The Alestle, Vol. 76 No. 1 by The Alestle

Members of the Gay Straight Alliance throw colored powder into the air at the Rainbow Run event. | Emily Sterzinger / The Alestle PR student gets hands-on experience at NCERC PAGE 3 insidE: Learn about the MakerLab PAGE 5 Zumba, yoga and more offered by campus recreation PAGE 8 the student voice since 1960alestleTHE Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Thursday, August 25, 2022 Vol. 76 No. 1

08.15.22 A male subject was reported outside Cougar Village with a bow and arrow. The offficer told the subject that he could not have the bow and arrow on campus and stored the bow and arrow at the police department. 08.20.22 The carbon monoxide alarm was triggerd in a Cougar Lake apartment. Edwardsville Fire Department was called. Upon arriving, they advised there was no carbon monoxide and reset the alarm. Later, at the same apartment, a natural gas smell was reported. EFD returned to the scene, and no natural gas was detected in the air.

COMMENTARY: Here’s how parents can meet the new school year with less anxiety

CORY FRANKLIN MARY HALL Chicago Tribune Fall may not yet be in the air, but school definitely is. Camps and family vacations are end ing, and children are queuing up in pediatric waiting rooms, coming in for school and sports physicals, as well as for the inev itable minor injuries and illnesses of theAssummer.children excitedly recount their summer activities and antic ipate the upcoming school year with a mixture of hope and dread, another emotion permeates the pediatrician’s office: courage. Aristotle called courage the first of human qualities because it is “the quality which guarantees the others.” Being a kid requires a modicum of courage every fall, for he or she is beginning some thing new. Some transitions are small — a new teacher — while others are dramatic — starting preschool, high school or a new job. From the child’s view, the comforts of summer are past and every new beginning is fraught with at least some trepidation. Parents may treasure the first day of school with commemo rative photos, but those photos often capture the uncertainty of young children or the annoyance of older ones. As school begins, parents should summon courage as well. They place trust in teachers, class mates and fellow parents who will gradually become the child’s community as the child becomes more independent. Uncertainties about whether the educational or social environment will be a good fit are accompanied by natural concerns about physical safety. Families do their best to opti mize the situation for their chil dren before sending them out like Alfred Tennyson’s Light Brigade. In the face of a new season of COVID-19, what can pedi atricians, with their knowledge and experience with viral ill nesses, vaccination, child de velopment and mental health, do to support parents and chil dren in helping them develop the requisite courage? This fall, the stakes for chil dren are high, especially because we have shortchanged their edu cational and social development in the last two years. School is important. Learning loss during the pandemic is well documented and is worse for many children in economically vulnerable cir cumstances and for those chil dren with special needs. Social interactions are essential: Chil dren have to see the faces of their friends and teachers, and they must be able to commu nicate easily and participate in extracurricular developedandofThishasofconditionflammatorynewercomeCOVID-19onerecoveredchildren.remainsThankfully,activities.COVID-19amildillnessformostMorethan75%havefromaninfectionormoretimes.Althoughinfectionshavebemorefrequentwiththevariants,multisysteminsyndrome,aseriousseeninasmallnumberchildrenearlyinthepandemic,becomemuchlesscommon.maybeduetoacombinationthevariantsbeinglessseverethechildhoodimmunitywallthroughvaccination and natural infection. As is true every year, chil dren will get sick with colds this winter, and this will include COVID-19. With the knowledge that serious COVID-19 is be coming less widespread, especial ly in children, there are several actions that parents, teachers and administrators can take to opti mize this school year for children by employing “the four As”: First, accept the reali ty that viral illnesses are not only inevitable but necessary for building healthy immune systems in Second,children.avoid, as much as possible, disruptions to children’s schedules as we live through viral outbreaks this year. The immuni ty wall to COVID-19 is stronger now than at any time in the past, and we are better prepared for the virus than we were in 2020 or 2021. Barring any new devel opments, this should obviate the need for contact tracing, quaran tines and Third,lockdowns.allowchildren to ex perience the full range of social interactions, especially smiles, hugs, group activities, sports and field Fouth,trips. assure children that the pandemic situation is improving and that opti mism is warranted about the upcoming school year. Children naturally spread germs when they are sick, but the adults around them are generally well protected through their own immune activation from frequent viral exposure. Recent literature suggests that adults who spend more time with young children tend to experience less severe COVID-19 illness compared with those who are not regular ly exposed to children. When competing needs or risks exist, we should prioritize the needs of children if Nelsonpossible.Mandela once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” The next several months will be our crucible. COVID-19 outbreaks may occur even as we reconsider our responses to the improving circumstances. As adults who love children, let’s commit to grasping the nettle. We must screw up our courage so they can flourish in the ways they deserve.

