The DePauw, Wednesday, February 6, 2019

DePauw The

News Two houses suspended

Indiana’s First College Newspaper

Features Black history month speaker

Page 2

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Sports Athlete Journal Page 7

Feb. 6, 2019 Volume 126 Issue 14

Ubben Lecture Former Ohio Governor John Kasich spoke at For more check out The Depauw online DePauw last Thrusday, Photo

by Ian S. Brundige

Recruitment numbers unaffected

by chapter suspensions, Greek advisors say Downey said that grade eligibility was a factor in the final results, accounting for nearly 30 men who could not go through recruitment. According to Interfraternity Council Rules, “Men, or any individual who identifies as male, that chose to participate in formal recruitment must have at least a 2.5 DePauw University GPA. Men that fall below a 2.5 GPA are not allowed to go through the formal recruitment process.”

A smaller amount of men in the first-year class also accounts for the difference, said Bronson Rago, vice president of recruitment for IFC. According to DePauw University’s Office of Institutional Research, 595 first-year students enrolled in the fall of the 2017-2018 academic year with 51 percent of the class being

Story by Peter Nicieja News Editor

Although Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha Theta were suspended from this year’s formal recruitment, final numbers indicate that the suspensions had little to no effect on the process, according to Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic.

“I don’t think it (suspension of Alpha Tau Omega) affected the majority of men, as most of them were just trying to understand recruitment,” said Evan Downey, Interfraternity council coordinator.

Last year, 181 men completed formal recruitment, compared to this year’s 143. Despite the rather significant difference between the totals,

IFC

8

house participated in formal recruitment

in 2018 181 in 2019 143

men completed formal recruitment,

12-15dropped out

“

9%

about

—Evan Downey, Interfraternity Council coordinator, said

I think there’s going to be some numbers dropping with the culture shift because at the end of the day, Greek life is not for everybody.”

made up of males. During the 20182019 academic year, 564 first-year students enrolled in the fall with males making up only 47 percent of the class total.

Rago added that there were four men who officially dropped formal recruitment, stating that they wanted to wait for a bid from Alpha Tau Omega. Rago said that the total number of men who dropped recruitment was between 12 and 15.

On the Panhellenic side, Destiny Hand, Panhellenic association advisor, said that she was nervous going into recruitment because if a lot of women dropped recruitment due to Kappa Alpha Theta’s suspension, then it could have lowered the quota

Continued on page 3

Panhellenic

5

house participated in formal recruitment

in 2018 156

in 2019 162

women completed formal recruitment,

26dropped out

16%

about

source: Evan Downey, Interfraternity council coordinator, and Destiny Hand, Panhellenic association advisor

Stepby step Story by Brooks Hepp Sports Editor

E

lliot Shebek woke up in the middle of the night last April with a pain down the left side of his body. What started as a sharp pain quickly got worse when he lost all feeling in the left side of his body, which left him motionless in bed.

Shebek, the DePauw baseball 2018 opening day starter in left field, may never get to play baseball like he did before. A back injury after the 15th game of the year ended his season last year. What started as a standard injury got worse by the day until Shebek found himself confined to a wheelchair at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for the entirety of his first semester of his senior year.

Elliot Shebek came to DePauw in the fall of 2015 from Carmel, IN, recruited as a utility player who could be plugged to play at multiple positions. Shebek quickly worked his way up the depth chart, and found a spot as the first outfielder off the bench during his sophomore year, a year in which very few underclassmen had consistent roles on the team. He finished the year batting .321 with one HR, 12 RBIs and four stolen bases.

“He was kind of our unsung hero that year,” head coach Blake Allen said.

Continued on back

2 News

Feb. 6 2019

The DePauw www.thedepauw.com WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Editor-in-chief Katie Hunger Managing Editor

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Greek Recruitment Students pose in their 2019 Spring Recruitment shirts. Photo by Megan Raleigh

Two Greek houses still suspended, two more under investigation Story by Maddy McTigue Managing Editor

Two new alcohol-related hospitalizations have resulted in investigations of two more Greek organizations on campus.

