Western Courier | April 25th, 2018

Sports: Countdown to NFL Draft

Opinions: Legalizing Marijuana

Sports: Baseball Preview vs. SIU-E Cougars.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 - Vol. 118 Issue 82

NICHOLAS EBELHACK/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 members, in addition to students and community members, march through campus to Monday's mediated contract negotiations.

UPI marches to mediation Western and UPI “close” to tentative agreement

By Nicholas Ebelhack

editor-in-chief

University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Local 4100 Members met at Dividends Cafe outside of Stipes Hall Monday to “March to Mediation,” in which UPI members and supporters walked to their latest mediated negotiation session in unison through campus.

The march, which ended outside of the University Union along C.T. Vivian Way, follows a vote to authorize a strike from earlier this month. Contract negotiations between UPI and the Western Illinois University Administration,

which have been ongoing since December 2016, have been in federal mediation since the fall semester as sides have yet to come to a contract agreement. However, UPI and Western jointly announced that they said they were close to a tentative agreement in a press release from University Relations last night.

With signs demonstrating UPI’s determination to receive “a mutually beneficial contract,” numerous speakers took the bullhorn to speak to the crowd of union members, students and supporters.

Peter Cole, a professor in the department of history who special-

izes in labor and unions, spoke first to rally the crowd before the march began.

“For centuries to this day, employers have tried to pay us, workers, less than we deserve,” Cole said. “However we are the ones who create value. However it is only fair that we get a large share of it. For centuries, even at so-called non-profits, profits are made, at WIU they are called reserves. But really, that is money the administration chooses to save instead of paying us the money we deserve.”

March page 3

NICHOLAS EBELHACK/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Elizabeth Swan speaks to the crowd prior to the march to mediation.

SGA discusses constitutional changes

By Marc Ramirez assistant news editor

Student Government Association Attorney General Kelly Rodgers presents the 50th legislative session's constitution Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s Student Government Association Attorney General Kelly Rodgers proposed the second reading of the SGA Constitutional amendments for the 50th legislative session and beyond beginning the next academic year, 2018-19.

Rodgers started the meeting by explaining all changes to the governing documents were done so to ensure proper function of the association. Over the last academic year Rodgers and the constitution committee have

been reviewing the constitution and bylaws and came to the conclusion that there was a need for change.

“Several constitutional amendments and revisions have been made over the course of the previous academic years, signaling the need for a comprehensive review,” The SGA Constitutional Amendment 20172018.001 reads, The ad-hoc Constitution Committee has thoroughly reviewed all articles of the constitution and bylaws, debated new updates and changes, and have created a comprehensive and cohesive

new document.”

Changes were made in various articles and sections of the constitution and bylaws.

One that came into question however was Article III, Section 5, pertaining to the makeup of The Senate under certain organizations. Unity Senator Natasha Kelch became concerned when the Unity Senator position fell under the LGBT*Q Resource Center.

SGA page 3

2

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

NEWS

WesternCourier.com

City Council discusses potential changes

By Steven Barnum assistant news editor

On Monday night, the Macomb City Council discussed purchasing new vehicles for the Macomb Police Department.

Two new vehicles, a Dodge Charger and a Ford Interceptor, will be added to the mix. They will be replacing three outgoing vehicles: a Chevy Tahoe, a Dodge Charger and a Ford Crown Victoria. Speaking on behalf of the Macomb Police Department was Police Chief Curt Barker.

“This is requesting authorization to make the purchase that was already approved in

the budget,” Barker said.

The total price for both vehicles is $58,500, but after a trade with a local car dealership, Woodrum, the transaction will total just $49,000.

Mayor Mike Inman emphasized that the money spent on the trade is coming from the police protective fund, which is a restricted fund and not from the city’s general fund. Action for the transaction will be on the agenda for the meeting on May 7.

Moving on to the next item on the agenda, it was announced that Sully’s Lawn Maintenance of Prairie City, Ill. was the low bidder and presumed winner for the “2018 Mowing Project.”

Of the two bids that were submitted for the project, Sully’s was for $40 per hour and the higher bid was for $45 per hour.

The purpose of the program is to keep track of properties around town and make sure they are complying with lawn ordinances. If individuals repeatedly violate the ordinance, then they will be notified and possibly fined.

At such properties, the contracted mowers will be sent to mow the grass so it complies with the ordinance.

“We have an ordinance that requires all grass and weeds to be six inches or less for a property,” Community Development Coordinator

Ray Heitner said, “And particularly, this is enforced on residential properties so we monitor these conditions city-wide.”

Macomb spent nearly $9,000 on the program in 2017, which Heitner described as a “somewhat dry mowing season.” This year, the city can expect to see savings in the 20 percent range at a cost of around $7,000 to $7,500.

The third and final matter discussed was the amending of an ordinance that involves possession and consumption of alcohol at Spring Lake.

Specifically, visitors are allowed to consume alcohol in their cabins or rental homes, but not on the lake

itself. Thus, alcohol is not completely prohibited on the property. While this ordinance is far from new, the town wants to make sure that the public is fully informed of the law. According to City Attorney Kristen Petrie, the solution is a simple.

