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alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
vol. LXIX no. XXVIII
Driven by passion
Students express talents during Black Art Showcase TAYLOR FLEIG Alestle Reporter The Campus Activities Board worked to put together a Black Art Showcase night Feb. 20, in order to shine the spotlight on visual art, music and dance created by black students. Black History Month is an important time for black people to celebrate their many cultural aspects, including dance, music and history as well as themselves as a race. “I wanted to give people a platform to display their passion for everyone to see. This was a great opportunity for people to get to know their fellow students and feel more united with people with different interests,” Black Art Showcase event coordinator and senior liberal arts major Ta’Nia Jordan, of Glendale Heights, said. According to students in attendance, the event filled them with energy that originated from appreciation for black culture. “My favorite part was being immersed in a group of individuals who are pursuing something they love and want to do. I love seeing the paintings and being able to see what people care about,” freshman fine arts major Andra Lang, of St. Louis, said. According to Jordan, the talent and energy of the event was high. “I felt honored to be in the presence of such amazing talent and energy. I loved being able to witness various forms of art under one roof,” Jordan said. During the event, students displayed their artwork and talked about the meaning behind the pieces. Spoken-word was performed by various students including senior theater performance major Kenneth Coleman, of Chicago. Lyricists including senior mass communications major Devin Huggins, of Chicago, performed using the stage name STRO and a group of 2014 alumni, ReAck, also took the stage. ART | pg. 2
Sophomore veterinarian medicine major Naja Gbala (Nanii), of Richton Park, plays the piano while singing an original song titled “Bruised” Feb. 20, in the Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom. Gbala, among others, participated in the Black Art Showcase event hosted by Campus Activities Board in celebration of Black History Month. The event included singers, painters, visual and rap artists and more. | Allison Gregory / Alestle
Open wide, say ‘ahh’
Dental students look for potential patients to complete final exam TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter
SIU School of Dental Medicine students are holding screenings for anyone 16 or older to see if they qualify be a patient and receive free dental treatment during the state dental board licensing
examination Monday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 4. “As students, our job is basically to do a quick screening on the patients that come in and see if they even qualify for a free deep cleaning or a simple filling. And if
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they qualify, then we take just a few x-rays,” senior SDM student Spencer Blackham, of Palatine, said. The two remaining screenings will take place from 5-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 and Monday, March 13 at the SIU Dental Clinic in Alton. No appointment is necessary to attend. According to Blackham, each dental student must fulfill three requirements in order to complete the exam – a filling on a tooth in the front of the mouth, a filling on a tooth in the back and a deep cleaning; patients will be chosen based on the three requirements. After the patients are selected, Blackham said potential patients will have to come in for a more extensive round of x-rays before the exam. This part of the program is the final step dental students have to take before getting their dental
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license. According to senior SDM student and class president Ashley Cain, of Mahomet, they also had to pass a written exam after their first and third years and two procedures on mannequins in October before moving on to the patent-based examination. “All of the 50 students in our class have to pass this board exam to actually become a dentist,” Cain said. As class president, Cain was in charge of setting up and organizing the screenings. She said the students were required to find their own patients for the exam, and she has been planning the screenings to make sure everything runs smoothly for the students, faculty and others involved. To prepare for the exam, students have been doing “mock boards,” which are hands-on practice tests set up in a similar way to the real exam. Some
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of these mock boards were on mannequins, and others were on real patients. Blackham said he is confident in his skills due to the preparation. “The school prepares us pretty well. They have us do various requirements and fillings that are much more difficult than the ones that we will be doing for [the exam],” Blackham said. After passing the exam, the students will branch out onto different paths to begin their careers. “Most people go into practice in corporate, group practice, become an associate somewhere or start their own practice. I think there’s at least one person from our class that fits each of those categories,” Blackham said. Contact TRENT STUART Call 650-3527 Tweet @tstuart_alestle Email tstuart@alestlelive.com
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News in brief Petitions to serve on Staff Senate now available Staff Senate elections will be held Wednesday, April 5, and employees interested in holding a position can file petitions and statements of candidacy until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8. Terms beginning Sept. 1 include four seats for Staff Senate members, 13 positions as panel members and one opening for a representative from the East St. Louis Center. All positions serve a threeyear term with the exception of panel members, who will serve for two years. In order to be eligible for candidacy, one must be a permanent full-time civil service employee or a full-time administrative staff employee on a continuing contract. A minimum of two consecutive years of employment with SIUE is also required at the time an applicant picks up a petition. Petitions must be filed in person at the University Governance Office in the basement of Rendleman Hall. For more information, visit siue.edu/ugov/staff or contact elections committee co-chairs Gretchen Fricke, at gfricke@ siue.edu, or Ian Toberman at itoberm@siue.edu.
