Western Courier | April 13th, 2018

Sports: NBA MVP race is all but over.

Opinions: Western has safety policies in place.

Sports: Softball sets eyes on Cyclones.

Friday, April 13, 2018 - Vol. 118 Issue 77

Students get familiarized with OPS officers during

Coffee with a Cop

By Leah Murphy courier staff

On Wednesday, Coffee with a Cop was held at the University Union Concourse from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Students, faculty and staff were invited to join local police officers for coffee and conversation.

There was no specified agenda or lectures for this event. This event was simply a chance for students,

faculty and staff to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the officers on campus and in the community. Coffee was provided

by University Housing and Dining Services (UHDS).

Several police agencies had officers at this event, including officers from the Office of Public Safety (OPS), officers from the Macomb Police Department, officers from the McDonough County

Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Troopers.

Sgt. Derek Watts, an OPS officer, was at the Coffee with a Cop event. Sgt. Watts has been an officer with Western’s Office of Public Safety for 19 years.

“I’m not going to preach to you about wearing your seat belt or not speeding,” Watts said. If you have a question you can just come up and ask. There’s no fear of doing

that because that’s what we’re here for: to answer questions and provide that positive, public interaction with the police.”

Coffee with a Cop was beneficial to both the police officers that attended, and the community members that participated. Police officers may have negative interactions with community members, such as giving tickets or dealing with fighting, so this event was

helpful for officers to see that it is possible to have positive interactions with members of the community.

According to Watts, community members also benefited from this event by having the chance to see police officers in a different environment and gain more positive interactions with officers.

Coffee

page 2

Cultural Cafe hosted by

The Center of International Studies

By William Turkington courier staff

The Center for International Studies (CIS) will host a Cultural Café in the Heritage Room of the University Union from 12-1 p.m. on April 16, that will feature the country of Pakistan.

The event will feature a presentation by Muhammad Omer on various aspects

of Pakistani life. Sodexo will also cater an authentic Pakistani lunch, with the recipe provided by the presenting student.

“Cultural Cafés are a way for international students to share stories of their countries and culture with WIU students, faculty, administration, and community members,” Dana Sistko, assistant director for the Center for International Studies

said. “It's a kind of armchair traveler experience for the people who attend the cafes to learn more about countries that they cannot travel to themselves.”

Sistko helps these events run smoothly and would like to encourage students of all backgrounds to attend these cultural experiences.

“No one is more or less out of place than the person next to them,” said Sistko. “These

events are open to everyone and they are a great place to start learning about other cultures of the world.”

Sistko would also like to clarify that Cultural Café presentations are not just limited to Western’s international student population.

“We recently had one presented by a Returned Peace Corps Fellow and have had returned study abroad students and other American

students present on their heritage,” said Sistko. “We think those presentations might inspire some of our domestic students to investigate traveling abroad and spreading the advantages of Western's program with others.”

Cafe page 2

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Friday, April 13, 2018

NEWS

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explain HIV epidemic in Botswana Botswana

Jimmy pierson/production manager

By Josh Bowling courier staff

Peace Corps at Western Illinois Unviersity provided an educational program to show what the Peace Corps provides for countries heavily affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on April 9.

The program titled, Health

Coffee from front page

"This event lets community members know that the police officers are human beings too and we’re not just robots out doing their job,” Watts said.

“They have lives and families too. It helps officers see we have good students that aren’t doing anything bad and are here not causing trouble. It gives both of them a positive view, I think it’s a plus-plus for both.”

The Coffee with a Cop event was a great way to build a stronger relationship between police officers and community members. This event was a way for community members to see that police officers do more than just give tickets and enforce laws. They help those in need, answer questions community members may have and even gave interviews for English classes.

“They are people and you can talk to them,” Watts said.

“If you have a question, you can call the police department and we’ll try to answer it.

Here at the University, we’ve had two or three requests this week to do an interview for someone in an English class.

We’ll do things like that to have that positive side of what they want to do and what they do every day instead of just giving tickets.”

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Gap and Soccer in Botswana, took place at the Multicultural Center on campus. The program began by discussing the HIV crisis taking place in Botswana.

“360,000 people are infected with HIV in Botswana.

The country only has a population of 2.2 million people so HIV is a huge epidemic there” Rosey Brown, present-

er and Peace Corps Recruiter on campus said.

