Inside the issue:
ALESTLE
siue adds new online feature to discuss diversity, inclusion
Three-victory weekend sees baseball team improve its conference spot
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, s d i k e s e r e t th a u d a r g o tw campus couple will cross the stage together at next week’s graduation Page 5
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News 2 // The Alestle
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
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Earlier this week, the College Republicans of SIUE held a meeting for students to hear about the budget cuts from a different angle. On Monday, April 27, the group offered information concerning Gov. Rauner’s proposed budget cuts for the state. The group’s guest speaker was Sen. Kyle McCarter. McCarter said despite all of the hype, the budget situation is not as startling as it may seem. “This is not really news, the situation we’ve gotten ourselves into. It’s been happening for a decade — and it’s not that complicated,” McCarter said. McCarter said the cuts will force affected sectors to streamline and look for the most effective use of a smaller budget. Comparing the state’s predicament to his view of the welfare system, McCarter said the state reducing its appropriations will challenge the private sector to take more of a stance in providing for the most vulnerable. “You’re going to see the private sector step in and do some things that they haven’t done before. Theoretically the state shouldn’t be providing welfare. That’s the job of the church. If the church was doing what it should be doing and really reaching out to others and we were doing what we should be doing to take care of one another, we wouldn’t need this huge welfare system,” McCarter said. McCarter considers himself well-versed in budget. About three years ago, after researching the financial situation of Illinois in previous years, McCarter said he proposed a budget outlining the spending of the state if it were to “live within its means.” “Let’s start with what we have available. Interesting concept, isn’t it? Starting with what you have rather than what you want,” McCarter said. As McCarter researched his budget, he said he faced the premise of very controversial ideas about what to cut and what to keep. “It’s a very dangerous thing to say what you would cut, because some [people] might be upset — and it may be the developmentally disabled. It may be the aging,” McCarter said. “Someone’s going to be upset when you say you’re going to cut. To be real blunt, in the Capitol, people should wear a button that says ‘cut everyone but me.’” McCarter said the proposed cuts to higher education could provide universities with opportunities to redirect
! A new online community via Blackboard is available for the entire university where discussions on diversity and inclusion by those enrolled through the service will take place. The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion has implemented a new program, now on Blackboard for every student, faculty and staff member, that brings the entire university into a community for diversity and inclusion. Vice Chancellor of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Venessa Brown said this project came from her desire to reach more of the university. “I was trying to figure out ways to make sure that everybody in the university community has access to diversity and inclusion information,” Brown said. “We offer a lot of face-to-face trainings and different things like that, but what happens is a lot of people during the course of the day don’t have time to come to the face-to-face training.” Brown got the idea from a similar online community within Disability Support Services. When she saw it, she contacted Information Technology Services and started a plan to implement a university-wide community for diversity and inclusion. According to Brown, this reflects the administration’s goals for the university.
# " #! funds to areas of higher priority and challenge the faculty and staff to take more initiative. “I think universities could run a lot leaner. I would hope that [raising tuition] would be the last resort,” McCarter said. “I think maybe staff-wise and just with universities, we may have to ask people to do more. We may have to ask teachers to teach one more class, or give just a little bit more time. I’m not saying cutting their salaries is the solution, but sometimes we may have to ask people to do a little more.” McCarter said higher education budgets need to be re-examined to look for funds that can be redirected to lessen university spending. “We’ve got to seriously look at the cost of higher education, and it really hasn’t been done. The legislature has not touched it because it’s a difficult thing to do, but I think it can be,” McCarter said. “I do think this is going to be a change in the culture of how we do business in this state, and ultimately we can do that. People will adjust.” McCarter said the proposed cuts in the health sector, including behavioral health and long-term care, emphasize the sector’s need to streamline for the most impactful programs. “I think we’re going to have to decide which of those programs is the most effective and make sure we fund those fully. Cutting across the board can be very hurtful, because some programs need to be there 110 percent; some need to be gone completely,” McCarter said. “We’re going to have to take the time to investigate which one of those programs is going to help the people the most.” McCarter said he does not think raising taxes is a good plan, and instead, thinks local governments should be reduced in size. “They’ll have to raise taxes if they choose not to reduce the size of their government. If they choose to stay exactly where they’re at and not make any changes, then the burden will go to the taxpayers. But why should it? We’re the second highest property taxes in the country, and that money primarily goes to local governments,” McCarter said. “Everyone is going to have to step up and make some tough decisions here. We’re all going to have to get better. All of our governments are going to have to do more streamlining. All of us are going to have to be more efficient.” McCarter said the local sector’s claims of being forced to cut emergency services are unreasonable threats. He said local leaders should instead show how they are living
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! work in progress, but it’s a lot of stuff in there. It’s amazing — it’s the first of its kind at SIUE,” Brown said. According to Brown, the many opportunities for participation in the group allow members to express themselves however they feel most comfortable. “It’s a way of us celebrating all of our contributions. It’s also a way for people
I’m not interested in silencing people; I’m interested in creating a dialogue that opens the door.
