Opinions: Be careful when entering new relationships.
Sports: Women's basketball looks to bounce back after losing season opener.
AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.
WesternCourier.com
Friday, November 8, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 34
@WesternCourier
Stuff the Bus takes over Sherman Circle
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Colby Rhodd (seated) gets sandwiched with pies by Miranda McCoy.
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Volunteers sort out food donations.
Mayor Mike Inman (right) gets pied by Sodexo employee Denise Rogers
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
All the food donations loaded in the GoWest bus.
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
WIU Interim President Martin Abraham and Macomb Mayor Mike Inman join the line.
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Michael Dennis (right) hugs his mother after she shoved a pie in his face.
Volunteers and Rocky pass along food.
DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
2 NEWS
Friday, November 8, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Volunteers gather for Stuff the Bus By Devon Greene editor-in-chief Faculty, students, volunteers and community members gathered in front of Sherman Hall on Wednesday for the annual Stuff the Bus food drive. Volunteers helped gather food from around Macomb in an effort to donate as much food as possible to various food pantries, including Loaves and Fishes, the Western Illinois Regional Council Community Action Agency, the WIU Food Pantry and the Salvation Army. As of 8:27 p.m. on Thursday, Sodexo has a 5,874 donated food items and they are still waiting for more donations. In terms of monetary donations, they put together a rough estimate of $2,107, doubling last year ’s total and are still waiting on a donation from Buffalo Wild Wings. The day began at 8 a.m. when donors could drop off food or money and enter their name in a raffle. There were multiple gift baskets up for grabs and the names were drawn near the conclusion of the day by Western Illinois University mascot, Rocky. At 2 p.m., the “Pie in the Face - Local Celebrity Edition” took place and Colby Rhodd, General Manager of Sodexo, was the first on the slate. Rhodd was hit by the most pies, as a $40 donation led to whipped cream coated all over his head and in his ears. Following Rhodd was Mayor of Macomb, Mike Inman. Inman said he usually has a no pie in the face rule, but he made an exception for
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
Stuff the Bus and was grateful that the weather was not too brutal. “It could’ve been worse,” Inman said. “It could’ve been freezing out here and it could be nasty instead of sweet.
it’s hugely important to the community,” Inman said. “I think that’s something in my position, where I need to support in any way I can. There’s a lot of folks in need in our community and this is help-
Volunteers line up for a group photo in front of the bus. It’s not something you look forward to, but today it’s all about helping out.” Inman commended the Stuff the Bus initiative and was grateful for the staff of Sodexo for hosting the event. “The folks that this supports,
ing a broad sector. Plus, the Sodexo folks, they do a great job here on campus. I am out at a lot of events where they are providing food and beverage service and they have good people they have serving here and they’ve always
STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene
proofreader Mary Kilbourne
DJ-Greene@wiu.edu
MC-Kilbourne@wiu.edu
news editor Marc Ramirez
photo editor Becca Langys
MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu
RE-Langys@wiu.edu
opinions editor Allison Young
assistant photo editor Sara Remar
AN-Young@wiu.edu
SE-Remar@wiu.edu
sports editor Bradley Piros
production manager Jimmy Pierson
BJ-Piros@wiu.edu
JM-Pierson@wiu.edu
assistant sports editor Chris Bean
business manager Janiya Haynes
CR-Bean@wiu.edu
J-Haynes2@wiu.edu
edge editor Rachel Greene
assistant business manager Nash Miller
R-Greene2@wiu.edu
NK-Miller@wiu.edu
copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz
advertising manager Tyler Hoffman
A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu
TE-Hoffman@wiu.edu
proofreader Alexis Lowe
adviser Will Buss
AL-Lowe@wiu.edu
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done a great job.” After Inman, Terri Hare, Director of Financial Aid, took a few pies in the face, including one from Douglas Freed, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, who joked that
he was there due to the rift between the Financial Aid and Admissions offices. To close out the pie in the face section of the afternoon was the General Manager of Kunes Country, Michael Dennis. Dennis elected to use shav-
ing cream instead of whipped cream due to his previous experiences with the dessert topping. Dennis’ mom and daughter joined in on the general manager and shoved a pie in his face. His daughter cried after shoving the pie in her father ’s face while a smile crept across his mother ’s face. Dennis decided to get back at his mother by giving her a shaving cream covered hug for her excessive enjoyment. “I figured if I was going to get all this and she was having so much fun putting the pie in my face, I should probably return the favor and get her a little bit,” Dennis said. It was down to business after Dennis wrapped up his turn as volunteers, Rocky, Western Illinois Interim President Martin Abraham and Inman formed a human assembly line and passed the food onto the bus. Marketing Manager, Anna Filson, who organized the event, walked on the bus and was blown away by the amount of food gathered. “I’ve never seen the bus this full,” Filson said. “I’m so excited. This has been an amazing result and I can’t wait to count everything. From the looks of it, it looks like we may have passed our last food drive’s results, so, fingers crossed that I’m right.” Filson was very appreciative of all the help she got from volunteers. “It’s always a great turnout, with the WIU students and Macomb residential community, coming out to volunteer,” Filson said. “Everyone coming together and making a difference is a goal of mine, and we did it today.”
