de APRIL 26, 2017
sInce 1916
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
Vol.101 Issue 15 @daIlyegyptIan
Budget cuts bring recruiting challenges, university officials say MARNIE LEONARD | @marsuzleo
As the university continues to deal with an unprecedented state budget impasse approaching the two-year mark and SIU President Randy Dunn’s recent announcement suggesting $30 million in cuts for the Carbondale campus, prospective students have been choosing to go to school elsewhere. Susan Davenport, the director of choral activities in the School of Music, said after Dunn made his announcement her college lost its top recruit. The student, who was coming from out-of-state and would have been enrolling as a freshman, was “exceptionally high achieving, both academically and musically” and told recruiters he was considering other schools in light of the university’s financial situation, Davenport said. “We are still doing our due diligence with this student to counteract the negative publicity he and his family had heard and encouraging him to keep SIU as his top choice,” Davenport said. “But it’s just been difficult to recruit.”
Anna Spoerre | @annaspoerre Winston Mezo, of Carbondale, hands a bagel to a customer as he stands behind his kart Oct. 30, 2016, in the parking lot of Pinch Penny Liquors. Mezo has been selling bagels to the late-night crowds since 1983 and has since become a local legend. Mezo spends most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights satisfying late night cravings, weather permitting. “I’ve met some of the best kids I’ve ever met in my life right here at these bagel karts,” he said. Mezo said he got into the bagel business as a distraction from drinking. Mezo has been sober for as many years as he’s been serving bagels; he wears a medallion around his neck as a reminder of his sobriety. This Thursday through Saturday is his last weekend selling bagels before retiring Sunday.
Winston Mezo, Carbondale's legendary bagel man, to retire this weekend ANNA SPOERRE | @ANNASPOERRE
After 34 years, Winston Mezo will sell bagels for the last time this weekend before retiring from the business. Mezo, a native of Herrin and resident of Carbondale, stood above the charcoal grill situated in his cart April 9, entertaining a growing crowd as the bars closed. “It only took [my nephew] an hour and a half to watch '60 Minutes' the other night,” Mezo Please see RECRUITMENT | 15 said, prompting laughs from the college-age
group. “Yes we’re proud, proud and envious.” A schtick about a made-up nephew is one of many reasons Mezo, better known as the Bagel Man, has been a local legend since 1983. The 75-year-old man spends his weekends in the parking lot of Pinch Penny Liquors selling bagels covered in anything from onions, cucumbers and bacon bits to sunflower seeds, raisins, apples and cinnamon to bar-goers until as early as 3 a.m. He then packs up his supplies and heads to Walmart to restock. But the bagel business hasn’t always been a
part of Mezo’s life. Instead, it found him at a time he needed a distraction. “I came here to sober up,” he said of moving to Carbondale out of the military and discovering a local 12-Step program, which he described as a group that helps members achieve sobriety. Mezo said another man in the 12-Step program offered to let him help with a bagel cart on the Strip as a distraction from drinking. Eventually, Winston bought the cart for himself.
Please see WINSTON | 10
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Officials encourage campus to be aware of symptoms after SIU student is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis DAILY EGYPTIAN NEWS DESK
An SIU student is in critical condition after he or she was diagnosed Monday with bacterial meningitis, a serious illness that inflames tissues covering the brain and spinal cord. In a news release, Ted Grace, director of University Health Services, said the university has notified students and faculty who may have been in contact with the student and has provided them with antibiotics. The university
took this as a preventative measure and said students, faculty and staff who have not been contacted by University Health Services should not be concerned. The disease is not highly contagious, university officials said, but can be spread by direct contact with saliva or through the coughing or sneezing of those who are infected. Grace said the community should be aware of its symptoms, which include fever, headache and a stiff neck. Nausea and vomiting may develop and a rash
could appear. Students who become ill with these symptoms should go to the Student Health Center or their primary care provider’s office as soon as possible, he said. The Student Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students with questions or concerns can call the Health Center at 618-453-3311. The Daily Egyptian’s news desk can be reached at editor@dailyegyptian. com or 618-536-3397.
Contact Us Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Editor-in-Chief: Anna Spoerre (618) 536-3397
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About Us
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 43 weeks per year, with an average weekly circulation of 12,500. Fall and spring semester editions run every Wednesday. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian can be found daily at www.dailyegyptian.com.
Mission Statement
The Daily Egyptian, the student-run news organization of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news, information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.
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Young band, young fans
Branda Mitchell | @branda_mitchell Mike Eli performs with the Eli Young Band on Saturday at SIU Arena. The grammy-nominated group headlined the event. The NATU Band, featuring former SIU football player Natu Visinia, opened the show.
Fourth Friday Fairs series begins Friday in downtown Carbondale TYRA WOOTEN | @twootenDE
A “Spring Fling” is the theme of the first Fourth Friday Fairs beginning Friday in downtown Carbondale. The fair runs on the fourth Friday of every month until fall and will feature live music, interactive games, local artists and food vendors. The event is free and runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Carbondale Town Square Pavilion. Carbondale Main Street, Carbondale Community Arts and the Carbondale Park District are inviting businesses around the square to participate either by setting up at the fair or through special offerings within their shops
and restaurants. Rebecca Dull, assistant director of Carbondale Main Street, said the fairs are a causal way to get to know the local business owners, neighbors and enjoy being in Carbondale. “It's a fun way for people in the community to get together and enjoy being downtown,” Dull said. Downtown business participation not only expands opportunities for artists and musicians, but also contributes to the overall feel and vibrancy of a community event downtown, she said. Each month will have a different theme to celebrate different aspects of Carbondale. This year’s themes are “Bike Month” on May
26, “Beat the Heat” on June 23, “Celebrating America” on July 28, “Be Back to School” on Aug. 25 and “Celebrating Latino Heritage Month” on Sept. 23. Lisa Janssen, executive director of Carbondale Community Arts, said the center facilitates art activities that coordinate with each month’s theme. She said the various activities “create a sense of camaraderie” in the city. “I think this event builds community in Carbondale,” Janssen said. “It really unites the community and brings them downtown.” Staff writer Tyra Wooten can be reached at twooten@dailyegyptian. com or on Twitter @twootenDE.
