencies on April 21. Jimmy DelVecchio, general assistant at Kimmel Student Involvement Center, said he and his supervisor wanted to come up with an event to honor SIUE volunteers, faculty, staff and students during national volunteer appreciation week. “We’ve never done an event in the past, because of COVID, where we actually have all of our volunteers gather to celebrate them. However, our office does like to put on service programming so we wanted to make an event that was going to benefit the community but also show our appreciation, so we came up with Drop-N-Serve,” DelVecchio said. The Drop-N-Serve event had tables set up with different kinds of decorative paper, fabric and necessary materials needed to craft tiles that could be used as
follow the alestle
very engaging, it’s always an opportunidrink coasters. Andreya Ayers, graduate student ty to meet people who are like-minded from Chicago, said she does an average of and it’s fun to get involved in one way 2,000 hours of community service a year. or the other,” Shrestha said. She said she enjoyed the Drop-N-Serve Shrestha said she event because it incorthinks more students porated arts and crafts should get involved and served as a relaxwith the SIUE coming activity leading up munity service events to finals week. on campus “I’ve created my “I think it’s very service tile to be doimportant because nated to local agenthese events are not cies. I’m a scrapbooker only fun and enterso it was pretty fun for taining for students, me. It was therapeubut also for a good tic,” Ayers said. cause and to appreSagarika Shresciate the volunteers Sydney Brainerd tha, graduate student and to get us all enSophomore in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Nepal, said she gaged together,” thought the Drop-NShrestha said. Serve event was fun and Ashma Bhattrai, a freshman from a great way to meet new people who share Nepal, said she first heard about the the same interests. “I’ve always been interested in any- Drop-N-Serve event at the MUC on thing that [Kimmel Student Involve- the same day. “This is important because it helps to ment Center] does because it’s always
“
I think it’s adorable and I feel like it will brighten somebody’s day.”
@alestlelive
@TheAlestle
@thealestle
@thealestle
enhance our creativity through arts and crafts and it also gives back to the community,” Bhattrai said. Sydney Brainerd, sophomore from Bonne Terre, Missouri, said she found out about the event through the SIUE Get Involved page. “I wanted to come out and help the volunteer organizations because, to me, that’s something that’s very important,” Brainerd said. Brainerd said there were lots of different designs to choose from when making her tile. She said she was able to make a bee-themed tile with the crafting materials provided. “I think it’s adorable and I feel like it will brighten somebody’s day,” Brainerd said. Brainerd said she hopes to see more people get involved in community service. “I think it’s a great thing to do. I wish more people would come and get involved in them. It’s very important for them to do and it’s a great thing,” Brainerd said.
@Online Editor Alestle
See you on the Internet!
alestlelive.com
PAGE 2
Thursday, 04.28.22
BY THE NUMBERS / COVID-19 AT SIUE, SPRING 2022 New confirmed positive cases (from tests conducted by SIUE and self-reporting):
Tests conducted by SIUE:
April 20 - April 26: 9 students, 1 faculty/staff
April 20 - April 26: 1,419
April 12 - April 19: 12 students, 4 faculty/staff
April 12 - April 19: 1,333
14-Day New Positive Cases: 21 students, 5 faculty/staff
14-Day New Tests Conducted: 2,752
All prior weeks positive tests: (Jan. 4 - April 26): 1,063 students, 255 faculty/staff
All prior weeks tests conducted: Jan. 4 - April 26: 34,320
Total active positive cases: 15 students 7 faculty/staff
A debit card was found in Dunham Halll.
Positive cases identified by SIUE testing: April 20 - April 26: 21 April 12 - April 19: 15
14-day new positive cases: 36
Positivity Rate (as of April 26): 1.31%
60 50 40 30
Percentage of isolation/quarantine space available on campus (as of April 26): 98%
20 10
Source: Health, Reporting, and Testing page on SIUE’s COVID-19 website, as of April 26.
0 APR 19
APR 20
APR 21
APR 22
APR 23
APR 24
APR 25
APR 26
04.21.22
Officer took a report from a subject stating his phone conversation was recorded without his permission.
Two different wallets were found on the Edwardsville campus.
All prior weeks positive cases: Jan. 4 - April 26: 1,875
MADISON COUNTY DAY BY DAY:
04.19.22
04.22.22
Two different noise complaints were made against two different Cougar Lake apartments. Both subjects agreed to keep the noise down.
