The Courier - October 5, 2016

Make sure to check out our Road to the Election series starting next week

COURIER

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C O LLE G E O F D U PAG E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R / / 0 5 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 / / V O L U M E 5 1 – I S S U E 0 6

Chaps suffer third Homecoming loss.

Is it a curse?

pages 20-21

NEWS

Audit report: points for improvement for COD p3

FEATURES

COD Alum Leigh Stein talks about relationships p7

OPINION

First presidential debate: what just happened? p16

COURIER

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Editor-in-Chief Lucas Koprowski Opinion Editor Miranda Shelton News Editor Bridget Kingston Features Editor Caroline Broderick Photo Editor Bethany Berg Graphics Editor Joseph Molino Sports Editor Alex Garcia

INDEX

12-13 Bon Iver and Die 4 Springfield’s race hits Antwoord COD 16 What just hapFEATURES pened?

7 Q+A: Author, COD SPORTS Alumni Leigh Stein 20 Homecoming 2016 talks about relationships NEWS

Reporter Vandy Manyeh Social Media Manager Alizay Rizvi

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Newsroom 630-942-2683 Adviser Jim Fuller fullerj103@cod.edu Advertising Christina Payton paytonc359@cod.edu The Courier is published every Wednesday when classes are in session during the fall and spring semester, except for the first and last Wednesday of each semester and the week of spring break as a public forum with content chosen by student editors. One copy free, additional copies available upon request.

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ON THE COVER

Photo taken by Beth Berg from the Homecoming game.

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NEWS Audit reveals 19 points for improvement for College of DuPage Bridget Kingston · News Editor

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER

The Illinois Auditor General released its performance audit on College of DuPage on Wednesday Sept. 28, offering 19 recommendations for the Board of Trustees to improve oversight, operations and transparency. The college agrees with all 19 points.

The report examined whether the college fulfilled its responsibilities

during fiscal years 2011 through 2014, revealing that the board of trustees was not evaluating former President Robert Breuder’s performance annually, as is required by policy. Lack of oversight and approval of financial investments, contracts and budget transfers also raised questions.

“There truly, authentically, were no surprises

here,” COD President Ann Rondeau said. “I think the real test moving forward is just going to be helping people learn how to do things differently.”

Board of trustees Chairwoman Deanne Mazzochi agreed that the majority of the points the audit highlighted were old news, and that the college is already on the road to fixing them.

“We’ve spent the better part of the last 18 months looking at and focusing on improving these same issues,” Board Chairwoman Deanne Mazzochi said at a news conference last Wednesday. “To a certain extent, nothing was a surprise.”

The audit revealed that the majority of the school’s purchases were

not competitively bid and the procurement policies did not always comply with the established requirements.

Between 2007 and 2013, the college issued a total of $321.84 million in bonds and awarded contracts for construction before obtaining Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) approval, as is required by ICCB rules.

“There certainly are additional items the audit revealed, for example construction, that we will be looking far more closely at,” Mazzochi said.

“We will be examining our policies and past internal procedures to really ensure that we are fully in compliance with the law.”

The audit details that, compared to peer col-

leges, Breuder received the highest total compensation for all four years reviewed, reaching $495,092 in 2014.

Three of the 16 presidents at the compared colleges received a lump sum payment upon separation, ranging from $103,269 (Morton College) to $380,245 (Moraine Valley). The COD Board awarded Breuder an outgoing lump sum severance payment of $762,868 in January of 2015.

“We had a board with members that were asking different things of the president,” Rondeau said.

“Maybe they didn’t see a need at the time for oversight the way the current board does.”

The current board plans to keep taking steps for-

ward to satisfy the recommendations from the audit. Committees are in place to provide further control, as well as additional training for current and future trustees.

“We’ve done a lot, but we still have a lot to do,” Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee Charles Bernstein said at a news conference last Wednesday. “We look forward to doing it.”

The board agreed to authorize the audit in April of 2015. The final cost of the report process is still unknown by the college.

Check out www.codcourier.org to find the detailed copy of the audit report.

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 3

NEWS

Springfield’s race hits COD Vandy Manyeh· Reporter

Ill. State Senator Tom Cullerton

Democrat Tom Cullerton and Republican Seth Lewis took time off their campaign schedules to preach their political manifestos here at the College of DuPage, to discuss the future of education funding in Illinois and how to solve the state’s budget crisis. Both men are running to fill the District 23 seat in DuPage County and went unopposed in their respective primaries earlier this year.

Cullerton is the incumbent who has served the senate since 2013 after he defeated Carole Pankau and became the

first Democrat in the Illinois Senate from DuPage County since 1943. Lewis is an industrial engineer and a State Farm Insurance agency owner with a wealth of experience in business, who hopes to translate his engineering and business success in Springfield.

This gathering was organized as a part of the college’s Learning Community classes. The Learning Community classes involve students enrolling as a “cohort in two or more courses connected by a common theme.”

Cullerton started his discussion with students by stating his achievements as Villa Park’s village board president, and his subsequent service to the DuPage Water Commission especially in 2009-10 when the commission lost $70 million.

The State of Illinois is

currently faced with budgetary problems; this situation has since affected a key deliverable like education. Earlier this year, the state passed a stopgap budget that has provided funding for government services such as road construction and a full K-12 education budget for the current school year.

This problem has also affected public universities throughout the state, a situation policy makers prevented from escalating when they agreed to funnel $600 million that kept universities running during the summer.

COD has been able to get through this situation by instituting sound financial policies since its trouble with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This is something the current board headed by Deanne Mazzochi takes credit for. The re-

cent stable price in tuition and fees is evidence that suggests COD is in solid position to weather the state’s financial problems.

Speaking about how the entire general assembly will handle this situation, Cullerton said the pending elections will dictate the outcome.

“What the governor accepts, what the governor wants, will depend on whether he gets legislators in and how far he is willing to go,” said Cullerton.

“I’m actually waiting for Nov. 9 to see a great budget play out.”

He also expressed how key the elections for lawmakers across the state are.

There is currently a constitutional amendment for road funding to be placed on the ballot in November. This amendment will ensure that money apportioned towards roads and its related infrastructure

stays there regardless. In previous years, money from this fund has been swept to pay for other items.

Lewis took the stage to explain his position on structural reforms that are needed in government, specifically term limits and fair maps. He believes term limits should be a necessity, and as for fair maps, he wants data to be the driving force when setting thresholds for electoral districts and not emotions.

When quizzed about how he is going to correlate business and politics, Lewis said his business experience can be a valuable asset to the state despite claims that you can’t run government like a business.

“You can institute business principles into government,” said Lewis. “In the private sector, if you

can make something for $10, and a competitor makes it for $5 with no tangible difference between the qualities of the product, you won’t stay in business. As an engineer, you figure out how to make your product at the highest level of quality at the lowest cost keeping the people and the environment enjoyable.”

“Why can’t we do that to the government?” he added. “Why can’t we deliver services to those who need it most in the most efficient manner?”

