The Courier - April 11, 2015

Get board election results online at codcourier.org.

THE

COURIER COLLEGE OF DUPAGE STUDENT NEWSPAPER \\ 8 APRIL 2015 \\ VOLUME 48, ISSUE 25

EDITORIAL

Lower the legal limit The drinking age should be 18

PAGE 11 >

NEWS

SPORTS

Student organizations try to tackle low involvement

Freshman pitcher throws perfect game

PAGE 6 > FEATURES

PAGE 13 >

New opportunities find AIGA

PAGE 9 >

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2 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015

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

THE

COURIER

EDITOR IN CHIEF Joash Mencias NEWS EDITOR Taira Alabi OPINION EDITOR Maggie Curran FEATURES EDITOR Kelly Wynne SPORTS EDITOR James Kay COPY & DESIGN EDITOR Ashlee Berner

INDEX NEWS

OPINION

5 SLC president to serve on ICCB

11 Editorial: lower the legal drinking age

FEATURES

SPORTS

9 Graphic designers aim for recognition

13 Freshman throws perfect game

10 Death Cab for Cutie album review

COFFEE BREAK

15 Comics and more

PHOTO EDITOR Lucas Koprowski

C O R R E C T I O N S & C L A R I F I C AT I O N S NEWSROOM 630-942-2683 ADVISER Jim Fuller fullerj103@cod.edu

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Left: Chaparral baseball pitcher Cole Waligora. Photo

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NEWS

Elections are here: what students need to hear TAIRA ALABI NEWS EDITOR

After months of campaigning, forums, and controversy, District 502 residents had an opportunity to elect three members to the College of DuPage Board of Trustees.

Whether or not you voted, here are three reasons why yesterday’s elections will make an impact on students at College of DuPage.

islation has been filed to look into the board’s use of the college’s finances.

Board meetings have also been moved to the Student Services Center atrium just to host the dozens of people who want to speak out about the board. And Chicago area newspapers have published several reports on questionable dealings at the community college.

1. COD has been under heavy scrutiny The Board of Trustees’ recent decisions, including the approval of a $763,000 severance package to COD President Robert Breuder, has come under heavy public scrutiny. State leg-

2. The election could change the direction of the board On votes involving finances and the fate of college administration, the board usually votes 6-1, with Vice Chairwoman Kathy Hamilton typically

being the lone “no” vote.

With the potential of having three new board members, the college could see decisions in opposition of the incumbent board and a change in how COD is run.

3. The new board has some big decisions ahead The board is already in charge of key factors at the college like spending and implementing tuition rates.

This new board will also have one added responsibility: the choosing of a new president in the midst of public scrutiny. With President Breuder’s retirement in 2016, the board will be tasked with finding his successor after his high-

ly criticized tenure.

The new board will also decide in 2016 whether tuition is increased or decreased from its current $140 per credit hour for in-district residents and $327 per credit hour for out-of-district residents.

The college is in a period where it is seeing enrollment growth, as well as increased attention to community colleges on the national stage. Breuder has stated that he plans to continue to expand the college and pursue to college potentially offering more four-year degrees. All of LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER this will be decisions the board has say on.

A sample ballot for the April 7 general election.

Email: news@cod.edu

Torres receives seat on ICCB BOARD ELECTION

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER TAIRA ALABI NEWS EDITOR

Student Leadership Council President Stephanie Torres has been elected to a serve as a student representative on the Illinois Community College

Board.

Torres, who also served as a student trustee at College of DuPage in 2013, will start her yearlong term in June.

According to its website, the ICCB helps create pol-

icies that are essential to the passing of state laws regarding community colleges.

The board features 11 members that are appointed by the governor. The one student member is selected the ICCB student advisory committee.

In a press release, Torres expressed her gratitude and says she looks forward to working on the board.

COD Board of Trustees Chairwoman Erin Birt, who worked with Torres as a student trustee, said in a press release that Torres was an “incredible leader.”