04.24.22
Officer responded to a report of a male subject walking around in a restricted area. The subject left the area without incident.
Criminal justice professor speaks on police reform, ‘from warrior to guardian’ NICOLE BOYD online editor
Matthew Petrocelli, professor of criminal justice, gave a lecture on how research indicates American policing should be reformed but not abolished. Petrocelli said the police culture mindset must shift from warrior to guardian. Petrocelli, who graduated from West Point, said the police have paramilitary roots and their culture reflects the military’s in a number of ways, from their uniforms to cadences about killing and war. He said the two groups are trained in very similar ways despite their different purposes. “It’s not a good thing that police are being socialized into violence, that they’re being socialized into aggression on this level … These ideas have been around for a very long time, but it only seems that when there’s a tragic event that we return to these ideas,” Petrocelli said. Petrocelli said because policing is a complex and highstress job, police need to rotate out of the workforce about 20 percent of the time for ongoing training, which would require
more funding. He said this is an aspect of the military that would actually benefit the police. “It [would give] them a chance to get out of real life and decompress, and more importantly, they can talk about, in a training environment, what they did right and what they did wrong,” Petrocelli said. “In the military, we do this all the time.” He also said they need to rotate out training in lethal force decision making, and use realistic training rather than target practice. He said this should include situational awareness training to avoid tunnel vision, which often leads to tragic outcomes, and rules of engagement. “Borrowing stuff from the military that could actually work, tactical shooting where you learn when to shoot and not shoot,” Petrocelli said. “In the military, you have rules of engagement where you have to learn, ‘This situation I’m allowed to shoot, this situation I’m not allowed to shoot,’ and you drill that constantly.” Michael Cushing, a senior criminal justice major from Glen Carbon, said he’s had a lot of discussions with police officers as part of his senior assignment,
and sees a duality of opinions from being on the road with them and academically studying them. He said what he got out of Petrocelli’s talk was that we need to shift away from the idea of defunding the police. “Even though the sentiment is well-warranted, we need to be investing in our police and the training that they receive and to create a culture of going back to, ‘We need to protect and serve the community,’” Cushing said. Additionally, Petrocelli said police need to shift away from curt militarism to respect when interacting with individuals – because even if they are committing a crime, that interaction determines the outcome of that situation. He said this can be done by active listening, explaining why they’re doing something and using a respectful tone. Mya Scott, sophomore criminal justice major from St. Louis, said she is a student of Petrocelli’s and thought the conversation would be interesting. She said it’s important for criminal justice majors to learn about these things because many will go on to join the police force after college.
“I learned how unpopular it is for police forces to be generally respectful of the public, how they’re often … trained in the wrong way, socialized in the wrong way. And it’s not really effective for their purpose in society,” Scott said. Petrocelli then said we need outside agencies to review police use of force, including a federal registry of misconduct, because disciplinary reports often become part of an officer’s personnel file that is not made public. This allows disciplined officers to simply make a lateral transfer to another department without agencies knowing the officer’s history. Petrocelli also suggested doing away with qualified immunity, which protects police from being sued civilly and to change the use of force threshold from “reasonable” to “necessary to prevent death or serious injury.” He also said they should prohibit chokeholds and no-knock warrants, although people often claim there are no issues associated with no-knock warrants. “Just like a lot of things with policing, we don’t know if that’s true or not. There [is] no
federal or state tracking or mandated reporting in the wake of what happens in no-knock warrants,” Petrocelli said. Similarly, Petrocelli said we have no idea how many use-offorce incidents occur in the U.S. because police are not required to report them on the state or federal level. He said we need a federal database of use-of-force incidents and reviews conducted by outside agencies, as police chiefs can approve and review research of their own agencies. “This relates back to police culture. There is this well-known dynamic, the police blue wall of silence. You talk about ethos of the police culture … aggression is one of them, showing bravery is another one, but not being a rat is very, very big in policing,” Petrocelli said. “It means you never report on another officer.” Petrocelli said change will be slow because police do not want to be told what to do by outsiders, but increased funding and training are absolutely necessary. “I think citizens should do what citizens can best do and that’s vote for candidates that are talking about police reform,” Petrocelli said.
THE ALESTLE GRADUATION ISSUE COMES OUT TUESDAY MAY 3
opinion
Share your thoughts: opinion@alestlelive.com 650-3527
alestlelive.com
Thursday, 04.28.22
PAGE 3
Cougar
Controversies ALEX AULTMAN Editor-in-Chief
Which superpower would you choose?
