SEVEN DATES THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK
THE ALESTLE WILL NOT PUBLISH DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK
pages 4 & 5
The Student Voice Since 1960 alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
thursday 11.21.19
vol. LXXII no. XIII
Bluff Hall will welcome esports arena next semester JOHN MCGOWAN reporter
Chancellor Randy Pembrook addresses the crowded room at last week’s town hall meeting in the Meridian Ballroom of the Morris University Center. | Mackenzie Smith / The Alestle
‘Quad preacher’ sparks town hall meeting RYAN BIERI managing editor
After weeks of escalating protests on Wednesdays, the university held a town hall meeting to discuss Stratton Quadrangle regular “Pastor Tom” and university policies around speakers on campus. Tom Rayborn, known by most at SIUE as “Pastor Tom,” comes to campus most Wednesdays to preach his interpretation of Christianity. Some campus community members believe Rayborn’s messages contain hate speech and therefore gather every Wednesday to protest Rayborn being on campus. Rayborn allegedly called a transgender student a “demon,” and his messages frequently include talk of hell. Chancellor Randy Pembrook said he met with Gay-Straight Alliance leaders the week before the town hall meeting and afterward decided to use the meeting to ask the campus community for suggestions on what changes students, faculty and staff would like to see implemented. The meeting was broken up into small-group discussions, with tables consisting of a mix of students, faculty,
staff and administrators. There were also copies of the university’s Expressive Action Policy and a First Amendment pamphlet on each table. While the protests originated as a silent protest from some GSA members, other people have begun protesting as well. Last week, some protesters shouted “Your hate is not welcome here” at Rayborn, seemingly in an attempt to be louder than him. Associate Director of Residence Life Rex Jackson said that as a gay man, he’s had rhetoric like Rayborn’s directed at him before, and he felt dealing with issues like this is an unfortunate part of growing up. “I’d rather [students] experience this here where we can have this conversation,” Jackson said. Jackson also said Rayborn being on campus gives students the ability to learn how to protest and voice their opinions in a more controlled environment so that they’re prepared to do so after they leave college. Since SIUE is a public university, it must comply with the First Amendment. In turn, university administrators cannot make restrictions about expression on campus based on the speakers’ content. As long as a speaker is not inciting vi-
olence or fitting the legal definition of harassment, hate speech is usually covered under the First Amendment. Because of that, Pembrook said the SIUE is constrained in the actions it can take. “We’re under some constraints, and I think that’s a hard thing to understand, particularly when you’re upset by things,” Pembrook said. Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker said there was value in allowing open expression on campus, even if that came in the form of hate speech. “It can either solidify your own beliefs — and there are students and faculty who are very supportive of the preacher on the Quad and his message. It also gives you the option to debate or challenge your own beliefs, so you can either confirm your own beliefs, challenge them and say ‘No, I really don’t believe that’ or give you the opportunity to do a peaceful counter-protest,” Walker said. “I’m all for all of those things. But the moment we start restricting what people have to say — censoring, whether it’s speech, or lyrics, or books — it’s the same result. That’s a very dangerous path to go down, in my opinion.” see TOWN HALL on page 2
Professors urge students to examine their implicit biases JENNIFER GOECKNER lifestyles editor
One professor’s recent experience with prejudice has sparked a campus-wide discussion among SIUE faculty about the implicit biases of students. Timothy Lewis, an African-American political science professor, said he has witnessed implicit biases in his students firsthand. Even so, he said that most of his experiences with students have been positive. “The majority of my experiences with students are good, but there are those occasions where you have incidents that you are convinced, based on life circumstances and the fact that I research race and racism @thealestle
in my expertise, that you’re experiencing some manifestation of racism,” Lewis said. “It might not be overt racism, it may be something like an implicit bias, but you know that you’re experiencing that.” Lewis said he has experienced racism and discrimination his entire life, so he knows what that looks like and can recognize it. “Usually people that have experienced racism or homophobia or xenophobia have years of that experience, and so they may not in every instance be able to point to a scientific methodology by which they arrived at a conclusion, but by years of experience, you know what you’re experiencing,” Lewis said. Lewis said he has recently experienced @thealestle
such an instance when a group of his students expressed fearing or being intimidated by him. At first, Lewis said he could not understand why his students would view him this way — he is shorter and weighs less than the average man. Lewis said he then began to suspect this perception of him may be related to his race. “I began in the next class asking them ‘How many of you in grade school or your college have ever had a black instructor before?’” Lewis said. “And I think three of the 37 [students in the class] had a black instructor before. [For] the majority of the class, I was their first black instructor.” see BIAS on page 8 The Alestle
A computer lab in Bluff Hall is getting a fresh coat of paint to open as an esports arena next semester for recreational and competitive use by the esports club. The room will feature 12 gaming computers and gaming chairs along with two TVs and gaming consoles. While it is still unknown what gaming consoles are being put in with the TVs, senior CMIS student Luke Sandidge, of Auburn, Illinois, a member of esports club, said the computers will have NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics cards and Intel Core i5-8400 processors. The Alestle previously reported the arena was originally planned to be built near Cougar Lanes in the MUC, but according to director of campus recreation Keith Becherer it was always planned for Bluff. “The original concept from the innovation grant team was to have it here in Bluff Hall,” Becherer said. “The great thing was that the chancellor’s office and the innovation grant review team and a lot of other administrators see the value in this space.” According to Becherer, they considering the possibility of opening an arena in the MUC, but for now the Bluff arena is a good way to gauge interest. Becherer said he would like to eventually see an arena open in the MUC. “Based on what we’ve seen, based on what the club has accomplished, based on the fact that a lot of our perspective students and current students know about this, I think it’s going to be wildly successful,” Becherer said. The arena in Bluff will have most of what would be offered in a MUC arena, except for a place for audiences to watch. While there are plans to set up a small lounge area in the room, Becherer is promoting live streaming as the main way for audiences to view competitions. Students in Bluff are excited about the arena. Freshman computer science major Zach Fisher, of Cantrall, Illinois, believes it will bring students closer together. “I think it’s a really cool idea. I think it will get a lot more people involved as a community,” Fisher said. “I think it will be good for the whole campus too; anyone can go to it.” The opening of an arena would provide a large improvement for the esports club. According to the president of the esports club, senior computer science major Jordan Kramer, of O’Fallon, Illinois, many of the members have to meet in the MUC to play together, while other members have never met one another because they can only play from their residences. “Having this space here allows us all to be in one area, have that chemistry, and play together. In the MUC … It’s just not realistic for some of our other teams to do that,” Kramer said. An open house will be held for the arena from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16 to officially introduce the arena to Bluff Hall. JOHN MCGOWAN 650-3527 @john_alestle jmcgowan@alestlelive.com alestlelive.com
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Amplifier use debated at town hall TOWN HALL I COVER
make someone from outside the campus community speak at any specific location as long as they’re outdoors and not interfering with the university’s business. “If we had an outside homecoming and someone wanted to set up something out there, but [Rayborn] would prohibit that event from happening, we can restrict that,” Walker said. “But I can’t tell someone ‘You’re free to have all the speech you want, as long as you go out into the woods.’”
