Sports: Women's basketball loses second straight game.
Opinions: Consider teaching for your major.
AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.
WesternCourier.com
Monday, November 18, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 38
@WesternCourier
Western leader applications are live on Purple Post
By Marc Ramirez news editor
The air is brisk, the days are ending faster and the semester is winding to a close. But, the end of the semester is not all students should look forward to as the year comes to an end. Western Leader applications are now open, and students have all of Thanksgiving and Winter Break to apply. For those who may not know, Western Leader is the official process of Western Illinois University for filling various leadership positions around campus. The positions that the Western Leader recruitment and selection process will include are admissions ambassadors, housing ambassadors, desk assistants, summer program assistant, Leatherneck Success Team, resident assistants, university Conduct Board Members and FYE peer mentors. All of these positions are extremely vital to the Western Illinois University community. These positions allow for students to make a difference and grow as leaders within the community at Western Illinois University.
The Western Leader process consists of two parts that are made simple, easy and fun for applicants to participate in. The first part of the process begins with an online application process, where students will upload their resume as well as their responses to a few short answer questions. Depending on the positions that one is applying for, there will be additional questions for students to respond to. Applicants will also provide references for the university to contact for further information. The second part of the Western Leader process includes an interview, which consists of both an individual and group interview process. Katlynn Davis, one of the Western Leaders that is featured on this year’s posters. Davis shared her experience as a Western Leader, and what makes it so special to her to be a Western Leader and a Leatherneck. “Being a Western Leader is so much more than just a job,” Davis said. “It helps you build connections that can help you in the future whether that’s landing your dream job or knowing you have learned applicable skills in cus-
tomer service, a good work ethic and time management skills. I’ve also had the honor of meeting friends for a lifetime while working as a Western Leader. Western Leaders are people who strive to better the lives of those around them and to better themselves, while representing Western the best they can.” Davis’s view of being a Western Leader is the same as countless people around campus. If you would like to learn more about the Western Leader process, make sure to reach out to any Western Leader on campus. This can be your Resident Assistant, a Desk Assistant or any other person in a position that the Western Leader application has to offer. Additionally, there will be a Western Leader information session on Dec. 3, 2019 where students will have the opportunity to learn more about all the various positions and talk with other Western Leaders. If you are a difference maker, a doer and someone who wants to make an impact on this university, apply to be a Western Leader today! Applications can be found on Purple Post.
MARC RAMIREZ/ NEWS EDITOR
Western Leader applications are now live on Purple Post.
Office of Student Activites holds annual Angel Tree event By Rachel Greene edge editor
Angels are a common ornament on Christmas trees.
PIXABAY.COM
As the holiday season quickly approaches, so does an initiative designed to ensure that as part of their annual Angel Tree event, the Office of Student Activities Leadership and Service graduate assistant, Cecilia Langill and Taylor Eggerton, respectively have collaborated with the Salvation Army in an effort to give back to Macomb community members in need. The concept is simple: a tree will be set up in the University Union Concourse near the computer lab. Students will be able
to take an angel off of the tree and can then log their name at the Union Service Desk near the bookstore. On each angel, a specific item will be listed that has been requested by someone in need, such as toys, clothes or anything that someone may need to help make their holiday season more enjoyable. The new, unwrapped gift items can be brought to the Office of Student Activities (OSA) before Dec. 6 at 4:30 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to take an angel and give a gift to someone less fortunate this holiday season. “Over the past few years, West-
ern Illinois University has been able to donate hundreds of gifts to the Macomb Community,” Eggerton said. “Angel Tree is an opportunity to spread the holiday spirit to the community of Macomb, which we get to call home during our time in college.” “Having participated in the Angel Tree the last two years, I’m excited to see it continuing this year,” Marc Ramirez said. “My organization typically chooses one angel a year to go all out on. It’s not only great to give back to the community but to be able to do it to spread some holiday cheer makes it so much better."
Correction: In Wednesday's "Open forum held to discuss racism on campus," the sentence that read "Another member of the faculty came to speak next and spoke about orientation and recruiting," was incorrect. This was not a faculty member, it was an admissions ambassador.
2 NEWS
Monday, November 18, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Student Government Association looks to bring bikeshare program By Marc Ramirez news editor
The Student Government Association along with the Western Illinois University Sustainability Committee wanted to find a way to make the Western community more eco friendly. One way decided to attempt this was by trying to bring a bike share or scooter share company. The group had John Langford from Spin Bikeshare Company speak to them via Zoom to discuss a potential campus partnership with the organization to make the campus more accessible as well as more alignment between Western and the Macomb community. Langford spoke to the fact that many organizations have decided to pair with their company due to the responsibility and accurate their system is. “We are primarily a smart scooter program but in the case Macomb we’ve been talking about a bike share program as well,”
WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall. Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press
Langford said. Spin Bikeshare is currently in 65 cities and now over 20 campuses. The company has recorded over 5 million rides, and according to Langford that number is quickly rising. Langford addressed safety concerns that were brought to the floor. Students voiced concerns on people riding scooters too fast in the campus mall and causing accidents or congestion in a highly populated area of campus. Langford responded by informing the group that the company along with university correspondence can restrict areas of ride as well as speed in certain zones across campus and the city. It was also voiced that the town is afraid of having bikes or scooters scattered across the town square, which could become a safety concern for Macomb nightlife. Langford explained that the town square would likely be a no parking zone, meaning that they scooter wouldn't timeout if left unattended and fees would still incur to deter
people from leaving them in those areas. The Student Government Association was informed that to use the scooter's one would have to download the app and pair their debit card or credit card. After that it is an initial fee of typically $1 and the trip would cost 24 cents per minute. Langford expressed that it is a cheap and convenient way to get around campus. However, it was expressed by members in attendance their fears of Macomb infrastructure not being able to handle this new technological advancement to the city. People shared that residents of Macomb sometimes dont salt or shovel their sidewalks and sometimes campus routes aren't always plowed in a timely or efficient fashion which could potentially lead to accidents. To learn more about the Spin Bikeshare company, reach out to a member of Student Government Association and express your comments, questions and concerns with them.
