Western Courier| February 8th, 2019

Opinions: Does "You" glorify stalking?

Sports: The Patriots dynasty continues.

Sports: Tennis takes part in weekend double-header.

Friday, February 8, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 52

Anthropology Department hosts Field School Info Session

By Marc Ramirez edge editor

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Anthropology students participate in the Department of Anthroplogy's Field School in Fulton County, Ill.

Western Illinois University anthropology professor Andrea Alveshere will be hosting an Archaeological Field School Info Session Friday from 12 - 12:50 p.m.

Students who attended last years Field School in Fulton County, Ill. will be speaking about the experience they had in addition to answering any questions potential students may have. The event will be taking place in Morgan Hall Room 453 and students are encouraged to bring a lunch.

The actual program will run from June 3 - July 26, 2019.

“The 2019 Western Illinois University (WIU) Archaeological Field School will focus on survey and excavations at the Orendorf and Rice Lake Terrace prehistoric archaeological sites along the Illinois River in Fulton County, Ill.,” wiu.edu/anthropology/fieldschool read.

The Orendorf site is a

Mississippian Village and mound group located on a bluff top that overlooks the Central Illinois River Valley and has been used by for excavations by Western since the 1970s. This year the selected group will be examining Settlements C and D which were decimated in a fire and abandon as well as access to Stettlement B which has never been excavated.

This will give students the opportunity to better their knowledge on sequence, duration and character of the settlements.

The Rice Lake Terrace site sits below Orendorf on the Rice Lake, an Illinois River backwater lake shore. The major duck hunting destination has recently been the subject of only very limited professional excavations until this year.

Field School page 2

Jimmy person/Production Manager

By Steven Barnum news editor

For the 14th consecutive year, “Stuff the bus” is making its way to the Western Illinois University Macomb campus to help those in need.

Since 2006, stuff the bus has been a university-wide food drive filled with events to con-

tribute to combating hunger.

Proceeds that the drive raises will go to places like Loaves and Fishes, which is a food pantry in the First Presbyterian Church of Macomb on East Carroll Street, as well as the food pantry located on Western’s campus. Throughout the day of the drive, volunteers will load a bus with dona-

tions and unload it at one of these locations.

While the fundraiser was traditionally held during the fall of each school year, organizers say that it was no longer the most effective time. In the spring, Stuff the bus won’t have to rival busy schedules during the holidays or other food drives from local sports

teams or businesses. Although it’s all for the same cause, Stuff the Bus will be able to maximize donations when it stands by itself.

Although “Stuff the Bus” is focused on getting students and faculty at Western to contribute, local businesses like Pella Corporation and NTN-Bower Corporation typically join ef-

forts to collect donations. The fundraiser relies on everyone’s support in order to fulfill its purpose, according to the manager of the Corbin Olson dining center.

Stuff The Bus page 2

Friday, February 8, 2019

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Field School Strike

from front page

If students decide to participate in the Field School, they can earn six credit hours for anthropology 325 archaeological laboratory methods and anthropology 326 archaeological field methods.

In addition to paying Western tuition, the program also has a field school fee of $299, optional lodging at the Horn Field cabins for $299 and a non-refundable deposit of $100.

The trip is overseen by Alveshere an assistant professor of anthropology who has been teaching at Western since 2013. Alveshere received her Ph.D. in 2012 from the University of Minnesota. She specializes in biological (physical) anthropology, archaeology, ancient/forensic DNA and forensic anthropology.

The 2019 Info Session will be live-streamed at facebook. com/WIUFieldSchool and will remain on the page following the event for others to go and watch.

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

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“This is a community effort and we want the community involved in order to serve the community,” Miriam Brabham said.

This year, the fundraiser will add a new element that could provide a spark that was missing in previous years. Both Brabham and Anna Filson, the marketing manager at Sodexo, hope that a dance competition will add excitement and entice more people to participate.

“Every year, we try to do something a little bit different to try and improve our effort because the need is greater every year, unfortunately,”

Filson said.

Ideally, the dance competition would feature six teams comprised of four to eight members on each team. With the admission price of a canned good per person competing, teams would compete in a friendly battle and then volunteers would vote on a winning team. Although bragging rights and contributing to a good cause should lure participants, Filson and Brabham are looking into providing other incentives.