GABRIEL BRADY Managing Editor
Invisibility Reading Minds
EMILY STERZINGER Lifestyles Editor
12.5%
BRANDON WELLS Sports Editor
JULIANNA BIRKEY ELIZABETH DONALD JANA HAMADE Copy Editors FRANCESCA BOSTON LIV KRAUS AHMAD LATHAN Reporters KIRSTEN O’LOUGHLIN Graphics Manager TAMMY MERRETT Program Director
JIHUN HAN CLAIR SOLLENBERGER Photographers CAMILO ZULUAGA-CAICEDO Advertising Manager UDIT NALUKALA Circulation Manager GWENDALYN ECKERTY AMINA SEHIC Office Clerks ANGIE TROUT Office Manager
HAVE A COMMENT? Let us know! opinion@alestlelive.com Campus Box 1167 Edwardsville, IL. 62026-1167 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY:
The editors, staff and publishers of The Alestle believe in the free exchange of ideas, concerns and opinions and will publish as many letters as possible. Letters may be submitted at The Alestle office: Morris University Center, Room 0311 e-mail: opinion@alestlelive.com All hard copy letters should be typed and double-spaced. Letters should be no longer than 500 words. Include phone number, signature, class rank and major. We reserve the right to edit letter for grammar and content. Care will be taken to ensure that the letter’s message is not lost or altered. Letters to the editor will not be printed anonymously except under extreme circumstances. We reserve the right to reject letters.
The name Alestle is an acronym derived from the names of the three campus locations of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: Alton, East St. Louis and Edwardsville. The Alestle is published on Thursdays in print and on Tuesdays online during the fall and spring semesters. A print edition is available every other Wednesday during summer semesters. For more information, call 618-650-3528. For advertising, email advertising@alestlelive.com.
50%
Questions go up at 10 a.m. every Monday on Twitter: @TheAlestle
view
DAMIAN MORRIS Opinion Editor
NICOLE BOYD Online Editor
37.5%
Flight
Avoid catching COVID-19 during your hot girl summer THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
Temperatures are rising and COVID-19 cases are dropping, but we owe it to each other to maintain public health. With summer approaching and many events coming back, people are starting to go back to pre-COVID-19 activities. That is fine and exciting, as long as you also acknowledge that there are still people who are immunocompromised or are too young to be vaccinated. With relaxed masks mandates and few social distancing rules being followed in indoor places, there is
a higher chance of exposure to COVID-19. Even though there are fewer positive cases than in the previous summer months, and many have mild symptoms due to the current strain, individuals should still exercise caution. While mask mandates have been lifted on American planes, that doesn’t mean COVID-19 is gone or has transitioned to a ‘seasonal cold’. In two years, nearly 1 million people have died in the United States alone due to COVID-19. There are many countries that are still dealing with an increase in COVID-19 cases, particularly Australia and
Great Britain. U.S.-based scientists expect another wave to hit the United States in the fall, similar to a spike in cold and flu cases. The summer of 2022 is expected to have lower cases than in the past two years, with many people taking a breath of relief of getting “back to normal.” But nothing is normal anymore– the entire world experienced a traumatic event, and there is still a population of people who are at higher risk, especially when new variants could popup in the future. All we ask is that this summer, you think larger than yourself. If you see someone wearing
a mask at an event, instead of judging them, acknowledge that maybe they themselves or a family member were recently diagnosed with cancer. If you are able to, once it is recommended by your doctor, get another booster. Get tested if you have symptoms or you think you may have been exposed, there are so many home tests for purchase and Walgreens and CVS are still offering free tests. This summer can be wonderful, as long as we take a second to acknowledge those around us who may still be hesitant to rejoin large groups after two years. Take care of yourself and give each other grace.