“She has a remarkable way of relating to others,

listening to them and then communicating the information she has heard to provide input and often elicit change for her fellow students,” Birt said.

Torres is a forensic nursing major and is also involved in student clubs like Phi Theta Kappa and the Latino Ethnic Awareness Association.

In a press release she explained her reasons for wanting to be so engaged.

“It is our responsibility to be proactive and make our opinions matter – this is how change begins,” Torres said.

Find the latest election results and news coverage of the College of DuPage Board of Trustees election online at codcourier.org OR

Follow us on Twitter (@CODCourier) and like us on Facebook for ongoing election updates.

Email: news@cod.edu 8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 5

NEWS

Student organizations try to tackle low involvement TAIRA ALABI NEWS EDITOR

While College of DuPage's Student Leadership Council struggles to get students involved, leaders of COD’s clubs and organizations are taking their own initiative to find innovative ways to get students more involved.

COD is home to over 60 student clubs ranging from religious groups to ethnic awareness clubs. Each week, these clubs host meetings, speakers, and other social events in an attempt to raise awareness for the various causes that the clubs promote.

While some events, specifically ones offering free food, are heavily attended by students, others are not.

This is something that frustrates Earl Dowling, vice president of student affairs.

Dowling believes that while the clubs at COD host a variety of events that

students would be interested in, the lack of student interest is due to an overall apathy in society.

“If there’s a bright idea out there, I am ready to do something, and I’d be glad to do anything,” Dowling said.

Dowling explained that his office uses “table tents,” or little cardboard fliers placed in common areas around campus, to advertise its events and initiatives. While he is unsure how effective the “table tents” have been, he is glad that they are available for students to see.

Dowling’s bright idea might have already been found. He mentioned that he attended last month’s “Spring It On,” a series of events that ranged from a live concert to an indoor carnival. Dowling found those events to be very well

attended by students.

Alter Ego Productions is the student club behind “Spring It On.” According to AEP’s mission, the club aims to provide several entertaining events to students throughout the year.

AEP’s marketing producer Daniel Rodriguez attributes AEP’s success to a variety of factors. For “Spring It On”, Rodriguez said that he tried to make the advertising simple and accessible for a busy commuter student.

Another key strategy Rodriguez mentions is the use of a “street team” that goes around campus and talks to students about the upcoming events.

“We make a personal connection to them,” Rodriguez said. “Those connections makes them want to come to the events.”

The street team goes out

to talk to students about a week before events and as well as minutes before an event starts to remind students of the events.

Rodriguez does admit that having free food like cotton candy, corn dogs, and funnel cakes at their events is one of the main attractions for students.

“We try to have things that attract students and benefit them, I mean it’s free food,” Rodriguez said.

As AEP banks on the sheer fun of the events its hosts to draw students, other groups hope that prestige and academic opportunities will attract students.

COD’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, PTK, an international honor society for community college students, sends out email messages to the students who qualify to be members to

the society. Students must have above a 3.5 GPA and have completed at least 12 credits.

PTK’s president Paolo Mazza explained that students who opt to join PTK are sent weekly emails with a list of events.

Last month, PTK hosted a March Membership Madness Month of events which he believes went well.

Mazza, who is graduating, wants to ensure that next year PTK is able to further improve its marketing strategies. He has begun preparing guides and sample emails and fliers to help the next leaders of PTK. “If you have some sort of structure already, it is really essential to helping build yourself as a leader and grow,” Mazza said.

As the student clubs and

organizations take on the task of getting students more involved into their own hands, the Student Leadership Council is taking notice.

Aira Lheiz Aquino, the outreach coordinator for the SLC, wants to see clubs continue to go beyond the norms to get more student involved. Aquino explained that while expanding outside of one’s comfort zone can be hard in marketing, she believes that is something that the students at COD deserve.

