Sports: Bears get new starting quarterback
Opinions: Fall activities near Macomb
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Wednesday, September 30, 2020 - Vol. 121 Issue 9
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UUB adjusts plans amid challenging circumstances By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief
Event planning on campus has become a difficult feat for student leaders. The University Union Board (UUB) at Western Illinois University has a long track record of providing free events to all students on campus. The organization was founded on campus in 1962. On the UUB website it says, “UUB serves at the premier programming board of Western Illinois University, which plans and provides social, cultural, recreational and educational activities, which are inclusive to the
needs of the entire campus, with an emphasis on the student body.” This year, they are attempting to keep the tradition alive, even in the midst of a time when events are restricted. Junior student Gretchen Maier, the Vice President of Internal Relations for UUB said, “We are doing the best we can under the circumstances to adjust to the new university policies while continuing to provide a variety of events. While this has proven to be a challenge, we are excited to enact new ideas and collaborate with groups we have never collaborated with before. Some
new events we plan on hosting this year are a scarecrow building and decorating contest as well as virtual and social distanced editions of our traditional events such as UUBingo and Tie Dye. Everything continues to change and we are doing our best to remain compliant while also serving the students to the same standard we always uphold our organization to.” UUB has hosted a bracelet making event, a virtual photo scavenger hunt, virtual UUBingo and more. In the future, they are hosting a sunset yoga event this Saturday and have more events in the works, both virtual and
in person, for the months of October and November. The group meets weekly on Mondays in person in the Capitol Room of the University Union, staying six feet apart and wearing masks. Senior student Raven Little, the Vice President of Communications for UUB said, “My job has become even more crucial this year than in years past. Suddenly, social media is the only way we can reach most students. While tabling is allowed in certain areas on campus, few students seem to be out and about and others have opted to stay at home this semester rather than reside on or
around campus. We are constantly brainstorming graphics, livestreams and challenges that will appeal to the student body. It is a struggle to recruit new members to join, but we will welcome them with open arms!” All events hosted by UUB this year will be posted on their social media accounts. Their Twitter, Instagram and TikTok can be found at @wiu_uub.
Starting college during COVID-19
By Emma Garcia assistant news editor
Nearly every aspect of normal life has been affected by the spread of the Coronavirus, and it’s associated disease COVID-19. Businesses and industries have been greatly affected, and unemployment has reached levels that haven’t been seen since the Great Depression. Higher education has also been impacted during the pandemic, whether it’s in the area of applications and admissions, tuition, student loans or teaching, COVID-19 has made a substantial and lasting impression on colleges and universities. They were thrown in the deep end and forced to convert to on-
line courses while dealing with financial crises and other unanswered questions. COVID-19 has forcefully reconfigured the modern day teaching styles and learning experience for students. While it has presented many challenges, it can also be seen as an opportunity to break out of old habits and create new and impactful ways of learning that take advantage of technology. With many college campuses across the nation closed amid COVID-19, freshmen at Western Illinois University are feeling grateful for the opportunities they’re still able to have during this ongoing pandemic. “I’m very thankful that I’m able to be here on campus and still get
some type of college experience, while remaining safe and getting my education,” said freshman music major Sarah Lanoue. “After the disappointing end to our high school careers, we were holding onto the thought that everything would be better in the fall, and for the most part, it has.” Even though things look differently this semester, everyone is trying to adapt and overcome the ongoing changes, while staying positive. Freshman Chloe Curl said she was excited to participate in Greek recruitment, but couldn’t help but be disappointed when she found out it would all be online. “I was very nervous at first because I didn’t think I could
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genuinely connect with new people over zoom,” she said, “In the end, I’m so thankful I joined and got involved even though it was virtual, and we couldn’t engage as much.” For the students on campus, college life is as close to normal as it can get while still following proper protocols and socially distancing. However, for those who have stayed home this semester to solely remote learn, school hasn’t met their expectations. Freshman Maya Steinke has been virtually learning from her home in St. Charles, IL after multiple doctors made it clear it wouldn’t be safe for her to live on campus. “I thought that being online would be fine, mostly I thought it would have to be
fine because there was no way I would miss out,” she said, “It’s been weird. I still live with my parents, my little sister is still in high school, both my parents are teachers and they teach from home, so there are four of us with different schedules doing school from our small house.” She said that classes are easy to keep up with for the most part, but Western Online can be hard to navigate when there’s so much room for miscommunication, especially when you’re learning from miles away. She went on to say that, “College is certainly not what I thought it would be, but I’m hopeful that someday it might be!”
