The Alestle Vol. 74 No. 13

GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH THESE ACTIVITIES page 5

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ALESTLE

As administrators balance mitigations, Fall 2020 graduates adjust their expectations the most disappointing things for us, because we fully comprehend how important it is for the students, the graduates and their families to have that experience, to walk across, shake the hands of the chancellor, the dean, the provost, accept their diploma and walk off to the cheers … you can’t replace that.”

Kristen Schmalz, marketing and events specialist for University Market-

As the Vadalabene Center will not be filled with proud former students in caps and gowns at the end of this semester, graduates and administrators are left to celebrate behind computer screens.

This has prompted mixed reactions among students. Some, like Bryonna Allen, a senior Spanish major, of Belleville, Illinois, are left feeling disappointed that their graduation day is not how they imagined it would be.

“It’s not really what I expected for my graduation,” Allen said. “My mom BRYONNA ALLEN lives in Maryland and she’s Fall 2020 graduating senior gonna fly down, and I have, like, a really big family that ing and Communications, said this dewas going to come down and watch me cision came after news of enhanced state graduate … I’ve worked so hard, and mitigations following rising local case I just feel like my opportunity for my numbers. family to see all that I’ve worked for is “Unfortunately, with the new mitikind of being taken away.” gations … we won’t be able to have anyDoug McIlhagga, executive directhing in person on campus,” Schmalz tor of University Marketing and Comsaid. “Safety is our first priority, and so munications, said administration shares we just don’t feel comfortable bringthe disappointment of graduates like ing graduates and their families back to Allen. campus for anything right now, espe“Obviously, they can’t walk across cially with the COVID numbers rising t h e stage,” McIlhagga so quickly here lately.” said.

“It’s one of

Allen said despite her overall disappointment, she also understands the circumstances administration is operating under.

“I think they’re following the rules as best as they can, you know?” Allen said. “There’s only ... so much that they can do with trying to keep everyone safe, so I definitely, like, don’t blame my school for anything.”

Shane Wheatley, a senior mass communications major from Swansea, Illinois, said he thinks a virtual ceremony is the safest option possible.

“I think right now, it’s certainly not safe to be having a full commencement in person, because it’s not just us graduating, it’s everyone bringing their family too, and I think virtual just allows it to be a lot safer, so I’m okay with it,” Wheatley said.

He also said the virtual format has its perks.

“With it not being in person, we don’t have to sit through a long

“I’ve worked so hard, and I just feel like my opportunity for my family to see all that I’ve worked for is kind of being taken away.”

see GRADUATION on page 3

Students’ living plans may change with online classes DAMIAN MORRIS reporter

Given SIUE’s decision to move almost all previously in-person courses online after Fall Break, some students are deciding to finish their Fall 2020 semester at home instead of in university housing.

According to Assistant Registrar Maureen Bell-Werner, 130 courses were approved to meet in-person after the break by the Office of the Provost in the departments of Nursing, Teaching & Learning and Speech Language Pathology & Audiology. She said these were the departments that requested and received approval for certain courses they offer.

“The departments had to submit a rationale for why they needed to meet onground to the Provost’s Office, and the Provost’s Office either granted or denied those requests,” Bell-Werner said.

Given these changes, which eliminated most on-ground courses, many students @thealestle

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vol. 74 no. 13

The Student Voice Since 1960

Celebrating via screen DALTON BROWN copy editor

WHAT YOU MISSED OVER BREAK: SIUE BASKETBALL

were choosing to not come back to campus and University Housing sent out an intention form to determine which students were coming back to campus.

Director of University Housing Mallory Sidarous said 53 percent of residents will be remaining or coming back to campus following the end of Thanksgiving break based on these intention forms.

She said she gave an option to residents to reach out to University Housing if there were any changes to their intention form plans, but doesn’t anticipate a lot of deviation from the students’ original plans.

“I don’t anticipate we will see a ton of change,” Sidarous said. “I think we’re asking students to be able to make some decisions about their plans, but we know that can fluctuate and we also want to make sure people don’t feel like they don’t have the option, and so that’s why we’re making sure they know they can contact us if something is different for them.”

Most students who were in university @thealestle

housing in the Fall 2020 semester will be back for the Spring 2021 semester, according to Sidarous.

“The contract has not changed, so everybody has a housing contract that’s a fall-spring contract,” Sidarous said. “So unless they’re leaving the university, they’ll be back in the spring.”

Sidarous said while many students are staying home for the remainder of the semester to finish their online classes, she doesn’t believe this is necessarily an indication of what will be seen in the spring.

“There usually is some change between fall and spring, just if peoples’ situations change, and they no longer attend the university, but we are not anticipating any other than the normal change,” Sidarous said. “Right now this year’s unusual, so there’s students who are choosing to not come back and do their virtual instruction for the end of the semester at home, but see HOUSING on page 3 The Alestle

With semester’s end, international students face new challenge GABRIEL BRADY reporter

During a typical year, international students face a difficult decision when deciding whether to return to their home countries over Winter Break. For some of these students, COVID-19 is complicating it even more.

Utsav Manandhar, a junior computer engineering major from Kathmandu, Nepal, said he plans to remain on campus over break.

“I’ll be staying on campus over Winter Break. I live in Cougar [Village], and they usually give residents the option to stay over breaks, so I’ll be doing that,” Manandhar said. “I’m also working as a desk manager at the [Cougar Village Commons], so I’ll have something to do while I’m here.”

Manandhar said Winter Break does not give him enough time to visit family in Nepal. With international travel being so expensive, the pandemic was not the deciding factor for his holiday plans.

“Even last year, I just stayed here over Winter Break. It’s so expensive to travel to Nepal, and it wouldn’t be worth it to just go over for only one month,” Manandhar said.

Dat Nguyen, a junior computer science major from Hanoi, Vietnam, shares the same rationale as Manandhar. Nguyen lives off campus, and regardless of the pandemic, he said he wouldn’t usually visit family over Winter Break.

“If the pandemic wasn’t happening, I would go back over the summer, because I would have three months to visit. But I do plan on driving to visit my sister in Louisiana [over Winter Break], though,” Nguyen said. “I couldn’t go back [to Vietnam] over the last summer with the pandemic.

They closed the borders in Vietnam. If I travel, it would be dangerous for me and my family anyway, so I didn’t go back.”