“This is a chance to share the opportunity [you have been given],” Aquino said.

“I feel that makes the difficulty worth it.”

Email: news@cod.edu

POLICE REPORTS Book Lost in HSC

Crash in Fawell Parking Lot

Hit and Run in College Parking Lot

At approximately 11:25 a.m. March 26, police were dispatched to deal with a delayed theft. A student explained that he had left his book on a window ledge in the Health and Science Center. When he returned to retrieve his book, it was no longer there. The student said he had checked both the lost and found and bookstore for the book, butdid not find it. Police checked to see the book had been back sold back to the bookstore and it had not been. At the time of print the investigation is pending.

At approximately 1:10 p.m. March 26, police were called to the College 3C parking lot to investigate damage to a car. The driver of dark gray Hyundai Sonata explained that she had parked her car, and upon returning saw damage to her driver’s side rear wheel well and door. There was light gray paint transfer on the Hyundai Sonata. At the time of print, the offender is unknown. A request has been put in to find identify the offending vehicle.

At approximately 10:52 a.m. March 27, police were called to the scene of a crash at the Fawell D parking lot. A gray Toyota Corolla was driving down the parking lot when a black Toyota Camry backed into the Corolla’s passenger’s side. The Corolla sustained moderate damage to its passenger’s rear door side, while the Camry had damage to its bumper. There were no injuries.

6 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015

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April 29, 10-1 May 6, 10-1

These visits take place on the second floor of the SRC near Campus Central.

To learn more about North Central College’s visit day program and to register visit northcentralcollege.edu/transfer or call 630-637-5800.

8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 7

THE COURIER IS HIRING FOR THE 2015/16 ACADEMIC YEAR. Academic Assistance in PE 120 for all students

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F E AT U R E S

New opportunities find AIGA KELLY WYNNE FEATURES EDITOR

The College of DuPage branch of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, AIGA, has been growing in size ever since it began 7 years ago. This school year has offered a wide variety of new opportunities for the group, from hosting their own contest to their first show at the Wing Arts Gallery.

AIGA gives graphic designers, artists and photographers the opportunity to experiment with design. The COD branch is just one of two community college student groups of the national organiza-

tion.

Felicia Moore, president of the COD branch, believes that in the graphic design world, Illinois has been overshadowed. This year, the group was able to create a new competition upon receiving the AIGA student group project grant. Moore believes the contest opens a large possibility of putting Illinois on the radar.

“We wanted to create a competition that would really get Illinois students noticed,” said Moore.

The group created what they call the ACE Awards

which will run through May 1. The competition will take submissions in 13 categories from anyone who can prove they are a college student in Illinois.

Moore and the other AIGA leaders found this opportunity as a way to promote not only COD designers, but the state as a whole.

“COD is such a huge sector of the design world, and that goes beyond just graphic design,” said Moore. “I feel like we go unnoticed because people say ‘oh they just go to a community college.’

Having the opportunity to open this up collegially, and possibly winning a lot of [the categories] is really our push. We want to get our designers noticed as well as the state in general.”

Along with the new competition, AIGA will be hosting a show in the Wings Student Art Gallery to support their annual Brain Flower magazine.

The magazine, created entirely of COD student designs, has become a tool for the group to showcase the best submissions. The gallery show from April 13

COURTESY OF AIGA

to 17, will feature not only top tier designs from the magazine, but also honorable mention pieces.

Bonus material can also be found in the magazine’s online version. The new set

up has been created with not just winners in mind, but also respectable submissions that were unable to be in the print version.

Another first for the group is AIGA’s new

continued on page 10

8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 9

F E AT U R E S

continued from page 9 online store. Just launched as an addition to their website, www.aigacod.org, the shop features designs

by COD students on everything from T-shirts to phone cases.

In the spirit of new ideas, this year the group expanded their philanthropic roots. AIGA contributed to the Central DuPage Hospital pediatric

ward with the creation of a coloring book designed by COD students. The group was able to fulfill this goal with extra funding from the college after their fundraising efforts fell short.