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Colwell makes case for chancellor spot MARNIE LEONARD | @marsuzleo
Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell wants to bring stability to the leadership at SIU. Colwell, who began his two-year term Oct. 1, 2015, said without a permanent contract there were many things he was not able to do as chancellor. Now he’s vying against two other candidates to get rid of the ‘interim’ in his title. “I was brought in to steady the waters, and I think we have,” Colwell said, referring to SIU’s history of administrative turnover. In the past 20 years, the university system’s largest campus has had 11 different leaders. “It would almost be laughable if it wasn’t so serious,” Colwell said. “We need direction.” During a forum Tuesday morning, the interim chancellor outlined future strategies he’ll implement if selected to continue the role. He said key issues for the campus in the next five or 10 years will be recruitment and retention. SIU’s enrollment hit its lowest point since 1965 in the fall 2016 semester, and in spring 2017 the student population saw a decrease of 7.4 percent compared with 2016. In late March, SIU President Randy Dunn announced his plan to cut at least $30 million in spending from the university’s $450 million budget. At least $2 million of those cuts, Colwell said, were made with the expectation that enrollment will continue its downward slope for the fall 2017 semester. Colwell said the admissions office is fully staffed and targeting, “with renewed vigor,” Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky, among other states. Recruiters visited every high school in Illinois last year, which Colwell said might not continue in
the coming years but was necessary to re-establish connections, especially with smaller schools. The university will have to increase efforts to reach out to community colleges as well, Colwell said. “They’re not churning out students here like they need to be,” he said. “We’ve tried different things with various levels of success, but we can’t give up.” Still, Colwell said, it isn’t just up to him or the admissions office. He said the campus community as a whole needs to fight “misperceptions” about SIU. “These negative conversations are out there by the bucketfuls,” Colwell said. “One is that this campus isn’t safe, but this is a good community and we have a beautiful, safe campus.” Asked how he would lead the university through the unprecedented state budget impasse, Colwell said the key is figuring out how to run the campus better for when state funding does return. In January, a committee formed by Colwell released a report prioritizing non-academic units on campus and identifying long-term cashsaving measures. These included an automated employee hiring service called HireTouch, switching to direct deposit to pay vendors and eliminating state funding to centers that “should be self-supporting” such as SIU’s Counseling and Psychological Services and Office of Economic and Regional Development. Colwell said about one-third of the committee’s proposed measures are in place and the rest are still in the process of being implemented. The interim chancellor also addressed the possibility of layoffs in the future, saying the largest amount of money could be saved through salaries. “The morale is about right here,”
Colwell said, gesturing to the floor. “People are nervous, asking, ‘Am I going to have a job?’’’ Colwell said the administration is making conscious efforts to protect jobs and avoid furloughs with the “prayer” that the state Legislature will pass a budget soon. Tomas Velasco, representing the Graduate Council, asked how the university would realistically look five or 10 years from now. Colwell said the the student body will likely look different. “It’s not going to be the traditional 18-year-old that our future will be built on,” Colwell said. “We need to prepare for that.” SIU could have more nontraditional students, which Colwell said included veterans, single parents and those with special needs. Colwell said he foresees fewer students on campus, with a higher focus on online and commuter students. “This summer will be the first where we clearly bypass the number of online summer students as opposed to on-campus,” Colwell said. “It works for me; I want these students and I don’t care if they’re in Rockford at a community college as long as they’re taking classes here, too.” The campus itself will also look different, Colwell said, with Schneider Hall being left vacant in the fall to prepare for its demolition. This is the first step in the university’s $257 million dollar plan to tear down Neely, Mae Smith and Schneider halls, collectively referred to as “the towers,” and replace them with new dorms over the next decade. Colwell said he thinks SIU’s enrollment “sweet spot” is around 18,000 students, and the campus will never return to the days when it enrolled 25,000. This is because the university used to offer associate degrees, Colwell
Wednesday, april 26, 2017 said, but those degrees went into the community colleges in the ‘90s. “Maybe we didn’t make an adjustment like we should have, but people think we failed because we lost those students,” Colwell said. “Folks, we didn’t lose them; they were taken away from us.” Asked about his plans for diversity and inclusivity on campus, Colwell said it is crucial to make minority and marginalized students feel safe and welcome. “We learn as much from them as they will from us, and I feel that about every single group that falls within the ‘diverse’ title,” Colwell said. “Iron sharpens iron, folks; it’s what makes this campus vibrant.” A year ago Tuesday, Colwell held a press conference to announce that university administrators worked with YouTube to take down a racist video calling for lynchings on campus. The chancellor’s announcement came about a week before the May 2 campus-wide protest against racism, student loan debt and other issues. Student-led organizations — including the Graduate and Professional Student Council and the Black Affairs Council — later called on the administration to do more to combat racism on campus. “When faced with the threat of lynching, email assurances and ‘listening sessions’ are not enough,” the Black Affairs Council wrote in a statement. In the fall 2016 semester, the university formed a Diversity Council to address these issues on Carbondale’s campus. Colwell said the goal is for students to feel that the council represents them and that the administration hears their concerns. “I don’t care if they’re tall, skinny, their religion, sex, whatever — we want to support all our students,” Colwell said. Faculty Senate President Judy Davie asked how Colwell perceives the role of employee constituency groups in policy development and decision-making. Colwell said it’s important to
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Jacob Wiegand | @jawiegandphoto Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell speaks at a forum on Tuesday morning in Guyon Auditorium. During the forum, Colwell spoke about numerous issues including, but not limited to, enrollment, campus diversity and the impact of the state's budget impasse on the university.
communicate with constituency heads for the institution to be effective. “We’re in tough times right now and you all deserve the right answers,” Colwell said. “I surround myself with good people and trust them to do their jobs, and I ask that you please do not hesitate to ask the tough questions.” Colwell began his career in higher education in 1996 as an assistant professor in SIU’s department of education administration and higher education, with an office across the hall from Dunn. From there, Colwell and Dunn collaborated on published works and public lectures concerning issues in university administration, education and law. Before Colwell’s interim appointment, Dunn filled in as chancellor along with his regular duties as the university president for
nearly a year following the November 2014 death of interim Chancellor Paul Sarvela. Colwell did not apply during the national search for the position he holds. Rather, Dunn reached out to him personally within two weeks of announcing Colwell’s appointment. SIU’s president has said the campus was divided on the leading candidates, forcing him to find an alternative finalist. George Hynd, president of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and Carl Pinkert, vice president for research and economic development at the University of Alabama, are also vying for the spot. Hynd is the only candidate who has not attended or previously worked for SIU, with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in psychology
from Pepperdine University in California and a doctoral degree in education from the University of Northern Colorado. Pinkert earned his master’s degree in animal science from SIU in 1977. Jeff Elwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, dropped out of the running last week after being offered the president position at Eastern New Mexico University. The search for a permanent chancellor comes during a financially difficult time for the state and university. During his nearly 19 months as chancellor, Colwell has led the campus during one of the most financially strained times in its history. For almost two years,
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the state Legislature, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, have not been able to pass a state spending plan. Colwell said there isn’t a “magic bullet” to fix the university’s financial woes, and it’s important to keep planning for the future. “If ever there is an institution that closes, it won’t be us,” Colwell said. “We won’t be the first; there are many other institutions that are truly, truly beyond the lifeline. Let’s keep looking forward.” Staff writer Luke Nozicka and campus editor Bill Lukitsch contributed reporting. Staff writer Marnie Leonard can be reached at mleonard@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter @marsuzleo.
