Western Courier| March 4th, 2019 by The Western Courier

Opinions: “Momo Challenge” targets children around the nation.

Sports: Tennis finishes 1-1 in weekend series.

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Monday, March 4, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 62

@WesternCourier

Western Illinois University announces 132 employee layoffs

“Today is a catastrophe.” By Devon Greene and Steven Barnum editor-in-chief and news editor

Western announced 132 faculty and staff layoffs on Friday, the largest amount of layoffs in it’s 119 year history. “Today is a catastrophe. It’s a catastrophe for all these people who lost their jobs,” Union leader Bill Thompson said. “That’s about one-ninth or one-tenth of the amount of people who work at the university. That’s a self-caused catastrophe, it’s a decision.” Thompson stressed that the layoffs do not signal the end of the troubles for Western. “Layoffs do not make us a better or stronger institution,” Thompson said. “It’s a survival technique.” Of the 132 layoffs, 89 were in civil service positions, 12 were academic support professionals, 29 were faculty and two were administrative positions. The Macomb campus was hit the hardest by the layoffs but the Quad Cities campus was also affected with 12 layoffs. Two academic support professions, two faculty and eight civil service positions were laid off on Friday. In addition to the dismissals, nine additional employees had their contract term length reduced. Thompson revealed that he and his colleagues had been preparing with administration in the upcoming days before the layoffs took place. “We’ve worked with the administration to prepare for these layoffs and we did have several conversations with them that were useful conversations to have.” Thompson said. Thompson noted the small number of administrators that were affected on Friday. “I’m sure this was a terrible day for them as well but in the end, they made the decisions they felt they had to make to keep the institution open but they have their jobs,” Thompson said. “Looking at this, only two administrators have lost their jobs. Or, their positions were ‘eliminated’ which doesn’t say anything about whether people lost their jobs. You can eliminate a position where nobody is in. It’s a different thing to eliminate a position.”

Specifically, at least three employees from UTech were let go, in addition to three people from the Department of Foreign Languages, which includes a Spanish instructor with 19 years of experience in Bilingual education. “These aren’t just employees, these are friends. This is a disastrous moment in our university.” A current employee within the English department said. The physics department had three faculty members dismissed and one had their contract term reduced. “We’ve been dealt a huge blow to this department.” A source within the physics department said Friday afternoon. The geography department lost four to five faculty members. The department of educational studies was affected but declined to comment. In the economics and decision sciences department, three faculty members were dismissed along with an office manager position. “This was pretty devastating to us,” a source in the department said. “There isn’t a whole lot of accurate information coming out and very little of it is cohesive.” University President Jack Thomas released a statement on Friday morning regarding the layoffs. “As a result of the current budget situation, including decreased enrollment, it is necessary to reduce our expenditures, including position reductions across the University. We have pledged to work with employees to provide career counseling and assistance with employment searches.” Thomas’ statement read. Thomas said during a recent Student Government Association meeting that despite Governor J.B. Pritzker’s plan to increase the funding for Western, the administration still has to make cuts to the University. They are preparing to slash $21 million from the budget by the 2020 fiscal year. Although layoff notices have already been sent out, jobs are still at risk on campus due to the bumping system. In the bumping system, everyone is ranked by seniority within a job classification. When an employee is hired, they are hired into certain classifications and subclassifications. If an employee

is in the highest position, has the most seniority and was laid off, they have the opportunity to bump down to a lower position where you have already held a job position. The person that was bumped can keep on bumping down if they have more seniority than the person below. If an employee has the least seniority and is outside of their classification, their termination is final. Western has given employees who receive layoff notices 30 days to decide if they want to bump or not. All of the layoffs from June 2018 will become official as of June 1, 2019 since many of the tenured faculty received an additional year of employment. For the same reason, Friday’s layoffs will not reach their full impact until June 1, 2020. In the course of the last nine months, the University is expected to save almost $3 million from the eliminations. Thompson believes that the latest round of layoffs was another challenging moment in the University’s history. “We’ve had three terrible days. Terrible day 2015, terrible day June 28, 2018, and now terrible day, March 1, 2019,” Thompson said. “I believe the administration hopes this is the last terrible day. Hopefully, this is the low point before we head up.” Thompson references the ongoing decline in student enrollment, an inability to meet payroll, and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s hesitancy to provide funding for higher education in his term as governor as the primary reasons for why the University took such drastic measures. He said that the University has plenty of strengths, but they have to be more effective at luring potential students. “The school needs to go in a new direction. We know we have a strong faculty,” Thompson said, “and I think the students who go here know we have a strong faculty, for the most part. So we have the personnel and people but we need to refocus the institution and sell the institution so people can see how great an institution we have.”