Macomb businesses will offer additional opportunities to donate money or food in the days leading up to the food drive. Diners at Buffalo Wild Wings and shoppers at HyVee

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Grrene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Steven Barnum

proofreader Amanda Wandachowicz

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A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

opinions editor Allison Young

photo editor Becca Langys

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sports editor Bradley Piros

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

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assistant sports editor Chris Bean

production manager Jimmy Pierson

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edge editor Marc Ramirez

business manager Faith Rucker

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copy editor Brie Coder

advertising manager Jacob Day

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JD-Day@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

NEWS 3 will have the choice to bring in a coupon, which will put 10 percent of their bill toward “Stuff the Bus.” For convenience purposes, HyVee will also be offering bags of food that customers can purchase to donate to the food drive.

On April 10, the bus to fill with food will be parked at Sherman Circle from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., though there will also be tables set up at Walmart, HyVee and the Jackson Street Market where volunteers will be collecting donations.

Organizers may add Aldi to the mix as well.

With April 7-13 being “National Volunteer Week,” Brabham argues that there is no better time to lend a

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hand and participate in the cause to end hunger. Last year ’s events raised more than $1,500 in donations and 2,700 pounds of food with the help of 339 volunteers.

This year, organizers remain hungry for help.

“We’re more than willing to sign off on volunteer hours.

You can give as many or as little as you want,” Brabham said. “We’ll take anybody and everybody.”

For those interested in participating or donating in this year ’s food drive, as well as forming dance teams or taking advantage of extra credit volunteer opportunities in classes, contact Filson at anna.filson@sodexo.com.

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Friday, February 8, 2019

NEWS 3

City Council issues liquor license to "The Crafty Coop"

Felicia Selmon/courier staff

macomb news now

Mayor Mike Inman (left) pays respect to James Schisler (right) who passed away last month.

By Steven Barnum news editor

During a brief meeting on Monday, the Macomb City Council agreed to award a liquor license to downtown business, The Crafty Coop.

The license has been discussed in depth at previous meetings to make sure that there are conditions that comply with safety and legal regulations. The ordinance would allow customers at the paint and pottery studio to consume alcohol while in the building. Customers may not provide alcohol for those outside of their group and

all employees who come in contact with alcoholic beverages must first complete an Illinois educational training program.

Lacie Todd, the owner of the studio, agreed to pay $500 for the license fee after the city initially requested $750. Several aldermen, including John Vigezzi and Dennis Moon, believe that the opportunity to consume liquor responsibly while attending one of the studio’s shows or classes could significantly add to the business’s appeal.

Separately, the council will be deciding whether to allow an entrepreneur

to convert a downtown building into a drive-thru coffee shop.

Tracey DeBold wants to bring self-roasted coffee to 314 N Lafayette Street.

Cold Brew House would be an extension of Sweet Shack 2.0, an East Carroll eatery that specializes in coffee and snacks. Though both of DeBold’s businesses would focus on coffee, the new and expanded version would also offer a more extensive menu with sandwiches and bagels.

DeBold shared her idea with city officials, who recognize a need for a business to fill the space after the current tenant decided

not to lock into a longer lease agreement.

In addition to the East Carroll location, the DeBolds also run a similar restaurant in Blandinsville, Ill. The potential expansion is expected to be part of an ongoing discussion during next week’s committee of the whole meeting.

Mayor Mike Inman says that DeBold’s plan could be a positive addition to the downtown and that there is momentum in an agreement to making it official given that the current lease agreement expires in March.

“It’s heading in the right

direction,” Inman said.

On a somber note, Mayor Inman paid respect to a prominent member of the Macomb community, James Schisler, who passed away Jan. 24. In addition to acting as the city treasurer in Macomb for 12 years and serving on the Macomb Airport Board, he worked at Citizens National Bank for nearly five decades.

The 78-year-old was a Macomb native, who made an impression on Inman.

“He was a fixture in the community,” Inman said. “He was a good guy.”

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OPINIONS

Friday, February 8, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Should Western cancel classes more often?

As the weather continues to fluctuate in Macomb, it’s quite noticeable to see that conditions are becoming more dangerous for students and staff on Western’s campus.

