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alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
vol. LXXX no. XXVII
SIUE will not factor gun control protest suspensions into admissions
RYAN BIERI editor-in-chief
University Museum curator Erin Vigneau-Dimick shows prints of the original Richard Buckminster Fuller artwork presented to SIUE Feb. 15. I Photo by Alison Gregory / The Alestle
SIUE receives Buckminster Fuller print series CORINTHIA JORDAN reporter
In partnership with the University Museum and the SIUE Foundation, the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability recently received a collection of artworks from the Fuller Dome’s creator, Buckminster Fuller. Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was a dual professor at SIUE and SIUC. He is best known as an inventor, designer and author. His most notable invention is the geodesic dome, which was patented in 1954. The Buckminster Fuller Dome, which imitates natural growth structures, uses the least amount of building materials to enclose a volume of space. This increases sustainability on campus, according to creative consultant at the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability Benjamin Lowder. “That was his genius. He looked at the way things were headed in his days in the 1900s after World War I — he served in World War I — and determined if we continue on this path, we’re going to end up in a complete ecological crisis,” Lowder said. “We continued on that path and now we’re in an ecological crisis. He wanted to usher in a design science revolution that would, through our vehicles and houses and everything, we would avert the catastrophe that he predicted.” Juli Jacobson, business administrator of the Fuller Dome, believes the Fuller Dome represents the dual dynamic of spirituality and sustainability in the community. The dome’s unique design enforces his dymaxion philosophy of doing more with less. According to Jacobson, he’s one of her heroes.
“We’re here for the students, faculty and staff, but, we’re also here for the greater community because we’re trying to preserve this dome since it’s so unique,” Jacobson said. Lowder received the print series donation from Fuller’s daughter, Allegra Fuller Snyder. According to Lowder, these prints will enhance Fuller’s legacy at SIUE. Fuller’s print series documents 13 of his patents and inventions centered around efficiency. Some of his designs include dymaxion cars, bathrooms, and a 4-D house.
“It was his life’s goal that everyone could enjoy the same standard of living and abundance without offense to the planet.” BENJAMIN LOWDER creative consultant at the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability “It was his life’s goal that everyone could enjoy the same standard of living and abundance without offense to the planet. He felt like if we used our resources correctly then everyone could enjoy wealth and leisure,” Lowder said. Fuller’s prints were published by the Carl Solway Gallery. Other prints are held at The Whitney Museum. “Each of the 13 prints consists of two 30 by 40 [inch] screen-printed
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sheets, one of which illustrates drawings for a patent invention by Fuller, and the second sheet illustrates the realization of the concept,” according to the Carl Solway Gallery website. The Center for Spirituality and Sustainability partnered with the University Museum to use their resources and expertise to secure and store Fuller’s print designs. Erin Vigneau-Dimick, collections manager of the University Museum appreciates Fuller’s desire to incorporate art and science in his inventions and experiments. “When we talk about STEM to steam, this idea that the science, technology, engineering and math really needs to have the arts in it. He’s really one of the first people that really started to look at the idea of design and art and the way to think about things and merging them with engineering and math. He was a mathematician, but he thought in these really visual ways,” Vigneau-Dimick said. According to Lowder, some people thought Fuller’s inventions and his legacy failed because he didn’t change the world. However, Fuller viewed his life as a trim tab or the rudder of a ship that steers the ship in a certain direction. “Call me Trim Tab” is engraved into his headstone. “He saw himself as that small little piece, that trim tab, that would hopefully change the direction of the vessel, which was a metaphor for changing the direction of our global culture or society,” Lowder said. Fuller’s print series will be on display at the Fuller Dome in the fall.