“All persons (who register to rent a property) will be given the information regarding alcohol possession or consumption and responsibilities on the property,” Petrie said.

Inman concluded Monday night’s brief meeting by reminding the public to take advantage of the no-sticker required curbside pickup, which will end on May 3.

OSA hands out annual student awards

SARA REMAR/ ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Numerous students were presented with various awards for excelling around campus.

WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall.

Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Nicholas Ebelhack NA-Ebelhack@wiu.edu assistant news editor Marc Ramirez MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu assistant news editor Steven Barnum SS-Barnum@wiu.edu opinions editor Ryan Zurek RP-Zurek@wiu.edu sports editor Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu assistant sports editor Haley Richards H-Richards@wiu.edu edge editor Baylee Brynteson BM-Brynteson@wiu.edu copy editor Brie Coder B-Coder@wiu.edu

proofreader Valerie Clemens VN-Clemens@wiu.edu proofreader Alexis Lowe AL-Lowe@wiu.edu proofreader Tacuma Venzant T-Venzant@wiu.edu photo editor Becca Langys RE-Langys@wiu.edu assistant photo editor Sara Remar SE-Remar@wiu.edu production manager Jimmy Pierson JM-Pierson@wiu.edu business manager Faith Rucker F-Rucker@wiu.edu advertising manager Patryk Mazur P-Mazur@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION

The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb.

The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.

COPYRIGHT 2017

No reproduction or reuse of material is permitted without written consent of the WC. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint any material from this publication, please contact Nicholas Ebelhack or Will Buss at 309-298-1876.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The WC does not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, handicapped status, veteran or sexual orientation, nor does it knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws.

One copy of the Western Courier is free.

Additional copies $1.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The WC needs your help to maintain accuracy. If you find a factual error, call the WC office at 309-298-1876 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Please ask to speak to an editor to ensure the inaccurate information can be corrected as quickly as possible.

@WesternCourier

March

from front page

In his speech, Cole cited that the university has money to spend on other endeavors, so it should have the money to spend on a fair contract.

“When we are told that our wages must be cut for the university, don’t believe it,” Cole said. “Instead the administration spent $435,000 on a new entryway. Instead they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers to delay and deny justice to dozens of our fellow WIU faculty who were laid off and have been suffering through years of arbitration.”

Emphasizing that their desire for a mutually beneficial contract has support from students, Cole spoke on why UPI members have selected their profession.

“We were all once students, we care about them because they are us,” Cole said. “We have chosen the teaching profession when we get paid less than we could because we care.

We are all part of this movement, weakened by years of austerity and budget cuts we have stayed strong.”

On that idea, Thompson Hall Student Government Association (SGA) Senator and History Major Elizabeth Swan spoke on her experience as a second year student at Western.

“I have learned that as a university we are at some severe disadvantages when compared to our sister institutions. We don’t have state of the art facilities; we don’t walk onto our campus and wonder if we have walked into a Microsoft Headquarters or an IKEA.” Swan then reflected on the recent SGA State of the Student

SGA

from front page

“The thing with the LGBT*Q Resource enter is it has just the likely chance of going under as Unity if not more because it's only staffed by one person,” Kelch said. “I’ve also talked with the current grad assistant of the resource center now, and he is against the idea of the resource center having control over who’s the rep.”

Senate Clerk Maddie Heinzer responded to this concern by explain that it was chosen to be set up this way because each senator in the room is supposed to show a clear representation of their constituencies and to do so each senator should also be housed by the organization that clearly houses each organization. Kelch offered a friendly amendment to this section of the constitution, which may possibly be enacted in the voting of the Constitutional Amendment 2017-2018.001 next meeting.

More areas of focus during discussion were Article VII, Section 2 and Article

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 address, titled “Why We Stay,” to emphasize why she came to stand in support with the UPI membership.

“Why do I choose to stay at Western Illinois University?”

Swan said. “The truth is, looking out here today it is our incredible faculty that keep me staying at Western. The professors that I have had the pleasure having for classes have shown me the greatest value at our institution.”

The march began, making its way through the quad and up the stairs leading through the center of campus. More speakers and chants came later before UPI President Bill Thompson walked in to mediation.

In preparation for a potential strike, UPI leadership is hosting a series of strike training events over the next few days in Malpass library.

Additionally, according to the union’s Facebook page, tomorrow in Waggoner 054 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. UPI will be hosting a question and answer session for students who have questions about the possible strike.

However, according to a joint press release, a strike may not be in the university’s future. The two parties report that negotiations are coming to an end soon following the Monday’s negotiations.

“Following the April 23 mediation session, Western Illinois University and the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 are able to report that the two groups are close to reaching a tentative agreement, subject to finalizing the specific language contained within the new contract,” reads the press release. “Details will not be disclosed until the final language has been approved by both sides.”

VII, Section 3, Impeachment Recommendation Committee and Process of Removal.