On fraternity bid night, Saturday, Jan. 26, two minor in consumption hospitalizations occurred at Phi Delta Theta and Phi Kappa Psi. It is unknown if the alcohol was served

by Phi Delta Theta and Phi Kappa Psi. Earlier that week, an email was sent by Dean Hardwood, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, to all fraternity presidents prohibiting alcohol and “Boulder Runs” during all new member activities because they could be considered hazing and “lead to a quick end to the chapter’s new member program.” A Boulder Run is a DePauw tradition where students streak to the Columbia Boulder by East College.

According to the DePauw Crime Log and Fire Log, two “Safe Community Call/Alcohol Violation - Minor in Consumption” activities resulted in transportation to the hospital. Both situations were forwarded to Community Standards.

“The bid night investigations are ongoing,” Myrna Hernandez, Dean of Students, wrote in an email today.

According to the new DePauw Fraternity and Sorority Life Scorecard located on DePauw University’s website, Phi Delta Theta is currently on probation with Community Standards. The expected resolution/timeline is March

2. Phi Kappa Psi has a “formal warning” from Community Standards with an expected resolution/timeline of Feb. 28.

Beta Theta Pi is also on probation for unknown reasons.

It has been two weeks since Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Tau Omega went under interim suspension with DePauw University for an alcohol-related incident that occurred between the houses and led to the hospitalization of a student whose blood alcohol content was above 0.45.

According to awarawakealive.org, blood alcohol above 0.45 is coma-inducing. The houses are still suspended, according to Hernandez.

This weekend, no fraternities will be allowed to host events. According to an email sent by Kevin Hamilton, Assistant Dean of Students, to fraternity and sorority presidents, DePauw “Fraternity and Sorority Life has received information indicating chapters may be planning chapter to chapter pairing of new members through a lock-in process or party,” which could be considered hazing. Chapters who have events anyways “may be issued a cease and desist of their new memberships process” and other charges and sanctions. According to DePauw University Handbook, “cease and desist denies a house of all organizational activities.”

This weekend is commonly known by Greek students as “Black Friday” because it is the first time new members of Greek houses go out with their organizations and often blackout from binge drinking. In past years, fraternities and sororities have been allowed to pair on Black Friday.

Feb. 6 2019 Continued from front

Recruitment numbers Story by Peter Nicieja News Editor

of all Panhellenic chapters on campus.

However, that was not the case, as this year’s quota for Panhellenic chapters was 31, up from last year’s 25. “This is the first year every (eligible) chapter made quota,” said Hand.

Quota is the number of potential new members to which each chapter can offer bids during formal recruitment. According to Hand, it is determined by a formula involving the number of chapters and the number of women participating in formal recruitment.

According to Hand, last year 156 women completed recruitment with 36 withdrawals and this year, 162 women completed recruitment with only 26 withdrawals. Hand credits the smaller withdrawal numbers to a newly implemented recruitment guide training program.

She added that there could have been a larger enrollment if there was no suspension of a Panhel-

lenic chapter, but the statistics show that it had no numerical impact. “What I tried to do, which I think helped with the withdrawal rate, was to help people see that every single Panhellenic organization that we have on this campus does incredible things and has incredible people in them,” said Hand.

Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Tau Omega were not allowed to participate in this year’s formal recruitment because both chapters are on interim suspension with DePauw University due to a single alcohol-related incident that occurred between the two chapters.

Panhellenic recruitment numbers since 2010 show no clear pattern of decline, said Hand. Although, she added that the likelihood of Generation Z students choosing to be involved in Greek life is something that is being actively monitored: “The involvement of Generation Z and what they’re looking for in their college experience could potentially affect some things.”

According to Jeff Kallay, team leader of Render Experiences, a consulting team made up of five people who specialize in working with universities to enhance their campus visit experiences, said that safety and well-being, among other things, are a defining characteristic of Generation Z.

