Western Courier| October 19th, 2020

Sports: Tony Tate takes the field again

Opinions: Celebrating Halloween during a pandemic

UNIVERSITY.

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Monday, October 19, 2020 - Vol. 121 Issue 14

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Discrepencies in COVID-19 dashboards

By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief

As Western Illinois University reopened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID Dashboard was created to report cases among students on campus. While the data collected is technically correct, some technical flaws cause it to misrepresent the state of the pandemic on campus.

Joseph Roselieb, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services and Risk Management for the University said, “If a student is tested at MDH and is positive, the results are reported to the McDonough County Health Department and with the Beu Health

Center. The positive result is then counted as part of the County's dashboard, which has WIU broken out independently from the municipality of Macomb and other surrounding communities within the county. The positive case is not incorporated as part of the WIU specific dashboard, because MDH does not also provide us with the negative tests that they perform involving WIU community members. Once we receive the positive case information at Beu Health Center, we then make contact and begin to work with them on relocating and beginning our isolation process.”

Because there are various options for COVID testing

and not every student is testing through the University, there are discrepancies between the Western Illinois University COVID Dashboard and the McDonough County COVID Dashboard.

The campus dashboard provides a more focused view of student test results, whereas the McDonough County one focuses on all citizens.

There is not a dashboard that perfectly encapsulates the number of students who have tested for COVID-19 both on and off-campus.

The Western Courier has reported numbers based on the Western Illinois University Dashboard but will be reporting using combined data from both dashboards from

this point forward.

When asked how he would describe the state of our campus at the moment in relation to COVID-19, Roselieb said, “For the most part I have been pleased with our campus response in relation to many things that we have put into place this semester and the cooperation from our students, staff and faculty members. The pandemic is totally uncharted waters for everyone, so while there have been some things we have had to go back and adjust, I believe our plan has been successful. As we enter week nine of the semester, I do feel that campus is entering a state of ‘COVID fatigue,’ where everything is

becoming quite passive and we are starting to get lax in what we are doing. Our goal to get through the semester is nearly within sight, so I would encourage everyone in the campus community to remember to do their selfchecks each day, wear their face coverings both inside and out, and most importantly we need them to participate in testing. If everyone does these things, we will be successful.”

To see the Western Illinois University COVID Dashboard, go to http://www. wiu.edu/covid-dashboard/.

To see the McDonough County Dashboard, go to http://www.mchdept.com/ index.php/covid-19-2/.

government organizations and health leaders, our goal is to make hearing healthcare services more accessible for people around the world. Today we continue to travel the globe helping people in need, and to date have given the gift of hearing in more than 100 countries.”

While the Starkey Hearing Foundation is close to members of Delta Zeta’s hearts now, it is a fairly recent addition to the sorority’s philanthropic family. Delta Zeta has always supported initiatives for hearing but added the Foundation as an official partner in 2015.

“In 2006, Delta Zeta’s National Convention voted to make Starkey Hearing Foundation a philanthropic partner,” deltazeta.org reads, “In 2015, Delta Zeta named Starkey Hearing Foundation as our National Philanthropy Partner. Since 2015, 51 Delta Zeta members have volunteered on international hearing mission trips in 11 countries with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.”

Delta Zeta President McKenna Campbell said, “Delta Zeta decided to continue our ‘Cheesy with DZ’ macaroni and cheese event for the Starkey Hearing Foundation because

even though COVID has flipped our world upside down, Starkey still continues to give hearing aids to the less fortunate. This year instead of coming into our house, we will be having a drive-through event at our house, 537 W. Elting Street, Macomb, Ill. To get a ticket ahead of time, please contact me (m-campbell@wiu. edu) or our Philanthropy Chair Natalie Mota at (nmota@wiu.edu). We hope to see you all in the drive-thru line with your masks on and hungry stomachs!”

The drive-thru and this event have been approved

by Western Illinois Univer-

sity as being in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.