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The gun control debate is currently being spearheaded by high school students, some of whom are being threatened with suspensions for participating in walkout protests during the school day. However, those punishments shouldn’t be much of a problem for prospective SIUE students. “SIUE has not considered a high school student’s suspension history as part of its admissions review practice and does not foresee altering that process,” Director of Marketing and Communications Doug McIlhagga said in a statement to The Alestle. Todd Burrell, director of Undergraduate Admissions, said that per university policy 1E1, only an applicant’s academic history is considered when they are applying. “We look at students’ test scores, whether that be SAT or ACT, we take either one, and that’s a composite score. Then we look at their high school GPA,” Burrell said Burrell explained that while SIUE does not check for an applicant’s disciplinary record when deciding on whether or not someone is admitted, some schools take a broader picture approach to admissions. “A lot of schools will use a holistic review,” Burrell said. “Institutions will do that where a student may have to submit an essay, resume or personal statement in addition to their transcripts and test scores, and then those schools will use everything there to make a determination.” While the university only factors GPA and test scores into their admissions decision, there are some students who will go through a more thorough review. “We come close to [a holistic review] when we review for the Meridian Scholarship,” Burrell said. “But, we’re not reviewing for admission because they have easily met our admission criteria.” However, Burrell said that even in the Meridian Scholarship review process, a student’s suspension history is not part of the decision. Although potential punishments from walkout protests may not be a problem for applicants at SIUE, some schools still take it into consideration. Despite that, some Metro East high school students aren’t concerned about disciplinary action if they decide to hold a protest during school hours. Marcus Daniel, an 18-year-old senior at O’Fallon Township High School in O’Fallon, Illinois, has been helping plan a march over gun control issues since the day after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14. The event is planned for March 4. While he and his group of students are not planning on doing a walkout at this moment, they said they are not really worried about any backlash from the administrators. “We had a walkout last year before to protest our teachers and other activities being cut. We did a walkout, and our superintendent wasn’t really happy about it, so we decided we would not do one, but if it came to it and enough kids did it, that it would probably go on,” Daniel said. As of now, the group Daniel is a part of is considering participating in the April 20 national school walkouts, but have not decided if they will be participating yet. O’Fallon Township High School Superintendent Darcy Benway said that as of Monday, the school’s administrators had yet to decide whether or not there would be punishments given out to students who participate in walkout protests.
RYAN BIERI
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RYAN BIERI editor-in-chief
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The Sustainability Action Group makes their return to campus CORINTHIA JORDAN reporter
The Sustainability Action Group reorganized to promote engagement for greater sustainability practices on campus and after revamping themselves and their organization, they are ready to make their impact and tackle sustainability on campus. The Sustainability Action group, originally named the Sustainability Advisory Group, was created on Feb. 14, 2008 by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration. According to associate professor of sociology and faculty advisor for the Sustainability Action Group Connie Frey Spurlock faculty, students and staff founded the group to embrace sustainable practices and provide knowledge for sustainable development. The main objectives of the Sustainability Action Group are to improve teaching and learning, prepare students for citizenship and careers, attract students, faculty and funding, save money for other resources for the institution and for society, improve and enhance the institution’s reputation, increase cooperation and satisfaction within institutional units, provide leadership for local and regional economic development, and train leaders for a sustainable future. Senior sociology major Sydney Cook of Edwardsville, is the vice president of Natural Connections, a student-run organization that runs the community food garden. She believes that education will encourage students to live more sustainably. She encourages students to limit their use of plastic and replace it with reusable containers and refillable water bottles.
There are many ways to improve sustainability on campus. One option that students have taken into account are the Madison County bike trails. According to the City of Edwardsville, the trails were built to preserve rail corridors for future light rail possibilities. | Photo via Pixabay
“I came to this meeting just to see how I can maybe fit into the group on campus and see what kind of things that they were planning on doing this semester. I’m really just open to helping in any way that I can just seeing what their plans are going to be,” Cook said. SIUE offers programs and resources to improve sustainability on campus including the bike share program and bike repair stations, Madison County Transit bike trails, the Land of the Goshen Community Market, the Sustainability Map App, the Rooftop Teaching Garden and more. Second-year sustainability graduate student Dana Wynn, of Alton, Illinois, is happy that the Sustainability Action Group has matured and increased student
DARIAN STEVENSON reporter
SIUE students are at the forefront of educational development in the area by contributing to the America Reads program and tutoring children. Students involved in the program have the opportunity to gain community work experience by engaging with children. They participate in a work-study that allows them to provide academic support and mentorship to children from Madison and St. Clair Counties. SIUE partnered with Amer-
iCorps in 1997. The program is run through the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and organizes on site tutoring, specifically in lower-income areas. The mission of the program is to give students who are struggling, or don’t have the same educational opportunities as others, personal attention from tutors. Donnie Bland, a sophomore biology student from Belleville, Illinois, said tutoring isn’t uncharted ground for him, and he was excited to be involved in the program. “I’ve tutored before, and it’s rewarding to have parents come
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drafting a sustainability plan, developing a communication strategy and finding potential sources of funding to execute that plan. As of January 2017, SIUE purchases 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources, according to Frey-Spurlock. She invites students to do their part in increasing sustainability on campus. “Get involved,whatever that means to you. If it’s riding a bike, if it’s gardening, if it’s just spending time by Cougar Lake or getting to know someone new, get involved,” Frey-Spurlock said.