Rodgers and the committee overseeing changes in the constitution and bylaws wrote out the various steps of impeachment if the process were ever to happen. Clarification was asked for pertaining to the Attorney General acting as exofficio overseeing the impeachment process but also acting as a tiebreaker if one were needed. Rodgers acknowledged the confusion and will bring a more concrete stance and next weeks meeting.

In later discussion was SGA Bill of Resolution 2017-2018.009 pertaining to a definition of student academic freedom to be included in a Student Bill of Rights. College of Business and Technology Senator Amanda Wrenn wrote the bill in efforts to have a student definition accepted by the Student Government Association.

It was decided by the SGA to table the bill until next week when a more cohesive definition can be formed.

NEWS 3

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

4 OPINIONS

WesternCourier.com

It's time to legalize marijuana

There are 29 states where medicinal marijuana is legal and nine states where recreational marijuana is legal.

The controversial question today is should marijuana be legal both for medical and recreational reasons all over the United States? Looking at the whole marijuana idea in a general view, is the current federal prohibition on weed a good policy or not?

We are currently enduring an epidemic of drugs in today’s society, and this war on

drugs has negatively affected people more than the drugs themselves. Something that’s backwards about this issue, is that no matter the laws, arrests and money spent, people are still doing illegal drugs.

Should it be legal for recreational use for consumers 21 and over, as Washington and Colorado have done? The policy of drunks being able to drink, but those who smoke go to prison is reason enough to legalize weed; as marijuana is less toxic than alcohol.

Legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes would be a great way to bring in extra state and federal revenue.

For those dealers who begin to sell marijuana, the buyers would now be taxed both on the state and federal level. In addition, those who sell marijuana will now be able to put that as a source of income on their taxes when filing. Marijuana prohibition creates a social norm of ignoring the law, all people are guided by both internal and external compass of right and wrong. When people want to do something that’s not wrong by their rights, they perceive it as their extended right to do it.

Alcohol is more socially

acceptable, yet it kills thousands yearly and causes endless problems; health wise, mentally and emotionally.

There are many other problems with alcohol; dealing with addictions and rehab.

With alcohol, there are many who become addicted and crave it. They begin to have withdraws and long for it, even after they end up in rehab.

I don’t think that marijuana legalization will cause harm.

I wouldn’t consider weed a gateway drug, because most people who smoke weed are fine with the high they get from weed and don’t need to turn to harder drugs such as heroin. If marijuana becomes legalized, there will be no

change in the amount of users, it will just be easier to get. Those who are already using will just continue to use it, and those who chose not to won’t.

I find it ironic how the government makes something as harmless as marijuana a number one concern when gun laws are what need to be addressed at this time. It is disgusting to worry about this drug that has never been proven to kill anyone and is impossible to overdose on.

I think everyone needs to get their priorities straight and realize that marijuana is not the worst thing in the world and there are far worse things that people are doing than smoking marijuana.

Finish out the school year strong As the school year is quickly coming to an end, we are all excited to get out of the classrooms and be homework free for the summer! If only it was as easy as packing your bag, throwing out all your old papers and hitting the road. Unfortunately, there is a list of things we need to get done before we get to be free for the summer, whether we like it or not.

To start off, the most important thing to accomplish before the year ends is passing your finals. Finals may be hard, but seeing your GPA drop is harder.

Some things that I do to prepare myself for finals are grab a jug of coffee, a few of my favorite highlighters and hit the library.

Personally, when I study I find myself getting distracted with either my phone or even just my surroundings, which is why I spend time studying by myself, and in the library. If you are like

me and need to study alone and in silence, then make sure you hit up the sixth floor of the library before it all fills up. If not, find a quiet spot in one of your favorite buildings on campus.

Believe it or not, each building has at least one quiet spot for you to find downtime and study peacefully.

Now that we got the basic and most obvious thing out the way, another thing you need to do before the school ends is sell or return your textbooks. Every semester Western offers to do something called the “Book Buyback” which lets students sell their books at the book store.

Buying and selling used books saves paper which means you also save the trees. Not only are you saving trees and paper, you’re saving your wallet from going completely broke! It’ll begin on May 3-4 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on May 7-10 from 9:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the last day on Friday, May 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the university bookstore in the Union. Make sure to stop by and drop off your textbooks to get a few extra dollars back to spend during your summer break.

Now here comes the hardest and longest task that needs to be done before you get to be free from all school work and get your summer started, its packing up your room. I personally despise this part, because it takes forever to do because I have so many things! What can make this task a lot easier is if you go through your things one by one and create a keep, donate and throw out pile. Starting off with your clothes that you brought to school, to all the random things you’ve collected throughout the year. Not only will this make your packing easier since you'll have less stuff to pack, but it also gives you a fresh clean slate right before you start your summer.

I know we’re all eager to get out of here, do whatever we want and not worry about homework, but don’t forget to finish off the year strong.

Editorial Policy The editoral views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editoral presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editoral 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.

Letters & Local Forum Policies E-mail letters to the Editor and Local Forum messages to micour@wiu.edu.