The 44-member branch is composed mainly of students interested in art, graphically and otherwise.

All types of students, art inclined or not, are invited

to participate in nonprofit activities the group runs. “We wish that we could welcome everyone, but most people aren’t interested because it’s not their cup of tea,� said Moore.

She hopes that even those not interested in joining the group will take leisure time to enjoy the magazine, and see what AIGA has to offer. “I think that art in

general motivates people.� Said Moore. “I think even though people aren’t involved, it motivates them, so I hope that the word gets out about Brain Flowers so maybe they want to stop by the gallery and pick up a copy.�

More information about ACE Award submissions can be found at www. aceawardscod.com.

Email: features@cod.edu Twitter: @kellywynne23

REVIEW

Death Cab breathes life into old sound KELLY WYNNE FEATURES EDITOR

would expect from the band. Not a single note seems out of line, and each song can be easily blended into any past album. That being said, the catchy new tunes still sound brilliantly fresh, and the band’s signature sound seems to have a long road ahead COURTESY OF PITCHFORK before being worn down and unwanted.

Waking up on March 31 The first single released, was like Christmas morn- “Black Sun,� sounds ing. This was the day I directly off of 2005 release could finally get my hands “Plans,� arguably the on a full copy of “Kintsuband’s most well-known gi,� Death Cab For Cutie’s album. I was in shock that long awaited ninth studio a song released 10 years album. After the release of later could sound so similar four fantastic singles over to the songs that initiated the past two months, my my never-ending love for expectations for the full the band. album were soaring. “No Room In Frame,�

As the band’s first album “The Ghosts Of Beverly release since 2011’s “Codes Drive� and “Little Wander� and Keys,� “Kintsugi� rep- came next as pre-releases, resents the rebirth of the each with a unique sound. band after their rumored Even looking past the tune split and reconnection. It’s and really digging into the completely expected for song content, I was unable musicians to evolve and to pinpoint one thing I change their sound, and didn’t like about any of the I was excited to see what singles. Each held similariwould come from the band ties to songs from the past, after such a long hiatus. but lyrics and messages To my surprise, nothing gave a fresh take on Death changed at all.

Cab’s classic sound.

This album is exactly After all of that, I knew what indie-rock fans this album would be great.

10 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015

The pre-release vibes seemed safe enough to be beautifully nostalgic, yet new with different stories to be told. Never in a million years did I think “Kintsugi� would exceed the high expectations that I had created based on the first releases, but I was wrong.

When listening to the album in its entirety I was stunned. Each song is different than the last in a way that creates a full album sound rather than a continued playlist of singles. “You’ve Haunted Me All My Life� may be the least complex song on the album as for instrumentals, but it takes to the top of my favorites list. The eerie echo fits in with Death Cab’s classic sound I have grown to love, but presents an entirely new idea of a “mistress that can’t be a wife� the band has never explored. The simplicity of the song and the driving focus on lyrics makes for more of an emotional experience than just a song to play on the radio. I found myself almost in tears even though I was unable to relate to the message.

As the album continues, tracks pick up speed and dance factor. “Good Help (Is So Hard To Find)� is a clear alternative radio hit with an uplifting sound. “El Dorado� and “Ingenue� bring instrumentals unlike other tracks on the album becoming almost exotic.

The track diversity opens doors to a wide prospective audience, sure to welcome new listeners to enjoy the revived tone.

Altogether, the album proves to be one of the best releases of the year. Death Cab For Cutie’s history leading up to this album implied nothing less, but to see an album come together after the possibility of no future endeavors from the band gives long time fans an even greater reward than just a new collection. “Kintsugi’s� sound brings not only contentment with the Death Cab’s current standing, but appreciation for the band’s history as well as excitement for their future. This album is sure to bring in thousands of new fans while keeping long-time enthusiasts satisfied.