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NEWS 2
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
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Resident Assistants receive commendation MACOMB, Ill. – Two Western Illinois University Resident Assistants in Thompson Hall received letters of commendation from WIU on Tuesday for their quick action in response to an incident Sept. 15 involving a student being allegedly shot by his roommate. Thompson Hall Resident Assistants Joshua Smith, a sophomore law enforcement and justice administration major from Crete, IL. [formerly of Chicago], and Marcus Sweeten, a senior history major from Roodhouse, IL., were honored Tuesday by WIU Interim President Martin Abraham, Office of Public Safety Interim Director Derek Watts, Interim Vice President for Student Services John Smith, Associate Vice President for Student Services John Biernbaum and Director of Residence Life Mishelle Oaks. According to Watts, Smith and Sweeten administered life-saving first aid to the victim until first responders ar-
rived on the scene. “I remember seeing the gun and hearing it go off and I ran, but something in me told me to go back, so I did. I couldn't leave the victim there, nor could I leave my residents. I felt like I had to do something no matter the consequences to my health. I am glad I went back, but I'm sorry for the situation we faced.” Smith said. “A lot of things happen that resident assistants have to respond to, but it was really hard to ever conceive of something like this happening, even when going through the situation. I was on the floor in question because of fire alarm protocol. Quickly I knew that this wasn't a normal fire alarm, and that's when I found Joshua taking action on his floor, and found myself taking the same action in giving the victim the immediate care they needed. I didn't really have time to process the situation until after the victim was taken from our care. My thoughts have been with the victim every day since and I
hope they have a speedy recovery.” Sweeten said. Abraham noted that the University is proud to have Joshua and Marcus as members of WIU's Thompson Hall resident assistant staff. “Their swift action, along with the efforts of all members of Thompson Hall housing staff on Sept. 15 and the days following, is indicative of the wonderful students we have at WIU, as well as the caliber of our Resident Assistants and hall staff,” Abraham said. "Thank you to Joshua and Marcus. We commend you for your courageousness and prompt action.” In addition to the letter of commendation, Smith and Sweeten each received an OPS uniform patch. “Joshua's and Marcus' selfless actions played a vital role in protecting their resident from further harm. Their initial care kept him stable until emergency medical personnel could take over, and their actions went above and beyond their roles as Resident As-
sistants,” Watts added. “The Resident Assistants and other hall staff in Thompson Hall displayed tremendous calm and professionalism throughout this incident to ensure the safety of their residents. We are pleased to work beside these students.” Smith started as a Resident Assistant at WIU in August 2020, while Sweeten has been a resident assistant since August 2019. “The actions demonstrated by Joshua and Marcus were nothing short of heroic, and we are extremely proud of their quick thinking in assisting a fellow student”, Oaks said.“The Resident Assistants of Thompson Hall have displayed courage, strength and commitment to our Western students both the night of the incident and the following days. We are grateful for the continued support our Thompson staff provide our students.” In addition to honoring Smith and Sweeten, Watts, on behalf of OPS, presented a letter of appreciation
to all Thompson Hall resident assistants and hall staff for their efforts on Sept. 15 and the following days. "The Thompson Hall Resident Assistants and head staff demonstrated confidence and assurance to the residents of Thompson Hall throughout the night and into the next day. Each member of the Thompson Hall staff has displayed a strong personal commitment to successfully working together during this event. Their ability to handle the incident and the days that have followed in a calm, objective manner has not gone unnoticed. The members of the Office of Public Safety appreciate the continued support you have provided to your residents and given to the University community during the last several weeks,” Watts said. Courtesy of University Relations
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This data is accurate as of Tuesday.
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 Let’s face it, the fall season brings many different decisions when it comes to attractions and things to do, from haunted houses to hayrides and farm visits. The most common, in my own experience, is finding a good pumpkin farm or apple orchard to go to. Since there aren’t many in the Macomb area, this brings a hard decision to make of which farm or orchard to drive to, or is it really worth the
drive at all? I recently went to Tanners Orchard in Speer, IL. The drive to Tanners is about an hour and 40 minutes from the Macomb campus, but in my opinion, the drive was completely worthwhile! Tanners is truly filled with fun things to do for an entire day. Some of the attractions available include an Apple and Pumpkin U-Pick, Grain train rides, Tanners Apple-Dega Pedal Carts and
Introducing the Staff Hi, my name is Peyton Finnegan, I am a junior Law Enforcement major from Chicago. This is my first semester as the Entertainment Editor, and I am super excited to take on this role! I have been an opinions writer for the Western Courier for two years. Along with being an employee of the Western Courier, I am also the social chair of my sorority, Tri Sigma. I have been an active member of Tri Sigma since I was a freshman, and have loved every minute of it. In my spare time I like to ball with my roommate and coworker Mary Kilbourne.