Many of the questions posed to the groups focused around the use of amplification on university grounds. However, if the university banned the use of amplification outright, that could have far-ranging effects that go beyond Rayborn or the protesters — whatever restrictions exist in a new policy would apply to everyone on campus, not just Rayborn. For example, if there was a total ban on amplification, student organizations would be unable to use amplifiers and speakers to play music during their events on campus. Jackson suggested taking a similar approach to the University of Missouri — St. Louis’s free speech policy. Under UMSL’s policy, members of the general public cannot use any amplification. “I think it was UMSL that has a policy, RICH WALKER and I could be wrong or Vice Chancellor for Administration misinterpreting it, that there is no amplification unless it is a university-sponDespite that, Walker said sored event,” Jackson said. “So, there were some changes that if a student group wanted an out- could be made. Among those side speaker that they wanted to changes were the change of schedsponsor then there could be am- uling policies and the use of bullplification, but Joe Schmo is out horns. of luck.” “I want to make sure that the A number of groups suggest- faculty, staff and students have the ed moving the area where outside first priority in reserving space speakers, like Rayborn, reserve if they want to do something,” space to another place on campus, Walker said. “Even though I only such as the Builders of University book it a month at a time, mayPlaza. be there’s something there we can However, Walker said in look at.” his opinion the university could Despite his reservations
about some of the suggestions, Walker said there was still room to make changes to the policies. “I think there’s room for tweaking it. It may not go as far as some people want it to go, because any time we put a restriction on one group, it’s gonna be applied to everyone, and I don’t think that’s what they really want,” Walker said. For now, Pembrook and his staff will be going through the suggestions and seeing what they think they should implement. After that, Pembrook said he expects the university will host another town hall meeting. “Nobody has said [another town hall would be held], but it seemed logical that when we have some ideas … [we can] get together again and see how people react to those ideas,” Pembrook said. The timeline for any sort of change is still not solidified. Pembrook said he does not think there will be any changes before the start of the spring semester, partially because there is not a lot of time between the time Thanksgiving break ends and when students leave campus for winter break. Students looking for support or to voice their concerns can visit Counseling Services, the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion the GSA or a religious group on campus.
“The moment we start restricting what people have to say — censoring, whether it’s speech, or lyrics, or books — it’s the same result. That’s a very dangerous path to go down, in my opinion.
RYAN BIERI 650-3527 @ryanbieri rbieri@alestlelive.com
Campus organization puts leftover food to use NICOLE BOYD copy editor
The SIUE chapter of the Food Recovery Network is benefiting both the local community and SIUE students this holiday season. Formerly known as the Campus Kitchen, the Food Recovery Network recently conducted its yearly food drive. The Food Recovery Network is a sustainable organization that aids in eliminating food waste by partnering with Dining Services and restaurants outside the university. Food that has already been prepared is packaged and donated to those in need instead of being wasted. Carolyn Compton, Assistant Director of Community Engagement at the Kimmel Student Involvement Center, explained the work that the drive entails. “They put out food donation boxes and things of that sort throughout a lot of the different … halls and different buildings throughout the campus, and just offer different kinds of donations,” Compton said. Compton also said the Food Recovery Network is not only a useful resource for the surrounding community, but for the campus as well. “My intention is for students to really work off-campus a lot to get their community service in, because I want us to really make a connection to the community that surrounds Edwardsville so that students and the university can start making connections and building the community a little bit more,” Compton said. Brittany Buchanan, a graduate assistant at the Kimmel Stu-
dent Involvement Center, said students can benefit from learning about the needs of the surrounding community. “We have a lot of areas surrounding Edwardsville that experience high levels of poverty like East St. Louis, Alton also has some areas, and Granite City as well,” Buchanan said. “So I have a lot of stories of students like ‘Wow, I did not think of that.’ So I think that’s the whole point of our organization, is to have students be a part of the conversation and to feel empowered to help others.” “Instead of, you know, having food that goes to waste, we recover that food and redistribute it. So all this food is viable. It’s just what they don’t sell or don’t get rid of at the end of the day,” Buchanan said. Proceeds from the network’s food drive will go to the Community Care Center in Granite City, Illinois. Melanie Lohman, executive director of the Community Care Center, described how donations help the community. “I think it cuts down on even some of, even like, the robberies … because they’re actually getting something different that they don’t have to necessarily steal for,” Lohman said. SIUE students can get involved by packaging food and volunteering at the Community Care Center. To contact the Community Care Center, call 618-876-8770. NICOLE BOYD 650-3527 @nicole_alestle nboyd@alestlelive.com
Winter weather closure policy changes coming soon RYAN BIERI managing editor
Changes to SIUE’s emergency closure policies could be in effect by the time students return from Thanksgiving break, according to Chancellor Randy Pembrook. A number of the changes to the policy were originally suggested in a resolution from Student Government, including a set temperature that would require cancellation of classes, a defined window for when the university will make the decision to cancel classes and clarification of some terms like “essential personnel.” SG’s resolution came after an especially cold day last January where temperatures reached -24 degrees with the wind chill. SIUE received 656 comments on their Facebook post about the school not closing and 75 Twitter thread replies as of Wednesday morning. (The school’s last 10 posts on Twitter and Facebook have both received two comments in total.) According to Pembrook, the biggest change is the new policy has a cutoff point for the university to close due to cold or wind chill. “So, there is a section in there now that says if the temperature
