2024.03.06

UNOFFICIAL

EIU Police, campus prepare for Unofficial

By Audra Gullquist

Assistant News Editor | @DEN_News

As March 9 looms around the corner, EIU’s students are preparing for their beloved holiday: Unofficial.

Unofficial is one of the biggest events in the Charleston community. Students spend the entire day hopping from bars to house parties in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

As the event approaches, the EIU Police Department said it is important for students to remember the importance of drinking responsibly.

EIU police said they take the potential dangers of Unofficial seriously and prepare their course of action in advance.

According to EIU Chief of Police Marisol Gamboa, additional officers will be added to

the patrol on Unofficial day to ensure students’ safety. The Charleston Police Department has also been in contact with Gamboa to help plan the patrol of Unofficial.

Gamboa said that she understands that her and her patrol cannot stop students from drinking, but she sincerely hopes that students will use good judgment and stay safe.

“I’m not going to encourage them to drink, but I know it’s gonna happen,” Gamboa stated. “So, I just want them to be responsible. Be wise, make wise decisions, be aware of your surroundings, don’t over-consume, don’t drink and drive. Remember you’re not the only ones that will be affected by that.”

As students of Eastern, partiers should be aware that they have a reputation to uphold, and that their decisions affect everyone around them, police said.

“When we’re in the city of Charleston, we have to be respectful to our community members here,” Gamboa said. “Be respectful

and be considerate and mindful that you’re partying in their backyards. I think that just fosters better understanding from our community when they see our people out there, our students, and our students are being respectful towards them.”

Gamboa also advises that students keep their phones fully charged, stay in groups and contact the police if they see anything that doesn’t seem right.

“Cooperate with police officers because we’re just there to secure the environment,” she said. “We’re just there for safety. That’s our main goal.”

Unofficial can get pretty rowdy, with many students and community members participating.

(

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS University Police Department Chief Marisol Gamboa said the force knows it cannot stop students from drinking but wants them to have a safe time.

1811 Buzzard Hall Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL 61920 217-581-2812

(fax)

News Staff

Editor-in-Chief Rob Le Cates DENeic@gmail. com

News Editor Cam’ron Hardy dennewsdesk@ gmail.com

Assistant News Editor Audra Gullquist dennewsdesk@ gmail.com

Photo Editor Sia DeyKoontz denphotosdesk@ gmail.com

Design Editor Harper Hancock hahancock2@eiu. edu

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Addressing sustainability at EIU

By Veronica Gipson Student Government Reporter | @DEN_News

Plan 2028 is Eastern’s strategic plan to incorporate 14 new initiatives into Eastern’s mission with four overarching themes.

Sports Editor Zaria Flippin densportsdesk@ gmail.com

Assistant Sports Editor Luther Yoder densportsdesk@ gmail.com

Opinions Editor Ellen Dooley denop.eds@gmail. com

Copy Chief Alli Hausman athausman@eiu.edu

Faculty Advisers

Editorial Adviser Tim Drachlis

Photo Adviser Greg Cooper

About

Publisher Joe Gisondi

Business Manager Betsy Jewell

The Daily Eastern News is produced by the students of Eastern Illinois University. It is published weekly on Wednesday, in Virden, Ill., during fall and spring semesters and online during the summer term except during university vacations or examinations. One copy per week is free to students and faculty. Additional copies can be obtained for 50 cents each in the Student Publications Office in Buzzard Hall.

Advertising

To place an advertisement or classified ad in The Daily Eastern News, call the ads office at 581-2812 or fax 581-2923. Visit our online advertisements at dailyeasternnews.com/classifieds.

Comments / Story Tips

Contact any of the above staff members if you believe your information is relevant.

Corrections

The Daily Eastern News is committed to accuracy in its coverage of the news. Any factual error the staff finds or is made aware of by its readers will be corrected as promptly as possible. Please report any factual error you find to Editor-in-Chief Rob Le Cates at 581-2812.

Employment

Attention postmaster: Send address changes to:

One theme was the use of resources regarding overall institutional sustainability and business practices. There are plans to review human resource policies and compensation frameworks to enhance the university’s competitiveness and ensure equity among faculty and staff, she said. Additionally, there are plans to diversify revenue by fundraising and applying for grants.