08.22.22 The same fire alarm went off three times in the same Cougar Lake apartment, all within four hours. The officer advised every time that it was activated due to an unknown cause. No smoke, fire or damage was reported. Electricians have been sent to the apartment.

alestlelive.comPAGE 2 Thursday, 08.25.22

Geoffrey Edwards, director of reten tion and student success said utilizing meta-majors is more effective, because having advisors who are specialized in un derstanding the curriculum needs within a grouping of majors allows the students to better understand the career path ahead of Atkinsthem.said it’s not uncommon for students to change their majors. She said Academic Advising can help them reeval uate their career path and choose a differ ent major better suited to their goals. “Research shows that about 80% of students change their majors three times, so it is very common.

Edwards said academic advising partners with the Career Development Center to help students better identify their“Weinterests.encourage students to take an assessment that the Career Develop ment Center has that really helps them determine, based on their interests, off of how they like to work and what fields might that student be interested in,” Edwards said. Edwards said from there, advising can work backwards to figure out what major the student needs to hit their career goals

“Alumni connection is always great, to be able to have them come back and talk about their personal experiences, even for them to be able to say, ‘if I had to do it all over again, this is what I’d do,’ because those are great tips from folks who are graduated and are now working,” EdwardsAtkinssaid.said in these cases, academic advising will try to focus on what valu able lessons the student learned from their previous major. She said it’s espe cially important in these circumstanc es that a student builds a relationship with their advisor.

For more information, visit the aca demic advising website.

| E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

Edwards said advising is able to help students get in contact with faculty, com munity members and graduates of their field to help them get a clearer under standing of what their career and academ ic journey will look like.

A lot of times when we work with students we reassure them that it’s okay,” Atkins said. Atkins said undeclared means the student has a major in mind, while unde cided means they aren’t sure of what they want to “Wepursue.dohave a healthy population of students who are exploratory and unde cided in nature, but it’s really them just having some conversations with advisors to hone in and identify what they may want to do,” Atkins said. Edwards said academic advising tries to help students who are undecided by looking into what their interests are.

Academic advising assists students in declaring a major with new system

“It’s through that relationship build ing that they have these conversations and they’re able to help students critically think and identify,” Atkins said. Atkins said it’s important for students to meet with their advisor and be in fre quent communication with them regard ing their interests and their major. “I would encourage all students to communicate early and communicate of ten,” Atkins said. “It’s through that com munication that the advisor can let them know when they are eligible to declare.”

Volunteers load backpacks with school supplies as Cradles to Crayons Chicago hold its annual BackpackA-Thon event on July 27 in Chicago at the Daley Plaza.

LIV KRAUS reporter Academic advising is working to help students decide, declare and change their majors with a newer system in place. Kelly Atkins, assistant director of stu dent success, said academic advising’s new system focuses on helping students who are undeclared.“Oneofthe unique things that we piloted last year and we are in full launch mode this year is meta-major assign ments,” Atkins said. “Each of our advisors have what we call a meta-major cohort, where students can come in and they’ll work with our advisor who works with that cohort and they’ll help them enroll in courses that apply to multiple majors that fall within that umbrella topic.”

“The earlier we can find out at least a little bit of a ballpark on what the student might be interested in, then the earlier we can help guide them in a direction where they don’t have to repeat courses in the gen-ed category or other places along the way,” Edwards said.

“Once I got to NCERC and worked there I kind of started … debating if I want to go into sports and maybe more of an ag gregate ag job, but so far I’m still set on sports. Ultimately, I want to work [on] social media for a sports team, preferably baseball,” SimpsonSimpsonsaid. said working at NCERC has helped her tremen dously in preparing for her career because it shows what her dayto-day work could potentially be.