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Chancellor candidate from University of Alabama to interview on campus Thursday DAILY EGYPTIAN NEWS STAFF
Carl Pinkert, vice president for research and economic development at the University of Alabama, will interview on campus Thursday for the permanent chancellor role. Pinkert, who took over his role at Alabama in November 2013, will interview at 8:45 a.m. Thursday in Guyon Auditorium. The candidate will then answer questions at a student-led forum from 5 to 6 p.m. the same day in the Student Services Building room 150/160. The events are open to the public. At Alabama, Pinkert’s duties include advancing research goals and expanding the university’s research funding base through federal grants, foundations and private donations, according to his curriculum vitae. In Alabama’s announcement naming Pinkert as vice president for research, then-UA President Judy Bonner said the candidate would help the university achieve its goals in the “area of funded research and technology transfer.” “Dr. Pinkert brings a wealth of experience to the position based on his personal research achievement and his record of leadership in academic research administration,” she said. During his time at Alabama, the university created a new center where researchers study the intersection of sports and technology, according to a June news release. With its successful athletic programs and experienced faculty, Pinkert said, Alabama made for “an outstanding place” to initiate the center that aims to develop new technology to reduce athletic injuries,
among other things. Pinkert has also helped further expand a partnership between his university and NASA. In November, he signed an agreement that allows students to work with “applied research ultimately used by NASA, which is a win-win for all sides,” he said, according to a news release from the Alabama Department of Commerce. He has helped form partnerships with his university and numerous entrepreneurs and researchers. In one instance in July 2015, Pinkert formalized an agreement between Alabama and TDK Corp., a Japanese electronics giant, that focused the challenges “associated with the growing electric-energy movement and the miniaturization of electronic components,” the university said. Throughout his research career, according to an Alabama news release, Pinkert led or co-led projects that have received more than $23 million in funding. In his previous role as associate vice president for research and graduate studies at Auburn University, Pinkert oversaw a $19 million annual budget — about 4 percent of SIUC’s approximately $450 million operating budget. He worked as a professor and administrator at the public research university in Alabama from 2006 until 2013. If selected as the next leader of SIU’s largest campus, Pinkert will likely be tasked with making large budget reductions. In late March, SIU President Randy Dunn announced his plan for the Carbondale campus to cut at least $30 million in spending from its budget. Shortly after the announcement, interim
Chancellor Brad Colwell, who is also a finalist for the full-time position, said the changes at the university “will be challenging and painful” and “almost certainly include layoffs.” In August, Pinkert was named as one of 19 candidates for the presidential position at the University of West Florida, according to the Pensacola News Journal. He later withdrew his name from consideration. Pinkert is the co-author of more than 135 published articles, 24 reports and 175 abstracts, according to a news release from the University of Alabama. He earned his master’s degree in animal science from SIU in 1977. He attended Colorado State University for his undergraduate degree and went to the University of Georgia for a doctorate in animal science and reproductive physiology. Pinkert is scheduled to be the last candidate interviewed on campus. Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell interviewed Tuesday and George Hynd, president of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, interviewed for the position April 19. A fourth candidate, Jeff Elwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, dropped out of the running last week after being offered the president position at Eastern New Mexico University. The SIU Board of Trustees, with a recommendation from Dunn, is expected to make an offer and approve the hire of their choice in May. The Daily Egyptian’s news desk can be reached at 618-536-3397 or editor@dailyegyptian.com.
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Archaeological center would hit ‘rock bottom’ after cuts, director says OLIVIA SPIERS | @_spierso
Mark Wagner is the only employee who shows up at work anymore. He is the only staff member of the university’s Center for Archaeological Investigations, which has lost 80 percent of its funding in the last 10 years. The center’s staff has dropped proportionally — to one from nine — since 2007. “We are essentially down to bare bones, or rock bottom, in funds,” Wagner said. Wagner, the director of the research center, said the organization has been weening off university funds for the past four years in preparation for steep budget cuts. Since 2011, the money from the university has dropped from $30,000 to $10,000, which Wagner uses to pay basic expenses for running the office. The Center for Archaeological Investigations is one of 15 centers or initiatives SIU’s non-academic prioritization committee suggested could become self-supporting with the goal of eliminating state funding by 2022. The Daily Egyptian is publishing a series of stories to examine the effect those proposed cuts would have on the university community. This is the eleventh in the series. The non-academic prioritization committee suggested cutting $90,004 of state funding from the center’s budget, which Wagner said is over 90 percent of their funding and would close the facility. “I expect that will dip into my salary and our curator’s, so we’ll have to move over to anthropology full time,” he said. Wagner also said the committee never consulted him on the funds the center could stand to lose.
“No one even asked what our mission was,” Wagner said. “I just hope in the future there’s better dialogue going to higher administration as more cuts come.” Since July 2015, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the state Legislature have failed to come to an agreement on a state spending plan. In light of the state’s historic budget impasse, public universities are considering ways to continue operations with the assumption that some funding could be cut permanently. Two stopgap measures passed in 2016 totaled $83 million of financial support for the SIU system. Those funds, for the most part, were used to pay the bills from the 2016 fiscal year. The university started the 2017 fiscal year “basically back at zero” and is dipping into the reserves once again, SIU President Randy Dunn has said. The 15 institutions or centers identified in the non-instructional prioritization committee’s report suffered a permanent 10 percent reduction in state funding in fiscal year 2016. Others saw additional cuts in the 2017 fiscal year. Dunn said on March 29 the Carbondale campus should cut at least $30 million in spending and should consider declaring a shortterm financial emergency. Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell released a statement in response detailing the cuts at the campus level, which includes $1.2 million from partially self-supporting units like the archaeological center. The cuts outlined in Colwell’s statement are for the 2018 fiscal year and are based in part on proposals for long-term efficiencies such as those in the non-academic prioritization report.
Wagner said the center offers research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, which is “extremely attractive” to prospective students. The center currently has 27 active research projects. These projects usually bring in around $250,000 to the university, and 30 percent of those funds goes to the chancellor’s office, Wagner said. Alice Muntz, a graduate student from Chicago studying anthropology, said the archaeology center is the reason she came to SIU for graduate school. “The anthropology department is strengthened by the center,” Muntz said. “It’s what attracts students to the school.” Muntz first came to SIU as an undergraduate student in 2011 as a part of the summer field school program which is offered through the center. Muntz said once she saw the facility, it solidified that archaeology was what she wanted to do. During her time at SIU, Muntz
said the total amount of projects she has worked on is “incalculable,” but she has worked on three major research projects and will be teaching in the summer field school program this year. Muntz is currently doing research and analysis on some of the center’s 10,000 archives, which span from Navajo valuables to fossils in the Shawnee National Forest. Muntz’s current specialization is in prehistoric ceramics that the center keeps in storage. “Cutting funding will only hurt us in the long run,” Muntz said, adding that the ability to offer undergraduate research “is huge in our world.” Andrew Vancleve, a senior from Springfield studying anthropology, is one of the center’s undergraduate research assistants. Vancleve and his partner, Hannah Ward, had their first research project this semester through the center. “It’s incredible being able to do this research as an undergrad,”
Vancleve said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do any type of research until grad school.” Vancleve and Ward did groundpenetrating radar analysis at Fort Kaskaskia, a historic site in Ellis Grove, and planned excavation sites where underground artifacts showed up on radar. “This was serious archaeology that we did,” Vancleve said. “It’s exactly what we will be doing in the real world.” Wagner said the center’s goal is to support the anthropology students. Even though the center is supported mostly by external grants, the proposed budget cuts would still hinder the center from achieving its mission. “We’ve been getting students jobs since 1978,” Wagner said. “That should be taken into account before funding is cut any further.” Staff writer Olivia Spiers can be reached at ospiers@dailyegyptian.com or 618-536-3325
Center for Archaeological Investigations The Curation facility takes up 13,000 square feet with shelves and cabinets that span over 11,000 linear feet. What does it contain? Nearly one million artifacts from the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation, making up over 4,100 boxes.