Student senator Thomas Hooper asserted that the sustainability initiatives in place make more of a change than recycling would as there are limited avenues for recycling in Charleston.

Eastern is currently switching to high-efficiency washers in the dorms and working to change all lights to LED, Hooper said.

Dining hall food waste is sent to the biology department for composting, he said, and used cooking oil goes to a third-party company to be turned into biofuel.

Another theme discussed was achievement and investment in policies and resources so that all Eastern students can succeed with greater ease. One initiative to support students is the creation of new active learning spaces whether that be creation or remodeling of a current space. The remodeling of the Center for Student Innovation in Booth library aligns with this initiative, Flaherty said.

The next theme is engagement, fostering the university’s internal and external relationships. Under this category are four pillars: cultivation of community partnerships to support academic programs, engage-

ment of the county and state, engagement of alumni and engaging the world at large. These pillars seek to increase participation in study abroad programs and invest in community-facing academic programs such as the academy of lifelong learning.

Another issue tackled by the plan is the creation of a contemporary campus culture, from creating a welcoming and diverse campus to investment in research amongst both students and faculty.

Flaherty said that steps are being taken to expand funding toward student health initiatives but due to a small and largely homogeneous concerning demographics, pool of applicants there has been a struggle in diversifying the Eastern counseling and mental health services center.

Flaherty shared that student athletes have access to virtual mental health services as of December. If data proves the

program valuable and the university can finance the program on a larger scale through grants, Flaherty hopes the program can be implemented campus wide.

Discussion about the value of Eastern’s housing and dining plans went on for a considerable duration of Flaherty’s presentation. She said that housing and dining plan costs going down are improbable due to inflation and Eastern’s plans to enhance housing and dining facilities.

The university hired a consultant to assess which buildings need maintenance and renovations that can serve students best, Flaherty said. More information will be made available in the coming months when the university gets the assessment back.

Veronica Gipson can be reached at 581-2812 or vmgipson@eiu.edu.

FRONT PAGE COVER BY ROB LE CATES

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

Eastern’s vice president of academic affairs presented Plan 2028 to the Student Government last Wednesday.

New science building planning underway

By Drew Coffey Reporter | akcoffey@eiu.edu.

Big changes are coming to EIU in the form of a new science building on campus. The three-story building will be located on the south side of the Tarble Arts Center and will house chemistry and biology programs.

The complete plan for the science facility is being funded by a capital bill from the state of Illinois worth $118 million with around $95 million going towards just the construction.

The capital bill is part of the Rebuild Illinois program issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The program consists of a sixyear plan to create jobs and develop infrastructure in each area of the state.

But the road to starting plans for this project has been a long one, with Eastern waiting for this opportunity for more than 10 years before the capital bill was eventually passed.

Vice President for Business Affairs Matt Bierman said the necessity for this building is evident.

“We’ve had this science building on our request for a long time,” said Bierman. “If you look at a lot of our science facilities, there’s definitely a need. Some of our lab spaces specifically are somewhat original to the building, and we

UNOFFICIAL CONTINUED FROM PG 1 >>

Freshman music education major Kalie Hardwick has never attened Unofficial but plans to particpate this year. S he said that she views the event as “simple fun” as long as everyone is aware of everyone around them.

However, Caleigh Parsley, a graduate student studying health promotion, had a different view on the event.

“I think it’s overhyped and overrated,” Parsley stated.

struggle meeting the needs of our students with today’s learning styles.”

These limitations are solely due to age, said Bierman, as the Life Sciences Building and the Physical Sciences Building on campus have stood for over 60 years.

Senior biology major Lucas Grindley has experienced these limitations and said the one he sees the most is a lack of space in the Life Sciences Building.

“This building kind of houses all of the bio fields,” said Grindley. “You have your pre-meds, you’ve got your health, you’ve got your environmentalist, geologist, and we’re all kind of just shar -

Parsley also said she believes the event can be dangerous but can alos be fun if people party responsibly.

“But I don’t think most people do,” she continued.