Letters should not be more than 350 words in length. The author’s name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Failure to include such information will lead to the letter being discarded. The WC staff will edit letters in cases of timeliness, obscenity length and grammer, and we do not guarantee publication of all letters.

2018 Spring Semester Editorial Board Editor-in-Cheif - Nicholas Ebelhack Edge Editor - Baylee Bryntesson Opinions Editor - Ryan Zurek

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

A trade war would not be good

There is a growing discussion of war, whether it’s an intervention war in Syria or a trade war with China. We already know what a Syrian intervention war looks like, now let’s inquire and discover what a trade war looks like.

A trade war is when one or more countries’ interactions of trade are deliberately impeded in order to place a burden on a perceived rival trade partner.

Up until a month ago, there was only mild talk of an impending trade war, but that mild talk imploded into outright rantings. The current presidential administration declared that a 25 percent tariff would be levied against aluminum, while a 10 percent would be placed

on steel imports. What is a tariff you may ask? It is a tax on goods, whether it be imports or exports.

During the campaign trail, the president had repeatedly declared that the days of letting China walk over the United States regarding trade will come to an end. A month ago, the announcement of trade tariffs appears to be the beginning of that end. Unfortunately, the original tariffs on aluminum and steel would not actually hurt China, but our main European allies including Canada.

Compared to China, Canada exports considerably more aluminum and steel to the U.S. Not only does this hurt Canada, but it also hurts our European allies

like France, Britain and Germany to mention a few. All of the countries mentioned above have sworn to respond with their own tariffs on U.S imports of pork and whisky.

Soon afterwards, the presidential administration declared further tariffs, but this time directly laid against China, by placing tariffs on an estimated $20 billion worth of Chinese goods. If it would have ended there, if China would have only taken it without retaliation, then perhaps it could be said that this trade war was quick and easy to win, yet it appears contrary.

China quickly announced its own tariffs of U.S goods of up to a billion dollars worth. In return, the United States declared another wave of tariffs on up to $100 billion worth of Chinese goods. Now it appears that a real long lasting trade war is inevitable, luckily the entire world cautions both the United States and China in its dangerous

route. As of April 23, the United States has hinted towards an uneasy truce with China.

If this rumor comes out to be true, then the fallout of a trade war might just have been avoided, if it doesn’t, the global market will feel it. Whether you agree with a protectionist agenda or you do not is up for debate, what is not up for debate is the fact that historically protectionist administrations and their agendas tend to be followed by an economic downturn in the form of a recession.

That being said, there are times when a trade war might actually be beneficial. That comes to an individual basis, and by that I mean investors with a lot of cash at hand who are itching to jump into the market when it’s at a historic low, a trade war can produce historic returns when it comes back up from a recession. Yet, those returns would come at the expense of the majority who are already invested

in the market.

Personally, any time is the right time to invest in the stock exchange, the problem isn’t so much a trade war but being afraid of the sound of a trade war and never investing to begin with. Invest while young, invest consistently and don’t ever stop are the rules of the game. The younger you are and the more you put in, the more you will have available when you do decide it’s time to retire and withdraw those funds.

So when it comes to being in college, investing while at Western Illinois University is important for long term financial success. Most importantly, don’t ever let the noise scare you away, don’t let a downed economy hinder you from investing and don’t ever run from the market by pulling out to early, you cannot time the market, no one can and that is why you should never pull out until you are finally ready to retire.

Acknowledge James Our schools Shaw Jr, Donald need sex-ed The Tennessee Waffle House shooting was just another example of why military style weapons should not be distributed to civilians.

Once again, a white male armed with an AR-15 rifle walked into a restaurant and began to open fire, killing four people and leaving three injured. The attack is believed to be racially motivated, for all the victims were people of color. However, the hero of the day was not a police officer, but an unarmed black man who saw a chance and jumped at it.

It’s ironic how black men are the most targeted and discriminated against out of any other group of people in the nation. They are shot, beaten and killed in countless acts of racial profiling all over the country by white armed officers. A lot of times they don’t even do anything wrong. Just walking down the street or holding a cell phone, for example, can cost them their lives. Not to mention the stereotypes that depict all black men as violent thugs who terrorize their neighborhoods.

But in this particular instance, the black man without a weapon was the one to stop the armed white terrorist in a great act of heroism.

Twenty-nine year old James Shaw Jr. was the man responsible for disarming the Waffle House shooter with only his bare hands.

Travis Reinking, also 29 years old, was in the middle of reloading his weapon when Shaw Jr. charged at him and wrestled it away, throwing it over a counter were he wasn’t able to recover it. The courage of this single man saved the lives of many other people who could have been hurt or even killed by the disgusting act carried out by Reinking. Not only does Shaw Jr.’s actions make him a hero, but it just proves to the rest of America the power of the black man. Whether it’s fear, hatred, or both, that leads this country to mistreat African American men, Shaw Jr.’s valiance proves how even the most feared man on Earth could be a hero.