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019
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NEWS 3
HALF
Beginning Monday, Nov. 4, a section of University Drive (from Brophy Hall to Western Avenue) and a section of Western Avenue (to University Drive) will have one lane closed for street repair. Construction will last approximately two weeks weather permitting.
Good at graphic design? Understand page layout? Know how to work the Abode Creative Suite?
YOU COULD BE THE NEXT WESTERN COURIER PRODUCTION MANaGER! The Western Courier is now hiring their next Production Manager for the Spring 2020 Semester.
Contact the editor-in-chief devon greene at dj-greene@wiu.edu
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SATURDAY
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H 38 / L 27 H 41 / L 35 H 45 / L 26 H 31 / L 19 H 29 / L 17
4
OPINIONS
Friday, November 8, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Don't let abusive relationships control you Falling in love with someone who treats you badly is not romantic, it is abusive. The most commonly known case of falling in love with someone who is definitely not right for you is Stockholm Syndrome. It is shown in countless movies and TV shows where a person develops feelings for their captor and falls in love with them over time. “He gave me water today,” they proclaim like it is an act of heroism while they are tied up in a basement somewhere. Their sense of reality is so skewed that they will accept anything in order to receive validation from someone. This does not only happen in movies, but it also happens in real life as well. Most likely, a per-
son is not tied up in a basement somewhere getting the hots for their captor, they are in a bad relationship basement-free. They keep coming back for more abuse because they are in a trauma bond, otherwise known as Stockholm Syndrome. The phrase “trauma bond” was coined by Patrick Carnes who describe it as, “the misuse of fear, excitement, sexual feelings and sexual physiology to entangle another person.” Basically, it is a physically or emotionally abusive person who ensnares another in their trap. If you’re thinking, “That would never happen to me,” you’re probably wrong. It can happen to anyone at any time, anywhere. It does
not matter how smart a person is or how much life experience they have. It can happen to anyone because it starts off so subtly. Unlike a person in a film who gets hit over the head with a crowbar at the start of a horror movie, in real life, it usually starts off with a casual conversation with a new person. A smile between two people walking down the street, asking for someone to get something off the top shelf or a casual conversation about the weather; it starts off so simply. You get acquainted and eventually become friends or start dating. Once you become close, that is when reality sets in. The person is not as cool as you once thought they were, but you give them the benefit of the doubt. Some people cut it off at this point, but others are curious to see where this goes, and they usually get hurt in the process. The person is around at all times, texting or calling or popping up at your work or job unexpectedly.
They start to isolate you from your friends and family, whispering things in your ear that separates you from them. Soon, they start to devalue you, calling you names and making you rely on them financially as well as emotionally. Once you escape their grasp, you see that you have don’t have any family or friends that you can lean on and only have them for support. This is a classic example of an abusive partner. This situation does not happen overnight; it is a slow and steady build up that can take months or even years for it to come full circle. Unlike in a movie where the police come to save, you are by yourself towards the end of the relationship. A good way for this not to be your story is to practice the difference between discernment and judgment with individuals. Discernment is the ability to feel what is right or wrong in situations with others, otherwise known as your intuition or the
vibe you receive from a person or a group. It is not something you can prove, only feel. It deals more with your emotions. Judgment, on the other hand, deals with the logical side of an individual. A person can tell what is right and wrong based on past experiences and labels. It is neither right nor wrong to be judgemental or to have discernment towards others, it just is. Labeling is extremely helpful when dealing with unhealthy relationships. Knowing what something is and putting a name on it is helpful to the one experiencing the abuse. Toxic is toxic, no matter what form it comes in. It can come in all forms from parents to siblings to organizations to partners. So, before letting yourself become part of a trauma bond, learn the difference between discernment and judgment. Once you know your values, no one can take that away from you or manipulate you in that form again.