Typically, the event would be a sit-down meal, but this is no longer plausible given the current state of the virus.

Delta Zeta encourages all students, not just those involved in the Greek community, to attend this event to help support this cause.

For those who are wishing to attend the drive-thru event, tickets are $4 if purchased in advance from any Delta Zeta member or $6 at the door. The event will be located at 537 W. Elting St. at the Delta Zeta Chapter House.

"Cheesy with DZ"

By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief

Delta Zeta is hosting their annual “Cheesy with DZ” philanthropy event on Oct. 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The philanthropy event began as a way to give back to Delta Zeta’s National Philanthropic Organization, the Starkey Hearing Foundation. According to the Starkey Hearing Foundation website, “Starkey Hearing Foundation’s mission is to give the gift of hearing to those in need, empowering them to achieve their potential. By collaborating with governments, non

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Opinions on Page 3: Cultural appropriation and Halloween OPINIONS 3 | EDGE 5 | SPORTS BACK PAGE

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Monday, October 19, 2020

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Student response to COVID-19

By Emma Garcia

assistant news editor The outbreak of the Coronavirus has become a major disruption to colleges and universities across the country, with most institutions canceling in-person classes and moving to online-only instruction. The pandemic has significantly altered nearly every aspect of college life, from administrations and enrollment to collegiate athletics. These concerns extend to the financial future of higher education institutio ns in a time of considerable financial instability.

As the situation continuously develops, legislators have introduced bills to ensure students receive refunds for room and board expenses, while other states are considering bills that would pause the collection of payments on state held student loans. As of April 1, the number of learners

required to stay at home due to the closure of their educational institution at all grade levels reached a peak of 1.598 billion from 194 countries.

The president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity Frank Vollmer said, “COVID-19 has definitely taken a toll on all aspects of student life, but specifically Greek life. COVID has resulted in delays in recruitment and even virtual recruitment. I’ve spoken to many other chapters and I know they’re struggling to find new students to join Greek life. Most classes are online, so many freshmen are at home or have no reason to leave their dorm rooms. As president, it’s especially difficult because the state, county and university have restrictions that we have to follow and I have to be the bad guy and tell my chapter that they can’t do things they’re used to

doing. Overall, COVID has changed the way we run as an organization. We’re utilizing online platforms such as Zoom to hold meetings rather than meeting in person. I’m looking forward to the day we can get back to the way things were before.”

Additional concerns have risen regarding the quality of educational instruction that is provided remotely. Previous studies have warned that student performance, particularly for students that were already struggling academically, can seriously suffer in online courses. The shift to online courses has also prompted many colleges to reconsider grading systems to accommodate and support the students in transition.

Music education major Dante Patterson says, “Online learning is one of the several solutions to the COVID pandemic. The pros are

that we can do it virtually anywhere, with no physical contact, reducing the possible spread of the disease.

However, online learning is a huge struggle for most students. There is a lack of motivation, making students not do their work, and another problem is asynchronous classes. One of my classes is asynchronous and it can be very easy to fall behind in the class. My other online classes are synchronous, and I find it a lot more convenient.”

The cancellation of all winter and spring athletic championships, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments has created significant impacts across college athletics. The NCAA announced that it will cut distributions to Division I schools by up to $375 million due to the cancellations of the tournaments.

Freshman cheerleader

Mercedes Alejandre is feeling down about not getting a normal season but is still thankful for the opportunities presented. “Going into college I knew I always wanted to continue cheering especially at the collegiate level, but since the pandemic, cheering had to be a little different,” she said. “I was unable to move in earlier in the summer and start practices. I was unable to form bonds with my teammates and have a normal first year college athletic experience. But since then, we started practicing outside, while social distancing. It’s both a blessing and a curse you could say. Yes, I get to practice and be with my team and do what I love, but it has to be completely outside and mostly conditioning. We have restrictions to follow like not being able to stunt or tumble on the mat together.”