Black art celebrated with student showcase ART | from cover
According to students, events that are specifically held in honor of the importance of black culture are vital in recognizing the black community and their talents. “Events like these are important because they highlight valid and important parts of history that are barely talked about. It also is a chance to eliminate ignorance and educate those that has not had the chance to understand what it means to be black. Throughout history, blackness was associated with various negative stigmas and hidden truths,” Jordan said. Some students who participated in this event and others during Black Heritage Month believe building up others within the black community is needed in order to properly educate about and advocate for the culture. Celebrating and supporting culture is important to participants for many reasons. Each had their own reasoning and motivation. “I am a black man that supports black people. That is enough for me to consider this important,” Lang said. Others, like Coleman, had different reasoning for participating in the showcase. “I feel like the event is important because it’s an outlet. There’s a need for black art in our community because when you look at art and television it is predominantly white, and the world is more colorful. These events cultivate and preserve the culture,” Coleman said. Contact TAYLOR FLEIG Call 650-3527 Tweet @tfleig_alestle Email tfleig@alestlelive.com
thursday, 02.23.17
From diapers to diplomas: East St. Louis Center sets students up for success MIRANDA LINTZENICH Alestle Reporter The East St. Louis Center campus recently reopened their resource center doors Feb. 6, after closing last summer due to budget cuts and lack of a staff. The library, which was previously run by community colleges, was taken over by SIUE with an emphasis on running more career-based programs in the center. Resource Center Director Lara Jennings said SIUE had taken over managment of the radio station when she came on staff, and are still struggling for funding for the center. “Now we have been funded through end of June 30 this year, so after June 30, unfortunately, funding is not guaranteed,” Jennings said. Jennings was not a part of the library before SIUE took over at the beginning of the year, but said it had been managed by the community colleges before. Jennings started work Jan. 17, and had to make sure the center had the resources needed to stay open, look at what they could do and started to organize calendars and open a writing exhibit. “The story of the campus is that in 2000, we used to be in the Broadview Hotel. Then this campus used to be a community college. Then they folded and it was obviously a really nice space,” ESTL Campus Director
Jesse Dixon said. “So they came to SIUE and asked them if they wanted to take on this campus. We had a partnership with a community college consortium. Then up until this past summer, that’s been the partnership. We operate what we do out of here and the community college serves as a broker of different programs for adults in the community.” On Feb. 6 through Feb. 10, the library hosted a traveling art exhibit of the 1917 commemoration to the East St. Louis riots, where local artists donated their artwork to be on display during the open houses. The East St. Louis riots were acts of violence due to racial tensions in May and June 1917 as a result of the rumor mill claiming African-Americans had killed a white man, according to PBS. “There is still that need [for a library] out there. This is one of the only resource center libraries that allows community members to come in and use the space and the equipment on this side of town,” Jennings said. “So it has played a vital role in the community. I believe that is why we still have people calling the phone and knocking on the doors asking if we are open.” The resource center is open for workshops, the use of the space and the access of computers, but the library is still working on setting up the system for checking materials in and out.
For now, checking out materials is limited to campus students only. “Everyone seems very happy that this is being reopened,” Jennings said. “It played a really critical role for people on this side of town and for this campus. So, we are now working on being back open to them, but also revamping our mission for the library.” Jennings said they are doing so by having workshops, guest speakers, special events, lifelong learning activities, self-development activities and career-building activities to help people become familiarized with the space. Dixon said a focus on self-development and building a career is a common theme throughout the ESTL campus, which has a multitude of programs that pave the way to success from diapers to diplomas. One of those programs includes the Head Start Center that serves as a day-care for 1,500 preschool aged students in St. Clair county. At the actual campus, there are around 65 students in the program. The campus also has a dental clinic that is run out of the School of Dental Medicine, a small business development center, a healthcare clinic through the School of Nursing and a charter high school for 115 students. The Project Success program is another youth affair ran by the ESTL campus.
“We pick them up from wherever they’re staying and take them here every day, provide a meal, homework help, enrichment activities and drop them back off, and then they’re here every day with us in the summer,” Dixon said. “I could talk about each and every one of our programs, but we do quite a bit.” Dixon said he likes to tell people that before SIUE was in Edwardsville in 1957, it was in East St. Louis in 1947. “As early as 1947, SIUE was offering courses in East St. Louis. Up until the Edwardsville campus got built, there was an upwards of 2,500 students coming to the ESTL campus to get their degrees,” Dixon said. “It was a full-fledged operation. Then the Edwardsville campus was built, and the operation migrated up there. That left this campus with the youth programs center.” Youth programs create the pipeline for, ideally, the next group of SIUE students, according to Dixon. Between the charter school and the upward bound program, Dixon hopes students who are a part of the programs can start to understand college, and know that the idea of pursuing higher education is realistic and tangible. Contact MIRANDA LINTZENICH Call 650-3527 Tweet @mlintz_alestle Email mlintzenich@alestlelive.com
WSIE rebrands as ‘The Sound’ KIAH EARL Alestle Reporter
After being hit hard by the state budget cuts, the campus radio station, WSIE 88.7, has found a way to work toward becoming fully self-sufficient. Listeners tuning into the station can expect to hear a wider variety of genres on 88.7 The Sound, which now focuses on not only jazz, but also a blend of R&B and blues. Since its launch in August 2016, The Sound has increased the station’s overall revenue and also increased listenership by 23 percent, Director of WSIE Steve Jankowski said. The station has also seen a boost in donations both domestically and internationally. According to Jankowski, the station has received donations from Canada, Mexico City and Brooklyn, N.Y. since August, and has also been getting better reviews from local listeners and interest from local underwriters. The rebranding could be a way for the station to raise the minimum of $150,000 a year to become self-sufficient and remain on campus, Jankowski said. The radio station worked with three mass communication graduate students in a media campaign course to develop the plans to rebrand the station. The graduate students spoke with members of the community, students and station listeners to get input on how to appeal to a more diverse and consistent crowd.
“Based on their surveys and research, they projected what we should do with the brand,” Jankowski said. “We liked the concept of ‘The Sound’ and went with it immediately.” In addition to the rebrand, 88.7 now features two new talk shows, Jankowski said. “Voices,” an hour-long radio-news magazine hosted by St. Louis radio personality Hank Thompson, airs at 6 p.m. on Sundays, and focuses on social issues, politics and culture from an African-American perspective. “Financial Café,” hosted by financial experts Larry Lexow and John Graney, is an hour-long show where the two provide information on topics like investments and saving. “Financial Café” airs at 9 a.m. on Saturday. According to Jankowski, both shows generate revenue for the station and have also been well-received by listeners. The Sound currently has a combination of student workers and volunteers who do voice-tracking for the station which is a technique radio stations use to create the illusion of a live broadcast. Those interested in volunteering can stop by the station during office hours in the basement of Dunham Hall for an application. The station currently covers SIUE sports, but Jankowski said he hopes to broadcast Edwardsville High School sports in the upcoming football and basketball seasons.