Rachel Greene for president Some may know Rachel Greene as the croc wearing, coffee drinking girl in their class. However, I know Greene on a much more personal level, and let me tell you, the woman is a walking phenomenon. Many of you know this University has suffered a steady decline in recent years. I am here to tell you that there is a solution: Rachel Greene becoming Student Government President. She is currently a sophomore, however, she is technically a junior in credits. This communication major is extremely involved in leadership positions throughout campus while still managing to maintain an outstanding grade point average. Not only is Greene the most outgoing person I have ever met in my life, she also embodies passion and determination in all that she does. Greene is currently the Chief
of Staff for the Student Government Association, which includes, but is not limited to, appointing students to various councils and committees across campus and serving as an advisor to the President of Student Government. Already having been a member of the Student Government for the last two years shows that she has the passion and drive to continue to become our next President. Greene spoke about her biggest accomplishment within Student Government. “Managing the winning candidate’s campaigns last year during the election.” She elaborates, “I had to learn a lot about communication and motivation, but the end result was worth all of the hard work.” However, her leadership involvement reaches far beyond student government. Greene was recently the Director of the Homecoming
Committee. This position required her to plan and market, as well as oversee all homecoming events for the university. Along with planning the events and overseeing the committee, she orchestrated and ran all homecoming committee meetings. This position allowed her the opportunity to prove she is unbiased and professional in a compromising situation. She maintained an impartial attitude throughout all homecoming events, despite the fact that she was a member of one of the organizations participating. Greene does not stop there. She is also a member within Tri Sigma sorority where she also holds a leadership position on their Officer Board. Her position as Education Director has allowed her leadership qualities to flourish even further. As the Director of Education for Tri Sigma, she creates plans for each member based on their classes and individual circumstances. In addition to creating plans for said members, she is very involved in helping guide them to academic success.
Greene manages to hold leadership positions within all of these organizations while still keeping her grades extremely high. I know Greene very well, and I know her capabilities reach far beyond the positions she holds now. Her compassion and involvement separates her from anyone
that I have ever met. She truly is one of a kind, and Western needs someone with her dedication and enthusiasm to lead our student government. No one would work harder to ensure the success of this university. This is what makes her an ideal president for our student body.
Rachel Greene is currently the Chief of Staff for SGA.
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OPINIONS 5
Friday, November 8, 2019
@WesternCourier
Understanding art changes your perspective
There are different types of forms that describe art, and the more you understand the definitions, the more you can appreciate art. Representational art is any and everything that may be representative of something. All types of things that are seen in everyday life can be representational. This sets the tone of the art piece while also evoking an emotion out of the viewer. Immediately the viewer can step in the shoes of the painting because
it is realistic and easy to understand. This idea is usually supported by the title of the artwork or the description of the artwork. The subject matter in an artwork is the primary focus of the piece. Artists typically choose to be symbolic of something to try to explain to the viewer a story within the art. This can be simple like the relationship between a tree and an apple or convoluted like a car and the asphalt. The point of the art is usually to
show the viewer something they may overlook or do not pay enough attention to. Detail goes a long way when describing, observing or making art. An artist is usually very meticulous about their work because their goal is to make their ideas into a physical and visual form. Most people can’t put their thoughts into action which is why art is beautiful when the time is taken to do it correctly. The last and most important form of art is the visual weight. With most of the attraction an art form can have, an artist usually picks certain areas to emphasize the painting even further. This stage is done with simplicity and unless you have studied art or
understand the meaning of visual weight, it’s hard to notice. The reason this is so effective is because of the way the artist set up the painting. An artist can only hope for the viewer to ask questions about their art. The words that pop in the viewers mind can be endless and the artist praises themselves by inciting the viewer to think longer about their work. The fascinating thing about art is that no two people will come to the same exact conclusion; there will always be something subjective and that is what the artists aim for the subjective nature of the viewer. Art is omnipotent, holding the capacity to derive multiple conclusions from it. Fa-
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miliarity is a mechanism to lower the viewer ’s guard. The artist only succeeds when the viewer stops and analyzes the artwork. In most settings, an artist’s work is only one of the many and different techniques to grab the viewer ’s attention. Having the viewer stop to admire an individual piece of art means that something grabbed the viewer ’s eye. A myriad of techniques can be applied to accomplish getting the attention of the viewer but evoking further discussion of an artwork is a skill that only some artists have. Sometimes status helps an artist’s artwork and other times, it plagues them. Once the artwork is finished, the viewer has the last laugh.