To educate students on safe drinking habits, Eastern’s Health Education Resource Center provides a free Myth Busting Alcohol event on Tuesday, March 12, a few days after Unofficial, in preparation for spring break.

“It’s about harm reduction, not just preventing people from doing behaviors

ing the same space and resources. So, it can be challenging with all these wonderful people on the same equipment at the same time.”

According to Bierman, planning for the project started back in 2018. COVID-19 and contractual issues stalled the process.

The new science resources, which will include new classrooms, offices and laboratories, will help student enrollment and provide jobs within the community, Bierman said.

“The community is excited about this because not only does it bring jobs for the construction side, but it brings an

that we know to be unhealthy,” Assistant Director of HERC Matthew Warner stated. “We also want to make sure that if they’re participating in those habits that they are taking precautions, that they’re being safe.”

The event will be held in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Warner is expecting a pretty good turnout.

HERC also provides free alcohol testing strips and kits in the office, available for any student to take as they please.

energy to our science programs that is really needed,” Bierman said. “It’ll be a space that we can be really proud of, and we can help recruit students and show them all the things that we can offer here at Eastern.”

But for the students who are studying science courses now, they most likely won’t see the finished building until after they graduate.

Grindley said while he will not get to use the multimillion-dollar facilities, he is happy future students will have the opportunity.

“I won’t still be a student here by the time it’s all done, but I’m excited for future bio students because even though we’re in this kind of limited old building, I’ve seen a lot of people excel in their fields,” Grindley said.

Right now, the university along with contracting agencies are designing the new building before construction, which could take 18 months to two years, Bierman said.

After that, another two years will be spent on the construction before anyone walks into the new addition to Eastern’s campus.

Drew Coffey can be reached at 5812812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

Warner also stated that the HERC plans to be active on social media on the day of Unofficial to remind students of safe habits and how to drink responsibly.

The HERC hopes to help students stay safe, as the CDC reports that 21% of people from ages 18-24 participate in binge drinking.

Audra Gullquist can be reached at 581-2812 or at agullquist@eiu. edu.

SUBMITTED PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS Eastern plans on building a new academic science building in the empty lot outside the Tarble Arts Center.

COLUMN

‘Mean Girls’ (2024), haven’t I seen this before?

By Drew Coffey Columnist

First, let me explain.

I know that “Mean Girls” is clearly not supposed to be intended for me to watch. However, that is no excuse for being absolutely uninspired and most heinously unoriginal.

The film is a remake of the cultural phenomenon that was the 2004 film “Mean Girls” starring Lindsey Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey and many other famous actors from the mid2000s.

In this new outing, many of the same actors return. However, the core cast consists of Angourie Rice playing Lohan’s part and Reneé Rapp playing the vicious leader of the mean girl group Regina George.

Now this film comes 20 years after the original and has the same plot involving a new girl starting in high school after being homeschooled her whole life.

As she tries to navigate her way through the social hierarchies, she finds herself befriending the nasty and socially powerful group of girls that make even the movie “Barbie” feel consider -

ably lacking in pink.

Oh, and did I forget to add that it’s a musical? Yeah, buckle your seat belts.

It’s about to be a bumpy ride.

I personally felt so emotionally numb during this movie because it felt like nobody cared. The acting is cringy, the music is uninspired and creatively nonexistent, and most importantly nothing was memorable.

While films like “The Greatest Showman” or “Tick, Tick … BOOM!” were not the greatest musicals narratively, at least some of the songs were memorable.

I felt like a lot of the songs came off as average attempts at the musical genre to justify the vibe being implemented into this remake.

Frankly, I also think there are way too many songs as well. It felt like every minute we were getting thrown into a new annoying and audibly troubled song after the next.

Maybe I am mistaken, but I feel like the best musical movies only have five or six songs so the story can have equal footing along with the music.

But in this film, it is kind of hard to do that when there is no story. Well, there is, but it’s a painfully familiar story.

I’ll get to that in a second.

Back to the acting, I felt like the actors were trying their best with what they were given, which unfortunately

was probably very little. Everyone came off as cartoon characters rather than actual people.

Now, I know that is the exact point of these characters, but I felt like it got to a comically unfocused point where it completely took me out of the film. I even went to the bathroom, which is something I never do at the movie theaters.

