The Courier - Feb. 22, 2017

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C O LLE G E O F D U PAG E S T U D E N T N EW S PA P E R / / 2 2 F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 7 / / VO L U M E 5 1 – I S S U E 1 8

F O C U S

NEWS

A tour of COD’s student-run Waterleaf Restaurant p3

PAGE 7

OPINION

SPORTS

Award Shows praise sell-outs and cheap thrills p13

Vandy’s forecast for the 2017 NBA season p16-17

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Editor-in-Chief Lucas Koprowski News Editor Kitt Fresa Features Editor Caroline Broderick Graphics Editor Joseph Molino Reporter Vandy Manyeh

INDEX NEWS

4 Infrastracture: Crumbling under our feet

9 Courier Oscar Picks

FOCUS

15 My experience coaching a YMCA basketball team

8 Q&A with COD Faculty, Brian Brems

SPORTS

Photo Editor David Jura Social Media Manager Alizay Rizvi

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NEWS

A tour of the Vandy Manyeh · Reporter

VANDY MANYEH/COURIER

The college on Friday hosted a Sage Series: Inside the COD’s Culinary and Hospitality Center that brought together restaurant owners, former chefs, and community members to the college’s 60,000 square foot LEED certified Waterleaf building.

Nationally-acclaimed chef Timothy Meyers, who is the college’s culinary programs coordinator and an associate professor, led the guided tour and left everyone in awe. From the big kitchens, chocolate

room, Wheat café, culinary market, to the amazing views from a hotel room overlooking the lakefront, his guided tour was worth every step.

In between the tour, the Courier reporter Vandy Manyeh had a brief chat with Meyers: Vandy Manyeh: What are your responsibilities here at the culinary and hospitality center?

Timothy Meyers: So my responsibility here is to coordinate the culinary

and baking programs. I oversee the academic side of the program, the curriculum, the courses, the availability, the scheduling and the day-to-day activities that we utilize here in the kitchen and big shops.

I also coordinate with purchasing people to make sure we have everything we need to make classes successful.

VM: Can you describe the Waterleaf in terms of the facility, factories and services you have available?

TM: Sure. The culinary and hospitality center has about five kitchens, two big shops, a fine dining restaurant and Wheat café that are 100 percent student-run. There are six rooms in the hotel, which are also operated by our students as well.

VM: What academic programs do you have in place for students?

TM: We offer hospitality management, restaurant management, traveling and tourism management,

meeting and event planning, culinary arts, baking and pastry and culinology, which is the blending of culinary arts and food science.

space, and sizing; we have a combi-oven which helps reduce the cooking time; we have a very large smoker that we utilize for large cooking.

VM: What new technologies do you have available here at the center?

Visit www.codcourier. org to watch a video of what goes on in the chocolate room at the Waterleaf. For more info about the college’s culinary and hospitality program: http://cod. edu/programs/culinary/

TM: We have unique ovens and devices from the technology standpoint. We have a brand new cooking suite, where it helps students in the restaurant learn about efficiencies,

VANDY MANYEH/COURIER Chef Timothy Meyers, COD’s Culinary Programs Director

PROVIDED BY COD.EDU

PROVIDED BY COD.EDU 22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 3

NEWS

Infrastructure: Crumbling Under Our Feet Kitt Fresa · News Editor

Oroville Dam in California

When somebody says “America’s Infrastructure is crumbling,” unfortunately, they're right. The American Society of Civil Engineers rated America’s infrastructure at a D+ on their infrastructure report card in 2013. The new report card comes out March 9, but it doesn’t seem like conditions have improved much over the

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last three years.

Just this last week the Oroville Dam in California had a major malfunction when its spillway developed a massive hole, really it was more of a crater. California officials evacuated more than 180,000 people from the area near the dam. Luckily the water level fell, and people returned home, but

this should've never happened.

It's not just dams either. Bridges, roads, waterways, ports and schools are crumbling. The ASCE suspects that repair and updates of America’s infrastructure would cost $3.6 trillion.

One of the primary problems is maintenance.

It doesn't take much for inspectors to check a dam or any piece of infrastructure. But many states don’t hire enough inspectors to check all of the necessary infrastructure. Infrastructure isn’t usually something people think about a lot. Neglect leads to problems that start small but turn into much larger ones. Neglect turns problems into disasters.

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In 2007 the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapsed due to corrosion in its bearings and cracking along the bridge. The bridge had been inspected annually, and it was reported to be “structurally deficient.” On Aug. 1 the bridge gave out and disaster struck. In total 111 vehicles were involved along with construction workers, they fell a approximately 100 feet below. Thirteen people died and 50 more hospitalized.