so much more. In addition to the activities, there are also food stands and areas to sit and enjoy your time with those you are spending time with. Upon arriving, it is evident from the number of people there Tanners Orchard is truly loved by many. People of all ages were at the farm, from babies to senior citizens. Everyone was buzzing and having a great time! I was lucky enough to have gone on a Festival Day, so the fun was doubled. The first thing that I did at Tanners was, of course, apple picking. The wagon ride out to the apple-picking site was a lot of fun. Tanners really
provided education on how to pick an apple, and other facts on apples, like the fact that an apple is a part of the rose family! After apple picking, I made sure to head over to the corn maze. The maze had two options: a one-mile maze or a two-mile maze. This is especially nice for those that may be bringing younger children with them to Tanners, because it has a shorter option available. The maze had a theme and a mission in addition to having to make it out. And, if you solved the mystery and made it out of the maze, you were able to enter a raffle for a mountain bike. The Tanners store was also
filled with so many wonderful products. Sauces, jams, decor and my personal favorite: apple butter and apple cider. More than this, though, the views around the orchard were so wonderful. There were many hay bale decorations that stood out. My personal favorite part of my trip to Tanners Orchard was having an apple cider slushie, especially since it was a warmer day when I went, it was a must. So, if you are looking for a fun day-trip for this fall season, I would highly suggest Tanners Orchard! While the drive is far, it is well worth the memories you will make in the process.
Nick Foles earns Bears new starting quarterback role josh purnell courier staff
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced on Monday that Nick Foles will be the starting quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts. “He’s [Foles] our starter moving forward,” Nagy said on a zoom call. Foles replaced Mitchell Trubisky, whom Nagy benched in the third quarter after throwing an interception while down by a margin of 16 points against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Foles went into the game throwing for 188 yards and
three touchdowns passes, including the 28-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller that put the Bears up 30-26 with a victory. “We got up this morning and went through the tape, and at the end of it we decided that we’re going to start Foles as a starter against Indianapolis,” Nagy said. “Even as hard as that was for Mitch to be told that Nick’s going to go in and play, Mitch was to his credit just an awesome supporter of Nick the rest of that game.”
Trubisky went 13 for 22 with 128 passing yards and one touchdown and one interception. Also, had a huge 45 yard run. The Bears offense was 1-8 on third down with many of Trubisky's passes being overthrown. It was quite a surprise that Trubisky was taken out of the game. The previous game against the New York Giants, Trubisky threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He also had four carries for 16 yards and the Bears beat the Giants 17-13. Their first game of the season against the Detroit Lions, Trubisky rallied the team together, throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and completing a 27-23 comeback victory. So, it could have been possible that Trubisky could have had another performance like he had against the
Lions. Nagy clearly thought differently. “The situation sucked, but it was just the flow of the game and how it happened and the coach made the decision that he felt was best for the team,” Trubisky said Sunday. “I’m really happy for this team. They battled back and it was awesome to get a W, but it sucks to get news like that.” Trubisky, since the day he was drafted by the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft, has been criticized by the fans and the media. He will always be compared to Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson simply because they all were in the same draft class. Many people believe Mahomes and Waston are better than him now and were better than him on the day of the draft. Both Mahomes and Watson signed an extended contract with
their team. They are two franchise players who will be starting quarterback for their team for the next 10 years or so. While Trubisky, on the other hand, has not sat down with Bears management and discussed his future with the Bears. This is his last year on his rookie contract and getting benched early in the season is not looking too good for him. People can say what they want about Trubisky, but props to him, he has been able to block out the noise around him and focus on his game. The results aren’t always what you expect but players and coaches say all the time that he is one of the hardest working players on the team. Bears play at home at Soldier Field against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 4 at noon.
Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup Finals Christopher bean assistant sports editor @cre_bean
The 2019 Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team and now the 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning have completed the most improbable postseason runs of all time. Obviously, everyone knows by now that Virginia was the first ever No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in 2018. A year later, the Cavaliers hoisted the trophy over their heads. On Monday, the Lightning got to hold the Stanley Cup over their heads, shouting out the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6. In 2019, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a historic regular season, going 62-16-4 and earning 128 points, the most points in a regular season. 62 wins tied the 1995-96 Red Wings, regular season team. The Wings lost in the second round in the playoffs. Like the Wings, the Lightning lost in the playoffs, but what made it so historic is they were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round. A team that had the best regular season of all time couldn’t even win a game in the postseason. That’s like saying the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors or the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls got swept in the
first round of the playoffs. It’s hard to even imagine that. Less than a year later, the Lightning found themselves in the thick of it yet again and were getting ready for another postseason appearance. And then in mid-March, that became an uncertainty due to COVID-19 when the NHL paused their season. It wasn’t until over four months later that they would get to finally play in the postseason. Since they were a top four team in the Eastern Conference, they were in a round-robin along with the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Lightning earned the No. 2 seed to begin their first round of the Playoffs. And guess what? They faced the Columbus Blue Jackets again for the second straight year. The series started off with a five-overtime game. Yes, five overtimes. Brayden Point finally scored, scoring his second of the game to give the Lightning a 3-2 win in Game 1. The Blue Jackets won 3-1 in Game 2, before the Lightning won three straight one-goal games. Victor Hedman, Yanni Gourde and Point scored the
game winners. He scored his second overtime goal to end the series with five goals scored. Nikita Kucherov recorded seven assists, including the game-winning assist in Game 5. Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony Cirelli had two late third quarter goals from Point and Kucherov to send the game into overtime. In the second round, the Lightning faced the Boston Bruins. The Bruins were without goaltender Tukka Rask after Rask decided to leave the bubble and not play in the first round. The Bruins got the best of Tampa Bay in Game 1 winning 3-2. However, Tampa got a one-goal win of their own, with Ondrej Palat’s overtime goal to give Tampa the 4-3 win. Tampa would control the next two games, with a 7-1 and 3-1 win in Games 3 and 4. However, it took their fourth overtime win of the postseason to close the Bruins 3-2. Victor Hedman scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and was assisted by Shattenkirk and Point, who recorded his 12th assist of the playoffs. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was the second star of the game after saving 45 shots. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Islanders, the Lightning came out guns blazing, scoring their postseason high eight goals. In their 8-2 win, their two best players in the postseason, Point and Kucherov, had their
best games. Both were the first two stars of the game with five points each. Point had two goals and three assists, while Kucherov had one goal and four assists. In Game 2, it was Kucherov delivering the dagger with nine seconds left, giving the Lightning a 2-1 win, and more importantly, putting them up 2-0 in the series. The Islanders won two of the next three to force a Game 6, but just like the first two series, the Lightning ended the series with an overtime win. Cirelli got his third goal of the playoffs and sent Tampa to the Stanley Cup Finals. In their first Stanley Cup appearance since 2015, the Lightning went against the pesky Dallas Stars. The Stars started the series with a 4-1 win before the Lightning won their ninth one-goal victory, with a 3-2 win in Game 2. Without captain Steven Stamkos for most of the postseason, Stamkos would play three minutes in Game 3. It was only three minutes, but they were effective because the captain scored his only goal of the playoffs. Stamkos put them up 2-0, and they scored three more, earning the 5-2 victory. Kucherov picked up his 30th point in the playoffs after scoring a goal and assist. Point also scored a goal and an assist and earned his 28th point in the bubble. In Game 4, the Lightning had one more magical overtime win left in them.
After trailing 2-0, they battled back thanks to two goals in a row from Point. The game would go into overtime after Joe Pavelski of the Stars tied it up at four apiece late in the third. However, Shattenkirk scored his third and most important goal of the playoffs, giving the Lightning a 5-4 win, and more importantly a 3-1 series lead. After the Stars won Game 5 in overtime 3-2 to force a Game 6, the Lightning were trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 2004. The Lightning played their best defensive game of the postseason, shouting out the Stars 2-0 to win the Cup. Vasilevskiy recorded his only shutout of the playoffs and Kucherov won the Conn Smythe Trophy after he scored seven goals and 27 assists. The game winning goal was also his assist to no other than Point, who seemed to score every game-winning goal for the Lightning in the playoffs. Head coach Jon Cooper was wearing a Virginia Cavaliers 2019 National Championship hat in his interview with SVP, and he said he acquired the hat right after they lost to the Blue Jackets. Now, over a year later and a little bit longer than expected, Cooper ’s message to his team all year finally paid off, and his team got to experience the other side of history: hoisting Lord Stanley over their head.