Since rebranding WSIE as “The Sound,” program director Steve Jankowski has helped to increase in leadership and overall revenue. | Photo courtesy of Steve Jankowski
WSIE has working underwriting relationships with the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon and the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and is about to launch a partnership with the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, Jankowski said. According to Jankowski, a partnership with The Sound and
the National Blues Museum in St. Louis is also in the works. WSIE 88.7 The Sound is available for online streaming at siue.edu/wsie. Contact KIAH EARL Call 650-3527 Tweet @kearl_alestle Email kearl@alestlelive.com
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Trump names H.R. McMaster as national security adviser to replace ousted Flynn 02.21.17
02.18.17
An officer responded to 426 Cougar Village for an active fire alarm. The alarm was activated by cooking and was restored. University Housing was notified. There was no fire, smoke or damge.
An officer issued a written warning for driving without lights. The offense occured at North University Drive and Lot P3.
An officer issued a state citation to Justin Schwankhaus for speeding and operating an uninsured motor vehicle on South University Drive at Stadium Drive. An officer issued a written warning for speeding on North Circle Drive at Northwest University Drive.
02.20.17 A subject reported her hangtag had been stolen from her Illinois registered vehicle G784645 while it was parked in Lot 10. An officer picked up a cell phone that was turned in at the information desk of the Morris University Center. The owner returned to the information desk to pick up the phone. An officer took a walk-in report of a lost wallet. An officer responded to 415 Cougar Village. University Housing was notified. The alarm was activated by cooking and was restored. There was no smoke, fire or damage.
02.19.17 Officers responded to Woodland Hall to contact a subject in reference to an earlier call. Jordan T. Hill was issued two civil citations for possession of drug paraphernalia. Officers responded to a fire alarm at 527 Cougar Village. University Housing was notified. The alarm was activated by cooking and was reset. There was no fire, smoke or damage. An officer issued a written warning for improper projected load on South Circle Drive at Lot C. An officer issued a written warning for driving without lights. The offense occured at North University Drive and Lot P3.
An officer issued a written warning for an improper display of registration. The offense occured on South University Drive and Supporting Services Drive. Officers responded to 406 Cougar Village for the report of a gas smell. The Edwardsville fire department responded as well. Officers advised upon arrival there was a smell of gas. The fire department located a leak in the water heater. The water heater was shut off and housing contacted a building engineer. The Edwardsville Medical Services responded to a report of a man down in the field at North University Drive at Lewis Road. SIUE officers reported to the scene. Officers spoke with the subject. He was just working through some issues at home, took a walk and stopped to rest. Paramedics did respond, saw they weren’t needed, and left the scene. An officer issued a written warning for speeding 58 mph in a 45 mph zone on Stadium Drive at Whiteside Road.
02.17.17 Officers responded to a report of numerous underage persons drinking alcohol on the sand volleyball courts. The officers advised call was unfounded. The subject left the area. An officer issued a written warning for one headlight. The offense occured at North University Drive at North Circle Drive. A caller reported seeing a man lying on the ground near the guard-rail by the Gardens. The officer verified it was a university employee doing some work. The call was unfounded. An officer picked up a cell phone that was found at the Science East building. An officer took a report of a bike missing from the bike rack at 409 Cougar Village. An officer took a walk-in report of a hangtag being stolen from a vehicle.
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MICHAEL A. MEMOLI, LAURA KING Tribune Washington Bureau President Donald Trump’s selection Monday of a cerebral, widely respected military strategist as his new national security adviser signaled an abrupt aboutface from the chaotic tenure of Michael T. Flynn, forced out last week just shy of a month on the job. The choice of Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, 54, who has a reputation for battlefield acumen as well as scholarly achievement, won quick bipartisan plaudits from key lawmakers charged with oversight of national security and intelligence — a boon for a White House still seeking its footing after first-month missteps. Trump infused his choice of Flynn’s replacement with some of his trademark showmanship, summoning his four finalists for interviews over the weekend before the announcement of McMaster at his Mar-a-Largo resort here. The president then brought the cameras into an ornate sitting room to introduce McMaster, seated beside him in uniform, as “a man of tremendous talent and experience.” “He is highly respected by everyone in the military, and we’re very honored to have him,” Trump said. McMaster has deep combat experience — he commanded forces in both Iraq wars and fought in an iconic tank confrontation in the first Iraq war known as the Battle of 73 Easting — but lacks the intelligence background Flynn had. Whether that matters remains to be seen. Temperamentally, McMaster is far from the volatile Flynn, who had raised alarm in many quarters over his conspiratorial outlook, his hotly anti-Islamic worldview and his murky ties to Russia. Associates of the new security adviser, whose appointment will not require congressional confirmation, have described him as tough and detail-oriented, with a wide-ranging intellect grounded in hard-won realism. He also has no immediately apparent connections to Russia, notable amid increasing calls in Washington for a congressional investigation into possible ties between Moscow and Trump’s associates. “It is not an overstatement to say that Americans and the world should feel a little safer today,” Andrew Exum, an author and academic who saw combat in Afghanistan and writes widely
about military affairs, tweeted. But McMaster, who will remain on active duty, as previous national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Colin Powell did, will inherit a position already riddled with potential pitfalls. Those include the ascension of White House strategist Steve Bannon to a permanent seat on the National Security Council — a sharp departure from previous White Houses that sought to shield the most sensitive security decision-making from political influence. McMaster’s greatest strengths could put him at loggerheads with Bannon and other powerful figures in the president’s camp. He is perhaps best known for astute analysis underscoring the need to push back against power structures in both the military and the civilian leadership. McMaster turned his doctoral dissertation into a much-lauded book, “Dereliction of Duty,” which detailed the failings of senior presidential aides as well as the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War. That willingness to buck conventional wisdom carried over into his battlefield days in Iraq, where his thinking helped underpin the counterterrorism strategy of Gen. David Petraeus, widely credited with changing the course of that war. Until the weekend, Petraeus was himself thought to be under consideration for the national security post, but his chances had been clouded by his forced resignation as CIA chief under cloud of an extramarital affair and classified information shared with his lover. Monday’s seemingly smooth rollout stood in sharp contrast to the tumult surrounding Flynn’s resignation a week earlier, which came at Trump’s behest after it became publicly known that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other senior administration officials about discussing U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington. Trump’s first choice to succeed him, retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, turned down the job amid reports that he had been unable to secure a pledge he would be able to pick his own staff. The insisted-on retention of deputy K.T. McFarland, a former Fox News commentator, was reportedly a deal-breaker for Harward, who publicly cited family and financial concerns in declining the position. The White House emphasized the autonomy being given
