Western Courier| December 7th, 2018

Opinions: Western needs more attractive places to study.

Sports: St. Louis Cardninals have a big week ahead of them.

Sports: Leathernecks travel to SIU to compete in Compass Challenge.

Friday, December 7, 2018 - Vol. 119 Issue 43

AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.

Western brings home nine awards following GLACURH conference

By Marc Ramirez news editor

photo courtesyof derek lahey

10 Western Illinois University students traveled to Oakland University for the Great Lakes Affiliate of Colleges and Univeristy Residenve Halls Conference Nov. 16-18.

While most people were traveling home for their first weekend of Thanksgiving break, 10 students traveled to the Great Lakes Affiliate of Colleges and University Residence Halls (GLACURH) Leadership Conference to represent Western Illinois University. While at Oakland University, the group was able to bring home nine awards; among them was the School of the Year award.

The Great Lakes Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls is a student-run organization working to promote and improve student life on college and university campuses across the region. Schools in attendance consisted of Iowa State, Ball State, Illinois State and many others. Formed in 1968, the group’s main focus is to con-

tinue providing quality programming and activities for on-campus residents.

Koyo Masore, Brooke Barnes, Derek Lahey, Matt Zumwalt, Tea Wheat, Shelby Mech, Katlynn Davis, John Porn, Alex Brown and Nathan Simon attended the conference, learning about how other schools across the region run operations on their various campuses.

“I took away great programs to bring back to Western,” Davis said. “As well as ways to make Western more competitive at future programs.”

The organization's main goal is to help member schools by providing resources and exchanging information to improve their campus climate and develop students into strong leaders at their institution.

City Council page 2

Roger Sadler finishes 28th year teaching Leathernecks

By Steven Barnum assistant news editor

A long-time professor in the broadcasting and journalism department is stepping down this month.

Roger Sadler is nearing the end of his 57th semester at Western Illinois University.

Sadler has spent time in New York, Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana before becoming part of the Macomb community. After working at a radio station as a teenager, Sadler decided to go to college for communications and journalism, which he used to land jobs at various radio and TV stations.

Currently, he is the faculty advisor at 88.3 The Dog, where he oversees operations and makes sure that students are following legal guidelines. In addition to provid-

ing experience and opportunities for students, Western’s radio station is open to the community. It also creates an enjoyable work environment, according to Sadler.

“Most people who get involved with radio are very outgoing and excited to be on the air,” Sadler said. “We’ve had a lot of fun there.”

Since 1990, Sadler has been a part of Western’s award-winning broadcasting department, which he also finds to be unique.

“People have found good jobs in the industry, but what I like best up here is that it’s a family atmosphere,” he said.

“It’s not like other departments where you have classes and that’s it. It’s a different working relationship where you get a lot closer to students, and that makes it fun.”

Sadler says the main ap-

peal of the department is that it’s hands-on. Students operate cameras, talk on the radio or work for the newspaper. Some schools are hesitant to put students in charge, but he finds that counter-productive.

“Students come in here the first day of their freshman year, and we’ll put them to work,” Sadler said. “We believe you learn by doing. The experience is very valuable.

That’s the strength of our department and that’s why a lot of students choose to come here.”

With the help of Facebook and LinkedIn, Sadler helps update the wall of bios on the third floor of Sallee Hall.

Sadler page 2

wiu.edu

Professor Roger Sadler ends career at Western after teaching for 57 semesters.

2

NEWS

Friday, December 7, 2018

WesternCourier.com

Sadler

from front page

Courtesy of katlynn davis and derek lahey

Nathan Simon (left), Shelby Mech and Katlynn Davis (right) bring home more awards at the GLACURH Conference.

Panel from front page

Wheat, Davis and Mech were selected by their peers to present programs at the conference. Wheat presented “Diversity in the Dark,” which focused on many topics not normally talked about in day-to-day life, bringing light to them.

Mech presented “PeanutButter Jelly Sandwich” and both Davis and Mech presented “Speed Friending.”

“Speed Friending” was selected as a Top 10 Program Award.

“I was nervous going into the conference because not only was it my first time going to a conference, but my first time presenting,” Davis said. “I can’t wait to apply to be a part of the next delegation.”

Simon was also recognized on a regional and national level by being the Student Staff Member of the Month for providing quality service when delivering the Western Courier across cam-

WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall.

Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press

pus. Simon was nominated

by Lahey and was approved on both levels.

L a h e y, National Communication Coordinator for Inter Hall Council, Zumwalt, President of NRHH, Killian Tracy, Inter Hall Council president and Wheat, Resident Assistant all wrote a multiple page bid talking about the great changes and improvements Western has made over the course of the year. This bid was to win School of the Year, the region's highest award.

“There was a 10 minute presentation that Matt and I gave giving us the opportunity to talk about how Western has made improvements to benefit their students over the last year,” Lahey said. Following the presentation they asked us questions mostly revolving around how we were able to bounce back against negative budget cuts and put on big events throughout the year.”

Lahey and Zumwalt presented a 30 page slide

explaining how Western was able to implement student voice in making decisions such as bringing Chickfil-A to campus. They also explained how they were able to combat a $500,000 budget cut in dining services and how they were able to implement things like new C-Store hours to still accommodate top student needs.

“In order to win this award institution shave to have a very good housing board, great resident assistants, a great Inter Hall Council and a great NRHH chapter who work cohesively with each other,” Lahey said. “You also have to be good at about bragging about your university as a whole, which wasn’t a problem for Matt and I.” Lahey enjoyed being a representative of Western because it was cool to compare and contrast the harder budget cuts and staffing issues other institutions have, especially when students and staff don’t work cohesively like that of Western.

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Marc Ramirez MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu assistant news editor Steven Barnum SS-Barnum@wiu.edu opinions editor Allison Young AN-Young@wiu.edu sports editor Haley Richards H-Richards@wiu.edu assistant sports editor Bradley Piros BJ-Piros@wiu.edu edge editor Jonathan Lynch JJ-Lynch@wiu.edu copy editor Brie Coder B-Coder@wiu.edu

proofreader Amanda Wandachowicz a-wandachowicz@wiu.edu proofreader Chance Darby ca-darby@wiu.edu photo editor Becca Langys RE-Langys@wiu.edu assistant photo editor Sara Remar SE-Remar@wiu.edu production manager Jimmy Pierson JM-Pierson@wiu.edu business manager Faith Rucker F-Rucker@wiu.edu advertising manager Jacob Day JD-Day@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

The wall is made up of more than 650 photos and profiles of Western graduates who found work in the broadcasting or journalism industry.

“I enjoy keeping track of where, not just students, but our friends are working,” he said, “because up here, we really think of our students as our friends and our coworkers.”

One of Sadler ’s proudest accomplishments is writing his own textbook, which he uses for his law classes. “Electronic Media Law” was published in 2005 and is also used by universities in Florida and Colorado. In 1996 and 1998, he hosted the speech and debate nationals.

The tournaments gathered competition from students from more than 100 different countries.

Some students may know Sadler from his voice impression of Donald Duck. As he cleans out his office, he continues to find ducks and duck-themed memorabilia that students gave to him throughout the years. He has

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.

COPYRIGHT 2017

No reproduction or reuse of material is permitted without written consent of the WC. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint any material from this publication, please contact Devon Greene or Willl Buss at 309-298-1876.

enough duck ties – many of which he bought himself – to last an entire semester.

Technology has changed drastically in his 28 years as an educator. He acknowledges that it’s more convenient for students to be able to complete homework on their phones or lap tops, but he prefers the more personal experience.

“If you wanted to do an assignment, you had to come up to the third floor of Sallee,” Sadler said. “I miss that because it used to be a huge gathering place. Now students don’t need to hang around as much and it’s not as much fun.”

Sadler made plenty of friends during his time at Western, which is why he would consider returning on a part-time basis in the future.

Sadler leaves the door open to returning to a classroom in the future. If Western wants him back to teach on a parttime basis, it may be hard for him to pass up.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Sadler said. “I’m going to miss those relationships.”

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The WC does not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, handicapped status, veteran or sexual orientation, nor does it knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws.

One copy of the Western Courier is free.

Additional copies $1.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The WC needs your help to maintain accuracy. If you find a factual error, call the WC office at 309-298-1876 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Please ask to speak to an editor to ensure the inaccurate information can be corrected as quickly as possible.

