Western Courier| September 20th, 2019

Opinions: Show your support at home games.

Sports: Leathernecks set sights on Tennessee Tech.

WesternCourier.com

Friday, September 20, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 14

@WesternCourier

Acting President and Interim Vice President for Student Services answer students questions

By Marc Ramirez news editor

JOSH PURNELL/ COURIER STAFF

Tuesday’s Student Government Assocation’s meeting opened up with guest speakers John Smith and Interim President Martin Abraham. Smith currently serves as the Interim Vice President of Student Services at Western Illinois University.

Smith, previous director of Beu Health Center at Western, was named VPSS on July 15 following the departure of Ron Williams. Smith started his speech by reassuring the room that their voices do matter and he will do what he needs to in order to make sure that they are heard.

“We want students to have a voice in the direction that the University is going,” Smith said.

“Without hearing from you, we are doing our best with the feedback that we are getting.”

He continued that by saying through Higher Education we are highly encouraged to take leadership roles and use the voices that we have in the positions that we hold. Next to the podium, was

Abraham, who spoke on how his three months at Western have been filled with going out and meeting with students and members of the community.

“We are here as a University for our students,” Abraham said. “If it weren’t for you there would be no reason for us and you need to keep that in mind when you’re thinking about what’s important to you. We need to know, we need to hear from you, so we can be responsive for whatever those needs are.”

Abraham stated that he is working perpetually to try and get student’s voices heard throughout various meeting groups across campus. In efforts to do this, Abraham is attempting to set up a Student’s Roundtable, which would serve as an opportunity for students to air their comments, questions and concerns.

“I find that every time I talk with students I get some great information and some great ideas,” he said.

Student Government Association page 2

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

By Christopher Gibson

courier staff The Western Illinois Football team will be back in action on Saturday, looking for their first win of the season’s campaign.

Set to kickoff at 3 p.m., the Leathernecks are facing Tennessee Tech at Hanson field.

The Leathernecks are coming off their first home loss, their third straight, to Montana State by 23-14. The defense shined in the first half, keeping the game tied at seven going into the half.

However, the offense couldn’t seem to score, only mustering a touchdown per half. The first half touchdown came in the second quarter, when junior quar-

terback Connor Sampson connected with his wide out, junior Dennis Houston for a 65-yard touchdown pass. Their only other bright spot came in the third quarter when senior Jared Drake rushed for a three-yard touchdown run to make the game a three-point difference.

The offense racked up plenty of yards, for a total of 373 yards and had some good drives going for them before they were stopped due to penalties. The Leathernecks had nine penalties that were called on them, resulting in 105 lost yards in the process. This was the main killer for the team and this will definitely be something they

will be looking to fix against the Golden Eagles. Another key for the offense moving forward will be taking care of the ball.

The Leathernecks had two fumbles and an interception in their previous game.

The defense needs to play better against Tennessee Tech than they did last week against Montana State. The defense allowed a total of 343 all-purpose yards and didn’t record a sack for the first time all season. If our Fighting Leathernecks are hoping to win come Saturday, the defense needs to go after and pound the Golden Eagle’s quarterback.

Tennessee Tech is going into Saturday with a 2-1 record, win-

ning their last contest by a score of 31-14 over Virginia-Wise.

Led by sophomore Bailey Fisher under center, the Golden Eagles are averaging an astounding 418 total yards per game so far. Fisher averages 221 passing yards a game, often connecting with wide outs Darrius Stafford and Austin Hicks, who both have 10 receptions through their first three games; the pair averages 58.3 and 57 receiving yards per game, respectively, and Hicks has a touchdown to go along with his impressive receiving numbers on the season. The Golden Eagles also get a good amount of help from the ground game from running backs An-

drew Goldsmith and David Gist, both of whom average over 45 rushing yards a game and both have scored a touchdown in the process.

This means that Western’s defense should have their hands full come Saturday. However, this is a team that is hungry for a win. While the first three games haven’t come out in our favor, this team knows how important it is to win before heading into conference play, because once the team hits conference play, nothing comes easy. This should be a winnable game for Western Illinois, as long as the team comes ready to play, and more importantly, ready to win.