Contact Allison Young
AN-Young@wiu.edu Editorial Policy
The editorial views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editorial presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editorial board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.
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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board
Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young
6
Friday, November 8, 2019
SPORTS
WesternCourier.com
Men’s soccer takes on Oral Roberts in winner-take-all regular season finale By Bradley Piros sports editor After starting the season on an 11-game losing streak, the Western Illinois University men’s soccer team now finds themselves in a position to compete for The Summit League regular season championship. If the Leathernecks win, they will split the title with the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, clinching the No. 1 seed in The Summit League Tournament next week, and getting to host The Summit League Championships next year. If ORU wins, they outright win the regular season championship, clinching the No. 1 seed for themselves, and hosting the tournament on their field in 2020. Western (4-12-1) will travel to Tulsa, Okla. to take on the first place Golden Eagles. History is on the Leathernecks’ side, though. These two teams have only played each other one time and it was back on Oct. 28, 2017. Western won the game 1-0 with a goal from graduate Alejandro Pacheco, assisted by his brother Fernando. Although Western left victorious, the Golden Eagles did outshoot them 12-9. It’s been two years since that game and now both of these teams look completely different. On one hand are the Leathernecks. After suffering a rough start to the season, they managed to turn it around with a fourgame win streak to put themselves
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Daisuke Otsuka looks to recieve a pass from a teammate.
right back into title contention. They got hot at just the right time and have had some key players step up and into the spotlight. One of those players is Western’s leading goal scorer, junior forward Ryan DeBois. He’s played a modest 671 minutes and scored seven goals on only 17 shots. Twelve of those shots have been on frame leading to his .412 shooting percentage and a .706 SOG percentage. Following behind DeBois in the goals department is junior midfielder Daisuke Otsuka with three. Otsuka leads the team in shots with 33 and SOG with 17. Four other Leathernecks have two goals on the season: Paul Kirdorf, Enric Ferrer, Mitchell Moynihan and Kyle Owen. The four of them have combined for 57 shots total (20 SOG) and three of them usually play in the defense. Western will be taking on a very potent offensive duo, so senior goalkeeper Tim Trilk will have to be as sharp as he’s ever been. He’s made all 17 starts this season in between the posts, logged more than 1400 minutes and made 78 saves on the year. He'll have to be on his A-game to keep up against the league leaders. Speaking of league leaders, ORU has a lot of them. Let’s stick with goalkeeping for a minute. Western will be up against the best goalkeeper in The Summit, sophomore Miles Motakef. He hasn’t made the most saves in the league with only 38, but that’s just a testament to how good ORU’s
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Mitchell Moynihan makes a run after a freekick.
defense is. He’s logged nearly 1200 minutes over the course of 13 starts and boasts the best save percentage in the league at .706. Motakef has picked up two shutouts and has only allowed 12 goals, leading to the best goals against average in the league as well at .90. On the other side of the field for the Golden Eagles is their lethal attack. Leading the way is freshman Reed Berry with 11 goals and five assists. That adds up to be 27 points, which leads The Summit. Right behind him is junior Dante Brigida with 22 points, 10 goals and two assists. Redshirt senior Tanguy Guerinneau leads the team and The Summit with his 12 assists. The three of them come together to create a daunting front three that is sure to trouble Western’s defense. Overall, there is no weak link when it comes to ORU. They’ve scored 40 goals in 15 games for a 2.67 goals per game average. They also average 14.9 shots a game. It’s no doubt this will be a tough game for Western, but they know that and they know what’s at stake. They have a chance to head into The Summit League Tournament as the No. 1 seed, something they haven’t done since 2011. The season has had its ups and downs, but the Leathernecks have a chance to end the regular season on a high note. The game against the Golden Eagles is tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
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Kyle Owens steps up to find a teammate on a freekick.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Paul Kirdorf chases down his opponent.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Tim Trilk keeps his eye on the ball.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Ryan DeBois warms up before a game.