Email: features@cod.edu Twitter: @kellywynne23

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OPINION

Lower the limit Legal drinking age should be 18 The national government considers 18-year-olds to be adults. They can vote.

They can enlist in the military. They can buy cigarettes. They can buy a house. They can be tried in court like any other adult, and they can go to federal prison too.

But they can’t drink alcohol.

It’s the question heard around the world, mostly because the rest of the world doesn’t get it either: why is the drinking age so high in the United States?

The easy answer is that in 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, in which states were told to raise the drinking age to 21, or up to 10 percent of federal highway funding would be cut from that state. A more detailed explanation gets a bit more ambiguous.

Some think that the drinking age is 21 because at that age, your body is finally mature enough to consume alcohol without the negative effects. These people are both right and wrong. Teen years are cru-

cial for brain development, and binge-drinking alcohol can hinder that, causing issues later on with mental well-being. The catch is that the issue is binge drinking, not drinking altogether. Binge drinking can be harmful for more than just the brain, even for adults that are no longer in their teen years, but a few drinks here and there at the age of 18 wouldn’t actually create any issues down the road.

Another school of thought is that teen drinking is the root of most drinking and driving incidents, and therefore, to stop drunk drivers, we must prevent teens from drinking alcohol.

The counterargument to this one is pretty clear: teens are currently legally banned from drinking alcohol, and teen drunk driving still exists. The assumption that all drunk driving stems from teen drivers is downright laughable. There are more than enough drunk adults stumbling out of bars and getting behind the wheel on any given Friday night. They are as

COURTESEY OF FLICKR

much of a problem as any teenager doing the same.

It isn’t about age. It’s about common sense, or lack thereof.

One of the more outrageous claims of support for the current drinking age is that English common law, as in, the same English common law from multiple centuries ago, stated that a person was an adult at the age of 21. This person was then given all the responsibilities and privileges of adulthood, like the ability to drink or even become a knight.

We’ll spare the details of

the obvious counterpoint that perhaps we shouldn’t base our current laws off of British Medieval ways of thinking. That’s a conclusion any logical person could come to on their own.

At this point, any popular reasoning behind the present drinking age just doesn’t hold any substance or value. Other countries with lower drinking ages are proof that making alcohol taboo for teens only makes drinking that much more appealing. Let teens drink, and it will lose its thrill. In addition, because

alcohol is hard to come by for teens in America, when they do get a hold of it, they binge drink. It’s an endless cycle of 18-yearolds wanting to be treated like adults and acting out when they aren’t. So why not give them what they want?

The Prohibition of the 1920s didn’t work because nobody was willing to follow the rules. So we changed the rules. This is the same situation. Teens are finding ways to drink no matter what laws are in place to stop them. This only leads to binge drink-

ing, juvenile delinquency, and brain development issues later on. So change the law. It couldn’t hurt to try.

This isn’t an advocacy for letting 18-year-olds get wildly drunk, drive while intoxicated, or make any other irresponsible choices.

But if our society feels you are old enough to vote for our president, fight in a war, own a house, and go to prison, you’re old enough to have a drink.

At this point, any popular reasoning behind the present drinking age just doesn’t hold any substance or value.

THE

COURIER EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITOR IN CHIEF Joash Mencias OPINION EDITOR Maggie Curran DESIGN EDITOR Ashlee Berner

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.

Writers can express their views in a “Letter to the Editor”.” All correspondence and letters for publication must be typed and signed with the author’s contact information and full name.

Letters can be sent via e-mail to editor@cod.edu. The subject heading to the message must read “Letter to the Editor.” The writer’s first and last names, major (if student) or occupation title, street address, city, state and complete phone number with area code must be included for identity verification by the Courier. Deadline for letters meant for publication is noon on Fridays. Letters are subject to editing for grammar, style, language, length and libel. All letters represent the views of the author, not the editorial board.