2 NEWS

Friday, September 20, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Student Government Association from front page

JOSH PURNELL/COURIER STAFF

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

“Given that, I just know that the more I get out and the more that I talk to you, and the more I hear from you, the better I will be able to serve you and the institution.”

Following his speech, Abraham opened the floor to address questions or rumors that students might have and want answers for.

He added that Smith would also be able to answer questions that would pertain more to student services. Abraham informed the group that if they had any questions to come up after the meeting and they could email president@wiu.edu and himself, his administrative assistant and the University Public Relations Director will get back to you as soon as possible.

Abraham was asked what he plans on doing to prioritize graduate admissions and he responded with a question of what would she like to see from the University in this situation. She answered that she would like if they received higher monetary compensation for the hours worked and the effort put into work compared to the financial compensation received through an assistantship. Abraham acknowledged that this is an issue and that he realizes they don’t receive as much compensation as students at other institutions; however, he believes that at the place the institution is now, it is something we’d have to look forward to in the future.

Another student was concerned about anti-semetic graffiti that was found in the bathroom last year and took four days to get corrected. The student credits previous President Jack Thomas for ensuring the job was seen through and asked what policies and procedures Abraham has in mind to alleviate such a long correction wait time.

“That is something that should be handled very quickly,” Abraham responded.

“Ultimately you did the same thing I would tell you to do. If you’re not getting a response in a timely manner, eventually you need to elevate it to the next person.”

He added that if and when it is brought to his attention, he will do his best to make sure the situation is corrected as soon as possible.

Another question asked was why the incident involving aggravated battery with a BB gun wasn't properly handled through University policies and procedures.

“From my understanding there is a plan but it wasn’t followed properly,” Abraham said.

“We have an educational component that we have to do to make sure that everyone who should have known what that was is better informed.”

Smith spoke on the incident more extensively. He added that things didn’t go well from an OPS perspective. When the University has what is considered an isolated incident, to focus on one specific individual, it typically works out better. However, the individual who was being threatened left their floor to find help of another. A resident assistant then sent out a text message labeling the incident as an active shooter. Because OPS was not aware of this, when they apprehended the suspect, that was the end of their protocol. If they had known that that text message was sent, they would have published the Notice to Campus Community the night of the incident rather than the following day.

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu

proofreader Jacinda Martinez

news editor Marc Ramirez

JS-Martinez2@wiu.edu

MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu

photo editor Becca Langys

opinions editor Allison Young

RE-Langys@wiu.edu

AN-Young@wiu.edu

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

sports editor Bradley Piros

SE-Remar@wiu.edu

BJ-Piros@wiu.edu

production manager Jimmy Pierson

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

JM-Pierson@wiu.edu

CR-Bean@wiu.edu

business manager Janiya Haynes

edge editor Rachel Greene

J-Haynes2@wiu.edu

R-Greene2@wiu.edu

assistant business manager Nash Miller

copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz

NK-Miller@wiu.edu

A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

advertising manager Tyler Hoffman

proofreader Alexis Lowe

TE-Hoffman@wiu.edu

AL-Lowe@wiu.edu

adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

“What we are working on now is figuring out how to keep that from happening again,” Smith said. “We met with the floor leaders on Sunday evening. What became evident is that we need clearer protocols and policies on how to handle that situation.”

Therefore, University officials are working on writing policies and procedures for each instance or as close as they can get to each incident so that students and leaders know how to handle every possible situation that can come up.

“We all have an opportunity to get better and learn from what we’ve done,” Abraham added.

There was a meeting that was held Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. to address what was done correctly and incorrectly and how to do better in the future.

SGA President Colton Markey added that no matter what position Abraham ends up in the near future, whether that be Interim President, President or Provost and Academic Vice President, he will have a say over academic affairs at the University. Therefore, he asked what kinds of programs he’s looking to grow or new programs he hopes to bring to Western.

“The areas that we are looking to expand would cover a variety of things,” Abraham said. “There are programs that were cut that probably shouldn’t have been cut, there are programs that were originally on a list to cut that we’ve agreed we are not going to such as Hospitality Management.”

He added that he believes that there are growth opportunities and that we can possibly do so by finding better marketing strategies. This is similar to finding better ways to market the undergraduate health professions program compared to the successful graduate program.