CORINTHIA JORDAN
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Student tutors provide motivation and inspiration to local children
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and faculty engagement. “The Sustainability Action Group has been around from before I got here...we’ve had a lot of administrative and faculty sustainability champions and citizens in this SIUE organization, and it’s just been able to carry on, which is kind of the whole point of sustainability,” Wynn said. According to Frey-Spurlock, the Sustainability Action Group provides leadership for SIUE sustainability initiatives that lead to social justice, economic prosperity and ecological integrity. The Sustainability Action Group is divided into steering committees with seven areas of focus: energy, waste and recycling, food, water, education, transportation and culture. The committee is responsible for creating and
If students are interested in being involved in the America Reads program, they can search the student employment website for more information. | Photo via Unsplash
up to you and say my child didn’t understand this problem or this concept, and now they do,” Bland said. Bland started tutoring with in the program as a freshman and has worked with Renfro Elementary School in Collinsville, Illinois, but now primarily tutors kindergarten through eightgrade students at St. John UCC, a church in Wood River. “I tutor both kids who are proficient in a subject and are just looking for additional tutoring and children who need that motivation and direction. Both are super rewarding,” Bland said. Tutoring through SIUE’s America Reads program was Bland’s first official job. A federal grant of approximately $23,000 in annual funding provides students working in the program an AmeriCorps education stipend after completing 300 service hours. However, it isn’t just a job for Tashawna Nash, a senior accounting major from Peoria, Illinois. She has worked with third and fourth-graders at South Roxana Elementary School for two and a half years and has been an America Reads participant for three years. “It’s a really great program. To be able to look at the kids and see the excitement on their faces when they understand something for the first time is extremely re-
warding,” Nash said. Nash said the program is a great way to give back to the community, and it helps her keep her mind off problems she may be having. “Going to the school, for me, is relieving. I can take a break from all of my college courses and stress and help however many third and fourth-graders with whatever they need,” said Nash. “I get to see them transition from needing help everyday with math until the end of the school year where they can do it by themselves.” Morgan Tillery, a second-year industrial organizational psychology graduate student from Olney, Illinois, was a tutor as an undergraduate student. She manages which sites students visit through the different locations along with payroll responsibilities so she could stay involved after she graduated. Tillery believes the program is unique because it allows students to serve younger students in the community and to encourage those students through education. “It’s a great opportunity to see the impact that we as students can have on local grade school students’ lives,” Tillery said.
DARIAN STEVENSON
650-3527 @dstevenson_alestle dstevenson@alestlelive.com
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Have you heard the buzz? There is now a bee club on campus DARIAN STEVENSON reporter
A few students at SIUE have turned their interest in honey bees into an organization that’s buzzworthy enough for the rest of the campus to participate in. Nicolette Geron, a chemistry graduate student from Chicago, said the Bee Club is fairly new, and they are hopeful more people will want to participate. “The gist is currently to just encourage people to join the club and to spark an interest in honey
bees,” Geron said. The organization will include the guidance of Jake Williams, associate professor of biological sciences, who is working on research involving the bees and the students interested in working with the bee colonies. Students will have the opportunity to have hands-on experience with honey bee colonies. There are currently three colonies and the organization will soon inherit two more. Club members will learn about what it takes to become a beekeeper and how to maintain bee health. They will also have the opportunity to learn to harvest honey and participate in educational outreach. “I think students should join if they are interested in bees and want to get experience without buying expensive equipment. Or, if they don’t have the land and are just genuinely interested,” First year graduate biology major Jason Holdener, from Mascoutah, Illinois, said. Holdener works alongside Williams and will be conducting his own experiment with a colony.
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A subject advised she had been slapped in the face by her suitemate during an argument. The subject did not want to pursue charges.
An officer issued a state citation to Andrea L. West for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. A written warning was also issued for disobeying a stop sign.
02.26.18 The Madison County Police Department advised they had Marqucee D. Richardson in custody on an active SIUE PD failure to appear warrant for disorderly conduct. The SIUE police officer responded to the Madison County Police Department, took custody of Richardson and transported him to SIUE PD where he was processed. At 2:55 p.m., Richardson was transported to the Madison County Jail as he was unable to post the $3,000 bond. An officer observed the gate to parking Lot 4D had been damaged. The investigation continues. An officer issued a written warning for one headlight on Circle Drive near Residence Drive. An officer issued a written warning for driving without lights when required on Cougar Lake Drive near North University Drive.