Friday, December 7, 2018

@WesternCourier

Campus Crime Reports

NEWS 3

Now Hiring at

Western courier news writers

wanted

if interested please contact Legend Cannabis •On Nov. 30 at 12:38 a.m.

OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Bayliss Hall. No smoke or fire was found and no injuries were reported.

•On Nov. 30 at 8:13 p.m. three students in Q-Lot were judicially referred for cannabis.

•On Nov. 30 at 9:43 p.m. five students near University Vi l l a g e were judicially referred for cannabis.

•On Nov. 30 at 10:13 p.m. one student in Tanner was judicially referred for cannabis.

•On Dec. 1 at 2:29 a.m.

Robert Oberg, 21, of 807 Stadium Dr., was arrest-

Devon Greene

Alcohol by a Minor

Burglary/Theft

Fire Alarm

Other Report

ed at Pierce and Albert streets for driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 3:38 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond.

•On Dec. 1 at 5:46 p.m. one student in Henninger Hall was judicially referred for cannabis.

•On Dec. 3 at 7:20 a.m.

OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Knoblauch Hall. The alarm was activated by a worker in the area and no smoke or fire was found. No injuries were reported.

•On Dec. 3 at 1:28 p.m. a student came to Mowbray Hall to report a stolen

University ID card. The student noticed her card missing and discovered $15.45 in unauthorized charges. The incident is under investigation.

•On Dec. 3 at 2:30 pm.

A University employee reported an internet access point in Bayliss Hall had been damaged.

Damage was estimated at $100 and the incident is under investigation.

•On Dec. 4 at 2:12 p.m. the owner of a Macomb restaurant came to Mowbray Hall to report the fraudulent use of a credit card Nov. 8 to pay for a $86.69 delivery order. The incident is under investigation.

dj-greene@wiu.edu

4 OPINIONS

Friday, December 7, 2018

WesternCourier.com

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

 As a student who has class all day, I can only study during the evening and night time. The library is a great resource, but sometimes I need somewhere different to study.

Places like The Study on the square and other coffee shops are great places to study. The only problem in Macomb is that all coffee shops close around 8p.m. I feel that if a business were to open a study lounge that stayed open until 11 p.m. or midnight that students would study more. A place with coffee and drinks and nice study vibes would draw in a lot of students who do not feel like going to the library. There needs to be places that will boost students' moods and motivate them to want to study while also socializing and hanging in a cozy place that doesn't have fluorescent lighting and isn't crowded. I know that I love studying in coffee shops in Macomb instead of the library.

I know first hand that studying in your dorm, apartment or the library can get very repetitive and you begin to dread studying and doing work. I feel that if students would spend the extra couple of dollars on coffee and a sit down in cool place to get work done, especially with stressful times like midterms and finals they would get more accomplished. Macomb has really cool coffee shops to study in during the day, but none to go to during the night time besides the library. Even a place that would offer food late at night would

make great business. Western would also be helping students by making Dividends be open later in the day to study at, that way students could use their swipes instead of cash on coffee and snacks and have access to free wifi.

The library could open a coffee shop in the basement or by the entrance and attract more students to study there as well, or even a snack bar instead of the vending machines. There needs to be more options for study spaces for students on campus.

In addition to this idea, I think it would be cool to have the Union open Einsteins and the C-Store on busy times like midterms and finals at night. That way people can go to the Union to study and drink coffee or eat at the same time. The same boring places to study will hardly motivate anyone during this time of the year. There needs to be places that are willing to be open late to accommodate the population of college students in Macomb. Department study sessions would be another great way to mix up the way of studying. Each department could hold a study night, where for example all psychology students could go to Waggoner for food and for tutoring or just to study with classmates that are in the same classes together.

There are many ways to implement a better environment for studying and I hope one of the above ideas sparked someone's interest and something changes.

Contact

AN-Young@wiu.edu

  With the semester coming to an end, a lot of us will be traveling home for winter break. I just wanted to take this time to encourage safe travels and to take necessary steps while traveling.

Make sure to start your car prior to leaving to allow yourself a warm ride. Be sure to have a blanket in the back just to ensure warmth during a possible emergency. Make sure to bring water and something that you could snack on like a couple of granola bars. Do not leave the water in the vehicle after you reach your destination, I know it seems like common sense, but I have had friends who forgot it and had the water freeze when they needed it. Be sure to maintain a safe distance when driving. Understand that breaking distances change with snow and ice. It is also important to know what your vehicle can handle, if you have a vehicle that does not do well in the snow, try to wait until roads are clearer to prevent an accident.