Fall farmer's market in the square

By Sara Remar photo editor

There’s nothing like a Farmer ’s Market to start off the Fall Season in Macomb.

On Saturday, vendors came from the surrounding area to showcase their goods and talents. Among these vendors was a beekeeper, a group of college students from the theater department at WIU and a complementary trolly ride, drawn

by horses.

This crisp Saturday morning brought together families and neighbors for some COVID-friendly fun, reminding us that we are still all in this together. Taking a closer look at the vendor stands, you will find homemade baked goods. In addition, there were turkey bacon flavored cookies that any pup would enjoy. The weekly farmer ’s market is great for the small business

owners of Macomb, and a great opportunity for those starting out to gain experience with sales. A group of three students of Western Illinois University’s theater program set up a table full of their own creations. One student had sewn together pillows shaped like pumpkins. The same student also created abstract halloweenthemed art pieces. Another student had created collages of vintage and modern

photographs from Playboy magazines. The third student handcrafted necklaces with a crystal pendant.

Next to their stand was a tent set up with an assortment of products containing a main ingredient of honey. This stand had pure honey, chapstick, lotions and other products.

These products were created by the honey collected from the beekeeper running the stand.

PHOTO BY SARA REMAR

A horse-drawn trolly takes on the streets of Macomb.

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PHOTO BY SARA REMAR

The Halloween spirit was alive and well at the farmer's market.

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STAFF MEMBERS

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photo editor Sara Remar

assistant news editor Emma Garcia

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EC-Garcia@wiu.edu

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

opinions editor Allison Young

SE-Remar@wiu.edu

AN-Young@wiu.edu

production manager Brandon Trost

sports editor Chris Bean

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business manager Janiya Haynes

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

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assistant business manager Nash Miller

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advertising manager Tyler Hoffman

copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz

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After perusing the art, smelling the sweet honey and trying the delicious baked goods, there was a horse-drawn trolly available for rides around the square.

The trolly was drawn by two beautiful horses that seemed to be proud to drive everyone around. The square was alive with energy and friendly faces. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the safe, socially distant market in the square.

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As we all know, 2020 has been quite the year. We have experienced the death of Kobe Bryant, Black Lives Matter protests, the impeachment of our president, West Coast wildfires and many more events all while in the middle of a global pandemic. Our summer trips were cancelled and we have been under lockdown for about seven months now. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to be able to

celebrate something. Luckily, Halloween is among us and I think that it is the perfect holiday to celebrate during this crazy time. There are so many opportunities to stay safe this Halloween season, and I personally want to take advantage of this time.

It is extremely easy to follow the rules of social distancing during Halloween time.

There are so many costume ideas that can have masks

incorporated into them, such as a nurse or a doctor. Obviously there are so many other options, but there are ways to stay safe, even in your costume. Socially distancing is something that we are all used to doing by now, and I do not think that it is an impossible task to continue this Halloween season.

A lot of younger kids enjoy trick or treating and it is a tradition that can be continued.

If you plan to partake in trick or treating, there are plenty of ways to stay safe. First, people who plan to hand out candy, please wear your mask when trick or treaters come to your door. Some children may be too small to wear a mask

but if you want to see all of the children in their costumes, then wearing your mask and washing your hands frequently will help keep them safe. The next piece of advice I have is for people who are not necessarily comfortable with giving out candy but still want to participate in the Halloween spirit.

For some people, the global pandemic is terrifying because they have underlying health issues that could cause them to catch the virus and not be able to fight it off. I completely understand and respect these people's concerns, but that does not mean they have to miss out on the Halloween fun. Decorating your yard

and leaving a candy bowl out for trick or treaters is an easy way to stay involved in the fun. You are still able to get in the spirit even if you aren’t directly involved.

The most important thing this Halloween season is to make sure that you are staying safe and taking the proper precautions. With there being an opportunity to actually celebrate a holiday, I hope that people will take advantage of the time. It has been a crazy year and I think that Halloween is the best time to kind of have a bit of normalcy. Everyone who chooses to participate in the season will hopefully stay safe and protect themselves as well as others.