Over 1,000 boxes of artifacts from Shawnee National Forest dating back to the 1950’s.
Over 850 linear feet of documentation associated with midwestern and southwestern United States archaeological sites.
Madelynn Shively | Daily Egyptian
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
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A national credit rating agency has reduced the university’s credit to junk status and attributes the decline to the ongoing Illinois budget impasse. Standard & Poor’s on Thursday dropped SIU’s rating three notches — from “BBB” to “BB” — with a negative outlook on the university system’s credit based on the belief that the state will not pass a budget to fund higher education before the end of the fiscal year. The Illinois Legislature has partially funded public higher education with stop-gap money since 2015. Eastern Illinois University and Western Illinois University were also lowered to the junk bond level. Northeastern Illinois University saw the worst as its already-junkbond status fell to the even lower “B” rating. University of Illinois saw a dip as well, but its bonds remain investment grade. The news comes after Moody’s Investor’s Service on Monday placed SIU and five other state universities on review to be downgraded. S&P’s said the credit drop had to do with the Illinois budget impasse that has left public universities in the state without full funding for nearly two years. It pointed to the SIU system’s dependence on state appropriations, which amounted to 34 percent of its revenue. All the universities were given a negative outlook from S&P’s, meaning the credit agency thinks the financial conditions are apt to worsen. The agency also referenced the university’s recent enrollment
decline and operating deficit as factors in the downgrade. Lower bond ratings can make borrowing costlier for the university and signal higher risk to investors. In 2016, the SIU Board of Trustees adopted a new housing plan that relies on investments from the private sector to would replace the Towers on East Campus. In 2016, two stopgap measures passed through the Legislature totaled $83 million in support for the university; those funds, for the most part, were used to pay the bills from the 2016 fiscal year. But the budget stalemate between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the state Legislature, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, has left Illinois universities with no money in 2017. That has put public universities in the position of stretching a year’s worth of appropriations over nearly two years. SIU President Randy Dunn in March announced the Carbondale campus would cut $30 million from its budget and suggested the university declare a state of financial emergency. The president also said the university could essentially borrow money on paper from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to keep from going into deficit spending. That measure is expected to be addressed during a special meeting of the SIU Board of Trustees in May. Campus editor Bill Lukitsch can be reached at 618-536-3326 or at editor@dailyegyptian.com.
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WINSTON
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He has been sober for 35 years and has been making bagels for just as long. Mezo credits his experience with the 12-Step program to a lot of his success. “I do 12-Step program so I can do anything else,” he said. “Without that I wouldn’t have anything, I’d still be lying in the alleys.” For his first decade as the Bagel Man, Mezo, who joined the Army out of high school, also worked for a paramilitary outfit based in Florida. This left him absent from his night job for anywhere from a couple days to a couple months. Eventually he left the paramilitary job and bought a second cart. Now, decades later, he just operates his cart off Grand Avenue, but aside from that, not much about his business has changed. But, he said, the city has. Mezo said the biggest difference he’s noticed in the past decades is fewer students coming to Carbondale every year, recalling his experience at SIU as a student in the late 1960s, a time he described as SIU having a campus full of "hippies and guys fresh out of the military." “It was a different world, let me put it that way,” said Mezo, who graduated in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in social work. “There were kids all over this place man, thousands of them.” Since Winston started selling bagels in 1973, according to university data, enrollment has
dropped from 20,353 students to fewer than 16,000. But when alumni come back to visit, they are often surprised to find the Bagel Man right where they left him. “There’s people that come back, they’ve been gone for years, and they come back to see if I’m still living, still kicking … they said, 'we heard you were on social media,'” he said. Mathew Phillips, of Carbondale, has been one of Mezo’s closest friends after meeting him at the 12-Step group. He said the Bagel Man isn’t a household name just in Carbondale. "I’ve been downtown Chicago with him … and someone across the square yelled, 'Hey Winston!'” Phillips said. Despite the popularity, Mezo said the toughest part of the job these days is staying out so late. But that hasn’t stopped him. “As old as I am, I don’t think I’ve ever felt better and been able to get around any better than I can now,” he said. “If you told me I’d be this busy this time in my life I’d say man ain’t no way, I’m going to kick back … but I wouldn’t like that, it ain’t me.” And that shows in his dedication to his community, particularly 12-Step. Mezo has run a substance abuse hotline for the past 13 years and sponsors two others in the group. “They said one day, if you stay in [12-Step], you’ll be able to contribute more than anyone else,” Mezo said. “There’s a lot of hope in there.”
“I do 12-Step program so I can
do anything else. Without that I wouldn’t have anything, I’d still be lying in the alleys.” -Winston Mezo Carbondale's Bagel Man
Wednesday, april 26, 2017
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Anna Spoerre | @annaspoerre Winston Mezo, of Carbondale, hands a bagel to a customer as he stands behind his kart Nov. 4, 2016, in the parking lot of Pinch Penny Liquors. He transports his supplies in a white van, which he parks next to the liquor store while selling bagels from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. When sales are slow or weather is bad, he hangs out in his vehicle. “My van is better than home at times because I’ve got everything I need: coffee and snacks and satellite radios and dvd players and Kindle,” he said. Mezo, who has been satisfying late-night cravings since 1983, will retire Sunday.
Meanwhile, Mezo has also given hope to a lot of people. Norris Muckelroy, a long-time friend of Mezo's from the program, said when Mezo retires, the community will not only be losing a great bagel, but also a great friend. “Do the best that you can in life and go with your dreams,” Muckelroy said of the message Mezo has taught him and exemplifies to others. “I don’t think there’s a more loving person in the whole wide
world.” As for retirement, Mezo plans on slowing down a little, but not much. “I’ll be retired, unless of course Hollywood spies me and I have to go make a major motion picture,” he joked. Mezo, a regular at SIU’s Recreation Center and an avid pool player, said he looks forward to having more time for both, as well as more time to travel with the 12Step program.
Until then, this weekend will be the last time Mezo unloads his cart from his white van. “I’ll miss it. I’ll miss it terribly," he said. “I’ll miss interacting with those kids on Friday and Saturday nights but then I won’t miss that 4 o'clock in the morning rain, snow, sleet and hail, trying to get that cart loaded and then having to go to Walmart and then pounding coffee and having to feel all dirty from that grill and sticky with cream
cheese and stuff all over me.” But, this likely won’t be the last Carbondale sees of the Bagel Man, who said he may be around from time to time to help whoever buys the cart if they need it. As of Tuesday, however, he is still working on securing a buyer. “You’re not going to believe this when I tell you, but interacting with those kids is a big part of my life,” said Mezo, who never had kids of his own. “They’re hard-working,
industrious. They tell me about school, what their majors are. … Not in my living experience have I known kids like that.” Weather permitting, the Bagel Man will fire up his grill one last time from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday in front of the Pinch Penny Liquors. Editor-in-chief Anna Spoerre can be reached at aspoerre@dailyegyptian.com
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Pride at the prom ABBEY LA TOUR | @LaTourAbbey
Cecilia Miranda slipped into her allblack suit and tightened her bright red tie as she got ready for her first prom with a female date. At her high school, students were required to have a date of the opposite gender in order to attend, so instead Miranda and her best friend boycotted the rules of her Catholic all-girls high school. “We ended up not going because we figured if they don’t want us there, we don’t want to be there,” said Miranda, a freshman from Chicago studying paralegal studies. The third annual “Pride Prom” took place at 7 p.m. Saturday in Grinnell Hall and was sponsored by Saluki Rainbow Network and the LGBTQ Resource Center.