If you have a friend who has a truck or other type of vehicle with four-wheel drive, try to ask them for a ride. Ensure your tires are at the proper psi and that your tires are appropriate for the weather.

I understand finances may not allow you to get yourself tires more suitable for the weather, so just try your best to make sure road conditions are good enough for your tires. When it becomes closer to Christmas

and New Year’s, be cautious of drunk drivers. If you happen to encounter someone who may seem drunk, just pull to the side and let them go by, if they are in front of you, just slow down to a distance where you feel safe.

If the driver seems extremely impaired and is a danger to themselves or others, for example, going in and out of both lanes or speeding, try to report the vehicle by pulling over, calling 9-1-1 and letting a dispatcher know about the driver, it may save a life.

Lastly, avoid drivers with road rage as much as possible. If a driver is driving up on you and riding your tail, just let them pass. If you get cut off, just slow down and allow the driver to continue. An accident is not worth getting the last word in during a road rage incident. Also, no class or meeting is worth getting into an accident for; if the road conditions are bad on your way back for the semester, just wait until the roads clear up, your professor will understand. After all they just want you to be safe and successful in your college career. With all of that being said, I hope for a great finals week for everybody and safe travels home for the holidays and safe travels back for the spring semester.

For those who are graduating after this semester, congratulations and I wish you the best on all your future endeavors.

Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 7, 2018

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

What to do to finish the semester strong

Well we’re back again during that time of the semester where homework is becoming scarce and final exams are making a comeback.

However, it’s important not to overwhelm ourselves as this semester comes to a close.

Before you go crazy about assignments needing to be completed and final exam study guides, tell yourself to, "Stop, drop, and calm down.” Yes college is stressful, but I’ve said before, how much stress that you put on yourself is up to you. Professors are a little more lenient and understanding during this time of the semester, but don’t always count on that. Get your work done and follow through with your assignments. Take two or three more looks at your syllabi before the end of the semester to ensure that everything is up to par.

Professors may be understanding, however we are still adults and

need to take responsibility for our own education. As seniors prepare to graduate, we all want to make note of our time. Graduation may not be this semester for many of us, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come sooner than we think. The real world is still out there outside of our small island of Macomb, so we need to get prepared now.

How do we get prepared? Take time-management seriously. College is a resourceful way to practice getting to class, events and or meetings on time. I should be the last person speaking on this matter considering how much of a challenge it was for me this semester. However, at least I know that it is something that I do need to work on. But back to our scheduled program. Timemanagement can solve the problems we have with going to bed on time, completing assignments when they’re do if not sooner, get-

ting to work on time and or preparation for our day to day schedules.

I know that college students major in procrastination 101, but that excuse is not going to be acceptable beyond these classrooms when it’s time for us to enter the corporate world. Make each day count now so that when exam time comes around each semester, the panic becomes less strenuous and more relaxing.

As a senior, I find myself stressing less because it’s been the same each year trying to squeeze in last minute assignments and extra credit points.

So, I’ve concluded that instead of stressing about the same things each year, I’m going to take some time to collect my thoughts and wind my brain down, and I encourage you to do the same. I know life isn’t all fun and games but that doesn’t mean it has to be sad and gloomy either.

Each day is what you make it. So, find those study guides, and pull out those textbooks that have been collecting dust all semester and get to work. We will pass these exams and we will be successful because anything else wouldn’t seem right.

Let’s make the most of our time and finish out this semester strong.

Finals week can be a very stressful time for students.

PIXABAY

It's been swell, but farewell-love Haley I am slightly sad that my last article in the Courier has to be a goodbye and not a sports article, but here we go.

I came to Western Illinois as a transfer student, so from the start I have felt like an odd ball at the University. For the first three years here, soccer consumed my life. It was all I knew, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to play collegiate sports but last year, I finally realized my life was bigger than soccer.

In the Sept. 2017, I stopped

playing soccer for the first time in 17 years. A week later, I knew I couldn’t go without sports in my life, so I decided to apply to be a sports writer for the Courier. Even if I couldn’t play anymore, at least I could write about what I was so very passionate about. At first, I covered men’s soccer, because it was the sport I was most knowledgeable in. However, I began to cover more and more sports as the semester continued. A year ago, I found a

new passion for writing and sports that I had never had before and I owe it all to the Courier. It might sound extremely cheesy, but it’s true.