The fact that I would rather spend my time in the same vicinity as the AMC toilets speaks volumes of how crap, pun intended, this film was.

The film was written by Tina Fey who also wrote the 2004 original, and I was honestly not impressed.

I was actually baffled to see that the film follows every single story beat of the original down to even the sets. I know the objective of remakes is to take elements from the original, but what is the point when we’re getting the exact same film?

If you heard a big “CHA-CHING” in your head, you would probably be right because this film feels like a shameful January cash grab.

However, with all my stubbornness and pride set aside, I can admit the film’s cinematography looks amazing.

During the musical numbers, the coloring, lighting and overall shot compositions were a lot more creative than I was expecting.

Honestly, it saved a good number of the musical numbers from being com-

pletely mind-numbing.

I think the film also does a great job of implementing different aspect ratios for each song to make it seem more cinematic.

The extreme and emotional lighting also reflects the character’s inner feelings in a very intense but intentional way.

Ok “Mean Girls,” you did something right.

So, with all my shameless and pompous complaining, I’m sure you’re wondering.

Is this film even worth a watch?

I would say you would have a better time making fun of Will Smith’s wife to his face than watching this movie.

At least with that, you would feel something.

Overall, I think “Mean Girls” (2024) is an uninspired and saddening film that continues the frustrating and dreadful slew of remakes that make me fearful of the state of cinema.

Jordan Peele, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Damien Chazelle, Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig and Denis Villeneuve, if you’re reading this, please keep making original movies.

Only then will I remain sane.

My overall rating: 1/5

Drew Coffey can be reached at akcoffey@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.

What in the world is a ‘real’ job, from a writer’s perspective

By Kierstyn Budz Columnist

The other day I was chatting with a few people I knew, and we fell on the topic of what we wanted to do in the future.

Since I was a kid, my response has always been “I want to be a writer.” It has never wavered or changed. Even when I was an Education major, I said writer before teacher.

I had this idea that one day I would be teaching in elementary school, and I would pull out a children’s book with my name on the cover and get to read it to my class.

I still have that option, but I became more focused on Young Adult fiction once I changed to an English major.

I also want to preface that this is the first time I have been asked what I wanted to do after graduating this past December and they had no idea I have an actual degree in English and Creative Writing.

So, when I was asked and responded with my usual “I want to be a writ -

COLUMN

er,” it was met with confused faces. They asked me where I thought that was going and what I wanted to do if it fell through. Which, I have to say, hit me a bit hard. I explained to them that I loved the idea of being able to create new worlds and have people immersed in a story that came from my head.

Again, “What if it falls through? Are you getting another degree? What do you want to do as a real job?”

That is what gets me. Growing up I was told by people, “Writing is not a real job.” What does that even mean? Real job? Are there jobs that are inherently fake?

Now, I want you to take a second and think. When you think English major, do you think they make a lot of money?

Probably not. There is a common misconception that English majors are not moneymakers.

In reality, English is one of the most versatile majors. People need writers whether it is technical, professional, or even creative. While you do not need an English major to do these things, it seems strange that a major based on honing these skills is not seen as “real.”

Before I went to college, I wanted to be an English major which led to people consistently telling me I needed to

find something else that would make me money.

As a high school student, I was worried about this and ultimately changed to another career path. Obviously, I got back on my own track.

Though, with a major that makes me happier than any other, I still feel looked down on by others.

‘“What if it falls through? Are you getting another degree? What do you want to do as a real job? ”’

- Kierstyn Budz

I also know I am not the only one who feels this way. I decided to conduct a small survey among my classmates in the English Department and ask if they had ever been told that writing was not going to make them money.

Out of the 15 people I asked, an astounding 100% said yes.

That is just 15 people, I bet if I

asked writers or any English major out there, a good majority would say yes. I know some people get the utmost support from family and friends so it would not be a 100% every time. I also want to say, I am not just saying English majors have a rough time compared to others because I give props to every major out there.

College is a tough thing to go through and whatever major you choose can be difficult. I would not dare touch a pre-med class or even a theatre class so kudos to those who love what they do.

However, I want to understand why writing creatively or even writing in general as a main job is seen as not being “real.”