Another question asked was in relation to the big hit the Counseling Center took last year. From a student success, retention and persistence standpoint, having access to adequate mental health services is a really big component to that; therefore, it was asked how University officials plan to reprioritize that for its students.

Smith responded that one of the first things done when cuts were made is that they took the two counselors from the Alcohol and Other Drug Resource Center and moved them to the Counseling Center since they have the same certifications. He added that during the fall semester, AOD Counselors are not used in the same capacity that they are in the spring, adding explanation to why this decision was made for the time being. Smith said that ideally, they would like to have the current part time counselor become full time, then look at hiring another full time counselor.

“My goal is to try and get this moved forward by the end of this semester,” Smith said. “We do understand that we need those resources.”

It is hoped that the limitation on visits would be removed. It was commented on that students who do need services more seriously would not have to abide by these limitations; however, they were added as a safety net guideline in order to accommodate to all students.

Questions pertaining to students services can be emailed to Smith at jw-smith@wiu.edu.

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.

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@WesternCourier

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

NEWS 3

Notice of Examination Macomb Police Department The Board of Fire & Police Commissioners of the City of Macomb, Illinois hereby gives notice that examinations will be offered to all eligible applicants to create an Eligibility List for hiring for positions within the Macomb Police Department.

At time of application, applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no more than 35 years of age. Military veterans may extend the age limit one year for every year of active duty, not to exceed ten years. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; must have completed 60 semester or 90 quarter hours from an accredited academic institution; must possess a valid driver’s license.

To move forward in the hiring process, applicants must pass physical and written exams, medical and psychological evaluation and background investigation; must have visual acuity 20/20 each eye corrected (minimum) with normal color vision and depth perception; must have good habits and be of moral character. Proof of U.S. Citizenship and if hired, McDonough County residence required.

STARTING SALARY as of 05/01/2019, $48,020.34 per year.

Forty-hour work week with time and a half for all overtime.

Application packets may be obtained at the Mayor’s Office, City Hall, 232 E. Jackson St., Macomb, Illinois 61455, Phone (309)-833-2558, or on-line at https://cityofmacomb.com/employment-listings/ All applications and attachments must be completed, signed and on file by 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 7, 2019.

If submitting the application packet in the mail, it must be postmarked on or before the application deadline date AND received at the Mayor’s Office with five (5) calendar days of the deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Testing date is October 26, 2019. Applicants should report to Brophy Hall on Western Illinois University campus at 7:30 a.m.

The City reserves the right to require reimbursement of training expenses on a pro-rata basis if an officer resigns within the first two years of employment.

The City of Macomb is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer Minorities and women are encouraged to apply

4

OPINIONS

Friday, September 20, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Let's get more fans in the stands ANDRE WHITLEY courier staff

Nothing boosts a college athletics team’s spirits like bleachers full of cheering fans, but sometimes filling those seats can be hard. As a college athlete at Western, here are a few ways that I think could increase the attendance at our sporting events and prove that being part of the student section could be some of the best moments of your life.

The first question you should ask is whether the students and community actually know that there are athletic events going on. Most likely, if the student body has to resort to an online schedule to see when these events are going on, they’re less likely to attend. If we were to announce the date and times of games on a reader board or have flyers plastered on the walls, more students would attend.

Also, I think that all professors should have a list of all sporting events of the current week on their projector for the first 2-3 minutes of class each day. Bringing awareness

to these events would drastically increase the attendance.

Another way to increase attendance at sporting events would be to have an incentive. When students hear that there are free t-shirts or food deals provided to the first 100 students to get into a game, they have an extra incentive to go. Who doesn’t want a free shirt or food? After attending a game, the hope is that the excitement of the team’s performance will keep them coming back in the future with no incentive needed.

As a student athlete, looking into the stands and seeing them filled is one of the best feelings. Knowing that we have the support from the school and community increases athletes’ performances. The pressure is on the athletes; they don’t want to let down the team or the people in the stands, which makes them push a little harder to ensure that they are making their fans’ time worthwhile.

Also, for an opposing team, seeing the stands crowded

is intimidating and might have an effect on their performance as well. It’s one thing to show up to the game, but to actually be interactive in the stands is more important to the athletes and team as a whole. When a player makes a huge play, we want everyone to be on their feet yelling.