After one semester as a writer, I was lucky enough to be hired as assistant sports editor. Last semester, working under Devon Greene (shout out to our current Editor in Chief), was one of the most enjoyable semesters in my entire college career. Even though I only saw my coworkers three times a week, it is amazing the bonds you can form.

This year was my first and only semester working as the main sports editor and it has taught me so much. Not only

about myself but about other people. I have made so many close friends from working at the Courier and that is the best thing I’ve gained. The work experience might look good on a resume but the memories that I’ve made while working are the things I will keep closest to my heart. I don’t want to get sappy in this message, but I just want to say thank you to each and every single person at the Courier.

When working for a newspaper, you realize just how much other people play a role in your job. I couldn’t have had a good sports page if it wasn’t for Becca Langys taking amazing action shots, or Brie Coder re-reading thou-

sand word sports columns every day, or Jimmy Pierson making the graphics to add a spark to the page. I also want to say thank you to my sports writers. They were awesome this semester too, and made my job not only easier, but fun. I was definitely thankful for my assistant, Bradley Piros. He covered the sports that no one wanted to and was the first person that shared a passion of soccer with me. And lastly, thanks to Will, our advisor, for helping me become a better writer. I am sad to be moving on but I am forever thankful for the opportunities and the memories that I have been left with from the Courier.

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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E-mail letters to the Editor and Local Forum messages to micour@wiu.edu.

Letters should not be more than 350 words in length. The author’s name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Failure to include such information will lead to the letter being discarded. The WC staff will edit letters in cases of timeliness, obscenity length and grammer, and we do not guarantee publication of all letters.

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Friday, December 7, 2018

6 SPORTS

Men's from back page

In the previous matchup between these two teams, Western struggled heavily on second chance efforts. They only scored two second chance points in the entire game while Eastern Illinois posted a whopping 15 second chance points.

Coach Billy Wright should be practicing offensive rebounding this week and putbacks if he wants the upper hand in this Friday’s matchup.

Looking back at the pre-

vious game, players off the bench were big factors for Eastern Illinois.

Eastern Illinois had 23 points scored from bench players, while Western Illinois’ bench only scored seven. This has to do with how much Eastern Illinois utilizes who is on their bench.

In the Panthers last matchup against the Leathernecks, five players came off of the bench to play. Those five players combined for 74 total minutes played, which when averaged out is roughly 14.8 minutes per player.

WesternCourier.com

Now, Western Illinois only subbed in three players for a combined 49 minutes in the game. With only seven points coming from those three players, that means that Wright relied on his starters to score the other 59 points.

Wright needs to utilize his bench more and give his starters a rest if he wants to try and beat this strong Eastern Illinois team.

The Leathernecks face off against the Panthers tomorrow night at Western Hall. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. twitter: thefluffy66

MYANNA PURDUE/COURIER STAFF

Taylor Higginbotham looks to find a teammate on the court.

Women's from back page

FILE PHOTO

Kobe Webster focused in on his opponent at a home game.

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After this weekend, the Necks will have 12 days before they go to Las Vegas to play at the Holiday Hoops Classic. They will play UTEP on Dec. 20, and Furman on Dec. 21. They will have exactly one week off until they start Summit League play. They host the defending Summit League champs the South Dakota State

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Sports 7

Friday, December 7, 2018

@WesternCourier

Big week for St. Louis sports

About a month ago, I brought you an article saying why it’s time to panic if you’re a St. Louis sports fan, and it still is to an extent, but we did get some good news all throughout the week.

Depending on your stance, the biggest news of the week was the big Cardinals trade. It wasn’t Bryce Harper but at least the team is being active during free agency.

The team tried to land some big names last year, but only came up with Marcell Ozuna and look where he got them (hint: not the post-season).

The Cardinals acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks for righthanded starting pitcher Luke Weaver, back-up catcher Carson Kelly, infielder Andy Young and a Round B compensation pick in the 2019 draft.

Many people, including myself, believe that this was an absolute steal, because it was. All of the players traded away can be easily replaced when the time comes.