8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 11

OPINION

COLUMN

Kids these days aren’t the problem MAGGIE CURRAN OPINION EDITOR

Time and time again, teenagers are the butt of every adult rant. Kids these days don’t know real music.

Kids these days don’t tip well. Kids these days are so irresponsible. Kids these days are dangerous drivers.

What they don’t realize is that kids these days aren’t always the problem.

The Chicago Tribune recently published an article on a recent study suggesting distracted driving is a key contributor to teen car crashes. To spare the details, the article focused on how distracted driving is becoming a more prevalent safety issue for teenagers than texting and

driving. While texting falls under the distracted driving umbrella, the term covers any distractions while driving as well, like changing the radio station, eating, or even talking to a passenger.

While driving safety is obviously nothing to laugh about, I did find the underlying message of the article somewhat ridiculous because teenagers are not the only distracted drivers on the road. Furthermore, the Tribune is not the only publication to imply that they are. Even distraction.gov, the national website for information on distracted driving, has

a specific tab especially for teens and another one for parents of teens, but nothing for adults in general.

To say there is little faith in American teenagers’ ability to drive is an understatement.

However dramatic it may seem, there is some validity behind the concerns. The website states traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teens and that teens are among the most likely to be distracted drivers. That’s a serious problem. But by spreading the notion that only teenagers have bad driving habits, adults don’t feel the

same pressure to reevaluate their own behavior. On my commute to school alone, I see countless adults using their cellphones, eating, smoking, even brushing their hair. Yet how many of these same distracted drivers read the article in the Tribune and think it doesn’t apply to them just because of their age?

The problem doesn’t stop with distracted driving.

Teenagers are accused of anything from being rude, tipping poorly at restaurants, and stealing from stores. This leads to ageist discrimination. Adults won’t treat teens with respect because they assume

they will be rude to them.

Waiters don’t provide the best service to teens because they expect a bad tip anyway. Shop workers follow teens throughout their stores to make sure they don’t take anything.

And of course, police officers are much more aware of when a teenager is texting and driving than when an adult is.

This prejudice doesn’t even have to be conscious, but because of the constant reinforcement that teens are worse than adults, it still exists. The troublesome behavior teenagers are accused of can be true in some cases, but it can

also be true of adults as well. Not to mention, the teenagers of today are the adults of tomorrow. In 10 years, those adults will be accusing that generation’s teenagers of the same bad habits that they were, and probably still are, guilty of. The problematic teens don’t just go away, they grow up. That’s why articles like the one in the Tribune need to encompass the behavior of all people, not just those that are younger than the author. We have to remember that any person is susceptible to making mistakes or behaving poorly, not just kids these days.

Email: opinion@cod.edu

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12 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015

SPORTS Q+A

Freshman pitcher throws perfect game on [the perfect game] too much though.

C: Was anyone in the dugout staying away from you, or were they talking to you about it?

CW: (Laughs) Around the fourth or fifth inning, not a lot of people talked to me. I was in my own little world.

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER

Cole Waligora, a Chaparral baseball pitcher who threw a perfect game, is interviewed in the Courier newsroom.

Cole Waligora is one of College of DuPage’s bright young pitchers and has already made his imprint in COD sports history. On March 17, Waligora threw a perfect game against Robert Morris College, which featured seven strike outs from the right-hander. Though being a pitcher wasn’t Waligora’s primary position out of high school, Head Coach Kevin Tyrrell recruited him while he attended Hartland High School in Michigan. Waligora has only made two starts this year, but after his strong performance his coaches might hand the ball to him more often if he continues to execute the way he did against Robert Morris. Courier Sports Editor James Kay got the pitcher’s thoughts on his performance.

Courier: Going into the game what was your game plan?

Cole Waligora: Throw strikes since my previous outing I was kind of wild.

So my game plan was to pound the zone.

