Opinions: Can our Democracy be salvaged after Donald Trump?
Sports: Women's basketball takes down North Dakota.
WesternCourier.com
Monday, February 17, 2020 - Vol. 120 Issue 56
@WesternCourier
Getting to know 93rd District State Representative Candidate Scott Stoll By Devin Brooks NEWS3 reporter
RUSHVILLE, Ill. (NEWS3) — In less than 30 days, some Illinois residents will head to the polls to vote in the primary election. Two men are battling in the 93rd district to see who will receive the ballot spot against Republican incumbent State Rep. Norine Hammond in November. NEWS3 recently talked with both democratic candidates who are trying to campaign hard before the March primary. Scott Stoll explained why he chose to run and why voters should elect him into office. “I just think everybody has their calling. For me, it was the calling to serve people and help people,” Stoll said. Helping all people is what 40-year-old Stoll is campaigning on. “I want to do what’s right for the people,” he said. Stoll lives Rushville, where he’s an alderman and sits on multiple city and county boards. He also is the chief operating officer for Moreland and Devitt Pharmacy company in Rushville, where he’s worked for 11 years.
“For me it’s all about the experience,” he said. “The experience I have, the experience I’m bringing to the table.” Stoll said he wants people in the 93rd district to know he has the experience to go to bat in Springfield with his 20 years of working in business. “We want somebody that’s going to take action,” he said. “Somebody that’s going to go out there and be an active participant.” Stoll said his mind is set on moving the district forward by including everyone, no matter what side of the aisle. “Do the right thing for all the people,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what your political party is when it comes to the health of the people in your community; when it comes to the housing, and just the good will of people in your community.” Rushville resident Joe Ackman said it’s time for a change and Stoll is the person he wants in office because he says he knows what it takes to serve communities. “I think we do need some fresh blood, we need some younger people in office, that have different views or new
views or ideas about what the smaller communities are getting involved in,” Ackman said. Stoll said he’s fighting for a lot of what his opponent cares about, but he says there still are differences that set him apart. “He’s a working families first candidate, and I wouldn’t say I’m not,” Stoll said. “I’ve talked through legislation as it relates to pharmacy before, I can’t say that he has.” Stoll said his priorities are economic development, healthcare and education. “There are opportunities to increase not only the jobs that we get through industries, but also our businesses in our towns,” Stoll said. “I can’t personally say that Representative Hammond has been active in all of our communities. I think she’s active in the groups she wants to be active in.” Stoll said his goal is to make life better for all people.
remembrance of the Underground Railroad at 4:30 p.m. in Horrabin Hall. The Black Student Association has been active on social media all month for Black History Month. On their Twitter account, the BSA has started a thread entitled “29 Shades of Black,” where they have posted a significant person, quote or questions relating to African American heroes and icons. The thread includes commemorations to Shirley
Chilson, who was the first black congresswoman in the United States and was also the first major party black candidate to run for office, Trayvon Martin, a teen who was killed on Feb. 26, 2012, Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist who fought against segregation and more. The BSA is not the only African American student organization shining a spotlight on influential African American people in the world. Western’s National Association for Black
Scott Stoll page 2
FACEBOOK.COM
Scott Stoll is currently an alderman and city board member.
Black student organizations celebrate Black History Month
By Devon Greene editor-in-chief
Black student organizations are celebrating people, places and events during Black History Month and students and community members have a chance to remember one of the most important institutions in the fight against slavery. The festivities are continuing today as the Western Illinois University Black Student Association hosts an event in
Journalists have also started a thread on Twitter where members of their organization pick a broadcaster that has significance in their life. Names like Tameron Hall, ESPN’s Steven A. Smith, ABC’s Val Warner and Terrence J. have been the first to be recognized by members of NABJ with more to come as Black History Month rolls along. Black organizations have been hosting events all over campus to begin the month
and more are planned going forward. The WIU Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has held a Super Bowl Party, Black History Trivia Night and the Essence of Black Love discussion night where they discussed what love means to them and the importance of “black love.”
Black History Month page 2
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Monday, February 17, 2020
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
Scott Stoll from front page
“I want to help people try to get TIF dollars; get grants; improve their communities,” he said. “I can take some of the things I’ve learned along the way and impart that on to these towns.” Stoll is originally from Durand, Ill., but has lived in Rushville for more than 10 years with his wife and three daughters. He graduated from Rockford University in 2001 with a Bachelor ’s degree in business management. He currently is the Second Ward Alderman on the Rushville City Council. Stoll is the founder of the Rushville Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the chamber ’s board. He also is also part of the Rushville Coordinating Council Board and Brown/ Schuyler County CEO Board of Directors. Stoll is running against Bushnell native, Emiliano Vera, in the March 17 primary election.