to McMaster. “The president gave full authority for McMaster to hire whatever staff he sees fit,” a White House spokeswoman told reporters. It is highly unusual for even a retired senior military officer like Harward to resist the call of the commander-in-chief to such a crucial position. For an active-duty officer like McMaster, there was little question of him stepping up. At Mar-a-Largo, McMaster said it would be a “privilege” to serve. Praise for Trump’s pick came from both sides of the political aisle. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, said on Twitter that McMaster was a solid choice, bright and strategic-minded. “Wrote the book on importance of standing up” to the president, Schiff tweeted. “May need to show same independence here.” Even some of Trump’s sharpest critics on the Republican side were effusive. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who in recent days had expressed some highly public misgivings about the administration’s foreign policy direction and fundamental values, called McMaster an “outstanding choice” and “a man of genuine intellect, character and ability.” “He knows how to succeed,” McCain said in a statement. “I give President Trump great credit for this decision.” Another Republican, Rep. Devin Nunes of California, who chairs the House intelligence committee, pointed to McMaster’s “history of questioning the status quo and infusing fresh thinking and new approaches into military affairs.” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a veteran of the Iraq war, also hailed the selection, calling McMaster “one of the finest combat leaders of our generation ... a true warrior-scholar.” Somewhat tellingly, Trump only answered one of the multiple questions reporters asked at the announcement: whether Pence had helped select McMaster. “He did,” the president said Trump and Pence spoke earlier Monday by phone, as the vice president wrapped up a trip to Europe in which he worked to reassure nervous allies about the U.S. commitment to NATO. READ MORE WIRE STORIES AT ALESTLELIVE.COM
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contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 02.23.17
the man Dan behind the twitter storm: Henne talks Delta Chi, SIUE fame Left, Delta Chi members Alex Cooper, Zachary Ross, Sean Whitmore, Zak Brummet and Dan Henne show off Delta Chi’s symbol.
CHLOE RICE Alestle Opinion Editor “Dan from Delta Chi” has been a frequently used phrase throughout the SIUE community since the beginning of the semester. The phrase has gone viral primarily on Twitter, with tweets like “It is a good day when you see Dan from Delta Chi on campus,” or “I go to ISU and I want to know who Dan from Delta Chi is.” There was even a tweet referencing Mean Girls: “One time I saw Dan from Delta Chi wearing army pants and flipflops, so I went out and bought army pants and flip-flops.” An attractive gentleman with a charismatic personality is appreciated on any college campus, but that begs the question, who is Dan from Delta Chi, and why is he here? Dan from Delta Chi, otherwise known as Dan Henne, is an expansion consultant for the Delta Chi Fraternity. Henne has been on campus since January to help colonize a chapter of the fraternity in the Greek life community. An alumni and a founding father of Delta Chi on his
Dan Henne | Chloe Rice / Alestle
campus, Henne attended Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., where he studied emergency management administration and was actively involved with his fraternity. According to Henne, he was the recruitment chair, new member educator and sergeant at arms along with various other positions within his fraternity. “I was the A — which is the president — my junior year, and then my senior year I was the leadership development chairman and the Greek week chairman. I was also on the Interfraternity Council my senior year, which I held the position of vice president of recruitment and member development,” Henne said. Henne’s involvement with and love for Delta Chi led him to take the position of expansion consultant. According to Henne, he was not involved with the decision to bring Delta Chi to SIUE, but is here now, implementing the decision. “We are invited by the school to come to campus and start this
new organization, and that process goes back potentially a year or two,” Henne said. Fraternity and Sorority Life at SIUE felt that its Greek community was doing well, so it opened for expansion, according to Henne. “If the IFC [Interfraternity Council] or Greek life council feels like the Greek community is doing well, they will have a vote or discussion on whether or not they should be open for expansion, meaning they would be open to welcoming a new organization on campus,” Henne said. According to Henne, there are various reasons why the SIUE Greek community opened for expansion. “[FSL] felt that their fraternity community was doing pretty well in regards to numbers and size and retention rate, and so they had a discussion on what fraternity they should invite onto campus,” Henne said. Delta Chi was one of the fraternities interested in coming to SIUE’s campus, and SIUE was interested in bringing them here. “SIUE felt that Delta Chi was the best fit for this campus at this time,” Henne said. While Henne is here, he is working on recruiting men he thinks will be a good fit for Delta Chi. So far, Henne and the two other consultants have recruited 22 men to be the founding fathers of Delta Chi at SIUE. Although the two other consultants have left, Henne is still here recruiting new members. One of those 22 men is sophomore business administration major Alex Cooper, of Pawnee. “I wasn’t really planning on joining a fraternity at all throughout college, but they reached out to me and said I was recommended, so I figured if they see something in me, then why not,” Cooper said. For the remainder of his
time here, Henne is working on educating the founding fathers on how to run their own colony and how to bring it from a colony to a chapter. “I work on educating these men on what it takes to be a founding father of this organization, what it takes to be a member of a fraternity and what it takes to be a member of the Greek community and what it takes to be an active member on this campus and what it takes to succeed academically,” Henne said. Henne said he feels very comfortable at SIUE. “I travel the country for this, and I get to see a lot of different campuses, and there is a lot more to the world than Adelphi University, but I have come to I find things that are amazing everywhere I go, and I found that being here, and working with the group of men that I have and have had the opportunity work with — I find myself very at home here,” Henne said. The SIUE Delta Chi founding fathers are applying for the various positions within the colony, according to Henne. “The colony, at this point in time, is currently applying for executive board and chairman positions and as I am looking through some of the applications, I know why these men have received bids. I know they are more than qualified to be members, but just seeing that they have passions and interests and their own fires that burn within them — it gets me excited to put them in positions where they can really leave some sort of impact on the immediate area,” Henne said. One of the areas Delta Chi plans to make an impact on is cancer research. According to Henne, Delta Chi’s international philanthropy is the V Foundation, which raises money for cancer research. “Since Delta Chi adopted the V Foundation as its philanthropy