SPIN.COM
Spin Bikeshare company looks to start a pairing at Western Illinois University to bring a bike and scooter share program.
STAFF MEMBERS PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu
proofreader Mary Kilbourne
news editor Marc Ramirez
MC-Kilbourne@wiu.edu
MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu
photo editor Becca Langys
opinions editor Allison Young
RE-Langys@wiu.edu
AN-Young@wiu.edu
assistant photo editor Sara Remar
sports editor Bradley Piros
SE-Remar@wiu.edu
BJ-Piros@wiu.edu
production manager Jimmy Pierson
assistant sports editor Chris Bean
JM-Pierson@wiu.edu
CR-Bean@wiu.edu
business manager Janiya Haynes
edge editor Rachel Greene
J-Haynes2@wiu.edu
R-Greene2@wiu.edu
assistant business manager Nash Miller
copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz
NK-Miller@wiu.edu
A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu
advertising manager Tyler Hoffman
proofreader Alexis Lowe
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AL-Lowe@wiu.edu
adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu
The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.
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Monday, November 18, 2019
@WesternCourier
NEWS 3
Stuff the Bus brings in over 6,000 food donations MACOMB, IL – The fall "Stuff the Bus" food drive, held Nov. 6 at Western Illinois University, collected more than 6,000 nonperishable food items and nearly $2,500 in donations. The effort surpassed the Spring 2019 event by 260 food items and more than $1,250 in donations. The event was moved back to the fall season this year. The donations were given to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, the Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) Community Action Agency, the Salvation Army and the food pantry on the WIU campus. The event is put on each year by WIU student, faculty and staff volunteers, who collect and organize donations,
staff tables at local grocery stores and deliver the donations to local pantries. The annual food drive would not be possible without the help of Western Illinois University, for always hosting the food drive at Sherman Circle; the grocery stores (Walmart, Hy-Vee and Jackson Street Market) - Every store let the food collectors go inside and they each sell the Stop Hunger grocery bags, making it easy for people to donate; Hy-Vee does the "Shop & Share" fundraiser as well, and Walmart hosted a cookout; there could not be a "Stuff the Bus" without the Go West bus – they also let a bus sit at Hy-Vee on Make A Difference Day; Parking Services for partnering with the
first-ever Parking Citation Relief Day; Edison Elementary donated nearly 2,000 items; NTN Bower for their internal food drive in support of Stuff the Bus; Buffalo Wild Wings for hosting a fundraiser each year; Professor Susan Czechowski from the WIU art department, who printed t-shirts; local celebrities Colby Rhodd, Macomb Mayor Mike Inman, Terri Hare and Kunes Country's GM, Michael Dennis, who took Pie in the Face for donations; Kunes Country; and all the organizations and students who volunteered: BSA, Omega Psi Phi, Women's Rugby, GLAM Modeling, House Arrest 2, WU Food Pantry, Alpha Sigma Alpha, AMPLIFY, WAVE, ETL 535 Class, Elite
Beauty Dance Organization, National Broadcasting Society and 17 individual WIU students. The following departments showed support through an internal food drive: Parking Services; Human Resources; Office of Registrar; Veteran Affairs; University Marketing; Student Development and Success Center and Graduate Studies. The local business gift basket raffle would not have been possible without the following businesses: Joe Roselieb for the Colonel Rocky gift basket; No Place Like Home; Dr. Pepper; Pepsi; ProEdge Property Services; The Old Dairy; Lincoln Tattoo; Rubix Vaporizer's and Smoking Accessories; Chick-fil-A;
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Michael's Hair Design Salon; The Crafty Coop and Chicks on the Square. After being pied in the face, Inman came back and helped load the bus, along with WIU Interim President Martin Abraham and Rocky the Mascot. The planning of the event was done by the Sodexo Management Team, including Anna Filson and Jen Martin, and members of the catering team, Tulara Powell, Miranda McCoy, Brenda Foster, Denise Rogers, Nathan Rebman, Josh White, Caitlin Martindale and the truck driver, Michael Huston. Next year's food collection will be Oct. 24, 2020 and Nov. 4, 2020. Courtesy of University Relations
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YOU COULD BE THE NEXT WESTERN COURIER PRODUCTION MANaGER! The Western Courier is now hiring their next Production Manager for the Spring 2020 Semester.