Some international students may still go back, like freshman biological science major Rahil Khedri from Tehran, Iran.

Khedri said she is still uncertain if it would be safe to go back — or if she is even allowed to go back.

“I’m living in Cougar [Village] … In some freshman dorms they wouldn’t let me, but here they let you stay over the break, so I have that option,” Khedri said.

“Winter Break is one of the longer breaks, so I was planning on going back, but I’m not sure because Iran isn’t really safe virus-wise. I’m probably going to stay here, or visit my other family members in Spain.

But Spain is crazy too.”

Khedri said one of her biggest concerns is Iran or the U.S. changing their travel stipulations while she is away from campus.

“I was planning on going back to Iran, but I’m not really sure how the rules work. I’m afraid of them closing the borders again [while I’m in Iran],” Khedri said. “I don’t want to go home and get stuck over there. I might just have to wait.” see INTERNATIONAL on page 2 alestlelive.com

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thursday, 12.03. 20 INTERNATIONAL I COVER

BY THE NUMBERS: COVID-19 at SIUE

New confirmed positive cases (from tests conducted by SIUE and self-reporting):

Nov. 20 - 26: 1 student, 4 faculty/staff Nov. 13 - 19: 17 students, 4 faculty/staff 14-day new positive tests: 18 students, 8 faculty/staff All prior weeks positive tests (Aug. 1 - Nov. 12): 170 students, 33 faculty/staff Total positive cases: 188 students, 41 faculty/staff

Tests conducted by SIUE:

Nov. 20 - 26: 102 Nov. 13 - 19: 202 14-day new tests conducted: 304 All prior weeks tests conducted (Aug. 21 - Nov. 12): 1,214 Total tests conducted: 1,518

Positive cases identified by SIUE testing:

Nov. 20 - 26: 1 Nov. 13 - 19: 10 14-day new positive cases: 11 All prior weeks positive cases (Aug. 21 - Nov. 12): 45 Total: 56

600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50

Madison County confirmed cases by day

November 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Source: Madison County Health Department COVID-19 Dashboard, as of Dec. 1

Percentage of isolation/quarantine space available on campus (as of Nov. 26): 97 percent

Source: Health, Reporting, and Testing page on SIUE’s COVID-19 website, as of Nov. 30

COVID-19’S impact on Madison County

All of Illinois’ regions remain under Tier 3 mitigations, which went into effect Nov. 20. These mitigations include the following:

- Retail is limited to 25 percent capacity; grocery stores and pharmacies are limited to 50 percent.

- Bars and restaurants must be closed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day, and indoor dining cannot be offered.

- Personal care services must operate at a maximum of 25 clients or 25 percent capacity, whichever is less. Face coverings must be worn at all times, and services where face coverings cannot be worn, such as facials and beard trimmings, must be suspended.

- Health and fitness centers may operate up to 25 percent capacity, but no indoor group classes can be offered. Face coverings must be worn at all times, and locker rooms must be closed.

Source: dph.illinois.gov.

| Summer Bradley / The Alestle

Looking ahead, Nguyen said he hopes the virus will be more under control and handled better by next summer, when President-Elect Joe Biden will be in office.

“If Biden can [deal with] the virus better, I will possibly go back to my country,” Nguyen said. “The struggle with the virus is hard. The whole world is in a really hard situation. It’s been two years that I haven’t seen my family or been back to my home country.”

Khedri said she had similar issues with the current president’s policies. However, Khedri said President Donald Trump’s handling of the virus wasn’t the only thing preventing her from going back to Iran — it was also his travel bans from 2017. The bans affect a number of Middle Eastern countries, including Khedri’s home country, Iran.

“I don’t know about how [Biden] is going to handle the virus. But with Trump, there was the travel ban, so you would have trouble in an airport if you’re Persian,” Khedri said. “Usually, international students all have the same rules, but students from certain countries have different rules right now. Maybe those will change.”

For more information and resources for international students, visit the Office of International Affairs’ website.

New coordinator of Conversation of Understanding bridges past and present through exploration of SIU’s history with race, current issues Military and Veteran NICOLE BOYD copy editor

SIU’s most recent discussion about race focused on Black history in the SIU region and prompted students and administrators to share ideas for addressing ongoing issues.

Joseph Brown, professor of Africana Studies at SIUC and moderator of the panel, said Black history in the SIU system’s communities is intertwined with Black history in the surrounding areas.

“As far as Black history goes, it’s not a rigid boundary. You have people moving back and forth for political and economic reasons. There were some people who had relatives everywhere, and … we have to understand that in East St. Louis, for instance, after the 1917 Race Massacre, about 10,000 Black people left that city and they went west, north, south and east, but the ones who went west helped to populate a number of the small towns and communities that are in St. Louis County today,” Brown said.

Andrew Theising, a political science professor, said fears of diversity contributed to a historical divide between rural and urban populations.

“Cities were big, scary things. There was a lot of vice there, there were lots of different diverse populations, they spoke languages that were unfamiliar, there was crime, there were a lot of things that rural America was afraid of, and I would argue that there are parallel feelings today,” Theising said.

Theising said the decision to place the main campus in Edwardsville rather than in East St. Louis coincided with white flight, which occurred as white people left urban communities for suburbs.

“White people were given tickets to move to suburbia and it left persons of color, particularly poor people of color, in urban centers. So every American city looks alike because of national government policies, and that is happening at the same time SIU is moving from East St. Louis, which was one of its initial anchor points, to the Edwardsville campus,” Theising said.

Theising said while he does not personally believe SIU’s decision was moti-

vated by white flight, he said the general perception differs.

“The perception is certainly one that, here as African Americans started getting control of East St. Louis and its institutions, SIU seems to have fewer and fewer programs offered,” Theising said.

Barra Madden, third-year medical student at SIUC, from Rochester, New York, brought attention to more recent issues in the SIU system, such as the lack of consistency in the number of minority graduates in medical school, in her opening statement. Madden said numbers have ranged from three to 12 Black graduates since the 1980s.

“We want to see these numbers more consistent, given that we have a pipeline program that recruits minorities to SIU,” Madden said. “Why don’t we have a steady enrollment of at least eight to 12 Black students or minority students in each graduating class?”

Harriet Barlow, director of University of Nevada’s academic multicultural resource center, former SIUC faculty member and SIUC alumna, called on the SIU system to include a photo of the university’s first class on its website, which shows African American students represented in the 1870s.