drops to negative 15 or a wind chill of 22 below zero for a sustained period of time — defined as four hours or more — that becomes in and of itself as a reason for closure,” Pembrook said. Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker used a National Weather Service chart on wind chill, time outside and temperature to set the cutoff points for closure. The policy is designed to protect students from frostbite for up to 30 minutes of exposed skin outdoors in harsh conditions, according to Walker. “Under those guidelines, the event that we had in January would’ve fallen under those by two degrees and would have likely ticked the closure mechanism,” Walker said. James Beverly III, science and math student senator for the College of Arts and Sciences and junior economics major from Los Angeles said he felt university administrators followed the spirit of their resolution, even if they made a few changes. “They just changed the temperature differences, which was explained [as being] just because we thought it would be a 30-minute walk to get across campus when it’s really just 15 minutes” There are other winter weather conditions that could cause a
The basics of the new winter weather closure policies: When:
The Cougar statue covered in snow from the first snowfall of the season on Nov. 11. | Mackenzie Smith / The Alestle
closure, like ice or snow on roads. Pembrook said that part of the problem with deciding when to close the campus due to ice is the fact that students and faculty are coming in from all over the area, and road conditions are not the same everywhere. “Anytime when it’s 32 [degrees] or below there are going to be some places that are nasty,” Pembrook said. “It’s just a hard call to know … is it enough [to cancel classes]? Ice is tricky.” Last week was the first snow
of the season, but Pembrook said he did not have many complaints about keeping the university open. “The thing that I heard was that some people were worried about icy roads, particularly icy roads in the St. Louis area. But I didn’t get any notes, and a lot of the time I get notes,” Pembrook said. RYAN BIERI 650-3527 @ryanbieri rbieri@alestlelive.com
According to Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker, the new plan says that SIUE will announce closures two hours before the classes will start. Cold closures: Chancellor Randy Pembrook said the university will close or cancel classes if temperatures are below negative 15 degrees or if the wind chill reaches 22 degrees below zero. Those policies take effect when the temperature is that cold for four consecutive hours.
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Audio lab renovations finished in Dunham 11.12.19 An officer responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle circling the Prairie Hall parking lot. The officer said the vehicle was located and was looking for parking spot. Officer searched the vehicle after smelling cannabis. Drug paraphernalia was found and destroyed.
11.14.19 An officer initiated a traffic stop for a verbal warning over someone disregarding a stop sign. The suspect was wanted on an outstanding warrant from Granite City for failure to appear/insurance. The officer arrested Derrek T. A. Jacobs. Jacobs was taken directly to the Granite City Police Department.
11.16.19 An officer responded to a call about the smell of gas in the hallway of 406 Cougar Lake Dr. The fire department responded and said the smell was not a natural gas odor, but rather that the smell was consistent with an older building.
MARCUS KEY reporter
The mass communications department recently renovated an audio lab located in the lower level of Dunham Hall for students in the department. The upgraded audio lab is added to the list of resources offered to mass communications students, which includes a multimedia lab, video editing lab and a TV studio. The lab features a secured entry, sound mixers, computers, microphones and soundproof walls to cancel noise and provide a quiet place for students to work. Musonda Kapatamoyo, associate professor and chair of the mass communications department, explained the department now has updated facilities for students learn from. “At first, we didn’t have the facilities, but now we do. We have the faculty to teach stuff and we have the support from the engineering department who are willing to support the students, so now I think we have reached a point where I think we can expand our offerings in the department,” Kapatamoyo said. The new lab has two small, separate classrooms to accommodate approximately 13 students. The lab features a large television for the professor to teach.
It also has the ability for students to save their work and access it at a different lab. Ben Moyer, broadcast engineer for the department of mass communications, elaborated on the technical capabilities of the new equipment. “When using the Adobe software, the instructor can have it all on the large monitor, and students will see the identical setup on their computers, so they’ll be able to follow along at their workstations,” Moyer said. Students taking the media production track in the mass communications program get to create digital podcasts, create sound effects and use the same material for video production in the renovated lab. Students can also use the lab to create content for SIUE’s radio station, WSIEFM 88.7. Senior Ja’Quis Hardin, of O’Fallon, Illinois, explained how the new audio lab could help students get more experience outside of the classroom. “I think the audio lab will definitely give students the opportunities they need to improve their audio skills,” Hardin said. “It is also useful because it can be used to do audio projects, and to just use it for personal use.” Cory Byers, an instructor in the mass communications department, said students have still been
able to learn audio skills while the lab was being renovated. “The good thing is the same software that the lab will have, such as Adobe Creative Cloud, is available on classroom computers and in the video lab, so students are still able to work around it and use the software to do classroom assignments and create audio content,“ Byers said. Kapatamoyo explained how the department is looking to update other parts of Dunham Hall as well and making plans to carry out their vision. “The things we would like to work on next is the TV studio, especially with the lighting, but that is the expensive part,” Kapatamoyo said. “The inexpensive things would be to change the backdrop of the news set, bring in a new projector, and a nice board for teaching, so the next thing we are working on is the TV studio.” With the lab complete and ready to use, students have been able to use the updated audio lab since Monday, which is located in the lower level of Dunham Hall, next to the radio station. Students must have their ID cards registered to access the lab. MARCUS KEY 650-3527 @marcus_alestle mkey@alestlelive.com
news in brief Chancellor holding two Q&As next month
Two upcoming Q&A sessions will be held with Chancellor Randy Pembrook and other administrators. These meetings are open to all students, faculty and staff, who are invited to discuss any questions or concerns they may have. The first will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2 in the Maple and Dogwood rooms of the Morris University Center, and the second will be held at 9 a.m. December 17 in the Roller Hall of the School of Dental Medicine in Alton, Illinois.