FACEBOOK.COM
Stoll speaks at an event in Rushville.
Stoll visits the Illinois State Board of Elections.
FACEBOOK.COM
Black History Month from front page
The African American Student Association held their fourth annual Taste of Africa which celebrated African culture and cuisine and held a Mr. and Miss. Africa pageant. The National Association of Black Accountants held a Valentine’s Day Sip and Paint where participants painted together. As for upcoming events, Thursday will feature two events including a Bake Sale hosted by the NABJ and a “3 on 3 Shoot Out” hosted by Campus Recreation, Black Students Association and Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. As of Feb. 14, 16 teams have signed up for the 3 on 3 basketball tournament and registration is still open on IMLeagues.com or by emailing Chester Griffith at CMGriffith@wiu.edu.
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PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION 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, February 17, 2020
NEWS 3
Counterfeit bill scam spreads to Macomb businesses
By Devon Greene editor-in-chief
ture Money’ written on them.” According to one comment
The Macomb Police Department is warning businesses around Macomb to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills. The Police Department posted an alert on Facebook to bring awareness to the issue at hand. “Macomb has been experiencing a rash of counterfeit bills being taken by area businesses,” the post read. “Please have your employees take extra care in looking at $20 and $50 bills. Should you have a question please contact the police department. Some of these bills have ‘Motion Pic-
An example of one of the bills that has been received across the country. on the Facebook post, the This case of counterfeit bills the fake money being used to bills have been spotted at at being used for purchases have purchase vehicles in Shelby
least one business in Macomb, Dollar Tree.
reached far past Macomb limits as there were reports of
COURTESY OF THE TERRE HAUTE POLICE DEPARTMENT
County, Tenn., various purchases in Crow Wing County, Minn. and various purchases in Decatur, Ind.. It is relatively easy to get hands on these counterfeit bills as there entire websites are designed to sell them and it is not illegal to own one of these bills, however, trying to pass them off as real currency definitely is. One of these websites, propmoney. com, sells a mixture of bills amounting to $4,290 for just under $30. If you see one of these bills being used at any businesses around town, contact the Macomb Police Department at 309-833-4505.
NOTICE OF EXAMINATION MACOMB FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Board of Fire & Police Commissioners of the City of Macomb, Illinois hereby gives notice that examinations will be offered to all eligible applicants to create an Eligibility List for hiring for positions with the Macomb Fire Department. All applicants must be at least 20 years of age, and under 35 years of age as of the date of testing in order to apply for employment with the Macomb Fire Department. Exceptions: The age limitation does not apply to any person previously employed as a full-time firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of any municipality or fire protection district located in Illinois. Any person who turned 35 while serving as a member of the active or reserve components of any of the branches of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as honorable or under honorable, if separated from the military, and is under the age of 40 as of the date of testing may apply for employment with the Macomb Fire Department. All applicants must possess a high school diploma or equivalent; must possess a valid driver’s license, must pass physical and written examinations; must have visual acuity of 20/20 in each eye corrected (minimum) with normal color vision and depth perception; and must have good habits and be of moral character. To be considered for appointment, the candidate must pass medical and psychological evaluation, must pass a background investigation and either be licensed as an EMT or be eligible for licensing as an EMT. If hired, McDonough County residency is required within 90 days after completion of the probationary period. STARTING SALARY $47,152.83 per year Application packets may be obtained at: The Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 232 E. Jackson St., Macomb, Illinois 61455, Phone (309) 833-2558, or on-line at https://cityofmacomb.com/employment-listings/ . All applications and attachments must be completed, signed, and on file by 5:00 p.m., on Thursday, April 30, 2020. If submitting the application packet by mail, it must be postmarked on or before the application deadline date AND received at the Mayor’s Office within five (5) calendar days of the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Testing date is Saturday, May 16, 2020. Physical agility test will begin at 8:00 a.m. and take place at the Macomb Fire Department, 219 West Jackson Street, Macomb, Illinois; written test location is to be determined. The City of Macomb is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer Minorities and women are encouraged to apply
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4
OPINIONS
Monday, February 17, 2020
WesternCourier.com