I shouldn’t be walking out of my house, or be hesitant to walk up and down hills on campus in fear of breaking a hip, my back or any other body parts for that matter.

Sidewalks should be shoveled when there’s snow and salted when there’s ice. It’s understandable that there are people

who have to work to make this possible. However, since Western doesn’t seem to be planning on closing school every other day, then shoveling and salting the sidewalks and streets on campus shouldn’t be that difficult. Students are having accidents weekly if not daily from falling, slipping and or minor-heart stopping attacks from almost falling or slipping. Then, there’s the fact that we’re expected to still attend our classes when it’s -15 degrees outside. No amount

of layered clothing will secure my body’s warmth when frostbite and hyperthermia come knocking at my face as wind chills grow colder.

These are health concerns and it’s scary nonetheless when nothing is done to ensure our safety when it’s clear that this weather is going to continue to fluctuate for a little while longer.

Aside from these issues, there’s also the lack of consideration of students who have to commute to campus. I’m sure some of our cars laughed at us last week when we tried to start them considering how cold it was outside. Which concludes that if our cars are not starting, then that should be reasonable evidence that

I shouldn’t be walking to or from campus in such weather either. Then there are the students who live on campus and or have a short walk to campus who also suffer as well. The buses that are used daily to transport students to and from work or class are starting later some days and or not running at all due to weather conditions. What sense does it make to still have students attending class if buses aren’t even required to be in service during harsh weather conditions?

Students, faculty and staff are human too. Some of them have to commute to campus, and some commute from towns outside of Macomb. I am aware of what closing campus

entails for loss of work, missed lectures and other important matters here at Western.

However, none of that matters when people’s lives are at risk.

I shouldn’t have to choose between missing class or sparing my health all for a 10 minute walk to campus. We may be adults, but adults get cold too.

Then, there’s the idea that immunity decreases with age, and that doesn’t help when it’s winter one day and spring the next. I understand that proper planning needs to be in place when such circumstances occur; however, it would nice if more consideration was taken into account the next time the weather decides to bring freezing rain and ice storms to town.

Does the TV show “You” romanticize stalking?

It feels as if the entire world is watching “You,” the new Netflix series. Upon its release to Netflix on Dec. 26, Twitter and seemingly the world became instantly enamored with not only the show, but with Joe (Penn Badgley).

The 10 episode series follows the journey of falling in love from start to finish. Their love story starts as a fairytale: meeting in a bookstore and exchanging jokes like old friends. However, red flags are raised when Joe begins to track Beck (Elizabeth Lail) on the Internet. He goes as far as to find her address and stand outside her home. To me this was crossing the line, but not to everyone. Many Twitter users seemed to think that Joe’s efforts to win over Beck are romantic rather than what they really are, creepy. It’s clear that by the end of the series Joe is a stalker.

He peers through Beck’s win-

dows, hacks her phone and cuts people who care about her out of her life. He focuses all of his energy on her and nothing else.

Still, people discuss Joe being attractive, romantic and loyal. It is argued that Joe is protecting Beck, and that all of his behavior is out of love. I feel like if someone were to stare through my windows everyday, I would feel more violated than protected. It begs the question- do we really treat stalking behaviors like this?

Do we make them acceptable so long as they are “out of love?”

Maybe “You” is being romanticized because we all know and love Badgley from the “Gossip Girl” days, but maybe the reactions to this show reveal a deeper societal issue.

If we romanticize or even normalize these behaviors, we are saying that we want to love someone who is so consumed by us that they feel we can-

not make our own decisions regarding our friends, families and lives. Love is suppose to be a partnership rather than what “You” displays, an act of manipulation. Beck happily falls in love without realizing that Joe has been controlling her life from behind the scenes, influencing every aspect in order to lead her closer to him. Even after this is clearly shown, fans still took the Net to defend Joe’s actions. Badgley was surprised by this and felt the need to reply to various tweets that referenced how attractive his character was, reminding fans that Joe is a stalker and ultimately, a murderer.

Are we as a society so desperate to find love that we would rather be manipulated than alone?