group. There will also be links to participate in spoken word, book clubs and film clubs addressing diversity and inclusion issues. Specific sections of the community are available regarding a wide variety of diverse groups on campus. There will also be a tool allowing members to evaluate the network to let the administrators know if they feel anything is missing. “It’s an active community, and it’s a
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within their means and demonstrate why they need to maintain their appropriations. “People who have to cut budgets always choose the most drastic cut to talk about. They always choose the most life-or-death cut to leverage people to give them more of their tax money. That’s wrong,” McCarter said. “In fact, that’s very disappointing for any local leader that they would do that. Make your case, but don’t threaten.” According to McCarter, local governments will have to find programs to do without until the state’s predicament has been solved. “The reality is, local governments are just going to have to operate on less,” McCarter said.
! “SIUE is really committed to a diverse and inclusive community,” Brown said. The online community will include various training sessions and resources for suicide prevention and emotional support, addressing and reducing bias, private journal capability, as well as “Wiki” blog posts viewable by the whole
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who really struggle with inclusion and diversity to document, to write something down, and maybe people will respond to them. … Maybe their own peers will respond to them in a way that allows them to get their own questions answered,” Brown said. “If you lack knowledge, you can’t grow. I’m not interested in silencing people; I’m interested in creating a dialogue that opens the door.” Brown said the network allows stu-
dents, faculty and staff to have full and constant access to resources regarding diversity. “Any time you’ve got an issue or want to learn something about diversity and inclusion, you can go into that community,” Brown said. According to Brown, this community will address more issues related to reducing bias and strengthening communication, and that she hopes this will help build relationships within the university. “What holds us back often is our lack of knowledge about groups and lack of relationships. I believe nothing happens outside of a relationship,” Brown said. “My whole goal is to create a space where people can build the type of relationships and more people can get in touch with their own biases and create relationships where you learn to value all people and want to get to know more people. The community will allow you to do that.” Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe and her council, as well as the SIUE deans, have conducted trial runs with the network, and Brown said the creators have tested it in the Multicultural Center. These trials have succeeded, according to Brown. “They were very excited about the community,” Brown said. The School of Pharmacy Dean | pg.3
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
The Alestle, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s student newspaper, has won second place in the annual awards given by the American Scholastic Press Association. The ASPA’s annual review and contest for scholastic newspapers, yearbooks and magazines compares student publications to others at colleges, universities and high schools around the nation. Judges base their scores on page design, story layout, graphics,
headlining, style, advertising and photography, content, creativity and editing. Other quality student publications placed first and second as well. Points are allocated in the various competition categories based on a judges’ assessment. In the page design and artwork categories, The Alestle scored high, in addition to scoring well overall. The judge’s comments about Editor-in-Chief Hailey Huffines and her staff in the letter from ASPA described The Alestle staff as showing “emerg-
| from pg. 2
Gireesh Gupchup said the community provides a unique resource to faculty and students alike. “I think it’s a wonderful resource. As an institution of higher learning, it’s important that we value diversity and inclusion as well as global partnerships,” Gupchup said. “When you look at the community, there’s a lot of information about diversity and inclusion and a lot of resources that I think faculty can use for several aspects in their courses.” Gupchup said the online community presents an opportunity to enhance discussion among students and faculty. “I think the richness of discussion is what sets the community apart from many other things I’ve seen,” Gupchup said. “I think it’s a good avenue to have healthy discussion, increase awareness and it’s just part of what a student’s college education should be about. I really think it’s a commendable thing that [Brown’s] office is doing.” Brown said expanding the diversity and inclusion training to an online format will allow the Diversity Council’s originally face-to-face resources to become accessible to more people. “It’s kind of like a dream come true — SIUE is growing so much, and you want people to em-
ing creativity and journalistic knowledge of your editors, reporters, writers, photographers, layout/graphics designers and adviser.” The Alestle competed nationally against several other four-year university newspapers from across the country. SIUE’s student newspaper regularly wins awards in the annual Associated Collegiate Press Best of Show Awards and the annual Illinois College Press Association awards as well.