“I think this event is super important,” Miranda said. “I think a lot of people have had similar experiences that I have also had, and I think it’s important to build on those.” Travis Tucker, LGBTQ resource center coordinator, said the event started as a way to recognize that prom season can be difficult for LGBTQ community members, as some high school regulations prohibit openly gay students from wearing the clothes they feel comfortable in or taking the date they want. “It is important for the resource center to put programs on like this, so we make sure that we let LGBTQ students and their allies know that we hear you,” Tucker said. Victoria Hammond, a senior from Columbus, Ohio studying geology, said she believes the campus climate isn’t
always welcoming to LGBTQ students. “We just try and band together and support each other,” she said. High schoolers are welcome to attend the prom as well, and in the past the event has served as a way for students to see how being openly gay can be different in college, said Hammond, one of the founders of the Pride Prom. “You got these little one-on-one advice sessions inside this prom event,” Hammond said. “It was really interesting, and it was a really nice thing to see.” The high school students would ask the college attendees questions like how to purchase the right clothing for the gender they identified with and how to politely correct individuals on preferred pronoun use. "It's been really sad hearing stories from students who didn't get the
opportunity to bring their preferred partner to prom," said Yahaira Heller, a graduate student in public administration from Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, who previously worked at the LGBTQ Resource Center. "So when we started knocking around ideas [for awareness week events], I remembered those stories and was like, 'what about if we do a prom?' ... Diversity cannot just be spoken, diversity is an action. Without action, diversity is nothing. And that’s for everyone. We need to act on our university’s mission statement and stuff like [the pride prom] — this is how you do it." Morgan Timms contributed to this report. Staff writer Abbey La Tour can be reached at alatour@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @LaTourAbbey
Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
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Jae Schmidt, a junior from Saint Joseph studying clinical psychology, dances with prom date Justin Gunzel, a junior from Highland Park studying computer engineering, on Saturday during the SIU LGBTQ Resource Center's third annual Pride Prom at Grinnell Hall in Carbondale. "It was beautiful," Schmidt said of the prom. "It's so important we have a formal event like a prom or homecoming like this where we can go and not feel judged." Morgan Timms @Morgan_Timms
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
RECRUITMENT CONTINUED FROM
1
This difficulty is reflected in the university’s enrollment, which hit its lowest point since 1965 in the fall of 2016 semester, and in spring 2017 saw a decrease of 7.4 percent compared with 2016. Terri Harfst, director of financial aid, said last May she started making some changes. “This isn’t going to turn something around tomorrow,” Harfst said. “This is a long process, but our admission's staff is doing exactly what they need to be doing.” Her first priority was to fully staff the admissions office, which now has eight full-time recruiters. Prior to 2016, Harfst said SIU had not visited some high schools in Illinois for a year and a half. Now, admissions staff visit high schools and community colleges in Illinois at a minimum of once a year, and major schools see recruiters once per semester. Harfst said admissions also started purchasing more ACT and SAT standardized test results last May. When students take these standardized tests, universities are able to purchase their names to send them recruitment materials. Previously, the office had only bought names of high school seniors; now, freshman, sophomore and junior names are in the mix. For the 2016-2017 school year, Harfst said admissions purchased 350,000 names at $0.42 each. “By the time we would have started recruiting them, they already had some schools in mind,” she said. “If you’re not recruiting them at a younger age, you’re losing some of them.” In February, the Board of Trustees approved in-state tuition rates for outof-state students, meaning all incoming undergraduates in the fall of 2017 will pay in-state rates, as students from bordering states already do. Harfst said this is a major recruitment tool for admissions, and the office has expanded recruitment efforts and test name-purchasing to California, Texas, Ohio and Florida. Still, Harfst said the budget impasse
has been a huge challenge for recruiters, and they hear “misperceptions” about SIU when they travel to schools. “People think we’re going away, and we’re not,” Harfst said. “But we hear these things and sometimes my staff can’t control it.” Recruiters hear concerns about academic quality and safety on campus, which Harfst said can only be combatted by the university community talking more positively about SIU. “The more everyone knows about some of the challenges that we’re facing, the more they can help us bring these students and parents around to the fact that we’re not going anywhere, our academic quality is outstanding and their student is going to get a great education here,” Harfst said. After Dunn’s announcement suggesting the $30 million in cuts, interim Chancellor Brad Colwell responded with a breakdown for the campus budget cuts. Included in Colwell’s cuts were $1.2 million from partially self-supporting units like the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, WSIU Public Broadcasting and Counseling and Psychological Services. Directors of a majority of these centers interviewed by the Daily Egyptian have said the outlined cuts would significantly harm their units, and in some cases would lead to their closure. Many have maintained that if their centers were closed, it would affect enrollment because students who want to work and do research there will go elsewhere. Harfst, however, said she doesn’t foresee these cuts being a problem for recruitment. “Students interested in undergraduate research will always have the opportunity for it,” Harfst said. “Just because one center goes away doesn’t mean that experience goes away on this campus.” Colwell’s statement also said the university state travel budget, totaling $535,000, would be eliminated immediately and no traveling would take place on state money. Harfst said this hasn’t affected the admissions office because its travel budget comes from local money rather than state funding.
Page 15 Individual colleges also have recruiters, whose budgets are whatever amount the department allocates them. Davenport said the School of Music, which has a very small amount allotted for recruitment to begin with, has been hurt by the elimination of travel funding. “Our ensembles can’t travel on tours to schools to perform,” Davenport said. “Faculty members also get out to perform less when they have to travel on their own money, and performing is how we create a buzz about what’s going on here. If no one can hear us, then the buzz dies down.” At an April 13 meeting between faculty and administration, interim Provost Susan Ford said her office is predicting a lower enrollment for the fall 2017 semester based on markers like housing contracts and registration for student orientations. “We are swimming against the tsunami of bad press from the state budget crisis,” Ford said. “This harmed us last year, and we know it’s harming us this year.” Ford said retention efforts are just as important as recruitment. Every student who sends their ACT or FAFSA to SIU is shown the university’s retention and 4and 6-year graduation rates, which Ford says are very low. Ford said until those numbers are higher, recruitment will continue to be a challenge. A retention task-force that met from 2012 to 2014 gave a list of suggestions to Ford’s office, which she said have been mostly implemented. These included having more invasive, targeted advising, a better adviser-tostudent ratio, targeting populations that are particularly at risk like firstgeneration students, and developing programming to help those at-risk students succeed. Going into the fall 2016 semester, Ford said junior and senior retention rates had increased, which she said is an indicator those efforts are starting to pay off. “This isn't going to offset our losses in freshmen yet, but I am hoping that when the state rights its ship, we will be positioned to really surge ahead,” Ford said. “We will be ready to recover our enrollment numbers.”