“To be able to see yourself in those early pictures tells you something about the institution, and I think that is something that in this long history of SIU needs to be celebrated, and celebrated every day when somebody goes to that web page and they see that,” Barlow said.

Madden also called on the university to end medicine curricula that perpetuate racial stereotypes and myths.

“We’ve done numerous studies that show that genetically, white versus Black, we don’t have any differences. So why are we still pushing this narrative that you look at a Black person and they’re going to have these disparities versus a white person having something else?” Madden said.

“So [what] I hope, for the future basically, is that as we pledge to be [an] anti-racist institution, we also pledge to eliminate a race-based medicine curriculum where we’re no longer going by whether you’re Black or white and just looking at the person as they present.”

Barlow said while she does not see a difference in how universities have responded to social issues recently and how they responded 30 years ago, she believes current events such as COVID-19 and police brutality may be forcing universities to change how they react.

“So many things happening, just with the COVID and the quarantine and self-isolation and the requirement for institutions now to deliver instruction, obviously, has changed,” Barlow said. “And then when you add in the issues and the circumstances of the murders and then the election and … all of those things are now making universities look through different lenses in how to deal with society, how they place themselves in society and how they support the people and members of their community.”

Madden said COVID-19 and the events of last summer combined to make people aware of racial disparities.

“It made people aware of our society and our political atmosphere and climate that I believe was a perfect storm for not only Blacks to further their narrative of how life is, but also whites to become allies to fight against systemic racism in regards to healthcare and minorities receiving treatment,” Madden said.

Brown said he saw many similarities between what Black students shared during the panel and what Black administrators experienced in their youth.

“The young students, especially the young medical students, were talking about things that Harriet Barlow had gone through, that I had gone through, that [Director of the East St. Louis Center] Timothy Staples had gone through.

And that was something that we were able to give them support, and even if not comment on, at least recognize that the sad part of our storytelling is that things have not changed that much,” Brown said. “But the one thing that I thought was extraordinarily hopeful was that those of us who were faculty, and experienced faculty, were able to say, ‘We’re here for you, even though … we had to find people who were there for us.’”

Watch the full Conversation of Understanding on the SIU System’s YouTube page.

Services has already changed the program LILY SCHNIEDERS reporter

SIUE recently welcomed Telisha Reinhardt as the new Coordinator of Military and Veteran Services. Not only does Reinhardt have a background in higher education, she has also personally experienced the trials and triumphs of being a veteran.

“When we look at veterans, we always say ‘Thank you for your services.’ But do we really see the person and what they went through when they were deployed?”

Reinhardt said. “I want to widen that lens here at SIUE and to provide resources and services to really help veterans through their academic success.”

Reinhardt takes an intersectional approach to her position, as she wants to address both the on and off campus concerns specific to female veterans, veterans of color and LGBTQ+ veterans.

Reinhardt said she feels like higher education institutions generally are not doing enough to address the issues facing veterans within these communities, and she wants to lead efforts to offer more resources to these veterans at SIUE. “There is a lot of resources out there for veterans, but there are also a lot of gaps that have not been filled in higher education, and I really feel that SIUE has the resources and the potential and the want to want to fill those gaps and I want to be part of SIUE doing that and I really want you to know my goals in that position to really do that to address the concerns of women veterans, veterans of color, LTGBQ+ on campus and to address these concerns because these are real concerns outside of SIUE,” Reinhardt said.

While Reinhardt became coordinator just this month, she brings with her experience from the field. She is a U.S. Navy veteran who was stationed in Japan from 08-13. She worked in higher education before serving in the military, so she said see COORDINATOR on page 8

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GRADUATION I COVER

turn for an in-person ceremony.

“I’m a little indifferent towards [returning],” Allen said. “I just kind of feel like it won’t be the same, like I’ll just be going back for this one thing, and I’ve already graduated … I don’t think that I would want to do it.”

Chancellor Randy Pembrook said his advice for hesitant graduates depends on their reasoning, and he hopes students don’t feel like their moment has passed to celebrate their graduations if an in-person ceremony isn’t held for some time.

“I think it depends on the source of their hesitancy,” Pembrook said. “If they take the next step and they have a wonderful job and that takes them to Oregon

ceremony,” Wheatley said. “We get to just … pull up the virtual commencement. You know it’s going to go alphabetical, so you can kind of enjoy and … it allows you to kind of interact with your family about your graduation a little more.”

McIlhagga said this virtual fall ceremony will retain some elements of the virtual spring commencement held last May. “It will look very similar to May,” McIlhagga said. “You will have the chancellor and the provost playing their roles and making their standard commencement-type addresses, the deans will speak, as usual, student representatives from the various Schools and Colleges will also speak if they’ve been selected … there “I would say just because you will be a couple of honorary [alumni], Larry Heitz from the School of Busidon’t get to walk or have your ness and former Board of Trustees member and faculty member [Shirley whole family and friends there Portwood].” ... it doesn’t take away all that Schmalz said graduates will receive an email with a link to the virtual cerhard work that you’ve done. emony on the morning of Friday, Dec. 18. The ceremony will go live that afBRYONNA ALLEN ternoon at 1 p.m.

Fall 2020 graduating senior Schmalz said the university has been sending out surveys to student emails to gauge graduates’ interest in returning for an in-person ceremony once … I can imagine that it would be diffiit’s safe to do so, but responses have been cult … to come back. But if the hesitanlow so far. cy is that there’s a point in time and now “We didn’t get as many responses as we’ve moved on to the next semester … I we would’ve liked, but … I assume that hope that doesn’t keep them from coming they were kind of waiting to see what was back.” going to happen, and so we’ll continue to In the days leading up to the official send [surveys] out every couple months,” ceremony, SIUE’s Center for Student DiSchmalz said. “Obviously, we have no versity and Inclusion will host a variety of idea when we’re going to be able to do graduation events, including the Black, an in-person ceremony … so we’ll keep Rainbow, Latinx and Nontraditional Gradin touch as much as we can and get them uation Celebrations. CSDI Director Lindy updates as best as we can until we’re actu- Wagner said each event will feature a numally able to host something, but our goal ber of both student and faculty speakers. is to still be able to bring everybody back “Each of them will have opening reat some point to do an in-person [ceremo- marks done by our chancellor … and then ny].” we are going to have remarks by student Allen said she most likely wouldn’t re- speakers as well,” Wagner said. “We’re

looking to see if there’s someone who really wants to share their story about that particular identity and the experience towards persisting to graduation … so we’re going to have a student speaker for each of them … and then we are going to have closing remarks done by a representative from Student Affairs.”