“I’m anxiety-ridden when it comes to new experiences, but I’ve gotten used to it and I can go to Jackie for any advice that I need, and she’s really good at helping me through it, wheth er it means life advice for my future or just career advice as well,” Simpson said. Although Simpson is only in her second semester at SIUE, she said she loves SIUE because it brought her the internship.

“We [submitted] some ques tions with one of our interns for the summer to help get to know him more and then just so our followers would know,” Simp son said. “Then every two weeks we would do an intern employ ee spotlight, so essentially we would have the blog posts one week and then we’d have a video next of them talking more about themselves and stuff like that so people could actually hear from them rather than a written-out blogSimpsonpost.” said after trans ferring to SIUE from Lakeland Allison Simpson said she loves social media because she likes to be up-to-date on what’s going on around her.

| Clair Sollenberger / The Alestle Community College, she knew she needed a job in Edwards ville, but did not want to work at Walmart like she had in years past. She said she got on stu dent employment’s website and applied for three jobs, but only heard back from NCERC. “It sounded interesting. I wanted to try and find a job within my potential career field. So PR, it ultimately is what I want to do, so they reached out for an interview, and I was like, ‘OK, we’ll see how this goes,’” SimpsonAlthoughsaid. she originally wanted to work in sports, Simp son said working at NCERC has caused her to consider working in agriculture, which she said she was opposed to at first due to liv ing in a rural area.

“I have to collaborate with staff to get the video-based con tent and stuff like that, and then graphic design is probably a big thing that will hopefully help me in the future,” Simpson said. Simpson said she became interested in public relations because most of her fami ly members that have gone to college have marketing de grees. While marketing initial ly interested her, she said as she grew older, she realized she loved social media more. “I see people on TikTok being social media directors for companies and sports teams [and] I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to do that.’ So ultimately, I just decid ed [to switch] from marketing to PR, although they kind of inter twine in a way,” Simpson said. Simpson said her cousin sparked her interest in market ing, because she got to go with her to do some of her projects.

Simpson also used TikTok to create video-based content on NCERC’s social media plat forms. She said she does not ac tually upload their videos to Tik Tok but uses TikTok’s editing software to create videos for their Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. One of Simpson’s video initiatives was a Q-and-A intern employee spotlight.

“For one of her classes, she had to go eat somewhere, she had to go to a couple different stores and see how the departments were laid out and how they mar keted to people in that age group … hearing how companies mar ket to people has always been in teresting,” Simpson said. Simpson said students should always apply for the in ternships they want. She said she was scared to apply for NCERC and turned out to really love it.

NICOLE BOYD opinion editor

“We had people nominate someone and answer a couple questions, like what year, what they taught and stuff like that. Ultimately the person we picked got a $100 gift card to … Tar get and they could spend it on classroom supplies,” Simpson said. “Then they’re going to es sentially use the ethanol demon stration kit as a teaching tool in their classroom, so it would bet ter help the kids understand and they could have something in front of them to physically see.”

One of the bigger projects Simpson said she worked on was a social media contest for Illi nois teachers to win an ethanol demonstration board that shows the corn-to-ethanol process. She said she also helped update the board’s graphic, which had not been updated since 2007.

“I’m very introverted, so having to talk with the team and collaborate with others has defi nitely helped me come out of my shell,” Simpson said.

As a public relations intern for the National Corn-to-Eth anol Research Center, Allison Simpson worked on a push for video-based content, in addi tion to creating social media posts and a social media contest for localSimpson,teachers.a junior applied communication studies major with a focus in public relations from Tower Hill, Illinois, said her day-to-day work typically consists of touching base with the director of client relations, Jackie Hayes, to discuss what’s going on and work on the social media calendar.

alestlelive.com PAGE 3Thursday, 08.25.22

“We will see what we’re go ing to upload for social media that day and sometimes, I’ll get on Canva and edit some of the graphics that we have,” Simpson said. “I come up with captions, so ultimately for a social media post I’ll draft a caption and send it to Jackie, and then she’ll edit it and then once it’s OK, I’ll up load it to social media.”

Robinson said that organizing the event was stressful, but believed the out come would be worth it.