News

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First-year Angelika Yeghiazaryan said that the suspension of Kappa Alpha Theta didn’t discourage her from going through recruitment, but she does know women who chose not to go through recruitment and are waiting until next semester.

Thomas Curdt, also a first-year who completed formal recruitment, said that Alpha Tau Omega’s suspension had no effect on his decision to finish recruitment. He added that while he knows some men who dropped recruitment as a result of the suspension, most men “spent the last week before rush hustling to find different houses that they should join.”

Rago said that the national perception of Greek life is enduring criticism with hazing and alcohol-related events gaining public attention, which could possibly lead to smaller recruitment numbers in the future. He added that DePauw is also attracting more international students, who have less knowledge of Greek life and therefore are less likely to join.

“I think there’s going to be some numbers dropping with the culture shift,” said Downey. “Because at the end of the day, Greek life is not for everybody. But I think that once we showcase the actual benefits to it, we may attract more people.”

4 Features

Feb. 6 2019

Dr. Tiyi Morris returns to DePauw as Black History Month speaker Story by Maria Mendez Staff Writer

The start of February means the start of Black History Month. As the first event to celebrate this month, DePauw University will welcome Dr. Tiyi Morris on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Watson Forum.

Morris’s talk, titled “Black Women’s Civil Rights Activism: The Making of a Moment,” will call attention to the labor of Black women and highlight the importance of acknowledging their activism, according to the event’s flyer.

Morris is an associate professor of African American Studies at The Ohio State University; however, she taught in the Department of History at DePauw for five years. “Her role as an educator is to help dismantle systems of oppression by liberating the minds of students and empowering them to challenge the oppressions they face and/or perpetuate,” according to the website for her book “Womanpower Unlimited and the Black Freedom Struggle in Mississippi.”

The talk is not only the first event of Black History Month, but also the annual speaker that the Africana Studies Department hosts, said Chair of the Africana Studies Department Professor Matthew Oware.

Oware emphasized the timeliness of Morris’s talk because of all the movements that Black women have started in recent history. For example, the #BlackLivesMatter movement founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, who spoke at DePauw last Spring, as well as the ‘me too’ movement which was also founded by a Black woman, Tarana Burke, who spoke at DePauw last semester.

Oware hopes that at Dr. Morris’s talk people will “see the connection between Black women’s place in the Civil Rights movement in the past as well as the continuation of that activism of Black women in our current time.”

At DePauw, organizations such as Feminista! and events like Day of Dialogue were started by Black women. “I think that Dr. Morris is going to bring to light a lot of how even though how we aren’t all

5 5 555

Dr. Tiyi Morris (Photo provided by DePauw University)

Black women, how Black women have influenced every facet of our lives,” Kaleb Anderson, junior and Africana Studies major, said.

Throughout the month, organizations such as the Association for African American Students (AAAS) and other departments will be hosting events to educate students.

As Black History Month commences, Anderson, who is also president of AAAS, said that the DePauw community should use this month as a time to reflect. “I hope that Black History Month wakes up DePauw,” Anderson said.

Morris will also be meeting with people at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion on Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Five albums out this year you should totally listen to

Story by David Petrushka WGRE Columnist

Rejoice! 2019 is shaping up to be a great year for music — some of the biggest names of the last five to ten years have already announced new projects: Cage The Elephant, Mac Demarco, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Vampire Weekend, and The Flaming Lips.

Sheesh, even Avril Lavigne says she’s releasing an album this year. But, just a month in there have been a ton of strong releases from veterans and newcomers alike. Here’s a list of my favorites thus far.

1. Maggie Rogers: Heard It In a Past Life [Capitol] The long-anticipated full-length debut from singer/songwriter Maggie Rogers is finally here. She skillfully combines elements of folk, dance, and R&B all with a gleam of sparkling pop polish coated across the whole album.