According to Wagner, those interested in sharing their stories should reach out to inclusion@siue.edu. While these events are named for specific groups, Wagner said anyone is welcome to attend. Those interested should visit the CSDI’s Events and Programming webpage under Graduation Celebrations, where they can find more information on what will happen at each event and how to register.

Regardless of how students choose to celebrate, Allen said her advice to her fellow graduates would be to focus on what they have done, not what they can’t do.

“I would say just because you don’t get to walk or have your whole family and friends there … it doesn’t take away all the hard work that you’ve done,” Allen said. “I would say it’s still a great opportunity to find different ways to celebrate your big accomplishment, and to always, no matter what, even in circumstances like these, to always be gracious for what you do have.”

Wheatley said graduates shouldn’t stress their lack of control over the situation and should focus on just making it to graduation.

“You’ve already made it so far through school, it would suck to let what’s happening in the world affect your schooling so much that you can’t complete it,” Wheatley said. “There’s not much you can do about it. You’re not going to stop the pandemic; you might as well not let it stop you.”

For more information on the Fall 2020 commencement ceremony, visit siue.edu/commencement and see “Event Schedules.” For more information on the CSDI’s pre-graduation events, visit siue. edu/csdi/events.

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Dates to know: Fall 2020 graduation Latinx Graduation Celebration 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7

Latinx students will be honored during this celebration, which highlights these students’ cultures and culminates in the presentation of graduation stoles.

Black Bla ck Gra Gradua duation tion Cele Celebra bration tion 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8

This ceremony honors African and African American students who have completed a degree this semester. Students who participate in the ceremony will receive a Kente stole, which is native to Ghana and was typically reserved for royalty.

Rainb nbow ow Gra Gradua duati tion on Ce Celeb lebrat ration ion 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9

This celebration honors students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

The celebration is also known as Lavender Graduation, due to the color’s representation of Graduation empowerment within the community. Rainbow cords will be mailed to all students who registered for the celebration.

Non-Traditional Graduation Celebration 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11

This celebration honors all non-traditional students completing an undergraduate degree this semester. Students registered for the celebration will receive graduation cords by mail.

Fall 2020 Commencement Ceremonies 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18

Fall 2020 graduates will be honored during virtual ceremonies lasting between one and two hours each. There is no fee to participate in a commencement ceremony this year, and tickets are not required.

All graduation ceremonies and celebrations will be held virtually this semester due to precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information and links to the pre-graduation celebrations can be found on the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion website.

A link will be sent to graduates to view the official commencement ceremonies, and they will be posted to SIUE’s commencement website.

HOUSING I COVER

we are not anticipating any other than the normal change,” Sidarous said. “Right now this year’s unusual, so there’s students who are choosing to not come back and do their virtual instruction for the end of the semester at home, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the spring.”

However, some students, such as sophomore elementary education major Alice Yerby from St. Louis, have decided to stay on campus despite most classes moving fully online.

“I guess my biggest reason is, my parents are working from home as well, and so I felt like I wouldn’t be productive with my schoolwork, especially with my final exams, I didn’t think I would be able to perform as well as if I were at school,” Yerby said.

Bell-Werner said they used the same process as they did for after Thanksgiving break to determine which classes would be in person during the Spring 2021 semester.

“The departments sort of got to decide how they wanted to offer their courses in the spring semester,” Bell-Werner said.

“So they submitted their request through their Associate Deans, and their Associate Deans approved that and sent that to us in academic scheduling to schedule those.”

According to Bell-Werner, most of the courses approved to remain on ground are not traditional college classes.

“What’s happening is not that the faculty is necessarily teaching on-ground, it’s that those students are actually going out to those sites and doing work onground,” Bell-Werner said. “Those students are either going into the hospital

With most classes moving online post-Thanksgiving break, little foot traffic can be seen on campus. Above, Lovejoy Library stands almost entirely empty on Nov. 30, the day classes resumed. | Khoi Pham / The Alestle

setting and actually having that clinical experience, where if that’s not a possibility, because they are kind of at the mercy of the hospitals, the hospitals can say you can come or can’t come. [If not], they are doing simulations in their simulation labs so those students can continue to have those clinical experiences in a simulation environment instead of the hospitals.”

Bell-Werner said professors learned a lot from the Fall 2020 semester that allowed them to decide whether their courses can be taught fully online.

“I think there are some similarities between the numbers in the fall and the

spring semester, but I think that the departments also did a good job of learning from their experiences of teaching in the fall, and then making some changes in the spring semester,” Bell-Werner said. “If they discovered that one format didn’t work for that particular course, then they’re teaching it in a different way in the spring semester, but really that was a decision made through the department level, and approved through the deans.”

Sidarous said despite all the new mitigations, Housing will still offer the same services they were offering before.

“We’re open, so we’re providing the

same level of service at this as we would a normal time of the year,” Sidarous said.

“Now there is new mitigation, and some of that new mitigation on campus is when offices may be open virtually versus in-person. We can’t have in-person programing, but that is directly related to the mitigations that are in place at the state level that we are implementing on our campus, and not related to the fact that it’s just the end of the semester.”

For more information, visit the SIUE Office of Registrar, University Housing and Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs websites.

NEXT WEEK: NEW ANTI-OPRESSION STUDENT GROUP FORMS page 4

lifestyles

contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 12.03.20

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‘It’s a risky business’: Local resta ura nts ba ttle restrictions a nd winter wea ther Many restaurants are working creatively to balance following CDC guidelines, sheltering their customers from bad weather while indoor dining isn’t allowed and keeping their businesses afloat.

DAMIAN MORRIS reporter

1818 Chophouse 1818 Chophouse owner Megan Pashea said they will only be providing carryout during the winter months.

“Now that the weather has changed, for a while there we were turning the fire pit on outside [and] we did have heaters, but now it’s just much too cold to offer outdoor dining at this point,” Pashea said. “The cost of tents and having to keep them 50 percent open … just doesn’t outway the amount of volume.”

Pashea said they have also started another carryout business to increase revenue for their

restaurant chain.