We can prevent disasters like this. A proper inspection must occur at appropriate intervals. If there are defects, the correct actions must take place as soon as possible. The scale of these problems are scary.

The Oroville Dam stands

at a massive 770 feet.

Chris Deeman, a Technical Engineer at the College of Dupage, said problems like Oroville show how dangerous playing political games with needed infrastructure improvements can be.

“Yes, what I think is it ends up being a victim of is politics and economics and how that funds or does not fund infrastructure,” Deeman said. “It's not like we don't know our bridges are in bad shape.

Until they fall down in your state, nobody's willing to pay more taxes or divert money for these things. It’s just an unfortunate symptom of the politics that are going on right now. We’re not willing to invest in anything because

it's spending money. Well, some spending is necessary.”

So what can be done?

Congress needs to be pushed. There doesn't seem to be a heavy interest in infrastructure from politicians, so there needs to be a push from the people. Anybody can go to infrastructurereportcard.org and click on the Take Action section at the top of the page. It lists many actions that can be called on to better our infrastructure as a country. As a group we can push our state senators to protect us all from our crumbling infrastructure.

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NEWS

Michael Flynn: Thrown Out Kitt Fresa · News Editor

WIKIMEDIA

Just in the way Republicans cried for Hillary Clinton’s prosecution, some Democrats are now calling for Michael Flynn’s. Calls for an investigation and possible prosecution of Michael Flynn are all part of taking the former national security adviser’s discussions with Russia seriously, according to at least one College of DuPage professor.

After just 24 days of being the new National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn has been forced to resign. During the election President Barack Obama had placed sanctions on Russia in response to their alleged attempts to hack the Democratic National Convention. Before Flynn was appointed as National

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Security Advisor, he had a phone call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak discussing these sanctions between the U.S and Russia. Flynn had also apparently told the Russians to expect a reprieve on those sanctions. Flynn denied these actions but after discovering that the phone calls were recorded by intelligence officials he said he couldn’t remember if the topic had come up in their conversations.

Vice President Mike Pence and other White House Officials were later revealed to have been misled by Flynn. Pence had even come out on TV defending Flynn before realizing the truth.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said

the reason why Trump decided to ask for Flynn’s resignation was because,”The president must have complete and unwavering trust for the person in that position. The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation in a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for Gen. Flynn’s resignation.”

During the Republican Convention, Flynn was actually a speaker, and in reference to Hillary Clinton’s alleged illegal activities, he shouted, “Lock her up!” after talking about how she “put our nation’s security at extremely high risk.” Now Democrats are asking to “lock up” Flynn after his actions. On his show Real Time, Bill Maher said that

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this is “the most serious political scandal we have ever had in the United States.”

Could it be? Have the actions Flynn participated be considered treason?

Could he ever be prosecuted? In an interview with David Goldberg, a Professor of Political Science at College of DuPage we discussed just that.

After being asked whether he thought Flynn should be prosecuted he had this to say. “That should be a possibility, if that’s where the evidence leads and the investigation leads. At a minimum Senate, Foreign Relations and House Armed Services and Intelligence all need to ask questions, and there probably needs to be an inde-

pendent investigation that doesn’t involve Attorney General “Jeff ” Sessions. So I think that this is very serious.”

The possibility of blackmail was also something that lingered with this issue. Flynn’s information given to Russia could’ve easily lead to Russia asking for more.

“I think that depends on what the information is, Goldberg said.” “There’s certainly the appearance, the optics are that something’s going on here. I think what Trump said yesterday in the press conference is absolutely true.

If someone is between administrations and they’re reaching out to their counterpart saying “Hi, Happy New Year, How’re you do-

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ing, look forward to working with you.” That’s a very different conversation than “Obama just introduced new sanctions and kicked out 30 Russian diplomats, we’re asking you to chill out on that until the new guy comes in.” Making policy when you are not in government, speaking on behalf of the establishment of foreign policies is criminal activity. There’s no gray area there.”

After Trump’s primary replacement, Bob Harward, turned down the position, Trump’s secondary choice, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, accepted the advisory role.

COD Courier Student Newspaper 22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 5

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Q+A with Brian Brems, film-lover & COD Professor p8 Staff Picks: Best picture nominees worth watching p9 Manchester by the Sea + Moonlight Movie Reviews p10-12

22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 7

FOCUS Q&A: Brian Brems, film-lover and professor Caroline Broderick ¡ Features Editor

is truly a mass medium like almost no other (television is its close cousin, of course) because it is produced collaboratively and seen by a wide audience.