one spot. A common critique of BookTok creators is that they always end up recommending the same books over and over again. It’s a slow cycle with books coming in and out of rotation. The repetitive book recommendations wouldn’t be as annoying if there were a larger variety ofgenres being showcased. The larger issue is that all the books they recommend are practically the same, as they all involve a basic romantic storyline. This makes romance novels feel predictable,overdone and repetitive. A lot of these books lack diversity and often only depict hetereosexual relationships. Many of these books don’t even pass the Bechdel test. In order for a book to pass the Bechdel test, it must involve two women who talk to each other about something besides a man. Many famous books fail this simple test, including F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s, “The Great Gatsby” and Audrey Niffenegger’s, “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Despite the lack of gender equality in these books, content creators will still choose to rave about these titles over books with women who actually serve as more than an uninteresting love interest to the main character. Creators who rate books on BookTok aren’t always fair in their ratings. They’re notorious for hyping up books with poor, overused storylines while giving other books bad reviews simply because there wasn’t enough romance involved. A book isn’t bad just because it doesn’t have romance. There are many great books that have little to no romance and still manage to serve as entertaining reads. Not focusing on romantic elements allows more focus towards the structure and plot of a story, especially in the science fiction and fantasy
genres where more world building takes place. When you add romance to these genres, it can easily turninto a distraction. It’s understandable why authors might add snippets of romance to their science fiction and fantasy stories to broaden their audience and sell more copies, but it wouldn’t be necessary if more people were willing to step away from the rundown romantic storylines and venture into other genres. Content creators on BookTok should work on offering a variety of genres besides romance as recommendations for their audience. This would allow more authors to freely avoid adding romance to theirstories purely to gain attraction towards their books. Having a favorite genre is great, but refusing to read other genres can cause you to miss out on some amazing books that may change your perspective on what you prefer to read.
Not every book needs to have romantic elements LIV KRAUS reporter
Books don’t need romance in order for them to be great. Content creators should recommend more diverse work that doesn’t only include romance novels. TikTok has become a place where content creators can interact with each other and make videos rating and recommending books for an audience of bookworms. This side of TikTok has become known as “BookTok,” and it holds quite the grip over today’s booklovers and the books we buy. Nowadays, many people get their book recommendations from BookTok. Bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Books-AMillion have even started adopting a marketing strategy where they set up tables filled with popular BookTok books and label it, “BookTok,” for people to get all their recommended books in
THE ALESTLE GRADUATION ISSUE COMES OUT TUESDAY MAY 3
lifestyles alestlelive.com
PAGE 6
contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Thursday, 04.28.22
Drag trivia raises money for Safe Zone scholarship NICOLE BOYD online editor Safe Zone’s trivia night, emceed by drag queen Desiré Declyne, focused on LGBTQ+ history and culture. Nick Niemerg, assistant director of constituent relations for the SIUE Foundation and co-chair for Safe Zone, said after having a successful off-campus fundraiser, they wanted to try doing an event on campus with students. Money raised by admission tickets went to Safe Zone’s scholarship. “It’s awarded annually to a student or students who serve as advocates for the LGBTQ+ community on campus, so it can either be through research, it can be through a group they’re a part of, stuff like that,” Niemerg said. Niemerg said drag trivia was a good event for a Safe Zone fundraiser because drag, as an art form, has always had a significant background in LGBTQ+ history. “We figured, why not use that art form as a way to showcase just a little
bit of LGBTQ+ history and also have some fun and raise some money?” Niemerg said. Desiré Declyne, drag queen and emcee, said she used to do charity bingo events at Hamburger Mary’s before it closed. They said Niemerg reached out as the pandemic began to wane, and has since done bingo and trivia for Safe Zone. “I truly wish that I would have had events like this when I was in school. It honestly would have helped my mental health quite a bit [and] saved a few lives as well, so I’m very happy that things like this exist now and that I get to be a part of making them happen,” Declyne said. Declyne ended the night by performing “You Are Not Alone” from” Into the Woods,” which had special meaning for her and her grandmother. They said they wanted the song to be a reminder to queer youth who may be struggling. “My nana, she was really, truly one of
the most beautiful and kind-hearted people I could ever imagine. She truly saved my life,” Declyne said. “And that was our song that whenever one of us was falling down, we’d remind each other that we have each other and we’re all in it together.” Jesse Allen, an SIUE alumnus from Edwardsville, said his wife brought him to the event. He said he completed the first phase of Safe Zone’s training to become an ally because his oldest daughter identifies as lesbian, and his youngest child identifies as lesbian and non-cis. “It’s a cause that I’m very interested in. I love the idea that SIUE is providing a safe space and offering training for people who are educators or are involved with young people or just trying to be decent human beings,” Allen said. Allen said seeing the energy and enthusiasm of drag is always fun.