Of course our sorry excuse for a president has yet to acknowledge Shaw Jr. for his actions during

that heart wrenching occurrence.

Either he’s too caught up in his tweets or he’s too busy creating a third World War. However, people all over social media are furious with Trump’s ignorance and are not holding back on revealing their rage. New York Times best selling author Keith Boykin tweeted “If a Mexican, Muslim, or an African American had been arrested and released by the Secret Service and later killed 4 people in Tennessee, Donald Trump would be tweeting about it night and day. His silence on the Waffle House shooting speaks of his racism.” The Justice Democrats also had much to say about Trump’s hush, “Donald Trump is silent on the killing of 4 black Americans shot up by a white gunman...because it doesn’t serve his racist agenda.”

There were thousands of tweets containing similar messages about the president’s behavior.

He hasn’t even sent out his condolences to the families of the victims who died as a result of the shooting. As of now, Trump’s actions shouldn’t even come as a surprise. What matters most is that the people recognize Shaw Jr. for his bravery and are giving him the respect and the credit he rightfully deserves, and that justice is served for those who are

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement last weekend laying out new policies for funding teenage pregnancy prevention programs.

The new rules would fund more programs that would promote abstinence and pay less attention to data or evidence on the issue, according to The New York Times.

It won’t exclude programs that promote birth control and contraception, but encourage abstinence or “sexual risk reduction.” I mean who would have expected this as President Trump chose Valerie Huber as chief of staff for the department. Before Huber’s call up to the big dance, she was a leader of an abstinence education advocacy organization and her message to teens was pretty much, “don’t do it.”

Trump has not exactly been known to put people in positions where their bias wouldn’t come out, but this is the second time (at least) that we see a person in a position of power that does not know as much about their subject as they should. Such as Secretary of Education Betsy Devos, who has apparently never been in a public school the way she talks about them. For Huber, this was a clear and easy decision on how to lower the risk of teenage pregnancy. For the rest of us, we’re scratching our heads a little on this one. There is no evidence or data that suggests an abstinence only program has any effect on teenage pregnancy. The previous rules for funding promoted ap-

proaches that had been studied and showed evidence of decreased pregnancies or sexual activity. The new rules require less to no need for data and more on attitudes and beliefs.

As a psych major, I can confirm this a great way to condition behavior.

If you say something enough times it will come true, no matter how strong the hormones are. Seriously, we’re basing prevention of something about as expected as death or taxes on “just don’t do it.” After Nike gets their royalties, maybe we can look at the data that has already been collected and work with programs that show results.

I realize for some states this wouldn’t be much of a change.

Very few states have developed high school sex ed programs that go beyond abstinence and STDs. While it’s hard to believe there are actually schools where the health teacher from "Mean Girls" is a reality, there are. It’s a taboo topic that literally runs through the mind of everyone who ever went to high school and we’re making the programs that help the students worse?

That doesn’t make any sense. As a strange as it may sound, these are some of the most important classes that high schoolers will take and will affect them more directly than some of their other classes will.

If we used beliefs instead of facts in other classes, there would be major backlash and I probably would have done better in physics. This class shouldn’t be treated differently.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

6 SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Baseball from back page

JOSH PURNELL,COURIER STAFF

C..J. Schaeffer behind the plate for the Leathernecks.

Sean Lyons, head coach, talked about the brightness coming through in the dark times, “The offense finally broke through. There was a lot of confidence in the swings and aggressiveness that has been lacking and that was good to see,” Lyons said.

They look to keep their bats strong and take another win here in Macomb Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Softball from back page

Miyard and Ealy both got off to some strong starts this season, but have cooled off as of late. If Western Illinois wants to add another Power Five win, they will need a strong showing from the freshmen duo.

Sophomore Infielder Braxton Burnside leads the Tigers of Missouri. Burnside has been the leader of the dugout since she stepped in her freshman year. She drove in 52 runs as a freshman and was on the 2017 Freshman All-SEC team. The Leathernecks will need to slow down Braxton if they want to keep their hot streak alive.

The Leathernecks will play the Tigers today at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium at 3 p.m.

Twitter: brendanreidyII

Emily Ira looks down at play card before she pitches the ball.

CLASSIFIEDS

WC

For Rent

For Rent

Submit a classifieds ad to Micour@wiu.edu

1 & 2 bedroom apartments, new $250 signing bonus on 10 and 12 month leases. Two blocks from campus. Bus stops nearby. Free water, garbage and parking. Laundry onsite. Clean, well maintained and secure. Call Ted 309-837-5600 or visit markertrental.com.

Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord.

Call 309-255-1233.

Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122.

FALL INTO SAVINGS with Charleston Boulevard Apartments! Now offering SPECIAL RATES through Dec. 2017! Call for specific details 309-833-4545!.

NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2016-2017 Our houses have hard wood floors, ceramic tile, central air, washer and dryer and are close to campus with plenty of parking. We offer a ten month lease so you don’t pay for the months you aren’t here. Please call 309-255-1959 for a showing.