Essential tracks: “Alaska,” “Say It,” “On + Off”

2. Cherry Glazerr: Stuffed & Ready [Secretly Canadian]

Cherry Glazerr follows up 2017’s Apocalipstick with Stuffed & Ready. True to form, frontwoman

Clementine Creevy wears her heart on her sleeve in an album that both retains Creevy’s signature punching and visceral sound while also finding time to show restraint. Creevey’s already strong songwriting is bolstered by newer additions to the group: synth player Sasami Ashworth, and drummer Tabor Allen, and a collaboration with acclaimed guitarist Delicate Steve.

Essential tracks: “Ohio,” “That’s Not My Real Life feat. Delicate Steve,” “Distressor”

3. Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center [Dead Oceans]

Acclaimed solo artists Conor Oberst (formerly of Bright Eyes) and Phoebe Bridges make an excellent pairing in self-titled debut. The result is an incredibly diverse and emotional folk-rock release. Their emo vocals make a perfect pairing here on both the soft-folk ballads as well as throbbing anthems.

Essential tracks: “My City,” “Exception to The Rule,” “Dylan Thomas,” “Big Black Heart”

4. Deerhunter: Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? [4AD]

Deerhunter’s latest release is a layered and im-

pressive offering. Unique instrumentation has always been a staple of the band’s ambient rock sound, and the same holds true on Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?. Songs like “Element” blend piano and strings with droning guitar riffs, while “Death In Midsummer” mixes horns, drums, and harpsichords. Overall, it’s an album that’s easy to get lost in.

Essential tracks: “Futurism,” “Element,” “Plains,” “Détourement”

5. Toro y Moi: Outer Peace [Carpark Records]

Outer Peace, the eighth release from Chaz Bundick, is a far cry from 2015’s What For. While the latter is a guitar-centered, beachy, dream-pop-inspired extravaganza, the former is a groovy, beat-heavy, house-influenced mix of R&B and electronic music.

Here, Bundick opts for experimentation, in a project that feels equally reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s Ivy, as it does to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.

Essential tracks: “Laws of the Universe,” “Ordinary Pleasure,” “Freelance” To listen to all of the artists I’ve talked about and more, you can always tune those dials to WGRE 91.5 Your Sound Alternative or listen on our website.

Chic with Cinema Emma

Story by Emma Mazurek Staff Writer

I turned twenty-two over winter break and, surprise surprise, because I was unsure how to spend my day celebrating 22 years of life, I went to the movies. And I think one of the best presents was the Yorgos Lanthimos’s film “The Favourite,” and of course my standard movie theatre order of a large cherry coke and popcorn. (Cherry Coke, please sponsor me, thanks.)

I am not always a big fan of period pieces, but this film seemed as if it would transcend my typical expectations of this genre. Often when I think about period pieces I’m imagining 5-hour- long interpretations of Jane Eyre, which can be good, but what I wasn’t in the mood for when I went to the movies that day. Despite taking

Feb. 6 2019

One of my ‘Favourite’ films of the year

place in the early 17th century during the reign of Queen Anne, this film feels relevant, modern, and urgent. The emotions are so palpable throughout the film that I felt like I was not just a film spectator but along for the actual journey.

The director, Lanthimos, has a specific film style, which is most certainly not for the faint of heart. He has also directed “The Lobster,” “Killing of A Sacred Deer,” and “Dogtooth,” which are all slightly bizarre films that quickly make viewers uncomfortable. This film follows in the footsteps of his other films that often feature bizarre plot lines, crazy filmmaking techniques, and erratic-behaving characters.

Part of what makes this film so jarring at points is the impeccable cinematography. Throughout the film, there is a distinct shifting of camera

lenses. Some of the larger Parliament scenes are shot with a fisheye lens that makes the world feel expansive and distorted. And the celebration scenes are often from low angles that make the already bizarre dancing and partying that occur in these scenes more exaggerated. Additionally, this film has several amazing scenes that take place in a vast forest full of light greenery, which presents a dramatic tonal shift from the darker colors within. This film sets the audience off-kilter without even diving into the plot or the major conflicts within the film.

