Sports: Russell Wilson is the most valuable player
Opinions: Thoughts on the Macomb Starbucks
UNIVERSITY.
WesternCourier.com
Friday, October 9, 2020 - Vol. 121 Issue 13
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COVID-19 causes local businesses to close By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief
While struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 epidemic, many restaurants and businesses in Macomb have been forced to reduce hours, staff or shut down altogether. The Subway on East Jackson Street suddenly permanently shut down earlier this week. In Macomb, people have become accustomed to having two Subways, one located on West Jackson Street and one on East Jackson Street. There is an additional Subway located inside Walmart, but
the others are standalone. Now, only one standalone location remains. No notice was given in advance of the closure, but the sign outside the restaurant reads, “Thank you Macomb for a great 30 years.” It has not been disclosed why the restaurant closed, but COVID-19 likely played a role. While this is the most recent closure of a business in the Macomb community, it is not the only one. All restaurants in the area were impacted by the Executive Order made by JB Pritzker, ordering people to stay at home except for essential reasons, but many have
The Subway in Macomb closed after 30 years.
Sports on Page 4: Trey Lance declares for NFL draft
continued to struggle over the course of the past few months. Lex Buffet posted in the McDonough County Restaurant Daily Specials page on Facebook last week, “We thank you for your business. We cannot continue to operate due to the epidemic. We are sorry to announce that we will be permanently closed!” The business which opened this past June was operating at half capacity. The Whytehouse is another restaurant that has taken a hit amid the COVID-19 epidemic. While they opted not to close their doors, they are operating at a lesser
scale than usual. Restaurant owner Mable Kreps wrote, “After much consideration, The Whytehouse has debated the pros and cons of closing our doors and have decided to stay open for indoor dining, take out and curbside pickup... we will continue to service at limited capacity, socially distance and wear masks to help protect our staff and customers.” As of Wednesday, Vitale’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria was forced to close temporarily due to a positive COVID-19 test among their staff. Owner Julie Vitale Dienst wrote, “We have had a
staff member test positive for COVID. Some of us have to quarantine until the 20th and since we have such a small staff we have to close for the duration.” Existing businesses may be struggling, but other new businesses continue to brave the economic terrain in order to open their doors, such as Starbucks and Craving Chicago food truck. Information on the current hours and status of all local businesses and restaurants can be found on the macombareachamber.com website, this list is constantly updated and new businesses are added regularly.
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Opinions on Page 3: Comparing books and movies
NEWS 2
Friday, October 9, 2020
WesternCourier.com
Virtual Homecoming weekend MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois University's Homecoming Part I – a virtual celebration – happens this weekend (Oct. 9-10), with Part II scheduled (tentative-
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
ly scheduled as in-person events), April 16-17, 2021. This year's virtual Virtual Old Stompin' Ground Runaround can be completed anywhere and anytime that
day. Choose to run, walk, jog or workout on a treadmill to complete the 5K. Submit a photo of yourself in your WIU gear for a chance to be featured on the WIU Alumni
Association's social media accounts. Visit wiu.edu/ alumni/race.php on how to participate and submit your race time. To register without a t-shirt purchase, email
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The pros and cons of having a Starbucks in Macomb Being the avid Starbucks lover that I am, I’m so happy to say that Macomb is home to not one, but two Starbucks locations. I spend entirely too much of my money buying Starbucks on a weekly basis, but lately I have been wondering if my money should be spent elsewhere. The city of Macomb is also home to three locally owned coffee shops that provide just as many drink and snack options that Starbucks does. I think that there are pros
and cons to having both local coffee shops and nation wide coffee shops in this town, but the real question is, which is the better choice? Starbucks is a nationally recognized company that has been around since the 1970’s. It all started in Seattle, Washington and grew from there. Now, present day, there are over 30,000 locations that are operated in 70 different countries. This just shows how well known the company
of Starbucks truly is. Having and purchasing coffee from the Starbucks in Macomb has many perks, such as the reward system they offer. If you pay through the app on a cellular phone, you can earn “stars” and it unlocks free things such as drinks, snacks and even merchandise. With Macomb being such a small town, I think it is a blessing that we also get to have Starbucks. I come from a town that is pretty small and it takes me almost 25 minutes to arrive at a Starbucks. I would say that it brings a lot of people from surrounding towns to the area as well. While there are pros of getting coffee at Starbucks, the biggest con is that it takes away revenue from the locally owned coffee shops that we have
in town. I can think of three small coffee shops that Macomb has: The Study, Sullivan Taylor Coffee House and Bold Brew House. I am sure that these small businesses are getting some sort of revenue from the people of Macomb, but I do not think it is nearly as close as to how many people shop at Starbucks. There is a huge pricing difference in these places and that means something for a broke college student like myself. Shopping locally is extremely important, especially to the small city of Macomb. Everyone always talks about how there is nothing here to do or places to go eat, but supporting small businesses like these coffee shops is what makes
Macomb a unique place. When we shop local, we are supporting people who have lived here and worked extremely hard to make their home a better place. We are supporting them and the city where we go to school. Overall, I think that I will personally start giving the local coffee shops in Macomb a try instead of going to Starbucks. I have come to recognize the importance of shopping locally in the town that supports my school. Of course, I am always going to love Starbucks, but after this year I will no longer be able to contribute to this town as much as I can right now. Supporting small businesses is what is super important to not only Macomb, but the people who reside here as well.