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4
OPINIONS
Monday, November 18, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Undecid ed on your major? Consider teaching ! Many university students across the nation struggle to determine what major course of study and career path they should pursue. While completing their first year at the university, these students explore potential fields that might fit with their defined likes, skills and values. During this process, one field that often gets overlooked is the field of teaching. Although teaching was once a respected and popular profession (especially at Western which started as a teacher’s college), more recently there has been far less interest in choosing education among college students. This can likely be attributed to many of the negative attributes that are often associated with the teaching profession (e.g.
low annual salaries, little societal respect for the profession, larger class sizes under lower resources, etc.). However, might there also be some key benefits to selecting education as a career? Are some of the current problems getting any better? When considering a career in education, there are actually quite a few benefits when compared to other professions. One major benefit is the work schedule. Like many other professions, teachers typically work five days during the week from around 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, unlike many other professions, teachers rarely have to work on the weekends or be on call for evening or overnight shifts. They also tend to have more holidays scheduled
into their contracts than other professions do (Columbus Day, President’s Day, Martin Luther King Day). Teachers also tend to have summers off and longer winter and spring breaks than other professions. Thus, for those who value their time above other things, this might be a smart career choice. It would provide additional time for pursuing other hobbies or developing other skills. For those wanting to raise a family, it would ensure that you are available at the same time that your kids are (thus making it easier for you to attend all their extracurriculars and family events). For those who love traveling the world, it provides long lengths of time to schedule trips. Another benefit to teaching is the ability to make a difference in the lives of one’s students. Teachers are literally tasked with helping society’s youth develop the knowledge and skills to be beneficial contributors to society.
Although this can be a daunting and difficult challenge, the rewards of doing so are great. Being able to see the success of students you worked with, and knowing that you helped shape them can be a very satisfying feeling. Although our society in general doesn’t show our teachers the respect they deserve, individual students will always remember and respect the teachers who mentored them. One common reason people have for choosing not to pursue education is the low salary when compared to other professions. Although teacher salaries can vary widely, it is common for beginning teachers to have a salary anywhere from $25-30k annually. Obviously, when you have rent, bills and student loans to pay off, this low salary can seem like an easy deciding factor to choose another profession. However, there is some hope that some of the issues around low salary may be getting better. This past August,
Governor Pritzker signed legislation to increase the minimum salaries for teachers to $40,000 by 2023. This law came as a result of the current teacher shortage that is currently plaguing the state of Illinois. Although the obvious direct benefit of this law will be the increase in minimum salaries for current and future teachers in Illinois, another benefit is that the state is starting to understand the importance of the teaching profession to the success of our students and our state. Hopefully, the current troubles the state is facing will continue to help shape a more respectful and supportive environment for our teachers. So, if you are one of the many students who are unsure of what profession you want to pursue, and you value things like time and making a difference, I would strongly encourage you to consider a career in teaching. In doing so, you just might find that important and fulfilling career you’ve been looking for!
The fight between KSI and Logan Paul
On Saturday, Nov. 9, YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul fought for the second time in their pro-boxing debut; after watching the highlights and the overall aftermath for two inexperienced fighters, I believed it was a pretty good showcase. With months leading up to the fight, I saw press conferences, intense training camps and endless promotion, and the fact that they were becoming professionals made it very hard to resist. Both individuals have accomplished a lot when it pertains to social media. In the United Kingdom, KSI has attained a mass following from when he started posting videos of himself playing FIFA soccer on YouTube, to his comedy skits, his group called the Sidemen, and his music which has reached the U.K. charts. Logan started out on Vine,
along with his brother Jake Paul, where they became popular and then immediately transitioned to YouTube and replicated their success. Unfortunately, in early 2018, Logan received massive backlash for posting a dead body in Tokyo’s suicide forest and went on a hiatus. After KSI had defeated fellow YouTuber Joe Weller in his first amateur boxing match, he called out both Logan and Jake, and within months Logan had accepted the fight for Aug. 25, 2018. The fight unfortunately ended in a draw but had sold out the Manchester Arena and had garnered an impressive 1.2 million payper view buys. And now after more than a year, both competitors stepped into the ring for another fight. While their fighting abilities had improved, they were still very inexperi-
enced. KSI was throwing wild punches and Logan made the mistake of hitting KSI on the back of his head, which resulted in him losing two points. In the end, with a split decision, KSI was declared the winner. This fight, however, was criticized for having both of them as the main event for the card, while actual boxers like Devin Haney and Billy Joe Saunders were in the undercard. With the massive following both KSI and Logan have, the amount of new and younger viewers they were able to attract only makes sense for them to be the main event. This even attracted the likes of Justin Bieber, Wiz Khalifa and Rick Ross, and projections from DAZN already claim the fight to be its most watched ever, which is mind blowing from two YouTubers who just jumped in the sport of boxing a little over a year ago. Whatever you think of both KSI and Logan, you can’t deny that they made history for both boxing and social media influencers.
This is the second fight between Logan Paul and KSI.
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Disney+ takes the world by storm When I first subscribed to the streaming service, I was overwhelmed, thinking of all the nostalgia and the new exciting things and what is still to come in Disney+’s future. As far as content goes, as Mary Poppins would say, it’s practically perfect in every way. Well, almost every way.