Lowder said the ideas behind the Fuller Dome were connected to the ideals endorsed by the transcendentalists.

High school teacher discusses transcendentalism at Fuller Dome

Thepast.”theme of unity among Black stu dents, as well as students of color in gener al, was shared by other attendees.

Cara Lane, a local high school teacher, spoke about the history and impact of transcendentalism. Damian Morris The Alestle according to Lane. Another foundational transcenden talist, Henry David Thoreau, lived in an isolated cabin in the woods for a period of over two years where he wrote the semi nal book “Walden”. There, Lane said he developed his beliefs on bodily, emotion al, and intellectual autonomy, an idea she summed up as self-reliance. The transcendentalists were staunch abolitionists, and Lane said that Tho reau himself housed formerly enslaved people in his cabin, a known stop on the Underground Railroad. Lane said the transcendentalists were progressive for their time, as they wel comed women into their ranks, such as Margaret Fuller, the great-aunt of Buck minster Fuller, who designed Fuller Dome. according to Lane. Margaret Full er’s legacy as a prominent woman within the movement, can be summed up with her quote, “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”

Lowder said that all sorts of connec tions can be drawn between the world’s seemingly different faiths, using the exam ple of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Robinson said that in his experience at SIUE, Black organizations should work together more often. “I’ve noticed in the past that the

“I feel really good about having first-year Black students come here and find a place or find a home — like I did — and I believe that a lot more Black students would graduate, eventually,” RobinsonRobinson’ssaid. goals for Collegiate 100 are to host more events and create pro grams that help students better them selves in work and school, as well as make them more professional and prepared for the workforce. He also wants the Black organizations on campus to work together more “Honestly,often.Iwant to have the Black organizations on campus be connected and know each other, ‘cause we can help each other out,” Robinson said. “I’ve no ticed a divide among Black organizations in the

“This is a nonprofit organization,” Lowder said. “[Our] mission is to pro mote humanity’s sacred connection to the Earth and each other, so we’re trying to find common ground across all different worldviews and faith traditions.”

Kaelyn Cupil is a senior nursing major, president of the Gospel Choir and Student Nurse Achievement Program. She believes getting involved in these organizations has helped broaden her friend group and meet new “It’speople.important to get involved on campus, period. Because you want to make sure your college life is more than just work, school, and stress.”

Cara Lane’s speech on the his tory, tenets and modern-day appli cation of transcendentalism was the focus of the annual Celebration of World Faiths event. The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability hosted the celebration.Lane,anhonors American literature teacher at Edwardsville High School, said that the transcendentalist school of thought is all about observation and no ticing the world around you. Lane hopes to demonstrate the relevance of the phi losophy and its primary founders in the modern day. “It’s not a religion, but it’s informed by that spirituality … and that scientific sort of ‘mode’,” Lane said.

Beginning of the year event creates a community for Black students at SIUE

“The purpose of this event is to kin da not only bring Black organizations closer together, but also advertise them, showcase them, and create a space where we can recruit new members and basically have them connect with upperclassmen as well,” Robinson said.

Jurnee Brewer is a junior sociol ogy major, member of Sigma Gamma Rho and vice president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. She said students need to feel welcomed.

BRUCE DARNELL reporter Collegiate 100 hosted a recreation al event to bring Black organizations on campus together on Aug. 20. Originally planned as a kickball match, the event was moved into the Fit ness Center due to unreliable weather. However, kickball was eventually reintro duced about an hour after the event start ed as the weather stabilized, and students could go to the RecPlex if they wanted to start a Bryanmatch.Robinson, president of Colle giate 100, organized the event. Robinson, a senior computer science major, wanted students to connect and join Black orga nizations as a result of the event.

Allen Schwab, American culture studies professor at Washington Universi ty, attended the talk in support of Lane, who he taught in his graduate program.