CSDI holding MLK Donation Drive The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion is hosting a donation drive to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The drive runs until Dec. 20. Donations can be made at the CSDI office on the second floor of the Morris University Center. Winter care kits are being assembled to distribute to homeless shelters and charities in the area. Hats, gloves, scarves, socks, oral care items, blankets, non-perishable foods, toiletries, miniature laundry items and other supplies will be accepted during the drive.
International students living on-campus explore options over break MADISON LAMMERT editor-in-chief
Next week, many students living on campus will be loading their cars up with laundry, their favorite clothes and maybe even textbooks just to speed far away from SIUE. However, heading home to family over break is not an option for some, including many international students. Sophomore industrial engineering major Burak Yakut, an international student from Turkey, is one of several international students planning to stay in Edwardsville over fall break due to long travel times. Yakut said due to international student associations such as the Global Ambassador Program and Tandem, he has become good friends with students from all different areas of the world, and therefore he plans to spend much of the break enjoying their company. “Almost all my friends are going to be here, so we are going to be meeting at night and going to bars or just [hanging out] at home,” Yakut said. While Yakut will be in good company, he said the city of Edwardsville does not provide many opportunities for fun. “I came here from a city of 20 million people, so Edwardsville is a nice place and the people are nice, but there are not a lot of things to do,” Yakut said. “There are a few things, but not a lot of things.” Because Yakut lives in Cougar Village, he did not have to seek special accommodations to
stay in his apartment over break, and the same goes for students living in Evergreen Hall. According to Interim Director of University Housing Mallory Sidarous, Evergreen Hall will be locked over break, and those staying will have to swipe to get through both sets of doors. “In Evergreen, the building is locked and the only ones who have access to enter the building are Evergreen Hall residents,” Sidarous said. “Since the building is open, the building doesn’t close over break, but it does limit the traffic in the building.” However, residents of the freshmen dorms are under more restrictions. On Sunday, SIUE Housing took to Facebook to announce the freshmen residence halls of Bluff, Prairie and Woodland will close at 5 p.m. on Friday. The post continued to say the doors will reopen on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. According to Bluff Hall Community Director Jose Seiba, the front desk and doors close during break periods in all the freshmen residence halls, meaning the buildings themselves are locked. However, international students who cannot go home, can submit a request to stay. “They can submit a request to stay over the break, and they have to get approval from the International Office as well basically stating the reason why they have to stay,” Seiba said. “Then they send that information to the Central Housing Office [and] they make sure the reason why they’re staying is correct. [They make sure] they’re not just staying be-
cause they want to, but actually because they can’t go home.” Sidarous said housing considers multiple factors when deciding if they will let a student stay, including the student’s conduct standing with the university. She also said there are different rules over the breaks, so students that stay must be aware of those. “We also generally are just looking at and making sure the student understands the building is closed,” Sidarous said. “So there are different policies in place, like they cannot have an overnight guest and what they need to do if they have any questions.” Because smaller breaks, such as fall break, are usually filled with maintenance and the desks are not staffed, Seiba said community directors ask international students if they can stay with friends or family in the states during the week. “In the shorter breaks we do try to see whether they can go somewhere, and another reason for that is usually over those periods we do maintenance in the building, so the power tends to go out for those reasons,” Seiba said. “But, for the longer breaks we do talk on a one-on-one basis.” If a student cannot occupy their space due to maintenance needs, Sidarous said housing will typically assign them temporary living quarters in Cougar Village. Even though Le Phong Tu, an international student from Vietnam majoring in mass communications, is a freshman, she was able to secure a spot in Cougar Village, allowing her to stay over break hassle-free. Tu was granted
Cougar residency after reaching a certain level in English as a Second Language International and passing a corresponding test. Staying in Edwardsville over both fall break and for the majority of winter break will allow Tu to celebrate the holidays in a completely different way than she would have back home in Vietnam. “In Vietnam we don’t have Thanksgiving, so this is the first time I’ll be able to experience Thanksgiving, also Christmas!” Tu said. “We have Christmas, but we don’t celebrate it big like [it is celebrated here].” Tu now has two opportunities to celebrate Thanksgiving: she was invited to her friend’s host family’s celebration as well as a gathering by the International Hospitality Program. Her ability to celebrate with friends parallels to what many are dubbing “Friendsgiving.” For senior mass communications major Justin Nunn, of Shiloh, Illinois, this new spin on the traditional holiday showcases the value of friends. “I think in regards to Friendsgiving that so many of us view our friends as like an extension of our family or as a different kind of family, and we want to experience the same sort of familial traditions with our friends as we do with our biological family,” Nunn said. MADISON LAMMERT 650-3527 @madison_alestle mlammert@alestlelive.com
Evergreen Desk hours of operation for the break: • • • • • • • • • •
Friday, November 22 Open 24 hours Saturday, November 23 Open 24 hours Sunday, November 24 Closing at midnight Monday, November 25 4:30 p.m. -12:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 26 4:30 p.m. - midnight Wednesday, November 27 4:30 p.m. - midnight Thursday, November 28 closed Friday, November 29 noon - midnight Saturday, November 30 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday, December 1 10 a.m. - midnight.
Cougar Commons: • • • • •
Friday, Nov. 22 8 a.m. - 1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 10 a.m.- 1 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 10 a.m. - midnight Monday, Nov. 25 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
The freshmen residence halls of Bluff, Prairie and Woodland will close at 5 p.m. on Friday. The doors will reopen on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m.