Lewis, as a Republican, hopes to listen to his constituents and identify with his party as a part of the political equation. Like many Republicans, he is pro-life, a major party line.

And he believes gun ownership is a constitutional right.

The election for state senate is on Nov. 8.

COD Scholarships – A force for good Vandy Manyeh· Reporter

Adriana

Mendez,

Scholarship

Recipient

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On three occasions she was a recipient of great scholarship opportunities. Filled with joy and gratitude, Adriana Mendez wrote a thank you note to donors who provided money for her education here at the College of DuPage.

Mendez is a Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, who has been able to benefit from scholarship opportunities provided through the College of DuPage Foundation.

She has benefitted

from the Danny Young Memorial Scholarship, the GED certificate scholarship, and most importantly the American Association University Women scholarship that gave her a whopping $2,000.

“I feel that any scholarship, big or small, makes a difference in the life of a student,” said Mendez. “The scholarships I received don’t only support me monetarily, but also motivate me to continue my education.

I feel very lucky being a

student at COD.” Scholarship opportunities like these only require a simple application, an unofficial transcript, and an essay. These are all made available through the efforts of generous donors which include individuals, business partners in the community and corporations.

The COD Foundation has been the custodian of all scholarships available to students from the college over the years. They

are currently accepting applications for about 38 prestigious scholarships for the spring 2017 semester. The criteria for each scholarship varies. They range from need-based, merit-based, to a preferred major.

In 2015, the foundation provided about 800 scholarships worth around $450,000 to deserving recipients, with more than 200 students benefitting this year.

The foundation will host a scholarship re-

ception on Oct. 12 to connect generous scholarship donors with students who directly benefit. RSVP is required if you are interested.

Students finding it difficult to complete an application can find help at financial assistance window right around the Student Services Center (SSC) atrium, or email scholarship@cod.edu. Like Mendez, students can apply for and receive multiple

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(630) 617-3400 admit@elmhurst.edu www.elmhurst.edu/transfer 05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 5

NEWS

Contract gives groundskeepers unified voice Bridget Kingston · News Editor

PROVIDED BY THE CLASSIFIED STAFF ASSOCIATION

It’s been a year since the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board certified the College of DuPage Buildings and Ground Staff Union, and a contract is now in place to finalize the negotia-

tions. The Classified Staff Association (CSA- maintenance and grounds department) and the COD Board approved the first employment contract covering employee wages, hours and working con-

ditions through June of 2020.

The four-year agreement will give COD mechanics, painters, groundskeepers and carpenters retroactive raises of 3 percent for the 201617 year. The raise percentage is equal to the amount received by other classifications of employees. The deal also includes provisions governing employee seniority, layoff and recall protections, health and safety matters and pay for work outside the normal work schedule due to unique responsibilities, such as snow removal.

CSA President Roger Behling explained that in signing the contract,

one of the most important factors was for every member to be on board with its arrangements. He hopes the ratification of the contract will help others recognize the union's presence and dedication to the campus.

“This contract will give grounds employees a united voice with more substance behind it,” Behling said. “I think previously we were kind of invisible, you know a lot of people maybe don’t stop and think about how there is a group of people here on campus that are plowing the snow, cutting the grass, painting the walls or fixing the bathrooms. I think now there

is an actual awareness that we exist.”

Mia Igyarto, Director of Labor, Employee Relations and Benefits, served as the College’s negotiations spokesperson regarding the contract.

“We were able to sit down with the union and establish an agreement that was fair to all concerned,” Igyarto said. “I think everyone is appreciative of the open dialogue and hard work that went into this agreement.”

In the subsequent years to follow, raises will be determined through a formula of the Consumer Price Index plus one-half percent. The minimum raise will not be lower

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than 1 percent and the maximum raise will not reach above 3 percent.

Salaries may be adjusted higher if other employee groups receive raises in excess of those produced by the formula.

“As a group we would like to say thank you to the College for recognizing us and for also being fair on a lot of the things in the contract,” Behling said. “Hopefully we can all move forward not as individual departments, but as one college organization.”

The negotiation process for the CSA union began in February of 2016.

F E AT U R E S Q+A: Author,

COD Alumni Leigh Stein talks relationships

Caroline Broderick · Features Editor

time, but it’s also about a psychologically abusive relationship, which is very hard for people to talk about because if someone’s not getting beaten up, it’s hard to see the signs of that kind of relationship and how damaging it can be.

PROVIDED BY LEIGH STEIN

To preview College of DuPages’s “Writers Read” event being held Oct. 13, Leigh Stein talked to our Features Editor, Caroline Broderick to discuss her latest book, her experience at COD, abusive relationships and charitable work Stein dedicates her life to.

Caroline: Can you tell me about your experience at COD? Leigh: I went to Glenbard East high school, and I actually dropped out of high school. I hated high school so much. I started taking classes at COD, which I loved. So I started going to COD when I was 17. I took literature classes.

I was in the honors program, and I got involved in the theater program as well.

I was in the play “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” I took a directing class with Connie Canaday Howard and I really liked it at COD. I felt challenged and simulated. Then I moved to New York to go to acting school. I ended up moving back home with my parents again in Lombard. Then I auditioned for another play in 2007, and that’s where I met my ex-boyfriend. We ended up moving to Albuquerque, NM at that time. And that’s where [‘The Land of Enchantment’] is set, and it’s about our relationship.

C: What is your latest memoir about, and why is it so significant? tThis is my new book called “Land of Enchantment.” It’s a memoir, a true story. It’s about this relationship I was in in my early 20s with this man named Jason, and it was an abusive relationship, but I didn’t recognize that at the time. It took me years to recognize what was going on because I thought it was just a very dramatic and exciting experience. We moved to Albuquerque together so I could write a novel and he could work, but then it just became this disaster.

I was obsessed with him for years. I couldn’t quit him as much as he was bad for me in some ways.

And I finally saw him for the last time in 2011 and decided this was really the end, and I was going to finally stop answering his phone calls. Six weeks after that he died in a motorcycle accident. The book is really about what it’s like to be a young person and lose someone for the first

C: What can students expect when they attend Writers Read?

L: I do want to talk about abusive relationships because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I’m looking forward to talking to college students because people under the age of 25 are particularly at risk for being in abusive relationships.

So often the signs of these kinds of relationships can be mistaken for love. For instance, [when] Jason and I moved across the country together, we’d only known each other for six months. We’d never been to Albuquerque, but we left behind our families and friends. I thought that was very romantic, but in hindsight it was really like an isolation technique. So once I was far away from my family and friends, he became increasingly controlling and manipulative, and I didn’t have anybody I could turn to. Or if you have somebody saying, ‘I love you so much, give me your passwords, I want to see what you’re doing,’ that kind of looking over your shoulder, checking texts because they ‘love’ you so much, that’s really controlling and abusive. I’m happy to talk about those things, but also what to do

if you see a friend going through this. It’s so hard for the person inside that relationship to see what’s going on. They don’t really get it. So you really have to be p a tient a n d s a y , ‘ I ’ m c o n cerned.