Layout by: Devon Greene
CONT. E.2
Written by: Evan Williamson
E2 EDGE
Monday, November 18, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Disney+ lives up to the hype A lot of people have been talking about Disney+. I’ll be reviewing some of the different shows that are on it. I couldn’t help but notice a few things missing; a couple classics and TV shows that I want to see again, but hopefully those will come in time. Now if you’re like me, you might be wondering where to start and as you’re reading this, I’m probably still trying to figure it out. There seems to be a couple shows that would be better to stay away from for a bit due to episodes being out of order but other than that, what in the world should you watch? I would watch the Book of Pooh, then an episode of the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh or double up on them. Then it could be Gargoyles or Talespin, to sprin-
kle some of the new stuff in. I was going to watch the Mandalorian first, but I had to go with some New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; it’s an awesome show with the characters you love and it's hilarious when you’re older and is where I got the term “brunchfast” from. A few other shows that I would recommend watching are shows from Toon Disney. Back in the day, I could only watch some of these shows when me and my family were on vacation and would watch it in the hotel. Shows like Gargoyles, an awesome action/adventure cartoon with one of the best theme songs ever, are worth looking into. Mighty Ducks, the animated series where anthropomorphic ducks play hockey during the day and fight crime at night, along with the
Mighty Ducks movies is the reason kids from the 90s still have a soft spot for the Anaheim Ducks and NHL team. Another one of my favorites is the Adventures of Timon and Pumba. I grew up on the Lion King, so this was one of my favorite shows. Being able to see these shows and the shows I’ve heard of or watched a little bit as a kid warms my heart. It gives me a break from school and helps me not worry about the fact that I’m graduating soon. These are just the shows I’m recommending. It will take forever to go through everything you should watch and why. However, they do have a section on the website called Disney Through the Decades that has all the stuff that is available by each decade and as far as I’m concerned, TV series from the 80s and 90s are where it’s at. Well, I know you want to go back to your favorite shows and keep exploring, I do too. So, happy streaming and hopefully you can decide what you want to watch!
Ranging from cartoons to action, Disney Plus has it all.
Revolutionizing streaming services, Disney Plus incorporates contact from all branches of the Disney family.
QUORA.COM
TECHRADAR.COM WIKIPEDIA.ORG
E3 EDGE
Monday, November 18, 2019
WesternCourier.com
“Prank Encounters” redefines comedy shows Gavin Matarazzo, from the hit
show Stranger Things, has now created his own show, and it is stirring up a lot of controversies. Matarazzo’s new show is called Prank Encounters and it most definitely redefines what it means to be a prank show in 2019. With Matarazzo’s history of all things strange and terrifying it is no surprise that his prank show would be just that. Prank Encounters can be found on Netflix and has the show description as follows: “monstrous frights meet hilarious reveals on this hidden-camera prank show as real people become the stars
of their own full-blown horror movie.” The show lives up to its description on Netflix, that’s for certain. In this show, all but two people are actors. The real-life people (scare suspects) are separate at first but come together when the crisis of the prank is in full swing. The first episode of this supernatural hidden-camera show is called “Teddy Scare,” and that it truly was. The show had two prime suspects to scare and prank through its bizarre storyline, and that was a babysitter and a man who thought he was collecting donations. The baby-
sitter believed that she was just coming to watch a young girl for a mother ’s night away in the town but was in for much more. The mother soon makes it known to her that there will be donations picked up later that evening, and there is a heavy stress that the teddy bear her daughter loves must be taken. The mother explains that her daughter likes to pretend that the bear can come alive and that her daughter even believes that the bear is what killed her sister a year ago. The man doing donation pickups is under the impression that he is just on his first night on the job picking up donations from houses. He is en-route to a house when his partner begins to make the connection that at the house about a year prior, a big accident took place which resulted in the death of a young girl. The two unsuspecting victims come to-
gether when they need to collect all of the items from the house. The babysitter and donation man work to get each item on the list, but one item is harder than the rest: the teddy bear. Once the teddy bear is finally boxed up, weird occurrences begin to take place. The babysitter and donation man soon realize that the teddy bear is not where it had been left. It is not long before they see the teddy bear running around, and they witness it push one of the housemaids off the same balcony that the young girl was rumored to have died the year prior. Things really pick up when other stuffed animals come to life. When the show reaches its peak and it seems that the real-life victims may actually be in danger, Matarazzo bursts in the door, only to reveal it was all a prank, and that everyone in the room are actors with
hidden cameras. Now, it is easy to see why this show is so controversial. Is it really humane to put people in that traumatic of an experience without their consent all for a good laugh? Many critics think probably not. This is also why many people believe that everyone involved in the show are actors and that two actors just pretend to be real-life people. Which would make sense, I mean could we really justify a show that traumatizes people just for fun? Whether the show is real, staged, moral or immoral, it’s definitely something to consider checking out. So, if you’re a fan of the stranger things in life, or a fan of prank shows- Prank Encounters may be worth checking out. The first season can be found on Netflix, so I’ll let you judge for yourself on this one.
NETFLIX.COM
The controversial show stars Gavin Matarazzo, a star best known for his work in Stranger Things.
NETFLIX.COM
One episode features a nanny who is pranked with an evil teddy bear.