STL needed some more offense to strengthen that sub-par batting order, and that’s exactly what they did.

“Goldy,” a 31-year-old and sixtime All-Star is an excellent addition to the team without a doubt.

The Cardinals have struggled at first base ever since the absence of Albert Pujols, which has been six seasons now. I’m not taking anything away from Jose Martinez, because he was still a good allaround player, but he’ll be getting replaced by someone better, meaning he’ll have to fit in somewhere else.

Last season Goldschmidt boasted a .922 OPS and batted .290/.389/.533, hitting 33 homeruns along the way. He had a good start last season but slowed up around May dropping to a .198 average. He got out of his slump

though and batted .328/.418/.606 down the stretch, when it matters the most.

So, the Cardinals finally did something crazy over the off season, but are they done yet? Well no; they still need more reliable pitching, especially in relief. They’re also probably going to need to find another back-up catcher as Yadier Molina has become a bit injury prone the past couple of seasons.

Still, I don’t mean to sound greedy here, but Goldy really isn’t enough. He is a terrific all-around player that should slide right into the lineup easily, but the front office can’t just sign one big player than sit back and watch while Harper and Manny Machado are still out there for the taking. The Cardinals are still in the race to sign Harper.

Many of you will roll your eyes at this, but there’s still a chance and STL is a rather good candidate compared to the others. As of now he’s still a free-agent and with winter meetings coming our way next week, we should have some more answers by then. Picking up Goldschmidt might show Harper that the Cardinals are indeed interested in improving, and he could be the guy to round out the lineup.

Moving on to the other bit of news for St. Louis. football is coming back! The city hasn’t had a team for two seasons since the relocation of the Rams, and it upset quite a lot of people. It won’t be the normal football you’re thinking of though. STL is one of the eight cities to acquire an XFL team.

You might be rolling your eyes again, but hey, it’s something okay.

The former home of the Rams, the Edward Jones Dome has sat rotting for two years and is by today’s standards considered way outdated. Since the Rams absence, the dome has been used from everything from Taylor Swift concerts to Monster Jam, but never football.

The XFL (Xtreme Football League) is owned by none other than CEO of the WWE, Vince McMahon, and NBC (split 50/50). He used his own money (an estimated $100 million) to reboot the program alongside the TV network giant. Many speculate that McMahon will retire from the WWE soon as his step-son Paul “Triple H” Levesque will take over.

Mr. McMahon has a net worth of $1.1 billion due to his 52 percent stake in the WWE and will likely want to focus more on the XFL if he really wants it to succeed this time. The last time anyone heard of the XFL was back in 2001 when the league only played one season and was plagued with controversy.

This time the league will begin play 19 years later. Each season will run from February through April, starting play in 2020. There are eight teams and they are in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington. Each team will have a 45-man roster and play 10 games, culminating with two semifinal games and a championship.

Other big news for St. Louis football fans was the University of Missouri’s transfer. Without the Rams, STL has declared Mizzou as “their team.” Clemson back-up quarterback Kelly Bryant will take over the position. With four-year starter Drew Lock graduating, but not yet declaring for the draft, that position needed to be filled.

This will be Bryant’s final year of playing eligibility before he most likely declares for the draft himself. In 2017 he completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,802 yards and rushing an additional 665.

He picked Mizzou over Auburn, Mississippi State, Arkansas and North Carolina. Bryant’s led a team to the college football playoff before and makes a strong addition to the Tigers lineup.

On top of all that, their head coach Barry Odom was given an estimated $70,000 raise and signing him until the 2024 season. So for Mizzou and STL football fans, you have all that to look forward

to next fall.

Mizzou finished the regular season 8-4 overall and 4-4 in conference but finished on a four-game win streak. I went to one of those loses against the Georgia Bulldogs and Mizzou gave them a good fight only losing by 14; the spread was 14.5. Lock, in his final game, will take on Oklahoma State University in the Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Next up is something that really has me excited if it all works out.

That’s an MLS expansion team.

This idea has been talked about for a while now, but it has actually been gaining traction, and some say if all goes well we can see a team by 2021.

It’s a bunch of nonsense and meetings, but the stadium has been cleared to be built. The stadium will be built south of Market Street and north of Interstae-64.

It will be behind Union Station and be part of an $8 billion city redevelopment plan.