How are you doing?

If you need me, I’ll be here.’ You can’t be pushy or else they might stop speaking to you all together, and you really won’t know what’s going on.

C: How many books have you published?

L: I’ve written three books. I read at COD in 2012 when my first book came out, which is set in Lombard. It’s about a young woman who graduates from Northwestern and has to move back in with her parents. It’s relevant today because m o r e y o u n g people than ever before are living back home with their parents.

It’s called the ‘Fallback Plan.’

The same year, I had a collection of poetry called, ‘Dispatch from the Future’ come out.

C: Can you tell me about your Executive Directing position at ‘Out of the Binders?’

L: This is a nonprofit

organization that I started in 2014. We advocate for women writers because there’s a lot of gender inequality in the writing industry and not a lot of people know about this, but 80 percent of movies are written by men, 71 percent of TV staff writers are men. Last year the New York Review of Books, only 20 percent were of women.

And we know women are writing screenplays. They want to write for TV. They’re writing books, but this system is favoring men. We do two conferences a year that are professional development conferences. It’s not how to write, but really how to make a career and how to make a living out of being a writer, how to fight sexism in the industry. We’re named after Mitt Romney saying he had ‘binders full of women’ during the presidential campaign of 2012. We are the binders full of women writers, and the conference is called ‘BinderCon’. It’s kind of a joke of Mitt Romney saying he has binders full of us; we are the binders.

We are trying to advance the careers of women writers. For example, one of our big success stories is that one of the members of our community was a single mom, living in a homeless shelter with her two daughters, and through our community

she learned to write and pitch stories, and she got in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and she just sold her memoir for a lot of money. She’s now supporting her whole family just by writing full-time, and she credits the nonprofit community.

C: What’s your biggest advice for a female COD student aspiring to be a writer?

L: I think it’s about persistence and resilience.

You’re going to get so many no’s. It’s just part of the game. The way you’re going to win, the way you’re going to succeed, is just by being stubborn and sticking with it, even up against all the no’s that you will face. For years, I’d been in writing workshops. So I connected with lots of writers. That’s another way to build community and stay accountable. I faced a lot of rejection. A lot of people said no before they said yes. It’s been a long journey to get where I am now.

C: What do you do besides write?

L: I recently moved to Connecticut, but I was teaching for Brooklyn Poets. Poetry is my first love, and that’s how I started off.

I took poetry at COD with Freda Libman. She was my favorite COD teacher. She was an amazing poet and amazing teacher. I taught poetry, and I started teaching novels and memoirs. I teach in casual settings. I like teaching people like me who may not have a degree but have a real passion for this. That’s really fun for me, teaching people who dream of having a book published and are serious about it.

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 7

F E AT U R E S

Achieve More.

Together.

Aaron Ozee: Poet, Story Teller Caroline Broderick · Features Editor

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lewisu.edu/transfers 8 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

Ever since student Aaron Ozee was five years old, he dedicated his time to small, seemingly unimportant picture books, then moved on to short stories and poems.

Having divorced parents, Ozee never quite found himself getting along with his step-siblings or comfort in being shuffled from house to house. He chose to fill his alone time with stories upon stories and escape the reality he faced.

Cynthia Oberman, his favorite teacher at Indian Trail Junior High, gave Ozee his first huge push towards developing his hobby into a craft. When Ozee spent weekends with his Dad, he’d come bring Oberman new stories each week to review.

“She was my best critic,” said Ozee. “She’d take a good look at it and say things like, ‘You

could revise this sentence or change around these paragraphs.’ A lot of the advice she gave me I still use today. She was a really big influencer to me at the time.”

Yet it wasn’t until Ozee was placed into Streamwood Behavioral Health Center for 10 days his sophomore year of high school did he realize he wanted to dedicate his life to this love for writing that he always carried with him.

Between paranoia and general anxiety about friendships, struggling with his divorced parents and his strongly disliked step-father, Ozee had what he calls a “mental breakdown.”

“I wanted to get away from society in general,” explained Ozee. “I was having suicidal tendencies. When you’re put into that ‘social survival

mode’ as I call it, you really don’t want to think.

Nothing’s really logical to you. Those 10 days in that facility changed my life forever.”

As a sophomore, Ozee moved from his small audience of Poetry Nation Online readers and Facebook friends to find Lulu, a self-publishing company and published his first anthology, “Celestial Inferno: Poems of Another Realm.”

“In a way, writing saved me,” said Ozee. “That’s how I look at it. It’s not anything I would give up.”

Since his first publication in 2011, Ozee has self-published nine different poetry books and published his first book, a children’s story called, “My Dear Child Shiloh” with another COD student, Mallory Clark who illustrated the book.

Clark and Ozee met during an English course where they wrote together and found themselves combining their talents to create this publication.

To keep children and parents engaged, each illustration is created from a different medium and with a different style.

For Ozee, it was a natural progression moving from strictly poetry to a

short story format due to his long history of writing. The choice to change paths was influenced by his mother, who Ozee bases the story off of and who has been his greatest fan.

The story follows Shiloh and his mother, with no specific plot, the two adventure through the day together and in the end, realize how special their bond is.

“I wrote nine books and published them, and I felt like none of that work was attributed to [my Mom],” said Ozee. “I felt like she was a missing element to it. Her and many others have been very influential on my career in general. She’s been there for me the most. I owe her a lot. This book is a story of her and I.” After finding success with “My Dear Child Shiloh,” Ozee continues to write yet now moves his energy towards his tour of current book signings in the month of October.

Book signing schedules can be found at aaronozee.com and his works are available to be purchased at lulu.com/shop/ search.ep?contributorId=995590

F E AT U R E S

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:: Jamie Wilson - This kid don’t quit Miranda Shelton · Opinion Editor

BETH BERG/COURIER

“ Jamie Wilson is a student at College of DuPage with a lot n his plate. He manages it with hard work and determination, and defeats all the odds against him.

Read the rest of his story at codcourier.org Courier: What’s your story?

Wilson: I am 24 years old. I graduated from Willowbrook in 2010.

After graduation I started working here and there, but I noticed that there was something missing in my life after I graduated. I wasn’t as busy as when I would play sports in high school, so to consume some of my freetime I did competitive hip hop dance. I did that for three and a half years from the day I graduated to 2013.

Then in 2013 I took the option to go into the military. May 5th of 2013 I enlisted in the Air Force.

From then to the present I have been on active duty.

I actually just took Pal-

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ace Chase which is the option to go from active duty to [National] Guard or the Reserves. I chose the Guard. During my active duty career, I’ve been to a lot of places.

I’ve been to California, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and I just came back from Pennsylvania. I also took an overseas tour to South Korea, that was pretty cool. I was there for 30 days. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the experiences I’ve been through.

I did Palace Chase to come back and help my family. Some personal things came up while I was away that needed my attention so I came home.

I hope one day I can go back because I would love to do it [active duty] again.

I started school this semester. It’s been really hard to go back to school but I’ve really been pushed by my family and really close friends of mine.