DYLAN HEMBROUGH reporter contact the lifestyles@alestlelive.comeditor:650-3527NEXT WEEK: ST. LOUIS GARLIC FESTIVAL BACK FOR 13TH YEAR lifestyles alestlelive.comPAGE 4 Thursday, 08.25.22

Benjamin Lowder, center director of Fuller Dome, spoke about Buckminster Fuller’s “dymaxion” map projection of the Earth. This map was intended to pro vide a more accurate picture of the world and emphasize unity over division. “Fuller sought to understand the way nature builds,” Lowder said. Lane’s talk consisted of a history of the movement, which began in Concord, Massachusetts, in the early 19th centu ry, and drew connections between the main founders of the movement, includ ing Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller. Lane said many core transcendental ists experienced “watershed moments” in their lives that would go on to contribute to the movement we know today. Emerson spent a year in Europe fol lowing the death of his first wife where he learned that “we don’t need some thing man-made” to truly see nature–a key aspect in what would later be come the transcendentalist movement,

“I love meeting new people; when I was a freshman I was very nervous and had a lot of anxiety, and I still do,” Brewer said. “So I like to make people feel welcome. The social aspect of college is huge… so it’s nice to make people feel welcomed.”

Collegiate 100 will participate next in Late Night with SIUE, 6-10 p.m. Fri day, Aug. 26. For more information on any upcoming events or Collegiate 100 visit Get Involved.

Schwab said that he and Lane agreed that the best way to learn a subject is to actually teach it.

“[The program] teaches us, in other words … how to put ideas to gether,” Schwab said. “Being a teacher, and teaching other teachers, is a less er form of immortality … it’s rewarding to me to hear Cara tell stories we talked about in Laurenclass.”Bruss, a senior at Edwardsville High School, also gave much praise to Lane and her teaching style. “It was the same exact passion and enthusiasm; it just really sticks with you,” said BrussBruss. said Lane fosters a comforting classroom environment and how her thor ough teaching sparks conversations and new “Justideas. like their community in Con cord, we build off each other,” Bruss said. For more information on the talk and upcoming events, visit the Fuller Dome website.

Black population doesn’t have a strong community, like we have a community here, but not everyone knows about the community or has access to it,” Robinson said. “This is kinda just to welcome every one to the community, and help them to find someone they can count on through these types of activities.”

Large Format Printer and Laminator For organizations looking to make posters on campus, or for senti mental individ uals who want to preserve an important pa per, these ma chines are perfect. The printer works with a maximum of 24inch sheets of paper, and the laminator can laminate papers up to 12 inches long.

The Rainbow Run was the first event the Gay Straight Alliance held Sunday, Aug. 21. Members gathered in to something that and throw colored at

Button Makers

In the same vein as the mug heat press and button makers, the MakerLab has a t-shirt press

The MakerLab is equipped with two different 3D printers from Lulzbot — a TAZ 5 and a TAZ 6. The lab also has a 3D scanner for the printers and a 3D doodle pen for creating smaller free-hand 3D items.

for the fall semester, on

Some students may be unaware of the SIUE MakerLab on the main floor of Lovejoy Library, which offers resources such as a 3D printer, a laser cutter, a soldering iron, mug and t-shirt heat press and more.

3D Printer and 3D Doodle Pen

Arduino Kit

GABRIEL BRADY managing editor as a part of a larger machine to read an input, like a button press or a light turning on, and cre ate an output, like another light turning on or a motor activating. Mug Heat Press If students want more than a button, for $5, a blank mug can be purchased at the circulation desk. In the MakerLab, the mug can then be pressed udent’s choosing. However, students should also be sure to reserve the sub limation press when using the mug press since both items are necessary forthe process.

circles

One of the more advanced op tions in the MakerLab is the Ar duino kit. This kit can be used or can’t be cut, check the user manual of the laser cutter.

excited them for the semester

For 20 cents, stu dents can pur chase a blank button from the circulation desk in the library. The receipt is brought to the MakerLab where a reservation is made for one of the button makers allow ing students toe create their own buttons. The MakerLab has 1.25 inch and 2.25 inch buttons.