That means that each film is made up a variety of ideas, emotions, and arguments because it is created by a large group of people with varying perspectives.

Students can gain a lot from exposure to all these elements.

tion of systems. Obviously the internet has changed the way we interact with technology in many profound ways, which we're still trying to catch up with. However, it's hard to overestimate the impact of film on the way we live. I think if students can gain an appreciation for that, along with a greater sense of how the medium works to convey meaning, I'm quite happy.

CB: What can student learn from understanding film?

CB: How did you find yourself working with film and literature? Was it something you always wanted to do?

BB: I think that the best thing that students gain from studying film is increased awareness of the world around them. Film has always been a window into other people's lives, other cultures, other time periods, and so on. In my classes, we study a variety of types of films from different eras, genres, and perspectives, which helps students broaden their own view of the world.

CB: What are some things you hope each student leaves your class understanding?

Brian Brems in his office filled with books and movie posters at the College of DuPage

Assistant professor of English Brian Brems has gained notoriety amongst students for showing them a different lens in which to see film. Teaching English Composition I, II, Film as Literature, and Intro to Film Art, Brems allows his own lifelong passion for the art as the tool to expand his student’s minds.

Our Features Editor Caroline Broderick sat down with Brems to see what goes on behind the lesson.

Caroline Broderick: How do you find film helpful to students?

Brian Brems: I think film is a wonderful teaching tool, which is why I

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love teaching those courses. However, I also use film in my composition classes from time to time.

Film is a great intersectional medium, because it allows for a variety of different types of learning.

For example, truly understanding a film requires an ability to decode complex story construction and of-

Caroline Broderick/Courier

ten hidden character motivations, in addition to a high level to analyze both visuals and sound, which work together to create meaning. Beyond that, though, there's a tremendous amount to be learned about the social, political, economic and historical contexts in which the films were produced. Film

BB: When students leave my classes, I hope they've gained some greater sense of the importance of film to their lives, whether they realized it before or not. Film really is ubiquitous - television's resurgence as an artistic medium in the past ten to fifteen years is largely because it seems to have taken advantage of properties of film. The same is true of video games, which seem to get more cinematic with each new genera-

BB: I've always had a passion for film, even when I was very young.

I first went to college to study filmmaking, but eventually drifted over more to the analytical side of things. My Master's Degree from Northern Illinois University was in English, with a concentration in Film & Literature, so it's something I studied in college quite a bit. I'm sure some part of me always knew I would end up doing something film-related, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to teach film at COD. Even as recently as a few years ago, it seemed like something that would be a near impossibility to imagine, but here I am, teaching film on an almost day-today basis. I hope that my enthusiasm for the subject, and my desire to help students broaden their horizons on the kinds of films they see, helps to create some enthusiasm in them.

Courier Picks: Oscar nominated films worth watching

FOCUS

Moonlight is this year’s best movie. Not for its groundbreaking CGI or $300 million budget, but for its beauty and purity. Moonlight takes something simple and shines a light on the true emotion of the characters and their actions. We see somebody who struggles in life find himself through his journeys as a young boy, a teenager and as an adult. There’s a beautiful change in his personality, but what remains is his pure self. Not many other films have captured that in a story before. Moonlight does it to perfection, which is why it deserves to win. –Kitt

What would you do if you were chosen to make first contact with extraterrestrial beings? Arrival follows linguistics professor Louise Banks, played

by Amy Adams, tasked with uncovering the language of the apparent alien visitors to find out the truth as to why they came to our planet. Denis Villenueve does not shy away from breaking your typical alien invasion trope, and he does this beautifully by incorporating elements of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 to make the story and cinematography not only visually stunning but also very captivating. Amy Adams’ performance should have gotten an Oscar nod for Best Actress for she carried the entire film with such a sense of gravitas and vulnerability. Her performance especially delivers, sometime around the hour-and-a-half mark with a blow so devastating it will leave you breathless up until its final moments, as the shroud of mystery is unveiled, leaving you in a numbing daze. –Joseph

Everything about La La Land, I absolutely loved, just like every other person on the face of the earth. Visually, the film is incredibly beautiful and magical. The love in the movie is reflected in all aspects, the music, the cinematography, the costumes, the writing. This perfect coherence wraps together to have the own audience member fall in love as well, only to be left with an unexpected ending that breaks the stereotypical movie love. All this said, La La Land does not deserve to beat out its contenders, because though its message can run true in every person that watches, there are so many more important things that deserve the recognition. –Caroline

Manchester by the Sea took me by surprise. As I started up the movie, I was greeted by the beautiful oceanic scene of Manchester, New Hampshire.