Layoffs page 3

WIU Layoffs

89 12

Civil service personal Academic Support Personnel

Academic advisors Admissions Counselors counelors

faculty

18 from unit a tenture 11 from unit b - non tenture

administrative positions eliminated

from faculty:

associate professors

9 7 2

instructors

assistant professors

full-time professors

NEWS

WesternCourier.com

Monday, March 4, 2019

Western hosts 46th annual Bazaar event By Tyler Moseberry courier staff

Saturday marked the 46th International Bazaar and it did not disappoint. Western held the event in the University Union Grand Ballroom from 5-10 p.m., which gave people plenty of time to come in and join the dancing, music, food and fun. The International Bazaar is here today from the influence and creativity of Peggy Davern. She was an advisor for international students and devised a plan to honor and celebrate the students. To continue her legacy, Western has and will continue to celebrate this event, which is a reminder of the work she has put into Western. The Bazaar is about the students and after talking to one of the students at the Bazaar, you always learn something new! Tara Lyne with the western anthropology and sociology club, talked about her booth Turtle Island, which is the original name of North America. At her booth, she serves traditional dishes

like Three Sisters Stew and Spiced Chocolate Fudge, which is also found in some indigenous clay pots. Turtle Island is just one example of how students honor their countries and culture. With 10 different countries, one continent and the peace corps, there is a lot to represent and experience at the International Bazaar. The beginning of the Bazaar had students and some children talking about their idea of what peace is. After everyone spoke about what peace means to them, the essays and poems were kept by the Phi Beta Delta fraternity, which is a part of the international honor society. At the international market booth, a multitude of items were being in accordance with the countries participating in the Bazaar. Patti Jones spoke about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;brain childâ&#x20AC;? of the event (Davern), and the work that the students put in by dressing up in traditional clothing and honoring their countries and or club. With everything going on, some people must be in charge of running every-

Felicia Selmon/courier staff

thing and that responsibility falls on Dana Sistko who works at international student services. She mentioned that although managing the event is her responsibility, the heavy lifting does fall on the students and the 100 plus volunteers. Sistko went on to explain that the foods authentic taste has to do with the students being involved in cooking and prepping the food with Sodexo. She also went on to explain that the planning takes place in October to make sure everything is done correctly. The reason the Bazaar was held for five hours was due to a poll taken, in which the majority liked the time and having the event be only one day, versus having it expand to two days like it use to. Once in the Grand Ballroom, the emersion of the Bazaar is surreal. The whole room was filled with people of different backgrounds. Everyone at the event was full of smiles because they were not only proud of what they have accomplished, but also for sticking to what it is that they stand for.

Felicia Selmon/courier staff

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 Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Steven Barnum

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Monday, March 4, 2019

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Layoffs from page 1

When exploring ways to correct the declining enrollment trend, Thompson said that the University should focus more on enticing students to attend Western for the first two years. Many students choose to go to a community college before transfering to Macomb, which saves them money but also costs Western potential tuition dollars. “Enrollment is something we absolutely have some type of control of and we have seemed to have lost control of enrollment,” Thompson said. As the troubles of the university have become more public, talk about closing the Quad Cities campus has picked up steam throughout the Western

Illinois community. Thompson has expressed serious doubt about the possibility of the campus being closed. “First of all, it’s politically impossible. They’ve got maybe five or six legislators up there and we only have two,” Thompson said. Jil Tracy and Norine Hammond are the only two representatives for McDonough County and Macomb area. The Quad Cities has six legislators who are unlikely to allow the Quad Cities campus to be closed anytime in the near future. “People that talk about closing the Quad Cities campus don’t know what they’re talking about. Just sit there and think about it.” Thompson said. “Politically, WIU Macomb is in much more danger because we only have two.” The Quad Cities is the largest

region in Illinois without a public four-year university before Western opened their campus. With the lack of a four-year university, college students in the Quad Cities have found alternatives in their area which has lead to low enrollment on that campus. “When we entered the market, we’ve had to fight against tradition. It takes time,” Thompson said. However, the low enrollment continues to baffle those within Western. “There are conversations all the time about how to get more students to go there,” Thompson said. “It is a constant mystery of why that campus is not thriving the way we would like it to. I don’t understand why.” With the financial struggles, departments around campus

NEWS 3 have been forced to change the way they recruit students. Incoming students have been encouraged to minor in the same program that they major in. When students do this, it brings in more tuition dollars for each program. Departments are measured by the amount of student credit hours are produced and that’s how they are determined whether or not they are healthy. Closing programs has been floated around as another way to cut costs at Western. Thompson warns against this practice because it restricts the opportunities for incoming students. “When you close programs down, you also decrease the diversity of curriculum on campus. Students have fewer choices,” Thompson said. Thompson doesn’t think the University is in danger of com-

pletely closing any time soon, but he also insists that the administration needs to solve the enrollment issue before legislators take notice. Leaders in Springfield have suggested the idea of combining struggling institutions in the future in order to prevent the loss that Western has sustained. After one of the darkest days in Western Illinois history, Thompson reinforced his belief in the institution. “I have a lot of faith in this institution because I know who we are and what we can do. We have great faculty and great staff,” Thompson said. “What we need is a hell of a lot more money to modernize campus and more money to hire more people. Also, to hire and and pay faculty now. Again, we need students for all that to happen.”