This film focuses on the relationship between two cousins, played by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, as they compete for the attention and affection of Queen Anne, played by Olivia Colman.

All three women are complex characters with evolving motivations and means to achieve their goals. What this film does, that I have rarely seen in popular film, is portray the relationships between power and women’s sexuality, specifically queer women’s sexuality. We are able to see women

Features

5

use their sexuality to gain either satisfaction or political power and we are able to see the means they are willing to go to do succeed. Abigail, Emma Stone’s character, says in the film, “As it turns out I am capable of much unpleasantness,” which can be applied to all of the film’s characters at some point.

But despite being full of characters committing acts of unpleasantness against each other, this film is genuinely funny. Most of the really great lines come from Olivia Colman throughout the film, whenever she feels self-conscious or insulted. This piece of art does something that I am always aching to see in films I watch, which is subverting my expectations. I wasn’t expecting to love this period piece and was most certainly not expecting to relate to the women in it. And that is part of what makes film such a great medium: with the right cast and crew, you can make a film about something years in the past, with the type of genuine authenticity so that it feels like it could have happened right now.

6 Opinion

Feb. 6 2019

Editorial

My big fat greek

misunderstanding Over the weekend, DePauw administration sent out an email regarding “pairings,” which we define as social gatherings between two Greek organizations. The email stated in part, “No chapters have been approved to host any events (alcohol/non-alcohol) for the upcoming weekend. Chapter to chapter, as well as hosting unapproved events, are considered a violation of community standards. Chapters who violate these policies and expectations may be issued a cease and desist of their new membership process and face additional charges and sanctions.”

The administration said in the same email that they considered a pairing, “a lock in process or party.”

Despite the administration not fully understanding what a pairing entailed, they still created a new rule that was not rooted in any pre-existing policy stated in the DePauw Student Handbook. The proposed “cease and desist” was meant to be a pause in the New Member process so that the University could review the situation and determine the correct disciplinary and educational solution. Although we are aware of this meaning, the email did not clarify what exactly a cease and desist entailed and certainly did not define it as a pause.

We recommend that DePauw University Administration improve its communication with the leaders of Greek organizations in order to clarify what the administration is concerned about (in this case, pairings). The larger issue with this scenario is that the “cease and desist” used as a possible added conse-

quence this past weekend is not embedded in any pre-existing policy. Nowhere in the student handbook does it say that organizations that host unregistered parties are subject to be put on cease and desist of their new membership process.

In fact, organizations that host unregistered non-alcohol events are subject to a formal warning, while unregistered alcohol parties are subject to review, according to the DePauw Student Handbook. We understand that the consequences of each situation may vary; however, we do not believe DePauw took the correct action when making a blanket statement, threatening a cease and desist as a possible consequence for both unregistered alcohol and non-alcohol events.

It is clear that DePauw has an obligation and priority to keep all of their students safe; however, the DePauw administration should consider the unintended consequences that may come about from creating new rules that are not rooted in pre-existing policies, especially when the rules affect an entire organization. Could creating more rules and not explaining them make a student less likely to use the Medical Amnesty Policy, or call for help?

To summarize, we believe the DePauw administration should improve three areas of communication.

First, consistently enforce policies that are pre-existing, and when new rules are created, add them to the student handbook. Second, clearly explain to students any new rules and the rationale for implementation. Lastly, stop making assumptions about Greek organizations’ activities and directly address those in leadership positions with issues. In this case, the administration met with student leaders after they had already sent out the email regarding pairings to try to clarify confusion, which is counterproductive. We believe these changes will reduce miscommunication that leads to issues regarding Greek activities and reduce the risks of unintended consequences.