A subject advised they saw a picture of a handgun in a case on Snapchat. There were no comments or threats associated with the picture. A subject reported a golf cart was driving recklessly on Lot A. The officer checked the area for the golf cart with negative results. A subject reported an intoxicated male entered his apartment and fell asleep on the couch. The officer woke up the male and escorted him to his correct apartment. A subject reported that a male dressed in all black was walking around Lot E. The officer checked the area for the male with negative results. An officer responded to 517 Cougar Village for an active fire alarm. The alarm was activated by the use of a hair dryer and was restored. There was no fire, smoke or damage.
He will look at how foraging, which includes a collection of water, nectar, pollen and resin among bees, affects the bees’ overall health. “It’s very expensive for the bees to undergo. It’s like running a marathon every day, multiple days, for bees,” Holdener said. Dierdra Renfroe, a microbiology graduate student from Ironton, Illinois, already had an interest in bees before the club. “My grandfather had bees when I was growing up, and I liked the idea of being up close and personal with a colony of 40,000 bees,” Renfroe said. Renfroe said she likes the faculty and environment of SIUE and is excited to be protected and able to learn while working with the bees. “I’m not in a classroom looking at a projector or slides, and a lot of students don’t have handson work with other clubs,” Renfroe said. Holdener wants students to know that beekeeping experience is not required to be a part of the Bee Club. Anyone with an interest is encouraged to join. “A lot people have expressed concern with colony collapses and are interested in learning
how to raise bees and become a beekeeper, but don’t know where to start,” Holdener said. Geron believes that a lot of people don’t know much about bees, except that they are going extinct. “They may not know why that’s important, how it’s happening or what they can do to stop it, so if they’re interested in learning, come on out,” Geron said. Working with bees is a seasonal activity, but the club anticipates opening the colonies soon.
“We’re hoping in March we can open the colonies and bring people out and introduce them to the bees, and get them comfortable with the act of maintaining the colonies,” Geron said. Students that are interested in joining the Bee Club can contact Holdener at jashold@siue. edu.
DARIAN STEVENSON
650-3527 @dstevenson_alestle dstevenson@alestlelive.com
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The Headphone Jack:
Mick Jenkins believes fans are consuming music like fast food — is he right? KENDRA MARTIN managing editor
Director Paul Crane poses for a picture during his meet and greet event after his documentary “Living in Tents” was viewed by the public for the first time at the Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis on Feb. 22, 2018. | Justin Bristol / The Alestle
‘Living in Tents: a St. Louis reality’ documentary on homelessness in the area JUSTIN BRISTOL photographer “Living in Tents: a St. Louis reality” is a new documentary that tries to highlight the harsh reality of homelessness in St. Louis, taking place in a campsite along the Mississippi River. This reality left 1,336 individuals on the streets last year, according to Fox 2 News. This documentary was one of the rawest, most straight-forward works about homelessness that I am familiar with. Directed by Paul Crane, a St. Louis native, the documentary manages to capture the realness of what homeless people experience in St. Louis. Even though the documentary is a low-budget project, the interviews show the reality of being homeless in St. Louis the same way that the documentary “13th” on Netflix showcases prison life and the struggle the inmates face behind bars. Lately, it seems documentaries have been following this approach of giving their audience the truth of what is really happening. Instead of staged answers and scripted interviews, “Living in Tents” follows the real lives of St. Louis homeless people, those that volunteer to feed the poor and those working in administration to try to solve the issue of homelessness in the St. Louis. Crane actually takes the time in this documentary to live among the homeless to give the audience firsthand perspective of what these individuals have been facing for 10 years. Testimonials from previous home-
Director Paul Crane is pictured with Bonnie, a homeless woman featured in the documentary. | Justin Bristol / The Alestle
less individuals reveal the challenges of getting back on their feet after being homeless. Some people in the film get off the streets just to end back up in the streets because they were unable to find a job. For example, Bonnie, an African-American woman, tries several times to find a job — to no avail. The film also follows the 10 million dollar ten-year budget plan given to the city of St. Louis in 2005 to help fix their homelessness problem. This draws contrast between what the film is showing you from the homeless population’s perspective of how the money is being used and how
city says it is being used. Although the documentary portrayed a raw, honest view of homelessness, at times, it dragged on between the testimonials and the live footage of the homeless just sitting around. Overall, the documentary was a little weak on explaining the background stories of the homeless and what the 10 million dollar budget plan was supposed to accomplish in detail. JUSTIN BRISTOL 650-3527 @justinbristol_alestle jbristol@alestlelive.com