The film follows Lee Chandler, a handyman whose existence is that of a depressed blue collared caricature until the death of his brother shakes his life from its foundation. Casey Affleck’s performance was stellar, and the film makes you uncomfortable with how realistic and true to life the interactions between characters unfold. This film deserves to be a contender for Best Picture at this year’s Oscar’s, and deserves nothing less than the gold. –Lucas 22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 9

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MOVIE REVIEW:

“Manchester by the Sea” deserves an Oscar Lucas Koprowski · Editor-in-Chief

(15 Minute Minimum)

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FOCUS

IT’S NOT TOO LATE Lee Chandler (played by Casey Affleck) and his teenage nephew, Patrick (played by Lucas Hedges)

The east coast has never looked so beautiful, nor felt so human. The last time I left the Midwest was when I was eight to go to Florida, but “Manchester by the Sea” successfully transported me to the Northeastern corner of the United States to stand in the shoes of a man whose demons have penetrated every corner of his existence.

Lee Chandler, a handyman for an apartment complex in Boston, is your normal every day stereotypical bar dweller. He can’t control his temper, and he obviously needs to talk to a therapist about whatever is leaving his life in a constant ghastly state of daydreaming. While on the job one day, he received a call from a hospital in New Hampshire telling him his brother had passed away after his heart

gave out.

Due to this, his past crawls into his consciousness once again as he takes care of his nephew while figuring out what he is going to do with his brother’s entire livelihood.

Not many movies can have multiple dynamically human characters while progressing a story that has the possibility of being your life starting tomorrow. “Manchester by the Sea” is the accumulation of human emotion tied together in a wrapping paper nostalgic to every member of the audience’s life.

Everyone knows, or at least has dealt with, a Chandler in their life.

He’s the guy who tends to hit first and ask questions never. He can never forgive himself, yet he can forgive everyone else.

His apprehension towards dealing with his past is

caused by the resentment of his mistakes. He’s the most human and relatable character I’ve ever seen in a film.

Casey Affleck was the perfect Chandler, and could not have been replaced without stunting the perfection of this movie. His performance was spot on. Although he follows his brother Ben in acting almost too robotically monotone, Chandler must be robotic to survive day-to-day, and hence making this is the perfect role for Casey’s first major breakout performance.

The cinematography and shot sequencing was also perfect. From the scenic introduction to how the camera was seemingly bolted into the boat as it swayed back and forth, each shot in this film had purpose. I wish I could say that about every film out

Source: IMDb

there on the market, but this can be only achieved by the most masterful of artists. Not even Quentin Tarantino can do this 100 percent of the time, and he’s probably the most famous director in Hollywood today.

While shedding tears halfway through this film, I didn’t know what I was doing. This film had not only struck my heart with a bubbling sensation of heartache; it fogged all my worries and pulled me into a harsh east coast winter standing behind Chandler as he dealt with nothing less than emotional nuclear fallout. People may be turned off by this movie’s quaint storytelling or the constant uncomfortable interactions we all avoid in life scattered throughout, however this is nothing less than perfect.

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MOVIE REVIEW:

Moonlight: Finding Oneself Through Pain and Journey Kitt Fresa · News Editor

Moonlight at its essence is a beautiful film told through a heartbreaking, but also breathtaking, story. It’s a film that focuses all of its energy on its characters, and it works to perfection. There is no need for action shots or CGI. It is pure emotion in a journey filled with the confusion and hysteria of finding oneself. That journey that everyone experiences is hard enough already, but to experience it through the turmoil of family and environment is something else completely.

We get to see that in Moonlight. With its emotional and powerful colors and its signature style of silent shots overlaid with beautiful classical music, the audience beholds something pure and exemplary.

All of

these things combine into a melting pot of perfect storytelling to make Moonlight.

We follow a boy in Miami who struggles to exist.

He’s plagued by a poor environment and a drug addicted mother. Director Barry Jenkins guides us through his enthralling journey by showing us three stages of protagonist’s life. His name is Chiron.

We begin in the first chapter titled “Little.” It takes place in Chiron’s youth. In the opening scene of the movie we see Chiron being chased by a few bigger and older boys who scream his embarrassing nickname - “Little.” They chase him into a crack hole where he locks himself inside. Eventually, they leave, and Chiron is left alone. This is until Juan,

Juan (played by Mahershala Ali) and Little (played by Alex Hibbert)

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played by Mahershala Ali, tears off a boarded window to see the boy inside.

Scared and quiet, Chiron follows Juan outside, and the two begin a very quiet relationship together. The more and more Chiron escapes his mother, the more time he spends with Juan, who guides him into

a more enlightened state about himself.