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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
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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.
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!
Westen Investments has just one 3-Bedroom ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED (Water, Sewer, Trash, Gas, Electric, and Internet) Apartment left! That’s right you just pay for rent, and the rest of it is on us! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to check it out. 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.
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Football looks to Analyzing first upset No. 1 NDSU By Christopher Bean assistant sports editor
The Western Illinois football team will play against the best team in FCS history, the North Dakota State University Bison. The Bison are the New England Patriots and Alabama Crimson Tide of FCS. NDSU has won seven of the last eight National Championships, and are currently the best team in the country with a 9-0 record. Meanwhile, the Purple and Gold just won their first game in 364 days and snapped their 10-game losing streak, with a 38-34 win over South Dakota on Saturday. Connor Sampson, who was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, threw for 368 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions and led the Leathernecks to their first win of the year. Western moved to 1-8 on the season, and their win could not have come at a better time before playing the two-time defending national champions. Along with Sampson, senior captain running back Clint Ratkovich and redshirt junior wide receiver Tony Tate had their best games of the year. Ratkovich did it through the ground and the air, rushing for 57 yards and adding 59 yards in the passing game and scored two total touchdowns, including the game winning touchdown with 34 seconds left. Tate caught six passes for 100 yards with one touchdown. Senior George Wahee and redshirt freshman DeShon Gavin both added a touchdown of their own. The defense, on the other hand, gave
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Eric Carrera runs down field during kickoff.
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
Clint Ratkovich gets handoff in warmups.
up 588 yards, with 304 of those coming on the ground. However, they forced the only two turnovers in the game, including Eric Carrera’s game winning interception with four seconds left. It was fitting that Carrera, who faced his former head coach Bob Nielson, caught the game winning interception. Nielson was his first of three head coaches here at Western. “To get the first win of the season against him, man, I can’t even describe it, it’s huge,” Carrera said. The Bison are coming off a 56-17 road win against the Penguins of Youngstown State. The Bison got off to a 35-0 start before YSU scored a touchdown before the half. Redshirt freshman Trey Lance had a monster game, considering he only completed seven passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman running back Kobe Johnson had six rushes for 103 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt senior Dimitri Williams only had 46 yards on six rushes but had two touchdowns. The defense did their part, only giving up 17 points and 279 total yards. The Bison have won eight of their nine games by double digits, with their closest win coming against No. 3 South Dakota State, 23-16. The Leathernecks are eyeing backto-back wins for the first time since Nov. 3, when they defeated Southern Illinois on Nov. 3 when they won their third straight game. Meanwhile, NDSU has not lost a game in over two years, when they lost to SDSU on Nov. 4. The Leathernecks look to pull off the upset of the century against the best team of all-time in FCS history.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
DeShon Gavin practices blocking in war.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
George Wahee celebrates his touchdown.