Now they wait for the funding and the final go ahead from the league. The league hasn’t yet confirmed a team for STL, because there are so many hoops to jump through, but it is getting closer.

Not a lot is known about this still other than the fact that a stadium is cleared by the city of alderman to be built. I’ve always told myself that when this finally does happen, I will be a proud season ticket holder.

Do I have to talk about them?

Ugh, I guess I should. Last and certainly least; our hockey team. I couldn’t just let them off the hook.

I could’ve trashed the Blues for this whole piece, but today they’ll get off easy with all the other good news surrounding STL right now.

The Blues are the second worst team in the league to no one’s surprise with the way they’re playing.

This team has only three wins in their last 12 games and are last in the Central. They are five games out from a Wild Card and are currently on a terrible two-game skid.

The Blues had a good 3-2 overtime win on the road in Colorado about a week ago which was sup-

posed to turn them around; NOPE. Instead they go out and lose 6-1 in Arizona. Then it looked like they were going to bounce back against Connor McDavid and the Oilers, securing a 2-0 lead after one period of play. Then Ryan NugentHopkins scored in the second. It was 2-1 after two periods and I kept watching.

I even told my roommates the only reason I’m still watching this game is because I know we are going to blow it. Oscar Klefbom scored with 54 seconds left in regulation, taking it to overtime.

Brayden Schenn took a tripping penalty in overtime and I surely thought it was over, but it wasn’t.

The Blues showed enough resilience to take it to a shootout. Now only if they would have played like that all game, and you know, the opening 26 games of the season. Instead, I sat back and watched them choke away what once was a two-goal lead when McDavid scored the game winning shootout goal.

We fired our coach and three of our best players have day-to-day injuries, including our captain Alex Pietrangelo and one of our more consistent forwards in Jaden Schwartz. Robbi Fabbri is also hurt again.

After all that, I for some reason still believe in this team. When asked for what I wanted for Christmas, I still said a new Blues jersey, because I believe. We aren’t tanking yet, and if they start I will be really upset, because it’s still not too late to turn things around.

I’m confident we can go on a six or more winning streak come Christmas time and we’ll be right back in it, hopefully. Or we lose to the Winnipeg Jets tonight and dig ourselves deeper in the standings.

I shall wait and see.

I hate to end it on a sour note, but it still has been an exciting time in St. Louis to be a sports fan. I’m still panicking for the Blues, looking forward to the XFL team, praying for an MLS team and counting down the days until opening day at Busch Stadium. Let’s all not give up on St. Louis just yet.

Western track teams begin indoor slate

By Jacob VanZuiden courier staff

CHARLETSON, Ill.—This Friday, the Western Illinois Leatherneck track teams will compete in their first meet of the indoor season when they head to Charleston for the Early Bird Opener.

They’ll go head-to-head against the Eastern Illinois Panthers in their first action of the season. EIU boasts a strong class of freshman, adding four state qualifiers to their 2018 roster. Newcomers Ronald Reed, Jekeel Suber, Matt Ogilvie and Steven Rowe will all look to solidify the program’s winning attitude after a strong finish as a team a season ago.

The Summit League season preview acknowledged multiple different Leathernecks as “Preseason Athletes to Watch.”

The athletes that were awarded this honor were none other than juniors Josh Kirby and Michaela Busch. Kirby was one of seven members to make the men’s list, while Busch was one of 10 in the women’s.

Perhaps the more highly coveted athlete of the two is the ever-improving Kirby. Kirby was electric for the team last season as a sophomore, earning his first Summit League medal after setting a personal record in the 110-meter hurdles. He turned in a time of 14.62, good enough to place third in the event. The Creve Coeur native specializes in the 60-meter hurdle, where he recorded a seasonbest mark of 8.36 at the Black & Gold Premier in the spring. In addition, he opened the 2018 campaign with a win at the EIU John Craft Invite before crowning the indoor season. Kirby

had lofty expectations placed upon him when coming to Macomb, those of which he has undoubtedly exceed.

Kirby’s importance to the Purple and Gold’s program is no knock on Busch, who remains one of the team’s mostdecorated members. She too made a statement last season at the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships while competing in four events: the 60-meter hurdle, 4x400, high jump and a pentathlon. In the high jump, she impressed with a mark of 1.64 meters while posting 3,406 points in the pentathlon, highlighted by a pair of top-five finishes in the high jump and shot put. In these two events, she finished with tallies of 1.58m; 5' 2.25" and 11.13m; 36' 6.25,” respectively.