A culture is not a Halloween costume As Spooky Season continues on strong, we are rolling around to when many different costume contests or other seasonal festivities will take place. One thing many consider during this time is, what should my costume be this year? Maybe you want to be awarded the scariest costume, maybe the funniest costume or maybe you are going for the best overall costume. No matter what costume look you are trying to go with, there is one thing you need to take into consideration: are you taking

part in cultural appropriation through your costume?

I urge you to dive deeper into your own costume, and to evaluate if it is a costume that should even be worn for these festivities.

This time of year is when cultural appropriation tends to be at an all-time high. Many people adapt others cultures and beliefs into costumes or 'fun events.'According to the Oxford Dictionary, cultural appropriation, also called cultural misappropriation, is "the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the

customs, practices, ideas, ect.

Of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society."

During the infamous spooky season, when many want to dress up, there are some telltale costumes to avoid and some important ways that you can avoid cultural appropriation this year. Some common costumes that, unless you belong to the designated culture, are never okay include a Native American Princess, "Gypsy," ninja, a "voodoo" witch doctor and anything that may relate to Day of the Dead. It is important to note that these costumes are typically based on stereotypes of various cultures and that those who do not belong to these individ-

Contact Allison Young

ual cultures should not dress up in these costumes.

So, how can you avoid cultural appropriation this season? I would recommend asking yourself the following questions about your intended costume. Is the costume supposed to be funny? If so is the humor based on making fun of real people, human traits or cultural communities? Does the costume represent a community or culture that is not your own? Does this costume reduce cultural differences to jokes or stereotypes? Does the costume perpetuate and reinforce stereotypes? Does the costume clothing have packaging that includes the words "traditional," "ethnic," "colonial" or "tribal?" These are great questions that can help guide

you to the right costume this season. The tell-tale way is that if your costume is of another culture that is not one you identify with, you probably shouldn’t wear it! Additionally, if your costume is intended to be funny based off of cultural differences or stereotypes, you should probably find something else to wear.

The best way to avoid cultural appropriation year-round is to educate yourself. Take the time to talk with others and to learn more about different cultures that are not known to you. Additionally, keep in mind to work to educate not only yourself but also others. Hold yourself, and those around you, to a standard that is above cultural appropriation.

AN-Young@wiu.edu

Why the news has become so hard to watch this year

I’ve always liked watching the news, whether local or national, like CNN and MSNBC, and like many people, I’ve even been obsessed with the election cycle since 2016. However, this year I have completely detached myself from watching the news for a long period of time and it’s been so refreshing. This year has been one disappointment after another and, like many people in the world, I just needed a break.

Now, even though my major, Multimedia Journalism, pertains to everything that’s taking place in the news, there’s just so much to the point where I needed to shut it off just to get some semblance of peace and normalcy. Living in a pandemic and literally having the world shutdown was bad enough, but the racial divisions, the hurricanes, the high profile deaths and other catastrophic events that I’m probably missing truly makes me feel like I’m living in

a nightmare.

Unfortunately, watching the news, especially cable news like CNN and Fox News, only adds to that stress. After consuming so much of the news, you would think the world was on fire, but after disconnecting from it and actually experiencing everything from the outside, you realize that, yes things aren’t in a good place, but it’s not as bad as the media portrays it to be. The media really does dictate our perceptions on society even if they may not be entirely accurate or even true.

Being informed is great, but relying on the news nonstop may not be the best outlet for precise information.

In the beginning of the year, experts on television told us the Coronavirus wasn’t as serious as the flu, and today we’re being required to wear face masks and socially distance. While I understand that the facts that we now

know about the virus were completely different than in the beginning of the year, that still shows how the media doesn’t really have all the answers that we, as a society, may assume.