One of the main things that I noticed about my first game at Western was that there isn’t a student section. I remember back in high school when our student section would take up a fourth of the fan population. Everyone was on their feet the whole game, yelling, screaming, chanting, etc., whatever it took to get into the other team’s heads and hype up our own players. I think that is what Western is missing. We need to get more students out to our games and start a student section that is active in the stands.

Even though I was an athlete in high school, I still attended other sporting events and would be part of the student section, and those were some of the best moments of my life.

The student body needs to be more involved in sporting events; those moments could be some of the best moments of your life, and some that you will never forget.

Sporting events are much more fun when there is a stadium full of people.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Friday, September 20, 2019

Look deeper into #MeToo Countless celebrities have had their names dragged through the mud since the start of the Me Too movement and the Time’s Up movement.

Some of the accusations that came to light were truly shocking in the beginning, the most noticeable one being Harvey Weinstein.

People began to realize that powerful men in all walks of life have been been abusing or committing violent and/or shameful acts towards women. Enough women

came forward and shared their stories to put the perpetrators behind bars and to seek justice for the women who were involved in such incidents.

With each new story released, people began to wonder who else was acting inappropriately in the spotlight, and in their own lives. Maybe Jim from The Office was being too handsy, and the boss made inappropriate comments here and there.

Women were less afraid to speak up against males in their lives, know-

ing that the Believe Women section of the Me Too movement was powerful. So those women got their justice, too.

As the years have progressed, less horrifying stories came out and it seemed like the movement was no longer at its peak. Some women during the course of the movement have made false allegations against men, hoping to strip them of their titles and positions, fabricating stories for their own personal gain.

A movement meant to help abuse survivors had become entangled with lies.

As a woman myself, the Me Too movement and the cancel culture that followed made me ask, should we believe all women? I am not discrediting the women that have

come forwards and have shared the truth regarding their situations; the majority of people who have joined the movement have told the truth. But, a small percentage have been untruthful with their stories that they share, hoping to gain support and ruin a man’s life. They have played the system for their own gain. They don’t get called out on their behavior and are even praised for being “brave” when the evidence laid forth does not add up.

In a battle of he-said she-said these days, it clearly goes in the woman’s favor. Amber Heard accused Johnny Depp of domestic violence and people immediately jumped to her aid, not looking at the facts presented to them because she was

a woman, and women need to “stick together,” even if they are lying. Johnny Depp was later found out as an abuse victim, and Amber Heard was the perpetrator. She ruined his reputation just because she could and she knew she would have women on her side, regardless of the evidence presented.

The Me Too movement has changed since its founding, and not all of it for the better. Before accusations are made and people are in a rush to pick sides, look at all the facts presented to you and make the logical decision. The man is not always guilty and the woman is not always innocent.

Look at each case on an individual basis and ask yourself: does this seem right?

Getting through college with a disease Living with a disease while in college can be very hard. But the thing to know about them is that they are not all the same.

Everyone experiences things differently and that’s okay.

Some people are scared to get help when they need it and that can be very stressful as well. No disease is bigger than another, but all people have their hardships. With the stressful curriculum and rigorous coursework, who would want to go get help when they don’t have time?

Here at WIU, the Disability Resource Center is very helpful. They often help with students who need extra time on their work, extra time to get to class and they can cover for you when you’re genuinely are not feeling so great.

Another thing that can be hard with having a disease or a disability in college is that it might not always be physically evident. Someone can appear to be healthy, but that does not mean that they actually are. The flip-

side could also be the case; there could be someone who looks like they need extra help and they don’t, and that can be hard as well. It’s always great to lend a helping hand when you think someone needs it, but it could also get annoying to the person if they don’t. It’s easier said than done to go get help, but it’s something that everyone should be encouraged to do.

Just because someone has a disease or disability does not mean that they have to fight with it alone. There are plenty of resources here that can help you get through college and get the help that you need. The great thing about the Disability Resource Center is they are

very understanding and can relay the information back to your professors. Again, it’s not always evident that someone has a disability or disease, but if you let the professor know then they might be understanding.

If you don’t let the professor know, it’s hard to expect them to know what’s going on and you might fall behind in school.