E4 EDGE
Monday, November 18, 2019
WesternCourier.com
Disney announces timeline through 2023
Disney just made a major announcement. The studios just announced new movies for all the way through 2023. The announcement included five additional Marvel films on top of two that fans already knew about, bringing the total to seven. However, Disney didn’t say what the five films were going to be. In addition to Marvel films, the studios announced that there will be 20 new untitled Fox films. This is a massive undertaking from the studios, both quantitywise and time-wise. This announcement comes within a week since the company released Disney+. It would be logical to assume that some of these films will
be released on the streaming platform. Some of the titles that were released with their release dates included Mulan, The Eternals and West Side Story. Two of the films that were just mentioned will be remakes with Mulan being reimagined into a live action film. This is the latest of remakes into live action films that Disney has made over the past couple of years. I’m excited for what Disney has in store. Starting off with the Marvel films, it looks to be jam packed in what is really a short time for the Marvel timeline. It was a smart move on Disney’s part to not say what films will be released when. As a Marvel fan, knowing when
new movies will come out, but not which ones on those dates, helps to draw me in. The movie timeline that they announced had a lot of intriguing options coming out for viewers, as well as some older films that are being remade. It’s nice seeing that while Disney may primarily be a children’s film company (as that is what their bread and butter has been), that they have films being released that will appeal to people of all ages. This isn’t a new concept for Disney, who has often released a schedule of their upcoming works over the last couple of years. This has usually benefited the studios, as it helps to draw interest early on in the process of the films. This release is no different. Already, fans have taken to social media to try and theorize what some untitled films will be, as well as giving support for their personal favorites.
Disney recently announced all movie releases through 2023, ranging from sequels to remakes to entirely new films..
IMDB.COM
The live action Mulan remake will be released on March 27, 2020.
THEWRAP.COM
OPINIONS 5
Monday, November 18, 2019
@WesternCourier
The problem with modern infrastructure  The state of disrepair in this country is astronomical. Highways and bridges that were built 50-60 years ago are in a state of disrepair with an average rating of D+. Some are on the verge of collapse, yet millions of Americans drive over them every day. Abandoned structures are numerous, taking up space and containing harmful substances that can be dangerous to the public if taken down. Houses that are built are not made to last,
unlike older homes made in the late 1800s to early 1900s. American infrastructure is not made to last, and it is costing the American citizens dearly. Buildings are the most prevalent problem, and the least talked about. Most buildings in America that are still standing today were built in the 1900s. There are still some buildings that were built in the 1800s that are either historical sites or have been renovated to become more mod-
ernized. The problems with buildings that were built before 1977 is that they were built using materials that had asbestos, which are minerals that, when breathed in, can cause cancers pertaining to the lungs and chest lining. The effects of asbestos are not noticeable at first, and the symptoms can pop up decades later starting with breathing difficulties and ending in cancer. The damages cannot be reversed and will lead to death. Most people are not aware of asbestos and its causes or where it is located. Owning a home or being in a building that was made before 1977 can be quite dangerous if the asbestos is not re-
moved. Children can grow up in homes laced with it, causing difficulties later in life. Most buildings in America were built before this time. Asbestos was banned in building materials in 1977, but it is still prevalent in America. A major concern is that many buildings in America are filled with asbestos and people are working or living in areas which are contaminated, not realizing its harmful effects until it is too late. Children are playing in schools and breathing in the harmful particles because there is not enough money to go around to decontaminate schools from it. A majority of colleges in America were built in the late 1800s to early 1900s, and while several
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renovations have been made to improve the schools over their 100+ year run, not all buildings have been cleared of the harmful minerals that are causing damage to the students and faculty who reside on campus. It is important to know the state of your school, home and workplace to know if it is safe to breathe the air there. From asbestos to lead paint to the state of the water, it is beneficial to know how many harmful substances are in the places that you spend the most time in. It affects everyone, and no one wants themselves or their loved ones to get sick because of poor building materials and the lack of accessibility to proper materials to keep
Contact Allison Young
AN-Young@wiu.edu Editorial Policy
The editorial views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editorial presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editorial board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.
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E-mail letters to the Editor and Local Forum messages to micour@wiu.edu. Letters should not be more than 350 words in length. The author’s name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Failure to include such information will lead to the letter being discarded. The WC staff will edit letters in cases of timeliness, obscenity length and grammer, and we do not guarantee publication of all letters.
2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board
Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young
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Monday, November 18, 2019
SPORTS
WesternCourier.com
Volleyball wraps up regular season
Football from back page
The Saluki defense made another game changing play on the next possession. After the Leathernecks were able to get to first and goal at the two yard line, they sacked Sampson to push Western back to the 12 yard line on second down. On third down, they got another sack but this time they were able to force another fumble and take over on the 22 yard line. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass but after a review, they changed the call. After a 53-yard rush by Davis, Javon Williams Jr. punched it in from one yard out to again extend the lead to 24-7. On the following possession, once again, pressure was put on Sampson and the Salukis forced another fumble. Williams Jr. scored his second touchdown on an eight-yard run and 31-7 is where the game sat entering the 4th. On their first drive of the fourth, the Leathernecks attempted to spark a comeback. Sampson found Dennis Houston from 11 yards out for his second passing touchdown of the day. Houston made an incredible catch, pinning the ball to the back of the Saluki defenders helmet and bringing it down with possession. Interestingly, the Leathernecks kicked the extra point instead of going for two and it was 31-14. Williams Jr. and Davis on the ensuing drive did all the work as Davis once again found the endzone to make it 38-14. Once again, Sampson led the Leathernecks down the field, completing several passes including an 18-yard play to Wahee on a 4th and 4. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Sampson threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this time to Clint Ratkovich who found himself wide open. After a failed onside kick by the Leathernecks, Williams Jr. scored once again to make it 45-21 Salukis which is where the scoring stopped. Sampson finished the day completing 22 of 36 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a pick and fumbled it three times while being sacked five times. On the other side, Kare Lyles finished 12 for 18 for 144 yards and a pick. Williams Jr. threw two passes and completed them both for 48 yards. The Salukis found a lot of success on the ground. D.J. Davis took the ball 31 times and ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Williams Jr. ran the ball 19 times for 149 yards and three touchdowns. On the Western side, Norris carried it 16 times for 75 yards to lead the Leathernecks. Landon Lenoir, the younger brother of Leatherneck legend Lance Lenoir, had a big day catching five balls for 114 yards. Wahee led Leatherneck receivers in yards with 77 on two catches, while Dennis Houston led the team in catches with seven, getting 52 yards on those catches. The Leathernecks finish their season next week in Cedar Falls as they take on Northern Iowa. Southern Illinois will finish their season against North Dakota State and then will await to see if they are playoff bound.
