Western Courier| March 8th, 2019

Sports: Men's hoops takes on Sioux Falls

Opinions: Why Women's Month is important

WesternCourier.com

Friday, March 8, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 64

@WesternCourier

Western community voice concerns with staff layoffs

steven barnum/news editor

Protesters show support outside Sherman Hall for Western employees who were laid off last week.

By Steven Barnum news editor

A crowd of members of the Macomb community gathered outside Sherman Hall to voice their concerns about the recent layoffs at Western Illinois University.

Organizers planned the protest in the week leading up to Friday’s layoff announcement, which ignited further doubt that the university is heading in the right direction. Western student Dannie Kyle helped organize the event and said that the petition surpassed the initial goal of 2,000 signatures.

“The more signatures we have, the more people power we have and the more support from local and statewide leaders,” Kyle said. “We finally have government attention and we’re hoping the administration listens, too.”

Kyle talked about the impor-

tance of maintaining Western’s prominence in the community, along with Spoon River College, since they are among the largest employers in the region.

“I’m optimistic that we have enough passionate people within the faculty and community that we might be able to make a defense,” Kyle said.

“We knew the layoffs were coming and we know how the university has treated us in the past. The released transcripts from the meetings didn’t help.”

Byron Oden, a building service employee at Western and candidate for Macomb School Board, shared his thoughts of how to turn the moral around.

“Looking around at people’s faces, I can see how they are stressed out,” Oden said. “It’s a lost feeling. We have to protect ourselves and protect each other. All we have is each other.

What I would ask you to do is stick together, reach out to each other and stand up for each other.”

Matthew Medley, a graduate student at the protest, encouraged everyone invested in the Western community to get involved in the rally. Medley shared his thoughts about the administration’s decisions.

"Since the BOT transcripts have been released, it’s become harder and harder to trust what the university says at face value,” Medley said. “The petition is the public action we can take this point to try and mobilize as many people as possible to put pressure on the political system and to refund the university.”

Medley decided to stay at Western for grad school even after the university eliminated his major. Despite recent events, he is still hopeful.

“I have a firm belief in the capability of this university

and the people who work here,” Medley said. “If the state government gives us a chance, this university can do amazing things.”

Write-in candidate for Mayor of Macomb, Kristen Pollock, was vocal about her concerns during the protest.

“I don’t believe the current Board of Trustees or the president is doing their job to save this institution,” Pollock said.

“We need a new BOT completely and a new president.

There’s a lot of dishonesty going on, a lot of corruption and a lot of d--- cover-up going on, too.”

Pollock was disappointed in the lack of local leaders in attendance at the rally and is skeptical of their passion.

“There’s a lot of talk, talk, talk and not a lot of action, action, action,” Pollock said. “If I’m elected, the first minute I’m going to instruct the staff to be on

the phone all day. Western is too valuable to the city of Macomb not to save.”

Heather McMeeken, President of the Democratic Women of McDonough County, said that she is encouraged by the turnout, which is critical for saving Western.

“We have a very traumatized campus right now,” McMeeken said. “We’re trying to reach and make sure that all the faculty and staff know that we haven’t forgotten about them.

We’re also going to work hard for our students because they deserve no less.”

McMeeken said that the general vibe around campus is devastation after the layoff announcement.

“We knew that the news would be bad, but we didn’t think it would be that bad,” McMeeken. “This is decimating the opportunities for our students.”

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NEWS

WesternCourier.com

Friday, March 8, 2019

Delta Zeta puts up hoops to benefit hearing

By Steven Barnum news editor

Amanda wandachowicz/ proofreader

Tate Dowell/courier staff

Students at Western Illinois University competed in a basketball tournament to support the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

William F. Austin founded the non-profit organization in 1984 in order to provide easier access to hearing aids and healthcare services to those in need. According to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, more than 400 million worldwide have experienced a loss of hearing and less than three percent of them are able to get the care that they require.