“To be able to see that sort of thing and not have to go to a bar to do it is great, because I don’t go to bars, so I can come here instead,” Allen said. Emily Hilst, a junior psychology major from Green Valley, Illinois, said she attended because she had never been to a drag show before. “It’s a good educating tool, especially being on a campus. Kids that want to learn more about it can come here and … also just be supportive,” Hilst said. Jayde Grams, a senior psychology and criminal justice major from Florissant, Missouri, said she came to have fun with friends and support a good cause. “It opens the community to other people who aren’t usually around [drag] or exposed to it. I think it’s a good way to introduce that to people and teach them what the community is about,” Grams said. Learn more about Safe Zone by visiting their Instagram or on Facebook. Declyne regularly performs at “Get Brunched” at Tropical Liqueurs in The Grove.
Black Girls Rock hosts ‘End of the Year Field Day’ JANA HAMADE copy editor Black Girls Rock put on a full day of games including kickball, tug-of-war contests and water wars, as well as music and food. The event was in collaboration with SIUE’s Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity and the Omicron Sigma Omegas, whose members were also present. Entry was free for all, apart from food plates which were being prepared and sold individually. Saija Gordon, senior sociology major from Peoria, Illinois, said the event’s purpose was to leave a positive mark on the school and end the year off with something enjoyable. “This is just a little summer-
time fun, we’re trying to give back to the school, let them know [Black Girls Rock] was here and leave our mark. It’s a good way to bring down the year, end it with a bang,” Gordon said. The event took place inside the Rec Plex and on the soccer field. Water guns and sprinklers were available for attendees. Vice President of Black Girls Rock and junior elementary education major Karlie Singleton-Kidd said the event is all about bringing out playfulness and healing the attendees’ inner child. “Basically, the way today came to be is we’re trying to channel our inner child. You know, we’re playing kickball, playing with water,” Singleton-Kidd said. A DJ booth for live music was
also being set-up, which featured Taj, also known as ‘DJ Valentino,’ a 22-year-old SIUE alumnus in music production. “I find this interesting; I like the fact that we’re getting campus back active,” Taj said. Tanaya Marie Taylor, sophomore student in nursing, said she liked how open and easy it is for anyone, male or female, to become a member of Black Girls Rock. She said she appreciates the commitment and dedication that the girls offer the group. “Anyone is welcome to join. I love how committed they are and I love how welcoming they are,” Taylor said. For more information on the group or to become a member, visit their page on GetInvolved.
Members of Black Girls Rock and Sigma Tau Gamma prepare food plates for event attendees. | Jana Hamade / The Alestle
Honors Student Association hosts second escape room night of the semester
A group of members, many of whom are part of HSA, look over the shoulder of a teammate who is putting together a puzzle to decipher a clue. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
Freshmen Jercura Kindred (left) and Lizette Sosa (middle) and sophomore Nathaniel Furlow (right) work on decoding a message. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
Thursday, 04.28.22
alestlelive.com
PAGE 7
Iftar Fast-a-Thon event embraces Muslim culture on campus
Junior Rahmat Salau, an accounting major from Lagos, Nigeria, greets people entering the event. | Jihun Han / The Alestle
Dates are a food often eaten during Iftar, a meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan to break fasts. | Jihun Han / The Alestle
Spring shoes arriving now! Visit gliks.com to find your nearest location
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Page 8
sports alestlelive.com
NCAA Softball Selection Committee welcomes Tim Hall, brings SIUE attention AHMAD LATHAN reporter SIUE Athletic Director, Tim Hall, is appointed to the NCAA Softball Selection Committee through the help of the Ohio Valley conference. Hall said he felt like it was an honor based on SIUE’s softball program’s history and how some of the great softball players like Sandy Montgomery set the precedent. “Being able to represent our university, the Ohio Valley Conference and our softball program is really an honor,” Hall said. Hall said that this committee will be his fourth he has served on and that he was previously on the NCAA Volleyball Rules Committee and Selection Committee. “The main responsibility is seeding and picking the at-large teams for the NCAA softball tournament which is similar to the basketball tournament,” Hall said. PJ Finigan, softball head