Emily Sterzinger

/ The Alestle OCTOBER LOCAL EVENTS AUGUST SEPTEMBER 1 3092 2410175 13 25 26 27 28 31 1 AUG. 31 — SEPT. 1 Impact Blood Drive SEPT. 26 HIV Testing on Campus EVERY SATURDAY Goshen Farmers Market SEPT.10 Alton Pride Festival SEPT. 17 Book Festival Edwardsville SEPT. 2,5,13,24,27 Men’s Soccer Game AUG. 28, SEPT. 1 & 25 Women’s Soccer Games SEPT. 9 & 10, SEPT. 30 & OCT. 1 Women’s Tennis Matches at SIUE

alestlelive.com PAGE 5Thursday, 08.25.22

Cricut Vinyl Cutter For creative stu dents looking to create artwork out of vinyl, the Cricut machine in the MakerLab will be perfect. After designing the final project on a personal laptop, the laptop can connect to the Cricut machine and cut the design out of vinyl. Laser Cutter A step up from the vinyl cut ter is the laser cutter which can engrave or cut into materials brought into the MakerLab. For more information on what can

powder

A short guide to what’s available at Lovejoy Library MakerLab

Gay Straight Alliance hosts Rainbow Run event

Soldering Iron Kit According to online blog Mak erspaces, solder ing is the process of joining multiple electronics by melt ing solder, a metal alloy, around them to connect them and contin ue an electric current or a cir cuit. Almost any electric device with a circuit board was most likely soldered, and for stu dents who wish to start solder ing or wish to practice, there is a kit available for rent inthe ForMakerLab.afull list of every item available at the MakerLab or to reserve and use any of these items, visit the MakerLab’s equipment catalog. available. With a t-shirt pur chased elsewhere (the library’s circulation desk does not sell any, unlike the mugs and buttons), students can press an image or design onto it.

list

T-Shirt Heat Press

each other. |

is an

FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor

Anti-homeless architecture has become more and more vis ible in major cities in the past 20 years. Whether it crops up in the form of benches with arm rests or gaps in awnings above sidewalks, these little changes to an urban landscape serve a cruel purpose. Anti-homeless architecture, which has also earned the nick name “hostile architecture,” con sists of strategic and deliberate tactics and objects that are used to deter homeless people from resting. It is more obvious in ma jor cities such as New York City or Los Angeles, both of which have the largest population of unhoused people in the country. Many city officials argue that these types of architecture, spikes on windowsills or uneven concrete floors, make cities safer. They prevent homeless individu als from sleeping and resting in public spaces. While it may be true that there are safety con cerns, it doesn’t excuse the fact that people who are unhoused are still human beings who need a place to Anotherrest.argument for hos tile architecture is preventing teenagers from using benches and railings as challenges for skate boards. Benches have armrests and the side of raised beds have spikes, hoping to prevent skaters from using them as ramps. While hostile architecture is created to target unhoused peo ple, these types of infrastructure may also harm a larger portion of the population.Forexample, wheelchair us ers may have trouble navigating over sidewalks with raised bumps or parents may struggle with young children on park benches with divided seats. Many park benches are now built to slope down, creating challenges for people with low muscle mobility or numerous other disabilites. By creating infrastructure designed to separate the homeless popula tion from the rest of the city, it creates challenges for everybody. Cities are allowed to de sign urban landscapes in ways that they believe promote public health and safety. But there also has to be a more humane way than creating architecture that harms the entire population. Un housed people don’t disappear just because they are not seen, they exist even if they are not al lowed to rest in public areas.

East St. Louis and Edwardsville. The Alestle

33% 67% Yes! No.

Homelessness is not an issue with a simple solution. It requires care and thought around issues such as mental health, systemic issues, veteran disabilities, em ployment and food security. Cit ies should invest in mental health services, especially for those in marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ youth and veterans. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, rapid re-housing is one of the top ways to end housing. Rapid re-housing means housing with out expectations, regardless of personalWhilehistory.itisgoing to take time and money to solve the homeless ness crisis, in the meantime we can care for our unhoused pop ulation by speaking out about treating them like humans, not a problem to be hidden away.