Their drive got me to complete the first steps of going back to school. I’m really grateful for them.

C: Would you feel comfortable explaining your personal problems at home?

W: Some things happened with my family. My step-dad recently lost his kidneys. It was a lot to juggle while I was away from my family and not there for support. I took the option of coming home to be closer to them.

It’s a decision that has it’s pros and cons. I don’t get to see the world as much as I did when I was on active duty but I can be here with my family whenever they need me; just be that lifeline for them.

C: You seem to have a lot on your plate. What exactly do you do?

W: As of right now I work at the Dupage County Jail in Wheaton.

I am a booking officer.

@CODCourier

I feel like when I give up, I give up on everyone around me.

Inmates that get arrested from different parts of Dupage County all come to the jail if they can’t post bond. When they come in I actually inprocess them with the intake sheet and medical questions, as well as demographic questions which are really just about who they are. Then the Correctional Officers will come get them. I just keep doing that throughout the night. I work overnight, so that is from 11 pm to 7 am.

Straight from my overnight job I come to the school. I go to school from Monday to Thursday. I give myself the weekend to catch up on sleep, do things for my family and get my homework done.

I also just started volunteering at the Humanitarian Project in Carol Stream. It’s a community service that helps families that are less fortunate, and with parents who don’t make a large enough income to support their

@codcourier

family. Last week I helped build birthday boxes for little kids. It’s just a 3 foot box filled with books, toys, candy, food, video games; just about anything that will help empower the kids. The smiles on their faces are just priceless.

I know what it feels like to be less fortunate, to not get what you want and what you need. It hits my heart in a personal way. I wouldn’t want the kids to have a lifestyle that I has because it wasn’t a great one. If that means that I might help a family by making a kid a birthday box, giving them food, it makes me feel better.

It really fills my heart to see I’m making a difference with my volunteer work. Even with some of the inmates that come into the jail, they feel like they’re a lost cause. Just hearing that they’re not makes them feel better.

People make mistakes but I don’t judge them. I’m in no place to judge them.

C: Do you have any advice you want to leave with our readers on how to manage a busy schedule?

W: I just want to leave this with one thing. Even though you have so much to do in your life, be it work, school, some people volunteer, there are always going to be obstacles.

There will always be days when you don’t think you can go [to school], where you feel tired or you just can’t push yourself. Just don’t give up. Always strive to be better. There are days when I wanna give up but I can’t give up on myself and I can’t give up on the people that are there for me and support me. I feel like when I give up I give up on everyone around me. You have to be too strong and too prideful to let people down. Always push yourself.

COD Courier Student Newspaper 05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 9

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ALBUM REVIEW:

F E AT U R E S

Bon Iver astonishes with unexpected new sound Bridget Kingston · News Editor

The pitiful woes of unwanted fame have never sounded so superb. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver has unapologetically chucked his chilly Wisconsin cabin and acoustic guitar for his stunning third album, “22, A Million.”

Instead, he grapples with synthesizers, symbolism and some serious voice manipulation to create the most dizzying mixture of grit and grace.

The entire record is an intricately plotted projection of Vernon’s most troubling existential questions yet. It’s sprinkled with indecipherable

symbols and connections to his previous works, as seen through his use of numbers and symbols on every track title.

Although this latest creation stands alone musically, it shares the same ideological skeleton as his cathartic two previous albums.

Coming out of a five year hiatus, seemingly bored with the conventional notions of music, Vernon soaks every inch of this album with the unforeseen. Opening track "22 (OVER S∞∞N)" exhibits acute use of Auto-Tune to distort Vernon’s typically simple,

12 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

forlorn vocals beyond recognition. The first half of the album rattles and clunks; it dips a toe on either side of the line separating menacing from masterful.

"715 - CR ∑∑ KS,” with its ardent layering and harmonizing of distorted vocals sans any instrumentals, was clearly a nod to “Woods.” The similarly acapella song caught the attention of Kanye West back

in 2010, which he utilized on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”

Halfway through the 10 track album, the emotionally upheaving sounds taper off, easing into the smoother sentiment more frequently associated with Bon Iver.

“29 #Strafford APTS,” spurs familiarity with the scattering of guitar, banjo and hazy saxophones.

Bon Iver’s previous album, with the majority of its mellow,

savory tracks named after geographical locations, allowed Vernon to build a habitat for his memories and inquisitions.

With “22, A Million,” he disperses these same dispositions into the void, allowing them to expand and morph without restrictions.

Maybe none of us even have the right or intellectual capability to try and form a unified interpretation of this unrelated jumble of symbols and hidden meanings; which perhaps is why it’s so intoxicatingly beautiful.

“22, A Million” serves as a final

resting place of two decades of searching for self-understanding like a religion; and coming to the inner-resolution of potentially never finding that understanding. The paradoxical qualities that seem to encompass everything about Justin Vernon have been thrown under the microscope for the world to see. I can’t think of any reason more pure to propel one further into the realm of artistic acclaim.

ALBUM REVIEW:

F E AT U R E S

Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid Lucas Koprowski · Editor-in-Chief

Before I found Die Antwoord, I wasn’t living life to its fullest extent.

The constant berating of radio hits by “artists” like Chainsmokers and DJ Khaled gentrifies the entire i d e a

of musical expression into an algorithm for record labels to exploit the public into only understanding maybe four to five genres of music. This process has taken over to the extent of people scowling at the notion of something not fitting their favorite genre as music.

The quirky, almost satirical

style of Die Antwoord is my choice of music for shaking off the bolted down rust of disgusting Auto-Tune and

generic beats forcefully screwed into our ears by every form of media.

Yolandi and Ninja’s roots in South African music, in conjunction with their fusion of well-developed electro and multi-lingual rap, pushed my definition of what music is to an entirely new reality.

In their newest piece of mindless self-indulgent musical expression, “Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid,” the duo take their style to an entirely redefined level. From cover to cover, the entire album is an eloquent loogie to the face of societal conf o r m i t y.

E v e r y track has a completely different texture and tone, which throws you into a bipolar mixture of rapid and mellow e n e r g y.

The best example of their refluxed energy mixture comes at the introduction of their album, “We Have Candy.” The constant shift of fast drum and bass to their more orchestral vocals, juxtaposed to the obviously playful lyrics, sets the tone of the entire album right off the bat as energetic and light hearted.

As do most modern artists, Die Antwoord’s most popular tracks have varied sexual themes.

However, the duo takes the idea of a sexual track far and beyond anything you would see from artists like Kesha and Nicki Minaj. In their previous mixtape leading up to this album, the song “Gucci Coochie” was all about how Yolandi’s love comes at the price of practically becoming her man slave.

Following in the footsteps of that song on this album is “Daddy,” an upbeat dance track about Yo l a n d i wanting her sugar daddy to buy her ever ything she desires, from chocolate bunnies to cars.

The production quality of the fast paced, catchy beat outright clears all questioning of the lyrical content, and that is what makes Die Antwoord’s music so powerful. Their music is able to absorb the listener’s attention long enough for their anxieties and frustrations to slip away out of their minds into the ether of the

musical bombardment they’re experiencing.