Brown had previously spent two years working in South Africa for the Peace Corps. In South Africa, she provided educationals similar to the one she demonstrated at the event.

In order to lower the number of people being infected with HIV in Botswana and countries

in similar situations, the Peace Corps provides lessons for High School students. They provide fun demonstrations to teach about the dangers of HIV and how to prevent it. Grassroots Soccer was an example of one of these lessons.

The presentation was an interactive educational that showed how quickly HIV can be spread.

The three main lessons taught in order to prevent HIV were practice abstinence, be faithful to one partner, and use a condom.

“I’m happy with the turnout and and meeting the objectives of the program which were to provide a fun and educational event and teach people what the Peace Corps does” Brown said.

Cafe

“I decided to present at a Cultural Café because I have attended several of these cafes at WIU and have enjoyed them very much,” Omer said.

“Cultural Cafés provide international students like me the great opportunity to share information on our home country’s culture and a great chance for the campus community to learn about different countries and cuisines of

the world.”

Omer will be talking about the difference between the way of life of rural and urban Pakistani’s, the different ethnicities in the country, their culture, traditions, cuisine, geography, and some other fun facts. Omer, like Sistko, would also like to encourage students who don’t regularly attend these events to give them a shot.

“One should not be hesitant at all or feel out of place when it comes to cultural events because these events are very informative and interesting,” Omer said.

“You get to learn about different cultures and traditions, and have the opportunity to ask questions you’re curious about which broadens your perspective and helps you see things differently.”

from front page

Omer is a graduate assistant with the Center for International Studies. He helps the center put on various campus events for all students including the International Bazaar that took place in the Union last month. Omer is eager to share his culture with the Western student body.

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STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Nicholas Ebelhack NA-Ebelhack@wiu.edu assistant news editor Marc Ramirez MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu assistant news editor Steven Barnum SS-Barnum@wiu.edu opinions editor Ryan Zurek RP-Zurek@wiu.edu sports editor Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu assistant sports editor Haley Richards H-Richards@wiu.edu edge editor Baylee Brynteson BM-Brynteson@wiu.edu copy editor Brie Coder B-Coder@wiu.edu

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•On April 3 at 9:06 p.m. non-student Alfred Evans, 20, of Chicago, was arrested on North Johnson Street for criminal trespass to property. He was lodged in the McDonough County Jail at 9:32 p.m. pending bond.

•On April 4 at 8:18 p.m. two students in Tanner Hall were judicially referred for suspicion of cannabis.

•On April 5 at 12:21 a.m. one student in Tanner Hall was judicially referred for illegal consumption of alcohol.

•On April 5 at 10:05 a.m. one student and one employee reported the theft of pepper spray, valued at $10, and a cord and wall charger, valued at $75, from Memorial Hall. The incident is under investigation.

•On April 6 at 12:59 p.m. a student reported his cell phone, valued at $280, had been stolen from Currens Hall sometime April 4. The incident is under investigation.

•On April 6 at 2:50 p.m. a student in Morgan Hall reported the theft of a backpack and two chargers, valued at $40, stolen from Memorial Hall. The incident is under investigation.

•On April 6 at 2:50 p.m. a student in Memorial Hall reported the theft of $10 from a backpack. The incident is under investigation.

•On April 6 at 4:59 p.m. a University employee came to Mowbray Hall to report his wallet, valued at $20, stolen from his Browne Hall office. The incident is under investigaion.

•On April 7 at 11:49 p.m.

Spencer Mellow, 21, of 34 West Side Square, Macomb, was

Friday, April 13, 2018

arrested on West Pierce Street on a warrant for failure to appear. He was also issued a notice to appear in court May 1 for a Macomb City ordinance violation for open alcohol in public. He was lodged in the McDonough County Jail at 11:54 p.m. pending bond.

•On April 7 at 11:56 p.m.

OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Thompson Hall.

The alarm was activated by a cooking incident and no injuries were reported.

•On April 8 at 1:36 a.m.

Shabar Wilson, 19, of 714 Tanner Hall, was arrested on Western Avenue for unlawful possession of 10-30 grams of cannabis. He was lodged in the McDonough County Jail at 1:43 a.m. pending bond.

•On Monday, April 9 at 2:45 p.m. an individual reported to OPS that a student was sexually assaulted by a male known to her. The assault occurred during the early morning hours of April 9 in a residence hall. The University is investigating the incident.