Can our democracy be saved? Our forefathers and ancestors founded this country on democracy and equality for all. There was one founding father, John Adams, who wasn’t really hopeful about democracy. In a letter from 1814, he says, “democracy never lasts long, it soon waster, exhausts and murders itself.” There has been some controversial talk that signals our democracy may be heading down the drain. Further discussion is around, can our democracy be saved? Democracy is the full participation of all citizens where they all have a voice. During our current political era, it seems as though we are diminishing from our founding state of democracy. Our country is dealing with a dictator-like Commander-In-Chief who uses Twitter as his means of communication. Our current administration is blunt in their actions and words toward and about
people. Our current president is known for his blunt character toward everything, as well as his mindset that everything must go his way all the time. A democratic government assumes law passing, new political official and new orders through the voting by citizens. The citizens have a voice and have an opportunity to speak their mind while having their opinion be valued. Presently, we are being condemned and bashed for speaking our voice in terms of our laws and living in our present society. When we have political officials who blatantly disobey and disregard the Constitution, we are at a Democracy Suicide. Our president has said and done things that were totally against the oath of his office that he swore to keep. President Donald Trump is a president that wants everything to go his way at his demand. He feels as if whatever he says goes and
that everyone must abide by his words. Trump is in the mindset of wanting to be owner instead of president. He also doesn’t want to be held accountable by other political officials (the other two branches of government). From Trump’s past, we see his main occupation and source of activity was business and entertainment. He lived as a business owner, board members for companies and has personal firms, so Trump understands the role of being in charge. The job of the president is being in charge but having responsibilities that are kept by check and balances. Trump wants to get rid of the voice of the people and government structure, yet he would like to take control and have everything approved by him. Currently being acquitted from charges brought upon him by the Democrats, Trump is polishing the idea that the Democrats took him to trial yet he was found not guilty. With evidence to impeach him, Trump expressed his personal feelings that he knew it wasn’t fair and that he would be acquitted. From the outcome, we can only imagine that Trump is in a good state of mind with his goal of being fully in charge.
WIKIMEDIA.ORG
According to some, Donald Trump has pushed the boundaries of what a president can do while in office.
Be careful with your relationships in college
Imagine coming into a new environment and being so excited to not only explore new environments such as a new school, new classes and new teachers, but new people as well. You're so excited to venture out and change what you were accustomed to in your past to what you want to be your new future. Although it’s great to forget about your past experiences when it comes to dating someone or being involved
with someone romantically, it’s necessary to look back at those so you can understand what went wrong and how you want to change the qualities and actions that took place in that relationship. People tend to forget how impactful those steps can be. It’s very important to understand your partner. Having that openness creates a healthy balance of security and vulnerability that can help a relationship grow. With all that
being said, it’s not as easy to follow those steps, but it is important to try as best as you can, although it may be difficult, it will be worth the try. To add on, not only should you look back on past experiences and decide what changes need to occur while learning from each other ’s past, but focus on building the new relationship itself. For instance, it’s very important to establish trust, friendship, commitment, communication and always be yourself. With trust, there needs to be boundaries established with each other. With that, you’ll need to believe and accept that your partner is where they say they will be when they share that information. With
Contact Allison Young
establishing a friendship, you need to feel like you can talk with one another about anything and everything; there should never be any secrets between each other. Your partner should be someone you go to when there’s happy news and sad news. In order for one another to be on the same page, there needs to be communication. It needs to be discussed whether you will only date until there’s a mutual decision to end the relationship and see other people, date until the school year is over, which would be a more casual relationship or date after college because there is no intention of ending the relationship, which would be a more serious relation-
ship. Additionally, there needs to be open input during the relationship to express each others’ opinions or feelings about current situations. This is where communication will play a big part. Lastly, you and your significant other should always be yourselves. For example, if your partner isn’t as vocally expressive but shows it through their actions, you have to appreciate that. It can be as simple as getting your favorite type of drink every time they see you or getting food that’s enough for both of you without you saying you're hungry. Read these tips and you will be on your way to a successful relationship in college.
AN-Young@wiu.edu
The Bachelor heats up with hometown visits Written by: Rachel Greene
This season, Bachelor Nation has watched as Peter embarks on his journey to find love. The beloved “Pilot Pete” from Hannah’s season of the bachelor had his heart shattered after the fantasy suite dates in Hannah’s season. Now, Peter has risen from the ashes of heartbreak to again take his chance at finding his soulmate and forever love.