Mick Jenkins has been relatively quiet since the new year, but recently, Jenkins took to Twitter to vent about music consumption and fans’ lack of attention span. He tweeted, “It’s frustrating to try to write the illest shit and carve it out for two years just to have muthfuckas not even understand that they consume music like McDonald’s which limits their ability to hear you.” From an artist’s perspective, this can understandably be frustrating. Taking months, maybe years to write what you feel is your best material, construct the best production, pick the best features, and have it mixed and mastered to the best of your abilities is a process that not many fans understand. It can feel like a slap in the face when you are putting all your time and energy into a piece of art just for fans to rapidly eat it up and spit it out in a matter of a week. However, this is a new age and streaming has made consuming music rather difficult. Before streaming came along, it was normal for artists to take years off and still have fans anticipating their return. The radio continued playing their music as if it were still new depending on how it performed on the Billboard. That is simply not the case today. Fans are being bombarded with so much music all at once that it is impossible to keep up with everything. For artists like Jenkins who have a certain depth to their lyrics, it can take fans a few listens to grasp everything they are trying to say, and this can be intimidating to some fans. They don’t have time to listen to songs multiple times anymore because there is so much more music to get to. It’s unfair, but it is a sad reality. On the other hand, artists are also put in difficult positions. They are expected to produce music rapidly because fans get bored easily, as well. An artist can come out with a new album, and a month later, fans will be on their Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram asking when will they be releasing new music as if the artist had not just released new music a month ago. It’s annoying, and fans can be very spoiled and entitled. As stated before, making music is a process, and not every single artist is comfortable churning out music year after year or month after month just to maintain relevance. Take Drake for example. Since 2013, Drake has released a new project every single year. Does he have to? Not necessarily, but there is a level of relevancy that Drake needs to maintain before his fans get bored with him and move on to the next artist. Even though Drake is a global superstar, fans’ attention spans aren’t the same as they used to be, and they are quick to move on to the next thing. That is one of the main gripes artists have when it comes to the streaming era because everything is so quick that no one has time to grasp on to anything anymore. If an album or song doesn’t immediately grab somebody’s attention, then that fan is automatically off to the next thing without allowing the artist’s music to grow on them. It takes a truly special artist to be able to break through that mold, but it is just so hard to do sometimes. This is a problem, but unfortunately, what is the solution? This is the streaming era, and streaming is the most convenient thing for fans right now. In order for there to be balance, fans have to be willing to soak music in more and take in what the artist was trying to do rather than just take it in and spit it out in one take. Artists shouldn’t have to feel like they have to compete for relevancy. The best music comes when time is allowed, and fans have to understand that. As stated before, music is a process, but once that process is complete, it is completely worth it.
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Where to be at the ‘e’ in March Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
2 Spring Career Fair 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
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Saturday 3
Choral Orchestra Performance 7:30 - 10 p.m. Dunham Hall Theater
spring break March 4 - 11
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12 Early Voting 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. MUC Willow room
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CAB: Just 4 Laughs Comedy Show 7 - 8 p.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
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26 MASS COMMUNICATIONS WEEK KICK-OFF
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CAB: Kiss Me I’m a Cougar 2018 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. MUC Goshen Lounge
21 Local Preliminary Voting 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
Student Government Senate Meeting 6 p.m. MUC Goshen Lounge
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Make A Wish: Smooch the Pooch 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Stratton Quadrangle
The Alestle Scrabble Night 5 - 10 p.m. MUC Goshen Lounge
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First Amendment Free Food Festival 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dunham Hall
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Lyceum Club Meeting 5 - 7:30 p.m. MUC International Room
22 CAB Late Night 6 - 11 p.m. MUC Goshen Lounge
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National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Marchdown 2018 6 - 9 p.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
17 CAB: Late Night Bingo 7 - 11 p.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
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Department of Music: The Magic Flute 6 - 10 p.m. Dunham Hall Theater
Student Government Finance Board Meeting 3 p.m. MUC International Room
Esports Smash Tournament 9:30 - 11 a.m. MUC Meridian Ballroom
Decades Dash 8 - 11:30 a.m. Stratton Quadrangle
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alestle asks
How should gun laws change in the US? JUSTIN BRISTOL photographer
“I think the biggest way gun laws could change is the way in which we give out guns. I believe that obtaining a gun is too easy. For instance, before you can drive a car, you have to have proof that you can drive a car. These same rules should apply to getting a gun as well. There needs to be a more rigorous course and testing before you can receive a gun.” Marissa Williams senior mass communications major, of Calumet City, Illinois.
