Western Courier| September 30th, 2019

Opinions: Scary movies deserve to win more Oscars.

Sports: Men's Soccer sits at 0-9.

WesternCourier.com

Monday, September 30, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 18

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Western Illinois kicks off Homecoming week

SARA REMAR/ ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Alumni House prepares to celebrate annual Homecoming festivities.

By Tea Wheat courier staff

Homecoming week has finally descended upon students and teams at Western Illinois University. The events that so many homecoming teams have worked tirelessly to prepare for, and the week that the Western Leathernecks have been practicing for all season.

All the homecoming events that have made their mark among students and the Macomb community will bring campus to life in the coming

week. It will be a celebration of a lifetime, spanning the entire week and leading up to the big game on Saturday.

Prior to this week’s events, Rock the Flag and Paint the Town have already taken place. The winners from Paint the town for Greek Teams are as follows from first to third place: Greek Team 4, Greek Team 3 and Greek Team 5.

For the residence halls and other student organizations the winners are as follows: Kappa Pi, Linc/Wash/Grote and COOL. Due to unfortunate in cli-

Sherman Hall gets ready to welcome home alumni.

mate weather over the weekend, many homecoming events had to be rescheduled.

That said, homecoming week 2019 will continue Monday with Paint the Paws! Paint the Paws will take place at various locations on campus, as students repaint the golden paw prints that span Western’s campus. Paint the Paws will still take place at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m., beginning at Western Hall, unless otherwise notified.

The notorious Variety Show will be held on Tuesday. The Variety Show will begin at

6 p.m. in Western Hall and will last until the final act has finished performing and the winners for the night are announced.

Rock’s Boat Regatta and Chalk the Campus will both take place on Wednesday.

Rocky’s Boat Regatta will be held at Everly Park at the pond, where teams will race if their boats can hold them. Rocky’s Boat Regatta will take place from 3-5 p.m.

Chalk the Campus will take place from 5-7 p.m. at various locations around campus. Homecoming teams will

FILE PHOTO

‘chalk it out’ as they work against each other for the best chalk drawing.

After all the events earlier in the week, it’s time to get up off your feet because Yell Like Hell will take place on Thursday night. Students will cheer to their heart’s content as everyone gets fired up for the big game on Saturday. Yell Like Hell will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Western Hall.

Homecoming page 2

Correction: In "Suspect in custody after aggravated battery at Walmart," the final word of the story was cut off. The final sentence should have read, "The Western Courier reached out to a Walmart employee, but they were unable to comment."

2 NEWS

Homecoming

from front page

Continuing the spirit for all Western Football fans, the Western Women’s Soccer Game will also take place on Thursday, at 3:00 p.m. at the John Mackenzie Alumni Field. At this game, Western Women’s Soccer will take on Omaha during this homecoming spirit game.

The Homecoming Parade will take place on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., beginning in the Macomb Square and leading to the Western campus. The Homecoming Parade is always such an exciting way for Western

Monday, September 30, 2019 and the community to come together, as many community members attend both the Homecoming Parade and the Football game later that day.

The moment that the whole week is leading up to, the Homecoming Football Game. Western will take on the Missouri State Bears, at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, at Hanson Field.

Also, voting for Homecoming royalty is open now through Wednesday. Make sure to vote for who you feel is a great representation of Western Illinois University.

Western fans, students and alumni – get ready for a week to remember and an even harder act to follow.

WesternCourier.com

SARA REMAR/ ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Western Illinois University's football team prepares to take on Montana State for the Homecoming game Saturday.

Electronic cigarette backlash picks up steam

By Alex Ourth courier staff

The country has been ablaze the past several months over the issue of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) smoking. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received 805 reports of lung injury and confirmed 12 deaths of patients with a common history of e-cigarette smoking. As a result of these reports, the CDC is performing extensive investigations into what might be the cause. Although many who use e-cigarettes may be skeptical about the seriousness of these reports, the investigations have unveiled some alarming information that users should be concerned about.

Electronic cigarettes (also known as vapes, e-hookahs, vape pens, tank systems or mods) were first introduced into the American market in 2007. Since then, they have been successfully marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes for those already smoking.

Indeed, when used within these parameters, the aerosol inhaled by e-cigarettes generally does introduce fewer

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toxins into your lungs than traditional cigarettes. The trouble that the CDC is finding, however, is that many of the users experiencing lung injuries are not fitting into the manufacturer ’s guidelines for suggested use.

The first issue their investigation has found is that many of the reported injuries are linked to the vaping of THC products rather than simple nicotine.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the compound in marijuana that is associated with the “high” feeling. Of the data the CDC has collected from 514 of the affected patients, almost 77 percent reported vaping a THC-containing product (with 36 percent exclusively using THC). Although the reported cases have not been attributed to any specific compound (or combination of compounds) as of yet, the high association with THC is very alarming. The concern is even greater considering that many e-cigarette users likely purchase their THC additives or cartridges from non-certified vendors (off the street). Purchasing vaping products off the market eliminates any guarantees of proper quality and dos-

age of the product. Without such guarantees, users are far more susceptible to harmful effects from toxic chemicals entering the lungs. Thus, the CDC is strongly recommending never purchasing any e-cigarette product off the street or modifying any product outside of the intent of the manufacturers.