| Chloe Rice / Alestle
in 2006, we raised just over $1 million dollars and have had five grants written in our name and so we are continuing to raise more and more money for the V Foundation. We would love for, hopefully one day, our name to be on the grant that has something to do with the complete prevention or cure for cancer,” Henne said. Although he can’t currently specify what the new founding fathers will accomplish on our campus, Henne said the diverse group of men in Delta Chi will bring something special here to SIUE. “Each one of them has their own insights and passions and beliefs, and I think the collaboration between each one of those things will materialize and really bring something that I believe that this campus hasn’t seen before,” Henne said. Henne said the fraternity has given him various opportunities throughout his years as an active member and even as an alumni. “Delta Chi has really given me an opportunity to understand myself on a different level. Through my experiences and the people that I have met, I have really found what makes me, me. And I found what I’m good at and I’ve found what I am really bad at,” Henne said. According to Henne, he plans to give SIUE’s Delta Chi founding fathers the same experiences. “I am giving them the same opportunity that I had [being a founding father], and I am hopefully going to do that to the best of my ability,” Henne said. Freshman pre-pharmacy major Sean Whitmore, of O’Fallon, Mo., a founding father of Delta Chi, said he wasn’t able to find a fraternity he fit in with when he first rushed in the fall, but it was worth the wait. DELTA CHI | pg. 5
For the Kids Dance Marathon raises over $46,000
thursday, 02.23.17
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for Children’s Miracle Network
KEEGAN GAUWITZ Alestle Reporter SIUE Dance Marathon raised over $46,000 for St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center as students danced the night away for 12 hours Feb. 18. The event kicked off at noon, and participants danced until midnight thanks to the organization and hard work of the volunteers who made the event memorable. Senior pharmacy major Devin Dinora, of Springfield, has been a key figure behind the scenes of Dance Marathon for all five years SIUE has hosted the event. Her involvement began as a freshman in SIUE’s InterVarsity organization where she met a fellow student who received treatment through Children’s Miracle Network. Later in her freshman year, Dinora became the morale chair, and her experience with Children’s Miracle Network has flourished. “My morale group the first year only had about 10 members, and this year we’re up to 50,” Dinora said. As her morale group grew each year, so did Dinora’s enthusiasm toward Children’s Miracle Network. “I’ve really gotten to know CMN through this process, and it’s been so inspiring to get to meet the kids and to get to meet the families and really see the people you’re helping,” Dinora said. One of those families included 3-year-old Evie Morgan and her parents Joe and Heather. Evie Morgan was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis. At
Dance Marathon’s executive board and morale team pose with the grand total raised for the Children’s Miracle Network. | Photo via Facebook
30 minutes old, she was transferred by ambulance to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital where she went straight into the neonatal intensive care unit. Evie Morgan was born with spina bifida — a birth defect which occurs when a baby’s spine does not form normally. “Her back was literally open when she was born. You could see straight down into her spinal canal,” Heather Morgan said. At just 14 hours old, Evie Morgan underwent two surgeries at Cardinal Glennon. “The first [surgery] was to put the nerves back inside her spinal canal because the nerves were coming out of her spine.
Get to know Dan from delta chi DELTA CHI | from pg. 4
“When I first came to campus last semester, I knew I wanted to be in a fraternity, and I rushed first semester. I didn’t really find a good group that I clicked with, and then I heard that Delta Chi was coming and I knew my dad was a Delta Chi founder, so I knew it was meant to be,” Whitmore said. Henne said being a founding father of Delta Chi and an alumni has given him the chance to gain so many brothers throughout the years. “I have had a group of brothers. Friends doesn’t fulfill what these guys do for me. A group of brothers, they’re with me the entire way, and I have gotten the chance now to meet more people who I can call my brothers across the country who share those similar values and who really do care about making every single part of their day better,” Henne said. As far as Henne’s celebrity
status on campus, he said he appreciates all the attention, but sees himself as equal to others. “I am honestly flattered, I really am, but I don’t like to think of myself as better than anybody else here,” Henne said. Henne encourages anyone who wants sit down and get to know him or learn more about Delta Chi to reach out to him. “People can ask me anything and I’ll tell them. I’ll go from zero to 100 real quick with anybody. It really doesn’t matter to me. If you’re going to have a deep, genuine conversation with somebody that is what is important,” Henne said. If you are interested in Delta Chi or want to know more about the organization, contact Dan Henne at dhenne@deltchi.org or at 319-541-0801. Contact CHLOE RICE Call 650-3527 Tweet @crice_alestle Email crice@alestlelive.com
The second was done by a spinal surgeon to move the skin that she did have on her back to cover the opening that was there,” Heather Morgan said. After 10 days in the NICU, Evie Morgan was released with a sleep apnea monitor and strict instructions to lay on her stomach because of her weak back. Throughout the following five weeks, the Morgans were instructed to measure their daughter’s head every day, wary of rapid growth. Evie Morgan’s head grew three centimeters in two days. “She had developed what was called hydrocephalus, which is extra fluid on the brain, and we
knew that was a possibility. We were just waiting for her body to figure it out,” Heather Morgan said. After being rushed back to Cardinal Glennon, Evie Morgan had brain surgery the following day. The surgery involved inserting a tube device allowing the excess fluid to drain from her brain, into her chest and to her stomach to be absorbed. Following the surgery, Evie Morgan finally had a few months without any major problems until she began showing some regression in physical therapy. Breathing troubles led the Morgans back to Cardinal Glennon, where it was determined Evie Morgan