Maybe we are simply blinded by the attractiveness of someone that we really don’t see who they really are. Regardless of the reasoning, it is clear that there are unspoken issues in society regarding the fine line between love and obsession. Perhaps the second season of “You” will open more eyes to the behaviors that Joe displays.

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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

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

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OPINIONS 5

Friday, February 8, 2019

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

The fall of three long-standing GOP Republicans in the House of Representatives has shaken the political landscape in more ways than previously imagined.

Duncan Hunter, Chris Collins and Steve King have all been exiled from their respective roles in the Republican committees due to legal and public debacles. Representatives Hunter and Collins were kicked out of their committee’s late last summer after the GOP within the House of Representatives voted to remove any and all elected officials from committee work if under criminal investigation. Hunter and his wife are currently under investigation for misusing campaign funds for personal expenses, while Collins is under investigation for insider trading, both maintain their innocence and will have their day in court. The change in procedure is primarily because both members where asked by the GOP to not seek reelection and yet did so anyway.

Even though they won their reelection, they had to contend with the wrath of their own party for not following orders. The GOP, under

Contact Allison Young

Donald J. Trump’s leadership does not take kindly to subordination and have showed that they are more than willing to punish and outright outcast any and all members that disobey their wishes or the presidents. The traditional Ronald Reagan Republican Party has all but been replaced with Trump’s republicanism of intolerance and indifference towards those with opposing views.

Yet more surprisingly, King was forced to leave his committee by his own party after publicly defending white nationalism and white supremacy in an infamous interview with the New York Times.

At first, King appeared to fight the ostracizing, until then Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, demanded King to withdraw from his judicial committee or be forced by the GOP. Of course, the GOP decade long incumbent went down fighting declaring that when the Democrats come knocking on impeachments door, the GOP would miss his experience and expertise in the coming congressional fights over the president's impeachment. But it was his

own party that abandoned him by uniformly denouncing white supremacy and white nationalism.

Curiously enough, King was one of Trumps earliest supporters and has long been viewed by his peers and opponents as a bigoted, sexist, homophobic and the traditional far-right Republican. He is also infamous for once stating that, when referring to legal and illegal immigration, the United States cannot rebuild itsself with other people's children. Furthermore, with the GOP reeling from losing their dominant control over both chambers of Congress, it is self-evident that the ostracizing of these three prominent Republicans can only further hurt the GOP because they will need every vote in the upcoming impeachment battle that political experts consider is almost a certainty. Overall, the GOP in both chambers of Congress have a tough legislative fight ahead of them on every issue from immigration to education, Republicans are being both depicted and viewed by centrist Americans as too far-right while simultaneously the Democratic party is also suffering from a type of civil war between far-left progressive Socialist and their more moderate, centered left traditional Democratic incumbents. Indeed, it is a dangerous and an erratic time for politics.

AN-Young@wiu.edu

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Friday, February 8, 2019

Sports

WesternCourier.com

Basketball

Tennis

from back page

from back page

The Bears won their first match of the season against a skilled SIU-E side 4-3 back on Jan. 27. Last season MSU won the Missouri Valley Conference championships, which booked them a ticket to the NCAA tournament. The Blue Jays are coming off of a 15-8 season but currently hold a 1-2 record.

Western is familiar with MSU as they finished their fall campaign at the Missouri State Invitational. The Leathernecks didn’t exactly have a great showing, but they ended the season on a high note. Last spring the Leathernecks beat MSU 4-3 at home but have since then lost three of those players, Cary Milanes, Courtney Lubbers and Natalia Bravo.

It is a bit of a rebuilding process for the Leathernecks, but they shouldn’t use that as an excuse. They are still a very talented side and can be for years to come. They’ll look to get a couple of quality wins this weekend and start gaining some momentum.

The Leathernecks won’t return home though until March 20 when they take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Their final three matches will all be at home in April. Only one of their five Summit League matches will be at home, which will be a tough hill to climb.

Either way, those matches aren’t for another month. The Leathernecks will focus their attention on this weekend first.

The match against MSU starts at 10 a.m. this morning and 11 a.m. tomorrow against the Blue Jays.

Twitter: bradjp08

Western will travel to Omaha to take on the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. The Mavericks season hasn’t gone as planned up to this point. They are 7-16 overall and are at the bottom of the basement in the Summit League with a 1-9 record.