I could go on forever about the other 13 tracks on this album, but honestly I don’t want to ruin any more of the experience. This

is by far the rap duo’s best work. All of their previous works are still amazing by their own marks, but none of them compare to this mind-numbing, over-stimulating masterpiece.

w o r k takes you on a wild adventure through different themes of nostalgia and discomfort within the story arch hinted at in each song. This 05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 13

Silver Screen – ANIMA! Genre: Electropop Similar to: Marina and the Diamonds, Lanks

It’s early October, so obviously, it means that Halloween’s practically already here. Musically, this time of year sets its own standards for heavy drums, siren songs, and darker tones. I’ve been in love with ANIMA!’s sound since they were featured on a few of my favorite video game soundtracks, with their specific gritty electronic beat and lighter vocals. Specifically, “Silver Screen” is one of my favorite tracks by them, for the playful advancements they make throughout the song. There are various fade-outs, enhancements and repetitions that make it feel more experience than song. It’s playful and spooky, a great way to start out the season. —Beth

Another Love Song – Insane Clown Posse Genre: Hip Hop/Horrorcore Similar to: Kottonmouth Kings, Tech N9ne

Most people start their October by decorating their houses with spiderwebs and playing spooky music filled with orchestral organs and staccato cellos. I start my Halloween season every year by going back to my musical roots with the Insane Clown Posse, Twizted and Blaze Ya Dead Homie. These three can be categorized under horrorcore rap, where they glorify obscene topics like murder, prostitution and illicit drug use in a tight-knit package. The song I chose is about the struggle of a man finding out the woman he loves cheated on him. Although it sounds like a love song, it’s one of the most angry tracks the rap duo has produced. —Lucas

Sunshine – Atmosphere Genre: Hip Hop Similar to: Watsky, Rizzle Kicks

Happy rap seems to be a common favorite of mine right now. This song is no exception. It tells a story of one young, hungover chap who, instead of hiding from the sun behind giant sunglasses because he has an alcohol induced migraine, chooses to embrace the beautiful day and feel the warm sun on his back. He reminisces on how good his life has been and how good it will continue to be, and I find it does the same to me. If you need a happy, fuzzy pick-me-up, this is the song for you. I imagine it will continue to bring warmth to me through the cold winter months. —Andie

Bad Decisions – Two Door Cinema Club Genre: Indie Rock/Pop Similar to: The Wombats, Passion Pit, Foster the People

I must admit, I’m very partial to this song because the very first time I heard it was when Two Door Cinema Club performed live a few months back at the Vic Theatre. And boy, after three whole years of silence, the band is finally back– completely reminiscent of 80s disco funk. The gradual increase in tempo, bass plucks and guitar riffs give this song the signature TDCC feel that people have known and loved: catchy, upbeat and makes you wanna shimmy. Ever felt like you’re at odds with the world around you? Then this banger is the perfect song to dance away that horrible feeling. —Joseph

I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You) – Fall Out Boy Genre: Pop Rock Similar To: Panic! At the Disco

Now, you may see this seemingly familiar album art and ask yourself the question: am I 12? No, this is definitely 2016, but I don’t think I’m alone when I say that this was the album that defined our generation’s angsty pre-teen years. Even though it’s years later, I’ll always find myself stumbling back across my favorite album and still knowing every word. Though those words make no sense, Pete Wentz on that bass just makes you wanna sing it out loud. Do yourself a favor and dive back into this oldie, you’ll love it just as much as you did when you were 12. —Caroline

14 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

OPINION EDITORIAL

Who has their back?

Illinois veteran funding no longer backed If it weren't for individual schools stepping up to fill the gap, Illinois' abandonment of the Illinois Veterans Grant would leave many who served our country without the education they earned. While schools are managing to keep up with the payments, it’s up in the air how long that can that last.

So what exactly is the IVG? According to Jose Alferez, Manager of Veterans Services at College of Dupage, “IVG is supposed to pay for tuition [for veterans] and some fees associated with going to school at any state public institution.

Students have been using it for years. The nice thing about IVG is that it doesn’t expire. I have students here that are in their 70s still taking classes that are veterans.”

While the idea behind IVG is a wonderful one, the state of Illinois chose to cut its funding in 2012.

However, because it is still a working organization, veterans still have the opportunity to apply, and COD has to pay out of pocket for any and all services the grant should be covering.

Alferez explains, “It’s not that a decision was made to stop funding it in perpetuity; it’s just the way that it’s happened in the last few years. They

haven’t appropriated funds for it. It’s similar to how they’ve sometimes stopped appropriations for Map Grant. Except, Map Grant for the most part has at least partially come through in the past few years whereas IVG hasn’t come in at all. It was a state decision.”

We at the Courier are sincerely concerned for what this could mean for the student veterans and for COD. There are 600 veterans being “funded”

by IVG at COD this semester alone. We have had budgetary issues in the past with our previous president, and the audit that was just released shows that there are many issues with our budget we need to address.

The Courier reached out to Earl Dowling, the Vice President of Student Affairs and current school board member, to find out just how much money this is costing the school, but received no response.

According to Alferez however, if a student were to take a full 12 credit hours tuition alone would cost the school $2,000.

While this may not seem like a lot of money for a state college to give, when you consider that there are 600 students in total, it starts to add up.

It’s not a question of

EDITORIAL BOARD OPINION EDITOR MIRANDA SHELTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LUCAS KOPROWSKI PHOTO EDITOR BETHANY BERG GRAPHICS EDITOR JOSEPH MOLINO FEATURES EDITOR CAROLINE BRODERICK SPORTS EDITOR ALEX GARCIA

whether or not veterans should have to pay for school; it’s a question of whether the schools can afford it.

While budget cuts are a problem across the board in Illinois, this is something that was guaranteed to the veterans when they left their service. The state schools never thought they

to be to try to expand services as much as we’re able to. I really don’t know.

It depends on

where outside funding could step in and

help.”While it’s clear that Veterans Services are hoping for other funding opportunities, we believe COD should also be actively looking for other ways to fund veteran’s education. Perhaps we need to be pushing alternative and more reliable grants and bills, such as the GI Bill. Or perhaps we need to seek out more grants that will assist in funding state schools, since it seems they will have to continue to fund IVG students for some time.

would be having to pay for this, and now they have to pull these funds out of thin air in order to fulfill the state’s promise.

What happens if COD were to run out of veteran funding? “As this money continues to not come in, it could potentially affect us in the future,” Alferez explains. “I try not to think that way.

My focus has been and will continue

Views expressed in The Courier represent opinions of majority of editorial board. The Courier encourages all students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members to voice their opinions on all the topics concerning them both in and out of school. We encourage readers to submit a “Letter to the Editor” voicing their opinions on topics discussed in the editorial. See page 12 for more details on submitting a letter.

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 15

OPINION

EDITORIAL

What just happened?

The television screens are lit.

The crowd is electric.

The moderator is ready.