C: Was there any part of your game that you wanted to emphasize during the outing? Did your coach have anything to say to you before the game?

CW: He pretty much had the same game plan: just throw a lot of strikes, let the hitters hit the ball

Four Facts About the Athlete

and don’t worry about strike outs.

C: What pitches do you throw? What was working for you that day?

CW: I would say both my changeup and my curveball were working.

I was able to locate them both really well, and they both had a lot of break on them.

C: You had a low pitch count. Were you inducing a lot of ground balls early in the count?

CW: Yeah, there were a lot of ground balls. They

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C: Running out to the mound for the last inning, what was going through your mind?

CW: I definitely did not want to walk anyone. That was the first thing going through my mind. I really wanted to do it.

were doing a lot of first pitch swinging since I was throwing a lot of strikes so they were doing a lot of first pitch swinging.

C: When you were throwing your warm up pitches, were you a bit tentative or nervous?

CW: I was a bit nervous to be honest, there was definitely some nerves but then again I just wanted to focus on throwing strikes and let my defense do what they do.

C: At what point during the game were you thinking, “Wow, I have a perfect game going right now!”

CW: I kind of realized it around the fifth inning. I didn’t want to think about it too much, and I kind of had the same game plan of going out there and focusing on throwing strikes and getting batters out. I didn’t want to focus

C: Were there any plays in the game that saved the perfect game?

CW: My defense played terrific that game. That was a huge reason why it happened. My second basemen, Mike Mule, made a good play up the middle on a hard hit ball.

The outfield was terrific that day, they tracked down a lot of balls and the defense played very well.

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They have to in that kind of game and they played very well and helped me out in a lot of situations.

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C: Were your parents there?

CW: (Laughs) My parents were not there.

C: What was their reaction when you told them?

CW: They were very excited. I got congratulated by my family members and friends so that was very cool, but it’s unfortunate that they weren’t there.

C: What were your teammates reaction? Did they storm the mound?

CW: Yeah, they ran to the mound and did all the typical no-hitter and perfect game type of thing you do. It was pretty cool that they did that.

C: What about your coaches?

CW: They congratulated me and were super proud of me. They thought it was really cool and gave me a signed ball with all the players. What they did for me was very cool.

C: Do you think this bumps you up in the rotation after this performance?

CW: (Laughs) I don’t know that’s for the coaches to decide. It might but it is the coach’s decision though.

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Check out the upcoming Chaparral Athletics

home events this month: Track and Field Chicagoland Championships 12 p.m., April 10 9 a.m., April 11 Baseball vs. Harper 12 p.m., April 11 vs. Triton 12 p.m., April 12 vs. North Central 3 p.m., April 30 Men’s Tennis vs. McHenry 3 p.m., April 16 Men’s Soccer 12th Chaparral 7-on-7 Tournament 10 a.m., April 25 Women’s Soccer 12th Chaparral 7-on-7 Tournament 10 a.m., April 25

8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 13

SPORTS

Up to Speed A recap of COD sports over spring break LUCAS KOPROWSKI PHOTO EDITOR

Baseball

Track

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER

Chaparral Baseball player #32 Doren Blake hits a ball to left field at the College of DuPage baseball field on April 6.

Although owning up to a strong season as a whole, the past two weeks have been tough for the Chaparral Baseball team with a record of 3-4.

In the two matches against Milwaukee Area Technical College on March 31, they won the first game in five innings 12-1, then won the second in seven innings 9-1. Coming out of that, they lost twice to Illinois Valley Community College 5-1 and 11-7.

On April 2, they beat Elgin Community College 5-4. To end their spring break stretch, they lost to Madison Community College twice; the first 16-4 in five innings and the second 6-5.

Compared to last year, the team is at a much better position. They ended the season last year 23-22 overall, while this year they stand at a much stronger 15-8.

After only winning 3 or their 12 games last year, they are 2-2 so far in conference this season. The team shows promise, although it is still early in the season.