College Football Playoff rankings At the top spot of the rankings was the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes went into the rankings with an 8-0 record. This includes wins over two top 25 teams, Michigan State and Wisconsin. This is the first time that the Buckeyes have been ranked No. 1 in the CFP era and are looking to return to the CFP for the first time since 2017. Coming in at no. 2 in the rankings was the LSU Tigers. The Tigers were also 8-0 going into the rankings, with big wins over Texas, Florida and Auburn. All of those wins were over the top 10 teams at the time. All season long, the Tigers have been climbing the rankings after each major victory. That hard work has paid off as they vault past their rival Alabama. No. 3 in the rankings was the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide, who haven’t been ranked less than no. 2 in the rankings this year and haven’t been ranked below two over the past couple of seasons, was also undefeated going into the CFP rankings. The biggest reason that they come in so low in the rankings is because they only have one quality win over fellow SEC opponent Texas A&M who was ranked No. 24 at the time. The fourth team that is currently in the final four for the CFP rankings are the Penn State Nittany Lions. This is the second Big Ten team that managed to sneak its way into the initial rankings after the conference didn’t have anybody in the final four the previous two years. Just like the rest of the field, the Nittany Lions are undefeated and have some impressive wins under their belt. These wins include wins over Iowa and Michigan. The fifth and sixth spots include some teams that many people feel got snubbed in the rankings. The spot currently belongs to the Clemson Tigers. Clemson is undefeated and only has one major win against Texas A&M, who was ranked No. 12 at the time. The sixth spot belongs to the Georgia Bulldogs, who have one loss to South Carolina. While that one loss really hurts their chances at cracking into the top four, they do have major wins against Notre Dame and Florida. These two wins are helping to keep the Bulldogs hopes alive. Overall, I believe that these rankings are pretty fair and accurate. If you use the eye-test on the top four teams, everything seems right. Ohio State has been the most dominant team out on the field this season, racking up blow-out wins against every team they go against, including wins over top 25 teams. They are led by a Heisman candidate who, if it weren’t for Joe Burrow, would be leading the pack. If you take a look
at LSU, they keep looking better each and every week. With Burrow just picking apart opposing defenses week after week, the Tigers not only have momentum but also swagger. This swagger is different than the usual LSU swagger from years past. This type of swagger has been missing from LSU since Nick Saban left Baton Rouge. However, their biggest test of the season is this upcoming weekend when they go on the road to play Alabama. This game will not only make a big difference in the national rankings but also in the SEC. The winner of this game looks to have a fairly clear path to the CFP, but they first have to survive this weekend. Talking about Alabama, this team hasn’t looked like the Alabama teams in the past. Sure, they look good. But, they don’t necessarily seem dominant like they have over the last couple of seasons. This could be because Tagovailoa has been injured, but even with Tagovailoa playing, the Crimson Tide have looked mortal. A win this weekend would help change that. Penn State making the top four makes sense. They go into each game with the mentality that this could be the opening game of the season. They go out onto the field and take care of business. And while it’s a nice confidence booster for the team, it most likely won’t last for too long. Even if the Nittany Lions take care of the Minnesota Gophers this weekend, they have to take on the top dogs, Ohio State, on Nov. 23. While they could win that game, it doesn’t seem possible with just how good the Buckeyes have been playing. Now if we take a look at Clemson, at first it might not seem possible that the defending national champions, who are undefeated, are not ranked in the top four. But, if you look beyond the surface and past their record, Clemson hasn’t looked very good. Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback who took the CFP by storm last season as a true freshman, hasn’t done anything special. The team barely pulled out a win against North Carolina, who are a game below .500 on the season. But, the major thing that is hurting the defending champions, is that their conference is bad. The ACC isn’t good when it comes to football, giving Clemson easy wins against bad teams and their non-conference schedule wasn’t good either, with the exception of Texas A&M. However, the only thing that is positive for the Tigers at this time is the fact that the top four teams have to play each other. These matchups will result in two of the top four having a loss, which will vault Clemson back into the top four. There are still plenty of weeks left for teams to make pushes for the CFP. We don’t know how things will shake out. Two games between the top four teams will really cause a shakeup of the top spots. Let’s see what happens.
Women’s basketball gets set to bounce back against Culver-Stockton By Sebastian Gamboa courier staff The Leatherneck women’s basketball is set to square off against the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats at home here in Macomb tonight. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. The first was in 2014 when on January second the Leathernecks obliterated the Wildcats in Macomb by a score of 113-38. This Leatherneck win was part of the 2013-2014 season where the Fighting Leathernecks went 14-16 with a clear preference to home games where they went 8-7. This will be the second game of the season for the Leathernecks after a tough game last week against Missouri on Tuesday. It was a highly suspenseful game where with only a minute and 12 seconds to go, Olivia Kaufmann tied the score at 79-79. Despite her efforts, the Leathernecks fell in overtime with a score of 89-97. Even though it was very well contested, the loss did not come as a surprise to many as Western has an all time 1-10 record when facing Mizzou. In terms of their opponent, the Culver-Stockton Wildcats, it is unclear how challenging the matchup will be, as it is so very on in the season. The Wildcats are currently sitting at 1-1 coming straight off of a win against Hannibal-LaGrange University earned after a 13 point loss against Marian University. The Wildcats are set to play Hannibal-LaGrange once more Thursday night, but based on their 31-point win against the same