would need another brain surgery. Her brain had sunken down into the first three vertebrae of her back, constricting the brain’s ability to function. “She’s 3-and-a-half now, and she’s had ten surgeries,” Heather Morgan said. According to Heather and Joe Morgan, this past summer was particularly challenging for the family, as five of Evie Morgan’s surgeries occurred from July to December, including surgeries on her back for a tethered cord, as well as procedures on her foot. “For us, we’ve been all over this hospital. So CMN has literally affected our lives in the ER, the NICU and the PICU. All these areas are being re-done in the hospital to be kid-friendly and without support from events like this that support Children’s Miracle Network, that wouldn’t be able to be done in the hospital,” Heather Morgan said. Evie Morgan, who blew kisses to the crowd while thanking them, is now walking with a cane and a constant bright smile. “Even though she has a disability, she really is just a normal kid. We hope that people just see her for her,” Heather Morgan said. “She does not let it affect her. She’s a diva — she will tell you she’s a diva.” Visit evieswarriors.com to keep up with Evie’s progress and help children with spina bifida. For more information on Dance Marathon and how to help CMN children, visit events.dancemarathon.com. Contact KEEGAN GAUWITZ Call 650-3527 Tweet @kgauwitzalestle Email kgauwitz@alestlelive.com
Too many albums ruin anticipation KENDRA MARTIN Alestle Managing Editor Social media makes finding music and discovering new artists easier than ever before. I have found many artists through social media, but I also feel artists can take advantage of these many platforms. With online mixtape distribution sites such as Spinrilla, Datpiff, Live Mixtapes and Soundcloud, the internet has made it even easier for artists to get their music out. Some artists have used social media and music distribution sites to upload songs and mixtapes, and although I completely support that, sometimes it becomes excessive. For example, hip-hop artist Future released a self-titled album Feb. 17. Future had an amazing year in 2015 with a string of successful mixtapes, “56 Nights,” “Monster” and “Beast Mode,” as well as the commercially and critically-acclaimed album “Dirty Sprite 2.” He also released a collaborative mixtape, “What a Time to Be Alive,” with Drake.
Future was everywhere in 2015, but had an underwhelming 2016. In 2016, Future started the year off with the release of his “Purple Reign” mixtape as well as the studio album “EVOL.” Although the mixtape and album had successful singles such as “Wicked” and “Low Life” with The Weeknd, the two efforts clearly did not match the standard Future had set the year before, causing me to believe he peaked in 2015 by putting out so much material, causing him to lose momentum. With the release of Future’s latest album, it was just confirmed that he plans to release another album in this Friday, but I think this is a bad idea. Just because an artist releases music every few weeks does not mean the artist is necessarily hard working. I believe in quality over quantity. I can respect when an artist is confident in their craft and wants to keep feeding their fans, but I believe Future is trying to replicate the level of success he had in 2015. When artists release so much music in such a small
span, it does not give the fans a chance to miss the artist. I do not anticipate music from Future anymore because I already know what I am going to get from him. I am not saying the music is bad, but nothing shocks me anymore. It sadly just ends up becoming music that I’ll listen to for a few weeks, get tired of and not listen to again because he will end up releasing yet another mixtape. I did not have to wait for it, so I don’t wear out the spins like I do with an artist who made me wait two or three years for a new project. I understand artists want to keep their buzz going for as long as they can, but they begin to set themselves up for failure by losing steam so quickly. Future is not on his way out, of course. I just feel that 2015 was his peak and he is trying hard to duplicate that success, but the best thing for him is to not release a new album so soon. We just got one a few days ago. Let us sit with it, enjoy it, dissect it, and then we’ll anticipate a new one.
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alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
CAITLIN LALLY editor-in-chief
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| Illustration by Nicolle Patton / Alestle
Fight for the truth in the Trump era In the month since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has seemingly decided to take on a target no other president has sought to attack — facts.
ALESTLE STAFF EDITORIAL We at the Alestle believe it is the job of every American, not just the media, to be vigilant in defending what is fact and denouncing what is fiction disguised as factual information. Even the biggest Trump supporter in the nation should be outraged by his aggressive attempts to undermine the credibility of the presidency. When Trump is willing to lie about petty things such as his inauguration crowd size or the size of his electoral college victory, how are any of us supposed to believe anything, important or irrelevant, coming from him, his cabinet or his staff? In case you think we’re being
hyperbolic, here’s a short list of some of the false claims Trump has made in February alone. Feb. 6: Trump claimed the media had failed to report on 78 terror attacks across the globe — the New York Times, National Public Radio and PolitiFact posted articles consolidating the previous coverage of these incidents. Feb. 7: Trump said the murder rate in the U.S. was the highest in 45 years — according to the FBI’s own data and the Department of Justice, the peak murder rate was 10.2 murders per 100,000 people in 1980, and 2015, the most recently released data, had that number at 5.0 murders per 100,000 people. Feb. 16: Trump falsely claimed his 304-vote electoral college win was the largest since Ronald Reagan in 1984. In reality, according to the Office of the Federal Register, Trump had actually won by a smaller amount of votes than George H.W. Bush (426 votes in 1988), Bill Clinton (370 in 1992, 379 in 1996) and
Barack Obama (365 in 2008, 332 in 2012). The only president Trump gained more electoral votes than was George W. Bush, who only surpassed the necessary 270 electoral college votes by one vote in 2000 and 15 in 2004. While these outrageous claims are, so far, easily uncovered for what they are — lies, plain and simple — when the President of the United States, an elected official who should be a credible source of information, is saying them, spreading falsehoods becomes much more dangerous. Since more than half of adults get their news from social media, according to a Pew Research survey, these clear falsehoods can spread incredibly far in an instant. When die-hard Trump supporters believe anything he says and believe any media outlet that disagrees with him is “fake news” or “the opposition,” the duty falls to regular citizens to get through to them when we see something blatantly false come from the
president. At this point, even statements that seem innocent have to be looked at with a critical eye, because how can American citizens trust that anything he says isn’t a lie? This administration’s new forms of revisionist history, even for statistics as easily fact-checked as electoral college results, shows its disdain not only for reality but also for American citizens. These are our elected officials lying to us, as if Americans are too dumb or lazy to contradict them. There is no reason for us to be putting up with this. As citizens, we must be sorting through the scattered facts and fantasies we are receiving from our government to uncover the truth. We deserve to be treated better than this, and by challenging these falsehoods, one day, we may be able to trust our government as a credible source for information again. CHECK OUR SOURCES AT ALESTLELIVE.COM.