CONT. E.2
E2 EDGE
Monday, February 17, 2020
WesternCourier.com
The Bachelor heats up with hometown visits This season has by far been one of the most turbulent and dramatic seasons yet. From Peter asking Hannah to join his season, wine bottles exploding on girls and a feisty football battle, this season has been nothing but drama. There was endless feuding between different girls on the show, which seemed to take up the majority of Peter’s one-on-one time with the girls. This said, moving into hometown dates there doesn’t seem to be as strong of connections between Peter and the remaining four women as there has been in past seasons. The remaining four girls are Hannah Ann, Madison, Kelsey and Victoria F. While all of these girls have strong connections with Peter, some are much stronger than others. Madison, a 23-year-old foster parent recruiter from Auburn, Ala., has been a clear front runner throughout the entire season. On their first one-on-one date, Peter took Madison to watch his parents renew their vows, so Peter’s family have already met Madison, and she seemed to fit in quite well with them. On last week’s episode of The Bachelor, Madison had another one-on-
one date with Peter in beautiful Peru. This date was beyond notable, as at the end of the night Peter told Madison that he was falling in love with her. Madison has remained uninvolved in any drama throughout the season, and the only thing that may come between her and Peter is the strong religious views that she holds. Though, they do not seem to bother Peter. Hannah Ann, a 23-year-old model from Knoxville, Tenn., presented Peter with a list of reasons why she is falling in love with him during their last date in Peru. Hannah Ann was given the first impression rose on the very first night of the show by Peter, and their relationship has continued to grow ever since. Though Hannah Ann’s ability to commit has been questioned many times due to her young age, her relationship with Peter is strong and seems to be increasing steadily with each week. Kelsey, a 28-year-old professional clothier from Des Moines, Iowa, has definitely had her fair share of drama on the show. Her most notable moment would have to be the much talked about the moment when she opened
a bottle of wine and it exploded all over her. Though Kelsey was involved in her fair share of drama toward the beginning of the show, she has really done a full 180. The current Kelsey is much different from the Kelsey from day one of the show. She and Peter have had a very unusually deep connection from the very beginning of the show. Victoria F., a 26-year-old medical sales rep from Virginia Beach, Va., has also been surrounded by drama for a good portion of this season. The most notable being her one-on-one date with Peter, a private Chase Rice concert, which ended in Victoria sharing with Peter that she and Rice “used to date.” Since that one-on-one was tainted, Victoria F. got an additional one-on-one with Peter soon after, even before all the girls had gotten their first one-on-one dates. Victoria F. is someone that Peter really likes to spend time with, and he always seems to have fun when he is with her, though many people note her for being “too emotional.” Despite these comments, Peter commends her for being so open and vulnerable with him and to the experience. So, which of these four women will be sent home after the hometown dates? And who will advance on to fantasy suite date week? Tune in to The Bachelor to watch the drama continue to unfold, and find out if Peter will find love.
STYLECASTER.COM
Internet rumors speculate that Madison's hometown date is a bit of a mess.
While Peter started his season with a full house of elgible bachelorettes, he is down to the final four contestants.
STYLECASTER.COM
E3 EDGE
Monday, February 17, 2020
WesternCourier.com
Love Island tragically loses longtime host
Love Island, a popular British reality show centered around finding love, recently lost the woman who was once the face of the show. Caroline Flack passed away on Saturday at the age of 40. After five years as the host, Flack recently stepped down from her position as the host of the show due to allegations against her claiming that she abused her boyfriend Lewis Burton. This situation made her a target to the media and
former fans. Tragically, the death has been ruled a suicide. Flack lost her career, fanbase and relationship in one swoop while simultaneously being attacked by the media. In fact, some media outlets have deleted cruel articles about Flack following the news of her death, though the gesture comes too little too late to have any real impact, but it’s to avoid blame instead.
This death has made a significant impact on social media, with many fans recalling a tweet from Flack that says, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” She was open with fans about mental health, often using her Instagram to share her struggles about what she was going through. She gave unfiltered thoughts about her mental state and the perception of others. This past October, she wrote, “I wanted to write something about mental health day last week but I was knee deep in work. And some days it’s hard to write your feelings if you’re not in the right place. In the last few weeks I’ve been in a really weird place… I find
it hard to talk about it… I guess it’s anxiety and pressure of life… and when I actually reached out to someone they said I was draining. I feel like this is why some people keep their emotions to themselves.” The late star struggled with her mental health but was an advocate for vulnerability and openness regarding the topic. The production team of Love Island has collectively decided to not air Sunday’s episode of the show, but will instead be airing a tribute to Flack on Monday. Along with this tribute, her boyfriend posted an emotional tribute on his Instagram page. He wrote, “I will be
your voice baby I promise I will ask all the questions you wanted and I will get all the answers nothing will bring you back but I will try to make you proud every day.” While their relationship went through a tremendous amount of stress with the media constantly peering in, Burton is heartbroken to an extent that the press simply cannot understand. Perhaps a lesson can be taken from this tragic situation: even the strongest, most charismatic individuals cannot handle constant scrutiny and intrusive coverage from the media. Fans are writing posts about kindness and mental health resources in memory of the late Flack.