•On Monday, April 9 at 9:33 p.m. Moet Fults, 19, of 1120 Henninger Hall, was arrested in Henninger on a McDonough County warrant.

She was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 9:3 7 p.m. where she was lodged pending bond.

•On Wednesday, April 11 at 3:52 a.m. a student reported she was sexually assaulted by a male known to her. The assault occurred around 2 a.m.

April 11 in a residence hall.

The University is investigating the incident.

NEWS 3

Editor applications for

Fall 2018

ARE NOW OPEN

Pick up an application at the Western Courier Office in the Heating Plant Annex Positions Available

News Editor/Assistant News Editor Sports Editor/Assistant Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Opinions Editor Ad Representative Ad Manager

APPLICATIONS DUE

APRIL 13

Contact Devon Greene at DJ-Greene@wiu.edu for more information

Friday, April 13, 2018

4 OPINIONS

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Western is prepared for the worst A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on what the procedure would be if there was an active shooter on campus. As a student, I was very concerned that I was not informed on how to react in the situation of an active shooter.

But on Wednesday, I had a meeting with Scott Harris and William Digger about my concerns. Harris is the Director of Public Safety and William is a Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness contact.

Talking to the two of them made me feel way more con-

fident in the procedures we would take at Western.

First and foremost, Scott Harris has a very long background in the police force; he has been working in the force for about 36 years. He seems to know what he is doing, or what he would do in the situation of a shooter on campus.

He began to inform me the importance of reading the Stars emails we all receive. There is information in those emails that will inform us with the happenings on campus. Next he told me that every year, our

staff and faculty can partake in a program called Run, Hide, Fight, which outlines different scenarios of there being an active shooter on campus.

At this point in the conversation I was still a little curious as to why students did not get this training as well, but later Harris mentioned possibly getting students in the First-Year Experience courses to go through the training as well. I think if the campus could make this happen it would be beneficial to all students and their wellbeing. Resident Assistants will also be required to receive this training if things go as planned in the future.

Harris informed me that last year in the spring they opened a Run, Hide, Fight program

for students, and only 70 people showed up. The thing that Harris outlined the most was that they try to be careful not to play out certain scenarios too much. Some people might get it in their minds that no matter what happens that is the plan of action they would take. And the topic of there being an active shooter is already a sensitive topic for some, they try to do their best to make sure all students will stay safe with the information given out.

One thing I did not know about Western’s campus is that there are several blue lights all around campus. And on some of those lights there are speakers; so, in a traumatic situation they would be able to push out messages to

students walking across campus that way. In emergency situations students get sent an email informing them of the situation, but if students fill out more information they will also receive text messages and phone calls. Digger told me that several students do not choose to give them that information, but he encourages them to because we are more likely to get the message that way.

I enjoyed my meeting with Harris and Digger because I felt way more informed and comfortable with the campus’ procedures. For more information on the Run, Hide, Fight program, you can find it all on Western’s official website under Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness.

door for female athletes nationwide, but I’m still quick to disagree when hearing the claim that male and female sports are equal.

When it comes to women’s sports, we are still lacking in offering them equal opportunities of pay, equal television coverage and publicity and all around equal opportunities to make their sports into a longterm career.

Let’s begin with pay. According to an article by BBC News, in 2017, out of the top 100 high-

est paid athletes there was only one on that list that was a woman. Serena Williams earned her spot, she is a four-time Olympic Gold medalist and rated the top female tennis athlete, but somehow, she still only ranked 51 out of 100 for the highest paid athletes.

Now let’s look at general average salaries. The average salary for the NBA is $4,500,000. However, for the WNBA it’s only $76,000. That means when it comes to basketball, professional women’s basketball players are only making around 1.6 percent of what the professional men’s players are making. This is huge in the pay inequality of athletes.

Now let’s take a look at media

coverage. I know personally I can name off a much longer list of professional male athletes before I can even struggle to name off about ten professional female athletes. According to research done by the University of Minnesota, 40 percent of all sports athletes are females, however only four percent of all sports media coverage is of women’s sports. Women also do not receive equal publicity when it comes to sport related magazines. According to an article by the Smithsonian, if you eliminate the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, women only appear on less than five percent of the Sports Illustrated covers. Of those covers, only 2.5 percent actually have the woman as the primary image.

Not only are female athletes not getting equal T.V. coverage, they are also much more sexualized than male athletes. Out of the 10 Sports Illustrated covers showing women athletes in 2015, two of them didn’t have any relation to their sport at all and three of them had the woman posing in either a bra or a swimsuit.