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Letter to the editor: Rape is not something to party about TYLER CHANCE
Last week, Levels night club in Carbondale hosted a party themed in violence. The night club unapologetically promoted a “Pimps N' Hoes” party. Not only is this degrading to women, it contributes to a false view of women in the male imagination and fuels a culture of violence in Carbondale and in America. While the cause of human trafficking has been getting more public attention in recent years, it is still seen as an international problem. Contrary to popular opinion, human trafficking is an evil that finds a comfortable home here in the state of Illinois. Additionally, one truth that is often ignored by Illinoisans is that anyone can be a victim. Likely due to its role as a transportation center in the United States, Illinois has been called a “hub” of commercial human trafficking in North America. While traffickers take advantage of O’Hare International Airport as a means of importing persons into the country, other traffickers take advantage of Illinois citizens— often children, women, and the homeless — by coercing them into harsh labor or forcing them into the commercial sex industry. According to an article in the New York Times, each year anywhere from 16,000 to 25,000 women and children are involved in the commercial sex trade in Chicago. Additionally, every year Illinois generates more calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline than almost every other state in the union. The calls are made from all regions of the state, specifically midsized towns (often college towns such as Carbondale and Urbana) and
the St. Louis Metro-East Area. This is not just a Chicago issue. It is very much a Carbondale issue, and it is not something to celebrate. Sex trafficking includes, but is not limited to, coerced prostitution, the commercial child sex industry, and coerced pornography. It is driven by the considerably large commercial sex market that is evident from internet sites where sex-costumers can socialize and learn the best locations for them to purchase sex when entering the state. Many commercial sexual transactions today are started over the internet at websites such as craigslist.com. While the internet tends to be the source of customers, traffickers take advantage of victims from all walks of life, but especially children and the destitute. Often young people are coerced into the commercial sex market as a means of survival, in order to ensure that they have a safe place to sleep or a meal for the day. Having recognized the problem, what is the best way to fight it here in the state of Illinois? The answer is definitely not celebrating a culture of rape as Levels is doing, but rather the answer lies in raising public awareness of trafficking and decreasing the size of the commercial sex industry. Raising public awareness is something that can be done at the grassroots level without taking funds from the state. As a citizen, do research, start conversations, contact, donate or volunteer your time to an advocacy group like End Demand Illinois, The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, the Salvation Army or your local women’s shelter. Call Levels and tell them why their “party” is inappropriate, offensive and a contributor to a culture of violence against women. You’ve read
Daily Egyptian file photo People wait to enter the Lil Wayne concert April 20, 2015, outside Levels nightclub in Carbondale.
this article; now share it! This is the part of the battle that any citizen of the state is equipped to take on. Through being aware, we can identify situations of human trafficking which can lead to rescues and save lives of those who are victims of both sex and labor trafficking. In regards to decreasing the size of the commercial sex industry, this is something that we must rely on law enforcement and lawmakers to handle, but we should push them in the right direction. The best way to decrease the size of the commercial sex industry is to deter would-be consumers, and the best way to do that is to increase punishments for those who solicit or patronize prostitutes. In a survey of Chicago men who purchase sex, conducted by the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual
Exploitation, 83 percent said jail time would deter them from buying sex, 76 percent said having their driver's license suspended would deter them, and 75 percent said any additional criminal penalties would deter them. The answer is right there. Write members of the General Assembly. Write Governor Quinn. While this criminal law is a matter left up to Springfield, it is our civic duty to petition the government when we feel like justice is not being served. We also must take a stand against organizations and individuals that trivialize or even, disgustingly, revel in the abuse of women. Women are not just our mothers, daughters, and sisters. They are people. People with rights and autonomy. People with stories. We are in a nation where one in five women have been victims of sexual
assault, where our President brags about his lewd violations of women’s bodies, and where bars have “Pimps and Hoes” parties for fun. America and Illinois for that matter cannot continue to treat women this way. Together we can fight to end injustice. In the words of Abraham Lincoln from an address he made in the city of Chicago, “I leave you, hoping that the lamp will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all [people] are created free and equal.” Southern Illinois cannot be free and equal if we celebrate the abuse and violence of our own people. Tyler Chance, a 2013 SIU graduate in political science, is now a Ph.D. Candidate in political science at University of Missouri St. Louis.
Wednesday, april 26, 2017
Letter to the Editor: Faculty Association tells students it will 'fight for the SIUC that you deserve' SIUC FACULTY ASSOCIATION
To the students of SIUC: SIUC is facing the greatest crisis in its history. Plans are under way for major budget cuts. Like you, we’re concerned about the future of this university. We in the Faculty Association, the union that represents tenure-track and tenured faculty, are doing everything we can to protect the core academic mission of SIUC. We believe that our top priority right now must be preserving our academic programs — your opportunity to work with worldclass scholars and educators. Thus we believe that cuts to the university budget must target non-academic areas of the university before going after academics. We also believe that the university must be absolutely transparent about its budget, sharing information clearly with the entire university community, including students. The cuts we’re facing are due to the failure of the State of Illinois to pass a budget. So we need to put pressure on our state legislators to do right by you. Our legislators need to hear from you! Tell your state representatives that they need to fund higher education in Illinois, including MAP grants for students, and do it now. Need contact info for your representatives? Check this out this website: http://capwiz.com/nea/il/home Another way to reach the state
government is to attend the Teach Out for Higher Education at 11 a.m. on Thursday in Springfield. Students and faculty from all over Illinois are planning to come together at the State Capitol to demand that the state fund higher education. We can provide transportation. For more information, email J’Neita Fassel at JNeita.Fassel@ieanea.org or visit https://actionnetwork.org/events/ higher-education-teach-out-inspringfield.
“The budget crisis is frightening, but we stand with you in the fight for the SIUC that you deserve.” Finally, we’ve posted links to resources on the budget for students and others who want to learn more about the budget crisis on our website, www.siucfa.org. The budget crisis is frightening, but we stand with you in the fight for the SIUC that you deserve.
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Wednesday, aPril 26 2017
Answers for Wednesday >>
Brought to you by:
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www. sudoku.org.uk
Wednesday, april 26, 2017
Today's Birthday (04/26/17). Focus on what's most important this year. Strengthen and build support for physical health, fitness and work. Shifting career directions after August leads to a new domestic phase. Raise the level of your partnership after October. A two-year team collaboration phase begins in December. Nurture love. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Break through old limitations and barriers in your relationship with money, with this Taurus New Moon. Step into new levels of prosperity without compromising your principles.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- A new personal phase dawns with this New Moon in your sign. Grow and develop your talents, capacities and skills. Your past work reflects you well. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 6 -Insights, breakthroughs and revelations percolate with the New Moon. Discover something from the past. Begin a new philosophical, spiritual and mindful phase. Kindred spirits provide support. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Begin a new phase in friendship, social networks and community with this New Moon. Raise a group endeavor to new levels. Take notes. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Complete old work and begin a new phase in your career and profession with this New Moon. Make preparations to launch your next endeavor. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -Open a new door with your education, travels and exploration under this Taurus New Moon. First-person experience is most memorable. Study with a master. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- A lucrative phase dawns under this Taurus New
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Moon. Find creative ways to grow your family's nest egg. Launch a profitable initiative together. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- New collaborative efforts come together naturally. Together, you're an unbeatable team. Advance a level in your relationship under this New Moon. Partnership blooms. Support each other. Sagittarius (Nov. 22Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -Embrace healthy lifestyle practices under the New Moon. New energy floods your work, health and vitality. Recharge by nurturing yourself before taking care of others. Capricorn (Dec. 22Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- This Taurus New Moon sparks a family, fun and passion phase. A relationship transforms. Create the romance of your dreams. It's all for love. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -- A new domestic phase arises with this New Moon. Wrap your love around home and family. Express it with dreamy colors, textures and f lavor. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -Miracles and breakthroughs arise in the conversation under this New Moon. Use your persuasive arts. Adapt communications to a new story. Share gratitude and appreciation.