The year 2020 has been a year of deep reflection and unraveling misunderstandings, whether that be in our healthcare system, race relations and especially what we consume as information. If you turn on the news you’ll probably see the polarization of this disease given the fact that an election is coming up. While that may benefit politicians, that only makes it much more stressful for people who are enduring the hardships of this virus and everything else in the world. This continues to turn more people off and even defy guidelines, such as wearing a mask because of the polarization that’s contracted through this 24/7 news cycle.

If you’re someone who watches the news nonstop and thinks the world’s on the brink of destruction, just turn it off for one moment and actually find out for yourself because you will be very surprised.

THENOUNPROJECT

Watching the news is something that people do everyday.

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Crocs are the new drip Wendy hernandez Courier staff @justagirlw_

As many have seen, Crocs have become an essential to every one’s closet. The Croc hype started last summer when ev eryone started obsessing over Hydro Flask and scrunchies.

Due to the fact that they are still on trend, Crocs has been releasing new patterns and colors ever since. But the most popular thing Crocs has been doing is collabo rating with popular artists and creators. For example, they recently dropped a collaboration with one of the most popular reggaeton artists named Bad Bunny. Crocs announced the collaboration with him a week be fore the release date and the day of Sept. 29, the Crocs were sold out within the first hour. Many fans that were waiting with multiple devices on and did not get the Crocs were upset. Because they sold out right away and only men sizes were available, they are now finding ways to

shrink the crocs since they are a size 13 in men. There have been multiple people on TikTok giv ing tips just to help those who are eager to own a pair.

I know there are people out there who believe that Crocs are the most hideous pair of shoes there could ever be on this earth, but collabs such as the one by Grateful Dead x Crocs is what makes the hype worth it.

The next upcoming collaboration that will also be sold out within the first hour is the collab that drops on Oct. 13, 2020 with Justin Bieber. Based on the promotional pictures that have been released, the clog Crocs are yellow with Jibbitz that represent Bieber ’s brand Drew. Although these do not glow in the dark like the ones Bad Bunny released, many hype beasts will still order the max capacity at check out so they could make a profit out of it once they attempt to sell them at

a popular page named StockX. Croc collabs might just be like the other crocs, but the brand knows how to influence their audience. Just like Hollister has collabed Charli D'amelio with jeans because they know how big of an audience she has, they know their jeans will be bought.

That is exactly how it is with Crocs shoewear.

The thing about Crocs is that it is a fun way to express who you are based on the way you decorate your Crocs. There are many Jibbitz to choose from, such as numbers, letters, sport decals, animals, etc. Because of that, it is popular among friend groups to get matching Crocs. Although I personally do not like the Jib bitz, I believe that even the color of Crocs you wear shows what type of person you are. For ex ample, my vibrant tie dye Crocs are a good way of showing that I am a big fan of tie dye.

Although Crocs might look funny when they are being worn, they complete an outfit. Crocs have been around for years and will continue to be around. If you believe you will not fall into the bandwagon, you will.

Crocs Inc. was established in 2002 by Lyndon Hanson and George Boedecker Jr.

PINTEREST.COM

Croc Jibbitz range in price from three dollars to ten dollars depending on the intricacy of the design

SCOOPWHOOP.COM

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Monday, October 19, 2020

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A deeper dive into the Holmes family

As the weather turns colder, I have taken to Netflix to find new engaging and fun movies to enjoy. Most recently, I have found the movie, Enola Holmes.

This movie follows Enola, Sherlock Holmes’ youngest sibling, through a grand and mysterious adventure.

The movie begins with Enola riding her bicycle to the train station to meet her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, after her mother disappeared on her 16th birthday. Determined to

find her mother, Enola evades her brothers, who wish to send her to boarding school, and hops on a train bound for London. While boarding the train, Enola noticed a ruckus on the boarding platform. A mother was searching for her son, who happened to be Marquess of Basil Weather. While the boy was nowhere to be found, Enola soon found that she was not the only one running away from something.