coach, said this type of honor demonstrates Hall’s work ethic. He said that Hall will do good by the NCAA Softball Selection Committee. “It shows how much Tim cares about the sport and shows the respect that he has of his peers to be nominated,” Finigan said. “He cares about student athletes and will definitely do his homework and be diligent about taking the appointment seriously.” Finigan had some kind words to say about Tim Hall’s character while working with him. “He is a very thorough, very deep thinker and the type of person that is needed in this process,” Finigan said. Finigan said that SIUE as a whole will benefit from Hall’s nomination. “As a university it shows that we are growing in the Division I landscape, throughout the Midwest and getting us on the national scene,” Finigan said. Hall said the SIUE program’s past success speaks
Reflecting on their recent win and the previous weeks of the season, the Cougars remain focused on the OVC Championship. Redshirt sophomore Caitlyn Sporing from Blue Springs, Missouri, and Fabiola Perez, sophomore from Miami, Florida, secured a 6-1 win in doubles on the No. 3 court. Redshirt sophomore Jill Lambrechts from Beerse, Belgium, and redshirt junior Maria Thibault from Peachtree Corners, Georgia, won 6-4. All players won their matches, with Thibault scoring 6-0 in her respective match. SIUE earned a total of 7 points, securing the win with a final score of 7-0. Head Coach Adam Albertsen said that the team stayed focused and competed really well. “We definitely stepped up and I liked the energy and focus. About a week ago we had a tough loss and we decided this was a brand new season and we called this round two. It’s looking like the team responded well,” Albertsen said. Albertsen said that it looks
like his team will be the four seed in the OVC tournament. “Next is the OVC tournament post-season play [which] starts next Friday. [We’re] still waiting to see a few things shake out. It looks like we’ve punched our ticket. We’ll find out, probably later this weekend, who we play and we’re really excited to keep that going,” Albertsen said. Perez said that this was the last game before conference starts. Perez said she feels her team is ready for the tournament. “I think coming together as a team. We really got together and realized what changes we need to make. I feel like these past few matches we’ve really showed up,” Perez said. Thibault said that the team came out with a lot of confidence and didn’t slow down their performance. “I think we all did good coming in and getting that double point and just playing with our confidence. The win was pretty rough at times, but we just kept our feet moving and played our game,” Thibault said. Thibault said she is excited for the OVC tournament and to get a second chance to compete against certain teams again. Albertsen said he looks forward to the OVC tourna-
Thursday, 04.28.22
SIUE STANDINGS Softball
OVERALL OVC
SIUE Murray State UT Martin Belmont Tennessee Tech Southeast Missouri Austin Peay Eastern Illinois Morehead State Tennessee State
15-28 32-12-1 27-14 26-11 30-14 22-19 24-20 21-26 5-31 12-34
Baseball
OVERALL OVC
volu me s for t h is honor. “We have a very strong program here at SIUE and when you look at the history, they won two national championships before we transitioned to Division I,” Hall said. Hall said the NCAA must have seen his value throughout his past work in other NCAA committees. “They must feel like I have done pretty good work and added value for them to want me back again,” Hall said. Hall said his friends, family and colleagues were all happy for
him upon being selected. He also said that SIUE will get some time on large sports networks during the tournament. “When the Division I softball tournament is on ESPN, they will mention committee members and they will see the SIUE logo,” Hall said. Hall said that this nomination opens more opportunities for the university’s growth. “That is an opportunity for branding for the university that you might not otherwise have,” Hall said.
Women’s tennis secures number four seed in the OVC with a 7-0 win against EIU OLIVIA KRAUS reporter
THE ALESTLE GRADUATION ISSUE COMES OUT TUESDAY MAY 3
SIUE Belmont Austin Peay Southeast Missouri Tennessee Tech UT Martin Morehead State Eastern Illinois Murray State
18-18 26-14 15-25 28-10 21-16 10-25 16-22 25-12 21-18
Women’s Tennis OVERALL OVC
Murray State Belmont Austin Peay SIUE UT Martin Eastern Illinois Southeast Missouri Tennessee State
11-9 12-7 10-6 16-4 4-15 3-18 13-6 0-15
All stats are from the OVC
UPCOMING Track and Field at Outdoor Music City Challenge All day, April 29-30 Women’s Tennis at OVC Championship 10 a.m., April 29 Baseball vs. Murray State 5 p.m., April 29, 2 p.m. April 30 and 1 p.m., May 1 Softball at SIUE vs. Southeast Missouri 4 p.m., April 30 and 12 p.m., May 1
Redshirt junior Vanessa Reinicke, from Berlin, Germany lines up to strike the ball. | Clair Sollenberger / The Alestle
ment and to see his team play their best. “I think we’ve played a little better each week. We want to peak at the tournament, play our very best at the end of the sea-
son and give them everything we have,” Albertsen said. The Cougars will be playing in the OVC Championship for their next game on Friday in Evansville, Indiana.