AFTER BREAK: THE ALESTLE REVIEWS LOCAL HOT CHOCOLATE
1. page 4
Astronomical Viewings Cost (couple): free
As The Alestle previously covered, SIUE star parties offer a great way for students to get their heads out of technology — but they also provide the most romantic date night. Stargazing is a classic couple activity, but the astronomical viewings offered through Continuing Education actually provide context as to what constellations and planets you’re pondering — and it’s free! The viewings are held at the William C. Shaw Skylab and also offer the use of telescopes. For information on dates and times of these unique experiences, visit the Personal Development category under Continuing Education on SIUE’s website.
2.
$2 Tuesdays at The Wildey Cost (couple): $4
Are you really going to school in Edwardsville if you have not visited the historical Wildey Theatre downtown? With its signature art deco look, one feels as if they are stepping back in time as soon as they enter the theater’s doors. The velvet seats are reminiscent of a fancy night at The Fabulous Fox Theatre; however, the theater offers plenty of date-worthy events for the broke college student, including their $2 Tuesday movie specials. Lucky for you, these run all year, but are particularly convenient for the cold winter that’s approaching — or rather has already arrived. The movies shown vary each week and can be found online at the Wildey’s calendar of events. Wanting to spend more time with your date? Head downtown early and do some window shopping on Main Street.
The Wildey Theatre is located at 252 N. Main St. in downtown Edwardsville, where is has stood since 1909. | Spencer Peck / The Alestle
lifestyles alestlelive.com
contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 11.21.19
Ballin’ on a
3.
Sculpture Walk
Cost (couple): free Seeing fine art is not limited to the city. In fact, there are many locations in Edwardsville where couples can ponder the creations of local artists, including our very own campus! As showcased in the Oct. 10 issue of The Alestle, many sculptures are new this year. We created not only a map pinpointing where each piece is located, but also a bit of background on each piece. Taking a sculpture walk makes for a creative date without spending gas money to travel to St. Louis, and of course, one does not have to pay any admission fees. Dogs can tag along, too, and the moderate amount of exercise that stems from walking around our large campus provides a great workout. For the busy couples out there, this date does not need extensive planning. Have a couple hours between classes? Call up your significant other and begin exploring. For long-distance couples, this is a great way to show your partner around the place where you spend so much time.
This sculpture, located outside the Morris University Center, was created by fifth-year studio art – sculpture student Allena Brazier, of East St. Louis, Illinois. | Mackenzie Smith / The Alestle
The scenic Great River Road winds from Hartford to Grafton, Illinois, following the Mississippi River and providing trav
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All seven of these featured are under $22 All seven of these featured datesdates are under $22.00 (Not including (not gas including or add ons) gas or add ons).
budget: seven dates to impress your boo without spending big
5. St. Louis Zoo
Cost (couple): free, Wild Lights: $16 - $22 The Saint Louis Zoo was named the Best Zoo in USA Today’s the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards Contest in both 2018 and 2017, and those who have been there will testify this is not a surprise. The fact the zoo is free makes the deal even sweeter! According to the zoo’s website, its fall and winter hours are typically 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., except on noted event days and holidays.
The Saint Louis Zoo sits on 90 acres of land within the Forest Park neighborhood of St. Louis, according to its website. | Lauren Fox / The Alestle
velers with beautiful views. | Lauren Fox / The Alestle
For those looking to do something festive for the holidays, the zoo will be bringing back its U.S. Bank Wild Lights, which has been nominated for Best Zoo Lights Display in the country by USA Today’s 10Best. Unlike regular admission, the event comes at a price: on weekdays, members pay $8 each and non-members pay $9 each. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays bring a more hefty price tag at $10 per member and $11 per non-member. This comes in at the most expensive on our cheap dates list, but for those who really love the zoo and are itching to get into the holiday spirit, this may be well worth the extra cash. Bonus: the website boasts a special “Lovebirds Lookout” where couples can pose for cute photos.
7.
Granite City Ice Rink Cost (couple): $10 - $14
The snow is falling, the music is picking up, and John Cusack turns around to see Kate Beckinsale walking toward him. It’s the iconic scene in “Serendipity,” the one that made ice skating rinks suddenly the most romantic thing ever. Granted, a trip to Central Park is not within the typical college student’s budget, but this does not mean we cannot enjoy the company of that special someone (or special someones) while on the ice. Granite City Ice Rink offers perhaps the most affordable skating in the area, charging only $5 to enter the rink and $2 for skate rental during public skating sessions. For specific dates and times of public ice skating sessions, visit the rink’s Facebook page.
4. 6.
Great River Road, near Alton, Illinois Cost (couple): free, not including gas
Here’s another expedition that does not require much planning: travel up and down the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway and admire the beautiful fall foliage. Visitalton.com provides several different routes one can travel, some longer than others. It all depends on how much time you have. The date is also highly customizable: if you would like to splurge, you can stop at one of the several restaurants along the way — there’s also a pretty great winery there, we’ve heard — but in keeping with the whole cheap dates idea, you can also bring your own food and drinks and find a cute spot to pull over. Spread a blanket on the ground and make it a full-blown picnic. Bring your dogs, too, and walk around the town of Alton! This is one date that can be enjoyed over and over again, because every time can be made different.
CP Pinball in South Roxana, Illinois Cost (couple): $10 an hour
Want a date that’s a little out of the box, that not everybody else is doing? CP Pinball in South Roxana, Illinois, is a hidden gem. Patrons can play from noon to midnight on Saturdays, and the location is completely bring-your-own food and drink, including alcoholic beverages. According to CP’s website, it houses over 80 games, including ones based on popular movies and TV shows. Game themes range from Doctor Who to Indiana Jones, Star Trek to the Walking Dead.