With the huge lack of media coverage and the enormous difference in pay, it is much harder for women to turn their passion for their sport into a career. Title IX did wonders at opening up opportunities for female athletes all across the United States, but the inequality between male and female athletics is still in the need of much help.

We still need equality for the sexes

Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for colleges to discriminate based on sex, not only when it came to admissions but also to collegiate sports. This section of Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

This provision opened up a

Friday, April 13, 2018

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OPINIONS 5

Make the healthier choice with your life As students, the last thing many of us think about is eating healthier, drinking more water or exercising even if it is vital to our health. However, by not taking the time to take care of ourselves, this limits the outcome of our health in the future.

Some say that after we turn 25, our bodies start to lose their resilience to bounce back after any damage is done. So, yes, eating hot Cheetos and drinking everything but water

may be all fun and games now, but it’s best to try to break these habits before it’s too late.

Take the initiative to start exercising and eating healthier now before the desire to do so doesn’t cross your mind.

Even if it’s for five minutes a day, find a different exercise to do before or after class. By remaining consistent with a daily routine, there is a better guarantee that you’re not only improving your body’s wellbeing, but also requiring less

Editorial Policy The editoral views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editoral presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editoral 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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2018 Spring Semester Editorial Board Editor-in-Cheif - Nicholas Ebelhack Edge Editor - Baylee Bryntesson Opinions Editor - Ryan Zurek

maintenance of your health overtime. There is also the opportunity to use your student ID card for things other than food. Maybe try to attend a weekly class at the rec or take advantage of the personal training courses that are offered as well. Yes, the struggle to stay consistent will be hard at first, but something is better than nothing.

It’s also important to drink plenty of water every day. I can’t necessarily criticize anyone considering that I have a rather difficult time consuming my daily intake as well.

However, my problem isn’t consuming enough water, but remembering to drink water throughout the day. So, if

you struggle with the same issue set a timer or an alarm throughout the day to help you remember.

Water is not only necessary for our bodies considering that our bodies are mostly made of it, but water is also beneficial towards clearer skin, less dehydration and giving our bodies an extra boost of energy that we may need to get our day started. Drinking a glass of water when you wake up in the morning helps to get the major organs in your body functioning properly.

Not only is drinking water important, but drinking before we eat sends a signal to our bodies to eat smaller potions limiting the chance to overeat.

This can be hard to do especially when the need to take a sip of whatever we’re drinking during our meals is a normal routine. Quenching your thirst at least 30 minutes before eating can help to provide your stomach with satisfaction rather than feeling the need to sleep right after you’ve finished your meal.

No matter what it is that you do to better your health, healthier alternatives can provide both physical and mental stability as you age. It may be scary knowing that every day we grow older, but that may be much better than serious health problems that could mean life or death in the future.

Friday, April 13, 2018

6 SPORTS

Tennis

from back page

Last time out for Denver was against the University of New Mexico, when the team traveled out west to Albuquerque and won 4-0. It was their ninthstraight win. They’ll be playing the University of Nebraska-

Omaha today, and then go on to play the Leathernecks.

Omaha is sitting at first in the Summit League, followed

by Denver and the University of South Dakota Coyotes. The Leathernecks sit at fourth but would most likely move up to third with a win over Denver.

Either way, the Leathernecks

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are looking to finish out the season strong, and a win over Denver would be a boost of confidence.

Western will finish up their regular season at home against the University of Quincy Hawks. The match will begin at 9 a.m. next Saturday.

Twitter: bradjp08

ANGEL STRACK/COURIER STAFF

Haley Duwa awailts the pitch.

Softball from back page

Cary Milanes heads back to the line.

JOSH PURNELL/COURIER STAFF

CLASSIFIEDS

WC

For Rent

For Rent

Submit a classifieds ad to Micour@wiu.edu

1 & 2 bedroom apartments, new $250 signing bonus on 10 and 12 month leases. Two blocks from campus. Bus stops nearby. Free water, garbage and parking. Laundry onsite. Clean, well maintained and secure. Call Ted 309-837-5600 or visit markertrental.com.

Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord.

Call 309-255-1233.

Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122.

FALL INTO SAVINGS with Charleston Boulevard Apartments! Now offering SPECIAL RATES through Dec. 2017! Call for specific details 309-833-4545!.

NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2016-2017 Our houses have hard wood floors, ceramic tile, central air, washer and dryer and are close to campus with plenty of parking. We offer a ten month lease so you don’t pay for the months you aren’t here. Please call 309-255-1959 for a showing.

Now showing for 2017 & 2018 year 2, 3, and 5 bedrooms homes all close to campus. Call 309-331-4565.

Westen Investments has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well!

STC Investments now leasing for the 18/19 school year. We have 1-6 bedroom apartments/houses ready for you to call home! Check out our selection at www.stcinvestments.com.

You can also find us on Facebook to see daily posts!

So far this season, Iowa State has faced some pretty impressive opponents such as the nationally ranked University of Oklahoma, the University of Texas, Penn State University, Virginia Tech, and Brigham Young University.

Iowa State plays in the Big 12 and is currently ranked seven out of the eight teams in the conference. The offensive leader for the Cyclones is sophomore infielder

LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! Firsrt come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall.

NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2017-2018 Our houses have wood floors, ceramic tile, W/D, central air, and are close to campus with plentry of parking. We offer low rent and a 10 month lease to save you money! Call 309-255-1959 for a showing.

Small 1BR apt near campus and downtown. All utilities included. (Electric, Water, DISH, Garbage) $500/month, $300 deposit. Available immediately. Also have 2BR, you pay electric. $600/month, $350 deposit available September 1st. Please contact 309-255-4367 for a showing.

CLEAN, REMODELED, AND WELL MAINTAINED HOUSES AND APTS FOR RENT IN GREAT LOCATIONS. UTILITIES PAID FOR APARTMENTS. RENTING NOW FOR FALL 2017.

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Looking for 2 roommates to share a 3-bedroom furnished house beginning in August for 2018-19. 10- to 12-month contract. New carpet, air, garage w/ storage, laundry. $300 each per month, plus utilities. Call Sharon at 309-338-3888.

Sami Williams with a .378 batting average. She has 54 hits, nine homeruns, and 23 RBIs on the season. This ranks her at ninth in the Big 12 for individual statistics.

The Purple and Gold will not return home again until April 21, where they will face Omaha to continue Summit League play.

After this weekend, there will only be eight more regular season games before the Summit League tournament which will be May 8-12 in Fargo, North Dakota.

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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.

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Sports 7

Friday, April 13, 2018

@WesternCourier

Weeding out MVP pretenders

The NBA regular season has come to an end but the running for MVP is all but over.

There are three names that stand out, one of them has led his team to the number one seed over the Imperial Army of the Western Conference in the Golden State Warriors, another man averaged a triple double for the second season in a row and the third kept a shockingly average team in the playoffs.

James Harden of the Houston Rockets has been in the running for the MVP trophy for the past three seasons. The official MVP trophy handed out by the NBA has been an elusive trophy for Harden as he has finished in second place for the past two seasons. However, Harden has made an impact on his fellow NBA players and it showed at the conclusion of the 2015 season as he won the MVP of the league in the National Basketball Players Association Awards Show.

Harden has led his team to the number one seed over one of the greatest teams we’ve ever seen in the Warriors who have dominated the NBA for the past four seasons. His team has the best record in the NBA and he is the best player on the team.

That formula usually ends

up with that player winning the MVP unless someone else has a historic season, which happened again this year from the man in Oklahoma City who has been abusing rims for his entire career, Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook pulled off a feat, which many NBA fans thought they would never see happen again in 2017. He averaged a triple-double for an entire season, which had only happened once in the entire 71-year history of the NBA. Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961 season and it hasn’t been replicated by any of the legendary talents that stepped on a court since. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and LeBron James are all considered better players than Robertson and Westbrook, but none have even sniffed averaging a triple double. Westbrook’s historic season single-handedly propelled him to the MVP trophy in 2017 even when his stats didn’t necessarily translate into wins.

Whenever somebody accomplishes something that has never been done in a league with as rich of a history that the NBA has, it’s time to pay attention.

Westbrook accomplished something no one had ever done in the history of the

league on Wednesday night as he grabbed 20 rebounds, which sealed his second consecutive season averaging a triple-double. This is where it gets messy. The NBA MVP voters set a precedent last year; they overruled any of the previous standards in determining the MVP of the league. They gave it to Westbrook over Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant when all had better, or equally great seasons when Oklahoma City was a far worse team than the Rockets, Spurs or Warriors.