As a creative writer, yes, it is hard. Not everyone is going to be a J.R.R. Tolkien or the writer of the next Harry Potter.

But you read things every day whether it is books, the news, or even BuzzFeed articles.

So, when it comes to jobs, apparently “real” or “fake,” it does not matter if you have a degree in it or if you make tons of money.

What matters is that you are happy with what you do.

Kierstyn Budz can be reached at krbudz@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.

‘Lone Survivor:’ a tense and honorable salute

By Drew Coffey Columnist

When turning on this movie, I assumed it would be another action-packed war film with similar attributes to “Black Hawk Down” or “Pearl Harbor.”

What I recieved was a surprisingly thought-provoking and thematically tragic story of four American soldiers going against the Taliban army.

The true story follows a group of soldiers-- Michael Murphy, Danny Dietz, Matt Axelson and Marcus Luttrell-- on their mission within an Afghanistan forest where an unsuccessful United States Navy SEALs mission called Operation Red Wings turns into a fight for survival.

To start, the acting and chemistry between all the characters are among the highlights of this film.

They realistically feel like brothers who spend every hour of every day with each other.

When they have their backs to the wall in Afghanistan, that element is even more on display.

The moral dilemma the four soldiers have during their mission that sets off a violent chain of events is where this film is different from other war films.

While hiding, the soldiers are found by three civilians of a Taliban village, and the Americans take them as hostages.

Now the soldiers are left with a hard choice: kill all the civilians to avoid being found or let them go and risk the danger of the violent army.

It is this decision that splits the group with Wahlberg’s character, Marcus Luttrell, not wanting to kill innocent peo -

The film stars a star-studded cast with Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch and was directed by Peter Berg.

ple and the others thinking about how it will affect the mission.

The dialogue and poignant dilemma they find themselves in captivate the audience, as you can understandably see both sides of this possibly life-threatening decision.

The soldiers decide to let them go, and as you may expect, the Taliban are quickly on their tail.

What comes after is a non-stop, bloody and extremely tense segment of the film where the soldiers are running and falling through the forest with no signs of escape.

The quick and shaky editing makes it feel like an attack on the senses. You feel almost in their shoes as bullets zip by their heads.

And when those bullets finally find their targets, you certainly wince at it.

Tragically, the brave soldiers begin to get picked off one by one, leaving Marcus Luttrell to try to survive by himself.

Each of their death scenes is shown with great respect and poise, accurately framing them as people who fought un-

til the very end.

Certain films like the previously mentioned “Pearl Harbor” found criticism in their portrayal of historic violence and loss of life. However, “Lone Survivor’s” violence is aimed at the audience to actively experience the extremely daunting situation these soldiers found themselves in.

All of the actors give great performances, with Wahlberg becoming a standout by the end of the film. The look of shock and fear accompanied by stoic patriotism makes you root for them even though you can predict their nearing end.

By the end of the film, you feel exhausted but poignantly impacted. The story of these four soldiers is a very important story to tell on the big screen to show the brave sacrifices of American soldiers.

My overall rating: 4.5/5

Drew Coffey can be reached at 5812812 or at akcoffey@eiu.edu.

COLUMN

Court storming needs to stay

By Aidan Cusack Sports Reporter

There are 1.8 seconds left on the clock, and the score is 98-96. A trip to the conference tournament is in the balance.

The chances of your team winning this game have dropped from slim to near none. The opposing team just broke a tied game with a heroic layup.

All eyes are on the court. A whistle blows and the ball flies toward halfcourt.

Your shooter makes the catch before launching it toward the net. The buzzer sounds, followed by a swish.

The ball went in.

Your team is in the tournament.

The stands erupt, the band plays the

fight song and the mascot does a triple backflip.

At this point, it almost feels almost appropriate to storm the court. Fans just settling down and leaving the building seems more or less unacceptable.

Court storming is baked into collegiate basketball, a tradition that is just part of the game. Recent developments like University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark getting hit have shaken the foundation of this tradition. There are calls to ban court storming altogether, ending the tradition entirely. Shaken as it may be, the tradition must stay.