The Granite City Ice Rink is currently open to the public Fridays 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., Saturdays 7:45 - 9:45 p.m. and Sundays 1:55 - 3:55 p.m. | Mackenzie Smith / The Alestle
Because it charges per hour and is open pretty much all day on Saturdays, this is not a date that requires extensive planning. So next time you feel yourselves falling into another Saturday night snuggling on the couch, grab some snacks and head to CP Pinball.
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opinion
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NICOLE BOYD copy editor
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ELIZABETH DONALD BROOKE HILL SHANE WHEATLEY NICOLE BOYD LAMONYA SMITH copy editors MARCUS KEY JOHN MCGOWAN reporter ERICA GREEN podcast producer SUMMER BRADLEY graphics manager JONAS MALAVE CAMPOS advertising manager NATHANIEL JOHNSON DAVID DEWEESE BOBBY MATTHEWS MIKAYLA WILHELM ad consultants CRISHAWNA NASH JORDAN RICHEY MARISA RUSTEBERG office secretaries ANGIE TROUT office manager TAMMY MERRETT program director 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 2022 e-mail at 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 letters for grammar and content. Care will be taken to ensure that the letter’s message is not lost or altered. Letters to the editor will not be printed anonymously except under extreme circumstances. We reserve the right to reject letters.
The name Alestle is an acronym derived from the names of the three campus locations of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: Alton, East St. Louis and Edwardsville. The Alestle is published on Thursdays in print and on Tuesdays online during the fall and spring semesters. A print edition is available every other Wednesday during summer semesters. For more information, call 618-650-3528. For advertising, email advertising@alestlelive.com.
thursday, 11.21.19
Holidays are difficult with eating disorders
MADISON LAMMERT editor-in-chief
EMMA DAVIS MACKENZIE SMITH LAUREN FOX photographers
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For Thanksgiving show, don’t tell THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
It’s a common practice for people to share what they are thankful for around Thanksgiving, but it’s important to do more than just tell others what you’re thankful for. While it is great to tell people you’re thankful for their presence in your life, a statement like that rings hollow without any effort to back it up. Making an effort to be more forward-facing with your gratitude is actually easy. If you’re grateful for your friends, tell them you appreciate them more often, or reach out to them if you have not talked to them.
If a professor has impacted you, thank them. If they’re having a bad day, bring them coffee or their favorite food. Don’t offer to talk if you’re not willing to actually listen to them. If you’re thankful for your parents, make an effort to reach out to them first to show them you’re thinking of them more often. The important part is to make an effort to be proactive in talking to other people. Don’t just wait for people to come to you. This does not just apply to people, though. If someone is thankful for a local group, they could make an effort to regularly donate money or their time to the organization. If a celebrity has
made a positive impact on your life, you could do the same for a charity they support. Even if you’re just thankful for the life you’re living, you could use that gratitude to try and help others. Most areas have a homeless shelter or a food pantry that needs volunteers, and that is a good way for people to both help out others who are less fortunate and to remind themselves about the good things they have. The cliche, “it’s the thought that counts”, actually applies here. Someone going out of their way to support the things they appreciate, even if it is just as simple as sending someone a text to let them know you are thinking of them, can make someone’s day.
I ‘identify as’ fed up with all this cis nonsense BROOKE HILL copy editor
I am a woman. I also identify as a woman. This is, of course, redundant. Neither statement can be true without the other being true as well. One might think this makes them interchangeable, but that is not the case. People will perceive someone’s political stance very differently depending on which phrase they use. The differences between saying a person “identifies as” a woman and “is” a woman is that the former takes longer to say and avoids validating or acknowledging the person’s actual gender. The use of “identifies as” in place of “is” is so commonplace that SIUE’s 2019 Sexual Harassment & Misconduct in Our Community training program uses it when trying to foster a safer environment for staff and students. Ironically, while it comes across to many as a more politically correct phrasing, it is actually not something transgender people tend to use or enjoy hearing. I do not know what people intend when they use this phrase, but I usually assume they are trying to sound academic or parrot-
ing the way gender identity was explained to them for fear of navigating a social issue poorly. Having said that, it still does not feel good to be described in this way. For one, cisgender people are rarely described in the same way. They do not require the qualifier of ‘identifying as’ men or women. They simply are. Using this language implies the subject is transgender or non-binary in the same way calling a person ‘light-skinned’ implies they are not white — it could be accurate regardless, but is usually assumed in the case of members of either dominant social group and rarely pointed out. Drawing this attention may even reveal a person’s transgender status against their own wishes, which can put them in danger. Additionally, there are people who use this construct to specifically avoid implying that a person has a legitimate claim to their gender. The distinction between being a man and merely considering oneself a man can be used to imply by omission that one is incorrect, and not really a man. People who want to avoid saying that someone is a man will often use this phrase to skirt around it
with plausible deniability. Sadly, the existence of transgender people is still a controversial issue, even in environments like SIUE where it is taught in classrooms. Right now, there are two ongoing high-profile controversies on campus surrounding our existence — articles using outdated psuedoscientific jargon to justify bigotry against us have been posted around campus, and there are allegations made via signage every Wednesday that a preacher on campus has called transgender students as “demons.” In light of these concerns and the loss of governmental protections that are and have been happening this year, I think it is especially important that well-meaning people give us the same respect they give other students and acknowledge our genders normally. To intentionally do otherwise is to cater to bigotry and acknowledge it as a reasonable stance. Transgender people sacrifice comforts every day to interact with a society that largely sees us as an inconvenience. This is the simplest accommodation I can think of — that people do less work than they are doing now and stop singling us out.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, meaning we will soon have an excuse to indulge in our favorite holiday foods. Many people look forward to this time of year, but for those struggling with eating disorders, food-centric holidays are likely to be sources of apprehension and anxiety. The fear of losing control over food consumption can trigger restrictive eating behaviors or a binge. As someone who has experienced eating disorders on and off for many years, I understand the stress of being expected to eat large portions of food. I also know that being surrounded by family members who do not understand the complexity of mental disorders often makes the situation worse. I remember one particular Thanksgiving, when relatives asked me questions such as “Don’t you eat anything?” and “So why aren’t you eating?” in addition to many unwarranted comments about my size. Although these questions came from a place of love, they made an already-difficult time even harder. For those worried that a loved one may be suffering from an eating disorder, there are more tactful ways to phrase such questions. You should only approach the person if you are close with them. If you do ask about their eating habits, however, do so privately. Assure them that you are asking out of concern for their well-being, without sounding judgmental or jealous. Even a well-intended compliment might be misinterpreted in a harmful way. Remember that eating disorders do not happen by choice, and often require professional treatment. It is hard to watch someone struggle and feel unable to help, but mishandling such a sensitive issue can have dangerous consequences. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, please be kind to yourself this Thanksgiving. You can and should enjoy your meal. It is ok to set boundaries with family members who make comments or jokes about your situation, and to tell them if it makes you uncomfortable. Furthermore, there is no shame in reaching out for help. Although eating disorders are stigmatized, as behavioral disorders usually are, don’t burden yourself more by suffering in silence. It is never easy to have an eating disorder, but Thanksgiving is especially challenging. However, remembering to be aware and thoughtful can make it much easier. To contact the National Eating Disorder Association crisis hotline, text “NEDA” to 741741. Counseling services are located in the lower level of the Student Success Center. To schedule a screening appointment or therapy appointment, call 618-650-2842.