“I think they should be changed. They need to do more extensive background checks. These background checks should not allow anyone with a criminal history to own a gun.” Maitri Patel junior pre-nursing major, of Sullivan, Illinois.
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Younger generation’s activism speaks volumes Controversy has sparked since the recent Parkland shooting in Florida, which left 17 students and faculty members dead. Disputes over gun control, mental health and other hot topics have taken over social media — as they should. Regardless of which side you are on, the important things is that these conversations are happening. We at the Alestle believe that individuals should stand up for what they believe in, and the students who have spoken out since the shooting deserve our undivided attention and support. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have turned into gun-control advocates, and we believe they deserve to be heard before jumping to conclusions and taking sides. Maddy Wilford, 17, was one of the students that spoke out at a hospital news conference after the event left her in critical con-
dition. “It’s times like these when I know that we need to stick together,” Wilford said, according to CBS and the Chicago Tribune. She is expected to make a full recovery, but the same can’t be said for 17 others. These students are demanding action from the National Rifle Association, as well as U.S. representatives and senators. They had the chance to speak with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as well as NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch at a town hall meeting. They asked tough questions, voiced their opinions on gun control and made an issue of elected officials who received NRA funding, as well. They stood up for what they believe in. High school junior Cameron Kasky is another student who has made an appearance on TV and major online news sites. “We’ve lost people. It’s im-
portant to mourn,” Kasky told CNN. My message for the people in office is: You’re either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around.” April 20 is one of the National Walk Out dates set in place. Students plan to walk out of class as a form of protest until changes are made. Some schools have responded to the walk out proposition and have threatened students with suspension if they do so. Colleges around the nation have since responded, stating the suspensions for peacefully protesting will not count against them in the admission process. SIUE responded to Alestle by stating, “SIUE has not considered a high school student’s suspension history as part of its admissions review practice and does not foresee altering that process.” The United States is founded
on freedom, and these students are fighting for their rights. They shouldn’t feel unsafe going to school. They shouldn’t have to hold press conferences and attend town hall meetings for their voices to be heard. These issues shouldn’t have to be fought or argued over. No 17 year old should have to experience a mass shooting. We also believe there are other instances and beliefs that should be fought for. This situation is just one of the many examples of activism, and the younger generation is going to change the world for the better. What happened in Florida was not an isolated incident. Even as the 11th safest campus in the country, SIUE is not immune from this violence. We have to become educated on what is happening in our communities, and we can’t be afraid to speak out.
Americans shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the Syrian civil war KAIT BAKER photographer
“I believe that gun laws should be changed. The fact that the age requirement is so low is alarming. It needs to be raised to 21 or 23. The brain isn’t even fully developed for a teenager to be allowed to make correct judgement decisions with a firearm. Also, there needs to be a national change for the age requirement and not just state-by-state cases.” Damarre Smith senior criminal justice major, of Chicago.
What if in six years’ time, the entire population of St. Louis had been killed, and the metro population of Los Angeles displaced? While such a scenario seems improbable, the population of Syria is dealing with a crisis of a similar magnitude due to the Syrian Civil War. The conflict stemmed from pro-democracy protests in March 2011, to which the Syrian government responded by killing and imprisoning hundreds of protesters. By July 2011, the Free Syrian Army, a rebel group, formed with the intention to overthrow the Syrian government. The country
slid into a civil war characterized by extreme bombing that has killed up to 400,000 people and displaced 13.1 million either internally or as refugees. Yet, here in America, other than infrequently reading about it in the news, we can turn our heads and forget that innocent lives are lost on a daily basis overseas. In fact, from Feb. 18 to Feb. 24, 500 civilians were killed in Eastern Ghouta alone in bombings. Among the victims were 120 children. Hospital wards are being moved underground and are overpopulated. Within these hospitals, supplies are so scarce that patients are given expired medi-
cation and doctors are forced to reuse needles. Millions of people have fled the country to further uncertainty. Those who have managed to find asylum often face poverty and Islamophobia. They are left with the emotional trauma of the war they fled and the plight that followed. The refugees who remain in camps in bordering countries live in extreme poverty. Most of these camps don’t have toilets or running water, and the makeshift dwellings cannot withstand harsh weather. Food shortages often result in people going hungry or eating expired food. They also lack medical and mental health care.