Omaha just suffered their worst loss of the year, 78-33 to first place South Dakota.

Both teams met back on Jan. 16 in Macomb in their first meeting. Western won 78-70. The Necks dominated the first three quarters, outscoring the Mavericks, 62-40.

However, they let them back

Megan Tagaloa returns the ball during practice.

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Danni Nichols goes up for a shot inside Western Hall.

CLASSIFIEDS

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For Rent

For Rent

Submit a classifieds ad to JD-Day@wiu.edu

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!

into the game making the game interesting, but still came up on top.

The players to watch from Omaha are freshman Josie Filer, who is third in rebounding, averaging 7.7 a game.

Senior guard Kalen Phillips scored 25 points off the bench against the Leathernecks in only 19 minutes played.

For Western, Higginbotham, Kaufmann and Annabel Graettinger combined for 56 of Western’s 78 points.

The Necks are looking to win seven out of eight games.

Even though they had a slow start to the season, they are getting hot at the right time and making a push for the postseason.

Twitter: cre_bean

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.

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.

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.

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Friday, Febuary 8, 2019

The New England Patriots took home their sixth Lombardi Trophy and celebrated Tuesday with the rest of Boston on their victory. In the most anticipated game of the year, the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.

The Rams, who averaged over 30 points per game, scored three points. While this Super Bowl was not flashy, it was highly contested. Some people believe that this may have been the most boring Super Bowl of all-time.

People are more enthralled with how many shirts Adam Levine took off at halftime rather than how this Super Bowl will have a dramatic effect on the two organizations involved.

Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick now have six rings.

That fact is more impressive once you delve into the details. The only other NFL organization to accomplish this feat are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since their induction into the NFL, the Steelers have been one

Brady’s status and place in Canton. A single shrine above all others to signify the greatness of his play and supremacy on the field.

Despite the almost mundane feeling of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, it will not upend Brady or Belichick.

Both individuals have stated this will not be their last football game, and no matter the outcome, they want more.

Winning Super Bowl LIII made Brady the oldest quarterback to win the Lombardi trophy, but he wants to set a PR in the age department.

Nearing 42, Brady believes he can play for another three years. There are more records for Brady to set, more trophies to fill in the cases and more doubters to prove wrong now that Brady’s biggest opponent becomes Father Time himself.

As the Patriots deal with questions of their greatness and future, the Rams have bitter questions to answer.

Losing in the Super Bowl is the hardest pill to swallow.

Fail to swallow it correctly and you choke your team and compromise future success and a fan base. Fortunately for the Rams, blueprints are available from multiple teams in the NFL who attempted the same task. For example,

Sports 7

Patriots win sixth Super Bowl of the most dominant NFL teams in the Super Bowl era.

Their stretch from 1972-1979 consisted of 87 wins, a 14-4 postseason record and four Super Bowl titles. It took the Steelers another 30 years to accumulate the other two.

Brady was drafted in 2000.

Now, only 19 years later, he debates on which fingers to place all his rings on (he has seven if you include his wedding ring). This type of success is beyond greatness, but rather transcends into a new category, supremacy. The Patriots have cemented themselves as the greatest NFL dynasty of all time, and in doing so established Brady as the unanimous greatest football player of all time.

Brady has done everything.

There is no a challenge he will not undertake and no task too daunting for him. He beats out all other competition, takes on curses and utterly dominates on the field. Now with the most Super Bowls in NFL history for a single player, there is no touching

after the Denver Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks in an embarrassing fashion 43-8, the Broncos had to answer those tough questions. To Denver’s credit they did, in which they blamed the humiliating loss on the coaching staff and fired their head coach John Fox a year later after losing in the first round of the playoffs. They fired their offensive coordinator, Adam Gase along with Fox. This team transitioned from not being able to leave their Super Bowl mistakes out of mind, to a team capable of winning in a dominant fashion in 2016 over the Carolina Panthers. The Rams will look to deal with their loss similarly. They’ll deal with the pain internally while finding the problem, eliminating it and becoming the best team in the NFL. However, they must be careful to avoid the mistakes other teams have made in the past. The Seahawks still cannot get over their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots to this day, why? Because no one took the blame. Russell Wilson fired off a pass on the goal line that was intercepted and cost the Seahawks the game. Unfortunately, that meant that head coach Pete Carroll decided not

to put the ball into the hands of “Beast Mode” aka Marshawn Lynch.