Now showing for 2017 & 2018 year 2, 3, and 5 bedrooms homes all close to campus. Call 309-331-4565.

Westen Investments has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well!

STC Investments now leasing for the 18/19 school year. We have 1-6 bedroom apartments/houses ready for you to call home! Check out our selection at www.stcinvestments.com.

You can also find us on Facebook to see daily posts!

.

LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! Firsrt come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall.

NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2017-2018 Our houses have wood floors, ceramic tile, W/D, central air, and are close to campus with plentry of parking. We offer low rent and a 10 month lease to save you money! Call 309-255-1959 for a showing.

Small 1BR apt near campus and downtown. All utilities included. (Electric, Water, DISH, Garbage) $500/month, $300 deposit. Available immediately. Also have 2BR, you pay electric. $600/month, $350 deposit available September 1st. Please contact 309-255-4367 for a showing.

CLEAN, REMODELED, AND WELL MAINTAINED HOUSES AND APTS FOR RENT IN GREAT LOCATIONS. UTILITIES PAID FOR APARTMENTS. RENTING NOW FOR FALL 2017.

ALSO RENTING TWO APTS FOR SPRING 2016. CALL JASON AT 309-221-3985.

Timbercrest Apartments 1587 Riverview Drive Now showing 1 & 2 Bedroom Units. Very clean, close to WIU campus with bus stop in front of building. Washer/dryer available in most units, all other appliances included, FREE INTERNET, ceiling fans in every room, pet friendly. All units have off street parking and private decks overlooking campus. Both 10- and 12-month leases are available. Openings for Summer 2017 and school year 2017/2018. Deposit required. Phone (309)833-3192 and leave message.

Westen Investments has just one 3-Bedroom ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED (Water, Sewer, Trash, Gas, Electric, and Internet) Apartment left! That’s right you just pay for rent, and the rest of it is on us! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to check it out.

Looking for 2 roommates to share a 3-bedroom furnished house beginning in August for 2018-19. 10- to 12-month contract. New carpet, air, garage w/ storage, laundry. $300 each per month, plus utilities. Call Sharon at 309-338-3888.

The nicer apartments are going fast, excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. Reasonable prices. Studio, 1-3 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.

ANGEL STRACKCOURIER STAFF

RATES $5.50 per issue (open rate) $4.00 per issue (campus rate)

For Rent Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished.

Ceiling fans and a/c. Professionally maintained. No pets.

Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com ALL APARTMENTS - ALL INCLUSIVE Get control of your budget. Know exactly what you are spending each month. Each apartment includes free a/c, free heat, free electricity, free water, free cable tv, free hi speed internet, and free off street parking. Laundry on site.

No noise policy. Bus stop across the street. Close to campus. Well maintained. Studios are $460/mo, One bedrooms are $620/mo. Call Doug at 309-255-8179 for an appointment.

Westen Investments still has affordable 1-4 Bedroom Apartment/Houses available. Be sure to check out our website (www.westeninvest.com) to see our available listings, and call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to win prize giveaways!

APARTMENT FOR RENT: FOR QUIET PERSON. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT LOCATED AT 314 West Carroll ST Macomb, Ill 61455. Available end of August 2017-new carpeting yearly lease SMALEST FURNISHED IN MACOMB $345.00/month - HEAT & AC INCLUDED private entrance, off-street parking included call for appointment309-837-4748 or 255-5075 woodburning fireplace, ask for Paul.

For Rent: Little Swan Lake, 30 min from campus. 2br, 2bth, heated double car garage with work area. $600 per mo.

(309) 335-2206 after 6:00 pm, may leave message anytime.

Spacious 3 Bedroom Upper in Duplex close to campus and Jackson St. All utilities furnished and appliances Includes cable and internet 18/19 school year $375.00 per Br Ph 309 255 8086 Please leave message Still have some nice large locations available at reasonable prices. Excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. 1-8 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Pets at some locations. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.

Sports 7

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

@WesternCourier

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCITON MANAGER

I have lived a long and strenuous two and a half months; my life has not been that same, something has just been off. However, I can finally see the light! The start of the NFL season begins tomorrow night.

Tomorrow is the NFL draft, which means it is time for way too early playoff predictions, stupid suspensions from Rodger Goodell, Hail Mary’s from Aaron Rodgers, and my personal favorite, Gronk spikes. However, none of that will be the headline of tomorrow night’s draft. As a football family we will see, “The Year of the Quarterback” is unveiled before our very eyes, and I am here to tell you which two will be the cream of the crop.

Tomorrow night guys like Saquon Barkley, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Quenton Nelson will all be brushed under the rug, but for the right reasons. All three of the football players I just named will end up with a gold jacket someday, but tomorrow will go down as the turning point for the NFL at the quarterback position, which will ultimately change the entire professional game as we know it.

In my 22 years of life, I have heard “draft experts” talk about

how a player isn’t a NFL kind of player, which always blew my mind. In my pre-pubescent mind, I always thought to myself, “if a guy was dominant in college, why would he not be dominant in the pros?” Then one day it clicked, I saw a picture of Jamarcus Russell and watched Trent Richardson try and catch a pass out of the backfield, some guys just don’t have any room for improvement in the way that the league needed them to improve. One quarterback in this draft is going to make it official and change the game with the help of the greatest coach of all-time.