Open up the borders of your mind:
Reach out to international students Trump’s immigration policies have undoubtedly been a topic for debate the past few weeks. Trump supporters believe the ban will make the country safe, but others believe stereotyping an entire religion by associating every follower with terrorists is wrong.
CHLOE RICE Alestle Opinion Editor Regardless of beliefs, it is easy for some Americans to forget that these immigrants are humans, too. They are not merely a subject for debate about national security — they are neighbors, friends and SIUE students. SIUE hosts more than 407 international students from across 50 different countries, which means this issue hits close to home. It can be easy to place this issue on the other side of the world and not worry about what is happening in our own community. It can also be easy to think that because these international students are from around the
world, they are so different than we are. However, this is not true. Our international and domestic students share more similarities than we may think. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I met my first international friend — her name was Zeynep, and she was from Istanbul. She taught me about her culture, and I was ashamed I had been making horrible generalizations about immigrants at one point in my life. Her upbringing in Turkey wasn’t all that different from how I grew up. Not to mention, we had a lot of the same interests, like shopping at Forever 21 and eating Cookies ‘n’ Cream Hershey bars. This one example explains why our conversations need to go beyond the confines of our nation’s borders, which means for domestic students to stop only talking to other domestic students about international affairs. As students at SIUE, we should be talking to international students to be able to better un-
derstand them. Some students are extremely worried about this ban and need us to understand their justified feelings. The difference between having a conversation with someone rather than about someone is that we can listen and understand their perspective. The students at our school don’t deserve to be misunderstood because we, domestic students, didn’t take the time to get to know them. There are different organizations on campus that promote domestic-international relationships, such as Tandem and the Global Ambassadors Program, as well as the Office of International Affairs. GAP will be hosting a German movie night Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 5-7 p.m. in Fixin’s. Also, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. every Wedensaday GAP hosts Conversation and Coffee in 2315B in Peck Hall.
Contact CHLOE RICE Call 650-3527 Tweet @crice_alestle Email crice@alestlelive.com
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sports
COUGAR BASEBALL SPLITS FIRST REGULAR SEASON SERIES READ MORE AT ALESTLELIVE.COM
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Wrestling team prepares for conference
page 7
SIUE Standings MEN’S BASKETBALL OVERALL
Southeast Miss. 13-16 10-19 E. Kentucky 10-18 Austin-Peay 12-17 Tenn. Tech Jacksonville St. 16-13 Morehead St. 13-14 5-24 SIUE 14-14 Eastern Ill. 18-11 UT Martin 21-5 Belmont 14-14 Murray St. 17-11 Tenn. St.
The wrestling team practices reversals and takedowns Feb. 14, in the Vadalabene Center wrestling practice room.
ZEKE TORRES Alestle Reporter Despite its hard work, the Cougars wrestling team did not close out its season on a winning note, losing their last two matches of the regular season. The Cougars’ most recent losses came against Campbell University Feb. 11, by a score of 16-27, followed by another loss against the nationally-ranked University of Missouri by a score of 12-34. Feb. 11, the Cougars traveled to Campbell University where 125-pound senior Freddie Rodriguez got a big win over a nationally-ranked opponent, but to him it was more than just winning. “I have recently been in kind of a slump, trying to get back from an injury and get back to my normal style, which is to attack heavily, but I’m happy to get the win,” Rodriguez said. Head Coach Jeremy Spates said he noticed Rodriguez’s focus. “[Rodriguez] has been down for a while, but thankfully with the help of his coaches and teammates he has found himself again, which is what we need,” Spates said. Redshirt sophomore heavyweight Jake McKiernan was also in action against Campbell, but lost to a nationally-ranked opponent. However, McKiernan has not seen the last of him, as they will have a rematch at the Southern Conference Wrestling Championships. “The kid from Campbell was tough, but after facing him I have a feel on how to change up my game plan against him,” McKiernan said. After the loss, the Cougars traveled to face the University of Missouri Tigers, but ended up losing another hard-fought match 12-34. Rodriguez picked up a 12-6 overtime win against another national opponent. “My mindset in that match was to score a lot of points, which I did. That is how I like to wrestle, very fast and aggressive,” Rodriguez said. Although Spates said he was not thrilled with losing, he does see potential in his team. “I am not satisfied about
seeing two L’s on our schedule, however, I do see a lot of improvement in how we approach our matches, and I think we are peaking at the right time,” Spates said. Both wrestlers said they like how Spates focuses on toughness. “Coach loves mental toughness. To wrestle you have to be mentally tough, there’s no way around it. After we hear that in practice, it gets us ready for whatever can happen on the mat,” McKiernan said. Rodriguez said he also enjoys what Spates preaches. “I believe our mental toughness is what got us here. It has also helped me a lot,” Rodriguez said. Even Spates said he agrees with his wrestlers. “Before, when we would go wrestle against nationally-ranked opponents, we would have the mindset as if we were going to lose, but now, fast forward into the season, and we are competing against the big guys and schools,” Spates said. As the conference tournament approaches, Spates and the team said they are happy with the team’s standings. “Team wise, I believe we can win the conference tournament. It’s all about showing up prepared to the matches, and keep improving in practice,” McKiernan said. Rodriguez said he agrees and thinks consistency is key. “We have to stay consistent. There are several national qualifiers in this tournament, but I believe we are a championship-winning team,” Rodriguez said. Despite wrestling in the same tournament, McKiernan and Rodriguez said they are preparing differently because they are in different weight classes. “Heavyweight is a tough competition. There are 15 nationally-ranked opponents I could face, but numbers don’t mean anything — anyone can win. If I stick to my game plan, I have good odds,” McKiernan said. “If you look at [McKiernan’s] matches, it is slow, more developing holds. But when you wrestle at 125, it is fast. I look a lot like the Energizer Bunny,”
Rodriguez said. Spates also said the two are preparing intensely for their matches. “[McKiernan] is very technical. If he becomes more explosive he is dangerous on the mat, and [Rodriguez] is quick. His style is to be offensive and score a lot of points, which is what we need,” Spates said. Rodriguez said he thinks he has another big advantage other than just his speed. “Being a senior, I’ve seen it all and have also received a lot of good beatings, now it is my turn to give them,” Rodriguez said. As far as preparation for SoCon, there isn’t much to change. The word that was used to describe the tournament was “execute.” “The work has been done with all of the tough preseason and conditioning. We will brush up on our technical work and put it all together,” McKiernan said.