devon greene/editor-in-chief

Campus Crime Reports

Now Hiring at

Western courier news writers

Legend Cannabis

•On Feb. 23 at 1:53 p.m. a student reported $41.54 in fraudulent charges on her debit card. The incident is under investigation. •On Feb. 23 at 9:55 p.m. two students near University Village were judicially referred for possession of cannabis. •On Feb. 24 at 2:11 a.m. Ben

Alcohol by a Minor

Burglary/Theft

Fire Alarm

Other Report

Mabiah, 22, of 720 Corbin Hall, was arrested on Western Avenue for driving under the influence of alcohol and disobeying a stop sign. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 3:42 a.m. where he was lodged pending bond. •On Feb. 26 at 9:20 p.m. a student in Bayliss Hall was issued a judicial referral

for behavior. •On Feb. 28 at 2:19 p.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Thompson Hall. No smoke or fire were found and no injuries were reported. •On Feb. 28 at 10:58 p.m. one student in Tanner Hall was judicially referred for possession of cannabis.

wanted

if interested please contact

Devon Greene

dj-greene@wiu.edu

OPINIONS

Friday, November 9, 2018

WesternCourier.com

if you abuse them, you will lose them Jimmy Pierson/production manager

According to the ASPCA website, an animal is abused every 60 seconds. Numerous animals are being neglected and tortured every day, resulting in few and minor consequences for the perpetrators. Animal abuse is prevalent in the United States and has been an ongoing issue since the 1970s and even before. Society as a whole has chose to turn a blind eye to the facts and arguments about animal cruelty because to some, it seems acceptable.

It becomes much more frowned upon when people actually see the results of the cruelty, especially in the media. Abuse towards animals is recognized by many in the commercials shown on television, including the ASPCA commercial with the Sarah McLaughlin song “Angel” playing while the pictures of animals that have been starved and abused are shown. This is an extremely moving commercial; it’s absolutely heart-

Momo is an issue and parents need to know Jimmy Pierson/production manager

breaking to see how scared and sad these animals are. The only voice an animal has for itself comes from its owner, just as a child's voice comes from their parent or guardian when they’re first born. When an owner refuses to provide adequate care, including food and water for their animal, justice should be served. Thankfully, many solutions are available for those who seek to help out. Multiple organizations can be reached whenever suspicions arise regarding questionable households. Not only does The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals get involved with

Recently, a story was posted all over social media and on the news about the discovery of the Momo videos on YouTube. For those who haven’t heard about this story, a woman reported that her daughter told her that a character named Momo cut in during a video she was watching on YouTube and told her to harm herself. She reported it to YouTube and authorities, and more parents came out saying their children saw the same thing in other videos. A lot of criticism has been brought up towards YouTube for not censoring their videos enough and allowing videos such as these to be uploaded. After more investigating and looking into these videos, multiple sources including The New York Times and Washington Post have stated that there are no credible reports, and that this is just a hoax and or an urban legend. This actually isn’t the first time that Momo has made an appearance. Last year, reports from all over the world

animal cruelty cases, but also law enforcement helps find these animals alternate homes when they are being deprived of care. There are many outlets for these animals today, and there are certainly more to come. The more people become aware of this subject, the more branches of help will be created. Increased awareness regarding animal cruelty would benefit society, pet owners and animals themselves. When a problem is identified, it becomes easier to work out solutions. Animal cruelty is an issue on a global scale; animal torture and neglect does not only exist in the United States. Animal cruelty is the “crime

of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. It can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or been put in an imminent danger.” As a society, we need to be conscious of the way we treat animals, as well as take action when injustice towards animals occurs. Animal cruelty happens so frequently. For instance, in the two minutes it took you to read this article, two animals were abused. If you witness someone abusing an animal, tell them to stop or report them if you don’t feel comfortable about confrontation.

were made about Momo messaging children on Facebook and Whatsapp. This isn’t a new story, just a new strand. It’s definitely a story that will worry unaware parents and will make them scared for their children. The one issue I have with this is that all the blame was being placed on YouTube. Parents were coming down on YouTube for not censoring their videos and allowing something like this in videos meant for children. After investigating the incidents, YouTube didn’t find anything credible. YouTube is a huge video platform, where millions of videos are uploaded and then watched by a mass public. They can’t screen every single video uploaded. You know who can screen the videos that their children watch? Parents can. How is no one questioning parents on this? You shouldn’t give a young child an electronic device that displays YouTube, and just walk away; that’s not safe or beneficial for your

child. That’s not parenting. Sticking a child in front of a screen won’t help them develop their brains. Studies have shown that interacting with people helps infants develop and grow better, screen time doesn’t allow that. Some parents think if they put on parental controls they’ll be fine. That’s not always the case. Parental controls are a great start but things do slip through, they can’t catch everything. Some kids can even figure out how to turn them off. Parents who do use apps such as YouTube are more likely the ones worried by this story. Showing kids videos is not a bad thing, not knowing what videos they’re watching, though, is a completely different scenario. Growing up, I remember parents would watch movies or videos before they showed it to their kids to make sure it was okay. With the exception of movies in the theater there is no way Disney would be able to sneak something like this into “Toy Story,” for example. Parents, screen what your kids watch. Stop parenting with a smartphone or tablet; that’s not parenting, it’s just being lazy.