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
The show premiered in 2015 with Flack hosting every season except this most recent one..
VARIETY.COM
Flack, age 40, passed away this past Saturday in her apartment.
E4 EDGE
Monday, February 17, 2020
WesternCourier.com
Good old fashioned games The weather outside might be getting warmer, but let’s be real. We live in the Midwest, so the weather could turn back at any moment. So, before it gets nice out for real, spend some time inside with friends playing some games together. For those of you who are looking for a game that might take an afternoon or a whole weekend, you have a couple of options. You could play those games that immediately come to your mind: Monopoly or Risk. But, if you are looking for games that add a bit of variety to your gaming life, consider the following games: Betrayal at House on the Hill, Diplomacy or Risk Legacy. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a board game that has a different story each time you play. Players “explore” the house, revealing tiles that build more and more of the house as the game goes on. The first stage of the game is all about exploring the house and revealing new things. Eventually, one player
will start the Haunt. The Haunt is the event that begins the second stage of the game. The concept is fairly simple: one person in the party betrays the remainder of the party and tries to take them out before the party takes them out. Like I said before, each game has a different Haunt. You could end up playing the same Haunt, but there are over 50 possible Haunts to play through! This game can take upwards of an hour to play, so come with plenty of snacks! Diplomacy is also another game that can take upwards of an hour to play, or maybe two! The game is much like Risk, but with a more work-together feel. Taking place in 1901, the game is split into fall and spring turns, with each turn being split into negotiation and movement phases. During the negotiation phase, players can talk with one another and make alliances to gang up and take out other players in their ways, but be warned:
alliances can be broken before you know it! Risk Legacy is just a game of Risk, except you play 14 more games after that and the consequences from one game carry over to the next, making for a major shakeup. Each new game you get to choose a new “faction” to play as. These factions take the place of the normal armies that you play as in the normal version of the game. This game takes upwards of a couple of days depending on how quickly you try and play. When I played with my floormates a couple of years ago, we split it up over weekends, cutting back on the possibility of us losing our drive to play. If you are looking for a game that doesn’t take quite so long, consider looking into the game of Coup. Only taking 10-30 minutes to play, this game is a card game where you try and get other players to lose their cards. You are randomly assigned two cards facedown. Only you can look at them and, based on the cards that you are given, you can make different moves. You can lie about what you have to make a different move, just don’t get caught lying or you’ll lose a card. The player with at least one card remaining wins!
The story in Betrayal at House on the Hill is constantly changing, making the game interesting and new each time.
AMAZON.COM
Diplomacy is a game of deceit, negotiating, and empires.
STARTYOURMEEPLES.COM
Monday, February 17, 2020
@WesternCourier
OPINIONS 5
Alex Jones is more dangerous than you think
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Alex Jones speaks at a rally.
Alex Jones is a host of his own show on Infowars, a radio show, and defined by some as a conspiracy theorist. He has said more controversial things than not and is most recognized for saying, “They are turning the freaking frogs gay!” Taken out of context, most of the things he talks about sound completely absurd and somewhat humorous. But Jones is more than the crazy man most people make him out to be. Jones had his beginnings in the 1990s on public TV, later
switching to radio that grew in popularity as time has gone by. He has been involved in several conspiracy theories and has gotten himself in trouble with the media for having alt-right views. Jones most notably created conspiracies about the Sandy Hook School shooting, which he has since apologized about. He has been banned on several social media platforms and is painted as a crazy altright conservative who wants to brainwash people with his beliefs. The media paints him
as a dangerous and deranged individual who should not be listened to by the public. Some people think otherwise. He had built up a following on major social platforms of people who agreed with him and dismissed mainstream media’s claims about him. He has appeared in several guest alternative media platforms in order to speak his mind. Many people believe in his opinions blindly while others critically look at his perspective and try to understand his viewpoints. Taking what Jones says at face value the majority of the time, he does seem like a conspiracy theorist. But looking past his rhetoric and ridiculous claims he makes while trying to make his point across to the audi-
Alex Jones walks through a crowd at a rally. ence he has at hand, what he talks about makes sense. One of Jones's most notable appearances was on The Joe Rogan Experience. Jones had been banned on YouTube at this point and pulled in some of the highest ratings that the podcast had ever seen. The podcast ran for almost five hours and talked about a variety of topics. In the comments section, most people had a positive experience of the podcast and wanted him back for more. People who had once seen him as a nutjob years ago said that he had some validity to his claims and that some of the conspiracies he had promoted had come true. Some individuals were willing to hear him out instead of immediately dismissing him.