FOR RELEASE APRIL 26, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Reduce drastically 6 Skyscraper girder 11 Bobby on the ice 14 Willowy 15 Impudent 16 Baltimore Ravens mascot named for an author 17 Attendant who invites Hamlet to duel Laertes 18 Blubbers 19 Potato part 20 NOTHING 22 “Stillmatic” rapper 23 Equinox mo. 24 Secure at the pier 25 Small bite 27 Sulky state 28 L.A.’s region 29 Jessica of “Fantastic Four” films 32 Waimea Bay island 35 First sound of the day, for many 38 Provide missing info ... and what four clues do to their answers 41 Author Asimov 42 Ratio phrase 43 Boxing stats 44 Explosive experiment 46 Vote for 48 “I wanna go too!” 50 “Psst!” kin 52 These, in Nantes 55 Roadside respite spot 56 NAUGHT 59 Word with Iron or Bronze 60 Enter on a laptop 61 Tropical porch 62 Hi-__ image 63 Año Nuevo month 64 Ham it up 65 Cockpit abbr. 66 Building leveler, to a Brit 67 Like horses
By Bill Zagozewski
DOWN 1 Neatniks’ opposites 2 Stocking thread 3 “It’s __!”: “They tricked us!” 4 Climb, in a way 5 Badger from the bleachers 6 Anvil-shaped ear bone 7 Ocean bed? 8 Burnett of CNN 9 ACTIVE NATURALS skin care brand 10 Otherworldly 11 SPACE 12 Fit for a queen 13 Piece maker? 21 It may be passed 26 Golf ball material 27 Sense of taste 28 Bird feeder food 29 John Williams won its 2016 Life Achievement Award: Abbr. 30 Fleur-de-__ 31 EMPTY 33 Busy, busy, busy 34 Dept. that oversees the FDA
04/26/17 Wednesday’s Answers 4/26/17 Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
36 “Citizen Kane” studio 37 Ed.’s backlog 39 Fridge feature that needs water 40 Bergman’s “Gaslight” co-star 45 Title Tejano singer in a 1997 biopic 47 Starbucks’ mermaid, e.g. 48 Sparkly crown
4/26/17 04/26/17
49 Broadway backer 50 Blazing 51 Roll out the red carpet for 52 Pachelbel work 53 Related on mom’s side 54 Hit the slopes 57 Caustic cleaners 58 Tibetan spiritual adviser
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Make this r e m m su h c u m o s more than just a . n o i t a c a v
Flexible schedules, online courses and affordable tuition mean you can have your summer and earn transferable credit, too! For more information visit http://bit.lly/illino oiscccsummer
Tuesday, april 18, 2017
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13 reasons the Bears should draft a quarterback at No. 3
BRAD BIGGS | Chicago Tribune
If not now, when? The time to invest a first-round draft pick in a quarterback appears to have come for the Bears, who have not selected a passer in Round 1 since Rex Grossman in 2003. The Bears dealt two first-round picks to the Broncos in the 2009 Jay Cutler deal, a trade that proved to be too good to be true because teams don't deal away franchise quarterbacks. It took the Bears longer than most to realize Cutler wasn't that player, and now here they are with the No. 3 pick Thursday night, staring down the opportunity to solve their neverending issue — if they can pick the right quarterback. North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky, Clemson's Deshaun Watson, Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer all offer upside. It's possible general manager Ryan Pace will have his choice of this group if the Browns (No. 1) and 49ers (No. 2) invest in other positions. Even if Pace has second pick among quarterbacks, the Bears are overdue to draft one. Yes, the answer to the most vexing of questions for the Bears seems to be right in front of them. Have your doubts on this matter? Believe the Bears should hold off yet again on taking a quarterback? Here are 13 reasons to draft a quarterback with the third pick, one for each year since Grossman was taken 22nd. 1. The Bears solved their issue of a starting quarterback for 2017 by signing Mike Glennon, and his presence should allow a draft pick to learn the NFL game, something most believe all four of these prospects would need. Follow the money when it comes to Glennon. He's guaranteed only $2.5 million after this season, meaning the Bears above everyone else have questions about his long-term viability.
2. Signing Glennon was only the first step. It's possible he's better than anyone expects, but until the Bears know they have the kind of franchise quarterback to lead them out of the NFC North basement, where they've been for three straight years, they need to keep swinging. Using a late-round pick on a quarterback doesn't constitute much of an at-bat. 3. At the end of last season, when Pace announced the Bears would coach in the Senior Bowl, he said the team wouldn't be in the same position again. The best way to ensure the Bears aren't in the conversation to coach the Senior Bowl again, and thus avoid a very high draft pick, is to solve the quarterback dilemma. 4. It's fair to wonder if the Bears, in need of significant improvement this season, can afford to use the third pick on a player who doesn't figure to contribute from the start. But Chairman George McCaskey has consistently praised Pace for his communication skills. Provided Pace's plan is one McCaskey signs off on, drafting a quarterback could buy the regime more time as it seeks to build the right way. McCaskey pledged in January he remains patient and reiterated that last month at the owners meeting. 5. Not that you're ever overly concerned with what other teams do in the draft, but imagine the fallout if the Bears passed on a quarterback at No. 3 who becomes a superstar. I'm not talking about a player everyone else missed on such as Dak Prescott, who played so well for the Cowboys as a fourth-round pick last year. But if the Bears pass on a quarterback who becomes the savior for, say, the Jets at No. 6, it would be fair game to hold such a miss against the front office. 6. The Bears will be in position to fill a serious need on defense with the third pick. Say they take defensive linemen Solomon Thomas
or Jonathan Allen or defensive backs Marshon Lattimore, Jamal Adams or Malik Hooker. They could get a building block for the future and improve to somewhere in the neighborhood of .500 this season. That would give them a pick around No. 16 in 2018 and leave them in no position to draft a quarterback. 7. You say wait for Jimmy Garoppolo. I say there's positively no telling what Garoppolo's status will be next March, when the Patriots could secure his rights with the franchise tag. 8. You say wait for USC's Sam Darnold. I say that's beyond risky because it's impossible to say how a young quarterback will fare in the coming college season. You never know where the Bears will be picking this time next year either. The Bears have been putting this off for too long. 9. Pace spent his entire career with the Saints before the Bears hired him in January 2015, and he knows better than most at Halas Hall what a legitimate franchise quarterback does for a team. Drew Brees has been the glue holding the Saints together for the last several years and was the reason they reached an NFC championship game against the Bears and eventually defeated the Colts in the Super Bowl. 9. The Bears explored a trade up with the Titans two years ago for the chance to draft Marcus Mariota, but a deal never got close. The Bears were very high on Carson Wentz a year ago. Pace has thought about pulling the trigger, and now he's in position to do it. 10. When he was hired, Pace said he ideally would like to add a quarterback every year, which doesn't necessarily mean drafting one. However, he's entering his third draft and has yet to use a pick on one. He knows the best chance
Jose M. Osorio | Chicago Tribune Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Barkley (12) after he catches a 2-yard touchdown pass against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Jan. 1. The Vikings won, 38-10.