With two full seasons left under their belts, Kirby and Busch

should continue to be a driving force for Western Illinois. Busch will look to shatter her own school record of 3,638 points, a mark she set last year at the Don DeNoon Invitational. Kirby should continue to build on a year where he received AllSummit distinctions, the lone Leatherneck representative. The Summit League has taken notice of this duo’s performance, and with good reason.

Western will have more than enough time after the Early Bird Opener to prepare themselves for their next bout, as this is their last meet until after the first of the new year. The team will take an extended break for Christmas, but will get right back to business as soon as the calendar hits 2019. The Leathernecks will shift their focus to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where they’ll compete in the UNI Invite on Jan. 13.

Men's hoops heads home to face EIU

By David Koier courier staff

FILE PHOTO

Isaac Johnson dribbles down the court in Western Hall.

MACOMB, Ill. — After a two-game road trip, the Western Illinois Leatherneck men’s basketball team travels back to Macomb. This Friday, the Purple and Gold face off against the 4-4 Panthers of Eastern Illinois University.

Earlier this season, the two teams faced off in Charleston with EIU scoring the 68-66 win over the Leathernecks in overtime. Kobe Webster led the Leathernecks that game scoring 18 points and producing five rebounds.

While he led the team in scoring, he still didn’t have the best game. Webster went only 6-21 on field goals and shot 0-7 beyond the arc. He also turned the ball over three times.

The Leathernecks are looking to get their revenge as non-conference play is winding down. The Leathernecks have shot fairly well so far this season, posting a .456 shooting percentage. Isaac Johnson has been a strong shooter for the Leathernecks

this season, making 47 of his 92 attempted field goals.

Johnson has the second most points scored on the team with 120, just behind close friend Webster who leads the team with 136 points. Johnson is also strong defensively, posting a strong 53 rebounds, 49 of those defensive.

Speaking of rebounds, that’s a category where the Leathernecks tend to struggle. On offense, the Purple and Gold have only recorded a mere 69 offensive rebounds. To put that into perspective, Eastern Illinois has recorded 96 offensive rebounds this season. If the Leathernecks want to get a neck up (no pun intended) on the Panthers this Friday, it’s important for them to rebound their own shots for a second chance effort.

Men's page 6

Necks to compete in compass challenge

By Christopher Bean assistant sports editor CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Western Illinois women’s basketball team will travel to Carbondale to partake in the Compass Challenge. The Leathernecks come into the weekend with a 3-6 record and most recently an 82-68 road loss to the Bradley Braves.

They are led by junior point guard Olivia Kaufmann who averages 14.4 points a game, and senior guard Taylor Higginbotham averaging 12.4 a game. Kaufmann also dishes it out with 25 assists, and right behind her is junior transfer Annabel Graettinger with 18.

On the defensive side of the ball Higginbotham leads the team in steals with 20, and right behind her with 19 is Kaufmann.

On Friday at 4:30 p.m., the Leathernecks will take on the Eastern Illinois University Panthers who enters the contest with a 3-3 record. They have dominated in their three wins, averaging a 44-point margin in their wins. Both teams have played Butler and Bradley.

They both lost to Butler by 39+, however, the Panthers only

lost to the Braves 67-64. They have a nice 1-2 punch from the sophomore players, who are both averaging 13.8 points.

Taylor Steele and Karle Pace clearly have not been affected by the sophomore slump. The Leathernecks will need to lock these two down to disrupt the Panthers offense, giving them a great chance to win.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., Western will face the Northern Illinois University Huskies who have a 4-3 record. The Huskies have a high-powered offense, averaging 77.3 points a game, generated by their only two seniors on the team. Courtney Woods who averages 20.1 points per game and Mikayla Voigt, who averages 15.1 a game. The biggest problem the Necks will face is the Huskies height. They have eight players over 6’0”, and Western has zero. If the Necks can consistently crash the boards and limit Northern on the offensive glass, they will have no problem with the Huskies.

Women's page 6

MYANNA PURDUE/COURIER STAFF

Annabel Graettinger shoots a free throw at a home game against Mizzou earlier in the season.