Storming the court is part of the experience. When I buy a ticket, I’m hoping for a good game, mediocre nachos and a court storming.

People far more experienced in the sport of basketball than me are also vocal about the topic. Marty Simmons, the head coach of men’s basketball at Eastern, spoke on his experience with the phenomenon that is court storming.

“The emotions and the ability to share that with your fans and the players, it’s an experience that is absolutely incredible,” Simmons said. “I think that’s part of the student experience, and I’m a big fan of it.”

Simmons also emphasized the importance of having a safety protocol in place, to ensure nobody gets hurt. I agree with that sentiment. The state of court storming right now seems a little chaotic, but with proper precautions, it should live on with the sport of basketball.

Great basketball games at Eastern are great experiences for students. Removing a great experience like court storming takes away some of what makes basketball great.

Another point towards keeping court storming is that enforcement would be near impossible.

Schools can ban court storming on paper, but keeping hundreds of excited fans off the court seems tricky in practice.

VERSUS

COLUMN

Court storming in college basketball has been a tradition for years. However, people are starting to realize that it is not a great idea.

After Duke University basketball star

From my experience, high schools that have less than 100 fans attending have trouble halting court stormings. Imagine Eastern trying to stop an onslaught with numbers in the hundreds.

Seems improbable to me.

It goes without mentioning that bigger schools who have thousands in attendance won’t be able to stop court storming. Tens can be managed, hundreds quelled, thousands though? I favor the fans in that situation.

Yet, the conversation shouldn’t get to the point of banning this storied tradition.

Great basketball games without court storming’s are lacking in a spiritual nature. They are Starbucks without the pumpkin spice latte. South quad without wing night. Ice cream without the cherry on top.

The sport is just incomplete without it.

Aidan Cusack can be reached at 581-2812 or at atcusack@eiu.edu.

Court storming should be a thing of the past

By Patrick Schmitz Sports Reporter

Kyle Filipowski was injured when Wake Forest University fans stormed the court, some fans are calling for the removal of court storming. I agree with them.

Court storming has been a cool thing to watch at times, I do admit. However, it can also be dangerous for players and fans.

Kyle Filipowski is an important player for Duke and is a future first-round

pick. Luckily, he did not get injured too badly. However, getting injured at all is a tragedy that should not happen to any other player.

Injuries are not just happening to the player either.

Fans and even security guards get trampled as the fans rush the court. In college football, when fans jump from ledges to enter the field, they get hurt.

When fans steal goalposts, that can cause injuries and costs the school money.

Costing the school money is how court storming can stop. Some conferences already do it but not to the necessary extent. The Atlantic Coast Conference, which Duke is in, has no fines for court storming.

Fines are not really stopping people though. The fans just continue to do it even if it hurts the school.

This means if we really want court storming to stop, the winning team will have to forfeit the game if fans storm

the court. Yes, it is very drastic, but if we want to worry about everyone’s safety, drastic measures must be taken.

Fans will only stop when they know something bad will happen to them or their school.

Injuries are not the only reason to stop court storming. It can also look very embarrassing for a school at times. Court storming was great when no one would get injured, and it only happened every so often.

Now, court stormings are happening every week. Court storming used to be dedicated to only beating the best of the best. Now, any little upset has a court storming.

Here at Eastern, we had our own court storming. After the Panther volleyball team beat an unranked University of Missouri, the fans stormed the court.

Eastern ended up losing to Missouri the very next day.

That just made the fans look overall embarrassing.

Moments like this are

all over the college world.

Just last week, Creighton University, who was ranked number 25, beat the number one team, the University of Connecticut. T he fans stormed the court after the game.

I do not think that fans should be storming courts after an upset like that. Even if it is the number one team, Creighton is still ranked.

They are still a good team and court stormings should be saved for when a team that is not that good beats a really good team.

Overall, court storming is just bad for college sports.

Players and fans can get injured way too easily from it and a lot of times it does way more harm than good.

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu.edu.

seen

EIU women’s path to March Madness

By Patrick Schmitz Sports Reporter | @DEN_News

Because Eastern is playing in the first round, you can debate that it will be more difficult for the Panthers to get all the way to the championship.