“As the weather started to turn and more restrictions came down, we started a virtual kitchen concept, which is called Chew Doin Fried Chicken and Ramen.

Virtual kitchens are what they call ‘ghost kitchens,’ which don’t really house a home base or an indoor, retail dining kind of space.

They’re more meant to be more delivery and carryout.”

She said her son gave her the inspiration for its name.

“That comes from my fiancé and I, who’s our chef,” Pashea said. “Our son, he’s five, but

that’s what he says all the time, ‘chew doin’, chew doin’, whatchu doin’?’”

Pashea said the patio business did really well until the winter months, which is why they plan to bring it back given the state ban on indoor dining.

“We were doing a decent patio business,” Pashea said. “I feel like the weather really cooperated this year, and at that point our sole focus was service, and getting people back in the groove of doing what they’re there to do, which is to be in the hospitality business.”

210 S Buchanan St. Edwardsville, IL 62025

307 - 9300

Doc’s Smokehouse and Grill

6108 Shoger Drive Suite D, Edwardsville, IL 62025

656 - 6060

While Gulf Shores Restaurant and Catering owner Harry Parker invested in patio heating, adding a food truck has made all the difference.

“The food trucks have helped quite a bit, because what we’ve done is we’ve included food trucks into the restaurant here, because the restaurant can kind of act as a commissary,” Parker said. “So we can keep most of our kitchen staff intact.

In fact [we’re] even looking to hire a kitchen staff member right now, so that’s a win of course.”

Parker said they will often cater for large businesses in a short period of time.

“We do large parties, we do preorders, and then we take it to them, and we can serve a group of about maybe 100 to 125 in less than a half an hour or a half an hour to forty-five minutes, be-

docssmokehouse. com

Doc’s Smokehouse and Grill employee Alysia Brown said customers are allowed to order their food inside, but they take all precautions possible to limit contact between people.

“I know a lot of restaurants are still letting people come inside, but we don’t let them eat inside,” Brown said. “We only let them order at the register and then actually go back out to their cars to sit, and we bring the food out to them. We try not to have people standing in the dining

room waiting for food. We try to make sure we always take payments over the phone. Anything where we can reduce the amount of contact between people is what we’ve really been trying to focus on to keep everyone safe.”

Brown said they still follow safety guidelines, and hold their staff strictly to them.

“Safety precaution-wise, we still wear masks and sanitize when [customers] leave as a precaution, as well as making our team wear masks and gloves at all times,”

1818chophouse.com

Brown said.

She said she wants to encourage everyone to stay safe and to show support for their local businesses.

“Continue to support your small businesses, and we’re trying our best to make sure that we keep you guys safe as well as keeping ourselves safe, and I hope everyone just stays safe out there,” Brown said.

For more information, visit the Doc’s Smokehouse and Grill website.

Gulf Shores Restaurant and Catering

cause they’re premade,” Parker said. “It’s almost like a hotbox lunch ... We can make that at the restaurant, keep it hot on the truck, and then distribute it very quickly.”

Parker said a lot of people thought buying a food truck was a risky move during the pandemic.

“A lot of people thought I was crazy because we invested in this food truck in March,” Parker said. “A lot of people will think, ‘Well that’s crazy, how can you invest that much in a food truck at a time like this,’ and I was actually trying to take advantage of the inevitable, and so we’re looking very smart now that we’ve done it, but it’s a risky business, but it’s the kind of thing you can do when you treat your restaurant as a consumerist.”

Parker said he wants to en-

courage other restaurants to allow their minds to wander and find creative solutions to stay afloat.

“It’s a very difficult time, and I saw some of the restaurants that are shutting down, and I can understand why,” Parker said. “I mean, nothing stops except the income. So I can understand it, but I would urge other restaurants to try and be as creative as possible. There’s no way you can make 100 percent of your revenue, but when it’s like this, every single dollar that you can create, now’s the time to get creative, now’s the time to have some ingenuity about it, and then there’s the potential that you can at least make enough money to keep your doors open.”

For more information, visit the Gulf Shores Restaurant and Catering website.

| Photo courtesy of Harry Parker 215 Harvard Drive Edwardsville, IL 62025

650 - 9109

g u l f s h o re s re s t a u rantandgrill.com

54th Street Grill and Bar

6660 Edwardsville Crossing Drive Glen Carbon, IL 62034

656 - 5455

54thstreetgrill.com

54th Street employee Megan Miller said they have a more enclosed area than a lot of other restaurants, but do still follow CDC guidelines.

“We have heaters on the ceiling, so it’s more enclosed.

We just have windows and doors that can be opened, so it’s not like a tent that these other places

have,” Miller said.

Miller said they do this in order to account for bad weather variations that could harm their customers.

“We have those big sliding glass doors and also some windows above the bars,” Miller said. “There’s walls and a ceiling so that way if it’s raining, or

snowing, or windy, it blocks that from coming to people, but we do still have the doors, the huge ceiling and windows as well that we keep open for CDC guidelines, and then heaters above certain tables.”

For more information, visit the 54th Street Grill and Bar website.

thursday, 12.03.20

alestlelive.com

page 5

Here’s where to celebrate safely this holiday season DALTON BROWN copy editor

Just because 2020 has been the year of cancellations doesn’t mean we have to completely forego holiday celebrations.

Here are some events in the St. Louis area this holiday season with measures in place to keep attendees safe and healthy.

Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park

St. Louis County Parks is hosting their 35th annual Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Nov. 20 to Jan. 2, but it will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. According to Molly Olten, the public information coordinator for St. Louis County Parks, Winter Wonderland boasts some impressive statistics.

“We have one million twinkling lights that are fashioned into over 100 displays throughout the 75 acre park, and the whole way through is about one mile, so we’ve got a lot of lights and festivities for people to enjoy,” Olten said.

Attendees can arrive by car without a reservation for $10; they also have the option of riding by carriage, but reservations are encouraged for this option.

Carriages vary in size and price: a two-person carriage starts at $55, a six-person carriage starts at $80 and a nine-person carriage starts at $120, but those riding together must be from the same household per COVID-19 mitigations.

Masks are required for carriage rides, but not for those in personal vehicles. Cash and checks are acceptable forms of payment, but not credit cards. Those interested can also pre-purchase tickets through MetroTix.com or schedule their visit at winterwonderlandstl.com. Tilles Park is located at 9551 Litzsinger Road in St. Louis.