Higher education is about cultivating knowledge to succeed, and smaller class sizes help that knowledge develop better. When it comes to learning in the classroom, keeping stu dents engaged and interactive is the best way to teach. According to a study from Universidad de Piura, a more involved learning environment is important for learning, socializing and keeping attendance rates. In larger classrooms, both socialization and learning can be come an Studentsissue.may feel left out or like their individual difficulties don’t matter, and this problem worsens the larger the classroom gets. This is due to individual help not being as easily accessi ble and not all student questions being answered. It can also be more diffi cult for students to find friends in larger classes. Smaller classes tend to foster more conversa tion among students and with the professor.Thiscan also be dependent on the professor however, and not every professor is sociable or has time to interact with students when they have a 50 student or more class to attend to. In a study from the Univer sity of Kurdistan Hewler Jour nal of Social Sciences, a larger class was split into two smaller groups and before and after the split was studied. The results concluded that the split groups with smaller class sizes had a positive relationship with higher academicWhileachievement.educational insti tutions have to account for a large number of students, that shouldn’t mean that students have to experience a less effec tive learning environment due to lack of class sessions or having a popularAdditionally,major. STEM and non-STEM majors both suffer from this problem. According to a study done by ScienceDirect, average grades tend to become lower in both categories the larg er the class gets. This is likely a result of students feeling less involved, but could also be from changes in student attitudes about larger classes.

Share your thoughts: opinion@alestlelive.com650-3527 NEXT WEEK: PRESIDENTS ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW opinion

Edwardsville:

For

THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board DAMIAN MORRIS Multimedia Editor HAVE A COMMENT? Let us know! opinion@alestlelive.com Campus Box 1167 Edwardsville, IL. 62026-1167 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY: The editors, staff and publishers of The Alestle believe in the free exchange of ideas, concerns and opinions and will publish as many letters as possible. Letters may be submitted at The Alestle office: Morris University Center, Room 0311 e-mail: opinion@alestlelive.com All hard copy letters should be typed and double-spaced. Letters should be no longer than 500 words. Include phone number, signature, class rank and major. We reserve the right to edit letter for grammar and content. Care will be tak en to ensure that the letter’s message is not lost or altered. Letters to the editor will not be printed anonymously except under extreme circumstances. We reserve the right to reject letters.

derived from the names of the three campus locations of Southern

One issue with smaller class sizes, however, is that there might not be as many class ses sions available or staff that are able to teach said sessions. If more class sessions are to be made, this then would require more staff to be hired. This is not always possible due to depart ment budget constraints, mean ing the university would need to increase funding to make these classesWhilesmaller.that is a valid concern, smaller class sizes should still be something to work towards, even if not immediately possible. Coming off of an already dif ficult and less-involved learning experience due to the pandemic doesn’t make matters better. It’s time for class size to be re-evalu ated for the sake of students.

The name Alestle acronym Illinois University Alton, is in print and on Tuesdays online during the fall and spring semesters. A print edition is available every other Wednesday during summer Forsemesters.moreinformation, call 618-650-3528. emailadvertising,advertising@alestlelive.com.

published on Thursdays

Anti-homeless architecture creates problems for entire population

view

Cougar Controversies

Do you still get nervous for the 1st day of school? Questions go up at 10 a.m. every Monday on Twitter: @TheAlestle

Smaller classes allow for greater individual student development

alestlelive.comPAGE 6 Thursday, 08.25.22 NICOLE BOYD Online Editor GABRIEL BRADY Managing Editor EMILY STERZINGER Editor-in-Chief BRANDON WELLS Sports Editor BRANDON WELLS sports editor JANADONALDELIZABETHBIRKEYJULIANNAHAMADE Copy Editors BRUCE DARNELL AHMADLIVHEMBROUGHDYLANKRAUSLATHAN Reporters CLAIR SOLLENBERGER Photographer UDIT NALUKALA Circulation Manager AMINA SEHIC Office Clerk ANGIE TROUT Office Manager KIRSTEN O’LOUGHLIN Graphics Manager TAMMY MERRETT Program Director

GABRIEL managingBRADYeditor

Campus recreation’s group fitness launches Fall 2022 schedule

Although the team lost its most recent game on Sunday, Aug. 21, Burton said the future looks as though the OVC’s pre diction may have been accurate. “There’s a lot of evidence of how much we have learned and changed and improved, just

This semester’s group fit ness classes at the Student Fitness Center include dance, cardio and strength training, with classes like cycling and high intensity intervalHelentraining.Nelson, a senior nurs ing major from St. Charles, Mis souri, teaches Cycle Express, a 30-minute introductory cycling class. She said she tries to make the class fun by offering themed rides such as a Justin Bieber ride, an ‘80s ride and a Britney Spears ride. “I incorporate a lot of dif ferent types of cycling, so I in corporate sprints, flats, climbs, standing climbs. I do different resistances throughout the rides which just add some fun to it,” Nelson said. “I think it mixes it up for people that have never done cycling before and it’s a good beginnerNelsonclass.”said people should at least try group fitness, because they might like it and if they don’t, they never have to go back. She said to accommodate begin ners, she takes time to show them how to get on the bike step by step, so all participants are on the same playing field.