There are people who have adapted to school without getting extra help and that is completely fine. No one is forced to get extra help but for those who want extra help, they should not feel like that can’t. Some days are easier than others and it’s always great to feel like you have a safety net at school,

and in a welcoming environment that is open to all types of people.

There are many resources offered at the Disability Resource Center on what steps to take to get the extra help that you need and they will be willing to make sure you feel safe. For the people that want to hide having a disability so they don’t feel different, that is completely fine as well.

No one should feel uncomfortable dealing with whatever may be going on with them and that’s a great thing about this campus. You can be as open as you want about your life and you can also be as private as you want.

Editorial Policy

The editorial views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editorial presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editorial board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.

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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.

2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

6

Friday, September 20, 2019

SPORTS

Men's Soccer from back page

On the other side of the field, the KC Roos will be led by freshman defender Donnell Gilyard who has played every minute so far this season and played a crucial role last week in keeping the Drake Bulldogs to only one goal. If the Leatherneck offense can finesse past the precocious freshman, they will have to kick some accurate shots on goal to get past the Roos goalkeeper Errico, who once again is coming off a personal best performance from last week.

Offensively for the Roos, they are looking for their first true offensive goal as they have only scored one goal this sea-

son and it was in their first match against Oral Roberts on a penalty kick off of the foot of David Ray-Campoy.

It is crucial that our Fighting Leathernecks gain some momentum in this match as they have a very difficult match at home where they will attempt to knock off the currently undefeated Missouri State Bears (5-0) next week on Thursday the 26th.

Additionally, the KC Roos will stay at home for their next match on the 24th against our friends down south, Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville, who currently stand at a .500 win percentage with a record of 2-2-1.

Twitter: @yaboisebbyg

Daisuke Otsuka passes the ball to teammate.

Volleyball from back page

While Leatherneck veterans like Steckler have been dominating this season, transfer JoJo Kruize has been leading the Purple and Gold offense with some dominating numbers.

Kruize leads the team with 104 kills, 29 more than sophomore Mariah Mitchell who sits at second in 75. Kruize holds a .207 hitting percentage while recording 3.15 kills per set.

Another newcomer who has been key to Western’s success is freshman setter Jessie

WesternCourier.com Connell. Connell has filled the position of recently-graduated Leatherneck Jamie Johnson and has been doing a superb job so far. Connell leads the Leathernecks with 182 assists, but that’s not even her most impressive statistic this season. She also leads the Purple and Gold in service aces, having recorded 17 on the year.

As Coach Staupe noted in his comments, service aces have been key to the Leathernecks’ success in their preseason tournaments. Junior Cassie Hunt has 11 service aces herself.

The Golden Eagles of

Tennessee Tech have had their struggles early on this season, coming into the tournament with a 2-8 record. The Golden Eagles’ two wins came against Manhattan and North Alabama. Newcomer Ali Verzani will be the player to watch in this matchup as her offensive efforts have led to her recording 92 kills and 91 digs.

The Leathernecks face off against Tennessee State on Friday at 12 p.m., finishing up the tournament against Southern Illinois and Middle Tennessee on Saturday.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

CLASSIFIEDS

WC

For Rent

For Rent

For Rent

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.

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.

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

Ceiling fans and a/c. Professionally maintained. No pets.

Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com

Submit a classifieds ad to Micour@wiu.edu

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!.

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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!

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Timbercrest Apartments 1587 Riverview Drive Now showing 1 & 2 Bedroom Units. Very clean, close to WIU campus with bus stop in front of building. Washer/dryer available in most units, all other appliances included, FREE INTERNET, ceiling fans in every room, pet friendly. All units have off street parking and private decks overlooking campus. Both 10- and 12-month leases are available. Openings for Summer 2017 and school year 2017/2018. Deposit required. Phone (309)833-3192 and leave message.

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

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(309) 335-2206 after 6:00 pm, may leave message anytime.

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Sports 7

Friday, September 20, 2019

@WesternCourier

Brady continues to define all odds

The master of them all is going up against all his apprentices. Well, sort of. In the NFL, Tom Brady is the best player. He is the mythical figure that appears as nothing special, but once in action, his skill is a marvelous sight that takes down all of the competition. But the 42-year-old QB has young wolves chomping at his heels.