While sitting in her cabin on

the train, a mysterious suitcase soon began to shake, and suddenly a boy around Enola’s age popped out. She soon found that this was the son of the woman that was on the platform. The Marquess of Basil Weather, Viscount Tewkesbury, explained that he needed help hiding. Enola denied his request and told him to leave the cabin, however, she soon found out that there was a man trying to murder Viscount.

An unlikely friendship, that of Enola and Viscount, however together they jumped off the train and headed toward safety in London.

Once in London, the two decided to go their separate ways, and Enola took on a new disguise. Dressed as a boy at

first, she now decided to dress like a lady in order to fool her brothers, who see her only as an animal due to her lack of lady-like manners.

It was not long before the man who was hunting Viscount found her, and attempted to murder Enola. However, quick on her feet, she was able to outthink the huntsman and escape. Determined to solve the mystery that the Viscount presents, Enola sets out to find him and solve the case!

If you have enjoyed watching some of the more recent Sherlock films, then this Netflix film is for you. I enjoyed this film so much. It has such a talented cast with the likes of Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter, which is what

initially drew me in. But, after starting it I realized that Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown was the real star and is quite the young women’s role model in the film. Quite like her older brother Sherlock, Enola has such a sharp mind and notices things that I only wish I could. It gives a nice twist on the Holmes’ family and breathes fresh air.

If you haven’t watched this film yet, then grab some popcorn and some friends, and get comfy. With Brown leading the way in this star-studded cast, this film will have you laughing, thinking and on the edge of your seat as Enola races to solve the mystery!

NETFLIX.COM

The Netflix Film was released on September 23, 2020.

LATIMES.COM

The movie follows Enola Holmes as she sets out to find her missing mother.

Monday, October 19, 2020

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Sports 7

Big Ten Football is almost back dayne mcelwee assistant sports editor

October 24 is a day that many people marked on their calendar. Some people compare this day to Christmas, Thanksgiving and even the birth of a child. This day is the start of Big Ten football.

This Friday starts with a matchup of Illinois traveling to Wisconsin. Illinois is coming off of a 6-7 season (4-5 Big Ten) and they are definitely looking to start off this season beating a No. 14 Wisconsin. Wisconsin is coming off a 10-4 season (7-2 Big Ten). One of Wisconsin’s Big Ten losses came from Illinois. On Saturday, Oct, 19, 2019 Illinois beat Wisconsin 24-23 on a last-second field goal. Wisconsin is looking to back bounce back from last year's game against the Illini.

Without Jonathan Taylor, will Wisconsin be able to find their key offensive player?

The first game of the day on Saturday is Nebraska traveling to No. 5 Ohio State.

Nebraska is coming off of a 5-7 season (3-6 Big Ten) and are looking for a spark to start off their season with a huge upset. Ohio State is looking to replicate their season last year. They made it to the College Football Playoff as a No. 2 seed where they lost to Clemson in a very controversial game. Ohio State is returning a key piece in their offense in their Quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields, a Heisman contender, is looking to take the Buckeyes back to the CFP and possibly the National Championship. Ohio State dismantled Nebraska last year 48-7 and Nebraska is looking to spoil Ohio State’s season and possibly upset the Buckeyes.

Next up is a game that

won’t get much attention, but will still be in an interesting game is Rutgers traveling to Michigan State. Rutgers struggled last year, finishing the season 2-10 (0-9 Big Ten). This isn’t an easy game for Rutgers, though, as they are facing a tough Michigan State team. Michigan State coming off of a 7-6 season (4-5 Big Ten). The Spartans beat the Scarlet Knights 27-0.

Rutgers struggled to get anything going against a tough Michigan State defense and they are looking to bounce back and get their first Big Ten win in two years.

A team that has been very successful the last couple of years and is looking to keep that success is Penn State.

They travel to Bloomington, Ind. to face off against the Hoosiers. Penn State coming off of an 11-2 season ( 7-2 Big Ten). They will go up against a Hoosiers team who had a lot of success last season.