team less than a week ago (86-55), it would momentum to return to the success they achieved appear as if they will be marching into Macomb two years ago in 2017-2018 where the ‘Necks went 22-10 and were semifinalists in The Summit League Tournament. Momentum will also be crucial because of an upcoming tough stretch of games the Leathernecks will have to face. After facing the Wildcats, the Leathernecks will be facing the University of Illnois Springfield and Indiana State who both finished last year with losing seasons. After that, however, the ‘Necks will have three straight games against teams who had overwhelmingly winning seasons last year. The first of which is Indiana’s Big 10 school, Purdue University. On a more individual basis, we can expect to see strong performances by a few players. This first of which is senior guard Kaufmann who, in addition to sending the game against Mizzou into overtime, scored a total of 23 points. Additionally, expect to see a show of force by redshirt senior guard Annabel Graettinger who came in second on the team in points scored against Mizzou with 18. A couple of other notable players are redshirt sophomore guard Danni Nichols and junior guard Grace Gilmore who between them had a total of 27 points in the Mizzou matchup. Overall, the Fighting Leathernecks will have BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR to fight hard to dominate in this game to make Olivia Kaufmann goes up for a layup against Omaha. the season run more smoothly down the stretch with a 2-1 record. of the season. This will be a good test against Nevertheless, the Leathernecks are going to be Culver-Stockton and one that should reflect how seeking to get an early-season win to gain some hard the Leathernecks work day in and day out.
Men’s basketball takes on Stetson University Hatters in home-opener By Zach Remelius courier staff
The Fighting Leathernecks traveled to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers in historic Assembly Hall on Tuesday. It was the regular season opener for Western Illinois and the Hoosiers and the Hoosiers came out on top 98-65. The Leathernecks started out strong, building a 15-12 lead after freshman guard Jaeden King knocked in a three. The Hoosiers proceeded to go on an 18-0 run that allowed them to take complete control of the game. By halftime, the Hoosiers extended the lead to 46-25, the only reason it was that close was because junior guard Kobe Webster banked in a shot from half court to beat the buzzer right before the half. Webster led the Leathernecks with 18 points and contributed three assists. Sophomore guard Zion Young had 12 points as the pair of guards were the only Leathernecks to reach double digit points. The Hoosiers were led by junior forward Justin Smith, who chipped in 24 points in 22 minutes and junior guard Al Durham who contributed with 21 points. Durham was perfect from the field going 7-7 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc. A handful of players made their Leatherneck debut, the group was led by transfer Kyle Arrington. The 6-foot-10 junior center was able to put up eight points as well as six rebounds through 16 minutes. After losing Brandon Gilbeck, Western will need to find some height and Arrington appears to be able to step into that role. The Leathernecks are now 5-33 against Big 10 competition with their last win coming in 2015 against the Wisconsin Badgers.
On Saturday, the Leathernecks will play host to the Stetson Hatters from Deland, Fla. The Hatters won their first game over the Trinity Baptist College Eagles by a score of 84-26. The Eagles are a Division I program in the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association). Last season, the two teams met at Stetson, the Hatters won the game 68-64 after overcoming a large Leatherneck lead late in the first half. Last season, Stetson went 7-24 overall and 3-13 within the Atlantic Sun Conference. Donnie Jones was selected over the offseason to lead the Hatters. Before becoming a head coach, Jones spent several years at the University of Florida as an assistant under current Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan. Jones was then selected to be the head coach at Marshall from 2007-2010, amassing a record of 55-41 before leaving for the University of Central Florida. Jones spent six seasons at UCF, getting them to the NIT in his second season. His last three seasons saw the program fall and Jones was let go after getting a record of 79-88 overall and 34-61 in conference play. Overall, his record sits at 134-128. Stetson is predicted to be at the bottom of the Atlantic Sun by different outlets so he has a tall task in front of him. Junior guard Christiaan Jones is the only returning player for Stetson that averaged double digits last season and he had 23 in the opener. Jones had eight points last year against the Leathernecks. For Western, this will be the home opener and the first chance to see this Leathernecks squad as most people didn't catch the game against Indiana. After a tough first game it is important for Western Illinois to come out and grab their first win at home. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Ben Pyle looks to make a pass into the paint.
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Kobe Webster looks to make a move against a defender.
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Zion Young drives to the basket against Omaha.
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CJ Duff calls for the ball off of the inbound.