NEXT WEEK: ADMIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AFTER HALL’S EXIT contact the 650-3527sports@alestlelive.comeditor: sports alestlelive.comThursday, 08.25.22 PAGE 7

“If anybody needs help get ting up, getting on the bike and getting set up, I’ll step off my bike and take the time to help them get set up so that they’re comfort able,” Nelson said. Nelson said cycling is a good way for people with joint issues to do cardio. “It’s non-weight bearing, so [for] anyone who has issues with their knees or hips or any thing like that, it’s really good,” NelsonCharliesaid.

Women’s soccer voted by OVC as the most likely winner of championship

Tocco, fitness pro gram coordinator at the Student Fitness Center, creates the sched ule for group fitness classes. She said some may prefer group fit ness over an individual workout because it’s more secluded.

“Some people don’t want to be on the weight floor and part of a bunch of people, so being in that group in this room, it is a private space, and it doesn’t feel like as much of a workout because you’re not having to think through it for yourself,” Tocco said. “An instruc tor has it all planned out, you just have to follow what they say.” Tocco said students should register for classes on the app IMLeagues, but walk-ins are wel come unless they’ve hit capacity.

look from our first preseason game to our second. I’m happy with the progress and the focus of the players so far on keeping up that climb of improvement,” Burton said. “I couldn’t be any happier with where we are now.”The next women’s soc cer game at SIUE is 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28. The Cougars will be facing off against Loyola University Chicago. For more information, visit the campus athletics website Sophomore midfielder Sidney Christopher of New Baden, Illinois, manuevers the ball around Indiana State players at the home game on August 18. | Damian Morris / The Alestle

Hubbs said the hard est part of joining a class is getting started. “If you come to class, you might make a friend, you might find something you really enjoy, it might lead you to try something else. If you don’t like this class, maybe you’ll try another one,” HubbsAshlynsaid.

Hubbs, a graduate student in the kinesiology pro gram from Millstadt, Illinois, teaches the high intensity inter val training class. He said he likes HIIT because it requires little to no equipment.“Alotof barriers to exercise are lack of equipment and lack of time,” Hubbs said. “It combines both of those things. We can combine a workout, intense work periods with short rest intervals and we can compress it into half an hour and you can still get the benefit of an hour.”

“You register on IMLeagues with your SIUE email. It’s super easy, and you just make an ac count and then you pull out this register for group fitness classes and intramural sports, so it has a dual purpose,” Tocco said. Among the different groups, each one has specified days and are hosted throughout the week, with activities such as HIIT workouts having a Monday, Wednesday and FridayMoretimeline.information on the group fitness sched ule can be found on Campus Recreation’s website.

After a vote from the coach es and media communications directors of the Ohio Valley Conference, women’s soccer was voted as most likely to win the OVC this year, following their win last year. Head Coach Derek Burton said although this season is just beginning, he has high hopes for the“[Theteam.vote is] something that goes on every year and we’ve been that team that was favored by coaches before, so it’s more, for me, more of a nod to how we did last year, because that’s what it’s mostly based on,” BurtonThesaid.team received 11 first-place votes to secure their number one However,spot.from the previ ous season to this one, the team has changed, with 10 new play ers on the team and five players having left. Burton said these problems are common ones in collegiate athletics, and he thinks the team is doing well moving forward. “What I want, as a coach, as far as pre-season goes and as far as these early games go, you want to see someconsistent development, and to bring the team together, especially new play ers,” Burton said. “Assimilating new players into a team is always a goal that you’re focused on, and continuing the growth, as a group, is important. Through the preseason, I think we’ve done that.”

opinion

NICOLE BOYD editor