The foundation now offers help to the hearing-impaired in more than 100 different countries thanks to initiatives like “Hoops for Hearing," a philanthropy event organized by the Delta Zeta sorority. Members of sororities and fraternities throughout the Western community played in the threeon-three charity event in the Student Recreation Center Tuesday evening, including Jordan Lloyd.

“We like to bring together the different Greek organizations in order to help raise as much money as we can,” Lloyd said. “We pride ourselves on being very caring and very involved with our philanthropies.”

Hoops for Hearing has now been an annual event on Western’s campus for the last three years. Lloyd may be a super fan of John Stamos, but she is most passionate about helping those who are less fortunate.

“We try to have 100 percent attendance to our philanthropies and encourage all other organizations and people from the community to also help and be involved,”

Lloyd said.

Melissa Hanson was also involved and she shared why the event is important.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to people in need,” Hanson said, “and it also provides different opportunities for my sorority to go and experience hands-on giving these hearing aids to other people.”

With the foundation’s mission to help as many people as possible, participation in events like Hoops for Hearing is critical. Hanson talked about how the main objective is to provide more than 1 million hearing aids every year. She was very pleased with the event’s participation and attendance.

“Seeing everyone come out to this event is really inspiring because they all believe in the same goal that we have,” Hanson said.

Madison Munoz agreed that the event’s participation will go a long way when it comes to support.

“Everyone came out and supported. I wasn’t expecting that many people so I was very pleased,” Munoz said.

Like Lloyd and Hanson, Munoz recognizes the value in helping those in need whenever they are in a position to do so.

“It is very important to give back to those in need,” Munoz said. “It helps people who can’t hear and may not be able to afford hearing aids. It’s important for us to be able to support them and give them the help they need.”

Students or members of the Macomb community who do not currently belong to a Greek organization can contribute to the cause by donating to the cause.

The ladies of Delta Zeta held their third annual Hoops for Hearing to help raise money for the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help benefit those in need of hearing assistance.

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

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photo editor Becca Langys

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Friday, March 8, 2019

Seeking success as a business major

By Tyler Moseberry courier staff Western Illinois University recently held a meeting targeted at Accounting and Finance students. This meeting saw the likes of Jay and Chris Heubner who work as President and GM of Ace International Holdings, and HR manager at Wheaton Academy, respectively.

The meeting found Jay giving a brief synopsis of his life and journey to where he is now. Some notable things he spoke of were his time at Western of course, and how he thought of being a painter. This idea and goal were short lived by his father ’s persuasion.

His father asked him if he wanted to be poor and hungry because that profession is riddled with people

that are impoverished and therefore hungry. Jay knew that was not the life he wanted for himself, so he decided that he needed to go after something that would be safe and make him money.

Jay decided to pursue IT his junior year at Western and that led him to the position he has secured himself with Ace Hardware. One of the things that he emphasized was “A War in Big Business.” This war is over aspiring youth like us that want and strive to lead.

Jay went as far as to say that his company gauges and takes measures to see what potential candidates have what it takes to truly lead.

Above everything else, he wanted us to remember to have “Mission Alignment,” which is the ideals of a person and a company and how close

they are.

Once Jay commenced his speech, Chris took the reins with her story and upbringing. She grew up in not only a large family but a gifted one.

Her father and some of her siblings have backgrounds in engineering and or were musically inclined. This made her feel as though she had to accumulate her life towards these disciplines until she realized that she had a gift of her own that made her stand out. She, among all her family, had people skills and could socialize with others on a personal level. Chris took this gift and used it to her advantage by pursuing fields that she would thrive in.

After she left Western, she became employed at Wheaton Academy and she was the only HR person in her job; this did not phase her one bit, in fact, it gave her strength.

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Once her job introduced more staff, she realized that there was room for improvement.

This idea stemmed from the isolation and out of the box perspective she had gained from being the only HR on the job. She proposed that the staff needed to have an introduction meeting just like the faculty do.

This intuitive proposal gave Chris the individuality that no one else had on the job. This made her stand out and appear dependable.