In the second chapter, “Chiron” we see Chiron as a teenager in high school.

He’s often bullied and has difficulty speaking out because he discovers more about himself, including his sexuality. It’s here that he finds a friend, Kevin, and the story develops even more into Chiron’s intriguing life.

The third chapter is titled “Black.”

We see Chiron in his adulthood.

This stage is easily the most

transformative as we see Chiron move into a more self-sustained lifestyle.

Trevante Rhodes, who plays Chiron in his adulthood, plays him extremely well, as we get to see some of the same emotions and expressions that were shown at his youngest.

These three stages show us Chiron in a way that is rarely directed. Seeing three different actors, play the same person over time is not easy to pull off, but, clearly, all three nailed their respective roles. It’s this kind of courage and risk that makes good films into great films.

The most beautiful part about this movie might also be its simplest. Late into the first chapter, a scene begins at the beach. Juan walks into the water and Chiron soon follows.

The scene shows Juan teaching Chiron how to swim. A simple life skill is turned into something of a baptism.

In fact that is exactly the word Barry Jenkins used with Mahershala Ali when talking to him before the filming of the scene. The camera is rustled by the beautiful teal waves lit by the bright, cloudy sky. As Juan holds Chiron on top of the water, everything falls into place. The beautiful violin music, the stress in Chiron’s face, the happiness in Juan’s, everything that happens in this scene wordlessly explains the importance of what’s happening.

An unbreakable bond forms in a scene so simple, and this is just one of the examples that makes Moonlight so great. Words cannot describe how intriguing and deep this movie is. You have to see it for yourself.

Source: IMDb

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EDITORIAL

Award Shows praise sell-outs Why the world could do without more fake news

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Award shows are the most pretentious, circle-jerking aspect of the art community in the United States. From the Golden Globes to the Grammys, we’re barraged with the meaningless stroking of millionaires’ egos as they go head-tohead for a metal statue that was supposed to stand for excellence but now has deteriorated into a way for celebrities to stay relevant.

This meaningless and constant barrage turns brains into the consistency of mashed potatoes. We are sick of people sucking on the teat of Hollywood while it takes the money out of our pockets to give Drake or Matt Damon another award for achieving nothing more than the bare minimum at their level of performance.

Drake, OK that’s fair.

He’s just another fake

rapper from Canada. But Matt Damon? He’s a great actor, why are you hating on “Good Will Hunting”?

Didn’t you see “The Martian” last year? That was fantastic! It won so many awards!

“The Martian” did win many awards, one of which being an Academy Award for Best Comedy.

Matt Damon also won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy. Keep in mind, “The Martian” is not a comedy. It’s an action movie. The Golden Globes gave an action movie an award for best comedy.

The Academy thought the movie deserved an award, but it couldn’t beat “The Revenant” for best action movie, so they decided to make their best comedy section into a throw away award for 2016.

By doing that, did the Academy make that

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LUCAS KOPROWSKI FEATURES EDITOR CAROLINE BRODERICK GRAPHICS EDITOR JOSEPH MOLINO REPORTER VANDY MANYEH SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ALIZAY RIZVI

award worth nothing less than dirt? “La La Land” won the same category this year, yet everyone seemingly forgot about how the same award last year was treated as a participation trophy. Does “La La Land” winning the award make the trophy worth something again? If so, that’s a deplorable way of selecting what a trophy is truly worth, and makes winning a Golden Globe worth the same as the participation trophy given to the scrawny kid on your local little league team.

How can anyone trust an award show who doesn’t critique the content of the art? Shows like the Golden Globes at least try to put up the façade of doing such, however shows like The Grammys tend to lean towards artists who sell instead of who was pushing

the medium forward.

For instance, how did Adele win Best Album of the Year this past Grammys? Beyoncé obviously had the more focused, artistic and genre defining album of the year in that category with “Lemonade,” yet Adele took home multiple Grammys which felt almost dishonest.

Once one compares sale numbers, it’s obvious why Adele won. She was able to push more sales across the board, and her major hit “Hello” had everyone from toddlers to grandmas singing in the car as the radio overplayed her dramatic voice. The song was major radio bait, but it was enough to capture the hard-earned dollars of millions of people who wanted to listen to the rest of her album.

This also happened last year in the same category

when Taylor Swift beat Kendrick Lamar for Album of the Year. Lamar created the album of the decade with “To Pimp A Butterfly,” and changed the entire face of the rap with that singular release.

It is on the same level as Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” and Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” in terms of artistic intent and influence.

However, when looking at the album sales of that year, it’s obvious why Swift won. Due to her album “1989” being released in 2014, which is weird for an award show supposedly celebrating the music of 2015, she had a head start in popularity. The entire album is radio bait, so it had a long shelf life.