The Depauw Editorial Board Katie Hunger Editor-In-Chief Maddy Mctigue Managing Editor Emily Schabes Opinons Editor Bryttni Carpenter Audience Engagment Email Us At editor@thedepauw.com

EDITORIAL POLICY

T h e D e Pa u w i s a n i n d e p e n d e n t l y m a n a g e d a n d f i n a n c e d s t u d e n t n e w s p a p e r. T h e o p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d h e r e i n d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h o s e o f D e Pa u w U n i v e r s i t y o r t h e S t u d e n t Pu b l i c a t i o n s B o a r d . E d i t o r i a l s a r e t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f T h e D e Pa u w e d i t o r i a l board (names above).

T h e o p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d b y c a r t o o n i s t s , c o l u m n i s t s a n d i n l e tt e r s t o t h e e d i t o r a r e t h o s e o f t h e a u t h o r s a n d d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h e o p i n i o n s o f t h e e d i t o r i a l s t a ff o f T h e D e Pa u w. T h e D e Pa u w w e l c o m e s l e tt e r s t o t h e e d i t o r. Le tt e r s m u s t b e s i g n e d a n d a c c o m p a n i e d b y t h e a u t h o r ’s n a m e a n d p h o n e n u m b e r a n d s e n t i n b y 4 p. m . t h e M o n d a y b e f o r e p r i n t d a t e s . Le tt e r s c a n n o t b e r e t r a c t e d a ft e r 5 p. m . t h e s a m e d a y o f s u b m i s s i o n . Le tt e r s h a v e a 4 5 0 - w o r d l i m i t a n d a r e s u b j e c t t o e d i t i n g f o r s t y l e a n d l e n g t h . T h e D e Pa u w r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o r e j e c t l e tt e r s t h a t a r e l i b e l o u s o r s e n t f o r p r o m o t i o n a l o r a d v e r t i s i n g p u r p o s e s . D e l i v e r l e tt e r s t o t h e Pu l l i a m Ce n t e r f o r Co n t e m p o r a r y M e d i a , e m a i l t h e e d i t o r- i n - c h i e f a t e d i t o r @ t h e d e p a u w. c o m o r w r i t e T h e D e Pa u w at 609 S. Locust St., Greencastle, Ind. 46135.

cartoon by Sarah Hennessey

Reality with

REID

Cold enough for you?

Story by Reid Cooper Staff Writer

Last week, the Midwest was bombarded with freezing temperatures reaching 30 below freezing, followed by a high of 50 this past Monday, according to the IndyStar.

With the temperature difference of 80 degrees, what further proof does congress need to act on climate change?

Almost on cue, climate change deniers like President Trump began using the polar vortex as an excuse to make false claims. On Jan. 28, the President tweeted: “In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global [Warming]? Please come back fast, we need you!”

Without a doubt, the Trump administration is anti-science, specifically regarding climate change. Climate change denial has sunk into the roots of many conservative platforms. It is impossible today to be a Republican in good standing without denying the reality of climate change. Ideology is one of the main factors at play here; accepting the nature of climate change leads to a realization for the need of some sort of government regulation, so those who are insistent upon the ‘purity’ of the free market are unlikely to concede.

That being said, the National Climate Assessment was still released last November, detailing the current and expected impacts of climate change on the United States.

This assessment confirms what we already knew: Climate change poses a major threat to our nation, with adverse effects like the erratic weather already being felt.

Current weather patterns are one of the best ways to track climate change, it’s something we can see and feel.

Nothing else is able to appeal better than people’s own experiences. But what do we say when we’re faced with these frigid temperatures?

The obvious answer is that weather is dynamic, and changes on a day-to-day basis. Even a planet that is warming overall will be very cold at times, much like a sick person will have days where they feel better than usual.

Climate change is complex, and it’s hard to know exactly what path we’ve set ourselves down. The planet is warming, but we still have extreme winter storms like last week’s. The number of extreme hurricanes has increased, but not the number of overall hurricanes. It is also to blame for the increase in droughts, wildfires and extreme rain.

Don’t get it wrong, though. The finer nuances and uncertainties of climate science do not disprove the obvious: the planet is changing. All reliable information points to the increasing dangers of climate change, yet the Trump administration continues to deny and ignore these analyses. These changes are threatening the well-being of our generation and future generations. Anyone who claims otherwise is feeding into the massive corporations that rely on dirty energy.

Feb. 6 2019

Athlete Journal:

Zach Williams

Opinions

Tiger of the Week: Sophomore, Forward

Hanging up the cleats

F

or many of my peers and I who have spent the majority

of their life dedicating their time and resources to athletics, graduation this May is much more than the end of our academic journey. The end of this semester marks the finish line for all of the senior athletes, many of whom have dedicated the majority of their life to their respective sports.

This marks a major adjustment for their lives as they transition their goals and dedication to alternative passions. The fall athletes have already begun this transition and soon the spring athletes will go through the same. This transition can be difficult for a lot of people. Some athletes might not be able to remember a time when they didn’t participate in their respective sport. This can make it difficult for them to find other activities to allocate their time to, and it can be downright depressing for those that constantly crave the competition and the challenge.

For me, the biggest struggle will be

losing the identity of being an athlete. It was always something to lean on during tough times, knowing that you can always prepare for the next event or the next season. That identity led me to so many decisions in my life: small decisions like whether I was going to go work out or watch a movie, and big decisions like where I was going to go to college. That loss of guiding influence will be difficult to replace for many of the other athletes ending their careers this year.

And, of course, I’ll miss game days.

I’ll miss the sense of conclusion every Saturday afternoon brought after a week of intense training. I’ll miss the feeling of running out onto the field in front of a crowd full of yelling, passionate fans. That’s something you can never experience again.

On the bright side, this identity has solidified a healthy and positive lifestyle that will hopefully continue into our adult lives. Plus, we still have several years of competitive intramural leagues in front of us.

Tigers by the numbers Story by Dom Miranda Staff Writer

36

The Men’s basketball team scored 36 bench points in their victory over Allegheny College, which is the fourth most scored this season.

0

The women’s basketball team held Hiram College to zero second chance points on Saturday, which is the first time they have done that this year.

24

The Women’s basketball team forced 24 turnovers in their win over Allegheny College, the most they have forced in a game this year.

1440

Senior women’s basketball player Maya Howard scored her 1,440th career point this weekend, which is good enough for third all-time in school history.

Claire Keefe Sophomore forward Claire Keefe averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over the weekend as the women’s basketball team defeated Hiram College 69-52 and Allegheny College 93-56. Keefe, the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Newcomer of the Year, helped improve the Tigers’ record to 18-4 overall and 11-1 in the NCAC with her performances. She is this week’s Tiger of the Week.

TheDePauw: You scored double digits in both games this weekend. What allowed you to be so effective?

Claire Keefe: I think the help from my coach and my teammate Hayley has helped me with my confidence a lot. We have some individual practices outside of team ones that have really helped me step up and become more of a versatile player. Hayley has always been very vocal with me and is not afraid to help me reach my best abilities.

TDP: You’ve started this year 18-4 and 11-1 in the NCAC. How has this year lived up to your preseason expectations?

CK: To win the conference tournament and win a national title.

TDP: What made you fall in love with playing basketball?

CK: Kelly, my twin, was a big part of it. She told me to join the sport in fifth grade and I have been in love with it ever since.

Unfortunately, she has been out of basketball since our freshman year of high school due to a reconstructive spinal surgery, but she is now our manager and l love having her there with me.

TDP: Did you always know you were going to play college basketball?

CK: I am so incredibly proud of this team. It has exceeded expectations since we are so young.

Good thing we still have at least a few more to go so we can finish off the season just as strong as we started.

CK: Yes. Both of my brothers played college sports and I knew I wanted to take the same path as they did with athletics.

TDP: What are your goals for the remainder of the year? Individually and as a team?

CK: I do not. I just try my best and hope we can get a W every game!

TDP: Do you try to model your game after any player?

7

Feb. 6 2019

Sports

8

Continued from front

Step by step Story by Brooks Hepp Sports Editor

Shebek saw an opportunity that offseason with two of the three starting outfielders leaving for graduation. He worked on his craft and was named the starting left fielder for his junior campaign.

Then, he started to feel it.

Shebek can’t quite describe the feeling. He didn’t hear a pop like a knee injury and there wasn’t any swelling like a broken bone. Just a nagging pain in his spine. Soon, he spent entire nights curled up in pain.

“I’ve had back problems for the majority of my life, but this was different,” Shebek said.

As the pain got worse, the specialists were more confused. Every diagnosis was quickly shot down and it seemed as if Shebek left every meeting with more questions than answers. Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Lupus, and Benign Rolandic Epilepsy were all thrown out as possible diagnoses, but they were all shut down.

“It basically came down to them saying, ‘we don’t know,’” he said.

Mayo Clinic is a medical center based out of Rochester, Minnesota that focuses on research and clinical trial studies for people in need of physical therapy. The rehab and treatment is excruciating for someone in the position of Elliot Shebek.

Mayo Clinic identified Shebek’s condition as a damaged cerebellum and amygdala, which causes the brain to not communicate correctly with the spine.

“Every doctor I saw before Mayo would say, ‘let’s see if we can fix this.’

Mayo told me, ‘we are going to fix

Senior baseball player recovers from spinal disorder

this,’” he said.

Every morning in Rochester was a different challenge. Each step a mini-victory on the road to recovery.

“It would take me 10 minutes just to walk 15 yards,” Shebek said.

The focus was on repetition and rewiring his brain to remember how to use his muscles. The doctors would have him walk, and if there was the slightest mistake in a step, they made him start over.

“It was like a full-time job,” Shebek said. “I was working on mental and physical exercises from the moment I woke up to the moment I fell asleep.”

Shebek kept in contact with his teammates and coach on a daily basis, exchanging videos of his progress with videos of the team practicing.

Every step Shebek took in the right direction gave the team more motivation during fall practices.

“How can someone go through the kind of mental and physical struggle Elliot did, and yet still not make it about himself and stay as positive as he did? He is our leader and an inspiration to us all,” Allen said.

Tyler Holt, a 2018 DePauw baseball graduate, stayed particularly close to Shebek during the process.

Holt said that despite having all the odds stacked against him, Shebek still found a way to love other people during the toughest time of his life.

“He actually has a reminder on his phone to make somebody’s day better every day at 2pm.” Holt said. “He has taught and convinced me that when it all comes down to it, the only thing that matters are the relationships you have, and the joy you spread in the world.”

Elliot Shebek celebrates a home run during the 2016 season. Shebek spent the entire fall semester rehabbing a spinal disorder. Photo curtesy of Shebek. Photo courtesy of Elliot Shebek

Shebek would get on social media every night and see his friends enjoying the semester at DePauw. Part of him wanted to give up. Throw in the towel. Say no to the gut wrenching workouts and the bleakness of using every bit of strength in his body to take a single step. But one thing kept him motivated.

“I needed to walk again,” he said.

Standing for an extended period of time on his own turned into small steps. Small steps turned into slow jogs. Slow jogs turned into sprints.

Now, Shebek can do just about anything. He even boxes to improve his strength and agility.

“I write down on a piece of paper every day, ‘I can walk again.’ And that makes me more proud than any-

thing,” he said.

Shebek wants to play baseball again, even if it’s one at bat or one swing in a game. He is willing to take on any role the team needs him to have. Whether it’s a coaching role, manager, or just an extra set of hands to toss batting practice, he wants to help.

“Shebs embodies absolutely everything that a coach looks for in a player,” Allen said. “But most importantly, he embodies everything that you look for in a human being. If we had nine Elliot Shebek’s on the field, we would never lose a game.”

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