This decision was heavily criticized, but nothing changed. Wilson was not cut, Carroll was not blamed by upper-management and it left the defense up in arms.

The Seahawks “Legion of Boom” was the most dominant defense at the time, and they felt that the rest of the team and organization had let them down. They carried that team to a Super Bowl and yet when they failed, the defense had to carry the load once more. Other parts of the team had issues, and yet the team’s best got blamed.

The Rams will have to put the blame somewhere. Will it be on the youngest coach to make it to the Super Bowl Sean McVay? Not likely. The young prospering quarterback Jared Goff? Probably not.

Elusive, generational talent Todd Gurley? Yeah right. So, who? For the Rams to make it back they must endure tough times and strenuous situations. This loss will define this team. Will they rise above and make a comeback to stop the dynasty, or dwindle and fade into the abyss of the losers? So who will be at Super Bowl LIV?

Leathernecks get swept to start the year

By Jacob VanZuiden sports writer On Monday, the Leatherneck women’s golf team dusted off their clubs and were back on course for the first time since Oct. 2. The team competed in day one of the Mid-American Match Play Challenge, an event hosted in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. After an eighthplace finish last time out in the Creighton Classic, the Purple and Gold were undoubtedly excited to get away from the cold Midwest and return to action.

The Leathernecks faced some stiff competition right from the start, as they were selected as the 12th seed out of 12 qualifying teams to begin the expedition. Other schools in attendance included: the Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Illinois, Illinois State and Summit League rival Purdue Fort Wayne, among others. Western’s starting lineup included

senior Katie McTaggart, juniors Cassidy Jurkaites and Nicole Hamilton-Cross with sophomore Katie Schmitt and freshman Emily Mars rounding out the bunch.

In the opening round of the tournament, the Purple and Gold squared off against the five-seed Illinois State Redbirds. The Redbirds jumped out to an early advantage with Morgan Savage leading the charge for her team. Savage concluded her victory against Mars on the 16th hole, winning the matchup 4 and 3. For Schmitt, it was a battle that came downto-the-wire, but she was ultimately defeated by ISU’s Becca Black with just two holes left to play. Illinois State then continued its dominance across the board, completing a complete sweep in their 5-0 victory.

After failing to capture an opening-round win, Western was forced to quickly shift their focus to Purdue Fort

Wayne, a familiar foe. Here, the ladies began to elevate their level of play after a less-than-ideal finish in their matchup with ISU. While Paige Bird and Emma Shroeder got the Mastodons off to a hot start, capturing victories against Mars and Schmitt each by a score of 4 and 3. Hamilton-Cross got things started for the Purple and Gold by edging her opponent just before the 18th and final hole, winning the match 2 and 1. Jurkaites was impressive as usual, overcoming her opponent 2 and 1 as well.

Unfortunately, Purdue Fort Wayne narrowly escaped the Leathernecks’ late push, winning the match, 3-2.

Individually, some players saw success in the earlygoing while others sputtered.

Jurkaites and Hamilton-Cross both came out of day one at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club with a win, but for their teammates, it wasn’t quite easy. Multiple efforts fell just

short, with one major takeaway from day one’s action being the Leathernecks’ inability to sink their birdie putts. The team found themselves with multiple opportunities for opening-round wins, but their struggling short-game turned out to be the difference in each loss.

While it wasn’t the turnout the team had expected, head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen was sure to keep a positive mindset heading into day two of the event.

“We made a lot of pars this morning but not enough birdies to stay with Illinois State,” Lukkarinen said.

“We won two matches this afternoon and missed chances to win others. Overall, we gained some experience, improved our putting and are looking forward to competing tomorrow.”

As the second day of the event came around, the Purple and Gold prepped for battle against the 10-seed,

Morehead State. Luck was not on their side, as the Eagles managed to jump out to a commanding lead following Western’s first and only victory of the match by Mars. The freshman standout provided a lone bright spot for the Leathernecks and has proven her worth to her team on several occasions in the first year of her collegiate career. Unable to muster a comeback, Western dropped the match to Morehead State 4-1 to conclude the Mid-American Match Play Challenge.