Holiday in the Park at Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis is hosting their fifth annual “Holiday in the Park” event this year with measures to keep guests safe in light of the pandemic. For instance, families can take socially distanced photos with Santa in the St. Louis Train Station, and all guests and team members over three years old will be required to wear face coverings.

The park will feature over one million lights, s’mores kits, fire pits, a gingerbread village, huge ornaments, a giant Christmas card and several live shows, including “A Christmas Scarol” and “Rockin’ Christmas Hits” taking place on the park’s Tinsel Town Stage and Palace Theatre Porch.

The event will run select days and times from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3. Visit the Six Flags St. Louis website for more information on the park’s operating schedule and click the “Holiday in the Park” tab to purchase tickets. Six Flags St. Louis is located at 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka, Missouri.

Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo will be showcasing their “Wild Lights” holiday display during 5-6:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. time slots on select days; Dec. 2-6, Dec. 9-23 and Dec. 26 to Jan. 2. In addition to one million twinkling lights, the event will feature holiday treats, a chance to greet the animals at Penguin & Puffin Coast, and live weekend entertainment.

Attendees must register for either time slot to be compliant with COVID-19 regulations.

Admission is free for children under two years old; for all others, weekday tickets are $9.95 for members and $10.95 for non-members, and weekend tickets are $11.95 for members and $12.95 for non-members.

To purchase tickets, visit the St. Louis Zoo website and see “Wild Lights” under the Calendar of Events. The St. Louis Zoo is located at 1 Government Drive in St. Louis.

Top: The pandemic has not prevented St. Louis County Parks from hosting their annual Winter Wonderland light display. | Photo courtesy of Molly Olten Bottom: The St. Louis Zoo is hosting a “Wild Lights” display on certain days in December which will include holiday inspired treats and live entertainment. Those who wish to attend can purchase tickets on the St. Louis Zoo website. | Alestle File Photo

Holiday Fun at Grant’s Park Drive-Thru Experience

Grant’s Farm in St. Louis is hosting the Holiday Fun at Grant’s Park Drive-Thru Experience during 5:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. time slots on Thursdays through Sundays from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31, although it will be closed Dec. 24-25. Guests will see everything from the world-famous Budweiser clydesdales to gingerbread village decor in the Tiergarten before driv-

ing through Deer Park to view a large synchronized lights and music display.

Registration is required, so those interested should visit Grant’s Farm’s website and go to the “Holiday Fun Drive-Thru” tab to make a booking. The base cost is $40 per car, but interested families can also purchase the “Fa-La-La Bundle,” which includes a photo, merchandise, snacks and beverages for children at an additional $40. Grant’s

Farm is located at 10501 Gravois Road, in St. Louis.

For more information on these events, visit the websites for Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park, Six Flags St. Louis, the St. Louis Zoo and Grant’s Farm.

REVIEW: ‘Blaseball’ is the reason I got out of bed this morning BROOKE HILL copy editor

Every now and then, an idea comes along that seems so fresh and carries so much potential, it can inspire an energy within fans that appears obsessive and off-putting to outsiders. “Star Trek,” “Hamilton,” “Homestuck,” “Rick and Morty” and “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” are a few examples. I want to announce that I am unapologetically jumping head-first into the ranks of these nerds, and inviting everyone to follow me; for the past month, I have not been able to shut up about “Blaseball.”

Technically, “Blaseball” is a browser game, but it plays more like an alternate reality game. At its core, it is a surreal and absurdist take on fantasy baseball. Gameplay consists of choosing a team, betting on games and choosing players to idolize

in order to get in-game currency, which can be spent on votes. The first season began on July 20. During a season of “Blaseball,” which lasts only a week, a new game is played every hour, 24 hours a day. After championship games take place on Sundays, there is usually a cutscene where the game’s ongoing story progresses, and then new decrees are voted on.

The decrees change the rules for future seasons in a number of ways, and the effects aren’t always obvious before a decree has been passed. One option that has appeared gave a particular team an extra base to run around, while another would have changed every player’s blood type to grass; it’s unclear what effect this would actually have had on the game. The overarching plot involves antagonistic baseball gods, which so far include a peanut, a squid and a coin, who nobody knows much about as

of yet. Several fan creations have also made their way into the game’s lore, such as the lore surrounding Tillman Henderson, of the Charleston Shoe Thieves, who is terrible and annoying.

With so many of us stuck inside our homes during the pandemic, fans have had plenty of free time to contribute. I am very online and have seen my share of budding internet fandoms, but I can count on one finger the amount of times I have seen a fanbase create this level of content this early on. Fans of my team, the Seattle Garages, have decided to collectively start releasing music albums on Bandcamp and Spotify as “The Garages,” who currently boast 14 complete albums. I’ve even started writing a song myself, about Garages pitcher Lenny Marijuana.

I love silly and extreme fictional versions of actual sports, from “Rock-

et League” to “Space Jam” to WWE, so “Blaseball” is definitely up my alley, but it is also one of the most strange and interesting concepts I have encountered on the internet so far, which is saying quite a lot. I will honestly be a little surprised if “Blaseball” cosplay isn’t the hot new trend when comic and anime conventions start back up. It’s only going to get bigger from here.

Regular games are currently in a hiatus between seasons 11 and 12 while more content is being added by the development team, but there is an ongoing exhibition tournament called The Coffee Cup, which has divided players into special teams based on their coffee preferences, so anyone looking to check out “Blaseball” is encouraged to tune in to blaseball.com at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8 for the cup championship between Inter Xpresso and the Flat White Ex-Blaseball Club.

NEXT WEEK – TACO BELL DITCHING POTATOES ADDS TO THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2020 page 6

T H E

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THE ALESTLE FALL 2020 GRADUATION ISSUE

MADISON LAMMERT editor-in-chief

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Pick up your copy on campus or at MUC 0311 beginning Dec. 15.

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Thanksgiving “break” was more illusive than ever, serving only as a reminder of the struggles to come THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board

Thanksgiving break is meant to be used as a time to relax with friends and family without worry surrounding school responsibilities. However, this year has been anything but relaxing or worry-free, and next semester, there will be no chance for students to step away from the stress.

Since Illinois’s first stay-athome order was implemented in March, the life of a college student has been anything but predictable.