Before I tell you who is the next Joe Montana, I will debunk and compare each of the top five quarterbacks in this draft to current players in the league.

First, we will start with Sam Darnold. I have recently started to like Darnold a little more because I heard his story. To sum up his story, in high school Darnold was just a good athlete. He played three sports and played linebacker until he got hurt sophomore year, and then he ended up at USC. He has a lot of football left to learn, but if he goes to Cleveland, he will just be a piece of athletic tape on that

jersey where all quarterbacks go to die. Darnold, to me, is going to be a Phillip Rivers kind of guy. The way he throws the ball is a little prettier than Rivers, but he just does not have that “it” factor. However, I have good news Darnold fans! If he goes to Cleveland, the Browns will not go 0-16! Congratulations to the Browns, you don’t have to move to Canada.

Next up is the zero-star recruit turned top three pick in the NFL draft, Josh Allen. Allen is special, he can throw the ball farther than Uncle Rico, but he is going to make an NFL all-time bust list someday.

I know people say, “he has been proving people wrong his whole life, just watch him do it again, bro!” Sorry to burst your bubble Josh, but you aren’t in Wyoming anymore. Allen looks the part, but is your modern day Blaine Gabbert.

Even though I think the Browns will take Darnold, this situation has Cleveland written all over it. If the Browns take Allen number one overall, they will be the first pick in the draft again next year.

The third quarterback on this list was once called the savior of college football, by me. Baker Mayfield has swagger, grit and a chip on his shoulder, but he just does not have what it takes to be the face of a NFL franchise. I hope that I am wrong with this take, but unless he has an entire summer apprenticeship with Russell Wilson, he will be Geno Smith with a bad arm. Mayfield will always have a place in the

league, but he will not be able to overcome his undersized arm and height. On top of those things, my favorite player from the 2017 college football season came out of the Big 12, which is the fakest division in all of college sports. The Big 12 always has crazy numbers in football, but no quarterback from the Big 12 ever amounts to much. I hope Mayfield lights up the league, but I just don’t see it.

Finally, the two guys that will be a nightmare for defensive coordinators for the next ten to fifteen years, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson.

The only legitimate knock that I have heard on Rosen is that he is fragile, but I have also heard he is too smart, which is ironically the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Rosen is a natural at throwing the football and is sneaky athletic, very similar to the bad man in Green Bay, Rodgers. I have heard people compare him to Sam Bradford, but I think Bradford is Rosen’s floor.

There is not a system that Rosen won’t flourish in; however, the best scenario for him is to end up in New York and play for the G-men in a year and a half when Eli Manning calls it quits. The Giants market will be perfect for Rosen and he will face off in a Super Bowl with the player that’s going to change the NFL in about five years.

My second best quarterback in this class is going to be Lamar Jackson. Jackson was objectively the best player in college, and will soon carry over into the NFL.

However, for Jackson to dominate and change the league, all the stars have to align. If Jackson can find a way to end up with New England, and takes his back-up role seriously with the G.O.A.T himself, he will shine. It is pretty obvious that when Brady retires, Bill Bellicheck will follow him out the door.

Honestly, that will help Jackson’s development. Jackson is going to have two years to be a sponge to the leaders of the greatest dynasty that the NFL has ever seen.

Once Bellicheck and Brady call it quits, offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, is going to take over as the Patriots new head coach.

In today’s game, a young offensive minded head coach is what wins football games, and McDaniels will be able to work with Jackson for two years with absolutely no pressure. The combination of McDaniels and Jackson will result in another 10 years of the Patriots dominating the AFC. Once McDaniels can figure out a way to harness all of Jackson’s ability and use it properly, Jackson is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL for a long time.

When people look back on this draft, it will be “The Year of the Quarterback” and the NFL will be changed forever. The league is ready to turn a new leaf and say goodbye to all the greats of the early 2000’s. This is the beginning of the end for the mercenaries who taught all of us 90’s babies to love the NFL.

Track sprints towards Drake Relays

By Bradley Piros

assistant sports editor

Nick Olson throws shotput.

BECCA LANGYS/PHOTO EDITOR

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois University track and field teams head up to Des Moines, Iowa to take part in the prestigious Drake Relays presented by HyVee. The event is hosted by the Drake University Bulldogs on their beautiful blue track at Drake Stadium and is noted as “America’s Athletic Classic.”

This inaugural event, has been going on since 1910, and used to draw up to 10,000 fans. Nowadays, the venue can hold up to 14,500 fans and the event continues to get bigger. Schools travel from all across America to put on a true spectacle of endurance, perseverance and speed in what is considered one of the most prominent meets of the year.

This six-day meet started last Sunday with the half marathon/10K and 5K run, as well as the “Beautiful Bulldog Contest.” Action resumed yesterday with the Grand Blue Mile, where people of all ages can either compete or run for fun through the downtown streets of Des Moines. It is one of the city’s biggest traditions.