This season, voters have backed themselves into a corner. Westbrook repeated his unimaginable feat, accomplishing something that is just as historic, if not more, but it is looking like he is not even going to finish in the top five in MVP voting.

The final man who is in the running for an MVP every year and should be the frontrunner this season is James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James, like Jordan in his prime, could legitimately win MVP during every single year they play basketball.

James is playing in his 15th season in the NBA and hasn’t lost a step. He’s proved to still be the best player in the world but this season was a bit different.

Since James left Cleveland in 2010, he’s always had a decent amount of help on his team. In Miami he had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and when he came back to Cleveland in 2015, he had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

But this season, James has

had the least help in the last eight years. The Cavaliers traded away Irving in a trade that ended up being worse than snow in April, and the injury-ridden Cavaliers haven’t played a single game, where they have had all their players healthy. James has kept this team’s head above water as they struggle to find their zone.

I measure the most valuable player in the NBA by the player who means the most to their team so let’s go through the three men we’ve talked about and discuss how their team would be okay without them.

The Rockets would do just fine without Harden at the helm. They have one of the best offensive coaches in the past decade, one of the best point guards of all time in Chris Paul and one of the deepest benches in the league. They might not be holding on to the number one seed in the West, but they certainly wouldn’t be struggling to find a spot in the playoffs.

If we remove Westbrook from Oklahoma City, it would be a far more interesting situation than Harden’s case in Houston. The Thunder have Paul George, who is one of the best two-way players in the league, Carmelo Anthony, who is certainly on the downswing of his career but is still a viable option, and Stephen Adams, who has proved to be one of the premier rebounders and defenders in the league. Another factor that could play into this situation is what happens

to players when they leave the presence of Westbrook. If we look at Durant in Golden State, he’s been a better defender and a more efficient shooter. Harden has become one of the deadliest offensive players in league history and Victory Oladipo has been the most improved player of 2018 after playing with Westbrook last season.

Westbrook is a great player, yes, but is most certainly a detriment to his teammates.

The Thunder may even have a better record if they got Westbrook off the roster.

Concluding this is the best player in the world, James.

If we take James off the Cavaliers roster, we are looking at one of the worst teams in the NBA. Their best player would be Kevin Love, and we saw how great that worked out when he was back in Minnesota. After Love, it’s a toss-up of young players who are still developing and old players who might need a Life Alert within the next two years. Cleveland has had the most instability in their franchise all season and James has been the one strong, dependable option, which has kept the team in the four seed in the East.

Without James, the Cavaliers turn into the Michael Scott led pickup team.

Harden will probably win MVP, Westbrook has the precedent on his side and James has had the best season. This year proves for me that we need to clear up the definition of MVP because it seems to change on a yearly basis.

Baseball tames Cougars in extra innings

By Michael Harms courier staff

Mitch Ellis looking to get the out at first.

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

The one game road trip did not stop the leathernecks from fighting for the win. Western Illinois took a break from Summit League play and took a trip down to Edwardsville, Illinois and took on the Southern Illinois Cougars on Wednesday and had a tough fight.

The bats started hot in the first as junior infielder Deion Thompson got on base and then junior outfielder Drue Galassi decided to send one over the center field fence early making it 2-0. This hot start was continued by senior infielder Mitch Ellis who has not seen action since the first week of the season. Back from injury Ellis was eager to get the bat on the ball and Ellis hit a double down the line to put one more on the board.

Coming back from action the senior third baseman had been sidelined for 44 days and was tired of missing out.

“It’s been a long time of sitting around waiting and watching,” Ellis said. “I just wanted to be the one to get it done.”

Get it done he did as he went 2-4 on the day with one walk, putting the Leathernecks up by three in the third put them in a good place to pull ahead, but the Cougars had other plans.

They fought back in the bottom of the third as they got on base and found a way to put them home as senior Jared McCunn doubled to right center bringing in one and then junior Brock Weimer singlesdscoring McCunn. Western had a small lead up until the bottom of the eighth inning where SIU-E first got on base with a triple, then put a man on the other corner. Then Jordan Ross singled, and on a fielder’s, choice brings in one run. With the game tied it came down to the wire.

Freshman infielder Dillon Sears had the Cougars holding their breath as he got on

base then stole second, the Leathernecks couldn’t capitalize on the scoring position and did not bring them in as they ended the top of the ninth scoreless needing to hold strong. The ninth did not hold promise for the Cougars after two straight strikeouts they ended the inning on a ground out.