SOS: There’s a chance for a “Seventh Album” On Thursday morning, there was an unexpected announcement from the Jonas Brothers – the release of a new song the next day!

This reunion was shocking to fans, as the Jonas Brothers officially broke up over five years ago in 2013. On Oct. 30, 2013, the Jonas Brothers spoke on “Good Morning America” about their split. It was expressed by Nick that they "feel like we're best suited to do our own individual things, all things we're passionate about, and choose to be brothers first." This was an agreement between the brothers in 2013, and Joe also shared with “Good Morning America” that there was generally a lot of “head-butting” happening between the three brothers. At the time, the Jonas Brothers were a hit sensation and had adoring fans around the nation who were all crushed by the breakup.

CONT. E.2

Layout by: Jimmy Pierson

Written by: Tea Wheat

E2 EDGE

Monday, March 4, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Fans are “Burning Up” with this reunion

Jonas Brothers from page 5

The reunion was not only unexpected for fans, but for Kevi n, Nick and Joe as well. While working on a documentary about their lives, “We spent a lot of time filming again, and then I think we realized that there was a magic there we missed. I sort of began the conversation about doing this again and after a few more conversations they came around,” as Nick told the “Elvis Duran Show.” The documentary was a healing process for the brothers, which built a strong foundation that they are striving on now. Fans who were once broken over the break-up of the band are now ecstatic and overwhelmed with happiness about the group being back to-

gether. Old photos from meet and greets from the 2000’s are flooding the Internet. The Jonas Brothers of 2019 are much different than the Jonas Brothers who began making music in 2005. The Jonas Brothers have had time to come back as artists, especially Nick who headed towards a solo career. The Jonas Brothers have also found themselves as individuals, and now coming back together, they’re new sound really shows. On Friday, the Jonas Brothers released their new single, “Sucker,” which has old and new fans alike going crazy. The music video for this new hit single stars all of the brothers significant others. Danielle Jonas, Priyanka Chopra and Sophie Turner are featured in the video engulfed in extravagant

clothing and showing an overall prosperous lifestyle with an “Alice In Wonderland” feel to it. The chorus of this song is “I’m a sucker for you,” which deems these ladies appearances extremely appropriate, given that the content of the song is about love, happiness and extravagance. If you have not yet heard “Sucker” I highly suggest listening to it. It is extremely catchy and has high quality lyrics. It has been confirmed that the Jonas Brothers will be going on tour again and have 30-40 new songs already recorded. It has been rumored that there are secret concert dates already. While we may not know if that is true, one thing is for sure, things are “burnin’ up” for the Jonas Brothers!

esquire.com

E3 EDGE

Monday, March 4, 2019

WesternCourier.com

A wrestling movie for the whole family

The movie “Fighting with My Family” is a biographical sports comedy-drama based on 2012 British documentary “The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family” depicting Paige (real name Saraya-Jade Bevis) and her family. Fans have been anticipating the bio-pic of WWE Superstar Paige for years, sspecially after they filmed the in-ring scenes after a production of “Monday Night Raw” more than two years ago. I know not everybody is a wrestling fan, so it would be irresponsible of me to write this from a fans perspective. I will instead review this film both based on the movie and ac-

tual wrestling knowledge. There were a few discrepancies with the events in the film versus real life. Some of which I can deal with, like how they depicted her as going to the states for the first time when she was given a WWE tryout. In reality, she and her mother had been doing some shows in the U.S with Shimmer Women Athletes (an all-women’s wrestling promotion held in Berwyn, Ill.) in 2011 right before going to the WWE. It also appeared that she was successful in her first tryout, but she wasn’t. A few other things can be chalked up that we don’t want to confuse people with, such as the first promotion she worked for through the WWE. The

first thing they switched was her going from FCW to NXT, so they just had her train in the performance center (even though it wasn’t open at the time). I was somewhat fine with them depicting her as being heckled in her first appearance, I have my doubts since she would have been known by wrestling fans already, but it adds to the drama. Also, the wrestlers that were depicted I don’t think were based on anybody, but that is fine since this movie isn’t about their wrestling careers. The trainer who was played by Vince Vaughn was also a nice touch, it added to the story. I can definitely appreciate how they depicted the training to become a pro wrestler and how difficult it is. I also enjoyed the comedy in the movie some of which was British, so you might not understand. A big problem I had in this movie is purely from a wrestling fan standpoint, because I watched it happen live. First

of all, to fans, AJ Lee was an important part of what would become the women’s revolution in the WWE, and it still hurts that circumstances resulted in her retiring almost a year before the revolution really got going. Anyway, they showed Lee win her WrestleMania match, the only problem is that they had the wrong person tap out to her. As for the championship match for Paige versus Lee, it did not go down the way it was depicted, Lee’s promo was cut short in the movie and she was one of the best talkers on the mic, and if you don’t believe me search “AJ Lee Pipebombshell.” One thing that made me legitimately mad was how they had Lee wearing attire that she did not wear when wrestling in real life. In the movie, Lee had a robe that she wore to the ring. This is not right. She never wore a robe to the ring, in fact, that is the opposite of her character. Lee was known to wear a cut-up t-shirt, shorts

and Chuck Taylors. But that’s enough about Lee. The actual events of the night that Paige won the championship can’t be replicated for a number of reasons. The first reason is because the match took place on “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania, which is famous for the best fan reactions of the year, and they taped this scene after an episode of RAW. You also can’t recreate the raw emotion of someone winning their first championship, it is something that nonwrestling fans will never understand, so it is forgivable that the emotion just wasn’t there. As far as the rest of the ending went, it’s not what happened but for a movie standpoint, it was good. I encourage everyone whether they are wrestling fans or not to see this movie. Then after they watch it, lookup the actual match online and see how it really went down.