By David Koier courier staff DENVER — The Western Illinois volleyball team closed out the regular season this weekend with home matches against the Coyotes of South Dakota and the Pioneers of the University of Denver. The 2019 regular season Summit League champions, SDU, started the night off strong, scoring the first point of the match off of a Madison Jurgens service ace. That ace sparked a run that allowed the Coyotes to put Western into a 9-4 hole that the Leathernecks wouldn’t recover from. Elle Shult slammed a kill down to put the Leathernecks on the board once again, closing in on the Coyotes 9-5. USD wouldn’t allow the Leathernecks to come any closer for the rest of the set. Taking seven of the last 10 points, the Coyotes were able to topple Western 25-18 in set one. Western came out swinging in set two, taking an early 9-5 lead of their own. Western wouldn’t let the Coyotes
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Aubrey Putman gets down low for a dig inside Western Hall.
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Cassie Hunt in motion to serve the ball over the net.
within three for the rest of the set and despite a late three point rally late in the set, Western was able to snag set two 25-20. With their loss of set two, the Coyotes had a nine consecutive set victory streak snapped. Having a streak like that ended, the Coyotes came back in the next two sets with a vengeance. USD was able to secure the match victory with a 25-16 win in set three and a 25-18 set four victory. Western was led offensively by Aubrey Putman who was able to slam down nine kills in the 3-1 loss. Western was able to outblock the Coyotes 14-5 with Mackenzie Steckler recording 11 followed by Mariah Mitchell who had eight of her own. Fast forward to Sunday afternoon as the Leathernecks faced off against the Pioneers on Senior Day at Western Hall. Set one began with five straight Western points coming off of a kill by Mitchell and three straight service aces by Cassie Hunt. Denver responded with four straight of their own, beginning with a kill by Tina Boe followed by three straight Western attacking errors. It was back
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Mackenzie Steckler celbrates after scoring a point.
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JoJo Jruize goes up near the net to try and block a shot.
and forth between both squads until Denver went on another five point streak, taking the lead 15-14. An attacking error by Boe tied the game up at 15 apiece, but that was only the beginning of the end for Western. Denver would go on to record 10 points highlighted by three Denver kills, a service ace and five straight Western attacking errors allowing Denver to take set one 25-15. The second set didn’t provide any comfort for the Purple and Gold either as Denver was able to dominate once again, taking the set 25-17. The third set saw Western keep it close and bring the score to 13-12 in favor of the Pioneers. Denver was able to catch their spark once again and score seven straight to take a 20-12 lead in a deficit that Western could not recover. A kill by Lydia Bartalo sealed the 25-21 victory and the sweep for the Pioneers. Western ends the season with a 6-23 overall record and a 3-13 conference record. Western says its thank you’s and goodbyes to three seniors this season in Steckler, JoJo Kruize and Riley Schumacher.
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Mariah Mitchell gets ready for the upcoming serve.
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Riley Schumaker jumps up and spikes the ball.
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Myles Garrett hit with record breaking suspension
Mason Rudolph has a new nickname, or a few. "The astronaut", not because his intelligence is beyond measure or how he flies upward, but rather because he has spent a significant amount of time seeing stars. Rudolph has been at the center of attention since his primetime appearance against the Browns on Thursday night. Mainly because Myles Garrett decided to hit him over the head with his own helmet. Here is what transpired. First, Garrett rushed Rudolph, trying to tackle him and ended up hitting him hard, bringing him to the ground and ended up on top of him facing each other. He continued to use his weight to pin Rudolph down as Rudolph started bickering. Words were exchanged, and Rudolph made a reach for Garrett’s helmet. Garrett felt his helmet begin to come off his head because of Rudolph’s effort and began to retaliate by
grabbing at Rudolph’s helmet. David Decastro at this point, a Steelers lineman, began to try and push Garrett away from Rudolph. Garrett was not to be denied as he ripped the helmet of Rudolph’s head with his right hand and swung it over his head at Rudolph’s temple. The bottom of the helmet made contact, not causing serious injury, but rattling Rudolph. At this time, Garrett was pushed to the ground being attacked by Decastro and fellow lineman Marcuise Pouncey. They kicked at Garrett and punched him as they watched him throw a blatant attack at their quarterback. Since then, Pouncey has been suspended three games, and Garrett has been suspended indefinitely with a definite ban going through the rest of this season and postseason. The first time Rudolph was seeing stars was against rival team the Baltimore Ravens. Safety Earl Thomas rushed Rudolph and hit him just under the chin
strap of the helmet, knocking Rudolph unconscious on the field for several moments. For the entire Pittsburgh community, it was a scary moment. To watch what could be your future quarterback knocked out on the field is nothing short of horrendous. Now, once again he has been violently hit on the head in an event that has never been seen on an NFL field. Rudolph was even given the option to press charges against Garrett but decided not to. Garrett has issued an apology towards Rudolph, his team and Cleveland as a whole. The issue has been put to rest; Garret received his punishment, apologies have been issued and the world can move on. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers fear moments like this more than most teams. It is a direct reminder of how injuries can derail an entire career. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost one of their best players a few years ago to a back injury that might have ended the player’s career. Ryan Shazier attempted to tackle a player and compressed his spine to the point where he was temporarily paralyzed. Through extensive rehabilitation, he
can now walk, but football is a long dream away. This hit was just another reminder of how the violence in the NFL, while necessary, can ultimately alter a man’s life forever. When Garrett swung that helmet at Rudolph, the same fear was encapsulated around the entire world. People saw the potential damage that Garrett could have caused. This ultimately is the reason for Garrett’s suspension, the longest for a single event in NFL history. Rudolph, in his second year in the NFL, has now seen an NFL veteran’s fair share of hard hits. In other words, his training as a Steeler is going well. For years, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers knew that defenses would throw their hardest hits against him. Simply because his nickname is Big Ben and it took the hard hits to bring him down. Now Rudolph is at the center of attention and will be receiving those big hits that were typically aimed at Big Ben. In essence, this is Pittsburgh football: hard hits and a hard hitting group of people. This might be just what the Steelers needed to turn their season around.