The opponents are waiting in the wings.

The time: Monday, Sept. 26, 2016.

The place: Hofstra University.

The event: the first presidential debate of 2016.

AKA: the most disappointing event of the year.

We at the Courier have spent most of the past week asking ourselves, “What happened in that first debate?” This was supposed to be an exciting and educational debate, one we expected to be for the books. Instead, it was an outlet for our presidential candidates to make fools of themselves and us for wasting an hour and a half of our lives.

Our biggest issue with whatever it was that occurred that night was with the blatant lack of information given to the viewers. Instead of treating the debate as an actual forum for spreading their thoughts on the differing policies, the candidates turned it into an imma-

ture fight. Whether this was them attempting to entertain their fans, or because they are simply unable to debate together, it was a major disappointment.

While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are completely responsible for the way they acted during the debate, we believe that the moderator, Lester Holt, enabled their child-like antics. At first Holt showed promise.

If a candidate answered vaguely or made clearly false claims, he would follow up with another question either asking them to explain said answer, or more often he would correct them. However, as we all settled into the debate routine, Holt lost control.

16 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

He let both candidates talk over each other, often to the point where the viewers had trouble hearing the initial answer. He also gave in to both candidates giving more than their fair or responses, ultimately leaving many of the public’s questions unanswered. Because of his leeway, there were many policies never touched on and many questions left unasked.

There are two presidential debates left before the election. We as a country need to expect certain things from these coming events, and we need to voice these expectations.

We at the Courier have a couple major changes we are hoping to see this month. The first, and most

major, is policy discussion.

We want both candidates to speak at greater lengths on their education, economic, and health care policies. While all policies affect us as citizens correctly, these are a few major ones that affect us as students and young adults directly.

We also want to see thoughtfulness in the debates. It’s essential as a president that you think before you speak, and that you bring up points you haven’t mentioned before. However, it’s also essential not to sound robotic. Don’t recite the same line over and over again in your debates.

Don’t scream the same word over and over again mindlessly. Be human,

and people will at least take the time to listen to you.

There is a serious level of disrespect that is clear through the actions of both candidates, both from this debate but this election season as a whole.

This is disrespect not only for the electoral process, but also for the voters who are tirelessly trying to make their nation grow into a better one (whatever that might mean for them).

It’s an unspoken rule that it’s your civic duty to watch these events.

Historically, this idea has made a lot of sense. It’s important for people to know who could be the next president. This person will be in charge of

our country for four years, and it’s not unreasonable for us to know what he or she is about.

However, if the debates keep occurring in this fashion, we at the Courier think you are better off spending your time researching the candidates yourself, and drawing your conclusions from that. Listen to stump speeches, comb through their websites and watch interviews. Speak with people who share your views, and more importantly, speak with people who don’t. Make an effort to educate yourself on the topics at hand! Make an effort to be a well informed citizen, and make sure you know who and what you are voting for.

OPINION

I Side With Alizay Rizvi · Social Media Manager

We debate a lot of things in our day to day life. What shoes would go with what shirt? Do your nails match your outfit?

Is that book better t h a n the movie? These are all questions we ask.

However, when it comes to politics, things can get a little complicated. With the passing

of the recent presidential debate, I have found many people are undecided on which candidate to go with.

This could be because Hillary Clinton’s outfits m a k e y o u want to barf, or perhaps the faces Donald Trump makes are awkward or idiotic.

This is where “I Side With” comes in. This website is designed to help you figure out which

candidate would be best for you. The great thing about it is that it is not based on whether or not Hillary’s outfit was on point for that one meeting, or if Donald Trump’s h a i r looked l i k e it was on edge during an interview. It goes off of things that actually matter. It covers issues from social to economic, in-

cluding issues with domestic and foreign policy, healthcare and criminal issues.

A helpful tool available is the ability to rank the questions themselves. If social issues aren’t as im-

portant to you as healthcare, you can state that, and it may change who you side with. There is also a feature that allows you to learn m o r e about each question.

You are also able to see public opinion and see which side of the argument more people are siding with. However, don’t let that stop you from raising your own voice. It’s always good to

go through the facts and make your own stance rather than being swayed by others, whether it be a parent, sibling, or even a boyfr iend/ girlfriend.

So if y o u n e e d help figuring out who to vote for this coming election, check out “I Side With” and see who is best for you!

Still not sure who to vote for? Check out www.isidewith.com to find out.

Transferring?

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Visit our website to view the full list of programs USF offers in the arts and sciences, business, education and nursing.

Courses offered on campus in Joliet (transfer students) and online (adult degree completers).

Adult undergraduate and graduate classes begin six times per year, apply now for October or January.

Financial aid and scholarships available.

Increased number of seats available in our newly-expanded Leach College of Nursing.

Attend an upcoming campus visit day to meet USF’s faculty, staff and students; discuss financial aid; tour the USF campus and learn about the St. Francis experience!

October 26 | Adult Undergraduate, Graduate & Transfer Open House October 29 | Nursing Campus Visit Day March 16 | Adult Undergraduate, Graduate & Transfer Open House More information and to RSVP:

STFRANCIS.EDU/CC

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 17

OPINION

Chicago scares me Vandy Manyeh · News Editor

“A new parent walking down the streets in Chicago, Nykea Aldridge, was killed in crossfire while pushing her infant child in a stroller”, “the month of August was the most violent month in Chicago in nearly 20 years”, “during the Memorial Day weekend, 64 people shot, six of them dead”, “five men shot dead a 38-yearold man in a parking lot leaving a puddle of blood behind”, “a 9-year-old boy was executed by 3 suspected gang members; they initially wanted to torture him by cutting off his fingers”, and “a 4-yearold child is the 4th child shot in just 3 days.”

Are these headlines from Aleppo or Damascus? No, they are from Chicago, one of America’s nicest cities that attracts about 35 million visitors every year.

If you are stoic about the staggering rise in senseless gun violence in Chicago all because you live in a suburban city you call a safe haven, you are completely erroneous.

Chicago embodies all of us. How many times do we give the name of our suburb during a vacation outside Illinois when asked about where we reside?

We always try to associate ourselves with this city all because it is easier to tell people, “I live in Chicago.”

If we aren’t putting ourselves in the shoes of that poor mom who can’t afford that huge rent to live in downtown Naperville, then it is time to rethink.

In fact, trying to perpetu-

ate an argument like this is a complete gibberish.

These horrific killings are stories that fuel misplaced arguments about Second Amendment rights.

The New York Times did a great work in a piece in its May 27 edition titled “Chicago’s murder problem,” by giving vivid reasons for these killings. Gang wars in the city, crimes in segregated neighborhoods, and tussle over drugs were the main reasons cited.

It is mind blowing when a person outside the United States reads this, simply because this country has the power to tell North Korea to stop a nuclear program, but has been unable to control these hooligans causing chaos.

But again, like or dislike the men in the blue u n i forms who risk their lives driving in these neighborhoods, criticize the Chicago Police Department (CPD) for sending the least experienced officers into violent communities, and think that a complete change of leadership in Springfield will end this dilemma, dream on.