On top of that, she didn’t allow the album to be released on Spotify, which forced people to either

switch to her platform, Apple Music, or buy the album.

The Grammys treats its lower level awards with integrity, such as Best New Artist or Best Country Album, but when it comes to Best Pop Album or Record of the Year, it’s all about who sold out. It is not about the artistic integrity.

Award shows such as these deserve to be dismantled. They don’t critique the arts; they decide who should continue a career in Hollywood. These awards are now only resume builders which prove how much money they can make instead of the quality of their work.

We would rather watch C-Span for two and a half hours than sit through another one of these dishonest award shows.

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.

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SPORTS Flight of the Pelicans: My experience coaching a YMCA basketball team Hulon Ware · Reporter

HULON WARE/COURIER

Hulon Ware leading his team through practice.

“Dance Party!!” - I will never forget hearing those words during my first day as coach. As I entered the gym with a bag full of basketballs, a clipboard and a brand new whistle I purchased from “Dicks Sporting Goods” the night before, I was drenched with sweat.

Watching my team this season dance their uncoordinated jigs, I thought, “How am I going to turn this disorganized group of third graders, with enough energy to reach Jupiter and back, into a team that can contend in the YMCA basketball playoffs?” After introducing myself as their coach, I started to get acquainted with my players. I discovered that these boys were Chicago Bulls fans who idolized Michael Jordan. However, this was the extent of their basketball IQ. During our first passing

drills, I was pummeled in the face by a basketball.

The gym erupted with laughter as my grip on the team seemed to loosen.

After all, having a bruise the size of a basketball is not a look that commands respect. Like a school of sharks, these third graders could smell my fear, and, in an instant, they went back to their dance party. I was nervous but conscientious about the task facing me.

Leave it to say, the first game of the year was a disaster. We ended up losing 8-17.

Luckily, I am not one to shy away from a challenge. A personal credo of mine is to never give up no matter the adversity. After our first loss, I knew I had to come up with a game plan to steer this team on the right course. I checked out “Survival Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball” from the library.

Within, I learned how to structure my practices so my players could become more involved and develop their abilities. I watched coaching tutorials by Bob Bigelow, on proper ways to make youth basketball fun while instilling the necessary skills to be proficient players on the court. I viewed commentary from NBA coach Gregg Popovich, on motivating players and introducing your coaching philosophy to the team.Turns out, none of that actually worked.

Once I stopped looking at coaching as an assignment, and allowed my players and I to have fun, I noticed a significant improvement during our games.

I finally understood that my players are young and are just looking to have fun. I had to structure my practices as a game, where the winners could play a quick game of knockout,

rather than boring drills that ended in chaos. Now I can say proudly that no balls have hit my face. I gathered my team in a huddle and announced, “Regardless if we win or lose, we will continue to play this game to the best of our ability. We may be small in stature and players, but we have the biggest heart.” Soon, I became seen as role model and teacher for my players.

I stopped practice every so often to explain how a drill works and how it would translate into the game. I even started spending time with individual players helping them understand the game I love. After every game, I would announce the MVP and defensive players of the week. As the players began to see my level of commitment to my team, I started to gain their respect.

Under my guidance, the 2017 Elmhurst YMCA Pelicans now have a record of three wins and three losses. On February 18th, we have a chance to gain a winning record this season.

However, facing a team like the YMCA Warriors will be no walk in the park.

Coaching has done wonders for my confidence and personal growth. Being able to see my team grow and develop as a unit and creating personal relationships with the players has been phenomenal.

Coaching has helped me realize that all people on this planet have a motivating factor that drives them.

We are all complicated individuals with equally perplexing lives. As a coach, I have to harness that motivation and channel it to bring home the victories.

I love coaching. I like being able to spend time with my players to celebrate our

wins and to mend their broken spirits after every loss. The players and I have grown significantly since I first walked into that gym.

We have finally moved past learning the fundamentals and started learning plays. I even named an inbound play after those famous words: dance party.

This play combines shock and awe. The players begin by lining up according to their position. After the play is called, everyone does a dance and then breaks away from the line.

Executed correctly, it guarantees a scoring basket and gives the parents something to enjoy.

In other words, no matter the outcome, win or lose, we are the 2017 Pelicans, and that means more to me than any championship.