brace change and embrace diversity and inclusion, and I can’t train everybody,” Brown said. “But if I can’t give you face-to-face training, maybe you can go in there and find something that will help benefit you and help you create better relationships with other people.” The network, according to Brown, opens SIUE to a new level of diversity education that will make it an example for a wider area. “If this community would allow us to touch the lives of every single faculty, staff and student, I’m convinced that change is going to take place, and I’m encouraged that we will be the model for this region,” Brown said. “I think this community is going to help us do that. I’m encouraged to keep creating opportunities for us to dialogue, for us to know each other and really realize how much we are the same.” To access the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Online Community, log in to Blackboard and make sure you are in “mySIUE.” Then, click on the “myOrganizations” tab and you will see the link to “Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Online Community and Training.” Brown said there will be official training for the community in the fall.
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The Alestle // 3
4-14-15 Shenise S. Harris was arrested for driving while suspended and was also issued a written warning for expired registration and improper display. Harris was brought to the SIUE Police Department where she was processed. Harris was released on a notice to appear. The offenses occurred on East University Drive. Officers responded to the All In Zone 1 regarding a subject calling and reporting there was a green minivan that shot an air gun toward his direction and another vehicle — neither were hit. The officers said they were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. 4-16-15 A caller reported two subjects in Lot B possibly spray painting. The officer met with the subjects and said they were spray painting shoes for a performance. A caller reported suspicious activity of two males around vehicles in the Bluff Hall parking lot. The officers were unable to locate the subjects. An officer was approached by an elderly male subject who was lost and looking for Highway 157. The subject was suffering from slight memory loss, and the officer assisted the male as needed. 4-17-15 An officer escorted probation officers to 428 Cougar Village in an attempt to locate a subject who was possibly in violation of his probation. The subject was contacted and found to be in possession of a possible controlled substance. The probation officers took custody of the subject, and an investigation continues. An officer responded to the Cougar Village Commons to take a report of a residential burglary and domestic battery that occurred the night before. Officers arrested Haminou Mohammed for residential burglary, domestic battery and criminal damage to property. Mohammed was processed and transported to the Madison County Jail for a pending application for a felony warrant. An officer noted a suspicious vehicle — the subject was stargazing. 4-19-15 An officer checked the bus stop on the 500 side of Cougar Village after a caller reported someone was laying at the bus stop. The officer met with the subject who was intoxicated. The subject went to a friend’s residence for a ride home.
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An officer met with a subject at the Flying Fields after he came to the SIUE Police Department to report he found a partially unearthed animal. The subject also said there appeared to be another location nearby that appeared to be a possible grave. The officer located the area and found nothing suspicious. James E. McLendon was arrested for driving while suspended and issued a citation for no valid in-
surance. He was brought to the SIUE Police Department where he was processed. McLendon was released on a notice to appear. The offenses occurred on South University Drive at University Park. Officers checked the area around Prairie Hall for a report of a male trying to gain entry through first floor windows. The subject was last seen walking toward the parking lot with several other subjects, but the officers were unable to locate the subject. Patrice E. Conner arrived at the SIUE Police Department and was arrested for unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor. Conner was processed and released on a notice to appear. 4-22-15 Officers transported Joshua LC Campbell to the SIUE Police Department where he was subsequently arrested for theft under an unlawful use of a credit/debit card. Campbell was processed and he was transported to the Madison County Jail on a pending application for a felony warrant. Officers and the Edwardsville Fire Department responded to the Student Fitness Center for a small smoldering area in the landscaping at the west side of the building. The fire was extinguished. 4-23-15 The Chicago Police Department notified the SIUE Police Department that Quentis Washington was picked up on an SIUE Police Department warrant for criminal damage to state-supported property. An SIUE police officer was dispatched to pick Washington up from the Chicago Police Department. Washington was brought back to post where he was processed, and he was unable to post bond and taken to Madison County Jail. Three subjects wearing orange vests sitting near the entrance of Lot A were reported yelling at passing motorists. The subjects were directing traffic for a 5K Glow Run taking place that night. 4-25-15 An officer responded to the South Bike Trail for a report of a vehicle driving on the path. The officer located the vehicle and arrested Dominick T. Hines for a suspended drivers license, unauthorized possession of a weapon and transportation of an uncased weapon. Hines was transported to the SIUE Police Department where he was processed. Hines was released after posting the $150 bond. An officer checked on an occupied vehicle parked by the soccer fields. The officer said the subjects were just stargazing. They left the area without incident. 4-26-15 An officer issued a citation to Christian K. Lee for driving with no insurance and a written warning for speeding 39 mph in a 25 mph. The offense occurred on North University Drive and North Circle Drive.
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On Monday, April 27, I attended a meeting entitled, “What You’re Not Being Told About Budget Cuts,” hosted by the College Republicans of SIUE.
Dani Wilson Alestle Reporter Sen. Kyle McCarter addressed the recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing held at SIUE and offered an opposing view on the proposed budget. Personally, I found McCarter’s address more of a political marketing scheme than a response to an extremely important subject. Throughout his address, McCarter touched on his alternative view of the budget cuts. He challenged the affected sectors to streamline their systems, local workers to work more for less and Illinois to consider a changing culture. These are all worthwhile and even understandable opinions. However, McCarter also took the open floor as an opportunity to talk about his successful, allAmerican family, his missionary work, his small business ownership, a large selection of bills he has passed and his budget predictions. Strangely, he introduced his own developed budget plans before addressing Gov. Rauner’s proposals. Even when the analogies, personal anecdotes and gestures
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toward the people he knew in the audience — including his doting wife, who blew him kisses during the meeting — seemed unnecessary in relation to the argument he made, it seemed McCarter was taking every possible opportunity to promote himself. Politics, particularly in a democracy, are largely dependent on marketing the politician, so I understand why McCarter needed to uphold an image throughout. However, it seemed that in the face of a very serious economic situation, which is extremely real for SIUE, this was bad form. In the same room two weeks ago, attendees of the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing witnessed people — representatives from our university, local communities and health sectors already hurting — pleading with state senators to understand the fear they felt in anticipation of the budget cuts. I thought this committee approached the hearing quite well; the senators present listened carefully and responded with empathy. Monday, I heard an address that approached these affected sectors like children throwing a temper tantrum over a candy bar in the supermarket. In one of McCarter’s first statements, he said proposing cuts are dangerous because “some [people] might be upset. And it may be the developmentally disabled. It
may be the aging.” Personally, I believe that taking resources from vulnerable people who already lack resources is extremely upsetting. Most importantly, McCarter’s response was directed toward the wrong audience. It was courageous, well-researched and well-rehearsed, but I wondered why he directed it to the College Republicans instead of the small-town lunch program struggling to feed hungry children or the hospitals faced with turning away the mentally disabled. Facing away from a hurting constituency to talk to people who already agree with McCarter seemed a very poor decision. The College Republicans very well should have taken a stance representing their opinion on the proposed budget. The debate would have been extremely educational. However, I do not think the group’s opportunity was fully realized because McCarter did not give a good rebuttal. I say this because I am disappointed in the meeting I attended. I also say this because the strength of a large and growing university is in its numbers. We have great power as a group of young voters and Illinois taxpayers. We are facing a potentially drastic budget cut that would impact a lot of areas of Illinois that are already hurting — mental health, long-term care, community and social services among others — not
to mention the hit SIUE would take. Chancellor Furst-Bowe said during the hearing that we would have to increase tuition by 112 percent to compensate for the cuts on campus, and the School of Pharmacy would lose its funding completely. The situation, should it proceed as proposed, is serious for the university and the state. Take this opportunity to become educated on topics that potentially impact your life. If we, as students, have a side to take, an opinion to present, or a debate to participate in, we need to do exactly that. A poor representation of a bipartisan debate is extremely unfortunate. SIUE should hold more open forums on this topic as it develops. The members of the student body who are closely involved and have done the research should be speaking up. We should invite state senators back, or invite new ones to come speak. Gov. Rauner should be invited to campus to have a conversation with the students who are concerned about the proposed budget. Whatever the chosen path may be, the proposed budget is an important issue, and it shows how integral it is for the student body to get involved and make their voices heard.