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
While listening to Jones, it is important to look past the odd things he talks about, such as having a family in England a thousand years ago who starved to death. Most of us know that is not true, while others might believe that he had reincarnated and remembered his past life. Looking past his oddities, some of his claims make sense and even have merit to them. This is part of the reason why Jones is such a controversial figure: he is a comedian to some, a lunatic to others and a beacon of wisdom for a select few. Some people will never like Jones or give him the time of day. All I can say about what he talks about is: it makes sense... if you think about it like a crazy person.
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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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2020 Spring Semester Editorial Board
Edge Editor - Rachel Greene Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young
6
Monday, February 17, 2020
SPORTS
Men's Basketball to page 10
Fans who came out to see a close, down-to-the-wire game for round No. 2 between these two evenly-matched opponents did not leave Western Hall disappointed. Looking for vengeance this time around, the Purple and Gold came out firing, but North Dakota was there to answer. The Fighting Hawks went into halftime with a seven-point lead, but couldn’t pull away in a first half that included three ties and four lead changes. While North Dakota managed to hold onto their lead throughout the second half, Western just wouldn’t go away. They tied things up and had a chance to win the game, holding onto the final possession in regulation, but sophomore forward Ben Pyle couldn’t get his buzzerbeating shot to fall from deep in the paint. In overtime, Webster had an opportunity to cap off a memorable night (20 points), sinking a three-pointer that would have given Western the lead with just under 30 seconds to play. However, a controversial call by the official determined Webster had traveled prior to the shot attempt, so the basket was no good. What looked like a night of celebration quickly turned into a
night of could-have-been for the Leathernecks, ultimately losing this one 86-83. Although the Leathernecks didn’t get the outcome they wanted after battling hard for five quarters, head coach Billy Wright acknowledged the positives his team could take away from this heartbreaking loss. In an interview with WIU Athletics, Wright exclaimed how proud he was of his guys battling to the very end. "We put ourselves in a position [to win], and never felt like it's over until it's over. I'm proud of our guys for fighting, clawing and making the necessary adjustments,” said Wright. “It could've gotten out of hand early, but our guys made consecutive stops. The ball movement was great. We shot almost 50 percent in the second half, and I couldn't be more pleased with the resiliency." The Purple and Gold have exactly one week to forget about this one and turn their focus to Omaha. Western will have the home court advantage for their second of two straight home games, looking to reverse their recent trend of luck (or lack thereof). This appears to be another very winnable game for the Leathernecks, as the Mavericks will come into this match at just below .500 (12-14). Tip-off for this game is slated for Saturday at 2 p.m.
CJ Duff runs toward ball.
WesternCourier.com
Baseball struggles in opening series against Tennessee
By Bradley Piros sports editor KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Western Illinois University baseball team opened up their 2020 schedule over the weekend against the Tennessee Volunteers of the very tough Southeastern Conference (SEC). Western fell 3-0 in the first game and 19-0 in the second. It was head coach Andy Pascoe’s first game as the Leathernecks’ coach, and he was happy with the way his team competed the first time. “Today was exactly what you expect with two good pitchers going head-to-head on a Friday in college baseball,” Pascoe said in a postgame interview with WIU Athletics Communications. “I am very happy with how we competed today, all around. Javin Drake and Chandler Fochs gave us strong efforts. Tennessee just made us pay with two home runs when we fell behind in the count. You have to credit their starter as he put pressure on our hitters by attacking the bottom of the zone from the start. We barreled up some balls that their guys made some good plays on too,” Pascoe said.