The above issue highlights a major flaw within e-cigarette usage today as a whole: the proper use of e-cigarettes is extremely difficult to regulate. Unlike traditional cigarettes which can easily be identified by sight and smell, a variety of cartridges can be inserted into an e-cigarette without indicating what is in it. Even the devices themselves have been speculated to introduce heavy metal ions into users’ lungs due to improper quality control.

Being tasked with ensuring the health of the nation, it is no surprise that the CDC is in such a tizzy regarding e-cigarettes, since there is so much uncertainty in their use.

The second major problem demonstrated through the investigation is the age groups of the affected individuals. Of 771 patients that the CDC has collected

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age data on, 62 percent are between the ages of 18 to 34 years old, and 16 percent of patients are under the age of 18. Thus, it seems that the lung injuries associated with vaping are mostly impacting younger users. Indeed, it is highly unusual for these age groups to already be experiencing poor lung health. This outcome is a result of e-cigarettes being used outside of their design scope. They are not recommended or safe for teens or young adults who have never smoked.

This probably comes as a shock to many considering that the market promotes the fruity flavors and unique devices available (does the older generation even know what a USB stick is?), but despite the industry’s “best attempts” to avoid marketing e-cigarettes to minors, a reported 20.8 percent of high school students and 5 percent of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes. Considering the inherent risks that accompany e-cigarette use among teens (addictive nicotine, ultrafine particle inhalation, heavy metal inhalation, harmful flavorings like diacetyl and cancer-causing chemicals),

we really shouldn’t be surprised to see an outbreak in lung injuries associated with them. Unfortunately, considering the novelty of e-cigarette usage among young adults, the issues surfacing are likely to only get worse with continued use.

So, yes, e-cigarette users should be very concerned about the current associations between e-cigarette use and outbreak in lung injuries. Since the key component involved has yet to be identified, there is no way to ensure avoiding the associated outcome. Even if you could, the risks of other future health problems associated with inhaling harmful substances into your lungs should be a cause of concern. If the health concerns presented in these reports stir even the smallest notion within you to quit smoking, I encourage you to seek assistance in doing so.

Both the “truth initiative” and “BecomeAnEX” organizations provide resources specifically for people who wish to quit e-cigarette use.

Beyond providing information, they have also developed texting programs and other support services to help users quit.

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Monday, September 30, 2019

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NEWS 3

Homecoming Scores

as of 9/30 TP

Current Standings

100

150

1 Place

75

50

125

2nd Place

25

100

125

2nd Place

Team One

25

50

75

3rd Place

Team two

25

25

50

Team three

75

100

175

1st Place

Team four

100

25

125

2nd Place

Team five

50

75

125

2nd Place

Team six

25

50

75

3rd Place

ptt

RTF

Corbin-Olson

50

LIC-WASH-GROTE THOMPSON

PTP

br

ctc

vs

YLH

sPg

HPA

RH

residence halls

Greek Teams

ptt - Paint the Town Team four - AΣA, ΣΠ, ΘΞ events KEY Team One - ΔZ , ΘX, ΣΧ, ΔΨ Team five - ΦΣΣ, TKE, ΠKΦ br - boat regatta PTP - Paint the PAws Team two - ΣAB, ΛΘA, ΧΩ Team six - ΔTΔ, ΑΣT, ΛΘΦ ctc - Chalk the campus sPg - spirit game HPA - homecoming parade TP - total points Team three - ΣΣΣ, ΣΑΕ, ΑΓP

Greek Teams KEY

RTF - Rock The Flag RH - Rocky Hunt vs - Variety show YLH - yell like hell

WIU Homecoming Schedule Today - Paint the PAws Tuesday, Oct. 1 - Variety Show Wednesday, oct. 2 - Rocky’s boat regatta / Chalk the campus Thursday, oct. 3 - yell like hell Saturday, oct. 5 - homecoming parade / football game

4

OPINIONS

Monday, September 30, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Horror movies deserve more recognition

The first Oscars took place in 1929 and since then, only six horror films have been nominated for best picture.

The horror genre has been disrespected for far too long and it’s time to dramatically change the way we nominate movies for the academy awards.

Riht now, in an era of horror films that is quite possibly the most exciting time to be a fan of the genre. With directors like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster running around making incredibly beautiful films, there needs to be a shift in the paradigm on how we select movies that take home Oscar gold.

The most egregious Oscar overlook in recent memory happened two years ago at the 90th Academy Awards.

Peele’s legend-making freshman debut film, Get Out, was passed over in three of the four categories it was nominated for as The Shape of Water won best picture and its director, Guillermo Del Toro, took home the best director prize.

I hadn’t seen The Shape of

Water before the Oscars but after it beat what was, in my eyes, the best movie that had come out in a decade, I took the time to watch what was supposedly the best movie of the year. After watching the film, I almost wanted to go throw up into the ocean or somehow drain all the water from my body so I didn’t have to be associated with water ever again. Now, The Shape of Water isn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen (looking at you Jeepers Creepers 3), but in no galaxy in the universe is it a better movie than Get Out. Get Out shook everyone who watched it to their core.

From its hard-hitting social messages to its loaded script and flawless cinematography, there was little this film didn’t do to leave its mark on the horror genre forever. Now, Get Out did get some recognition in the form of winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, but it just didn’t feel like enough for such a masterpiece. Daniel Kaluuya also lost the Best Actor category to Daniel Day Lewis for his portrayal of Winston Churchill

Get Out was a well-known horror movie released in 2017.

in the Darkest Hour. Admittedly, I haven’t seen the Darkest Hour, but I can’t imagine a better acting performance than Kaluuya’s in Get Out. At last year’s Academy Awards, Hereditary didn’t get nominated for a single category. There hasn’t been a film in the past five years that has portrayed grief, loss and depression in such a way that left me shellshocked for days after a viewing. There has never been a more deserving person in the history of the Academy Awards than Toni Collette for her role in the film. Her descent into madness after losing her mother and child is one of the most raw performances I’ve ever seen on the big screen.

Now, these two films are just the tip of the iceberg for horror films that deserved to win but weren’t recognized by the Academy in the ways they should have been. Aster’s second film, Midsommar, had such a spectacular performance by Florence Pugh that I would be personally offended if she didn’t end up being at least nominated for best actress in the next round of Academy Awards.

I’m not exactly sure how to fix the problems as it comes to recognizing horror films during awards season, but I sure know it’s time to show them more respect.

FLICKR.COM

Marvel fans rejoice!

The studios that brought you all your lovable superheroes and Sony have reached a deal to keep Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Layout by: Jimmy Pierson

CONT. E.2

Written by: Christopher Gibson

E2 EDGE

Monday, September 30, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Spider-Man is staying in the MCU It was announced on Friday that the two companies had reached a two-movie deal, with the first one being released in theatres on July 16, 2021.

Tom Holland will return as the titular hero and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will produce it.

Sony acquired the rights to Spider-Man through a license agreement from Marvel studios, long before the company was bought

by Disney. Many fans will remember the first Spider-Man trilogy that was produced in the early 2000s, starring Tobey Maguire.

In 2015 Sony reached an agreement with Disney and Marvel that saw Spider-Man reborn as a young Tom Holland in the MCU, appearing in three other films as well as two stand-alone films.

The new terms that the companies were able to work out were interesting. On the agreement that Feige would work his magic,

as he has produced the majority of Marvel movies, Marvel and Disney will receive 25 percent of the profits, as well as keeping the rights to merchandising. However, Disney will have to finance a quarter of the film as well.

Over the summer there was concern as it was announced that Spider-Man had fallen out of the MCU, after the two companies couldn’t reach an agreement. This came just a month or two after Spider-Man: Far From Home was released and ended on a massive cliffhanger. This caused fans to worry that not only would they get a resolution to the cliffhanger, but also that Holland would not stay in his role.

There has been a major SpiderMan debate as to who the best Spider-Man has been between Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. No matter where you land on who is better, Holland has played his part

Since joining the MCU, Spider-Man's popularity has only grown

as best as he can, making the debate really two-fold. If Holland had left, whether it be of his own choosing or he was given the boot, fans didn’t want to see him go. Not only has he brought a new depth to the character, but also looks the part which is just as crucial. Before Stan Lee passed, he has been on record saying that Holland is exactly how he pictured Peter Parker to be, through both appearance and personality.

Personally, I am pumped that Sony and Disney were able to work something out to keep Spider-Man in the MCU. After Endgame, it doesn’t seem right to cut him out. Tony Stark died so he could live and become the next head of the Avengers. By kicking Spider-Man out, it means that Stark’s final wish won’t come to fruition, so the fact that they were able to keep that request was relieving. This also gives me a sense of relief when it comes to the next film. After Sony tried to do a reboot in 2012 that didn’t work out, I was nervous that if Sony was the only player in helping to make the next film, that the film was going to end up like The Amazing Spider-Man. Thankfully, it won’t be.

FLICKR.COM

23 year old Tom Holland is beloved by new and old fans of the iconic character he portrays.

GEEKS ON COFFEE

FLICKR.COM

E3 EDGE

Monday, September 30, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Christopher Robin steals audience’s hearts "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

And oh, how they do. Even something as small as a movie can have such an impact.

Christopher Robin was released on July 30, 2018. I have recently seen this movie, and I wish that I had come to watch it sooner. All the animated characters from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh are brought to life in this beautiful and heart-warming film

that follows the meaning of life, family and childhood.

Christopher Robin opens with a scene from when Christopher Robin was a child, playing with all his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. It soon becomes known that this will be Robin’s last time playing with his friends Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. His parents have chosen to send him to boarding school, as that is what was typically done dur-

ing that time. It is a sad day in the Hundred Acre Wood, as Robin must say goodbye to his childhood friends, and his final moment with Winnie the Pooh is heart-wrenching.

The movie then shifts to the present time, Robin has spent some time in the war and is now back home. He is a father and a husband, and now working for a company that sells luggage. He has lost his sense of fun and imagination and has shifted to an “all work, no play” mentality, which can be seen in how he chooses to raise his daughter. Robin’s daughter, Madeline, has very little playtime, and will soon be sent away to boarding school. Robin was supposed to spend a weekend with his fam-

ily back in his hometown, but when his work needs him to stay and make financial cuts, he sends his wife and daughter there alone.

The world of Robin is shaken when his old friend Winnie the Pooh shows up at the park outside his house. Pooh can’t find any of the others from Hundred Acre Wood and needs the help of his friend. Robin is reluctant to help at first and thinks he has gone mad, but soon realizes that he needs to help Pooh find the others. This film follows the journey of Robin as he helps Pooh find his friends and finds meaning in the process.

Robin discovers that family is more important than work, that imagination and play is

an essential part of childhood that he has been depriving his daughter of that oftentimes “doing nothing leads to the very best of something.”

A film that highlights the importance of family, childhood and imagination; Christopher Robin is wonderful. Receiving a 73 percent rating from both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, even some of the toughest critics have a soft spot for Robin and his friends from Hundred Acre Wood. I, too, found myself enveloped in the story, and even thinking back on my own childhood. This film creates a sense of nostalgia and reminds older viewers that those happy and carefree moments as a child should never be taken for granted.

FLICKR.COM

Winnie the Pooh has caputred the imagination of children for decades.

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E4 EDGE

Monday, September 30, 2019

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A new era of “Scream” It’s getting to be spooky season and what better way to get into the swing of things than by watching some horror TV? Scream, the MTV original show, just released the third season.

This time around, the show follows a new set of characters. The season follows Deion Elliot as he tries to run away from and defeat Ghostface.

The season starts off on Halloween night in 2010, when Deion and his twin brother Marcus are out trick or treating. The pair accidentally run into Hook Man, a local legend who murders kids with his large hook, but Deion didn’t believe that this legend was real. Deion decides to run away, while Marcus makes a distraction for him, but he is never heard from again. This night haunts Deion, all the way to his high school days.

Fast forward eight years later, and Deion is now a star football player and has

a scout coming to his next game. However, things don’t go as planned as he starts to receive mysterious messages, alluding to that night in 2010.

These messages all lead him to Ghostface. Deion enlists the help of some classmates who end up becoming friends after serving detention together, to try and take down Ghostface.

These unlikely friends are coined “The Breakfast Club” by the teacher running detention. Olivia, a new girl who just moved to town, a good student and a cheerleader; Kym, an activist who tries to do good whenever and wherever she can; Manny, Kym’s gay best friend; Beth, a gothic horror-loving girl; and Amir, a talented musician. We watch as the six of them try and take down Ghostface, through every twist, turn and death.

The previous two seasons followed high schooler Audrey, as she was also targeted by Ghostface. Audrey, with the

help of some friends, worked over the two seasons to find out who Ghostface was and how to defeat them, before being murdered themselves. I enjoyed the first two seasons just as much as the third season, if not more. Though, the third season is in no way related to the first season, so if you are looking for less of a time commitment and just as much horror, then watching the third season may be right for you.

If you like big twists, then Scream will be perfect for you, no matter what season you watch. Every time I thought I had figured out who Ghostface was, or what was going to happen next, something came out of nowhere to lead me astray. The plot itself also was enthralling that I didn’t want to stop watching. At the end of every episode, I was amazed by how quickly the episodes passed. One thing is for sure, Scream is an extremely bingeworthy show and can be found on Netflix to make the process even easier. So, if you enjoy horror and suspense, and a bit of comedy thrown into the mix, I highly recommend watching, especially as we start to head toward Halloween.

Movie Trivia

(saw themed)

1. What was the name of the puppet?

A) Woody B) Tommy C) Billy

2. Which film in the Saw franchise holds the record for fastest selling DVD release in Loinsgate history?

A) Saw B) Saw II C) Jigsaw

3. What comedian is executive producing the Saw reboot?

Correct Answers: 1. C 2. B C. A

A) Chris Rock B) John Mulaney C) Anthony Jeselnik

WIKIPEDIA.ORG

The iconic scream masks continues to strike fear in the hearts of viewers

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OPINIONS 5

Monday, September 30, 2019

National & local chapter leadership  As a student, it becomes apparent at some point in your education that grades are not going to be enough to impress a company.

Some people learn this lesson earlier than others but eventually, many students join an organization to build their resume. Builder. Now, it is important to choose the correct organization for yourself because it will allow you to be more comfortable in the long run.

When joining an organization, regardless of your year in school,

it is important to consider a leadership position. The reason for this is that employers will see this as a commitment to the organizations that you hold these positions in. If you can not be a leader right away, you must attend meetings and events to show commitment.

Another way to get involved and show drive is to attend conferences for the national part of your organization. Once you become comfortable with the members in your local chapter, the next step is

to go meet people in your national chapter. This will allow you to network with people with similar mindsets, which is important for your professional development.

Attending these meetings is getting exposure to big companies that may not come to your school.

Whether you get an interview or not, learning about the requirements they want is just as important, especially if you can hear it from a recruiter.

If you are trying to start doing this then you must get connected with an organization. Any organization in your major should suffice.

Even if does not have something to do with your major, the exposure can be beneficial for your development. Organizations in

tality and they see the world on fire most of the time, raising their middle finger to the world to spread their misery around. Keep failing and see how it changes you as a person, for better or for worse.

At one point or another, you have seen yourself not being the person you want to be.

You might have failed in a relationship or in your studies and feel like a failure on the inside. Being afraid of failure makes you just like everyone

else. Without failure, without the struggle in your life, you might never see who you truly are. Getting everything you want, or just flying under the radar without really trying does not help you in the slightest. Playing it safe definitely has its strengths, but that also comes with a lot of downfalls that are not obvious. You grow complacent, entitled and stagnant, probably thinking that this is all there is to life, not truly living it and just being a part of it. You never know what power and strength you truly have unless you are tested, and through strife comes enlightenment.

Through failure, there comes

your major, though, are obviously going to be more tailored to you.

If you start on the path of becoming an E-board member of your organization, you create another opening for networking. As an E-board member, you are responsible for creating and running events for the organization so you will have conversations with presenters and companies often.

Being an E-board member also requires you to recruit people into the organization, so you always have a chance to spread your knowledge and experience with others. Sometimes you can even learn something from people that just joined because they see the organization differently, so collaboration is important as well.

Even as one of the people with a leadership role, there is still a lot to learn. This is why being involved in a national chapter can create a paradigm shift within someone.

Students come from across the globe at different ages and levels of education, providing advice and experience that is unparalleled to the one you would have just at your university.

School is meant for educating yourself to eventually obtain the job and profession that you want in life. That does not mean that you have to focus only on your books. In fact, doing so can mean that you miss out on the opportunities that only present themselves when you put yourself out there.

It's okay to fail sometimes   Life can be complete chaos at times. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong at one point or another.

People either learn to pick themselves up after hard times or go even deeper into their misery. Without learning failure, how can you appreciate success? I happen to be an optimist, with my mentality being that the best is yet to come, no matter what has happened in the past. Other people do not have this men-

a point where you realize your own shortcomings and how messed up the world is, and you can choose to accept the reality of what is given or continue to live in your delusions. Yet, there is always a third option when only given two choices.

Accept what is and is not, and strive to be better because of it. The pessimists of the world, or what some would self declare as a realist, see how horrible this world is and feel trapped to become another wheel of this cog we call life. They see how happy the optimist can be and think that they are too stupid to realize that they should be miserable like them. While the

optimist can see reality and sees the point of view of the pessimist, they gain the emotional maturity to realize that it is up to that individual to become the person they want to be, and despite everything that goes wrong and can go wrong, they choose to see the world as they want, and live life how they choose, not feeling trapped in despair.

You can choose to see the beauty in failure or let it keep you down. Being true to yourself is the key to growing and learning, and everyone is on different levels of the highrise we call life. Without a few mishaps along the way, we never know how high we can rise.

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The editorial views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editorial presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editorial board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.

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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Rachel Greene Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

6

Monday, September 30, 2019

SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Fighting Illini out to change their narrative

Anyone who’s followed University of Illinois football over the past several years knows that it’s been tough sledding for the Fighting Illini led by head coach Lovie Smith.

Over the past seven seasons (before 2019), the team holds a porous 26-59 record, finishing near the bottom of the Big Ten standings season after season. This year, however, they’ve been out to change the narrative that’s surrounded their team for the past decade.

The Illini currently sit at 2-2 on the season (0-1 in conference), but very well could have been a 4-0 squad heading into their bye week this past weekend if not for some small hiccups. The team started the 2019 campaign 2-0, looking sharp in victories versus both the University of Akron and the University of Connecticut.

Shortly after, they lost their next game in heartbreaking fashion to Eastern Michigan via a gamewinning field goal as time expired. They were then defeated once again by a strong Nebraska team (currently 3-2) by a score of 38-42 in their most recent game after leading the Cornhuskers for a majority of the contest.

These two losses sting, especially for fans that hoped Illinois would see their first bowl game this season since 2014, but they’re not the end of the world.

There are plenty of positives to take away from

this Illini team thus far, beginning with senior running back Reggie Corbin. Corbin, who already has one 1,000yard rushing season under his belt, has been a major bright spot for an offense that’s struggled to get going at times.

The ball-carrier out of Upper Marlboro, Md. has been graded out by Pro Football Focus as the second-best tailback in all of college football thus far, right behind University of Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor. His 314 rushing yards through four games rank fourth-best in the conference, averaging a robust 7.1 yards per carry. Maybe more impressively, he’s done this on just 44 attempts.

If he had as many carries as conference-leader J.K. Dobbins (68) from Ohio State, he may very well lead the Big Ten in yards.

Illini quarterback Brandon Peters has had an up-and-down season up to this point.

After transferring to the University of Illinois from Michigan, many pegged the grad student to be the answer to the team’s passing-game woes. That appeared to be the case early in the season, as the ex-Wolverine posted 609 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions in his first three games. He beat-up on smaller, out-of-conference schools, but had somewhat of a reality check in their last game against Nebraska, completing just nine of his 22 passes for 78 yards. He

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finished the game with both one touchdown and interception, showing an inability to connect with his pass-catchers downfield. While his 765 passing yards on the year rank seventh in the conference, right towards the middle of the pack, his quarterback rating sits at a woeful 34.5, not even in the top-100 nationwide.

However, wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, another grad transfer from USC, told reporters after their loss on Sept.

21, that he feels this team is on the cusp of a turnaround. As Peters grows more familiar with his receiving corps and gains comfortability in the offense, Imatorbhebhe believes this will pay dividends for the Illini.

“I feel like we’re close and ready for a breakthrough, I really do,” Imatorbhebhe said. “The running game was clicking [against Nebraska], just get the passing game along and get it more consistent and get everyone on the same page. We’ll be rolling.”

On the defensive side of things, Oluwole Betiku Jr. has been an absolute force in the trenches for the Navy and Orange thus far. In fact, after the conclusion of week 4 in college football, Betiku Jr. was tied for first in the nation in sacks with seven. The impressive defensive lineman’s 10.5 tackles-for-loss also lead all of college football. Assuming he can keep up this level of play throughout the entire season, he’ll likely be one of the very first pass-rushers off the board in next April’s NFL Draft, something that should get any Illinois fan excited. The defense, as a whole, has

seen its highs and lows, but the bye week should do wonders for a unit that’s impressed at times but is still searching for its true identity.

Lovie Smith, who is 11-29 as the Illini head coach, sure believes that this year ’s team possesses more talent than he’s seen in previous years. This has been obvious to anyone who’s tuned-in on weekends to watch.

“I think we have a chance now to win. In years past, I don’t think we had a chance. We have a chance now. Absolutely we do,” Smith said.

“We’re a better football team. [Against Nebraska] it didn’t turn out that way.

There were a lot of factors that led to that. Maybe it’s just a really good offensive team, but we are definitely a better defensive football team than we’ve been.”

Their rest-of-season schedule is a tough one, like any team that plays in the Big Ten, but there are still winnable games on the horizon. The Illini still face future dates this season with four nationally-ranked programs in Michigan (No. 20), Wisconsin (No. 8), Michigan State ( No. 25) and Iowa (No. 14).

None of these games will be an easy win, but it’s tough to argue that the Illini can’t at least compete in each and every one of these.

For now, though, the team will set their sights on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are a perfect 5-0 to begin the season but will arguably face their toughest test yet in Illinois. If the Illini can pull one out, they’ll be well on track to at least bettering their 4-8 record from a season ago.

WC

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Reggie Corbin runs with the ball.

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Oluwole Betiku makes a tackle in game.

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Brandon Peters throws a pass during practice.

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NHL Eastern Conference Season Preview Zach Remelius courier staff

ATLANTIC DIVISION No. 1 Tampa Bay Lightning: Even after getting swept by Columbus in the first round last year, Tampa is still an extraordinary team. Getting 128 points in the regular season is no easy task.

Essentially everyone is back and they added Patrick Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk on as pretty sweet deals. This team should be the favorite going into the season and it will be up to them to finally bring the cup back to Tampa.

No. 2 Toronto Maple Leafs: What an offseason for Kyle Dubas. The Mitch Marner saga took up almost the whole summer but he finally got him signed. Gone is Nazem Kadri in a trade that saw the Leafs shore up the defense, bringing in Tyson Barrie. William Nylander will play the whole season with Auston Matthews and that should see him have a bounceback season. The question is still the defense. Outside of Barrie, Morgan Reilly and Jake Muzzin, there are a lot of question marks of youth or just not very good players like Cody Ceci. This is Mike Babcock’s last chance in Toronto so it should be interesting.

No. 3 Florida Panthers: Bringing in Joel Queneville is massive for this franchise that needed some stability behind the bench. Florida can score at will and on paper, their defense is solid led by Mike Matheson and Aaron Ekblad. The problem last year was goaltending. James Reimer and Roberto Luongo were below average and it tanked the team. Enter Sergei Bobrovsky to shore up the goaltending situation.

I’m not quite sure why you would draft a goalie in the first round and then sign a guy to a seven-year contract, but it will help for this year. Alexandar Barkov is a legit superstar and this is a team that should make the playoffs and makes some noise in them.

No. 4 Boston Bruins: Don Sweeney as general manager decided that the best plans for the Bruins were to run it back after losing in the Stanley Cup Final. No significant departures and no significant acquisitions were made by the Bruins. The big question for the top six is at right wing for David Krejci on the second line but otherwise, they will score. The defense is full of talents like Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. With Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara getting older, the time to win is now.

No. 5 Montreal Canadiens: Montreal was one of the league’s biggest surprises this past season and almost nabbed a playoff spot. Carey Price returned to form and Max Domi had a breakout season, scor-

Nikita Kucherov celebrates a goal.

John Carlson getting ready for a faceoff.

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ing 72 points. For another successful season, players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi will need to take another step and Shea Weber will have to stay on the ice.

No. 6 Buffalo Sabres: This team isn’t bad, they just aren’t very good. They have a chance to make the playoffs if either Carter Hutton or Linus Ullmark can learn to make a save. There was a lot of hype surrounding Casey Mittelstadt to be the second-line center after Ryan O’Reilly was traded and he didn’t quite live up to it, but he will need to if Buffalo wants to end the longest playoff drought in the NHL. Ralph Krueger has a good defense to work with but how far can that take them remains to be seen.

No. 7 Detroit Red Wings: This once mighty franchise has fallen on hard times recently, but there have been some positive movements back to relevancy. Mostly bringing back Steve Yzerman to be the GM after he built the powerhouse down in Tampa. It is going to take a couple of years for his plan to come together but if Detroit fans are patient, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

No. 8 Ottawa Senators: Woof, ever since Connor Sheary buried that overtime goal in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, this franchise has been a disaster. A complete fire sale has gotten rid of most the older talent on the roster, except for Bobby Ryan. Talent is there like Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk and Erik Branstromm are good places to start. Ottawa fans, this is going to take some time and owner Eugene Melynk has said as much, saying the team can start being competitive in 2021.

METRO DIVISION No. 1 Washington Capitals: First off, this division is a mess and predicting it is quite difficult. The Capitals, though, still have Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson along with a boatload of other talented players. Yet, the Ovi era is coming to an end and the greatest goal scorer of all-time wants another Cup. Braden Holtby will need to have a bounceback season and the depth players like the newly acquired Richard Panik have to keep the train going.

No. 2 Carolina Hurricanes: These "jerks" are again going to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

Adding Jake Gardiner to a stout defensive core is only going to help, and Brett Pesce and that group only grew with the experience of last season. Their offense might still struggle a bit and we wait to see what Justin Williams is going to do. If Petr Mrazek and James Reimer can play well in net, this team will compete for the division.

No. 3 New Jersey Devils: Easily the winner of best offseason. Bringing in Jack Hughes, PK Subban and Wayne Simmonds, and with a healthy Taylor Hall, this team is reay to compete. Nico Hischier proved he can be a number one center last season, so number one overall pick Hughes won’t have to

William Nylander lines up for the shot.

Justin Williams sets up for the faceoff.

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deal with that pressure immediately. Like a lot of teams, it seems the Devils will need a goalie, whether it’s Corey Schneider or Mackenzie Blackwood, to be the number one guy for this team to live up to the potential.

No. 4 New York Rangers: If anyone else were to claim offseason champions, the Rangers would be it, bringing in superstar winger Artemi Panarin, defensemen Jacob Trouba and number two draft pick Kappo Kakko. All that plus up and coming talent has Rangers fans excited. Jeff Gorton and the rest of the Rangers' front office has shown teams how to properly rebuild quickly and Henrik Lundqvist has one more run in him.

No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby and Evengi Malkin are going to try their hardest to make one more run at a cup. Gone is Phil Kessel, who is being replaced, but Alex Galchenyuk who has been underwhelming in his young NHL career, look to become the new spark plug. The defense still has Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbrandson roaming around which is a positive thing for opposing teams. Matt Murray took a step back last year but he should be fine as the starting goalie. The Penguins could really use one more trade to add offense to the bottom six.

No. 6 Philadelphia Flyers: The savior of Philly has made his presence known and his name is Carter Hart. The 21-year-old goalie is looking to hold down the fort after the Flyers have rotated goalie after goalie over the last several years. The top six on offense is super talented after adding Kevin Hayes in the offseason. Shayne Ghostisbehere is still a Flyer to lead a young but talented defense.

The Flyers could easily be a playoff team and new coach Alain Vigneault will do what he can to lead them there.

No. 7 New York Islanders: Barry Trotz should be commended for the effort him and his team put in last year. The best defensive team in the league made things easier for Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss in the net. The offense was inconsistent but that was to be expected with such an emphasis on defense. Lehner is gone but Semyon Varlamov will look to replicate his success. The Islanders could use one of their young wingers like Oliver Wahlstrom to step up and add scoring punch.

No. 8 Columbus Blue Jackets: A massive exodus of talent after winning the first playoff series in franchise history has left Columbus in a tough spot.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel all left for supposed greener pastures. Joonas Korpisalo will take over in net and has been inconsistent as the backup. There is talent still in Columbus like defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, center Pierre Luc-Dubois and winger Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets went all in last year and are now stuck in a tough division with a lot of questions all over the roster.

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Mike Matheson scans the ice for the open man.

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Jack Hughes makes a sharp turn.

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Western Illinois Men's soccer still Athletics names looking for first season win 2019 Hall of Fame inductees

By Josh Purnell courier staff

By Michael Harms courier staff

As the year moves on, it is always important to remember those who came before us, walked these same pathways, sat in the same buildings and even competed on the same gym floor. Western Illinois announced the 2019 hall of fame class earlier this month to celebrate some previous spectacles.

The class includes two new additions to the hall of fame room. First, Bob Nardelli, who was a captain of the 1969 football team that won the final Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.

The offensive lineman primarily played left guard for the team that had an overall record of 8-2.

The team had a powerful offense that averaged over 400 yards per game. That stat put them as the ninth best team in the nation. They earned a bid to the Mineral Water Bowl that same year.

Nardelli himself earned some accolades including AllState Second Team according to the Peoria Journal.

Whatever accolade he has gotten on the field is most likely shy in comparison to his business life.

He has served as geeralaager to General Electric Power Systems, Chrysler and Home Depot. In fact, when Nardelli stepped down as GM to Home Depot, he pocketed $223 million.

He has degrees from Western, University of Louisville and Harvard Business School. At 74 years old, he now operates his very own private-equity investment business XLR-8 LLC. Hopefully his enshrinement into Western’s Hall of Fame will serve as a reminder to all that no matter what, you can rise to the top and live your best life.

Not only will Nardelli be

inducted to the Western Illinois HOF, he will also get the honor of being this year ’s homecoming parade’s Grand Marshal.

The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday.

Nardelli shares this year ’s class with the entire 1974 Western Illinois baseball team. The team may be the most dominant athletic team Western has ever seen. Going 31-12 is second on a single season winning record of all-time, but it earned Western its first ever postseason appearance.

The team has had three individuals already selected into Western’s Hall of Fame including Ed Gvazdinskas (1987), Dick Mantick (2003) and head coach Dick Pallow (2004). The team has nine statistics still in the record books.

Those numbers have yet to be taken away and are clear evidence as to how great they they truly were.

The team had two MLB players on it including Mantick and Rick Vogel, who went to the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, respectively. The baseball team saw a new coach hired just a couple weeks ago and is hoping to get back to this type of winning baseball.

As people try to succeed in life, it is always a good reminder to remember those who have come before us, showing us the way to success and a way to learn lessons, before we learn them the hard way.

Induction ceremonies for Nardelli and members of the 1974 baseball team will be this Friday inside the Grand Ballroom at the University Union. Along with the official induction on Friday, the inductees will also be recognized during halftime at the homecoming football game between the Fighting Leathernecks and the Missouri State University Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois men's soccer team (0-9-0) fell a goal short in a 2-1 loss to Northern Illinois (4-4-1) on Saturday, Sept. 28. This is the Leathernecks sixth loss to the Huskies in history of the matches between these two teams.

The Huskies took the first lead of the game in the 12th minute when midfielder Christian Molina assisted forward Jan Maertins inside the box.

Maertins fired a shot in the bottom corner for his third goal of the season.

The Huskies nearly added another score when forward Miguel Maynez Jr fired a kick that hit the top of the post. During most of the first half, the Leathernecks only fired four shots, and Northern Illinois goalkeeper Martin Sanchez saved two of them; the other two going wide of the goal.

In the 30th minute of the game, Western midfielder Arian Mehrang was substituted in the game for midfielder Mitchell Moynihan. Mehrang immediately had an impact, with three minutes left on the clock before halftime, Mehrang assisted forward Ryan DeBois inside the middle of the box and Debois bashed the ball into the bottom right corner, scoring his first goal of the season to tie the game.

The Leathernecks were out of whack in the second half, though. In the first 20 minutes of the game, the Purple and Gold fired four shots that were all off-target. The Huskies nearly scored their second goal in the 68th minute when for-

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Ryan DeBois dribbles the ball down field.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Tim Trilk makes a save during practice.

ward Enrique Banuelos fired a shot towards the bottom right corner, but Western goalkeeper Tim Trilk saved it.

Western nearly scored again in the 81st minute when midfielder Luke Duball tested Sanchez with a shot in the top right corner, but the NIU goalkeeper was able to make the stop, and the match remained a tie.

With one minute left of regulation, defender Diego Sanz fired a shot in the top right corner, but it was saved once again by Trilk as neither team could break the tie and the game headed into overtime.

Early minutes in overtime, Western midfielder Xavier Brown shot the ball but it went out over the top of the goal. In the 93rd minute, Northern forward Nick Markanich had a chance to break the tie after a foul called on Western. Markanich shot the ball far right missing the goal. In the 95th minute, the Leathernecks had a shot at another goal but the referee called offside. DeBois fired his second shot bottom center to try and break the tie, but Northern goalkeeper Sanchez made his fifth shot of the game in the 97th minute.

NIU wasted no time sprinting downfield as Nick Markanich assisted his brother Anthony Markanich inside the box. Anthony scored his fourth goal of the season to win the game in overtime. Western goalkeeper Trilk had three saves in the game, adding on to his season total of 51 saves. Western midfielder Enric Ferrer led the team with four shots.

Western Illinois will travel to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for a matchup with the Cougars on Tuesday.

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Luke Duball battles off a defender.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mitchell Moynihan keeps his eye on the ball.