22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 15

SPORTS

Vandy’s NBA forecast Vandy Manyeh · Reporter

The 2017 NBA All-star game is over, and teams are gearing up for the final stretch of the season. Players and teams are about to book a spot in the top eight to have a 1/16 probability of winning the 2017 NBA championship title. After following the league to this point, here are my takes on players who will win major accolades:

MVP: James Harden (Houston Rockets) A boy from Los Angeles, living the dream in Houston, is averaging 29.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 11.3 assists through 58 games. His scoring ability isn’t a shock since he has been able to average a little above 20 points per game through his NBA career. Harden is having a surreal year, leading the Houston Rockets as they comfortably sit third in the tight Western Conference. Not only is he playing for himself, but he has been able to get guys involved with his new role at the point guard position since the arrival of veteran Head Coach Mike D’Antoni from his NBA coaching sabbatical. It is easy to compare these statistics with the “Brodie” and fellow Los Angeles native Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is averaging 31.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10.1 assists through 57 games. He is averaging a triple-double half way through the season and is ranked third on the list of players with the most triple-doubles through a season behind the legends Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain. In all honesty, Harden and Westbrook could go unblemished by basketball pundits if any is announced as the league’s MVP. But here is the simple reason why Harden stands a better chance to scoop the title: Houston is third in the Western Conference, while Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder are at the seventh spot. Why does this matter? Since the league placed an end to fans voting for the MVP title in 1975, no player has been able to win the MVP title without being in the top three spots in their conference. Admittedly, Westbrook is a great player like Harden, but his team’s position could cost him a major award despite his stellar performances.

Contenders: Russell Westbrook (OKC Thunder), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs)

Defensive player of the year: Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors) On a team with a bunch of light-skinned guys* who we all think just play offense, Draymond Green is that man who dictates the way the Golden State Warriors shape on the defensive end. If you cannot fathom how the Warriors blew up a 3-1 lead to succumb to the Cavaliers in last year’s finals, here is the reason: they played without Green in game 5 after he was handed a flagrant foul one for hitting LeBron James in the groin. Since the end of last season, the Warriors let go most of their defensive players to create a room for Kevin Durant. Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, and Festus Ezeli who rotationally gave the Warriors that much-needed rim protection are no longer with the team. Green is the solid rim protector and the team’s de facto defensive coordinator. He has been able to steal the basketball 111 times this season, about 2.1 steals per game (second in the NBA). He recently got a triple-double the hard way with 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals, while adding 5 blocks. Green could face a fierce competition from Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside who is averaging 14 rebounds per game, with most coming from the defensive end. Whiteside most recently led his team to a 13-game winning streak.

Contenders: Hassan Whiteside (Miami Heat), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs)

Sixth man of the year: Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets) As the seventh pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft, Eric Gordon has had a rough career trying to play well like he did during his time at Indiana University. He was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the New Orleans Pelicans and had a rough spell missing games due to injury. The versatile point/shooting guard was signed by the Houston Rockets and has established himself as a key part of Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Coming off the bench, Gordon has made 148 treys from downtown, which is the fourth most three-point total in the league this season. As the Rockets’ sixth man, he is averaging 17.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists through 52 games. He isn’t the only sixth man putting up such numbers.The Los Angeles Lakers’ Lou Williams is averaging 18.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists through 58 games. Gordon stands a better chance since his team is winning, sitting at the third spot in the Western Conference.

Contenders: Lou Williams (Los Angeles Lakers), Enes Kanter (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Image Source: Creative Commons

16 // codcourier.org // 22 February 2017

*For context, visit: http://uproxx.com/dimemag/shaun-livingston-warriors-soft-light-skinned/

SPORTS

Most Improved Player: Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics) Prior to this season, Isaiah Thomas averaged a little under 18 points per game for the Boston Celtics.This season, he is averaging 29.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists through 53 games. He broke Celtic’s legend John Havlicek’s record by scoring 20 points in 40 straight games.

Drafted in the second round as the 60th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thomas is leading his team to an amazing run in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics sit at the second spot with a decent 37-20 record. Nicknamed “Mr. Fourth Quarter,” Thomas has been the decisive player during recent wins for the Celtics. During a recent five-game winning streak, he averaged 16 points, 2.5 assists, and went 16-16 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. The Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo is a contender for this award, leading his team in all major categories. Given the Bucks’ recent performance coupled with the absence of Jabari Parker, Antetokounmpo cannot continue his electrifying performance. The Celtics look ready to compete with the Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference title, and as such, a team’s performance could affect the way voters will vote, thereby giving Thomas an edge to win the Most Improved Player award.