They finished 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten). These two teams faced off last year where Penn State was victorious 34-27. Indiana couldn’t get much going on

the ground game against this tough Penn State defense who is bringing back a lot of pieces in their defense.

The second afternoon game is Iowa traveling to Purdue.

Iowa has always been a very consistent and successful team in the Big Ten. Last year they finished 10-3 (6-3 Big Ten) on a four-game winning streak and look to bring that into this year.

Purdue will look to break this streak. Purdue finished last season with a 4-8 record (3-6 Big Ten). In the matchup between these two teams, Iowa won 26-20. This isn’t the same Iowa team as last year, though. Losing their starting QB in Nate Stanley, they will have someone new under center.

Next up is a game between two teams who were at the bottom of both divisions. Maryland travels to Northwestern. Both of these teams finished 3-9 on the season last year, both teams had one win in the Big Ten. We never got a matchup of Maryland vs Northwestern last year. With incoming

transfer Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland is looking to turn their program around. While Northwestern struggled last season, two years ago they made it to the Big Ten championship game where they lost to Ohio State. Expect Northwestern to turn it around and come out fighting.

The final game on this great day of College Football is a highly anticipated matchup between Michigan and Minnesota. For the second year in a row, Minnesota will host College Gameday.

Minnesota had a very successful year last year. They finished 10-2 (7-2 Big Ten).

Michigan finished the season 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten). Since Jim Harbough has been there, they have struggled to beat top ranked teams such as Ohio State and Penn State.

With them losing most of their offense, it will be tough for them to turn it around.

This is going to be a very good game and whoever wins will start off with a ton of momentum going into inner conference play.

Tony Tate excited to get back on the field

By Christopher Bean Sports Editor

For the first time in program history, the Western Illinois football team is not playing in the fall.

With COVID-19 pushing the Missouri Valley Conference schedule until the spring, the Leatherneck football team has had to do things they have never done before.

Senior team leader Tony Tate explained what he and his teammates did to prepare before their season got canceled.

“Nothing really changed, the preparation stayed the same. Just went through a lot of meetings, the same protocol we would always follow, practicing as much as we could and following the rules and regulations of everything

that’s been changing.” He went on to say that the team still goes through the same protocols preparing for the spring season, like working out in smaller groups and following the guidelines.

The Leathernecks are coming off a disappointing 1-11 season from a year ago. Tate played in all 12 games, scoring three touchdowns with 386 receiving yards on 37 receptions, good for 10.4 yards per catch. He also ran the ball 24 times, gaining 180 yards with an average of 14.8 yards per carry.

Tate almost didn’t have the opportunity to improve on his individual numbers and, more importantly, improve as a team. When he originally found out the season had

been canceled, he said, “I’ve been working hard to try and get back on the field, and was just looking forward to my last season.

I want to go out with a bang. You know, it’s frustrating but to know we have another opportunity to come back in the spring and seeing the schedule that we have.”

The Leathernecks will start their eight-game season on Feb. 19 against South Dakota. This will be the first time the Leathernecks will play in the spring. Tate said it will be a new challenge.

“The overall feel because football is a fall sport and none of us are really used to playing competition games in the spring.”

He went on to say, “It’s gonna be different playing games in the spring

and combat some of the weather and the different things like the snow.”

With a shorter eightgame schedule consisting solely of conference games, the Leathernecks have to be on their A game coming out of the gates. Tate said, “I think we definitely have to be on point at all times and knowing we play three less games and it’s only a conference schedule, I definitely think there is more pressure.”

There is no one that wants to get on the field more than Tate and his teammates after only winning one game. They may have to wait a bit longer than expected, but they will get another opportunity for success. And Tate will get his last rodeo as a Leatherneck.

Bleachernation.com

Tony Tate lines up at the line of scrimmage.

Rays look to win their first World Series in franchise history

The Tampa Bay Rays are on their way to their second World Series appearance in franchise history. Thanks to a 4-2 Game 7 win over the Houston Astros Saturday night, the Rays have a shot at being the second consecutive franchise, and the third since 2017, to win its first World Series title.