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Greek life on this campus somewhat differs from other campuses mostly due to the lack of Greek housing: Can students truly receive the full Greek experience without it?
Madison O’Brien Alestle Reporter All across the country, thousands of Greek life chapters thrive on the campuses of universities, exposing each of their individual cultures and timeless traditions. Greek life can be a positive way for students to uncover opportunities to meet new people, promote academic achievement, contribute to the community through service and develop leadership skills. A house seems like a critical part of being a part of a fraternity or sorority. This is the place where hundreds of years of customs come to life — a sanctuary for the members of each chapter to live collectively among their brothers or sisters.
Greek housing makes it considerably easier to get to know your fellow members, seeing as there is always a specific place for everyone to meet. Most of the members hang around the house in their free time, where as on this campus, members are always scattered. Greek housing presents the opportunity for members of Greek life to bond — bearing in mind that you are unable to control who will all be living in the house. This can create unexpected friendships that last a lifetime. On the other hand, not having housing on campus has not dwindled my own experience. Sure, living in a lavish mansion with your best friends would be an amazing time, but not having a Greek house does not necessarily hinder the relationships created. I have made many lasting friendships, going out on my own to create bonds without relying on a house to do it for me. Another point to take into account is the fewer amount of distractions without Greek
housing. You do not have to constantly try to find a space to study or have quiet time. As many pros as there are for housing, there are just as many cons. Greek life is not about the houses or even what happens in them. Greek life is about becoming the best person you can be, surrounding yourself with positive people who strive to watch each individual member grow and succeed. No matter what stage of life you are in, there is always a feeling of wanting to make a difference not only in the world, but also in yourself. Being a part of Greek life has most certainly taught me to surround myself only with people who have my best interest, and this is a quality I can keep with me through the rest of my life. If you can find that — a group of people who always build up and never tear down — that is the true Greek life experience. No house is necessary.
Lifestyles Thursday, April 30, 2015
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The Alestle // 5
Married
with children ... and college 3 kids, 2 people, 1 graduation
With kids and no initial plans of going to college, Christy and Nate Scott decided to enroll at SIUE. Four years later they will walk across the stage on graduation day, and their three children will be able to watch. Senior sociology major Christy Scott, of Edwardsville, said she and her husband, Nate Scott, had two kids and had been married for three years when they decided to go to college. “In May [2015], we will be married seven years. We met at our church. I had a daughter and Nate had a daughter. We were just going through everyday life and someone we know had spoken some very powerful words over our lives that we would be going to college,” Christy Scott said. “And that was not on our forecast of things to do in life for either one of us. I said, ‘Let me prove this person wrong.’ This person said that we would be going to school and it wouldn’t cost us anything. In trying to prove them wrong, I did find out that we qualified for enough grants to get through school, so we looked at each other and we said, ‘Let’s do it.’” Christy’s husband, Nate Scott, a senior political science major, of Edwardsville, said he was excited about the journey of beginning college. “At the end of the day, isn’t the adventure more fun than having it all figured out?” Nate Scott said. Nate and Christy’s daughter, Jada Wright, was twelve when her parents decided to go to college. Wright said she was surprised with her parents' decision. “They just told me that they wanted to better themselves and help the family and everything by being able to provide a good future and set an example for us. I was like, ‘Really? You’re going back to college? That’s crazy,’ but that’s how it started,” Wright said. Even though Christy and Nate had jobs before going back to school, Christy said they felt like they needed to make an adjustment. “At the point right before we started college, [Nate] was working 80-hour-weeks. We have had good jobs, but the economy changed. When it changed, we knew we were going to have to change too. So this is our change,” Christy Scott said.