Drake, the senior right-handed pitcher out of Wilton, Iowa, took the mound for game one. He limited the Vols to just two hits and two runs after five innings. He struck out the first two batters of the game to move into second all-time in strikeouts in Western’s history. Freshman catcher Jayden Gibson made his collegiate debut and also had both of Western’s two hits on the day. On top of that, he made a great play to throw a runner out at second in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Fochs came out of the bullpen to relieve Drake and he pitched three solid innings, holding Tennessee to just two hits and a run. Junior pitcher Jace Warkenstien took the mound for game two and was holding the Vols down to two runs heading into the fifth inning. That’s when the game began to roll downhill. UT loaded the bases to start the fifth and Warkenstien wasn’t able to get out of it, allowing six runs. This led to sophomore right-handed pitcher Parker Heidorf to come in relief, but he continued to struggle as well. The Vols put up three more runs in the sixth, seven runs
in the seventh and one more in the eighth for good measure as they steamrolled Western 19-0. After two disappointing shutout losses to begin the 2020 campaign, the Leathernecks took to game three. Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Carberry was put in but was quickly pulled after allowing eight runs in the second. Freshman left-handed pitcher Johnny Beck came in for relief, allowing a run in the third and another in the fourth. As of the top of the fifth, Western was trailing Tennessee 11-0. While these weren’t the results the team was looking for, they’ll have a long season to turn themselves around. It just so happens that they begin their season against one of, if not the toughest, teams on their schedule. It was a good early test for the team and a great way to sort the small things out. They’ll have a week to regroup themselves before they travel down to Pearl, Miss. to take part in the Jackie Robinson Tournament. Western will be taking on Southern University, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University. Game one of the tournament for the Leathernecks will be at 4 p.m. this Friday against Southern.
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Monday, February 17, 2020
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Sports 7
Softball shows promising signs of improvement in Getterman Classic By David Koier courier staff There was a lot of softball played this weekend for the Western Illinois softball team. Two of the Leathernecks’ five games where at the Getterman Classic this weekend went to extra innings, four of the five were decided on a walk-off of some sort and all but one of the matchups in Waco, Texas were decided by one run. The Leathernecks began their weekend with a 6-5 victory over the Prairie View A&M Panthers. A Panther double in the top of the first and a passed ball in the top of the second gave Prairie View an early 3-0 lead. The lead was short lived when in the bottom of the third with two runners on, freshman Kellie Marcheschi took the pitch over the left field wall to tie the game at three apiece. Jasmine Lara took advantage of an error in the bottom of the fourth to give the Leathernecks their first lead of the game. Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers and Leathernecks managed to tie everything up at five each, setting the stage for Ashley Minyard to show off her heroics. With no outs and two runners in scoring position, the junior left fielder doubled to left field, driving
in the winning run and completing the walk off. Savannah Rodriguez got the start in the circle for the Leathernecks, pitching 4.1 innings surrendering four runs (three earned) off five hits, striking out three in the process. Maddy Anderson pitched 2.2 innings of relief only allowing two hits and one run, earning herself the win. The second game of the day ended the same way as the first, except the Purple and Gold were unfortunately on the other side of things. In the top of the third, the Leathernecks took a 2 - 0 lead after Piper Foote hit her first career home run down the left field line and Halle Hollatz drove in Lara on an RBI single. The Panthers found the board in the third and fourth with two singles of their own. Pitching was lights out until the bottom of the seventh, when Lopes center fielder Mickey Covarrubio took Abby Carlin deep to right field for the walk off, two run home run to give Grand Canyon University the 4-2 victory. Carlin went the distance once again pitching 6.2 innings, surrendering four runs (only one of them earned) off of four hits, one walk and no strikeouts. Saturday’s game against
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Halle Hollatz swings towrads the fences.
Jasmine Lara reads the pitch.
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the host Baylor Bears was a nail biter in all eight innings played. Early on in the season, the Bears had the privilege to play the USA national team and become the first team this season to score on USA. Western was able to take the Bears to extras, tied at one each. The Leathernecks couldn’t hold the Bears as Baylor walked off the Purple and Gold in the bottom of the eighth to give Western their second loss of the weekend, 2-1. Carlin allowed 10 hits in her 7.2 innings pitched in Saturday’s matchup, surrendering two runs and tossing three strikeouts. Later on Saturday, Western competed once again against the Panthers of Prairie View A&M. The second time was not as sweet for the Leathernecks as the Purple and Gold fell in the semifinal of the tournament 8-7 to the Panthers. The consolation championship ended the weekend the same way it began for Western, with a walk off. In the bottom of the eighth, Sydney Hollings slapped a two-out RBI single to put Western over GCU for their third win of the season. The Leathernecks move to 3-7 on the season. Next weekend the team travels to Memphis for the Blues City Classic.
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Abby Carlin delivers towards home plate.
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Ashley Minyard throws the ball into the in-field..