sports
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 11.21.19
THE ALESTLE WILL NOT PUBLISH DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK page 7
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SIUE Standings MEN’S BASKETBALL
OVERALL OVC
Morehead State
4-0
0-0
Murray State
3-1
0-0
Belmont
Tenn. State
Eastern Kentucky EIU
SIUE
3-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 2-3
UT Martin
2-3
Austin Peay
Jacksonville State SEMO
Tennessee Tech
1-2 1-2 1-2 1-5
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
OVERALL OVC
Austin Peay
3-1
0-0
SEMO
3-1
0-0
3-1
Belmont Middle blocker Savannah Christian attempts to hit the ball over the net as her team awaits the ball to return it in their game Nov. 16. | Mackenzie Smith / The Alestle
Volleyball takes quick loss at home game vs. UT Martin JOHN MCGOWAN reporter
Despite a lead in the first two sets, SIUE fell 3-0 to the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks during their final regular-season game on Saturday. Though SIUE never won a set, the match was still competitive. The Cougars were up by 7 points before UTM came back and won the first set 25-21, and SIUE peaked at a lead of eight in the second set and won 26-24. In contrast with the first two, the game was at a tie or near tie for almost all of the third set until UTM won 25-23. Head coach Kendall Paulus said the loss could be attributed to UTM’s performance, as well as SIUE’s physical strategy. “UT Martin did a really nice job. They defended us really well,” Paulus said. “I know mentally we were giving effort; I don’t think our legs quite matched it. We talked about working smarter not harder; our vision just kind of got lost on how to make the play smarter.”
Saturday’s game was senior night to send off the team’s graduating seniors. Outside hitter Dylynn Otte, setter Mallory Nicholson, outside hitter/right side Madison McKinley and middle blocker Kiana Fields were all honored with a video of their fellow players shouting them out and talking about how much they will be missed. Fields said the senior night was a factor in making the game unique. “It’s a special game for everyone, and family comes to support, even family that doesn’t come often,” Fields said. “I know that puts us on a really high expectation level; so, that was something that we kind of managed today, and it’s very emotional for all of us.” This loss is coming off a 3-0 against Southeast Missouri just the night before and two more wins before that. To redshirt sophomore middle blocker Hope Everett, the loss was a learning experience. “I think that we now see that we still have a lot to keep working on and to keep growing from. This isn’t the end, and I’m
looking forward to how we can use this experience as a way to get better as a team and do better in tournaments,” Everett said. Despite the loss, the team will be heading to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Thursday. Everett said that, before the tournament, they still have some things they need to work on. “I think we can work on our composure, one, and, two, just working really hard for every single point, [as well as] finishing game; I think that’s something that we’ve been working on throughout the entire season and that we can continue to get better at,” Everett said. SIUE will be playing next at Jacksonville State University at 6 p.m., Thursday, in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Eastern Kentucky Tennessee Tech EIU
Jacksonville State Morehead State Murray State
Tennessee State
650-3527 @john_alestle jmcgowan@alestlelive.com
2-1 3-2 2-2 2-2 2-2 1-2 1-3
SIUE
0-3
UT Martin
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
VOLLEYBALL
OVERALL OVC
Jacksonville State 19-9 SEMO
Murray State
Morehead State Austin Peay UT Martin
Tennessee Tech SIUE
Tennessee State
JOHN MCGOWAN
2-1
0-0
13-3
20-10 12-4 18-10 12-4 21-8
12-4
11-19 9-7 13-18 9-7 13-16 9-7 14-14 9-7 12-17 5-11
Eastern Kentucky 9-21
4-12
3-26
1-15
2-29
1-15
EIU
Belmont
Cross Country ends its season at NCAA Midwest Regionals at Oklahoma State MARCUS KEY reporter
The cross country team’s top runners raced last Friday in the NCAA Midwest Regionals at Oklahoma State University for the last race of their season. The meet was a qualifier for the NCAA National in Terre Haute, Indiana. The men’s team competed in a 10K race, and the women’s team competed in a 6K. Top finishers for the men’s team were senior Landon Skelly with a time of 32:48; freshman Roland Prenzler who finished in 33:17.3; and senior Austin Woodard who finished with a time of 33:17.3. Leading the women’s team
was senior Keri Burmester — 23:29.1; freshman Natalia Rodriguez — 23:42.1; and sophomore Emily Ellis — 24:11.1. The meet was the last for the season until next semester and for freshmen who had never run a 10K. Assistant Coach CeCe Moore, who joined the coaching staff in September, complimented the team’s performance at the away meet. “I think overall the team did really well, and we had some of our top runners in the race, and this was probably the strongest they’ve been in the entire season, so I think they had a pretty good day and had a pretty good meet,” Moore said.