Christy said she was questioned about why she chose the major she did. “I don’t care about money. My happiness comes from helping other people. You could give me all this money, but if I’m not happy, that money doesn’t mean anything to me,” Christy Scott said. “Don’t get me wrong, we have to be able to pay bills, and we look at nice houses, but ultimately, I have a destiny, plan and purpose to help people.” Even though Christy and Nate majored in different areas of study, Wright said she was glad because her parents were doing something they always told her she had to do. “I was happy for them because it was something they were doing together. It was something they wanted to do together and make it through,” Wright said. “It was also really cool because my mom has always told me I should go to college. I’ve always been told I have to go to college. She said that, but she had never went to college. So she was like, ‘I can’t sit here and keep on saying go to college if I’ve never gone to college.’” Despite the fact that Christy and Nate were able to finish their degrees in four years, Christy said a lot has happened in that course of time. “When we started, my daughter, Jada, was 12; she is now 16. Alyssa [Nate Scott’s daughter] is 10 now, so she was 6. And we didn’t even have our littlest one. I actually got pregnant while I was here, so we have a 3-year-old together. That was an adventure — being pregnant on campus,” Christy Scott said. Even with all the changes the happy couple adjusted to, Christy said they still cannot believe they have made it to where they are now. “[Nate] said to me this morning, ‘The reality is that we’re about to graduate.’ We both hoped we could, but we didn’t really have the positive mindset that we were going to,” Christy Scott said. Because her parents made it through their journey, Wright said she is confident she can achieve her goals too. “I definitely want to go to college now, so I can get a good job. I’m kind of nervous, but if they can do it with three kids, then obviously I can do it. Anybody can do it,” Wright said. “They’ve shown me how to work hard for what you want. I’m really excited to watch them graduate. I’m really proud of them and everything they’ve worked through.”
While Wright is impressed by her parents’ effort, Nate said he feels honored by his children. “I’m proud of my kids because they’ve had to put up with us having to do homework too,” Nate Scott said. With both her parents in college, Wright said she also had to miss out on some things. “There was some nights when they were like, ‘Oh my goodness, we have so much homework.’ And there were times we couldn’t go out and do things because they were doing homework and stuff like that. I mean it was hard; sometimes I’d have to watch and play with my little brother and be like, ‘OK, they have to get their tests done online,’” Wright said. “There were times when I would have homework and need help, but I would have to go to my grandma’s because my parents were busy studying too.” Despite the struggles Nate and Christy’s kids had to overcome, Christy said she is grateful for the outcome. “It’s been a sacrifice for the whole family,” Christy Scott said. “I am just humbled to be able to be here and walk across the stage on graduation.” However, those trials were not the only obstacles the family endured. Christy Scott said she had a miscarriage while she was in school. “I got pregnant while I was here and lost a baby. So I went through that, came back to school and kept going. I was just devastated and we were like, ‘OK, we’re done getting pregnant.’ I didn’t want to go through that again,” Christy Scott said. “Then I ended up being pregnant again like a month and a half later. Being pregnant and going to school is a lot.” Only two weeks after having their baby Israel, Christy came back to school. She said she attributes getting through that part of her life to her professors. “[Nate and I] had an English class together here when I was pregnant because at the beginning, we were trying to take some of our generals together. I told the teacher, ‘When I come back in January, I’m going to have my baby and I really need Nate and I to be together in class.’ We actually took Israel to class with us; the teacher let us have our baby in class,” Christy Scott said. “If [Israel would] start crying in class, sometimes it was daddy’s turn to take him out of class and sometimes it was my turn. We just did what we had to do.”