As the crisis continues, the situation becomes more desperate, and as people living in a privileged first-world country, it is our job to be informed and take action on these human rights violations. If you want to actually help affect changes, consider writing to lawmakers or signing a petition, urging the government to allocate more than .5 percent of the refugee budget to Syrian refugees. Also consider donating to an aid foundation that is working within refugee camps to help provide education, resources, and medical care to those in need. We can’t just turn a blind eye to what’s happening to Syrian people just because it is half a world away.
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527 thursday, 03.01.18
sports
FIND OUT BASKETBALL’S OVC TOURNAMENT RESULTS AT ALESTLELIVE.COM
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Cougars win big at OVC championship
O’Connor, Barnes, Byrd take first in indoor finals TRENT STUART sports editor The SIUE track and field teams finished up their indoor seasons this weekend at the twoday Ohio Valley Conference championship at Eastern Illinois University with some successful performances. Senior distance runner Matt O’Connor in the 800m, sophomore thrower John Barnes in the weight throw and junior jumper Nichyria Byrd in the long jump all took first place in their events, and multiple other Cougars reached the top-3 podium, as well. “The kids showed up and competed their hearts out, and everyone, by and large, either met or exceeded expectations,” Assistant Coach Joey Pacione said. Along with their first place finishes, O’Connor also competed in the 4x400, which placed third, and Byrd took third in the triple jump. In the weight throw event, Barnes placed first with a personal record of 61 feet 8.75 inches and was followed up by junior thrower Nick Matthews, who took second. Sophomore thrower Austin Lynch took fifth in the event. Senior thrower Lizzie Virgl also had a solid performance, representing the Cougars’ throwers with a second place finish and a school record of 58 feet 5.5 inches in the weight throw. O’Connor said he was impressed by his teammates, and he was happy to end his indoor career on a high note. “It definitely felt good to come in as the favorite, and following it up and winning was really satisfying,” O’Connor said. Some of the Cougars’ newer athletes, like freshman jumper
Senior distance runner Matt O’Connor races ahead of his opponent in his leg of the 4x400 at the OVC championship Friday, Feb. 23 in Charleston, Illinois. | Photo courtesy of Tom Skelly
DeVonte Tincher, came to the meet with exceptional results as well. Tincher placed in the top five in all four of his events — long jump, triple jump, 60 and 200. “It felt amazing. It was definitely an eye-opening experience of how much talent there truly is in the OVC,” Tincher said.
With the upcoming outdoor season and three more years of his college career remaining, he said he has high hopes for his future. “Hopefully, I can set myself up to be an OVC champion in the future,” Tincher said. Freshman sprinter Collin Brown also helped his team to the podium in the 4x400, run-
ning the relay with O’Connor, senior hurdler Dalton Oakes and sophomore distance runner Kevin Campbell. Oakes stepped up to take part in the relay after freshman sprinter Nylo Clarke went down with an injury in an earlier event. According to O’Connor, the team had not had a consistent 4x400 relay until Brown and Clarke stepped in this year, so he was satisfied by the third place finish. “We’ve come a long way from barely even having a team to medaling in indoor,” O’Connor said. Despite some first place finishes, none of the Cougars will move on to the national meet, but they will begin to prepare for the Coastal Carolina Invitational on Friday, March 9 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The meet will mark the beginning of the outdoor season, which is coming much earlier than usual, according to Pacione. “Normally, we open the outdoor season at the end of March instead of at the beginning of March, and I think [the Coastal Carolina Invitational] will be a good opportunity for people to knock the rust out of their outdoor events,” Pacione said. Pacione and Tincher both mentioned the level of competition that will be at this meet, which will hopefully help them gain confidence heading into the outdoor season. “It’ll be good to jump against a lot of good jumpers, especially this early in the season. So, hopefully, we can put on a show for everyone that shows up for that meet,” Tincher said.