to find one that hits is near the top of the first round. Getting the next Russell Wilson (Round 3) or Kirk Cousins (Round 4) is a long shot. 11. Moving on from the still-unsigned Cutler is the signal of a complete offensive reboot. The Bears need a bright prospect to change not only the fortune of the organization, but also the doubt that has built up among a frustrated fan base that showed how it felt in the second half of last season by leaving tens of thousands of tickets unused. 12. You say continue to build up
a strong defense for a coach with a defensive background and wait a year. That's one way the Bears got themselves in this predicament. 13. A lot of stuff you hear in the pre-draft process is smoke. One thing I've consistently heard is Pace is driving to fix the quarterback situation. Believe it. He can't go through three years after riding out two seasons with Cutler and have his only big swing at a quarterback be Glennon. If not now, when?
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017
Player profiles: 'Jack-of-alltrades' Saluki Greg Lambert
Athena Chrysanthou | @Chrysant1Athena Junior infielder Greg Lambert poses for a portrait Monday at Itchy Jones Stadium.
DENTON "GIO" GIOVENCO @DentonGiovenco
If you need an outfielder, junior Greg Lambert is your man. Need an infielder, he can man the corners and up-the-middle too. He will even put on the gear and get behind the
plate, and would love the chance to pitch a few innings for your team. On top of all that, he can flat out hit. Lambert hails from Athens, Alabama. He grew up loving the outdoors, fishing whenever he got the chance and learning to shoot at the age of 3 so he could hunt with
his father. He also credits his father with getting him started with baseball, and staying involved throughout his early years on the field. "He coached me until I was 10 years old," Lambert said. "When I started playing travel ball at 11 or 12
years old, he still helped out as an assistant coach on my teams." The Saluki outfielder said he tried other sports while growing up, but they did not compare to baseball. "I played soccer one year and I didn't like it very much at all," Lambert said. "I played football
a little bit and wasn't very good at basketball, but baseball I was pretty good at. It's America's pastime and I think it's the best game ever created." Lambert attended Madison Academy in Madison, Alabama. He started on the varsity squad
Wednesday, april 26, 2017 as a sophomore, and played every position but first base and center field through his high school career. He also played for the prestigious Nashville Knights traveling baseball team in the off-season throughout high school, driving an hour and a half one way to get to his home field. Lambert was ranked first overall third baseman in Alabama and 89th nationally by Perfect Game out of high school. Colleges took notice of his talents, and made visits to see him play. "I had [the University of ] Alabama come and watch me pitch one game my junior year," he said. "But they were looking at me only as a pitcher and I didn't just want to pitch in college." After making official visits to six or seven colleges, Lambert committed to SIU in the fall of his senior year. "I knew one of the players that played here and knew some guys coming in from Nashville," the Saluki utility man said. "I liked the coaches and they were building a new facility so that was a bonus." He also credits having the chance to compete for a starting position his freshman year at SIU as "a big decision-maker" in his choice to sign with the Salukis.
ended up having a really big fall in batting average, and came to find out at the end of the season my contact prescription had got decently worse — so that hurt me." Once he got his prescription figured out, hitting coach Ryan Strain signed Lambert and catcher Nick Hutchins up for a team in the college-level summer Valley League. "Nick is definitely one of my best friends," Lambert said. "Getting with him and being able to play alongside him all summer on the east coast was pretty cool." The Saluki outfielder credits the league with preparing him for his sophomore season. "Valley League was pretty good competition," he said. "I would consider it more of a pitcher's league than a hitter's league, which helped me out." In his sophomore season with SIU, Lambert was moved out of the infield, playing 56 of the season's 57 games as an outfielder. Most of those games were in left field. "I didn't play left field a lot in high school," he said. "I was a right fielder in high school so it was a lot different reading balls off the bat. I think I really matured as an outfielder my sophomore year."
“If we keep playing like we are right now ... stay hot on this stretch and keep it going into the conference tournament ... it's going to be tough to beat us” - Greg Lambert
In his freshman season, Lambert succeeded in earning a starting spot on the team, playing primarily at first and third base. He said he learned a lot from his first season in college about the game, and not-socomically a little about his eyesight. "I started out hitting pretty well, close to .350 halfway through the season," Lambert said. "Then I
The summer following his sophomore year Lambert chose to sign with the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League, where he recorded a league-high 66 RBI's while batting .330 to earn the Big Stick Award as the most productive first baseman in the league as well as an All-Star nod. "I credit the Northwoods League
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Jacob Wiegand | @jawiegandphoto Saluki senior infielder Will Farmer prepares to throw toward junior infielder Greg Lambert as Golden Eagle sophomore outfielder Alex Junior prepares to slide into second during SIU’s 6-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Itchy Jones Stadium.
with a lot of my success because of the toughness it gives you mentally," Lambert said. "It's 72 games in 75 days, so you have to learn to be tough upstairs." Lambert has played in all 41 games this season, mostly in the outfield and recently at first base. He is leading the team in home runs, doubles, hits, RBI's, total bases and slugging percentage — all the while batting a robust .331. "I set goals for myself every year," the Saluki slugger said. "One is usually to hit .350, and others would definitely be winning the conference tournament and going on to a regional." With Lambert having a career year this season, professional scouts are taking notice. He said he has been in contact with several MLB teams to fill out questionnaires for them ahead of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft. When asked if the ensuing draft is on his mind this season, Lambert said it is not his biggest worry. "I believe I have a chance to be
drafted, but I try hard not to think about it," he said. "Like my dad always told me, 'Don't worry about things. If it's meant to be it's going to happen all on its own.'" The Saluki outfielder also said he does not know whether he will stay at SIU or enter the professional ranks if he is drafted. "My family has been a big part of who I am ... it's going to have to be the right situation for me and my family," Lambert said. "It would also be really tough to leave this group of guys behind and miss my senior year." Lambert, who studies business management, said he wants to remain in baseball for the foreseeable future, in any capacity possible. "I love this game and I want to play as long as I can," he said. "Maybe even use my degree and experience on the field to manage players." There is one thing Lambert wants to accomplish before he moves on from his days at SIU — he wants
to pitch. "I joke around with Coach [P.J.] Finigan all the time and ask him when he wants me to throw a bullpen," he said. "He hasn't let me throw one yet, but I'm still going to be on him about it until I leave, that's for sure." For now, Lambert said he is focused on this season as the Salukis strive for the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and beyond. "I'm playing with a great group of guys here at SIU," he said. "The coaches all care about us and want to win just as much as the players. We know that nobody wants to play us first game in the conference tournament because they know what we're capable of. If we keep playing like we are right now ... stay hot on this stretch and keep it going into the conference tournament ... it's going to be tough to beat us." Sports writer Denton “Gio” Giovenco can be reached at dgiovenco@dailyegyptian.com.
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Wednesday, aPril 26, 2017