On the men’s team there were three runners — Woodard, Prenzler and Skelly. Friday marked Prenzler’s first time competing in a 10K race. “I really didn’t know what to make of it because it was my first time, but coach was happy with my performance and the other guys did a really good job. For me, I was happy with my place,” Prenzler said. Prenzler also said that he thinks the team will perform well next year, despite them losing two of their fastest runners. “With Landon and Austin being gone next year, we’ll have big shoes to fill,” Prenzler said. “But, I think that once everyone has a full year to prepare and ad-
just more to college training, then it will be easier for us to come into regional races next year with confidence and trust that we’ll do what we need to.” Moore said some setbacks the team sometimes has and what they do as a team to work around them and bring out the best. “We’ve had a few injuries this season, like Austin had sprained his ankle and had to adjust his training for healing, and the team having to adjust to a different type of training and having me as the new assistant coach, I think that was the biggest challenge for everyone,” Moore said. “We’re all pretty excited for next semester because we will have our first indoor track meet
coming up in less than a month, and once we get back from winter break, that’s when our indoor season gets full swing. That’ll carry all the way to our outdoor season,” Skelly said. “We’ll go to several meets, including West Virginia, Notre Dame and Alabama; so, we’re all excited about that.” Friday’s race closed the season for cross country, but some of the athletes will be competing on SIUE’s Track and Field teams in the spring.
MARCUS KEY
650-3527 @marcus_alestle mkey@alestlelive.com
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alestlelive.com BIAS I COVER
According to Lewis, when students constantly see only members of a single race within a particular position, they begin to associate that race with that space. This can then cause issues when somebody violates the expectations formed by these associations. “When a person comes into that space that violates those years of experience, that student doesn’t know this, but subconsciously they’re uncomfortable, and that discomfort may cause them to say things or do things they’re not aware of that come across as biased,” Lewis said. By discussing it openly within his class, Lewis said his students eventually acknowledged the possibility of having implicit biases. “I think after the second class discussion, some were willing to admit, ‘Okay, maybe you’re right, maybe I do have an implicit bias.’” Lewis said. After these discussions, Lewis decided to share the experience with other faculty members on campus. He did so through an email with the subject line “I am nothing to fear! I’m just Black!” The email sparked responses from several other professors, who expressed sharing similar experiences to varying degrees. One respondent to Lewis’ email was Kamran Shavezipur, a mechanical and industrial engineering professor. Shavezipur
is originally from Iran, and he said he has experienced discrimination based on his ethnicity both in and out of the classroom. “There was a girl sitting in the middle of class, and I could see she hates me by all means because anytime I made eye contact with the students, as soon as my eyes get to her eyes, she just turned her face like this and … wouldn’t look at me,” Shavezipur said. “Even once, she came to my office with her friends [to discuss] a group project, [and] she did not enter the room.” In response to discrimination like this and the looks Shavezipur said he often gets from students, he found a new way to address the issue — through humor. “I started using comedy in my classes and joking about me as a Middle Eastern man,” Shavezipur said. “I use stereotypes [like] we ride camels, we haven’t seen cars — all stupid things that people think — and students seem to relate to it.” Shavezipur said poking fun at these stereotypes has made it easier for students to feel comfortable with him. So comfortable, in fact, that Shavezipur said some students have started to joke back. “People have called me in my class ‘You’re a terrorist’ as a joke, and I liked it,” Shavezipur said. “Not that I’m a terrorist, but I liked that we have broken this barrier … and we are able to joke about these stereotypes and students feel comfortable to do that.” However, Shavezipur said he acknowl-
thursday, 11.21.19
edges that comedy does not work for everyone. He also said humor does not solve the underlying issue of discrimination and prejudices, and there is no easy fix for this problem. “This problem obviously doesn’t have a single solution, doesn’t have a simple solution,” Shavezipur said. History professor Anthony Cheeseboro was another respondent. Cheeseboro said even though he is also an AfricanAmerican man, he has not had the same experiences as Lewis within his own classroom. However, he said students do not express opposition to his ideas as often as he expected. “I’ve had very few disrespectful students, [and] I’ve never had a student say they were afraid of me,” Cheeseboro said. “However, having said that, I suspect that there have been times when students didn’t say everything they thought about something I said, because I used to be more openly political in classes than I am now.” Cheeseboro said he has steered away from expressing political opinions in recent years because he wants students to be free to express their own thoughts; however, he said he still discusses controversial topics while teaching American history he expects to spark stronger responses than they often do. “In teaching American history, I talk about things that are controversial, things that are emotional, and I don’t get a lot
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of feedback,” Cheeseboro said. “And so, I suspect that there are times when students feel things that they don’t say.” After reading Lewis’ email, Cheeseboro said he wondered if students not being vocal could be evidence that they are experiencing some fear toward him. However, Cheeseboro also said this is not something he thinks much about because there is nothing he can do to fix it on behalf of his students, and it is not his responsibility. “For myself, if students are afraid of me, I’m not going to particularly worry about it because … I can’t control somebody else’s prejudice,” Cheeseboro said. “If somebody has racial issues, if somebody has issues about me as a black person, that’s really something they’re going to have to deal with. I can’t relieve them of those feelings.” Regardless of the approaches of individual professors to address this issue — whether through discussions, humor or allowing students to figure it out themselves — Lewis said an institutional approach might also be necessary. Currently, there are no required programs for students about racial and ethnic biases, and Lewis said he believes there should be. “Diversity is one of the values of the university, according to their value statement, and if it truly is, then we need to have trainings in place that at least let students know that they may or may not have implicit biases in some areas,” Lewis said.
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