Reading is superior to watching movies
We all know someone that claims to enjoy a piece of literature over a film. I have to agree with those people, and I will explain why. Before continuing, I have to admit that a book and reading, in general, is limited to a certain amount of realism that film has, and in that way, film can seem superior. Although, my argument will not change in the slightest and I shall still take the side of the written word. When someone is reading something, whether they mean to or not, the person takes in the tone that the author is writing in. So, as long as the reader is engaged, they can enjoy the information and storytelling without the distraction of an annoying voice, ugly design or other distracting visuals and audio that come with a film. If you have ever read a book then saw that book adapted into a film or a show, you probably were dis-
appointed to some degree by the way the director interpreted the source material. This happenes because your inner thoughts and opinions on the material do not align with the director. Since you have no say in the making of the film or show, you are bound by the reality in front of you. It is also important to mention that the author must be adept at explaining, conveying and building a scene that allows the reader to understand and visualize the material being read. A book can be bad just like a film could be bad. Poor writing is very easy to come by and is a skill that very few master. Take The Avengers movies for example. I personally enjoyed all the films, but another individual may not like how one of the characters was interpreted or simply the actor voicing the superheroes. Not to mention, the superhero realm is one that is enveloped with
turns and alternate scenarios, so a director has a lot of source materials to sift through. I believe that anyone and anything will be criticized, but writing, in my opinion, will have less backlash because there is room for interpretation. That is why whenever you are in an English class, they constantly ask you to expand on the meaning of the text because everyone has an individualized opinion based on their personal experiences. Writing is a delicate thing and those who take the time to read and understand the feeling of being enveloped in it. The film should not be ignored or disregarded because it has its place and amplifies all of the things I expressed with reading. Although, it was only possible with the effort, the care and patience of an author that was willing to convey a story through their words. A foundation is always needed when creating something, whatever that may be, and reading is no different. Everyone may not be interested in reading multiple pages, but remember that those pages may be a part of something you took for granted.
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Some people prefer reading a good book over watching a movie.
NDSU quarterback Trey Lance declares for NFL Draft
North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance will forgo his final seasons with the Bison and enter next year ’s NFL Draft. Lance, a oneyear starter at NDSU, is a projected first-round pick in the draft. This past Saturday, Lance ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more in
a 39-28 victory over Central Arkansas, the only game on the Bison’s fall schedule. In his first season as a starter at NDSU, Lance set the NCAA all-division record for passing attempts in a season without an interception with 287. He led the Bison to an undefeated season with 2,786 passing yards and 28 touch-
downs while recording 1,100 yards and 14 more touchdowns on the ground. He helped lead North Dakota State to the first 16-0 season in college football since 1894 and an FCS national championship with a 28-20 victory against James Madison. Lance was named most outstanding player for that game after tossing only 72 yards but leading the team in rushing with 166 yards and a 44-yard rushing touchdown. After the conclusion of the 2019 season, Lance was awarded the Walter Payton
Award as the top offensive player in the FCS and the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman, becoming the first player to earn both honors. According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, Lance is projected as the third-best quarterback available in next year ’s draft behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. The Missouri Valley Football Conference released its conference-only schedule on Sept. 24, and for the first time since 2012, the North Dakota State Bison and
Western Illinois Leathernecks will not face off in the regular season. Lance led the Bison in defeating the Leathernecks last season in Fargo 57-21. Western Illinois still looks to have a tough road ahead of them, opening the season in Vermillion on Feb. 19 against the South Dakota Coyotes. The following three matchups for the Leathernecks pin them against three teams who ended last season in the Top 25 of the FCS coaches poll: at Illinois State (March 6), vs Northern Iowa (March 13) and at South Dakota State (March 20).
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Trey Lance rolls out to his right looking for a running lane.
Russell Wilson deserves his first MVP Christopher bean sports editor @cre_bean
Russell Wilson is the best player in the NFL. Yes, I said it. I know Patrick Mahomes may be the most talented, but what Wilson has done over his career and in the first four games of the season has proved that he is the best player in the league. Mahomes may have the better overall team, but Wilson has taken over this team and
the league. With the “Legion of Boom” no longer in Seattle, the Seahawks now rely on Wilson and the offense. With one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL, the Seahawks have scored 31 or more points in all of their games. Wilson held the league record, throwing the most touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season with 14 and breaking Mahomes' 2018 record when he
won the MVP. Wilson’s performances in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Patriots and Cowboys led to his historic performances when he threw for five touchdowns in back-to-back games. Wilson now has 16 touchdowns, 1,285 passing yards, 75.2 completion percentage and 82.8 QBR. Wilson has thrown for over 300 yards in three games and 288 yards against the Patriots. However, in his game against the Patriots, Wilson had his highest QBR at 88.0. He had his lowest QBR, 68.7, last week against the Dolphins where he threw for a year-high 360 yards. It’s crazy to think that the nine-year veteran has never once received an MVP vote.
He’s thrown 30 or more touchdowns in four of the previous five seasons. He’s already over the halfway point and the season is only a quarter of the way through. He’s on pace for 64 touchdowns and over 5,00 yards passing. With his second-year rising superstar wide receiver DK Metcalf and former First Team All-Pro Tyler Lockett, Wilson has never had better weapons in his life. Metcalf has 403 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Lockett has 298 yards and four touchdowns. They are also on pace for monster years and may be the best wide receiving duo in the league.
Wilson has made a career of making everyone around him better, even when he wasn’t at his best. His whole career he’s had a weak offensive line and an inconsistent throwing game due to the lack of weapons. Not anymore. Along with Metcalf and Lockett, the Seahawks traded for Pro Bowl left tackle Duane last year and have running back Chris Carson whose been productive if he can stay healthy. Now that Wilson has more pieces, he’s been tearing the league up. He’s on pace for the best season in league history, and don’t be surprised when he wins his first ever NFL MVP.