Twenty years ago, Chicago was this violent. An unborn child 20 years ago is that kid that plays with a gun in his pocket ready to shoot his target anytime and anywhere. Although law enforcement plays a key role here, they don’t have the ability to check every home and close to a million people every day.

What has gone wrong?

The building block of society is the family. Our

18 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

families have failed miserably. Our families have shielded gun offenders, helped to keep drugs safe and groom young gang members.

This is why a city like Chicago will disrupt a Trump event, but has done nothing to end over 2,000 murders since 2012.

With this at hand, the city feels the only way out is to recruit more officers and send them into violent communities. The dynamics won’t change.

This will lead to more traffic stops, and further tension in these communities, since over and over new police officers think shooting an unarmed man who fails to listen to orders is the only way to apprehend him. The size of the needle has nothing to do with its effectiveness, neither does it suggest the steel industry is running out of steel. If our families cannot exert efforts to solve this problem, neither will an increase in the number of police officers solve this problem.

The state and the city are faced with serious budgetary problems.

There are growing concerns about the quality of education kids are getting in the city, and the city and state have declined to carry out earmarked deliverables they wanted to implement. Now we say, get more officers, buy more vehicles, pay them well and neglect to solve the dire problems we are faced with. Again, this won’t solve the gun trouble. We are basically saying dig a

trench to cover another trench.

Now experts are saying these violent communities have languished in poverty for so long. But here is the rational: there won’t be any peace until everyone who lives in these communities get wealthy.

Dear troublemakers, we all won’t live in Silicon Valley or Hollywood. We all can’t afford all our needs and wants. We all can’t afford that expensive annual summer vacation to Cancun, and as appealing the features of the latest technologies are, we all can’t afford to purchase them.

This is America. This is the dream. This is the only country in the world where a college dropout without a family fortune can climb t h e ranks and be labeled the world’s richest man. America has the power to change the life of a young athletic kid who will play basketball in a shady looking shoes to owning a shoe company.

Richard Karlgaard’s piece in the Forbes’ July 26 edition speaks of a tragic economic mismatch. After detailed research, he said, “Welders, carpenters, HVAC technicians – the U.S. has far too few of them. The shortfall in welders alone runs as high as 240,000, and it will get worse.”

Dear young men, there is nothing wrong with coming to a school like the College of DuPage and studying welding technology. At a school like COD, you will

only pay a few dollars to get a certificate. Karlgaard concluded that “Welders can make more than $100,000 a year including overtime – and the lack of welders means there is plenty of overtime.”

It is time for our families to encourage young ones to enter the trades.

They can become successful like parents who can afford to live in the woods or to give their kids a 2016 Ford Fusion. It is time to start reporting to law enforcement when we see our kids, brother, sister, or relative with that new pistol or bags of drugs. We should all encourage them to abandon these gangs and live a meaningful life. Yes, our kids are poor, but they can afford a trip somewhere to get a gun. America has shown over and over again, that there is a way to escape poverty.

T h i s situation is a slap in the face o f America. We don’t show that we are patriotic only when we nod our heads to the anthem or wear that “I’m proud to be an American” T-shirt. We show we are patriotic when we live the lives our country preaches.

That life is peace. America is the largest contributor to organizations like the United Nations (UN), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). America is leading the fight against terror and has demonstrated by its deeds what our world should look like. There we are killing our fellow man because of drugs and

some crazy reason. Think twice and tell me “I am patriotic.”

Lastly, I am scared simply because shootings aren’t just occurring in segregated communities.

Weeks ago, a man was gunned down near Millennium Park, and a young aspiring rapper was shot on the Eisenhower highway. Aren’t these places my family members and friends go every day?

Everywhere has become a war zone. Now, my late night walks in the streets of Chicago must come to an end.

Unlike New York, I am not going to support tougher gun laws that will worsen the situation and have a black man in prison. We already have 2 million people in prison and need justice reforms.

Last week a kid who is on parole killed a man in Champaign around the University of Illinois’ campus. Prison time has shown over and over that it will not, and cannot bring a halt to this nasty situation.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers tied the 2016 NBA Finals series 3-3, if I were to place a bet on either side, maybe that would have been one of the longest days of my life leaping on opinions.

But there is one bet that I am sure of: there is a man in a hospital right now in critical condition being treated for bullet wounds, or a young man in the streets has a gun and is ready to kill. Until I lose this bet, Chicago you scare me!!

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 19

SPORTS

Homecoming 2016 Alex Garcia · Sports Editor

PHOTOS BY BETH BERG/COURIER

Homecoming weekend at College of DuPage was filled with spirit, pride, and a bad taste of disappointment as the Chaparrals lose their second game of the season, and the third consecutive Homecoming game.

The Ellsworth Panthers traveled to COD in some pretty

scattered rainy conditions, but still come away with a victory by pounding the Chaparrals 27-7.

Who is to blame for this hard lose at home for the Chaparrals? I think a better question would be what shined through the clouds for the Chaps?

20 // codcourier.org // 05 October 2016

While there wasn’t too much goodfor an overall team loss, there are spots where the Chaps stayed true to their defensive nature, but it wasn’t enough against the Panthers roaring offense.

“Bend but don’t break!”

This is a phrase commonly heard on the field, and the name of the game for the Chap’s defense.

Although it was the defense that did their best to hold their helmets high and hang in the game, there wasn’t e n o u g h from them to force turnovers and stay off the field.

Time of

possession was a hard stat against the Chaps as their defense unit was forced to be on the field, for what felt like every other play.

The defense, as good of a fight as they gave, couldn’t win their battle.

While the defense was the biggest gleam of hope for the Chaps, there were many levels of the defense which didn’t put pressure on the Panthers offense.

There are three levels to a defense: the defensive line, the line backing core, and the secondary, none of which were dynamic enough to cause tur n-

overs.

With the lack of pressure to the quarterback, they were able to give the offense time to scout the field and pass the ball down the sidelines, and in the middle of the field. The secondary hard trouble covering the wide

receiver screens, as the first offensive drive for the Panthers ended with a 61-yard catch and run by Marcel Williams to the end zone off of a wide receiver screen. If this wasn’t an early sign of the fight to come, then the Chaps had a rude awakening. As the game went on, there was just

SPORTS

not enough pressure to hold down the backfield, whether it was stopping the run, or getting to the ball in the air.

I did say this defense was their saving grace for as long as the chaps could hold down the Panthers.

While they were able to hold the offense to a few stops and a hand full of good plays, like the first sack of the game by Jamal Williams for a loss of 5 yards, it was the complete lack of offense that really killed the Chaps, as this high scoring team was put in their place.

Besides the early touchdown drive the Chaps had, ending with a 2 yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Tavion Pauldo, it was difficult to get anything going on the offense.

“Well we put different guys at running back to see who gets hot. That’s been the problem, trying to find a guy for the game who is getting hot. This is a running type of game so it's very important we get it going.” Said running

back coach Albert Lee Cruse when I asked him about the lack of the run game at halftime.