Moving into extra innings, the man who missed the action showed up once more.

Ellis decided to be the man today as with one man on, he sent the ball down the line scoring a run.

“Coach [Brownlee] wanted me to bunt, but I wanted to get the hit out and win the game,” Ellis said following the game.

The senior’s plans worked out in the end as he did end up winning the game for Western as the Cougars failed to get a run in the tenth.

The Leathernecks are back in action for a three-game stretch playing Omaha starting this Friday, April 13.

Tennis serves up Pioneers

By Bradley Piros courier staff

JOSH PURNELL/COURIER STAFF

Courtney Lubbers readies for a return.

MACOMB Ill. – The Western Illinois women’s tennis team heads back to the courts for the first time in two weeks tomorrow afternoon. They will be heading up to Vermillion, South Dakota to take on the University of Denver Colorado Pioneers.

Last time out, the Leathernecks clinched a Summit League Tournament berth with their win over Oral Roberts University. It was Western’s second straight win after they beat the Jack Rabbits of South Dakota State University.

They now sit at a nice 10-7 on the season.

The Leathernecks took both of those wins with a score of 6-1. But it was the matchups at ORU that really mattered the most. Such a great performance pleased head coach Mirko Bjelica, as he went on to say; “We did what we had to this weekend in order to make the Summit League Tournament.

The girls did it in singles again, excellent effort from everyone in the lineup.” 0Bjelica said.

The Golden Eagles took the

early 1-0 lead as they won in doubles competition, but sophomore Laura Ballesteros would tie things up after her 6-4, 6-2 victory in the No. 3 spot. The Leathernecks kept rolling though, as freshman Mary Bjelica took the win in the No.6 spot (6-2, 6-2) to take the 2-1 lead. She is now 12-1 in singles competition this season.

After that the Leathernecks never turned back, winning four straight singles matches to clinch the match. Continuing the winning spirit was sophomore Natalia Bravo with the win in the No. 1 spot with scores of 6-2 and 6-4.

Junior Courtney Lubbers earned the match-clinching point as she won 6-0 and 6-4 in the No. 2 spot. Junior Cary Milanes and freshman Ana Bjelica both played out their matches, winning in similar fashion (4-6, 6-2, 10-7).

This win put the Leathernecks in the Summit League Tournament for only the third time, and the first time since 2014, when they were swept 4-0 by the Fort Wayne Mastodons.

Tennis page 6

Softball sets eyes on Cyclones Haley Richards

assistant sports editor AMES, IA. – The Western Illinois softball team will hit the road this weekend for a double-header against Iowa State University. The Leathernecks are currently 13-22 on the season and 6-0 in Summit League play.

First pitch is set for Saturday, at 1 p.m. and game two is set to follow that.

“Heating up in league play is just something that Western Illinois softball usually does.

When league play starts, we try not to press too hard and just work on the little things,” said head coach Beth Golitko.

“When it comes to hitting, we just try not to overdo it. Hitting is all about timing and pitch selection, so we don't want to work on mechanics too much.

We trusted our training today and played extremely well.”

Western Illinois currently sits atop the Summit League being undefeated in conference play.

South Dakota State University is in second place with a conference record of 4-2, followed by North Dakota State University with a record of 1-1. University of South Dakota, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Indiana University-Purdue University

Fort Wayne take the fourth, fifth, and six spots.

Junior infielder Hailey Duwa ranks fourth in the League for hitting with a .369 batting average. Junior pitcher Emily Ira is ranked second in the conference for strikeout at 115. Overall, Western sits at fourth in the conference for overall runs.

The Leathernecks have 274 hits on the season and 141 runs.

Leading the Summit in runs in South Dakota State with 211.

Ira also received a Summit League Pitcher of the Week honor for the week of April 2-8. That was her eighth-career honor and second honor this season. She went 2-0 in two games against conference foe, Fort Wayne. She struck out 12 batters in 14 innings with a 1.50 ERA and only allowed six hits for three runs.

After winning the last six games, the Purple and Gold will take a break from conference play to face the Cyclones.

Iowa State is currently 18-24 on their season and have a conference record of 1-8. They are currently on a six-game losing streak.

Softball page 6

Emily Ira winds up her pitch.

ANGEL STRACK/COURIER STAFF