E4 EDGE

Monday, March 4, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Could you survive your "Happy Death Day"? Steven barnum News editor

cast and facts Jessica Rothe “Tree gelbman”

israel broussanrd “cater davis”

charles aitkens “gregory butler”

6.6 / 10 67 % grossed $54.5 million worldwide JIMMY PIERSON/ PRODUCTION MANAGER

“Happy Death Day 2U” is well worth the trip to the theatres. Typically, I have low expectations for sequels since they all tend to be lackluster compared to their predecessors, but I think that this one surpasses the original. It’s rare to see a movie with such a creative plot, original humor and loveable characters. With the ability to sell the film as a fresh and modern version of “Scream,” “Happy Death Day 2U” continues to provide jump scares and twists that are both realistic and unpredictable. It may be a slasher movie, but it doesn’t just focus on death while failing to give us a compelling storyline. And like “Scream,”it likes to mock all of the clichés that exist in movies today. The slasher genre is also combined with science fiction. It will remind you of “Back to the Future” with the way they mess with time. Long explanations that involve science and alternative dimensions can be obnoxious, but this movie

doesn’t harp on that too much. It puts the main characters in a time loop that is so interesting and mysterious that you won’t necessarily want it to end so soon. Then there’s the comedy, which is presented all the way through. This is greatly appreciated in a movie with a premise that is so complicated and repetitive. The writers are clearly confident in their jokes – and rightfully so – since they are naturally witty and unforced, unlike comedies I’ve seen in recent years. With such a diverse combination of genres, I think that this movie offers something for everyone. If you aren’t interested in horror or sci-fi, then you may appreciate the larger theme to the movie that deals with making the right choices and working together to solve problems. But the strongest aspect of “Happy Death Day 2U” is the cast. None of them are established actors, but that’s okay. If

anything, it adds to the level of freshness and originality. Jessica Rothe as “Tree,” the main character forced to endure another time loop and die hundreds of times, proved that she deserves to break out and become a star. Nothing about Tree’s life seems realistic, but Rothe makes everything look believable and natural. Even the secondary characters blossom. From the stereotypical nerdy science students, to the mean college dean, to Tree’s sorority friends, all of them belong and none of them overshadow anything important. The twists make this an extremely fun movie to watch in theatres, with comedy and deaths that give us high entertainment value. It’s a solid movie by itself, but its method of messing with the timeline ties the two movies together that makes me appreciate both of them even more. This also means that it’s absolutely necessary to watch the first movie before this one if you haven’t already. A post-credits scene shows us a fun premise for a third film, which I hope is confirmed so that we could watch the series play out all the way.

Write for Edge.

If interested contact Marc Ramirez, Edge Editor

ma-ramirez3@wiu.edu

Monday, March 4, 2019

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Smollett owes the world an apology and we're waiting

abcnews.com

“We’re in MAGA country.” That’s what “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett claimed to have said. Smollett made news a few weeks ago, when he told news sources that two white males assaulted him by putting a noose around his neck, pouring bleach all over him and then proceeding to call him racist & homophobic epithets. Smollett had unfortunately been the victim of a hate-crime. After this alleged attack, various celebrities unanimously voiced their support on behalf of Smollett, and vociferously condemned the hate-crime that he endured; even presidential candidates, like California U.S. Senator Kamala Harris. Smollett was receiving the feedback that he so desperately deserved and at the time of the attack, it wasn’t inconceivable. According to the F.B.I., hate crimes have increased by 17 percent in 2016 and continue to do so. However, more facts started to arise and as more questions were asked, Smollett’s credibility with the Chicago Police and public itself began to erode. Smollett’s story is one that many people, myself included, rushed to believe without assessing the facts. Smollett, in our opinions, was a victim without hesitation, but unfortunately, he may be the perpetrator of a sick and deceitful attack on all of our emotions. Smollett released his first statement, in which he had expressed his deepest regards to his supporters and wrote, “My body is strong but my soul is stronger.” From there, Smollett would go on to make public appearances and even compare himself to rapper Tupac Shakur, by proclaiming himself as the “gay Tupac.” With Smollett making appearances