While the team’s efforts were short-handed, they’ll have more than enough time to right the ship and work on fundamentals of their game before the introduction of the 2019 spring season on Feb. 25. After a near three-week briefing period, the team will once again head south to compete in the Alabama State University Spring Golf Kickoff in Montgomery, Ala.

Women's tennis to play weekend double header

By Bradley Piros sports editor

JOSH PURNELL/COURIER STAFF

Ana Bjelica gets ready to serve the ball during practice.

MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois women’s tennis team will play a double header this weekend when they take on the Missouri State University Bears and the Creighton University Blue Jays. Both of these matches will be held in Springfield, Mo. the first being this morning at 10 a.m. when the Leathernecks take on MSU. They’ll wrap up their weekend with their match against the Blue Jays.

The Leathernecks have already played in two matches, with a 1-1 record. They lost their first match 4-0 to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville two Saturday’s ago, but were able to turn themselves around the following day.

Western took on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix the following day and won that match 6-1. The Phoenix took the early 1-0 lead when they won the doubles point, but Western rallied back to win all six singles matchups.

First up were the freshmen Mia Melnizki, Anouk Maajong and Megan Tagaloa. Melnizki was in the No. spot and lost her

first set 1-6 but bounced back to win the next two 7-6 and 10-8.

Maajong took her matchup in only wo sets with a pair of 6-3 wins. Tagaloa was in the final No. 6 spot and won her matchup in three sets (6-1, 2-6, 7-5). The fourth freshman, being Camryn Rossa didn’t have a match but expects to make her collegiate debut this weekend.

That leaves Western's three returners, junior Laura Ballesteros and the sophomore Bjelica sisters, Ana and Mary.

Both sisters won their matches in three sets, Ana 6-3 and 6-2 and Mary with a pair of 6-4 wins. Ballesteros also only took two sets and won with a couple of 6-1 wins.

Head coach Mirko Bjelica was pleased with his team’s performance. “The girls bounced back very well after a tough outing yesterday,” Bjelica told WIU Athletic Communications after the match. “Our level of play is improving, and that’s what I am especially pleased with.”

Tennis page 6

Basketball wins six of last seven

By Christopher Bean assistant sports editor FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Western Illinois women’s basketball team traveled to Fort Wayne on Wednesday to take on the 6-17 (2-9) Purdue Fort Wayne University Mastodons.

The Leathernecks improved to 7-4 in the Summit League and 11-13 overall, after their 90-61 beat down of the Mastodons.

Sophomore Danni Nichols put the Leathernecks up 6-2, scoring six of her 17 points just 3:57 into the game. Fort Wayne went on a 5-2 run in 55 seconds to cut the deficit, 8-7.

They wouldn’t get any closer than that, as Western went on an 11-2 run and took a 19-9 lead into the second quarter.

Scoring wise, the second quarter was almost the exact same as the Leathernecks doubled the Mastodons 18-9 and took a 37-18 into half time.

The third quarter was the most competitive, but the Leathernecks still outscored Fort Wayne by three. They took a 22-point lead into the fourth and the game was all but over at this point. Senior Taylor Higginbotham scored six of her 16 points and lead the

Necks in scoring in the third.

The Leathernecks exploded in the fourth, outscoring Fort Wayne, 31-24.

The 29-point blowout was the biggest margin of victory in the Summit League this year for the Necks. Along with Higginbotham and Nichols, juniors Olivia Kaufmann and Kyra Washington scored in double digits. Kaufmann led the team with 20, and Washington scored 11 off the bench. The Mastodons also had four players score in double figures but were outscored 29-4 by the Leatherneck bench.

Western has now won six out of their last seven games, moving them up all the way to third in the Summit League.

On Sunday, Higginbotham surpassed her former teammate Emily Clemens in the most points scored in school history with 1,715 points. She also earned Summit League player of the week, her second nomination of the year and becoming the second player this year to receive the award twice.

Basketball page 6

Taylor Higginbotham breaks the school scoring record, surpassing Emily Clemens.

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