Opinions: Ways to stay safe on college campuses
Sports: Breakdown of the top 10 college teams
Sports: Two Leathernecks sign with the Cincinnati Reds
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 - Vol. 119 Issue 2
Alderwoman Gilbert retires from City Council
FILE PHOTO
Alderwoman Mellie Gilbert (left) and Mayor Mike Inman(right) celebrate a bittersweet last City Council meeting before Gilbert's retirement.
By Steven Barnum assistant news editor
On Monday evening, Alderman Mellie Gilbert said her final goodbyes to the Macomb City Council. When Lou Gilbert passed away in 2014, Mayor Mike Inman had just one name on his mind to fill the vacancy on the council: Lou’s wife, Mellie. Although initially surprised, she accepted the appointment to the third ward. Gilbert would then go on and win an election to retain her seat, defeating challenger Gregg Huston in the spring of 2015.
Inman took some time to thank Gilbert for her service to the city of Macomb. “I can honestly say that in a time of concern, I don’t believe there’s any other Alderman that has been more of an advocate for their ward than you have,” Inman said. The baton was passed to Annette Carper, a graduate of Macomb Senior High School and Western Illinois University. When Gilbert announced her intentions to retire from the council last month, Inman set out to appoint someone who planned to run for a seat in the next election. Thus, it’s safe to assume that Carper, who was
officially sworn in Monday, will be on the ballot to keep her seat in the spring. Gilbert took the podium to thank the public. “I was really shocked when I was told to take my husband’s place. It was a pleasure and an honor to be able to fill that positon, and for the public to re-elect me as they did.” Gilbert said. Public Works Director Scott Coker spoke to the council about the idea of applying for a grant in order to fund a project that would align Macomb with the Safe Routes to School Program. The program seeks to create easier and safer paths for children traveling to
and from school. Started by the government in 2005, the program includes plans to add ramps near schools to better accommodate those who are handicapped and those who ride bicycles. According to Coker, there are three different options to choose when building the ramps. Of the three, he explained that the first choice made the most sense due to the fact that it provides the most direct route for students, to which Alderman at Large Dennis Moon agreed. The deadline to apply for the grant is November 19, 2018. Liquor licenses are awarded too easily says a Granite City,
Ill. resident. She opposes the Class “R” license for a Mexican restaurant, El Jarochito, in downtown Macomb because she has experienced physical assault and believes that alcohol contributes to the problem. “When is this going to end,” the concerned individual asked, before pointing out that there are only two restaurants in town that do not serve alcohol. City Attorney Kristen Petrie doesn’t believe that the restaurant, located at 120 South Lafayette Street, will have any trouble obtaining the liquor license they requested due to a lack of concerns raised by the public.
Thomas' email clarifying TSPR funding By Marc Ramirez news editor
WIU.EDU
President Jack Thomas provides further clarification about the decision to no longer allocate funds to Tri States Public Radio.
On Monday morning Western Illinois University Relations sent out an email addressed from President Jack Thomas that explains the university’s decision to remove funding from Tri States Public Radio. Thomas begins by explaining that Western has been in a financial burden and has been required to make difficult budget cuts in order to do what is in the best interest of the institution. All these decisions have been made to conserve resources and do what is best to keep the school afloat. “With the financial situation we are facing, we must move forward to keep the University viable,” Thomas said. “The Board has directed the administration to review all services at the in-
stitution. This is what we have done and this is what we must continue to do.” Thomas made it clear in his email that the university will not eliminate the station. However, the station will no longer receive allocated funding by Western. On August 10, 2018, Tri States Public Radio received notice that as of March 1, 2019, there will no longer be funds given to them from the institution. TSPR will be losing more than $453,000 in revenue. This means that after the March 1 deadline, the station will be responsible for all personal expenditures, including payroll. The station must now pay for all financial obligations using nonappropriated fund sources and other means necessary. Thomas went on to explain how TSPR will remain on campus similar to that of
WQPT and the station will be given a nonprofit status by the WIU Foundation. “We do understand the value that Tri States Public Radio brings to the institution and the region, and we do appreciate people’s passion for, support of, the station,” wrote Thomas in his rebuttal. “However we must look at all areas in terms of budget. The University cannot be everything to everyone, particularly in these challenging times.” Western does not have the financial means to operate as it did in the past and must make difficult decisions, due to dwindling resources and the effect of the statewide budget impasse. Western will continue to advocate in for our institution, but also for public higher education.
2
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
Welcome Week has hosted several successful activities
Over the past weekend, Leatherneck launch has been successful in getting students out on campus and interacting with their fellow peers.
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Wednesday, August 22, 2018
@WesternCourier
NEWS 3
NSCS recognized as Gold Star Chapter By Steven Barnum assistant news editor
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) at Western Illinois University was recently recognized for its work as a Certified Gold Star Chapter. After previously winning recognition for the 2016-2017 academic year, the group has now been recognized for the 2017-2018 academic year. The group is a not-for-profit society on the national level that acknowledges students who perform well in their first and second years at the college. If you are in the top 20 percent of your class while holding a grade point average of at least 3.4, you may be recognized by the NSCS. In addition to receiving awards and support from the Chapter, another perk of being recognized for your hard work are the opportunities to gain experience in leadership and service that can help prepare students for life after college. Financially, the society hands out $1 million in
scholarships combined. Of the 300-plus chapters in the country, the Certified Gold Star Chapter is continually ahead of the pack in terms of leadership and implementing new ideas both on and off college campuses. Pleased with NSCS’s recognition was the chapter ’s president and Edwardsville, Ill. native Harley Davidson. “We are so happy to receive certified gold status again for Western’s NSCS chapter,” Davidson said. “In the future, we will be working on achieving platinum status and making NSCS and Western proud.” Department of History Chair and faculty advisor, Jennifer McNabb is also pleased. “Western’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars makes numerous contributions to the University and Macomb communities through service activities and programming,” McNabb said. “I am honored to serve as the advisor for such an outstanding group of high-achieving student leaders.”
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4 OPINIONS
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
WesternCourier.com
Staying safe on a college campus
The school year is now officially in full swing, and this also means thousands of students are moving to the Macomb area. The excitement of being back with your friends and getting a fresh start with a new school year can be overwhelming. One thing many of us can become blind to is the importance of keeping yourself safe throughout the year. Many of us have heard about the Mollie Tibbetts case in Iowa. According to an article released Tuesday morning, on Fox News, Tribbetts' body was found in Poweshiek
County, Iowa. Tribbetts vanished in mid-July and after that her case went viral. The family offered a reward all the way up to $400,000 to anyone who could provide information that lead to finding her. Law enforcement and the community began extensive searches to find Tribbett and unfortunately, it was too late once they found her. Due to the publicity of this case, many have said that it may be tied to sex trafficking. According to KIMT 3 News, 48 people went missing in Iowa within a 10-day period. Many of these may be juvenile run-
away cases, but the scare of heavy sex trafficking happening only a state away is still an eye opener. I know for me personally, this has made me take a few extra safety precautions when getting ready to come back to school this year. Western alone offers many safety tools that you can take advantage of while here at school. OPS, The Office of Public Safety, is a phenomenal tool. They offer an escort system where you can call and have someone meet you if you are ever in a situation where you have to walk alone at night, or even in an area where you don’t feel safe. The blue light callboxes you see along the walking paths and parking lots on campus are also a great tool. If you feel unsafe or suspicious that you are in a situation where you need law
enforcement personnel, you can hit the button and they will be in route to your location. These are both great services to be aware of if you are ever in a situation where you need it. Taking safety precautions off campus is also important. If you live off campus, locking your house is vital. Breakins can be common in Macomb and the last thing you want is to easily be giving someone access to you or your belongings against your will. Also remember to lock your vehicles and try to avoid walking or being alone at night too much. It is everyone’s responsibility to be as safe as they can, and with the school year starting up, awareness can be key. Keep your eyes open, be smart, and have a wonderful 2018-2019 school year.
The generation of Millennials An article written a couple weeks ago has stirred a lot of controversy online as readers take to both sides to either defend the author or point ut how unnecessary they thought the article was. The article was called How Millennials Killed Mayonnaise and went on to talk about her family picnic and how she realized her younger family members were staying away from foods that contained mayo such as potato salad and deviled eggs. Based on this and articles written by Buzzfeed and oth-
er online sources, she felt the younger generations or more specifically millennials were killing the American staple that is mayo. Looking at this article, there are so many problems with the points that were made. The psych major in me first notices the sample size issue. Based on your family not eating foods with mayo, all millennials hate mayo. If you had a family big enough to be a good sample size for an entire generation, you would not be able to fit the entire family at one gathering.
There is also the fact that she talks about how hot the days are and people aren’t eating foods with mayo. Mayo is not exactly a food that does well in the heat, it can become very gross very fast. That could be a reason no one was eating it. The author also points out all the other condiments that were there including different varieties of mustard and salsa, wasabi, kimchi and even banana ketchup. While I admit that last one might be a little weird, the rest of them could go well with picnic foods. If people bring what they like they’re going to eat. They also don’t go bad in the heat. Next was bashing millennials for liking all these weird and foreign foods and condiments instead of American ones.
One of the great things about the modern age is that we can connect with people around the world and can discover different things and foods from other countries. This isn’t getting rid of a condiment, this is expanding taste palettes. Articles like this one aren’t exactly new. In recent years we’ve seen many recent articles about millennials killing off something and most of the articles have a similar format. Much like the decline of mayo, they’re usually not active decisions made by millennials but rather reactions of choices or external forces. My favorite one was a headline that millennials were killing the diamond industry. It wasn’t that millennials decided they didn’t want to buy
diamonds, it was that they couldn’t afford them. Most of these situations actually involve a lack of money although it’s not due to a lack of trying. Expectations are higher on millennials in terms of education and job requirements which makes it harder for them to save money for diamonds or a house (another market which millennials are “killing”). Millennials have been the scapegoats for previous generations for years. It’s not that it’s a lazy generation, previous generations have just made things too difficult to have a comfortable living. What if people started writing articles like these about baby boomers? Baby boomers killed the economy and wages. Almost too easy?
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
@WesternCourier
OPINIONS 5
What I wish I knew as a freshmen
College is such an incredible experience that I believe everyone should go through, whether that be staying at home or moving 200 miles away from home. College is a way to form lifelong friendships, grow from mistakes, and take on new adventures. Going into college you were told what to pack, what classes you would be taking, and even where you'd be living but no one really told you what college really was about. No one ever told you that the first people you meet on campus were not going to be your best friends all throughout college or that you shouldn't take an 8 a.m. unless you were a morning person, especially on Mondays. Although those things may be the good stuff people leave out when mentioning college, no one mentioned how difficult other things would be. No one told you how much you would miss your family on a daily basis. So I am telling you right now, there is more to college than just going to class, home, and then repeating that schedule each semester. You are here to educate yourself on becoming the person you want to be. It is so important for students
to get involved in extracurricular activities, reach out to their professors, and to get help when they need it. Western makes sure that students are aware of all the clubs and organizations that are on campus by hosting activity fairs, promoting on social media, promoting through flyers, and having other students encourage others to join. Western offers clubs that relate to your favorite subject in school, your favorite sport, your major, and even hobbies that you would have never picked up unless you’ve tried them for the first time. You never reach an age where you are “too cool” to get involved in on campus. As an incoming freshman I thought I would be considered weird if I stayed after class to ask my professor a question or speak up in class when I wasn’t confident with the material but college was not about that. What people don’t tell you is that the professors here at Western love to help their students whether that be answering a question about the lecture or writing a commendation letter for a future job. So class of 2022, you will quickly learn how much better your college experience will be once you start being more involved.
Editorial Policy The editoral views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editoral presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editoral board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.
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2018 Fall Semester Editorial Board Edge Editor - Jonathan Lynch Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Markayle Tolliver
Living alone has its benefits
Choosing to live alone versus living with a roommate can be scary. There could be something in the house that you won’t be able to fix, and having someone live with you helps with those types of situations. Whatever the case may be living alone has its advantages and disadvantages. Even the pricing of living alone is a lot more expensive than living with others. Sometimes people end up paying twice the amount someone would pay if they had a roommate. This is my last year in college and I chose to live alone. I was super scared to sign a lease by myself. I was stressed about paying bills on time. This is my first time not living in a
dorm or sorority house, and the first time I would actually have monthly bills. I was terrified over the summer and dreaded coming back here. Looking back when I signed my lease, I thought this was my last option besides the dorms. The dorms are great, but I wanted to experience the adult life by learning how to have to pay bills. I took this as a lesson to learn how to budget monthly when rent and utilities are due, and other needed necessities like food. Now that it is the beginning of the semester, I have a different outlook on living alone and I’m excited. Just because you’re living alone doesn’t mean you can’t see your friends still. If anything this can be great for
introverted people because you are more independent. If you tend to be more self-reliant then living alone is a good idea. If you want to stay on top of your own business and stay stress free then living alone is a good idea. When being alone you do not have to worry about others paying their bills on time. Living alone gives you the opporunity to discover yourself and how to invest in your expenses. Hopefully living alone could be the greatest thing that’s happened to me while being here for the past three years. This gives me an idea of what it'll be like for me to be on my own. If one is considering living alone they should go for it, because you never know what the future holds and this could be what you’ve always wanted. Being responsible for yourself and only yourself is great. I look forward to the rest of the school year and being in my new place.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
6 SPORTS
Baseball from back page
He had a 4.38 ERA and finished third in the Summit League in strikeouts. Koch was not originally taken in June’s MLB draft which was hard for him initially. “I was a little depressed after the draft because I thought I wasn’t good enough,” Koch said. “I doubted myself a little when I wasn’t taken.” However, Koch refused to give up his dream of playing
Natalie Nagle looks for a pass in front of net.
Soccer
from back page
The Huskies come into this game also with a 0-1 record, but unlike Western, NIU hasn’t gained a win in their opening two games. NIU opened up their exhibition season against the Creighton University Blue Jays but fell short 3-1 in the end. They went on to play the University of WisconsinMilwaukee on the road and came up empty handed losing 3-0. Bad news for the Huskies, but Western will try and make that three defeats in a row for them as they seek their first regular season victory. Lauryn Peters and Natalie Nagle are returning sophomores looking to make things happen this year. Both playing out on the
WC
For Rent
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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 has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well! STC Investments now leasing for the 18/19 school year. We have 1-6 bedroom apartments/houses ready for you to call home! Check out our selection at www.stcinvestments.com. You can also find us on Facebook to see daily posts!
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Koch was given an ultimatum, and one that would determine his future. “I was able to not give up any runs for the first month and get the all-star selection, and they said that wasn’t enough,” Koch said. “They said I had to throw 95 (mph) in the all-star game, and I hit 95.” It seems the hard work from both of these young men has paid off, as they are now living the dream of being professional athletes. twitter: hayfourrr
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
Former Leatherneck Ryan Dunne winding up.
CLASSIFIEDS 1 & 2 bedroom apartments, new $250 signing bonus on 10 and 12 month leases. Two blocks from campus. Bus stops nearby. Free water, garbage and parking. Laundry onsite. Clean, well maintained and secure. Call Ted 309-837-5600 or visit markertrental.com.
in the pros. After his season ended at Western, he accepted a contract with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League, one of the top summer leagues for college players. Koch continued his run of success in summer ball and became the first Western player to be chosen as a Cape Cod AllStar after clutching a 0.82 ERA in his first nine appearances. In his first 6 appearances, he gave up no runs at all. In order to sign in the pros,
FILE PHOTO
wing or in center midfield these two really have chemistry with not only each other but they were perfect fits for the team all around. Also returning is senior forward Madeline Edwards. She plays a huge role alongside Peters, Nagle and new edition freshman defender Zoe Clarke. Being brought in from Birmingham, England, she really does round out the team to make a solid starting-eleven. Edwards had three shots against MSU, two on goal. Look for these women to make a difference this season as your Leathernecks take on NIU tomorrow night. They will make their home debut this Sunday afternoon against the University of Missouri-Kansas City at 1 p.m. twitter: bradjp08
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LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! Firsrt come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2017-2018 Our houses have wood floors, ceramic tile, W/D, central air, and are close to campus with plentry of parking. We offer low rent and a 10 month lease to save you money! Call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Small 1BR apt near campus and downtown. All utilities included. (Electric, Water, DISH, Garbage) $500/month, $300 deposit. Available immediately. Also have 2BR, you pay electric. $600/month, $350 deposit available September 1st. Please contact 309-255-4367 for a showing. CLEAN, REMODELED, AND WELL MAINTAINED HOUSES AND APTS FOR RENT IN GREAT LOCATIONS. UTILITIES PAID FOR APARTMENTS. RENTING NOW FOR FALL 2017. ALSO RENTING TWO APTS FOR SPRING 2016. CALL JASON AT 309-221-3985. Timbercrest Apartments 1587 Riverview Drive Now showing 1 & 2 Bedroom Units. Very clean, close to WIU campus with bus stop in front of building. Washer/dryer available in most units, all other appliances included, FREE INTERNET, ceiling fans in every room, pet friendly. All units have off street parking and private decks overlooking campus. Both 10- and 12-month leases are available. Openings for Summer 2017 and school year 2017/2018. Deposit required. Phone (309)833-3192 and leave message. Westen Investments has just one 3-Bedroom ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED (Water, Sewer, Trash, Gas, Electric, and Internet) Apartment left! That’s right you just pay for rent, and the rest of it is on us! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to check it out. Looking for 2 roommates to share a 3-bedroom furnished house beginning in August for 2018-19. 10- to 12-month contract. New carpet, air, garage w/ storage, laundry. $300 each per month, plus utilities. Call Sharon at 309-338-3888. The nicer apartments are going fast, excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. Reasonable prices. Studio, 1-3 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.
RATES $5.50 per issue (open rate) $4.00 per issue (campus rate)
For Rent Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished. Ceiling fans and a/c. Professionally maintained. No pets. Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com ALL APARTMENTS - ALL INCLUSIVE Get control of your budget. Know exactly what you are spending each month. Each apartment includes free a/c, free heat, free electricity, free water, free cable tv, free hi speed internet, and free off street parking. Laundry on site. No noise policy. Bus stop across the street. Close to campus. Well maintained. Studios are $460/mo, One bedrooms are $620/mo. Call Doug at 309-255-8179 for an appointment. Westen Investments still has affordable 1-4 Bedroom Apartment/Houses available. Be sure to check out our website (www.westeninvest.com) to see our available listings, and call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to win prize giveaways! APARTMENT FOR RENT: FOR QUIET PERSON. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT LOCATED AT 314 West Carroll ST Macomb, Ill 61455. Available end of August 2017-new carpeting yearly lease SMALEST FURNISHED IN MACOMB $345.00/month - HEAT & AC INCLUDED private entrance, off-street parking included call for appointment309-837-4748 or 255-5075 woodburning fireplace, ask for Paul. For Rent: Little Swan Lake, 30 min from campus. 2br, 2bth, heated double car garage with work area. $600 per mo. (309) 335-2206 after 6:00 pm, may leave message anytime. Spacious 3 Bedroom Upper in Duplex close to campus and Jackson St. All utilities furnished and appliances Includes cable and internet 18/19 school year $375.00 per Br Ph 309 255 8086 Please leave message Still have some nice large locations available at reasonable prices. Excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. 1-8 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Pets at some locations. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.
Sports 7
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
@WesternCourier
Breaking Down the AP Top 10 College football is back! And if you are anything like me, you know that for the next couple months you are going to be glued to your couch every Saturday watching big guys in pads try to kill one another for 60 minutes. I myself enjoy watching college football every week, and was very excited this past Monday when the Associated Press released their first Top 25 ranking of the season. In case you missed them, here is how the college football scene is looking. Alabama Crimson Tide, the reigning National Champions, are back on top to start off the 2018 season. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide are looking for their fifth consecutive College Football Playoff and third Playoff Championship. The only problem is who is the starting quarterback? Junior Jalen Hurts or sophomore Tua Tagovailoa? We will find out in week one. Clemson Tigers with a surprising loss to the Syracuse Orange
rose to the top, during the first half of the 2017 season. Many people didn’t believe that the Tigers had a chance to make the playoffs. They also dominated the second half of the season, with a 38-3 massacre of Miami (FL), and some lucky losses from Alabama and Wisconsin, the Tigers claimed the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, only to face off against the national champs Alabama, which ended in a losing fight. Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are out for redemption this 2018 season. The Georgia Bulldogs ended their 2017 campaign with a bittersweet taste in their mouths. With 3:49 left in the College Football Championship, the Alabama Crimson Tide scored on a touchdown pass by Tua Tagovailoa, to tie the game and send it into overtime. After scoring a field goal, all the Bulldogs had to do was stop the Crimson Tide from scoring and they would have won the championship. After a 16-yard sack, it
seemed almost all too real that they would either win or hold the Crimson Tide to a field goal. One blown coverage later and the Tide scored a 42-yard TD. The Bulldogs went home with their tails between their legs. I don’t have to tell you how ready they are to be back in contention this season. Last year was a big year for the Wisconsin Badgers. They posted their first ever 12-0 record in program history and made it to the top four, which landed them towards the conference championship week. A win over Ohio State and they secured a spot in the playoffs. Rough games for the otherwise stellar Badger defense saw the team’s playoff hopes drift away, as Ohio State beat Wisconsin 27-21. The Badgers didn’t let this bother them, as they beat the Miami Hurricanes 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Losing seven of their defensive starters and only two of their offensive starters, the Badgers are looking to be just as dominant this year as they were last year. As stated before, the Ohio State University Buckeyes were the Big Ten Champions of 2017. However, to many people’s surprise, instead of having
Big Ten representation in the playoff, the playoff committee decided that Alabama deserved the No. 4 spot, which led to Ohio State facing and beating the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl. Looking to dominate the Big Ten again, the Buckeyes are looking for their chance in the playoff once again. Washington Huskies ended their season with a tough 35-28 loss in the Fiesta Bowl to the Penn State Nittany Lions; the Huskies ended the season No. 16. With a tough home opener against No. 9 Auburn, the Huskies look to get themselves back into the playoffs. Many people thought the University of Oklahoma had a serious chance of winning a national championship. Led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Sooners lost the Rose Bowl SemiFinal to the Georgia Bulldogs. As many of you know Mayfield was the No.1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. With a new face at QB, can the Sooners dominate once again? The Miami Hurricanes led by their "Turnover Chain" wearing defense, the Hurricanes climbed their way into the Top 4 teams such as Syracuse and Notre Dame. Going into the last game
of the season, people wanted to see if Miami could prove if they were more than the hype. A devastating loss to Pittsburgh led to Miami being motivated to prove themselves again in the ACC Championship. We all know how that went. An embarrassing loss to Clemson followed by a rough loss to Wisconsin saw Miami fall further and further down in the rankings. The "Turnover Chain" is back, and the Hurricanes are looking to wreck anyone and anything in their path. The Auburn Tigers had a big win over Alabama in the Iron Bowl, which helped Auburn skyrocket to the top four, and earn a spot in the SEC championship. A 28-7 loss to Georgia saw Auburn fall out of the playoffs and straight to the Peach Bowl, where they lost to Central Florida. Penn State Nittany Lions had back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Michigan State. It wasn’t long before the Nittany Lions saw their Big Ten championship opportunity spot fade away. Although they didn’t make the conference championship or the playoffs, Penn State still defeated Washington in the Fiesta Bowl, and has set their sights on raising the bar high this season.
Mens soccer prepare for Grizzlies
Jamison Kozar in motion to trap the ball.
By Michael Harms courier staff
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
The last exhibition game for men’s soccer ended in a 2-2 draw Monday night at Quincy University. The game started off on a high note for the Leathernecks as freshman Xavier Brown scored his first goal of the season and put the Leathernecks up by one. “[Brown] can make some electric plays and is exciting to watch,” coach Eric Johnson said on the newcomer’s ability to perform for the coming season. Not seven minutes later Western put another in the back of the net from a corner kick. Jamison Kozar tallied the point from Paul Kirdoff’s assist. Going into halftime the game looked bright for the Leathernecks, but Quincy had other plans. The Hawks did not leave without a fight and in the 52nd minute of the game they put one past the keeper to get within one. The penalty kick zoomed right past the keeper to keep the Hawks' hopes alive. With an equalizer in sight Quincy got their shot in the 63rd minute from a free kick. Justin Armfield from 20 yards out did not hesitate and scored a goal. Tied at two the game leveled out, and neither team
was able to pull ahead as the final whistle signaled the end of the game. Coach Johnson was happy with the three-exhibition games and their results. He changed the players around, putting them in different positions and seeing what worked best. This allowed newcomers to develop a formation to improve their record this season. The new talents on the team seem excited and ready to play and coach Johnson hopes they bring success for years to come at Western. There are still some concerns about the season, as the exhibition games show some flaws that need to be worked on by the Leathernecks. Coach Johnson was not happy allowing two goals in the second half. This is the second game that the Leathernecks could not find a way to pull ahead. With two ties in the first three exhibition matches it might be worth wondering how the team will look to find a way to get that final push in against tougher teams. The Leathernecks' next opportunity to pick up a win will be this Friday at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. This will be their first regular season game and Western looks to get started on a high note.
Soccer falls in season opener By Bradley Piros
assistant sports editor
FILE PHOTO
Lauryn Peters strikes the ball at John Mackenzie Almuni Field.
MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois women’s soccer team are currently 0-1 on the season. They showed promising signs winning their first two exhibition matches against the University of IllinoisChicago and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay; 1-0 and 3-2 respectively. However, they lost their first regular season match to the Bears of Missouri State University to a score of 1-0. Last season, Western topped the Bears 2-1 at home on John Mackenzie field, so they are a disappointed that they didn’t get the win, but they should still walk away with their heads held high as they held tough with the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Champions. After the match, director of all soccer operations, Dr. Eric Johnson had this to say. “We had a decent first half and created two really good chances but did not finish them off,” Johnson said. “On their goal we let a wing-
er cut inside and paid the price. Missouri State is a solid athletic team, so it was a good test for us. We can build on our effort in this game and we are looking forward to the next one at Northern Illinois.” That game wasn’t played to completion, as it was called off in the 82nd minute due to lightning and expected storms in the area, giving the Bears the 1-0 go-ahead win. The Leathernecks will continue their season tomorrow night when they wrap up their four-game road trip as they visit the Northern Illinois University Huskies. The game will be under the lights with a 7 p.m. start time in Dekalb, Illinois. Last season the Huskies took the victory over the Leathernecks in devastating fashion. NIU came right out of the gate and caught Western flat-footed to put one in the back of the net early in minute two of the game. That would seem to be the decisive goal in the 1-0 loss, as NIU out-shot western 6-3.
Soccer page 6
Two Leathernecks join same MLB team By Haley Richards sports editor
This summer two former Leathernecks got a chance at the Big Leagues. Junior righthanded pitcher Ian Koch and senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Dunne both signed a free agent contract for the Cincinnati Reds. Dunne was signed in late June while Koch was signed in late July. This is the first time since 1970 that Western Illinois has seen two players sign to the same team. The last players to do so were Rick Reuschel, Robert Watson, and Craig Schwerman who all signed with the Chicago Cubs. Dunne, previously played for Missouri State University where he appeared in 10 games recording a 1-2 record, 7.88 ERA in 24 innings with 18 walks and 18 strikeouts. He then transferred to Western his senior year where he was redshirted to meet transfer requirements. In his first and only season as a Leatherneck, Dunne was named Second Team AllSummit League and recorded 14 starts and 84.2 innings played. He ended his college career with a 4.68 ERA, led the
Summit League with 98 strikeouts which was also the third most in Western’s history. Dunne is keeping the legacy of his family going. His father, Mike Dunne was a college standout at Bradley University and pitched five seasons in the Major Leagues with four different teams. He was also the runner-up for the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year. Koch has been attending Western since he was a freshman, where he already began to earn conference accolades. As a freshman in 2016, he was named Second Team AllSummit League. He leaded the team with 12 starts and carried a 4.73 ERA with 34 strikeouts. In his sophomore season, he led the team once again with a 5-5 record, 65 strikeouts, 87.0 innings pitched, and a 4.86 ERA. This also ranked him at second in the Summit League and 76th nationally. In his final (junior) season as a Leatherneck, he was named First Team All-Summit League and finished the year fifth on the Leathernecks’ career strikeout list at 182.
Baseball page 6
Ian Koch on the mound for his last season with the Leathernecks.
FILE PHOTO