Sports 6 // The Alestle
Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact the Sports Editor at 650-3524 or sports@alestlelive.com
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
Standings *Standings and Results as of 12 p.m. Wednesday, April 29
Baseball #
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Starting pitching hurls baseball into second place in the count and put pressure on the pitcher to throw strikes and he didn’t do it,” Stoecklin said. “I thought we did a great job competing — it was a close game and we did a good job finding a way to win.” Senior starting pitcher P.J. Schuster hurled seven quality innings, allowing two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts. Senior pitcher Brett Thomas (3-2) came in on relief, pitching two innings and giving up one run on four hits for the win. Stoecklin said the team played extremely well as a whole in game one. “I thought on the mound, [Schuster] was outstanding — he went seven innings and had a quality start [and Thomas] did fantastic in relief,” Stoecklin said. “I thought we could have swung the bats better, but you have to give the [opposing] pitcher credit — he was the OVC Pitcher of the Week the week before. He’s a great pitcher; we didn’t put up huge numbers against him, but we did put up enough to win.” The Cougars impressed in a 6-3 victory Saturday, April 25. The team had a four-run second inning, kicked off by a three-run double off the bat of junior infielder Jacob Stewart. Stewart later scored on a bases-loaded walk.
After being swept by Morehead State University the series before, the baseball team dominated against the University of Tennessee at Martin this past weekend, improving its standing in the Ohio Valley Conference from fourth to second place. On Friday, April 24, the Cougars came out on top 4-3. Following six scoreless innings, the team grabbed three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Senior outfielder Denton Reed reached the plate after a catcher’s interference. Following this, senior first baseman Alec Saikal sent a two-run single into left field, giving the team a 3-2 lead. UT Martin answered back in the top of the eighth inning, tying the game 44. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, freshman outfielder Dustin Woodcock was hit by a pitch, scoring senior infielder Chase Green and winning the game. Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said a walk-off walk is unconventional, but still a win. “[Woodcock] took a great at-bat; he worked himself into a count where he went deep
In the bottom of the third inning, junior infielder Skyler Geissinger scored on an infield single by senior outfielder Nick Lombardo. The team grabbed one more run off a single by senior catcher Parker Guinn in the bottom of the sixth inning, solidifying the win. On the defensive, junior starting pitcher Jarrett Bednar (2-4) threw 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits. Junior pitcher Zach Malach earned his fourth save of the season, pitching 2 2/3 innings and allowing no runs on one hit. Stoecklin said Saturday’s game was similar to the first game of the series in that it was in close contest. “[Bednar] did a great job on the mound; he went six innings and gave us a quality start and [Malach] did a great job behind him in relief,” Stoecklin said. “Offense was good — we scored six runs which was enough to win the game, and our defense was really good.” On Sunday, the team clinched its final game of the series 6-2. The game began as a pitchers battle, remaining scoreless on both sides until the sixth inning. | pg.7
OVC Statistic Leaders *Statistics as of Wednesday, April 29 $
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
The Alestle // 7
Track does double duty at Drake Relays, Red Wolves Open
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| from pg.6 UT Martin grabbed two runs in the top of the inning, but the Cougars answered back with three in the bottom of the sixth inning. The team earned its first two runs on a fielding error, followed by a fielder’s choice. Saikal then grabbed an RBI on a single to left field. Saikal earned another RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning on a single up the middle. The team picked up its final two runs on a fielding error in the bottom of the eighth inning. Senior starting pitcher Ryan Daniels (3-5) allowed two runs in six innings pitched, fanning five. Thomas earned his fifth save of the season, closing out the game with no runs and one hit in 1 1/3 innings. Stoecklin said once again, the key to Sunday’s game was starting pitching. “[Daniels] went six plus innings and did a good job on the mound — it’s probably one of his best starts of the year,” Stoecklin said. “We swung the bats fine. It wasn’t our best weekend offensively, but we scored enough to win and took good at-bats when we needed to. We also hit into some tough luck — we hit a lot of balls hard this weekend right at people. But overall, it was a great weekend — all three facets of our game were strong. I thought our pitching was strong, our defense was strong and our offense was strong as well.” The Cougars face Illinois State University in a four-game nonconference series beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, in Normal against the Redbirds.