The MVP of last year ’s season was only 10 years old when Brady won his first Super Bowl. Now, Patrick Mahomes is leading the new wave of young quarterbacks trying to force out the older generation. But how long until Brady gives up the crown and passes the torch to the young star?

Mahomes is just at the top.

He is bringing in the new wave of generational quarterbacks. As Eli Manning seems to be done from a starting role,

Peyton Manning is retired, Roethlisberger is now out for the year, and Drew Brees is injured for half of the season, and what seems to be a fading generation of future Hall of Famers.

These quarterbacks have entertained the nation for years now. Manning vs.

Brady was a debate for some time, and everyone knows the Brady vs. Eli Manning Super Bowls. Brady is the best among these few dominating Roethlisberger in record, and in playoff performance. Brees has set records and has huge numbers, but only one ring to show for it. All of these quarterbacks were amazing, and a few still are, but for how long, and who is next?

The next generation is here. Mahomes is simply on top currently. He brings with him Deshaun Watson,

an exciting mobile quarterback in Houston that currently boasts a 15-9 record as a starter. Mitchell Trubisky, the Chicago QB has a strong defense behind him to help garner his 16-12 record.

Mahomes leads in the 2018 quarterback class that saw five quarterbacks now starting on their perspective teams: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore, Baker Mayfield, Cleveland, Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh, Sam Darnold, New York, Josh Allen, Buffalo. All of these players except Rudolph earned their starting spot purely on talent and work.

Their potential is through the roof and the next group of future hall of fame quarterbacks is here.

Brady doesn’t care or doesnt even notice. Everyone else can feel the pressure, it seems.

Roethlisberger had issues with Rudolph early on and has seemed to come around, but understand that his job is under critical review with Rudolph in the building. Eli Manning lost his job to first round draft pick this year

Daniel Jones. Lamar Jackson pushed out Joe Flacco out of Baltimore to earn his spot. But Brady is still winning Super Bowls. At age 42, Brady is breaking previous barriers of time.

Even Brett Favre retired before age 42. Well, twice I guess, but still, how is Brady doing this? Everyone is waiting for the break: the moment Brady dips in production.

The NFL is ready for it too.

Mahomes, Watson, Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones, are starting to become household names if they weren’t already.

The league seems ready for the transition, but Brady keeps putting it off.

It’s like trying to get a senior citizen into assisted living.

Everyone except a few is ready to see them go, but the senior just won’t go and is not ready to. Brady wants more.

He keeps pushing back the timetable. Last year, he beat Mahomes in the AFC championship game to prolong the conversation. Now, the Patriots’ defense are trying to take off a small load so he can

keep doing his thing.

But the time will come.

Darnold plays in the same division as Brady. One year I predict he will beat New England two times in the same season. This will be the last year of the old generation. The moment Darnold, or Mahomes beats Brady in the playoffs, or multiple times in the season his time will arrive. He will exit the NFL as the greatest to every play and pass the torch.

Then the real fight will begin: chasing Brady’s ghost. LeBron James has chased Michael Jordan’s ghost in the NBA for years. Some say he has gotten there and even exceeded Jordan, others say differently, but the quest to become better than Jordan brought some of the best basketball the NBA has seen.

As the next generation takes over, they will begin to compete with one another to catch the ghost. This will be the fight everyone will want to watch. Who will be the new face and the G.O.A.T of the NFL?

Three top 25 matchups this weekend Christopher bean assistant sports editor @cre_bean

It’s only week 4 in college football but playoff implications are on the line this weekend. 11 Michigan visits 13 Wisconsin, 8 Auburn visits 17 Texas A&M and 7 Norte Dame visits 3 Georgia. Let’s take a look at the massive matchups we have in store for us tomorrow.

Opening up the weekend is No. 11 Michigan Wolverines vs No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers at 11 A.M. Set your alarms because you’re not going want to miss a second of this slug fest. Both teams are 2-0 and coming off their first of two bye weeks this year. This is the fourth year in-a-row both teams will face each other, even though they’re in different divisions. The home team has won every contest.

Just like previous years, two of the top 10 defensive teams in the nation will duel it out.