For a team that has had a self of good running backs, including Marcus Jester who had a 109 rushing yard game week one of the season, weren’t able to get anyone going against the Panthers. The Chaps offense has been a balanced one for the season, dangerous to any defense as they would be unpredictable and able to beat teams on the ground or in the air, they were unable to carry over that way of football in this game. Along with the offense being forced to be one dimensional with the run game, the passing game couldn’t get going, especially with 3 interceptions all thrown in the air, including one in the end zone.

The Chaps couldn’t get their receivers open enough for them to make the

catches they are known for. This hasn’t been a big issue for the Chaps as spreading the ball around on their balanced offense was working pretty well.

Their lead wide receiver, Arturo Romero, had a 101-yard game in week two and they were able to throw four touchdowns to four

differ-

ent receivers. Sadly, they weren’t able to get many catches, let alone touchdowns, last Saturday.

This was their kryptonite as they had many opportunities to score points, tie the game, and give some credit back to the defense.

There was also a lot of

y e l -

low out on the field for the Chaps as they were flagged more than 7 times, 3 or 4 of those coming from false starts on the offensive line during the game. Just another contribution to their offensive woes. It gets frustrating for a team to be in the fight but continue to get flagged and lose yards in the harshest of ways, next to the turnovers.

This was a completely different team than what fans, and I’m sure the team, is used to being.

Even with a lackluster performance from the Chaparrals against the Panthers, there were still reasons to not give up. Although the Chaps need to really take some time to watch film, they need to take the positives from the negatives.

They put up a good fight on the defense, and that side of the ball is definitely the “winning” side. However, they still need to get back to giving

pressure to opposing offensive lines. They have marched away with wins due to their aggressive defense, averaging two sacks per game, so the defense needs to get back to hitting the quarterback.

While the offense really struggled, they have the opportunity to get back into full gear by thinking of ways to get the ground game going early, but being unpredictable enough to throw the ball when the chances creates itself.

They have also struggled on special teams throughout the first few games of the season, but looked like they made progress in this game, especially with the work horse the punter was.

The Chaps have a lot of film to watch this week. If they are able to get back to the style of football they were playing early on in the season, they could come back home and get another win against the Erie Kats next Saturday at COD’s Bjarne Ullsvik Football Stadium.

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SPORTS

Student Pride at COD Alex Garcia · Sports Editor

When any new student arrives to their first class of college, they venture to class with a complex twist of pride and hysteria as they get prepared to get the entire college experience. We all understood how different college was going to be than high school immediately after a short introduction to college life. Something that everyone is exposed to during the first few weeks of school is the concept of school spirit. The sense of pride one feels for the school they are studying at, there are many examples of school pride being a huge part of a student’s

everyday life on compass, and afterwards. Students purchase memorabilia, sports gear, clothing, and everyday household items with their school logo, and the pride of being a student at that school. However, most often examples of schools that have big waves of school spirit are four year universities, does that differ when it's at a community college like College of DuPage? That answer may surprise you.

Last week was spirit week as the school was preparing for their Homecoming football game against the Ellsworth Panthers, and

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preparations for the game were not spared. On Thursday, Sep. 29th, there was COD’s first pep rally in hopes to gather excitement for the upcoming football season. One of the biggest concerns that pops into the mind of many students is; who would go to that? It’s a reasonable question, after all, we all remember what high school pep assemblies were like. But this is a lot different then sitting in a hot gym, baring the heat and annoyance of sitting for hours cheering for something you might not even care about.

This is not the case

when comes to how COD hosts their pep rallies.

They knew how to draw a crowd with the preparation of free food and fun activities for the students.

Once there, there were a few activities to choose from like creating your own stuff animals, spray art tattoos, and tie dye shirt station. Even though it wasn’t anything that rolled out the red carpet, but with what they provided was all they needed to get some early school spirit started.

“School spirit is pride in where you go, and you should have a lot of pride wherever you go and ev-

erything you do.” Said a student dancer at the pep rally. Students even will take the energy level of the school in their own hands and try their best to get people excited and proud of their school.

While it is great that COD’s is able to challenge their students to bring all their energy and pride for school to the community, but something’s that most students still stand by is the lack of school spirit is at COD because it is a community college. “Oh, yeah any community college is goanna have less students than four year universities.

But school spirit is needed at any school you go to because it's part of the college experience.” One staff member said about the importance of school spirit to any college experience.

Even if community college size difference limits the amount of school spirit, that isn’t stopping the students of COD to have pride for what they do, and show their school spirit. The Chaparrals are expecting a big turnout for the homecoming game, no matter what size crowd, one thing is for sure; COD sure does smell like school spirit.

SPORTS

How our athletic division stacks up Alex Garcia · Sports Editor

Ah Saturday morning, it used to be a time to sit in front of the TV in comfy clothes and morning cartoons. Well at least that’s what it used to be, now-a-days it's getting up in the morning, painting your face with your school colors and screaming at your TV watching college football. We know it’s true, we all have that one person who gets way too emotional watching their college game. However, not every college gets the luxury to be on TV and have stadiums that get

filled with nearly 1,500 fans. For the students and players of College of DuPage, since we are a community college, our football team is apart of the National Junior College Athletic Association, or NJCAA, but what is that exactly?

If you go up to anyone wearing a college sweater and ask them about football, I’m sure they would know that most schools are in the NCAA, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, because most four year universities are

apart of this association: LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and many more four-year institutions. So then where does that leave COD? Well COD is in the last division of the organizations called the NJCAA, the National Junior College Athletic Association.

The way that the schools are categorized are by divisions. These are put into tears by schools, starting with the four year universities which are apart of the NCAA division 1 and 2. Then it goes down

to division 3, which are still four year schools or private schools, but they are normally smaller than some of the other universities. Then it jumps down to private schools, the NAIA. Then finally the NJCAA, which are predominantly community colleges.

So does this mean that the football we celebrate here at COD isn’t as big of a deal as the other division 1 schools? Well, yes and no.

Yes, because of us being a a community college we

aren’t going to have 1,500 students go and watch a football game. However, that shouldn’t take away the credibility of the men playing. These guys still have every and any opportunities to go pro.

If anything, they have a better chance to make it big after playing in the NJCAA. While the Chaparrals aren’t going to be bringing hundreds of people, they are not to be taken lightly.

This is a big chance that the players are taking so that they can get an early

jump on their school and degrees by getting an associates, but also getting their cleats on the field so that they can get a feel for what the NCAA has in stores for them.

So get to learn the players we have here at COD. They are working just as hard, if not harder, than anyone else in these divisions. You never know when the next time you’ll see them on a field for another school, or even an NFL team sometime in the future.

Intercollegiate Athletic Organizations

National Junior College Athletic Association 525 member schools, 55,125 players

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics 246 member schools, 25,830 players

National Collegiate Athletic Association Three divisions, consisting of 1,081 schools and 115,605 players

05 October 2016 // codcourier.org // 23

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