TRENT STUART
650-3527 @tstuart_alestle tstuart@alestlelive.com
Cougars go 2-4 against Louisiana University, Louisiana Tech SIUE’s baseball season is officially underway, and the Cougars have stumbled into a 2-4 start at Southeastern Louisiana University and Louisiana Tech University in their first two series. In each matchup, the Cougars lost the first two games before coming back in the third to avoid a sweep. Head Coach Sean Lyons said the games were determined by the pitching and defense, which the players were able to adjust in the final games of each weekend. Against Louisiana Tech, the Cougars displayed poor defensive performance with four errors in a 13-1 loss on Friday, Feb. 23. “We did not start the weekend how we wanted to. Friday night, we had a tough loss; we
did not pitch well, also did not defend very well, and that’s not a good combination,” Lyons said. Senior pitcher Nelson Martz started on the mound for the Cougars and allowed eight runs and nine hits before he was replaced in the fourth inning. Offensively, the Cougars had five hits to Louisiana’s 16, with their only run hit in by senior infielder Jared McCunn. “I feel like I could always improve, but this weekend I was seeing the ball well pretty much all weekend, and I hope to continue that throughout the next few weeks,” McCunn said. Lyons said the team was able to bounce back on Saturday and Sunday with better pitching performances from junior starting pitchers Ryan Byrd and Kenny Serwa. Despite Byrd’s solid five-inning start Saturday, the
Cougars still gave up the game 2-5. Senior pitcher Brock Fulkerson came in to relieve Byrd and pitched three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. “On Saturday, we didn’t get the big hit when we needed it. We had a few opportunities with some guys on base, but just didn’t get that hit,” Lyons said. On Sunday, the tables turned for the Cougars’ offense, who produced a 5-2 win behind Serwa’s strong start. The game was scoreless for the first six innings, but the score was opened up with a solo homer from McCunn in the seventh. The Cougars tacked on four more runs to Louisiana’s two in the eighth to secure the win. The last two runs were from a two-run homer by junior catcher Brock Weimer.
SIUE Standings MEN’S BASKETBALL OVERALL
24-5 Murray St. 23-8 Belmont 17-13 Austin Peay Jacksonville St 20-11 Tennessee Tech. 18-13 Tennessee St. 15-14 14-17 SEMO 11-18 E. Illinois 11-20 E. Kentucky 10-21 UT Martin 9-20 SIUE 8-21 Morehead St.
“Last weekend, I took some better at bats and was able to put a pretty good slam on the ball on Sunday, and I hope to keep that going into this week and throughout the rest of the season,” Weimer said. The Cougars will continue their season Friday, March 2 to Sunday, March 4 in another away series against Oral Roberts University. The conference games will begin at the end of spring break at Murray State University. “I think we’re going to have confidence going into this weekend and then going into conference after that,” McCunn said.
TRENT STUART
650-3527 @tstuart_alestle tstuart@alestlelive.com
OVC
16-2 15-3 12-6 11-7 10-8 10-8 8-10 7-11 5-13 5-13 5-13 4-14
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OVERALL
29-3 Belmont 17-13 UT Martin 16-13 SIUE Morehead St. 21-10 Jacksonville St. 18-11 16-13 Austin Peay 14-16 SEMO 11-19 Murray St. 8-19 E. Kentucky Tennessee Tech 7-22 6-21 Tennessee St. 3-26 E. Illinois
OVC
18-0 13-5 13-5 12-6 12-6 9-9 9-9 7-11 5-13 4-14 4-14 2-16
WRESTLING OVERALL SOCON
Appalachian St. Chattanooga Campbell SIUE Gardner-Webb VMI Davidson The Citadel
9-4 8-7 8-8 6-14 3-10 2-10 3-10 1-11
7-0 6-1 5-2 4-3 3-4 2-5 1-6 0-7
SOFTBALL OVERALL
Sluggish start for baseball
TRENT STUART sports editor
page 7
12-3 7-2 4-2 8-4 7-4 7-5 6-8 6-8 5-8 3-5 3-11 0-12
E. Illinois Belmont SIUE Morehead St. SEMO E. Kentucky Jacksonville St. UT Martin Murray St. Austin Peay Tennessee Tech Tennessee St.
OVC
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
BASEBALL OVERALL
Austin Peay Jacksonville St. E. Illinois Tennessee Tech Morehead St. Murray St. Belmont SIUE SEMO E. Kentucky UT Martin
6-2 6-2 5-2 5-2 5-3 4-4 3-5 2-4 2-7 1-6 1-6
OVC
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
thursday, 3.1.18
alestlelive.com
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