Here’s a roadmap on Eastern’s opponents in the OVC men’s basketball tournament bracket:

SIUE:

The Panthers will have to face the number six seeded Cougars for a third time this season.

The first time both teams faced each other was Dec. 29, 2023, and SIUE secured a 67-58 win over Eastern.

The most recent time the two teams faced off was Feb. 27, and Eastern won the game 84-79 in Groniger Arena.

This game will be the second of two games in the first round of the OVC tournament. The winner of this game will advance on to the quarterfinals to play against the number three seed, the Morehead State University Eagles, on Thursday at 9 p.m.

Morehead State:

Number three seeded Morehead State is one of only two schools the Panthers have not beaten this season.

The first time Eastern played Morehead State was on Jan. 11, and Morehead State won the 78-52 game.

The most recent time the Panthers played the Eagles was Feb. 10, and the Eagles secured the 69-57 win over the Panthers in Morehead, Kentucky.

BASKETBALL CONTINUED FROM PG 1>>

Because Eastern is playing in the first round, you can debate that it will be more difficult for the Panthers to get all the way to the championship.

Here’s a roadmap on Eastern’s opponents in the OVC men’s basketball tournament bracket:

SIUE:

The Panthers will have to face the number six seeded Cougars for a third time this season.

The first time both teams faced each other was Dec. 29, 2023, and SIUE secured a 67-58 win over Eastern in Edwardsville.

The most recent time the two teams

Eastern

If Eastern advances over Morehead State to the semifinals, the Panthers would face the number two seed, the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks on Friday at 9:30 p.m.

UT Martin: Number two seeded UT Martin is the highest seed on the lower bracket half.

The first time the Panthers competed against the Skyhawks was Jan. 4, and

faced off was Feb. 27, and Eastern won the game 84-79 in Groniger Arena.

This game will be the second of two games in the first round of the OVC tournament. The winner of this game will advance on to the quarterfinals to play against the number three seed, the Morehead State University Eagles, on Thursday at 9 p.m.

Morehead State:

Number three seeded Morehead State is one of only two schools the Panthers have not beaten this season.

The first time Eastern played Morehead State was on Jan. 11, and Morehead State won the 78-52 game in Groniger Arena.

The most recent time the Panthers

the Panthers secured the 79-72 win.

The last time the Panthers competed against the Skyhawks was Feb. 1, and the Skyhawks won 76-59.

If Eastern beats UT Martin in the semifinals, the Panthers would move on to the final game to compete for the OVC championship and an automatic ticket to March Madness.

Eastern’s opponent in the champion-

played the Eagles was Feb. 10, and the Eagles secured the 69-57 win over the Panthers in Morehead, Kentucky.

If Eastern advances over Morehead State to the semifinals, the Panthers would face the number two seed, the University of Tennessee at Martin Skyhawks on Friday at 9:30 p.m.

UT Martin:

Number two seeded UT Martin is the highest seed on the lower half of the bracket.

The first time the Panthers competed against the Skyhawks was Jan. 4, and the Panthers secured the 79-72 win in Martin, Tennessee.

The last time the Panthers competed against the Skyhawks was Feb. 1, and

Panthers of the Week

The female Panther of the Week is going to Olivia Price from the softball team.

The senior pitcher from Smiths Grove, Kentucky, went 2-0 on the mound during the Alabama State Black and Gold Tournament.

Price helped Eastern beat Alabama State 7-2 in the second game of the doubleheader on Thursday Feb. 29.

Along with Thursday’s win, Price also helped the Panthers secure a 9-1 win over the Bryant University Bulldogs Sunday morning.

ship game can be number eight seeded Southern Indiana, number five seeded Tennessee State, number four seeded Western Illinois or number one seeded Little Rock.

The championship game will be on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu.edu.

the Skyhawks won 76-59 at Groniger Arena.

If Eastern beats UT Martin in the semifinals, the Panthers would move on to the final game to compete for the OVC championship and an automatic ticket to March Madness.

Eastern’s opponent in the championship game can be number eight seeded Southern Indiana, number five seeded Tennessee State, number four seeded Western Illinois or number one seeded Little Rock.

The championship game will be on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 5812812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.