When returning to school this fall, SIUE students were told most courses would transfer to online after Thanksgiving break. Some students chose to stay on campus

or not travel home for Thanksgiving to keep their families safe, but social support plays a large role in decreasing stress. Without this support throughout the past few months, people have been silently struggling now more than ever.

Thanksgiving break does not always give students a chance to rest because final assignments and exams are just around the corner.

Professors tend to save bigger assignments for the end of the semester, so they are due shortly after break ends and require work during break.

Now, due to the seemingly endless pandemic, Spring Break at SIUE has been canceled to attempt to prevent students from traveling and returning to campus with COVID-19. Although we at

The Alestle understand that stopping the spread of the virus is important, we also believe that giving students time to focus on their mental health is necessary.

Breaks are a chance to give students the strength to recover from stress and burnout. College students look forward to planning trips and spending time away from school. Students push themselves throughout the semester to reach a break, recover and get back to it to finish successfully. Without these breaks, students risk burning out to a point where they have a harder time recovering.

Online courses have demanded more responsibility and independence from students.

Many students experience burnout at this point in the semester,

and finding the self-discipline to complete coursework that is not at a set time every day may be difficult. Next semester, the same burnout will occur, except without a break in the middle.

Even though the university is not giving students a Spring Break, instructors should lighten their course load around the middle of the semester.

We want to remind everyone to take care of themselves and remember that your health is just as important as your success in school. Give yourself breaks when you can, even if you do not have a chance to physically leave your school environment. To prevent burnout, eat right, exercise, dedicate enough time to sleep and ask for help if you need it.

Want an ideal world? Anarchism is the answer BROOKE HILL copy editor

I am an anarchist, or more specifically, an anarcho-communist. Most people are confused by this term, and for good reason: There isn’t one definition of anarchism that’s universally accepted.

The most common definition in my circles is anarchist philosopher Noam Chomsky’s definition: “a rejection of all unjust hierarchies.”

As a group, anarchists do not believe states should exist.

That would mean no countries, governments or political leaders. Decisions would be made through direct democracy. A common interpretation of this is anarcho-syndicalism, a term which might sound familiar if you’ve seen “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The “syndicates” would function like non-hierarchical labor unions, where policies are voted on by everybody in a particular industry who wants to vote. Some other anarchists

reject this model because it distinguishes union members from non-members, which they feel is unnecessary, and would itself become a hierarchy. It’s hard to pin down what anarchism would look like because of disagreements like that.

I’ve talked about communism before, and I’ve always received what I think were well-intentioned responses denouncing “communist governments,” but I don’t support any of these governments. Communism is about working toward a stateless, classless, moneyless society, and you can’t reach that by having a government do it for you. I think anarchism is necessary for any coherent communist ideology.

In an anarcho-communist society, everybody’s basic needs would be met by other members of their communities. People could work wherever they want, and a minority of people would choose not to work at all, while most of us would find that un-

satisfying after just a short while and go back to work in comparatively easy jobs with tangible results. Automation would let most people who work to meet the requirements of their communities with just a few hours of work per day and have an equal say in making decisions that affect them.

There would be no billionaires, corporations or landlords. Nobody would be forced to starve or sleep outside or be denied necessary medical care.

I believe this is a vision worth working toward. It seems idealistic to many people, but there are plenty of examples of organizations that already structure themselves similarly around volunteer-based work, like Wikipedia and food pantries. The more support these organizations have, the less necessary their paid competitors are, and the more free services people can provide with the extra time and money they save by using these resources. With enough support, mutual

aid networks can replace entire governments.

Naturally, people with power over others often hate the idea of losing that power, and anarchist groups are constantly met with violence and misinformation campaigns. Non-hierarchical activist groups get blamed for responding to violence they didn’t start and portrayed as violent extremists. The unfortunate reality is that peaceful attempts to bring systemic change will eventually be met with violence by people who are mostly immune to the consequences, like the police.

Anyone who wants to know more should check out Noam Chomsky, Pyotr Kropotkin, Youtuber Thought Slime or the r/ BreadTube subreddit for resources that cover more details than I can here. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and we all need to be especially skeptical of sources that generalize when talking about this very complex topic.

contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 12.03.20

sports

THE PANDEMIC HASN’T STOPPED SIUE ATHLETICS. IT DOESN’T STOP US EITHER. WWW.ALESTLELIVE.COM page 7

alestlelive.com

Hooping and Hollering: Basketball returns Both men’s and women’s teams heated up non-conference play over break.

GABRIEL BRADY, DAMIAN MORRIS reporters

While women’s basketball dominated Purdue Fort Wayne the first chance they had to get back on the court, men’s basketball took two losses before securing their first win.

Men’s Basketball From the beginning of their game on Saturday, Nov. 28, the men’s team showed University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy St. Louis they weren’t going to let up. The Cougars took an early lead and finished with an 80-45 win During this game, all 12 of the Cougar’s available players got time to play, and every one of them scored at least one point. Men’s basketball Head Coach Barone said it was important that every player was able to get time on the court together, especially those who didn’t see the court as much last year.

One such player is sophomore forward Lamar Wright, who scored 10 points during Saturday’s game, beating his previous career high of six.

“Looking back on it, it’s always easy to say, ‘Oh, I could have played him more,’ but what he did is he just got better every single day,” Barone said. “He utilized this summer, even though we’re all kind of isolated, him and his brother really did a good job of continuing to develop and work, and he’s earned the opportunity. The thing he does is he plays really hard, and that’s a talent these days, and it’s a luxury to have a guy of his size and want-to on our team.”

In addition to Wright, junior forward Sidney Wilson is getting a taste of being a Cougar on the court, as he transferred to SIUE this semester. He scored 15 points on Saturday. According to Barone, Wilson and senior guard Mike Adewunmi are the epitome of team chemistry. “[Wilson] is really getting more and more acclimated,” Barone said. “He has a lot of talent. He has a knack to be able to play inside and out. It’s again, just that timing and playing with one another that I think is where [Adewunmi and Wilson] will continue to thrive.”

Junior guard Courtney Carter brought eight assists and five rebounds for the Cougars this game.

Barone said Carter helps secure winning results in many ways.

“When he was in junior college, he was the National Junior College Player of the Year,” Barone said. “You would go watch him play, and sometimes you didn’t notice what he did until after you saw the stat sheet, and he had assists, he had steals, he had points, he had rebounds … Courtney is a leader in the way that he lives, in the way he handles himself,

and as our team gets time on the court together I think he will continue to pick up that role and stuff the stat sheet as he always had.”