Myles Garrett blocks an opposing player.
Mason Rudolph looks towards the bench.
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Will Colin Kaepernick get another oppurtunity? Christopher bean assistant sports editor @cre_bean
Three years. That’s how long it took for Colin Kaepernick to even get a workout in front of NFL teams. Putting all the politics aside, it was a long time coming that NFL teams even considered looking at Kaepernick. Early last week, the NFL announced that they would host a workout (tryout in Kaepernick’s case) in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday. Just like the controversy surrounding Kaepernick over the years, it followed him Saturday two hours before his workout. Kaepernik decided to move the workout to Charles Drew High School because originally the NFL wanted a closed workout, meaning no media, and more importantly for Kaepernick, no cameras. It made all the sense in the world for him to move the workout so he could film his practice because he has no game film from the last three years. With the NFL suddenly announcing the workout out of nowhere and giving Kaepernick less than a week’s notice to prepare, many people are thinking this was a PR stunt by the NFL, including former teammate Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick in the kneeling during the National Anthem. Reid
said it was a PR stunt during the week, and it’s hard to disagree with him considering the League did not want cameras
outset, Mr. Kaepernick requested a legitimate process and from the outset the NFL league office has not provided one,” Ben Meiselas and Jeff Nalley said (Kaepernick’s attorney and agent). With the workout not being affiliated with the NFL because Kaepernick moved it, only eight teams showed up. Originally,
Colin Kaepernick throws a ball down field during an open practice.
preventing Kaepernick to have film. Of course, Kaepernick was aware of that and eventually made the change. “From the
all 32 teams were reported to show up, but only one third of them did. After the workout, Kaepernick was adamant that
he should be on a team. “I’ve been ready for three years, I’ve been denied for three years. We all know why I came out to show you today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide. So we’re waiting on the 32 owners, the 32 teams, Roger Goodell all of them to stop running, stop running from the truth, stop running from the
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people,” Kaepernick said. There is no doubt that Kaepernick has the talent to be in the NFL. He led the San
Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012-13 season. However, that is not the reason he is not on a team playing on Sundays. It was his decision to take a knee during the National Anthem in 2016 that led him to this point. Whether you supported it or not, that single decision he made has cost him a spot on an NFL roster. The workout came three years after his last snap in the NFL, and is the first time that the NFL tried to support Kaepernick, but became unaffiliated when the workout was moved. So the next question is: will the NFL do a better job to find him a job? And will any team be willing to sign him? Although the talent and experience is there, three years is probably too long for him to get on a roster. And not only that, but all of the attention he will get from the media. So if and only if the NFL continues to help, will any team budge and end up signing him? Kaepernick has undeniable talent, but it is surrounded by massive controversy. He has more playoff wins than eight franchise quarterbacks: Matt Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff, and has the same amount of playoff wins as that group combined. Will he ever get a second chance in this league? And if he does, how long will he have to continue to wait?