They’ll look to follow last year ’s World Champion Washington Nationals who defeated the Astros in last year ’s Fall Classic to claim the only title in Nationals/ Montreal Expos history. Back in 2017, the Astros claimed their first title in franchise history with a series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rays are one of six remaining MLB franchises without a World Series Championship- a list they hope they can cut to five after punching their ticket to the Fall Classic this year.

Let's take a look at how long each of those six teams has

gone without winning that elusive ring.

Tampa Bay Rays (23 years)The only other World Series appearance for the Rays franchise came all the way back in 2008. Under manager Joe Maddon, the Rays went from worst to first, with a 66-96 2007 record and a 97-65 in 2008. Their path to the 2008 World Series saw them blaze past the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS and outlast their divisional rival Boston Red Sox in a thrilling ALCS. It was not meant to be, however, as the Rays dropped the World Series in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Colorado Rockies (28 years)The Rockies made the playoffs in 1995 in just their third year of existence, then didn't make it back for another 12 seasons. The 2007 season proved to be magical for Colorado.

With the season winding down and the Rockies seemingly out of the playoff chase, the team pulled together and

won 13 of their last 14 regular season games and forced a one-game wild card playoff against the San Diego Padres, which was a 13-inning thriller that the Rockies pulled out of as winners. Colorado pulled out their brooms and swept the rest of their National League opponents (the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks) only to have those brooms stolen as the Red Sox swept them in four games in the World Series.

Seattle Mariners (44 years)The Mariners not only boast a 44-year franchise history without a title, but they also hold the current record for postseason drought: 19 years and counting without an appearance. The team’s only four playoff appearances all happened in the seven year span from 1995-2001. It’s sad, really, as the greatest Mariners team of all time, the 2001 Mariners who still hold the record for the most regular season wins in one season with 116, could only make it as far as the ALCS before falling to the titans of baseball, the New York Yankees.

Milwaukee Brewers (52 years)- After moving to Milwaukee after one season as an expansion franchise in

1969 as the Seattle Pilots, the Brewers didn’t take long to make it to the playoffs. In 1981, the team made it to the postseason for the first time in franchise history, only to fall to the eventual American League Champion New York Yankees. In 1982, the Brew Crew bounced back and made it to the Fall Classic for the only time in franchise history.

Led by MVP Robin Yount and fellow sluggers Jim Gantner and Paul Molitor, the Brewers pitching staff that season was also highlighted by ’82 Cy Young Winner Pete Vuckovich and ’81 MVP Rollie Fingers.

Even with three future Hall of Famers (Yount, Molitor and Fingers) the Brewers couldn’t get it done and fell in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers have made it to the Championship Series twice since (2011 and 2018), but haven’t had another shot in the World Series since 1982.

San Diego Padres (52 years)The Padres were also part of the 1969 expansion (along with the Brewers, Expos and Kansas City Royals). They’ve won two National League pennants in their history, the first in 1984 that featured future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn followed by a trip to

the World Series in 1998. While neither year led to a championship, the current Padres have recently finished their rebuilding phase and proved they are an offensive force to be reckoned with. Add a few key pitchers and the Padres may be off this list real soon.

Texas Rangers (60 years)It took the Rangers franchise, which began as the Washington Senators in 1961, 35 years (23 after their move to Arlington in 1972) to make it to the postseason. And it wasn’t until 2010 under manager Ron Washington that the franchise made its first World Series appearance. Despite making it to back-to-back Fall Classics, the Rangers are still without a championship after falling in five games to the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and being one strike away from winning their first title in Game 6 of the 2011 Series.

Only to allow Cardinals’ third baseman David Freeze to hit a game-tying triple and later, also one strike away from winning the whole thing in the bottom of the 10th, allowing Freeze to walk off and force a Game 7. A Game 7 that saw the Cardinals win another championship and the Rangers go on without a title.