This success was not without a rocky road before. The team had two losses earlier in the week on Wednesday and Thursday. However, Barone took these losses as an opportunity to help better his players.

On Wednesday, Barone challenged junior forward/center Philip Pepple Jr. to get more than his one rebound the game before, and Pepple exceeded expectations by pulling in 10 rebounds on Thursday.

Barone said he was particularly proud of how Pepple handled the week’s competition, especially when up against St. Louis teams.

“Pepple, first of all, he’s a great person,” Barone said. “I mean he’s a high, high level person, and

“Winning is tough any time, but winning on the road is extremely hard. So, I’m really thankful and proud of how our players handled the game today, and I’m looking forward to having a real positive season.

PAULA BUSCHER women’s basketball head coach

these games are important. These kids are competing in different environments, and his was in Casper, Wyoming, but you have to figure it out and then you’re going against a really well coached St. Louis team your first time with someone other than me reffing … but how he responded the next day to the same type of talent was really impressive, and everyday this young man continues to get better.”

Barone said despite the rough start on Wednesday and Thursday, he is excited the team got the chance to travel for games.

“You just have to pivot, but you know, what we did is we got in some vans, drove across the river and played a college basketball game, which is pretty awesome,” Barone said. “Our guys did it in a way where we showed our rust, but I was proud that behind the scenes and in the process to even get here, we did it in a way that really showed team unity.”

Barone said he wants to continue in pushing his team to share the ball even more, improve rebounds and get more time together moving forward in the

season.

“I think continuing [forward] I’d like to rebound better,” Barone said. “I would like to hit a little bit better. There were moments where we did it and moments where we did not, and just continuing to make that extra pass, like point five seconds sooner … they’re willing to pass it. They’re very willing passers, we just have to do it with a little bit better timing and that’s going to come with more games.

That’s going to come with more time with one another.”

Women’s Basketball The Cougars dominated their first and only game last week, leading to a 66-50 win against Purdue Fort Wayne. Women’s basketball head coach Paula Buscher said they played solidly right out the gate.

“Just in basketball, it’s such a game of runs and I felt we came out strong … and they shot the ball very well. They hit some big shots, so give them credit,” Buscher said.

Buscher said sophomore forward Ajulu Thatha and freshman forward Madison Webb really stood out to her in this game, but quick to note the result wasn’t because of two players alone.

“I think we had a lot of players that made a difference, and sometimes it’s the little things in the game that make the big difference,” Buscher said. “I thought Ajulu just adjusted to playing the middle of the zone and we haven’t had her there a ton. I thought she made a great adjustment there, but it really wasn’t one individual player. I mean, I thought Madison Webb, a freshman, started off the game strong, and then because of the way they were playing in match ups, I didn’t have her in there as much.”

Despite some push back in the middle of the game, Buscher said the team came back strong in the last quarter.

“In really the third and the second [quarters], the problem wasn’t as much with our defense as it was offensively,” Buscher said. “We were just turning the ball over, we were trying to attack the basket, maybe try to score a little bit too soon in some shot clock situations when we could have reversed it a little bit better and showed a little bit more poise on the offensive end.”

Buscher said even though the team had a lot of turnovers in this game, she doesn’t anticipate this being an issue throughout the season.

“Our turnovers were really different this game,” Buscher said. “Some of them were some great see BASKETBALL on page 8

alestlelive.com

COORDINATOR I page 2

she planned on returning after she served.

Once out of the military, she completed her education before starting in SIUE’s Transfer Center in 2019. She was in the Transfer Center for 14 months before she got this position as coordinator of Military and Veteran Services.

Reinhardt said she saw that this position was open so she took it because it spoke to her passion and community.

“I was like Yes, this will get

BASKETBALL I page 7

passes that were just sliding through peoples’ hands, which, that’s a focus thing. It was from us trying to speed up the tempo of the game, so it’s not something that I foresee as continuing to be a problem. I kind of look at it as something we all need to work on and make sure we’re all doing a better job with ball security.”

Although she did not play in the game on Wednesday, junior forward Kelsie Williams said she was happy to cheer her team on, which is important due to the lack of an in-person audience.

“We really want our teammates on the benches to be really spirited and have a lot of energy to try to compensate.

Even though it isn’t a full audience, it’s something, and it’s better than nothing,” Williams said. “The lineup at the beginning of the game, where [the team was] all there, really made it feel real. I heard all my team-

me back connected with the veterans in the community!’ This is something I have always wanted to do and always had a passion for,” Reinhardt said.

Kevin Wathen, director of Military and Veteran Services, said he couldn’t be more excited to have Reinhardt on their team.

“She comes with passion and ideas about how to serve these populations, and this population comes with a lot of extra work; we are talking about GI bills, Illinois verteran grants, all of these different programs that we help

mates’ names get called, and it felt like the season actually started.”

“Buscher said the team is looking to move forward after a rocky last season, which left them with a 3-26 record. The team has gained several new recruits, which Buscher said she thinks will help them be more successful this season.

“We’ve put last season behind us. It was a tough season, but I think we learned so much about ourselves as individuals, but that’s behind us and this is a new year, new season, we’ve got an influx of I think six new players, so we just honestly flushed last season, and we’re ready for this season,” Buscher said. “Winning is tough any time, but winning on the road is extremely hard, so I’m really thankful and proud of how our players handled the game today, and I’m looking forward to having a real positive season.”

For more information, go to the SIUE Athletics website.

thursday, 12.03.20

them apply to and receive and also get them here on campus,” Wathen said.

Wathan said Reinhardt has already been a great addition to the team, as Reinhardt has done things other staff has not thought to do. She also has already started working on things like the new center at SIUE called the Military and Verteran Resource Center. Reinhardt said a large part of her job isbringing people into the center and making them feel comfortable and at home at SIUE.

Amanda Depew, a military veteran attending SIUE, said she thinks Reinhardt has been doing a good job in her new role so far and looks forward to seeing what else she will do for veterans on campus. “She is an amazing ambassador for our student veterans and she just hit the ground running and I am excited that she is going to be at the helm putting this together,” Depew said.

For more information on Telisha Reinhardt and the SIUE Military and Verteran Services, visit their website.

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December 2020 The Alestle Fall 2020 graduation print issue is ready for pickup!

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