The Cougars track and field team is continuing to perform well in its season meets as it prepares for conference and the postseason. Senior throwers Elizabeth Hampl and Greg Block traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in the Drake Relays. Hampl placed fifth out of 25 in the hammer throw, which Head Coach Eileen McAllister said is an impressive feat. “[Hampl] competed well. It was rainy, and the ring was wet — it was basically a puddle, so at that point you just have to compete and not let that get to you. You can definitely see the progress she’s made from last year to this year,” McAllister said. While Hampl and Block competed at Drake University, the rest of the Cougars traveled to Jonesboro, Ark. for the Red Wolves Open. In cold, rainy weather, six athletes achieved personal bests in their events. McAllister said the major performer this weekend was sophomore Julian Harvey, who jumped 6 feet, 10.75 inches. “Probably the most standout performance was [Harvey] in the high jump. He tied his best from last year, and he won the competition. He just looked really good,” McAllister said.
Freshman Matt O’Connor won the 800-meter race for the second consecutive time and achieved a personal record of 1 minute, 54.06 seconds. “[O’Connor] really ran well given the conditions, and just really competed hard and raced well,” McAllister said. Freshmen Haley Miller and Ben Scamihorn both set personal bests in the steeplechase, with Miller finishing fifth in 11:50.33 and Scamihorn taking fourth in 9:42.31. Scamihorn took 26 seconds off his previous record and Miller took 12 from hers. McAllister said this is an expected, but pleasing improvement. “It’s one of those races that you take off big chunks as you get more experience, it was good to see them do that,” McAllister said. Sophomore Erin Kennedy cut 17 seconds off her personal best in the 5,000-meter run. McAllister said this continues great performances by the distance athlete. “[Kennedy] had a phenomenal year. She’s basically PR’d [set a personal record] every time she’s stepped on the track this season. She took off another huge chunk this weekend in the 5K. She’s been really consistently improving and doing everything right,” McAllister said. Sophomore Scott Woodard and senior Luke Padesky set personal bests in the 5K as well
this weekend, with Padesky taking first in 14:56.76 and Woodard running 15:42.24. McAllister said the 5,000meter went very well for the competitors. “I was really proud and happy about how they executed strategywise. We’ve got people coming back from injuries; everybody in that 5K just executed the way they needed to. They stuck to strategy and pulled it off,” McAllister said. Another personal record set this weekend was freshman Jacquelyn Landuyt in both discus and hammer. Landuyt beat her best throw in the discus by more than 11 feet. Deborrah Blackburn set a personal record in the high jump at 5 feet, 5 inches, finishing second. McAllister said she is pleased with the freshmen this year, mentioning their performances so far and her excitement about competitions to come. “We have had a lot of freshmen do some big things. It’s nice to see them come in and perform and impact the team. They are definitely impacting the team and continuing to improve. It’s exciting to see them continue to improve and be impact players. It bodes well for the future of the program,” McAllister said. &'
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Men’s Basketball
&& &' "' # & " ! Credentials: assistant at the Unversity of Tennessee (2011-2014), assistant at Missouri State University (2008-2010), supervisor of basketball operations at Purdue University (2005-2008); member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame # Credentials: assistant director of operations at the University of California-Berkley (2014-2015), intern at the University of Tennessee (2013-2014) #
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Positon: Guard Transferred from Lewis and Clark Community College Credentials: In the 2014-2015 season, Eslik led his team with 15.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. His efforts earned him a spot on the All-Region 24 first team. Position: Center Transferred from the College of Charleston (must sit out 2015-2016 season) Credentials: Last season, Pierre played in 32 of 33 games for the his team and led it with 21 blocks.
Baseball !
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Position: first base/outfield Credentials: At Illinois Central College, McCunn is hitting .358, with a home run and 24 RBIs. McCunn’s .547 on-base percentage is ranked in the top 10 in the NJCAA Division II.
Credentials: In 2014, Byrd won the Illinois Highschool Sport Association Class 1A triple jump and competed at the United States of America Track and Field Junior Olympics.
Women’s Golf
" Position: catcher Credentials: Playing for El Paso Community College, Smith is hitting .336, with six home runs and 16 RBIs. He has started every game for his school and has stolen eight bases on 10 attempts.
High School: Yorktown High School (Yorktown, Indiana) Credentials: Clark finished her senior season with a 10th place finish at the Indiana State Junior Championships. She is a four-time All-County and AllConference winner and won her sectional twice, including in her senior year. In 2012, Clark was on the Yorktown High School team that won first place at the Indiana High School Golf State Tournament.
Track and Field
$ $ High School: Ogden International High School (Chicago)
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