TIGER BOOKER

The male Panther of the Week is going to Tiger Booker from the basketball team.

The senior guard from Chicago set a career high 33 points against Southern Illinois University Evansville.

Along with the 84-79 win over the Cougars Tuesday night in Groniger Arena, Booker also recorded five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

OLIVIA PRICE

FILE PHOTO | THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS

is locked into the number four seed after Saturday, which means it will face number one seed University of Southern Indiana if it wins its game on Thursday.

Isaiah Griffin plays first season after post-high school training

21-year-old takes an untraditional approach to playing college basket -

By Zaria Flippin Sports Editor | zhflippin@eiu.edu

Fifteen men are on Eastern’s men’s basketball team, yet only one of them is a freshman… a 21-year-old freshman.

“Age-wise, I’m up there with everybody,” Panther guard Isaiah Griffin said. “Having the label ‘freshman’ right next to my name, it’s a positive and a negative because I get treated like a freshman, but in my eyes, I don’t see the ‘freshman, sophomore, junior’ labels as anything.”

Griffin knew at the age of six that he wanted to go to the NBA. He wanted the luxuries that most players in the league had: driving the flashy cars, owning a mansion and having a pool in the backyard.

“That’s almost every kid’s dream,” Griffin said. “I wanted to make it to the NBA [or] NFL, drive out in a Ferrari and have lots of money. Now, I really love the game, and it was always something I loved growing up.”

Growing up in Orange, New Jersey, Griffin attended three different high schools in a span of four years; one of them, St. Pat-

rick High School, founded notable NBA player Kyrie Irving.

When Griffin was first in high school, going to public school wasn’t something on his mind, so Griffin’s family decided to have him attend St. Patrick.

Although Griffin did play for St. Patrick for the entirety of high school, he never got the Division I offer right out of high school.

After high school, Griffin and his parents had a talk so he can get more opportunities and offers to play at the Division I level.

“Playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), I still didn’t have any offers,” Griffin said. “I got a call from Sunrise Christian [Academy] out in Kansas, and they told me to come down there and to work. They said, ‘You’re gonna learn and get better to help prepare you for the Division I level even though you’re already there skill wise.’ So, I decided to pack my bags and go to Kansas.”

Griffin moved from New Jersey to Bel Aire, Kansas, to attend Sunrise Christian Academy for the 2022-2023 school year. Griffin helped the team end with a 33-4 record as well as a playoff run to the National

Prep Championship.

“When I lived in Kansas, that was a culture shock,” Griffin said. “I was in Kansas from August [2022] to about May [2023]. I was doing post-grad prep school basketball.”

After playing at Sunrise Christian Academy, Griffin started getting the Division I offers he’s been waiting for, including an offer from head coach Marty Simmons to attend and play at Eastern.

“He’s a small, quick, crafty, skillful point guard,” sophomore forward Sincere Malone said about his teammate. “I feel like he’s very mature as far as his basketball game. He’s doesn’t make ‘average freshman mistakes,’ [and] he [didn’t] have a hard time adjusting from where he came from to now.”

When Griffin first got to campus, senior guard Tiger Booker took Griffin under his wing to mentor him throughout the season.

“[Isaiah’s] younger than me, but we play the same position,” Booker said. “I feel like my role with Zay is teaching him whatever I can because once I’m gone after this year, it’s in his hands. We guard each other in

practice all the time, and there have been days where Zay gets the best of me because he’s learning and getting better.”

Junior guard/forward Kyndall Davis likes playing with Griffin, and the two joke with each other about the rivalry between New Jersey and New York.

“Playing with Zay is fun,” Davis said. “Because I went to school in Brooklyn, I always mess with him. I always say he plays like he’s from New Jersey. There are good basketball players from New Jersey, but there’s a thing between New York and New Jersey.” Sophomore forward Luke Light likes practicing with Griffin because of his talents and what he brings to the team.

“He’s unselfish, he’s a good passer and he knows the game,” Light said.

Griffin recently got cleared to play on the court after missing several games. As the regular season comes to a close, Griffin is hoping the Panthers can win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 5812812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.

Freshman, Isaiah Griffin, previously came from Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas before getting a Division I offer to play basketball at Eastern.