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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

and proclamations of being a survivor, things were not adding up, and people certainly starting asking questions of whether he was the victim of an alleged hate-crime. There were so many questions that raised flags among those who heard about this story. The first was, why would two individuals roam the streets of Chicago in the early hours of the morning with a noose and bleach in 20 below weather? Second was, who would yell, “This is MAGA country?” Last is, why did Smollett leave the noose around his neck and call his manager several minutes before alerting the police? This just didn’t make sense. Unfortunately, this story officially began to unravel when the suspects were arrested. According to Smollet, the perpetrators of his attack were two masked individuals who he claimed to be white men. However, the suspects arrested were two Nigerian-American brothers named Abel and Ola Osundairo. Once in custody, both brothers confessed to communicating with Smollett, and even revealed that the entire attack was orchestrated and staged by Smollett, essentially claiming it was a hoax. Once people started to question the legitimacy of Smollett’s alleged hatecrime, he quickly condemned such critics in an interview with “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts. Smollett expressed frustration that people thought he was lying, and believed his criticism of President Donald Trump may have led to such animosity. Smollett’s attempt to maintain the narrative of the story that he was the victim would only backfire as more evidence came out.

On Feb. 20, Smollett was officially treated as a suspect in a criminal investigation by the Chicago Police Department. A story that started out with endless support for Smollett, was now being met with confusion and disappointment if such revelations were found out to be true. In his defense, Smollett did not effectively cooperate with authorities; instead of relinquishing his phone he gave redacted phone records that did little to help the situation, and he did not respond to a request by the police about doing a follow-up interview. Even worse, a hateful letter addressed to Smollett before the attack is now in question and being investigated by the F.B.I. for the possibility of being linked to him. Unfortunately, everything came crashing down when Smollett was arrested and charged with a class four felony for falsifying a police report. Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie T. Johnson, said “ Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.” Smollett still maintains his innocence, but as the facts show video of the brothers buying the equipment, to Smollet writing them a check, to even one of the brothers making an appearance on the TV show “Empire,” Smollett obviously knew who they were. It’s an embarrassment, a shame and a catastrophic event that Smollett caused by allegedly staging this hoax with the facts pointing in such a direction. Hate-crimes are on the rise, but something like this only makes it worse for victims to report and draws skepticism from the public because of stories like this. Smollett owes an apology to: the black community, the LGBT community, the Chicago Police for wasting their time and resources and to supporters of Trump’s for his disgusting setup. Smollett may have just ended his career, and he has only himself to blame.

Monday, March 4, 2019

Sports

WesternCourier.com

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The Leathernecks were outmatched, allowing Skyler Flatten and Daum to score a combined 51 points in their dominant win. “When you play a team like South Dakota State on their floor, you have to be near flawless," head coach Billy Wright said to WIU Athletics Communications after the game. The Leathernecks were far from flawless, giving up 12 turnovers and looking flat on the defensive side of the ball for most of the game. They fought until the end, but just did not have enough energy to get the job done. Thankfully, Western still advances as the last seed into the tournament once again. For the third straight season, Western will be the ultimate underdog. Since South Dakota State is the regular season champion, this will be Western’s first test in the tournament. It's a back-to-back matchup of the Jackrabbits versus the Leathernecks for the second straight year. Last time, Western brought a thriller to the SDSU fans in Sioux Falls, but ultimately failed losing, 66-60. Webster had a chance to tie the game late, but hit iron instead of a score. Western will have to learn from their mistakes, refuel the engines and bring their best game to the champs. A win here means everything. All other misses, losses and failures amount to nothing if Western can win here. Western’s next game will be this Saturday. Tipoff begins at 6 p.m.

They jumped on the Necks early, taking a 34-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, Western was already trailing by 23, 54-31. SDSU dominated the half holding Western to 35 percent shooting, hitting on 52 percent of their shots. All but 12 of Western first half shots were from behind the three-point line; they connected on only six of those 22 attempts. The Purple and Gold came out swinging in the third quarter although they were still outscored, 27-25. SDSU wrapped up their regular season Summit League title with a convincing last quarter, holding the Necks to just six points. Every starter for SDSU ended in double figures, highlighted by Macy Miller’s 24 points. Tyler Irwin netted a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. As for Western Illinois, Kaufmann lead their four double-digit scorers with 17 points. With the regular season now officially over, Western can turn their attention to the Summit League tournament. If they can somehow navigate their way to three wins and a tournament championship, they will find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. When they won the Summit League tournament in 2017 they were the favorites, this time they will go in as the underdogs. Tournament play kicks off Saturday, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The fifth seed Leathernecks will take on the fourth seed Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles (17-12, 10-6 Summit). The Golden Eagles beat Western both times in the regular season, however, the two games were close and decided by only a few plays, so the Leathernecks should be confident going into the game.

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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: Leasing season has officailly begun, and we’re showing properties now! 1-5 bedroom houses close to campus are ready to be leased for this upcoming school year! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule an appointment! Stay updated with us on Twitter @Western_Invest 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! First 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. 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: Are you looking for an apartment? We are now showing our beautiful 1-3 bedroom apartments for this upcoming school year! Don’t like paying for utilities? Ask about our ALL UTILITIES options, and be sure to check out our website (westerninvest.com) to see our listings! Schedule an appointment with us today at 309-833-5995. 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.