All of these are just the annual festivities before the real action over at Drake Stadium.

Track events started this morning with the decathlon and heptathlon, but the real fun doesn’t start until tomorrow. It’ll start in the morning with the second day of the decathlon and heptathlon at 10:30 a.m. and then will take a four-hour break until things pick back up with the first field events.

Discus will start at 4 p.m. followed by the high jump, long jump and shot put. After that track events will officially kick off around 5 p.m. and the meet will be fully underway for the thousands of expected fans to admire.

In such a big meet, Western actually doesn’t have a lot of competitors.

They have a men’s and a women’s 1600-meter distance medley, a men’s and women’s 4 x 800, as well as a few other athletes and relays scheduled to participate.

Among those athletes will be freshman Nick Olson throwing shot put as well as sophomore Nicole Beebe in the 5,000-meter run. They won’t be alone as they’ll have senior Jasmine Brown competing in the long jump, and to

comfort them on what will probably be their most hectic meet of their respected careers thus far.

They’ll all be up against some stiff competition this weekend.

Kansas State University as well as their arch rival University of Kansas Jayhawks will be representing the BIG 12 conference. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes, the Fighting Illini of University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Purdue University as well as Ohio State University will all be representing the BIG 10, and all of these schools are just naming a few.

More than 40 universities as well as countless other high schools compete in this meet, making it one of the biggest events of its kind in the Midwest.

With all these high-status universities comes great athletes. Of the thousands of former competitors that have taken part in the Drake Relays, 113 of them competed at the 2012 Olympics.

That’s what’s at stake here for Western. It’ll be tough obviously, but if you’re going to make a name for yourself, this is the time and the place to do it. Events started this morning and will continue until Saturday.

Twitter: bradjp08

Baseball looks to cease Cougars

By Michael Harms courier staff

MACOMB, Ill. — Western is coming home to play Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars for the second time this year. They are considered the challengers for this matchup, with a 10-28 overall record to Western’s 9-22 record.

Last time, Western snuck away with a win of 9-4 in the tenth inning. Returning third baseman Mitch Ellis was the player of the game as he went 2-4 with one walk and hit a double down the line to bring in the last run and end the game. Recently, he has struggled. In the last three games, he went 2-11 at the plate and had only two RBI’s. Actually, the entire team has seemed to struggle to get the bat on the ball at certain times. Since the last time they played SIU-E they are 2-3 and looking to turn it around.

In the last few matchups the man to watch has been Steve McShane. He has hit .400 in the last three games and a solid .280 on the season. His hot hitting started in

the three-game series against NDSU and he does not look to slow down. Another strong mark for Western in recent memory is pitching performance from Ian Koch.

While playing NDSU, he pitched eight innings and only gave up one hit.

Teammate C.J. Schaeffer was impressed with the recent pitching, “It's always easy calling a game behind the plate when your pitcher has everything working like all of our pitchers did this weekend.” The team looks to continue its strength in defeating the cougars.

On the other end, the Cougars have only won three games this month. In eight of those matchups they have given up double digit numbers and the lowest amount of runs they have given up is four. Their most recent matchup, however, their bats came to life. Scoring 17 on 19 hits they beat UT Martin 17-6.

Baseball page 6

MitchEllis step up to the plate to take a pitch.

JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF

Necks face Mizzou at home

By Brendan Reidy courier staff

Hailey Duwa at bat for the Purple and Gold.

ANGEL STRACK/ COURIER STAFF

MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks (16-23) are set to face off against the Missouri Tigers (24-24) on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Both teams are having solid seasons, but Western Illinois has been very streaky as of late. The Leatherneck’s bats have been as hot as the desert in the summertime, and are the driving force behind their 8-2 record over their last 10 games.

The Tigers of Missouri are coming off a series sweep against the University of South Carolina, and are looking to get back on track against the Purple and Gold.

The Tigers are a Power Five team, playing in the SEC, but it will not be the first time Western will square off against elite company.

The Leathernecks are 1-3 on the season against power five schools, but their lone win came last week against the University of Iowa. The Leathernecks will look to add another Power Five victory to

their record on Wednesday, but will have to play some very smart softball.

The Purple and Gold will have to keep up the way they have played the past 10 games if they want to beat the Tigers on Wednesday.

They will need pitcher Emily Ira to keep doing her thing, and pitch another gem reminiscent to the one she threw against Iowa. Ira has been outstanding all season long. She has a 9-7 record to go along with an incredible ERA of 3.12.

However, Ira cannot get this win by herself. Western Illinois’ bats need to stay hot if they want to get the victory on Wednesday.

Hailey Duwa will lead the Leatherneck offense. Duwa is hitting .381 with 28 RBI’s and five homeruns. She is the focal point of the Leatherneck offense, but cannot do it alone.

Look for freshmen Ashley Minyard and Alyssa Ealy to bounce back after both players had an up and down series against Omaha.

Softball page 6