Contenders: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns)

Rookie of the Year: Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) DeMarcus Cousins sees him as the best big in the league after he retires, and 922,174 fans voted for “The Process” in this year’s All-Star campaign. A rookie with a high fan base, he is about to be the second back-to-back unanimous Rookie of the Year after 2016 winner Karl-Anthony Towns. With restricted minutes “The Process” has been able to put up terrific numbers. He currently averages 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists through 31 games. Embiid is playing without 2016 first round pick Ben Simmons and a bad roster. For a rookie to establish himself so early, making himself the face of a franchise, nothing is more deserving than the Rookie of the Year Award. Phoenix Suns’ Marquese Chriss has shown how athletic he is, giving us some nice dunks, but his numbers aren’t good enough to match Embiid. Malcolm Brogdon of the Bucks like Chriss has been able to get into the starting five on numerous occasions. Unlike other awards, voters usually vote for the best player regardless of the player’s team performance. Top rookies are usually drafted by teams with the least wins. This is an advantage for Embiid who’s playing for one of the worst teams in the NBA to win the Rookie of the Year award despite his team’s performance.

Contenders: Marquese Chriss (Phoenix Suns), Malcolm Brogdon (Milwaukee Bucks)

22 February 2017 // codcourier.org // 17

Touch-Tone Telephone – Lemon Demon Genre: Pop Sounds like: Jonathan Coulton, Da Vinchi’s Notebook Neil Cicierga is one of the most multi-faceted artists in the music scene today. From his three albums of musical meme mash-ups, one of which released earlier this year, to his main musical project “Lemon Demon,” his skill is one of a masterful musician. “TouchTone Telephone” is a clean, bright and inspiring song about how he wants to be someone’s personal touch-tone telephone. The track is rich with a beautiful sound, and has the power to change the mood of my entire day. —Lucas

3030 – Deltron 3030 Genre: Rap Sounds like: Gorillaz Deltron 3030 know how to make beats that stand out, 3030 is one of them. It’s important to know that Deltron 3030 and Gorillaz share some of the same members so if you like Gorillaz you’re going to like this. 3030 sounds like a song people rise up to, the song switches from eery electronics to angelic vocals and makes something creative and inspiring in its own way. It’s a song that makes you want to get up, not to dance, but to do something heroic. —Kitt

Midway – Bad Bad Hats Genre: Indie Rock / Sounds like: Best Coast, Beach Fossils Midway feels like freshly stepping out of the DeLorean, only to find out you’re back in high school, stuck in your teenage body ridden with angst and confusion. Starting off with a simple drum beat and dreamy guitar lines, the sprawling and energetic song steadily builds up as vocalist Kerry Alexander sighs, “God, I could have kissed you..” and by the time the first chorus hits, you’re transported back to the good old days of youthful bliss. The unique inflection and coy delivery of the lines “I wish that you would ask me if I’m feeling alright / The shadows you were casting nearly swallowed the night” weaves a certain kind of nostalgia only a first heartbreak can bring. —Joseph

Season 2 Episode 3 - Glass Animals Genre: Indie Rock / Sounds like: Portugal. The Man, Chet Faker My first time listening to Glass Animals, I was convinced I was listening to a woman sing. Dave Bayley’s androgynistic voice keeps this track interesting, singing in contrasting tones throughout it. Glass Animals always provides an interesting beat, but for S2E3, old school Mario is twisted into the background, providing the song with a carefree and playful sound. The track is centered around a girl unlike any other, who has her own quirks, which plays beautifully into its own quirky sound. ­—Caroline

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KNOW YOURSELF. KNOW YOUR WORLD.

REACH YOUR POTENTIAL

OPEN HOUSE April 22

To RSVP for the open house, go to www.elmhurst.edu/openhouse Elmhurst is coming to COD! Thursday, February 23 Wednesday, March 1 Tuesday, March 14 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

2nd floor, near Starbucks

YOU BELONG HERE Elmhurst College welcomes more than 300 transfer students every year. We know what transfer students want and need—and we’re committed to your success. We’ll help you identify your goals, discover your world and reach your potential.

A TOP 10 COLLEGE Elmhurst is one of the top 10 colleges in the Midwest, according to U.S. News & World Report. We’re a great value, too. Money and Forbes magazines rank Elmhurst among top colleges for your money. Plus all transfer students receive scholarship support.

AN EASY COMMUTE Our campus is close to several major highways, and a few blocks away from the Elmhurst Metra station.

A SMOOTH TRANSITION We’ll offer you credit for work you’ve already done. We can even evaluate your credits before you apply.

FAST-TRACK OPTIONS Finish your degree on the fast track! Degree-completion programs in business administration, information technology and psychology help you reach your goals in less time.

LEARN MORE Get started on your future by contacting us today!

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(630) 617-3400 admit@elmhurst.edu www.elmhurst.edu/transfer