Women's basketball loses to red-hot Boilermakers By Devon Greene editor in cheif WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Western Illinois women’s basketball team made their way to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on the Purdue University Boilermakers on Sunday. The matchup was the Leathernecks’ third game in six days. After a hardfought game, the Leathernecks were unable to take down the Boilermakers on their home court, losing 66-59. Purdue came into the matchup against Western Illinois with an undefeated 2-0 record with double digit wins in their first two matchups. They have held their first two opponents to an average of 44.5 points a game and 27.4 percent from the field, both second place in the Big 10, behind Rutgers. Coming off their worst shooting game of the season, the Leathernecks had a tough road ahead of them in Mackey Arena. Leatherneck head coach JD Gravina spoke about the mental toughness of his team going forward after their win over the Sycamores on Thursday. “Most of my coaching is on mental toughness,” Gravina said. “We’ll really have to have a tough game against Purdue when you go in a venue like that. They’ll have a pretty good crowd and it can get away from you in a hurry if you don’t have mental and physical toughness.” The status of sophomore forward Evan Zars was a big concern for the Leathernecks after she was forced to leave their last game after an apparent head injury. Zars was able to play and had a strong first quarter recording three rebounds, one assist and one block. Redshirt senior guard Annabel Graettinger lead the way in terms of scoring with six points. She was followed by redshirt freshman Carla Flores and senior guard Olivia Kaufmann who had two points a piece. The Boilermakers led 15-10 to
close out the first quarter. Purdue extended their lead in the second quarter behind the scoring from senior guard Dominique Oden. Oden is second in scoring for the Boilermakers this year, averaging 13.5 points per game. She recorded 12 points in the first half with nine of those coming in the second quarter. The Leathernecks’ shooting slump from their last matchup against the Sycamores continued into the first half as they got off to a slow 0-10 start from behind the line. Western shot a season low 18.2 percent from behind the arch in the 83-72 win over Indiana State. Senior forward Kyra Washington hit the Leathernecks’ first three-pointer at the 3:22 mark in the second quarter to end the drought. Western Illinois hit one more three-pointer in the second quarter, their only two of the half. The Purdue defense kept a stranglehold on Western Illinois’ offense, holding them to 16.2 percent from behind the line and 31.4 percent from the field. On the defensive side for the Leathernecks, they held Purdue to 44.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the line. The Boilermakers took a 33-24 lead into halftime after Oden hit a big three with 20 seconds left in the half. Graettinger was on top of the scoring column for the Leathernecks in the first half with nine points. The Leathernecks struck first in the second half on a layup by Zars. It was a defensive showcase to start the third quarter as both teams started 0-6. Zars recorded two blocks for the Leathernecks in the quarter and Purdue’s senior forward Ae’Rianna Harris answered with two of her own. Purdue answered quickly as junior guard Karissa McLaughlin recorded four straight points to give the Boilermakers their largest lead of the game at 37-26. The two teams closed out the third quar-
ter with a back and forth battle as a buzzer-beating floater kept Western Illinois within striking distance going into the final quarter of play with the Boilermakers nursing a 49-40 lead. The Leathernecks kept the pressure on the Boilermakers, hitting two three-point jumpers in the first three minutes of the quarter that shrunk the lead to 55-50. After a three by redshirt sophomore guard Danni Nichols, Purdue called a timeout to regroup. Regroup they did as they went on a 6-0 run to push the lead back up to 61-50. Graettinger broke up the run with a three-point play which brought the lead back down to eight. Even with a late rally after a made three by Graettinger, the Leathernecks were unable to pull off the comeback and recorded their second loss of the season. The Boilermakers dominated the glass all game, grabbing 56 reouds to the Leathernecks’ 34. The Boilermakers snagged 18 offensive rebounds with junior guard Tamara Farquhar and Oden accounting for 13, more than Western Illinois recorded as a team. Graettinger led the Leathernecks in scoring all night, recording 18 points and shooting 50 percent from the field. Nichols and redshirt junior Sam Pryor followed with nine and seven, respectively. Zars recorded a game high five blocks and a team high six assists. For the Boilermakers, Oden took home top spot in the scoring column with 16 points. She was followed by Harris with 14 points and Farquhar with 13. Harris also led Purdue in blocks with three and grabbed a game high 17 rebounds. For the Leathernecks, their next game will be on Wednesday back at home against the Bradley Braves. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside Western Hall. Twitter: @starewaytodevon
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Evan Zars looks to make a pass into the paint.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Annabel Graettinger backpedals to play defense.
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Oivia Kaufmann tries to get an open look.
Football loses to SIU Salukis on Senior Day By Zach Remelius courier staff
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Connor Sampson throws an off balance pass.
MACOMB, Ill. — The Fighting Leathernecks lost to Southern Illinois 45-21 on Saturday on Hanson Field in their final home game of the season. With the loss, the Leathernecks fall to 1-10 on the season and 1-6 within the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Salukis improved to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Leathernecks celebrated 13 seniors who were playing their final home game in the Purple and Gold. The game started off dreadfully for the Leathernecks. On the opening kickoff, Justin Hall fumbled it and the Salukis took over on the Leatherneck 24 yard line. The defense stepped up and after a couple first downs, they stopped SIU four times from inside the two yard line, taking over on downs. After the Leathernecks had to punt,
the Salukis took the ball right down the field and SIU running back D.J. Davis ran it in from 13 yards out and the score was 7-0. The Leathernecks were able to move the ball a bit on their next drive, added by a roughing the punter penalty. They had to punt again and the Salukis had the ball. The Leathernecks’ defense made a play and forced a fumble. The offense, though, couldn’t make it count as they fumbled it right back. On the following drive, the Salukis kicked a field goal, extending their lead to 10-0. After another Leatherneck punt, the Western Illinois defense made another stop. It was time for the Leatherneck special teams to make a play. They blocked the ensuing punt attempt and Leathernecks had the ball all of a sudden at the Saluki 10 yard line. The Southern Illinois defense matched the goal line stop the Leathernecks had earlier and stopped running back Max
Norris on four straight rushes to keep it 10-0. After a couple of punts, the Leathernecks took over, needing a score. Connor Sampson flipped it out wide to George Wahee who got a big block that sprung him 59 yards for the touchdown. That was the final score of the half as it was 10-7 when both teams headed to the locker room. The third quarter was where the game fell apart for the Leathernecks. The Salukis got the ball first and, in a sign of things to come, were able to march down the field. They were held to a field goal attempt to which SIU kicker Nico Gualdoni missed. After another Leatherneck punt, the Salukis got the ball back and after a couple big plays, Avante Cox was able to run it in from nine yards out and push the lead to 17-7.
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