Women's basketball weathers early push by North Dakota By Alex Staab courier staff MACOMB, Ill. – The North Dakota Fighting Hawks (14-11, 5-7) got off to a hot start against the Western Illinois women’s basketball team (14-12, 8-5) on Saturday, but the Leathernecks reversed course and kept momentum for the most part, en route to a high-scoring 91-74 victory. The start by the visitors was turned around with a 22-4 Leatherneck run. Already 10 minutes in, it was 26-18, so fans knew it was on pace for a high-scoring battle. You wouldn’t know that from the Leathernecks’ perspective considering they had just made quite a long trip back from the Dakotas, as head coach JD Gravina attests to. “That’s just brutal travel. They took a private chartered flight in. We’re coming off the eight-hour bus ride. For Olivia Kaufmann to play 40 minutes in that game (at South Dakota) is just really unbelievable.” Gravina said. Evan Zars feels that although it may not have been the easiest of trips, she credits Gravina for making it as seamless as possible. “It was definitely rough. Our coach was definitely conscious of that. He gave us enough time to recover and didn’t push us too hard, so that was really helpful, because he knew that this was going to be a big game.” Zars said Western Illinois kept up the scor-
ing clip, getting the score up to 30-18 on a pair of free throws from Grace Gilmore. The run continued when Danni Nichols scored a layup to make it 38-18. It took until the 5:06 mark of the second quarter for the visiting Fighting Hawks to get their first points since the break. North Dakota used that first bucket as much as they could, getting it back down to 15 points with a three from Jaclyn Jarnot, but that was quickly answered on the other end with a three from Elizabeth Lutz. Both teams battled it out in the third quarter, with the point spread staying around the same spot until all the way down to the three minute mark of the third, when North Dakota worked down to nine with 2:36 to go. Enter Lilly Keplin. The guard for the Fighting Hawks had an incredible third quarter, scoring consecutive threes, but three in total. A jumper from Keplin as well made it an eight-point game headed to the fourth quarter. Keplin’s efforts is something that Gilmore knew would be a factor coming in. “We knew she was a shooter coming into the game, I just don’t really think she hit a bunch in a row up until the end, so, when she starting hitting those, we definitely had to start paying more attention to her.” Gilmore said. A jumper by Kaufmann and a layup by Zars got the lead back up to 13. North Dakota wasn’t about to
go down. A pair of free throws from Julia Fleecs got it back to single digits with just 95 seconds remaining. The next four Leatherneck points were all on free throws from Nichols to make it a 13-point game. The energy of the crowd was certainly a factor and Gravina believes it wasn’t just today, it’s been longer-term as well. “We fed off the crowd’s energy, so credit to the crowd. They’ve continuously supported us, and it’s even grown.” Gravina said. Despite the game looking like the Leathernecks were pulling away, the Fighting Hawks continued to foul and send Western Illinois to the line, a concept that Kaufmann knew was potentially on the horizon. “From the first time we played them, we knew they were a very physical team. I don’t think they could keep us in front, guard us one-on-one, and that’s kind of our game. Getting to the line was definitely to our benefit.” The free throws came and went, and the third-place Leathernecks came out with a win in a game that saw a combined 165 points between both teams. Western Illinois only has one women’s basketball home game left. Fans should note, it’s not a doubleheader. It’s a stand-alone Senior Day game against the Omaha Mavericks on Thursday, Feb. 20. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., as the program honors Kaufmann, Annabel Graettinger, Avery Hamm and Kyra Washington.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Danni Nichols looks down low.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Senior Olivia Kaufmann brings up the ball.
Men's hoops pick up seventh straight loss By Jacob VanZuiden courier staff
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Kobe Webster drives to the hoop.
MACOMB, Ill. – Heading into Saturday night, the Western Illinois men’s basketball team’s recent stretch of games had been far from ideal. After coming out on top in three of six contests played over winter break, the Leathernecks had since dropped seven straight games, losing four of these by 10 or fewer points. While luck hasn’t been on their side, they looked to rebound against a stout North Dakota team at Western Hall. While North Dakota joined Western coming into this one with a record below .500 (1114), they held their own in conference play, notching a 6-6 record in The Summit League with notable victories this season over Nebraska, Oral Roberts and Purdue Fort
Wayne. While they hadn’t been scorching hot, the Fighting Hawks won three of the last five games, including a win over Western at home on Jan. 25. In their first go-around, North Dakota narrowly edged the Purple and Gold by a score of 83-77. The one-two scoring punch of senior guard Marlon Stewart and sophomore big man Filip Rebraca proved to be the difference in this one, with both players going over the 20-point mark. Western kept pace with them, having five players finish in double figures (junior guard Kobe Webster led the Leathernecks in scoring with 17 points), but it wouldn’t be enough in the end.
Men's Basketball to page 10
Ben Pyle goes for the ball.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR