Western Courier|November 8, 2017

Opinions: Johnson: Elevators stimulate laziness.

Sports: NBA fans shocked by unpredictable start of the season.

Sports: Soccer to make postseason push as second seed.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - Vol. 118 Issue 33

Council approves firefighting agreement

By Isaiah Herard news editor

JASMYNE TAYLOR/COURIER STAFF

Alderman at-large Dennis Moon (top left) and City Administator Dean Torreson (bottom) clarify a side letter agreement with the International Association of firefighters regarding staffing and compensation at Monday night's City Council meeting.

The Macomb City Council approved a side letter agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters regarding staffing and compensation with the Lifeguard Ambulance Service in Monday’s meeting.

“This preliminary agreement was reviewed by the city council in executive session,” said City Administrator Dean Torreson.

“The plan is that when the fire department’s staffing falls below four and when the firefighters are serving on an ambulance outside the City limits of Macomb, a call will go out to shift members who are up next to work.”

Alderman at-Large Dennis Moon contemplated Torreson’s memo, questioning how the memo implements a mandatory number of firefighters in the event of a fire and how they would distinguish between a call to cover the fire house and covering an actual fire.

Torreson said all of the fighters will be notified at one time in the event of a fire and they are all expected to come in and will be awarded a minimum of two

hours overtime.

Inman clarified the agreement with the Lifeguard Ambulance Service, ensuring that an adequate number of firefighters will be present at all times.

“This is an app-based response system and when the call goes on it clearly distinguishes the nature of the call and where it’s located,” Inman said. Then, each firefighter in the next shift will indicate their availability and response time.”

The Macomb City Council began their meeting on Monday with Macomb Mayor Mike Inman’s proclamation to the Elk’s Lodge for Veterans Remembrance Month to encourage and find local veterans and helps them with their needs.

“This coming weekend is November 11, Veterans Day by national designation and traditionally November has been a month that we set aside as a whole to commemorate, memorialize and celebrate our veterans,” Inman said. “It’s important that that’s a goal of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, that’s one of the hallmarks of their organization.”

Council page 3

SGA resumes new venue discussions

By Emily Stieren assistant news editor

The Student Government Association (SGA) continued their discussion about possibly moving a few Tuesday night meetings to different residence halls to increase student involvement and give students a more vivid understanding of SGA in yesterday’s meeting.

Now former IHC Representative Derek Lahey brought up the topic of relocation. He said that the lack of student participation and attendance in hall government prompted the idea.

“The Hall Government that meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. have a really strong problem with students not attending Hall Gov.,” Lahey said. “Not a lot of students are attending because they don’t really care. I addressed them and asked them what they would think about SGA coming to their meetings. They said, ‘No. We re-

ally think that may be a problem because it wouldn’t really make any sort of a difference.’ There is really no point in their minds to move it to residence halls because people don’t already show up to hall gov. or show any interest in it.”

According to SGA president Grant Reed, moving the weekly meetings to residence halls such as Tanner Hall will draw interest to freshmen, who are a large part of the student population.

“Moving the meeting is so students don’t have to leave their residence halls to come and learn what SGA does,” Reed said.

“They can learn what we do and experience the meetings, the audience and talk about what issues are important to them.”

Reed went on to mention how this is not a new idea for SGA, but he still expects a successful outcome.

“It is something that has been done within previous administra-

tions to kind of draw an interest,” Reed said. “Something that I always like to say is that SGA needs to do more to exist more outside the walls of the Capital Room because so often it feels that we are only doing our jobs Tuesday night 7 to 9 p.m. We need to make sure that we are doing it outside of that time frame.”

Reed said that he has already talked with other organizations about the plan, and he has high hopes that the relocation will lead to more participation from students.

Moving forward, SGA passed the Bill of Appointment 20172018.013 for Justin Brown to be confirmed to the position of member to the committee on Academic, Graduation and Academic Standards for the remaining 2017-2018 academic year.

CHRIS HOLLING/COURIER STAFF

SGA page 3

Student Government Association (SGA) President Grant Reed addressses SGA about conducting future meetngs in the residence halls on Western's campus to stimulate student involvement.

2

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

NEWS

WesternCourier.com

Beske engineers A Taste of Macomb

By Matthew Armour

Connor Beske, a junior at Western Illinois University, achieved success during his sophomore year when he and a friend, Ethan Kunkel, from Inter-Hall Council devised a plan to orchestrate a social event known as A Taste of Macomb.

“I basically gained inspiration from the Taste of Chicago to fit Macomb,” Beske said.

Beske was passionate and worked to make this goal a reality because students often complain about the lack of food choices in Macomb, therefore local businesses that students may be oblivious to can advertise their food services and gain student revenue.

“We got a lot of good food that not a lot of people know about, local businesses need our help,” Beske said. “Basically, every single restaurant in this town is driven by student revenue, so if students don’t go to the good restaurants they close down and nobody wants to lose good food.”

The participating restaurants available for the A Taste of Macomb event included Chick’s, Chubby’s, Yummy Chen’s, International Sandwich Shop and Italian Express.

Beske and Kunkel weren’t alone in the task of planning and carrying out such an endeavor; the entirety of the Inter-Hall Council funded the event.

“Inter-Hall Council Late Nights Approval from the board and then the Vice President of Student Affairs gave us money and we bought food and we put on an event,” Beske said. “[Late Nights] is a Committee within Inter-Hall Council (IHC) that is responsible for putting on events later at night to draw students away from Macomb’s ‘night life’ so they go to our events instead of making bad decisions.”

Beske and his Late-Nights Committee worked hard to promote the event to the best of their ability, implementing posters and online advertising through social media mediums.

“We hand drew a bunch of post-

ers, put them in every Residence Hall, mostly by the Dining Centers and spammed it all over social media, for about a week,” Beske said.

According to Beske, his hardwork and determination in ensuring the event would be successful, along with his connections to the Late-Night Committee, did not go in vain.

“One hundred and seventy attendants showed up,” Beske said. “Give or take, we had to cut up food in an emergency because we didn’t have enough food to serve everyone so we had to cut it into smaller portions.”

Despite resources and support available to create such an event, Beske and the Late-Night Committee encountered serious challenges along their journey. Restaurant owners became skeptical of university students because they were unsure of student demographics and identity.

“People slacked, nobody wanted to do things,” Beske said. “Kunkel and I picked up a lot of slack. Restaurant owners were really kind of shady, they were apprehensive about dealing with University students because they didn’t really know who we were, so when we told them we wanted a hundred and fifty dollars worth of food on a certain date, they kind of were apprehensive.

Despite being faced with adversity, Beske triumphed. The restaurants involved were also surprised but upheld positive energy at the event.

“After that we could basically do whatever we wanted, that success basically gave the university a lot of faith in Late Nights and IHC as a whole,” Beske said. “They were happy with it, first because we spent a ton of money in their restaurants, they were happy to see pictures of a room full of people trying their food and happy to see all the food got tasted.”

With all the success, this propelled A Taste of Macomb to reoccur this year with a bigger budget. A Taste of Macomb took place on last Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. on the first floor of the Multicultural Center.

PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION

ADVERTISING POLICY

courier staff

MATTHEW ARMOUR/COURIER STAFF

Western junior Connor Beske is the founding father of A Taste of Macomb inspired by the famous Taste of Chicago.

ITOR

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STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Nicholas Ebelhack NA-Ebelhack@wiu.edu news editor Isaiah Herard IA-Herard@wiu.edu assistant news editor Emily Stieren EN-Stieren@wiu.edu opinions editor Shannon Norris SA-Norris@wiu.edu

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Council from front page

The Council also approved the Management and Operations Agreement between the City of Macomb and the YMCA of McDonough County to open the outdoor Glenwood Pool.

“A pool is a very important thing to the community,” said City Administrator Dean Torreson. “We’ve got several pools in town, but you need an outdoor pool for kids and especially the ones that can’t afford the YMCA. They have programs to help poor kids as well, but I know the Mayor and the City Council feel very strongly about that, it’s just an important community asset that we need.”

Inman also spoke in favor of opening an outdoor pool for less fortunate children to have fun and participate in recreational activities.

The provisions include a one-year contract that renews

SGA from front page

SGA went on to pass the Bill of Appropriation 2017-2018.005, which will allocate $199 to SGA to provide food at the Lunchtime with Leaders event. Speaker of the Senate Patrick Quinlan mentioned that this event gives student leaders the opportunity to gain experience in networking.

Following that agreement, SGA passed the Bill of Appropriation 2017-2018.006, which will require SGA to sponsor Doni Purifoy, Derek Lahey and Maddie Heinzer to attend the 2017 Fall Leadership Conference. The sponsorship with cover $40 worth of registration fees for them to attend the conference on Nov. 11.

The next SGA meeting will be held next Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Capitol Rooms of the University Union.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 automatically, a $3,000 management fee for the YMCA, which the City Council collects and keeps the gate receipt while the YMCA manages the pool, and keep profits from the concession stand.

“I think the agreement with the YMCA is great,” Inman said. “We have an active partner in the management of our swimming pool and we have a very good deal for the (YMCA) and the City of Macomb. They’ve had an indoor facility for nearly 40 years, they know about programming and we’re excited for this partnership.”

The Council considered an ordinance to amend section 2-51 of the Municipal Code to change the time of the regular City Council meetings to the same 5 p.m. hour of the City Council Committee of the Whole meetings.

The next City Council meeting will be a meeting of the Committee of the Whole and will take place this Monday at 5 p.m.

NEWS 3

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

4 OPINIONS

WesternCourier.com

Is it time to enforce more control...

Any sort of positivity escapes us — and the shadow of dread, helplessness and depression creeps in — every week or so in 2017. Early in any given week, President Donald Trump utters some seemingly incoherent string of awfulness via Twitter.

Then, legal, political, social media and many other “professional” analysts immediately dissect that awfulness on CNN or, in Fox News’ case, spin it so fast into anti-Democratic mush that feeds directly into the mouth of every implicitly racist grandpa and crazy uncle in America.

Imagine my surprise when I read that, just last Sunday, a gunman in, Texas, a bastion of conservative, gun-loving policies, shot and killed 26 parishioners at a church. My surprise, if you’re still trying to imagine, was nonexistent.

It seemed as though The New York Times, The Washington Post and any other publication of respect had just finished their exhaustive reporting on the mass shooting that took place

in Las Vegas — where Steven Paddock shot and killed over 50 people and injured hundreds more — before Devin P. Kelley, a former U.S. airman had opened fire on a church.

The reactions from politicians were immediate and predictable. Vice President Mike Pence, known for his evangelism and inability to be in a room with either alcohol or women without his wife, whom he calls “mother,” tweeted, “Spoke to (Texas Governor Greg Abbot) this morning & assured him of our full support & prayers. The hearts of every American are in Sutherland Springs today.”

Abbot also released a statement in the same vein, writing, “While the details of this horrific act are still under investigation, I want to send (my) sincerest thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected by this evil act.” Texas Senator Ted Cruz also offered his prayers: “Keeping all harmed in Sutherland Springs in our prayers and grateful for our brave first

responders on the scene.” (It’s worth noting that eight members of the Holcombe family died while praying inside the Sutherland church.)

One of those “brave first responders” to which Cruz was referring was an armed local who shot Kelley after he murdered two dozen people. The pro-gun right’s response was as swift as the thoughts and prayers from the National Rifle Association (NRA) donation recipients (Republicans) in Congress.

“Can you sleep knowing the killer was already banned from owning guns & all you would do is disarm the citizen whose legal gun stopped him?” Jim Hanson tweeted. Hanson is a member of the Security Studies Group, a right-wing, pro-gun think tank.

To answer the question, Hanson, yes, I can. The shooting was already over — according to CNN and CBS News, four percent of Sutherland’s population had just been killed — when the gun-owning local stepped in. There’s no telling who or what Kelley’s next target was but the problem still stands.

Over 20 people were killed before a “good guy with a gun” stepped in.

The “good guy with a gun” is

a myth that needs to die. According to studies and research from Stanford University, where researchers analyzed nearly four decades of gun massacres, more guns don’t lead to less crime, as some NRA lobbyists would have you believe. As reported by Vice News earlier this year, the studies show that “states that made it easier for their citizens to go armed in public had higher levels of non-fatal violent crime than those states that restricted the right to carry.” The caveat was murder; however, the effect of gun policies on murders was considered statistically insignificant. Even after Texas, it’s worth noting, enacted right to carry laws, giving citizens the right to carry concealed firearms, violent crime increased almost 17 percent.

Next up from Hanson’s tweet is the “killer was already banned from owning guns” clause. According to reporting from the Times, the Air Force failed to enter Kelley’s domestic violence history into a federal database “that could have blocked him from buying the rifle he used to kill 26 people.”

Kelley had a rich history of hurting his wife and child. According to more reporting from the Times, Kelley once even

crushed his child’s skull, beat his wife and abused his dog, all in 2012. Still, he purchased his gun with no hesitation and committed the Sutherland atrocity.

Conservative talking heads will inadvertently reveal, by way of citing myths and faulty science, on Fox News in the coming days that the Sutherland shooting — and the Las Vegas shooting, and the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, and the Newtown, Conn. Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, and the Virginia Tech shooting and the San Bernardino shooting — is yet another reason why we need more gun control, not less of it.

We need to realize that the Second Amendment was originally intended — and conservatives love original interpretations of the Constitution — for regulating militias, as per its text. We need to realize that gun control, like many other forms of legislation, will indeed limit gun violence. Cigarettes and child labor, which usage is decreasing and nonexistent, respectively, are just a few examples where strong legislation worked to curtail death.

The time for thoughts and prayers and moments of silence is over. Advocate for more gun control now.

... or to prepare to take a stand?

In light of the tragic church shooting in Texas Sunday morning, pundits have already begun renewing the calls for increased gun control. The motivations for the shooting are still unknown, although some have speculated that this was a shooting on Christians by a militant atheist.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety's Freeman Martin it was not religiously motivated though, so we all are going to have to wait and see if we ever truly get an explanation as to why the killer walked into a church and gunned down more than two dozen people, many of

which were children.

We now know that the shooter was a former Air Force member who was convicted of domestic assault on his spouse and child, and that he was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force as a result. This legally bars him from obtaining a firearm, but as a result of a bureaucratic error on the part of the Air Force, the federal background check didn’t stop the sale of a firearm to him.

That is more a reflection on the Air Force than it is on federal background checks; the system to disallow him from purchasing a firearm was in place and would have worked if not for

the screw-up on the part of the Air Force.

Another piece of information that was just recently brought to light is that an armed civilian by the name of Stephen Willeford chased the shooter away, shooting him around his body armor in the process. Remember that evil National Rifle Association that wants people to be able to defend themselves because good guys with guns will stop bad guys with guns, much to the ridicule of the left? Well, Stephen Willeford is, believe it or not, a former registered NRA instructor, whose legal right to carry an AR-15, a firearm which has been criticized at length by those in favor of new gun laws, allowed him to take on the mass shooter, hit him once in the leg and once in the torso, and effectively chase him out.

This brings us to the founda-

tional problem with the modern left’s obsession with AR-15s and other firearms which epitomize self-defense. A good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun, far before police are able to arrive. It appears that the left would rather have a disarmed society, either run by the very cops they rally so vehemently against, or by criminals who, by definition, don’t follow laws, instead of having one where individuals are free to protect themselves from threats to their persons and property, wherever they may originate. The principle of self-defense has turned to self-immolation for many in the West.

This is no better illustrated than by the truck attack from an Uzbek national shouting “Allahu Akbar” and driving a stolen truck through the streets of New York, or the stabbing sprees now

happening in Britain after they made it illegal for their citizens to properly defend themselves, be it through arrests for online “hate speech” criticizing those who are carrying out attacks against the British public, or arrests for possession of butter knives.

I’ve little doubt that so many on the modern left would love nothing other than that dystopian nightmare, a future in which America is overrun by people who do not share our values, traditions, or way of life, and one where American natives are powerless to stop this onslaught as they are disarmed and silenced for having an opinion not supportive of these ends.

Living in a civilized society is not a suicide pact, and I will not apologize for fighting with everything I have to prevent this future from becoming a reality.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Don’t escalate elevator usage

Let’s address something we’ve all either complained about or are guilty of ourselves, people who take the elevator to the second floor.

Having lived on the 14th and 9th floor of both my dorms, I have a lot of feelings toward people who commit this crazy act. Now let’s all be honest, we choose to take the elevator because we are lazy.

The convenience of being moved without actually having to do any work is a won-

derful one. However, what are we really gaining by taking the elevator one floor?

The first thing you can gain is the satisfaction of probably irritating everyone else on the elevator with you.

Not only can you probably irritate them, you might even get lucky and have them complain about you after you have gotten off and the doors have shut behind you. If you are super lucky, you may have even left a big

enough impact on the rest of the elevator riders that they remember you and dread riding with you in the future out of fear that you will only be going one level again. Now you’re probably thinking, who wouldn’t want all that?

Well let me point out some more benefits.

The next thing you can gain by your one-story elevator ride is lack of exercise. This can be a physical gain also because if you are lucky you may even put on a few extra pounds by your choices to not take the stairs. I guess this may not phase most people though because a lot us pay for the rec membership we don’t use so might as well

Letter to the editor

In the wake of this weekend's mass shooting, we will hear people talk about their rights.

We will hear people talk about the rights that were promised them by the Founding Fathers and how, because this is the greatest country in the world, those rights must be protected.

In the wake of this weekend’s mass shooting, the latest in a seemingly endless marathon of mass shootings, we will hear people talk about the law and who should be allowed to change it. And we will hear people talk about freedom.

I grew up around people who take guns seriously, who use them for sport and for protection, and who are proud of the fact that guns are part of their culture.

And I understand. That’s why I am not arguing for gun control. Rather, I am arguing for something I believe to be far ore important.

With all this talk that I continue to hear about rights and laws and freedom, I am moved to ask: Does a five year-old child have the right to live?

Is there a law that protects people

of faith from being murdered simply because they happen to be in a house of worship on a Sunday?

Should country music fans have the freedom to safely enjoy a concert?

What are the inalienable rights of LGBTQA Americans when they are dancing in a nightclub?

Do elementary school students have the right to not be massacred?

And do university students, faculty, and staff (like you and me) have the right to study and work on a university campus without fear?

There are some things that are not written in our Constitution. There are some things that the Founding Fathers did not foresee. Yes, uncomfortable as it is, there are some things that we must figure out ourselves. There are some issues with which we must actively engage. And there are some parts of ourselves and our nation that we must change.

I am not naive enough to think that there is one simple fix for any problem that exists in the universe, let alone the issue of gun violence in America. But I believe that send-

ing our thoughts and prayers is merely one step in the process.

In the wake of this weekend’s mass shooting, we will hear people talk about “the right time” and “the wrong time” to talk about mass shootings. We will hear people, many of whom are our representative lawmakers, tell us that it is too soon after the tragic events to make a law or have a debate, or even a discussion. And we will here them say this until the next mass shooting, and then they will say it again.

My thoughts and prayers do go out to the victims of this weekend’s mass shooting. But I am not stopping there. I will also be giving them my effort to try and convince my country’s lawmakers to actually start talking and doing something about all of these mass shootings.

We simply must act. In some way.

In any way. We simply must do something. We must protect the rights of the living. We owe it to too many victims.

-Eli Van Sickle Disability Resource Center Graduate Assistant

not use the dorm stairs as exercise either.

The last thing you may gain by taking the elevator to the second floor is lost time. According to a study lead by Dr. Thomas Wilson reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal; The average time it takes to climb a set of stairs is 13 seconds in comparison to the elevator taking 37 seconds. You probably think the elevator is quicker because it just brings you straight up, but the time waiting for the elevator and then the time for it to move and the doors to open and shut, it actually would’ve just been faster to take the 15 or so stairs. So, not only can you

irritate multiple people and possibly gain a little weight, you can also waste some of your own time.

Even though I have made all of these wonderful points, I personally have a hard time understanding why anyone would want to take the elevator just to go up one floor. There are a few exceptions to this. For example, if your hands are full or if you are injured or unable to take the stairs. In that case you go right ahead and jump in that metal box of mobility.

For the rest of us however, I stand firmly when I say if you are only going up only one or two floors, then please just take the stairs.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

6 SPORTS

Soccer

from page 8

Western met with Omaha once already this year; however, they were defeated 2-0.

Overall, the Mavericks finished 9-5-2, as well as 2-1-2 in conference.

Western hasn’t made it to the tournament final in a while, but Omaha is familiar with the position and they are eager to get back there. Last year, the Leathernecks were knocked out by Denver off of a very controversial penalty kick in the 82nd minute of the game, which helped the Pioneers move on 1-0.

Western has some bad blood with Denver, so they want to do everything they can to possibly, and most likely meet them in the final this year.

Ironically, the four teams moving on are the exact same as last year, which makes for some bitter rivalries, and some teams seeking revenge.

With that being said, Western wants to give Omaha a taste of their own medicine, as they look to embarrass the

Mavericks on their home field. It won’t be easy, but the men’s soccer program is driven to get something out of this season.

Looking to get things started in the post-season for Western is junior forward Drew Whalen. He has eight goals on the season for 16 points, and he is looking to keep up that form going into the tournament. Along with him, the Leathernecks have the Pacheco brothers.

The seniors, they are ready to leave everything out on the field for their team, and more or less each other. Fernando, has seven goals and one assist while his brother Alejandro has only one goal and one assist. His one goal however was the game winner with less than 20 seconds left against Summit League foe Oral Roberts.

Expect this offense to come out hot, and expect some intense games during this tournament. Western kicks off at 5 p.m. tomorrow night in Omaha, Nebraska.

Twitter: @bradjp08

Football from page 7

McGuire has found his rhythm in purple and gold, he sits at sixth place all-time and is 201 yards away from being in the top four. This week will give McGuire a great chance to enter an elite level in Leatherneck history.

After the Leatherneck last game, Western’s head coach Charlie Fisher did not have much to say about his skilled players, but put a special emphasis on his special team’s leaders.

“We can't forget about our special teams that stopped

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the ball on the fake punt,” said Fisher. “They were really solid today. We hit our kicks. One guy that does not get enough credit is Nathan Erickson. He is a weapon beyond weapons.”

This will be a good game for the Leathernecks to fine-tune all assets of their team and mentally prepare for a playoff run. Kickoff is at 12 p.m.

Saturday for the Leathernecks final away game of the season. Western will return home for senior day Nov. 18, when the Leathernecks welcome the Southern Illinois University Salukis.

Twitter: @MacIsland13

RATES $5.50 per issue (open rate) $4.00 per issue (campus rate)

For Rent Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished.

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Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com ALL APARTMENTS - ALL INCLUSIVE Get control of your budget. Know exactly what you are spending each month. Each apartment includes free a/c, free heat, free electricity, free water, free cable tv, free hi speed internet, and free off street parking. Laundry on site.

No noise policy. Bus stop across the street. Close to campus. Well maintained. Studios are $460/mo, One bedrooms are $620/mo. Call Doug at 309-255-8179 for an appointment.

Westen Investments still has affordable 1-4 Bedroom Apartment/Houses available. Be sure to check out our website (www.westeninvest.com) to see our available listings, and call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to win prize giveaways!

APARTMENT FOR RENT: FOR QUIET PERSON. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT LOCATED AT 314 West Carroll ST Macomb, Ill 61455. Available end of August 2017-new carpeting yearly lease SMALEST FURNISHED IN MACOMB $345.00/month - HEAT & AC INCLUDED private entrance, off-street parking included call for appointment309-837-4748 or 255-5075 woodburning fireplace, ask for Paul.

For Rent: Little Swan Lake, 30 min from campus. 2br, 2bth, heated double car garage with work area. $600 per mo.

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@WesternCourier

Sports 7

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Volleyball looks to finish strong

By Becca Langys courier staff

The Western Illinois University volleyball team prepares to play their final two matches of the season this weekend in Macomb. They are scheduled to play on Friday at 5 p.m. against the North Dakota State University Bison, and on Sunday at 1 p.m. against the University of Denver Colorado Pioneers.

They look to finish out their last two conference games strong. The Leathernecks will host both games in Western Hall.

Western’s volleyball team, up to this point in the season, has struggled in conference play and they look to boost their record coming into their final conference games. The Leathernecks are coming off a fresh win over South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, and look to use the momentum from their last win during the upcoming games. Energy and momentum will be critical for the Leathernecks to finish off their conference play with some wins.

Just a few weeks ago, the Leathernecks face the Bison, losing in three straight

games. This weekend, the Leathernecks look to redeem themselves. During their previous game against NDSU, the Leathernecks struggled offensively and could not match the hits that were coming from the other side of the net. Currently, the Leathernecks have a total of 1020 kills this season while the Bisons have 1053, making them closely matched approaching Friday’s game.

The Leathernecks will need to bring both strong hits and good defense in order to match NDSU’s powerful offensive presence Friday. North Dakota State currently has a record of 7-5 in conference compared to the Leatherneck’s 2-9 record, making it also critical that Western brings ton of energy to the court.

As for their match on Sunday, the Leathernecks will play against the Pioneers, who Western previously lost to in three games. During their previous match against the Pioneers, the Leathernecks struggled both offensively and defensively. The Leathernecks barely earned half as many kills as the Pioneers due to the strong defensive presence coming from the Denver side of the net. Because of this, the

Leathernecks must put a large focus on the effectiveness of their offense coming into their match against the Pioneers.

Not only does the offense need to be strong, but Leatherneck defense must be on point in order to win the match.

During their last match against Denver, the Leathernecks only earned 33 digs compared to the Pioneer’s 50 digs. If the Western defense comes out strong this Sunday, they will greatly increase their chances at redeeming themselves.

Approaching their final matches of the season, Western’s volleyball team looks to finish out strong with two wins against competitors that they had lost to earlier in the season. The Leathernecks have put a large emphasis on their energy and momentum throughout the course of this season, and they intend to continue focusing on these things throughout their final matches in conference.

This season, while not as successful as they had hoped, has been a huge learning experience for the Leathernecks in which they intend to build upon during their future seasons.

Twitter: beccalangysxo

Ariel Ramierez/courier staff

Aleezah Washington sets up her teammates in a home game.

NBA season shocks fans The NBA’s 2016-2017 season had a very unsurprising end with the stacked Golden State Warriors winning over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. This result left many fans feeling as if there was no reason to watch next season because of the dominance of the two teams.

If I had told an NBA fan ,at the end of the 2016-2017 season, that the next season would see the New York Knicks ranked higher than the Cavaliers, they would have thought I was joking. As funny as that may seem, that is today’s reality.

It is too early in the season to say the New York Knicks are better than the Cavaliers but it isn't too early to say this season won't be a repeat of last year.

The NBA offseason, which was exciting and filled with huge trades that totally restructured the NBA, made many fans excited for this upcoming season. Both conferences have teams which have gathered new talent to fight against the current super teams. This means that this year’s NBA team-

will actually have a contest for each playoff spot and that teams will actually have to put effort into the regular season. In the past, teams have been able to coast through the regular season and just show up when the playoffs come around.

The Eastern Conference now has more competition due to a last minute trade which moved Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics were projected to make huge strides this year with the addition of Irving and Gordon Hayward.

However, with Hayward's grusome injury in the Celtics' home-opener, Irving has almost single-handedly carried the Celtics to the current number-one seed in the east with the record of 9-1.

The Cavaliers have suffered from multiple injuries to Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Love and the player they got from the Celtics, Isaiah Thomas. The Cavaliers have encountered early struggles to get off to the season start they wanted and they are sitting at the 12th seed with the record of 4-6.

John Wall and the Washington Wizards have had a great start and are showing a lot of talent earning them the number 4 seed in the east with the record of 5-4.

The Knicks traded away one of their star players Carmelo Anthony, which left many fans discouraged because the Knicks looked like they would again not make the playoffs.

There now is hope though, the last time the New York Knicks had a start like this was in 2013 and they made it to the playoffs. With the help from Kristaps Porzingis the Knicks are currently the 6th seed with a record of 5-4 and the playoffs look like an actual possibility this year.

Overall the Eastern conference is no longer dominated by the Cavaliers.

The Western Conference has its own competitions this year. The Minnesota Timberwolves, ranked as the third seed with a 7-3 record, with the addition of Jimmy Butler, look to hold that spot and continue to play at a playoff level.

The Houston Rockets gained a new star this season as well in the addition of NBA veteran Chris Paul. They look to return to the playoffs this year, and make it farther than they did last year. The Houston Rockets had a great start to this season and are the 1st seed in the Western

Conference with a record of 8-3. Both The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves are also competing against the Golden State Warrior super team.

This is no small task, The Golden State Warriors are stacked with talent and leadership and look to repeat last year's success. Under the coaching of Steve Kerr they seem to be unstoppable but this year the Warriors will face more challenges. So far the Western Conference looks like it will be a great competition.

If the start of the NBA season after the wild off season wasn't enough for you, the NBA also has been affected by injuries and some of the best players are out for the year. So far there have been many surprises and there is no sign of them stopping. The New York Knicks, led by their emerging superstar Kristaps Porzingis may end up being better than LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.

All the mobility of the players this offseason left the NBA world in suspense waiting to see what the final products would be. The season has been an extremely entertaining and unexpected so far, I don't think anybody wants to miss the rest of the season to see how it unfolds.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Soccer to make postseason push

By Bradley Piros courier staff

It wasn’t exactly the perfect ending for the Western Illinois University men’s soccer team as they wrapped up their regular season with a 0-0 tie against Bradley University and a 1-0 loss to the University of Denver Colorado Pioneers. Both games were wellfought until the end, but the results didn’t turn up. With those final matches now in the books, Western finished 5-9-1, but they are absolutely ready for the Summit League tournament.

Many people say that once you make it to the playoffs, your regular season record doesn’t matter anymore, and that’s applicable in Western’s case. They didn’t finish with a stellar record, but they need to forget about the bad times, learn from their previous mistakes and move on. The playoffs are, in a way, a time to start over and that’s exactly what the Leathernecks need to do because from here on out, it’s win or go home.

Only the top four teams made it into the tournament, and those four teams each got

a seed. They rank as follows: the Pioneers (1), the Leathernecks (2), the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (3) and the Eastern Illinois University Panthers (4). The first seeded Pioneers play the Panthers at 2 p.m. and the second ranked Leathernecks take on the Mavericks at 5 p.m. The winners of those two games will meet in the final on Saturday.

The tournament semi-finals are set, but who will move on, and how do the Leathernecks shape up compared to Omaha?

First, some quick facts about Omaha they were the 2016 Summit League Champions, and that’s why they get to host the tournament this year.

The team with the best regular season Summit League record hosts the tournament the following year, which was Omaha. They made it to the tournament final, only to lose 2-1, to Denver, but they are looking to use their home field advantage and make it back to the final.

Soccer page 6

JOSH DEFIBAUGH / COPY EDITOR

Alejandro Pacheco getting loose before the Western take on Denver on senior day.

Football looks for seventh victory

By Mat McClanahan sports editor

NICHOLAS EBELHACK / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sean McGuire dodges defenders in Western’s most recent win against Illinois State University.

The 11th ranked Western Illinois University football team will travel to Terre Haute, Ind. to try and give the Indiana Sate University Sycamores their tenth straight loss of the season. With a win on Saturday, Western will nearly solidify themselves into the FCS playoffs after missing out last season.

The Leathernecks handled the Illinois State University Redbirds last Saturday 31-14, making them playoff eligible. Two games remain on Western’s schedule and if the Leathernecks win both, it will give them a chance to host a home playoff game.

These two teams will square off for the 40th time this Saturday and the Leathernecks lead the all-time series with the Sycamores by a 24-15 margin. Western Illinois has won four straight against Indiana State, with three of those victories coming by no more than a touchdown. In fact, the Leathernecks have barely squeaked by the Sycamores, with last year's 36-35 victory coming on the heels of a 37-30 win in overtime in 2015.

It has been a tough year for the Sycamore’s first-year head coach Curt Mallory. Indiana State has yet to win a game this season, which makes this matchup seem like an automatic win for the Leathernecks.

Western has only lost once on the road this year, to then second ranked North Dakota State University. It will be a tall task for the Sycamores to hold the high-powered Leatherneck offense down. Indiana state has only held two teams under 40 points this season and that number does not look to be going up this weekend.

Western’s junior running back Steve McShane has gotten back to his 2016 form, scoring four touchdowns in his last two outings. With a stronger run game, that will open up senior wide receiver Jaelon Acklin for another big game.

Acklin is third in the nation in receiving yards (1,096) and receiving yards per game (121.8).

The Sycamores will need to find a way to stop him and junior quarterback Sean McGuire from finding the end zone.

Football page 6