Chris finished by asking us to watch Amy Cuddy’s Ted Talk about body language and, more importantly, to read Thrive By Design by Don Rheem. Their parting words were, “Transformation is possible when you realize your potential” and, “Seek out the good because the bad will find you.”

NOTICE OF EXAMINATION MACOMB POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Board of Fire & Police Commissioners of the City of Macomb, Illinois hereby gives notice that examinations will offered to all eligible applicants to create an Eligibility List for hiring for positions with the Macomb Police Department.

At time of application, applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no more than 35 years of age. Military veterans may extend the age limit one year for every year if active duty, not to exceed ten years. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; must have completed 60 semesters or 90 quarters hours from an accredited academic institution; must posses valid driver’s license. To move forward in hiring processes, applicants must have physical and written exams, medical and psychological evalutions and background investigations; must have visual acuity 20/20 each eye corrected (minimum) with normal color vision and depth perception; must have good habits and be of moral character. Proof of U.S. Citzenship and if hired; McDonough County residency is required.

STARTING SALARY as of 05/01/18, $47,078.76 per year.

Forty-hour work week with time and a half for all overtime.

Applications packets may be obtained at the Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 232 E. Jackson St., Macomb, Illinois 61455, Phone (309) 833-2558, or on-line at: https://www.macombpolice.com/application-requirements/ All applications and attachments must be completed, signed and on file by 4:30 P.M., Tuesday, March 12, 2019. If sumbitting the application packet by mail, it must be postmarked on or before the application deadline date AND received at the Mayor’s Office within five (5) calendar days of the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Testing date is March 30, 2019. Applicants should report to Brophy Hall, on the Western University campus at 7:30 A.M.

The City reserves the right to require reimbursement of training expenses on a pro-rata basis if an officer resigns within the first two years of employment.

The City of Macomb is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

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OPINIONS

Friday, March 8, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Why Women's Month is so important The month of March is a very important month because it is Women’s History Month. March is known as the month where we acknowledge, honor and lift up all important and well-known women figures in society.

It’s a time where we focus on these important women, their lives, their examples, and their contributions to society. If you are a person of egalitarianism, having the idea that all people are equal, you may question the idea of why there's a full month dedicated to women. But looking at today’s society, we see why we need a month of honor to women; when we look at history, the story of women is exclusively silent, absent and

bias, and this full month is here to address and solve this problem.

Women as a whole have made many contributions to history but sometimes literature has overlooked their work. That’s why we need a Women’s History Month.

Don’t believe me? Here are three reasons why.

The first reason this month of recognition is needed is because there are so many unacknowledged women who made history.

Women are constantly discredited, overlooked and forgotten about when it comes to their helpful and useful contributions to this society in which we live in today. Looking at the world-wide STEM program, it is filled with women who

had innovations that were overlooked and accredited to the few men who aided them in their innovation. There is a woman scientist by name of Rosalind Franklin who made significant study with DNA but has not received proper attention. Ms. Franklin studied Xray diffraction that made Watson & Crick’s discovery of DNA structure accurate, yet she was excluded from public notifications about her findings. In a book by Mr. Watson, he said, "Rosalind might have been quite stunning had she taken an interest in clothes but she did science instead." In other words, Watson is declaring that she made accomplishments but if she was interested in fashion, something women enjoy, she would have been known.

Public recognition being very feminist is the second reason. Know a woman’s name, know her history, know what she did, how she did it and why she did it. That kind of

legacy is powerful and extremely feminist, because it makes that female more than just her gender or a side note in a male collection of great ideas. When we shine the light of women’s contributions to the records of human history, it makes us equal humans, equally worthy of being remembered for our accomplishments.

Women’s History Month is also about viewing shifts in society through the lens of women’s perspectives. For example, what did the World War I events, the Spanish invasion of South America or maybe the war between China and Japan mean for women? How did they contribute to it and react to it? Viewing events in this way is hugely feminist, because it makes them equal actors in the flow of time and events, with a valid way of looking at things. Even if the evidence is small and overlaps with many other things, the female voice and eye need to be a part of

how we view human existence in the past. It makes them real.