With 13 conference matches left, they still have a long stretch ahead of them.

After two road games against Olive-Harvey College on April 9 and Harper Community College on April 11, there is a home game against Triton College on April 12.

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER

Runners at practice on March 17.

With athletes already qualifying for the National Championship in May, there are high prospects for the early track and field season.

Four of the seven women on the team have already qualified for nationals from their personal records in the last two meets at Augustana and Wheaton College.

The men’s side is a different story. “We had a couple sprinters do pretty decent and a couple of our long distance do pretty decent,” said Matt Wilhite, head coach of track and field. “It looks like they’re getting ready to hopefully make that move for the national qualifying marks in the next couple weeks once

Courier TV 14 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015

Tennis

we get a couple warm days.“ These first couple of weeks, the entire coaching staff has seen an increase in focus from their athletes, and a renewed spark of determination throughout since the beginning of the outdoor season.

“It’s really hard with track and field to stay focused since we start up on Dec. 1,” Wilhite said. “Once you get that first meet in, and you feel the cobwebs kind of shake off the legs, you’ll start to feel a little faster and stronger. You’ll start getting excited again.”

Their next meet is April 10 and 11 at the College of DuPage for the Chicagoland Outdoor Championships.

LUCAS KOPROWSKI/COURIER

Alan Bui going for a volley at practice at the College of DuPage on March 19.

Over the past two weeks, the tennis team has had a successful start to their season being 2-1. Against both Lake County and Sauk County, the Chaparrals won both meets 7-2, but lost against Prairie State 0-9.

At Lake County, the first and second singles lost their matches, but all six doubles courts won their matches.

At Sauk County, first singles and first doubles lost their matches, while the rest of the courts won.

Coming out of those wins though, they lost to Prairie State badly.

The only court that was a close match was fifth singles, where Danny Simmons lost both sets 7-6 and 6-4. The rest of the other courts lost

both of their sets by a larger margin.

Jim Bowers, head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams, has high hopes for the season coming up.

“We still have six matches, so it’s too early in the season to know what the skill level is of the opponents we haven’t seen yet,” Bowers said. “But one thing we can control is our drive to compete to the best of our abilities.”

Bowers also had advice for his athletes.

“Stay positive even when adversity hits, and have fun on the court while representing COD. If we do all of that - then life is good.”

Their next match is Thursday, April 9 at Elgin Community College.

Watch newscasts and video features produced by students from the MPTV department. Click on ‘Courier TV’ on codcourier.org.

COFFEE BREAK CARTOONS AND MORE

PATRICK CHAPPATTE/THE INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK TIMES

SUDOKU

No. 224

Medium

8 7 9 2 7 5 6 6 4 5 7 8 4 3 5 6 4 9 3 1 2

7 6 6 7 6 1 7 5

2 5 8 2 6 7

9

3 1

You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

© 2011 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

3 9

No. 224

Previous solution - Tough

5 4 1 6 5 4 3 8 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 2 1 6 3 7 8 4 8 5 7 7 6

2 1 3 8 5 7 9 6 4

4 7 6 5 2 3

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6 1 7 6 5

5 8 9 7 2 1 3 2

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to The solutions will be published here in the next issue. see how ‘straights’ are formed.

2 7 4 3

CLASSIFIEDS JOBS

Medium

4 8 9

6

5

© 2011 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

STR8TS

NATE BEELER/THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

5 1 7 3 8 9 6 4 2

8 2 3 6 4 7 9 1 5

6 5 4 7 9 3 2 8 1

7 3 8 1 2 6 5 9 4

1 9 2 8 5 4 3 6 7

9 4 1 2 3 8 7 5 6

2 8 6 4 7 5 1 3 9

3 7 5 9 6 1 4 2 8

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

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8 April 2015 // codcourier.org // 15

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16 // codcourier.org // 8 April 2015