| Allison Gregory / Alestle
Spates said he plans to work a lot on technical wrestling. “We can’t improve our cardio and strength 10 times in a week, but we can focus on the things we can control. All the work is done. We are very excited for the tournament,” Spates said. Cougar fans can watch their team in action on the SoCon Digital Network starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4, as SIUE takes on conference opponents in Charleston, S.C. After the SoCon tournament, the NCAA Tournament Championships will be Thursday, March 16, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The Couagars hope to be some of the 330 student athletes competing in the tournament and will find out Thursday, March 9. Contact ZEKE TORRES Call 650-3527 Tweet @ztorres_alestle Email ztorres@alestlelive.com
OVC
8-6 3-11 6-8 8-6 8-6 9-5 0-15 6-9 8-6 14-1 8-6 8-7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OVERALL
Southeast Miss. 12-15 9-18 E. Kentucky 12-15 Austin-Peay 10-18 Tenn. Tech Jacksonville St. 12-14 20-8 Morehead St. 12-16 SIUE 9-18 Eastern Ill. 10-17 UT Martin 23-5 Belmont 15-12 Murray St. 10-15 Tenn. St.
OVC
6-8 6-8 6-8 7-8 5-9 10-5 8-7 5-10 7-7 15-0 7-7 5-10
WRESTLING
OVERALL SOCON
Chattanooga Appalachian St. The Citadel Davidson Gardner-Webb Campbell SIUE VMI
7-9 13-3 3-10 4-14 8-10 10-6 4-12 2-13
5-2 7-0 2-5 0-7 3-4 6-1 4-3 1-6
Left, redshirt sophomore Nate Higgins puts his hands down to brace himself as senior Clayton Bass slams him to the mat Feb. 14, in the Vadalabene Center wrestling practice room. | Allison Gregory / Alestle
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HOROSCOPES By Jennifer Shepherd, The Lipstick Mystic Monday, Feb. 20 - Sunday, Feb. 26 , 2017
Aries: March 21 - April 19 You’ll want to take the initiative in your love life as Mars increases your confidence levels. Ask someone out for a simple cup of coffee if you’re not ready to propose a date just yet. You’ll be rewarded for your courage, so get out there and circulate.
Cancer: June 22 - July 22 You need to be more confident that your ideas and perceptions are correct. A moon opposition has you questioning your life, which is fine. But don’t doubt that you’re a good person and that you are on the right path in life and love.
Libra: Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 You’ll want to shake things up in the bedroom this week as the moon encourages you to be more creative. If you and your honey have fallen into a boring routine, come up with a way to have more fun. As an inventive Air sign, you’ll figure something out.
Capricorn: Dec. 22 - Jan.19 You could discover that you have outgrown a friendship. Maybe you shouldn’t feel obligated to stay in touch with everybody you knew at school on Facebook. Venus says it’s OK to disconnect from people you don’t resonate with.
Taurus: April 20 - May 20 Your romantic life is due for a change. If you’re single, you could find yourself in a relationship soon. If you’re dating someone, you might consider dating somebody else who has recently turned up on your sensual radar. The moon encourages you to take a chance.
Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22 Someone could be pressuring you to make a romantic commitment or a financial promise, and it’s OK to say no. Mars is warning you to take super good care of yourself and to look after your own interests. It’s time to set some boundaries.
Scorpio: Oct. 24 - Nov. 2 Your words will carry a lot of power over the next few weeks as communicator Mercury enhances your language skills. You could find yourself at a crossing point in a relationship. Instead of giving up, focus on speaking honestly to your honey.
Aquarius: Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 You’ll be a positive force this week, so it’s time to play guardian angel. The moon is helping you to see beneath the surface of things, so you can better understand people’s problems. Offer some advice, kindness and love.
Gemini: May 21 - June 21 You could receive some great invitations this week. Don’t just work and sleep all the time. Make room in your schedule to party, visit friends or have romantic evenings with somebody special. Mercury is boosting your social life.
Virgo: Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 Mercury is going to be opposite your sign for a little while, telling you to slow down. Don’t ask a guy to marry you if you’ve only been out on a couple of dates. Don’t assume that nice girl you’ve been seeing is ready to have your kids just yet.
Sagittarius: Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 You’re feeling a bit anxious and nervous as the moon zaps you with extra energy. Burn off that extra stress with exercise and avoid sugar, alcohol and caffeine, because they will only make it worse. Enjoy some sexy times with your partner, too.
Pisces: Feb. 19 - March 20 Sometimes it’s hard for you to express yourself because you are a shy Water sign. You don’t like the idea that you might hurt somebody’s feelings. But an eclipse is increasing your confidence, and so you should risk being honest.
Jennifer Shepherd, the Lipstick Mystic®, is an astrologer and syndicated columnist with over 2 million readers. For mystical fun and psychic insights visit www.lipstickmystic.com.
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