The third reason why Women’s History Month is important is because history is inspirational to future generations. The people we idolize as children matter. The knowledge that something is possible is an incredible boost. Knowing that a woman could win two Nobel Prizes like Marie Curie, her daughter also won one just to keep it in the family, inventing computing like Ada Lovelace, saving hundreds of people on the Underground Railroad like Harriet Tubman, or perhaps just discovering the operations of genetics like Barbara McClintock emphasizes that other girls can do that, too. Being a vocal, important part of history is one of the ways in which women of the past change us: leading by example.

Women’s History Month matters because women’s history needs to matter to us.

Sanders in the running for next election

On Tuesday, February 19th, Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he was running for president of the United States in 2020.

Within 24 hours of announcing, Sanders raised more than $6 million from more than 225,000 small donors. Whether you agree or disagree with Sanders’ candidacy, you can’t deny his campaign will be a force to be reckoned with in the Democratic primary; to think, only four years ago Sanders’ candidacy for the presidency was anything but widely known or given any chance to succeed.

When Sanders announced his first candidacy for president in 2015, his recognition

among the electorate was widely unknown. Outside of the his home state of Vermont, Sanders was polling less than 5 percent compared to Hillary Clinton, whose name overwhelmingly surpassed Sanders’; more people knew her from younger to older generations alike and saw her as the likely favorite.

Once Sanders and Clinton became the two contenders on the Democratic side, Sanders’ name recognition started to increase and once his name became more popular with the electorate, so were his chances at being a formidable candidate against Clinton. Sanders’ championed such policy proposals,

like single-payer healthcare, tuition-free public college and a $15 minimum wage.

Among the Democratic party establishment, Sanders’ ideas were unrealistic and not practical, but to a young electorate, Sanders’ was the person who they wanted to be the next president.

As the primary process started to conclude, it was obvious that Clinton had maintained a significant lead over Sanders’ and was likely seen as the nominee moving forward, but Sanders’ broad grass roots support was seeing the process through until the end, no matter what.

Then a Wikileaks dump of John Podesta’s emails, Clinton’s campaign chair, revealed that then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz actively tried to help the Clinton campaign over Sanders’ during the primaries, violating its own rules. Sanders’

supporters were outraged; it had confirmed what they’d been speculating the entire time that the DNC never wanted Sanders’ to be the nominee and would do whatever it took to make sure it didn't happen.

However, Sanders’ response was anything but outraged.

Donald Trump had won the nomination for the Republican Party; Sanders’ only focus at that point was to make sure Trump was not elected president and the only way to do that was to brush aside his criticism of his former opponent in order to get her elected.

From then on, Sanders’ became a surrogate for Clinton and urged his supporters to vote for her in the general election. Some Sanders’ supporters came around understanding the alternative to Clinton, but some refused to support Clinton and either didn’t vote or voted for an-

other candidate on the ballot.

On Election Day, Clinton was defeated by Trump who would become the 45th U.S. president. Since Trump’s presidency, Sanders’ has returned to the Senate, but this time with broad name recognition and legions of supporters beside him. Sanders’ has pushed back against proposals and policies by the Trump administration, like family separation at the southern border and the Republican tax bill, as well as continuing to push his initiatives for single-payer health care and tuition-free college.

Anything Sanders does, people seem to be paying attention.

Now it’s 2020, and Bernie Sanders is running for president again. In 2016, many people knew little of the Vermont Senator, but now the entire Democratic party will have to accept him, whether they like it or not.

Friday, March 8, 2019

@WesternCourier

It seems as if everyday there is a new, trendy fad diet being promoted by celebrities, social media influencers and even the random generated ads on the Internet. You cannot look at your phone, a magazine or your Instagram feed without seeing before and after photos, being convinced to try Keto coffee, or the newest diet pill.

People these days all seem to be trying their best to be “fitness queens” and “skinny legends,” but not everyone has this on their minds when pacing

the grocery aisles. There are so many diet choices and nutritious options out there, so why doesn’t everyone buy them? It begs the question; if there are so many diets that “really work” or provide “immediate results,” why are we still facing rising obesity and heart disease rates?

Well, let’s take a quick glance at some facts. The signature “Big Mac” from McDonald’s goes for $3.99 and boasts a whopping 563 calories. The lowest priced salads start from $4.59 and tend to have about 290 calories. While

these price differences may seem miniscule to you and I, the penny pinchers of the world have to consider every single cent when they purchase a meal.

The trend does not end with the McDonald’s menu.

In grocery stores nationwide, fruit is more expensive than chips, frozen meals are more expensive than fresh ingredients, and lean meats are a luxury. To get the best bang for your buck, you must make sacrifices, and nutrition is often the first thing to go. When broken down by the cost of the food and the amount you’re getting for your money, it’s simple. We as a nation constantly say we are working towards fighting obesity, but the problem does not lie in willpower as it is often portrayed; it

OPINIONS 5

lies in the wallets of families everywhere; and in the paychecks of the poor. It is common sense that when you are living on $100 a week and feeding a family of 2, 3, 4 or even 5 that you will choose the cheap, but unhealthy $20 dinner over a homemade $35 meal that is healthier.

Your weight, appearance and health come second to your hunger pangs and your starving children who would rather eat McNuggets anyway. It is much more important to put a full meal on the table than to put half a meal on the table. Even if what people are eating is fried, greasy and bursting with calories, a smaller portion of food that is healthy and nutritious seems like a waste of money. We as a nation have decided that

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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

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

beating obesity and all the issues that come along with it is a personal choice that anyone can make, but in doing so have disregarded an entire population that lives off a weekly paycheck and cannot put nutrition first.

Healthy eating is not a choice everyone can afford to make.

Wealthy people who can afford to be vegan or Keto or any other variation of a diet need to stop saying that it works for everyone or that everyone should try it.

The reality is that dieting and healthy eating are for people in financially stable situations. Because of this, we must stop shaming and ridiculing the obese, impoverished population because chances are, they had little to no choice.

Contact Allison Young

AN-Young@wiu.edu

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Friday, March 8, 2019

SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Women's basketball looks to make return to Summit League Championship after 12-17 season

By Bradley Piros sports editor

It’s been two years since the Western Illinois women’s basketball team hoisted the Summit League Championship trophy, and they're looking to get back there again.

After a rough 12-17 overall record, and an 8-8 conference record the Leathernecks aren’t in the best of shape.

Western lost their last four games of the season including senior night, meaning they’re in their worst form all season. The skid began back on Feb. 16 inside Western Hall against No. 25 South Dakota when the Leathernecks fell, 83-61. They had a week to turn themselves around for senior night against the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles, but Western’s lone senior Taylor Higginbotham and her team failed to win their home closer, losing 92-85 in a back-andforth shootout.

Just like that, there were only two games left on Western’s season, both of them on the road. The first was a trip to Denver where they lost 94-85, and the final game was against the No. 1 seeded South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, 100-62.

The Leathernecks will be heading into Sioux Falls, S.D. as the No. 5 seed, meaning they’ll be taking on the No. 4 seed ORU. Western lost both meetings against the Golden Eagles tis season, the first being back

on Jan 5 (68-64) and the other on senior night a little more than two weeks ago.

ORU is coming off a 17-12 season, going 10-6 in conference play. They are in their best form of the season, coming into the tournament riding a four-game win streak with wins coming against North Dakota State, North Dakota and Western, all on the road.

They wrapped their season up with a narrow 65-64 win against Omaha on senior night.

Between these two schools, there will be four players named to the All-Summit League teams, two from ORU and two from Western.

Those two players being Higginbotham and junior guard Olivia Kaufman, both being voted to the second team. Western also had guard Danni Nichols voted as the Summit League Freshman of the Year. She became the first player to do this in the women’s team’s history.

Higginbotham has now done this in back-to-back seasons while this is Kaufman and Nichol’s first. Kaufman leads the team and ranks fourth best in The Summit League with an average 16.7 points per game in conference play.

She also leads the league with her 80 steals.

Higginbotham, as many now know, broke the all-time scoring record previously held by Emily Clemens who graduated last year after notching 1,715 points and counting.

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Western has the individual talent to make a tournament run, but they’ll all have to work together if they expect to make it past the first round.

On the other side of the court are the Golden Eagles. Leading the way, as well as making the All-Summit League first team, is senior guard Lakota Beatty.

She averages 15 points a game, shoots .435 from beyond the arc and .450 overall. She’s the only player that started all 27 games for ORU and is looking to cap off her collegiate career with a deep run.

Sophomore guard Maya Mayberry made second team All-Summit. She played in 25 games, averaging 14.4 points a contest. She shoots .427 from the three-point line.

Rounding out the team’s “big three” is fellow sophomore guard Keni Jo Lippe. She averages 13.4 points per game and can also shoot threes, going for a .380 percentage.

This is why the last meeting between these two teams was an absolute barnburner. If they shot it, it went in that game on senior night. Expect nothing less from this game, as both sides will be cranking it up for the tournament.

The winner of this game will be the team that shutdown their opposition and prevented that three-point shot. It’s hard to beat a team three straight times in a season, so let’s see if the third time’s the charm for the Leathernecks.

Tipoff is this Sunday at noon.

MY'ANNA PURDUE / COURIER STAFF

Danni Nichols named Summit League Freshman of the Year.

MY'ANNA PURDUE / COURIER STAFF

Olivia Kaufman named to All-Summit League second team.

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

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

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

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

Sports 7

Friday, March 8, 2019

@WesternCourier

LeBron passes Jordan in all-time scoring Devon Greene Editor-in-chief @Starewaytodevon

Every time LeBron James steps on the court, he continues to widen the gap between himself and the second greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan.

James passed his childhood idol, Jordan, last night on the list of all-time points scored in NBA history. This only adds to the undeniable body of work that James has put together as the greatest player of all time.

After the game last night, Jordan released a short statement congratulating James on his achievement.

“I want to congratulate LeBron on achieving another great milestone during his amazing career,” Jordan’s statement read.

This is James’ 16th year in the NBA and he’s still widely regarded as the best or second best player in the league. In Jordan’s 16th year, he was sitting at home on his couch. Granted, it was probably better for him to do that, than come back and try to play another season with the Washington Wizards where he

looked anything but magical on the court.

The thing that sets James apart from Jordan is longevity. James has been a freak of nature for almost my entire life. He’s been the best player in the league since I started watching basketball and he’ll probably be the best for a few more years. Jordan couldn’t keep up with the NBA. In his 15-year career, he retired twice and played less than 20 games in two seasons. Jordan purists will always say, “The league forced him to retire the first time because of his gambling!” to which my reply will always be, “Well I guess he should’ve laid off the slots and cigars and stayed on the court.”

Jordan purists will also try to knock James for sitting out games during the regular season. James typically plays around the mid-to-high 70s amount of games per regular season. Then after that, for the past eight years, he’s played a minimum of 12 high inten-

sity, mentally and emotionally draining playoff games during his streak of finals runs. Jordan retired in the middle of his threepeat championship run with the Chicago Bulls which gave him an entire season to rest before coming back to play 17 games in the 1994-1995 NBA season.

This year with the Los Angeles Lakers, we’ve started to see some weakness in James. He looks like he cares as much about playing defense as Donald Trump cares about the wellbeing of immigrants. He’s shooting a career low in free throw percentage and shooting his lowest field goal percentage since his first season with the Miami Heat in 2010. The sports community has jumped at the opportunity to criticize the man who has held the throne in the NBA for 16 straight years, but he’s not close to being done yet.

James’ slump in productivity can be traced back to his unfamiliarity with his teammates in Los Angeles. James saw a slump in his productivity in his first season in Miami because he had to adjust to his new role with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. This is close to being the same situation, however, it’s hard to not be concerned with

James’ future in Los Angeles, as we’ve seen how this season has played out.