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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. 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. 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.

Sports 7

Monday, March 4, 2019

@WesternCourier

Harper signs record breaking deal Bryce Harper has signed a record setting 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. The 26-year-old MVP-winning outfielder has officially ended his seven-year journey with the Washington Nationals who drafted him back in 2010. Winning a National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2012, an NL MVP Award in 2015 and six All-Star nods, Harper became a free agent for the first time in his career back in October. “From day one, when I got drafted,” Harper said, “it was all about ‘He’s going to the Yankees. He’s going to the Dodgers. He’s going here. He’s going there.’ That’s all everybody talked about. That’s all anybody wanted to talk about. They wanted to talk about this moment.” Back in 2015, Harper led the

National League in runs, homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Though his 2018 campaign wasn’t like his breakout season, he still hit 34 home runs and ranked ninth in on-base percentage. Harper also finished the season with a slash line of .249/.393/.496 and has a career slash line of .279/.388/.512. Harper ’s deal outdid Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million extension with the Miami Marlins in 2014 as the largest contract in the history of major North American sports. But Harper ’s agent, Scott Boras, fell short of making him the game’s highestpaid player by annual salary. “He wanted to go to one city, stay there, build a brand and identity and recruit players,” Boras said. “He wants to tell players: ‘Come play with me.’ He knows it will help winning more if he’s with one team the

whole time.” Last month, Boras invited owner, John Middleton to meet with Harper without any other representatives from the Phillies. Middleton brought his wife, Leigh, where the two dined with Harper and his wife, Kayla, on Feb. 22. Arranged to leave the next day, Middleton scheduled a lunch meeting with Harper that lasted several hours. “As we sat down at the table, I said, ‘Scott, I want to tell you something. I’m not interested in talking about marketing dollars, tickets sold, billboards and concessions. There’s only one reason I’m talking to you, and that’s because I believe this guy can help us win, and that’s all I care about,’” Middleton told a small group of reporters after Harper’s introductory news conference on Saturday. With many other offers, many want to know what sealed this deal for Phillies contract. The San Francisco Giants were willing to give him a double-digit-year deal convincing the Phillies they weren’t bidding against themselves. Los Angeles Dodgers

were prepared to offer him a record average annual value and the power to opt out after about two years. “For me, it was all about the long haul,” Harper said. “It was about being able to dig my roots. Being able to be somewhere I could be for a long time.” He added, “I think you’re always remembered for winning. And what better place to do it than in Philly?” The deal is beneficial on both ends. Philadelphia improves as they add a middle-of-theorder bat to the lineup that includes Rhys Hoskins and a pair of treacherous trade acquisitions, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura. The roster of new Phillies also includes outfielder Andrew McCutchen, and reliever David Robertson. Since the deal’s average annual value is $25.4 million, it gets elasticity to spend more in coming off seasons and not risk surpassing the luxury-tax threshold. The Phillies welcomed Harper to the organization on Saturday with open arms. Philadelphia staged a news conference atop the first-

base dugout of their springtraining stadium. Attached to the netting behind Harper were blown-up magazine covers from ESPN the magazine and Sports Illustrated. The Phillie Phanatic greeted Harper, Boras, Phillies general manager Matt Klentak and Middleton as they walked across the stage. After his introduction, Harper wore his No.3 Phillies jersey for the first time as an official member of the organization. Although he wore No. 34 for the Nationals, he explained at the conference that he’d wear No. 3 in Philadelphia out of respect for Hall of Famer Roy Halladay. “I wore No. 34, but I thought Halladay should be the last to wear it.” “We got a whole lot better on the field,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Harper is a sensational teammate.” Harper’s talent, age and star power are some of the main reasons why the Phillies reserved this offseason as one to be the best. Harper and the Phillies are set to play their home opener on Mar. 28 against the Braves.

Tennis splits weekend double header By Bradley Piros sports editor

NORMAL, Ill. — The Western Illinois University women’s tennis team continued their season with matches on Friday and Saturday, going 1-1 over the weekend. Things started off with a 6-1 win against the Quincy University Hawks, but the Leathernecks couldn’t manage to come out victorious the following day as they were swept 4-0 by the Illinois State University Redbirds. Western managed both of these results with only five of their six starters ,as freshman Anouk Maajong didn’t play in either of the matches. Things started off well for

Western against Quincy. Junior Laura Ballesteros teamed up with freshman Megan Tagaloa in the No. 1 doubles spot, winning 6-2. Sophomore sisters Ana and Mary Bjelica teamed up as usual, this time in the No. 2 spot, winning by the same margin. The Hawks won the third doubles match by default as Western didn’t have enough players for a third duo. The match was tied 1-1 after doubles play. Western didn’t let a default loss slow them down at all, though, as they won the next five straight singles matchups. Ana, Mary and Ballesteros were in the No. 1, 2, and 3 spots respectively, all winning in two sets each (6-2, 6-2). Tagaloa won in two

Megan Tagaloa getting ready to make contact with the ball.