The Anthony Davis situation could be a defining part of the James era with the Lakers if they don’t end up getting the big man this summer or next summer. The Lakers were ready to trade the franchise to the Pelicans for Davis before exgeneral manager Dell Demps stonewalled the trade due to perceived tampering between James and Davis. Following the trade deadline, the Lakers have been worse than Kevin Spacey’s reputation as they have a less than five percent chance of making the playoffs.

The Lakers have plenty of cap room to make runs at free agents this offseason and there are plenty of great targets to go after. Kevin Durant is the biggest star to look out for during free agency this summer, but Durant has made it clear that he is very interested in the New York Knicks as his destination. Klay Thompson is another name that would interest the Lakers, and Thompson said if Los Angeles were able to snag Davis, he would consider leaving the Golden State Warriors.

The Celtics are the favorites to

get Anthony Davis this summer so I don’t think the Lakers have a great chance to sign Thompson.

One free agent that I think the Lakers have the best chance to sign is Kyrie Irving.

Irving has been a hot topic of discussion this year as the Celtics have underperformed in the weaker Eastern Conference after James’s departure. Irving has been outspoken about his relationship with James this year and how he should’ve appreciated James’ leadership skills when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a tough loss to the Orlando Magic in January, Irving revealed he called James.

“I had to call 'Bron, and tell him I apologize for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips,” Irving said. “I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that.”

As it stands right now, the Lakers need to make some serious changes to their roster if they want to even make the playoffs next season. James can only carry so much on his shoulders and it’d be a colossal waste of the greatest player of all-time to not make the playoffs for two seasons in a row.

Necks compete in Benbow Collegiate Tournament

By Jacob VanZuiden sports editor

The Leatherneck golf team has begun to heat up while the weather back home has yet to do the same. On the heels of an encouraging team-effort, they will aim to show continued improvement in their game as they head South once again over spring break.

After a 10th place finish in their first spring action, The Purple and Gold were out to prove themselves at the Alabama State Spring Golf Kickoff. The team placed second in the tournament out of eight qualifying schools, falling just 12 strokes short of the grand prize as Alabama State grabbed first place in their own event. They managed a team score of 900 (+36) with everyone doing their

Kyle Irlbacker lining up for his chip shot.

part. Falling behind Western Illinois, in order, were Evansville, ArkansasPine Bluff, Chicago State University, Manhattan College, Alabama A&M and Morehouse College.

Butler University will be welcoming the Leathernecks for the Don Benbow Collegiate Tournament on March 11-12.

The invitational will take place under the sunny skies of Jacksonville, Florida at the Blue Sky Golf Club.

The Purple and Gold will need to continue their recent elevated play with junior Kyle Irlbacker and senior Jackson Wetherbee leading the charge for them. The two standouts from the team’s last competition at Alabama State both took home All-Tournament honors after accumulating impressive individual scores and were a big part of Western’s top-two finish. Irlbacker

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

finished tied for second-place individually after battling back in the last day of the event, ending with a score of 219 (+3). Wetherbee was hot on his tracks after firing a team-low 71 in the concluding round to finish at 221 (+5), good for fifth place overall.

After the conclusion of the tournament, interim head coach Lia Biehl Lukkarinen was eager to share her opinion in regards to her squad’s performance. She made it a point of emphasis that this team has come a long way since the 2018 fall season.

“I'm very proud of our team's play at this tournament,” said Lukkarinen.

“We have a lot of positives to take away from today. I was very happy to see Kyle play well after being injured most of the fall season. Jackson was able to bring it back today, shooting a

Jackson Wetherbee chiping it on the green.

71 which was also nice to see. We have certain things as a team to work on and we are looking forward to seeing what we can do at our next tournament in Florida.”

For the upcoming Don Benbow Collegiate Tournament, the Purple and Gold will roll out a familiar startingfive. Beginning with Irlbacker and Wetherbee, the two will be joined by sophomore Wyatt Spier along with the freshmen duo of Cameron Karney and Parker Govern.