sets (6-0, 6-0) and freshman Camryn Rossa won 6-1 and 6-0. The match did end on a bad note with another default loss handed to Western for not enough players. It still ended Western 6, Quincy 1. Head coach Mirko Bjelica was impressed with his team after the first match. “A couple of our girls are injured this weekend, so we competed with only five players, but all of them played well against a young Quincy team,” Bjelica said in an interview with WIU Athletic Communications. The Leathernecks took on the Redbirds the next day, but couldn’t get the job done going back-to-back. Ballesteros and Tagaloa teamed up again in the No. 1 spot but didn’t

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finish the match after going down 4-2 in the first set. The Bjelica sisters fell 6-1 and then Western lost by forfeit in the No. 3 doubles pot. It would be the same order in singles rotation, however, none of the same outcomes as the day before. Ana went first and lost in an unfinished match after losing the first set 6-4 and going down 3-0 in the second. Mary lost in two sets 6-2 and 6-0. Ballesteros also didn’t finish her match, losing the first set 6-4 and then going down 1-0 in the second. That just left the freshmen to play. Tagaloa also didn’t finish her match after losing set one 6-3 then going down 4-1 in the second. Rossa ended

Camryn Rossa streches out to make a play on the ball.

the day losing in two sets 6-0 and 6-1. The match concluded with another forfeit loss for Western who were still a player short. This match brings the Leathernecks down to 3-5 on the season. The Leathernecks will begin their Summit League slate next in two weeks (March 15) with another weekend double-header. They’ll take on the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles that Friday then travel up to North Dakota University that Sunday. Western’s first of three home matches is March 20, the Wednesday after spring break, when they take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons.

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Men's basketball crumbles but still makes tournament By Michael Harms courier staff

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Western Illinois University went 0-2 this week, but advanced into post season play. They lost to Denver University 74-46, and South Dakota State University 86-66, to post a final regular season record of 9-20 (4-12 in conference). Their first matchup was the Leathernecks second time playing the Pioneers. Western won 78-60, but this time Denver was ready. They recorded 12 steals forcing 18 turnovers and scoring a point per each turnover. That and the fact that three of Western’s starters, Kobe Webster, C.J. Duff and Ben Pyle went a combined 2-23 from the field. The only highlight from the night was freshman Zion Young. He scored a career high of 21 points while bringing down four rebounds. On the other bench, the highlight was David Nzekwesi who scored a team high of 20 points and tallied seven rebounds.

This game was important because Western could have locked up a tournament spot with a win. Denver was last in the Summit League before entering this matchup, but with a win they held a chance at making the tournament. They had to beat No. 2 seeded Omaha and a Western Illinois loss to do so. They failed to win their Saturday matchup, 86-76. With University of North Dakota making its season premiere in the Summit League, this was the first year a team will be left out of the tournament. Western went to battle the top seeded South Dakota State University for an entrance into post-season play. They were faced up against twotime winning Summit League defensive player Mike Daum, and a team that took home another regular season title. This is their fifth title and second year in a row under head coach T.J. Otzelerger.

Men's page 6

Zion Young dribbles down court inside Western Hall.

JOSH PURNELL

Leathernecks lose momentum heading towards tournament By Titus Perez courier staff

Taylor Higginbotham makes a move against a Fort Wayne player.

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Western Illinois Leathernecks (12-17, 8-8 Summit) will enter the Summit League tournament on a four game losing streak, as they dropped their last two games of the regular season. The losses over the weekend to South Dakota State University Jackrabbits (23-6, 15-1 Summit), and the University of Denver Pioneers (17-12, 10-6 Summit) were crucial to the Leathernecks Summit League tournament seeding. Had they won both games, they could have entered the tournament as the third seed, winning one of the two would have given the Necks the fourth seed. Losing both games, the Leathernecks have to settle for the fifth seed and a tougher tournament route. The first of the two losses came Thursday night against Denver on the road. In this high scoring affair, the Necks just couldn’t hold a candle to Denver who won, 94-85. Western was up by two points entering the fourth quarter but the Pioneers were resilient, using a strong fourth quarter to put the Necks away. Denver was able to do this with their defense, forcing the Purple and Gold to shoot three of 18 in the quarter for only 16 percent. Western’s terrible shooting came

at the wrong time because Denver was hot, hitting 57 percent of their shots in the fourth, outscoring Western, 25-14. Western was solid in every other facet of the game exceptt field goal percentage and bench play, shooting only 36 percent compared to the Pioneers 46 percent. Their bench got outplayed severely, allowing the Pioneers bench a score of 33 points, while their reserves pitched in just three points. Senior Taylor Higginbotham led the way by bringing in 23 points and eight rebounds while junior guard Annabel Graettinger played well too, scoring 24 points of her own. Western’s leading scorer on the season, junior guard Olivia Kaufmann had a tough day shooting, but still ended with 18 points and eight rebounds. Denver’s Courtney Smith had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Madison Nelson chipped in 24 points and nine rebounds. In the final game of the regular season, the Leathernecks were blown out by the conference leading SDSU Jackrabbits, 100-62. The game was ugly from the start, as the Jackrabbits put on a show for the 3,065 fans in attendance.

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