It’s gearing up to be a busy spring break for Western’s golf team with no shortage of action over the week-long period. After they conclude play in Jacksonville, they’ll make another trip to Savannah, Georgia where they’ll go head to head against Savannah State on March 14.

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Men's team searches for "Cinderella Story" in Sioux Falls

By Brendan Reidy courier staff

MACOMB, Ill. — It’s March, and that means it’s time for playoff basketball in college hoops.

College basketball teams all across the country will be looking to win their conference tournaments and lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Western Illinois will be one of the teams that will have an opportunity to make a playoff run. They will be off to Sioux Falls this weekend to play in the intense Summit League

Tournament. People all across the nation rave about how great this tournament is, and the USA Today has even called it, “March’s Best Kept Secret."

The main focus is obviously turned to the actual games, but when the teams are at Sioux Falls, they will announce the conference awards. Western Illinois should bring home quite a bit of hardware, with many of their players up for awards. Brandon Gilbeck just brought home Summit League Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, as he’s the NCAA leader in blocks. The two Freshman, Zion Young and Ben Pyle were runnerups for Summit League Newcomer of the Year after their strong performances from their first season. As for All-Summit teams go, Brandon Gilbeck and Kobe Webster were named to the All-Summit Second team.

The Leathernecks have been tough outs the last two seasons come tournament time. Two years ago, the men’s team lost on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater from the No. 1 seeded South Dakota, and last year lost to

No. 1 seeded South Dakota State in the final minute.

Luckily for Western Illinois they will have another opportunity to knock off a No. 1 seed.

This year they will have a rematch from last year ’s contest against South Dakota State. South Dakota State is the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament, and the Jackrabbits will be poised to make it into March Madness for the fourth consecutive year. They are led by the super senior Michael Daum. Daum just made his way onto the top-10 NCAA All-Time scoring list, and has been tearing up the Summit since day one. This year he has seven doubledoubles and is on multiple NBA draft boards. And his side-kick, David Jenkins, who has had an impressive sophomore campaign, will lead the charge for SDSU. Their supporting cast has been terrific as well. They have led the Jackrabbits to a 24-7 record. South Dakota State is an offensive power house. They currently have the fifth best offense in the country. If they keep up their balanced attack on both ends of the court, it

will be a tough matchup for Western Illinois.

The Leathernecks lost both their matchups against South Dakota State this season. The Purple and Gold will need to have stellar performances across the board if they want to compete against the Jackrabbits inside the hostile environment of the Denny Sanford Premiere Center.

Kobe Webster and Gilbeck are the focal points of the Leatherneck offense, but they will need a more balanced scoring attack when they play in the Summit League Tournament. They will need to get multiple players such as Young, CJ Duff and Isaac Johnson in double figures. If they pass the ball on the offensive end more proficiently and hit their shots from beyond the arc, this game should be a thriller.

Western Illinois has come so close the past two seasons to upsetting a No. 1 seed, and they will have another opportunity this season.

Third time's the charm, right? Tip-off against South Dakota State is set for 6PM on Saturday in Sioux Falls.

Twitter: breidytv

2019 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

No. 1 South Dakota State Saturday, March 9 Game 1 - 6 P.M.

No. 8 Western Illinois No. 4 North Dakota State Sunday, March 10 Game 3 - 6 P.M.

Game 1 Winner Monday, March 11 Game 5 - 6 P.M.

Game 5 Winner

Game 3 Winner Tuesday, March 10 Game 7 - 8 P.M. on

No. 5 Oral Roberts No. 2 Omaha Saturday, March 9 Game 2 - 8:30 P.M.

No. 7 North Dakota No. 2 Omaha Sunday, March 10 Game 4 - 8:30 P.M.

No. 7 North Dakota

Game 2 Winner Monday, March 10 Game 6 - 8:30 P.M.

Game 3 Winner

Game 6 Winner

2019 Summit League Champion