Wisconsin hasn’t given up a point yet this, and Michigan has forced five turnovers,

including a forced fumble in double ot against Army to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In the Badgers first two games they have outscored their opponents (South Florida and Central Michigan) 110-0.

With former starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook transferring, junior Jack Coan has led the Badger offensive perfectly with 564 yards and five touchdowns and zero interceptions. It also doesn’t hurt when you have one of the best offensive line and running back in the nation in Jonathan Taylor. Taylor has 237 rushing yards and 302 total yards this year. In both his games against Michigan, Taylor has surpassed the 100-yard mark.

Junior wide receiver Quintez Cephus had a huge impact against CMU, grabbing two toucdowns with six receptions and 130 yards. For the Michigan offense it hasn’t been the start they had hope for since brining along new

offensive coordinator in Josh Gattis. Michigan has fumbled it eight times in two games and lost five of them. Senior quarterback Shea Patterson has fumbled four times, losing three. The offense took ten steps back against Army, after only winning by three points and getting bailed out by their defense. I’m not saying Army is a push over. In fact, they took Kyler Murray and Okalahoma to ot last year. But Michigan cannot continue to play they did on offense and expect to win this weekend. It helps that senior left tackle Jon Runyan is coming back from injury, however, Michigan is still unsure if star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones will make a return this weekend.

Both teams will begin Big Ten play on Saturday and will look to gain much needed momentum for their season.

Don’t leave your seat because at 2:30 P.M. as No. 8 Auburn Tigers travels to No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies for a big SEC West division match up. With Alabama and LSU in the West, this is a must win for both teams. Auburn comes in with a 3-0 record and a top

25 win over No. 16 Oregon.

A&M is 2-1, with their only loss coming to the best team in the country and defending champs the Clemson Tigers. Auburn’s head coach Gus Malzahn decided to start true Freshman Bo Nix. Even though he went 13-31 with two picks in his first collegiate game ever, Nix led Auburn to victory with a td with nine seconds left. He is still learning Malzahn’s offense but continues to help his team move up in the rankings every week. The Tigers also have one of the best defensive lines in the nation led by Derrick Brown who is a potential top ten pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jimbo Fisher is in his second year as the Aggies head coach and went 9-4 in his first year. Junior Kellen Mond has played well against weaker competition, but struggled against Clemson, only putting up 10 points. There is no doubt Mond has to play better against Auburn’s stingy defense to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Last but not least we have our only top 10 match up of the week with No. 7 Norte

Dame Fighting Irish visiting No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs at 7 P.M. Both of these have been to the playoffs within the last two years, and it will be a playoff atmosphere in Athens, Ga. The Fighting Irish are led by senior QB Ian Book, who led them to a 12-1 record, losing to Clemson in the semifinals last year. Book has continued his trend from last year, leading Norte Dame to a perfect record in the regular season. Georgia also has a great QB, and potential top five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in Jake Fromm. Fromm led the Bulldogs to the national championship game in his Freshman year but lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Alabama. Fromm is 25-5 since walking on campus and has never lost at home.

Georgia is favored by 14.5 points. Even though Fromm has never lost at home, this is disrespectful to a team that hasn’t lost a regular season game in almost two years.

We are in for a good one this weekend, and the best part about it is, they are backto-back-to-back. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a classic day of college football.

Men's soccer seeks first win of the season on the road at UMKC

By Sebastian Gamboa courier staff This week, the men’s soccer Fighting Leathernecks are heading down to Durwood Stadium in Kansas City, MO to square off against the University of MissouriKansas City Roos for their seventh regular season match of the year. The last meeting of the two teams was two years ago on Sept. 16, 2017.

The Fighting Leathernecks edged out a 3-2 victory over the KC Roos.

Both teams are searching for their first win with Western at 0-6 and KC at 0-3.

Interestingly enough, both teams are coming off of a 0-1 loss against Drake University.

Based on that identical outcome and the closeness of the last meeting between these two teams, this promises to be an evenly-matched and intense game.

The aforementioned last match for the Leathernecks did not go so well. The hardfought loss had Drake putting up 16 shots and limiting Western to only six. While Drake was able to capitalize

on one, Western was unable to put up any points. The match did, however, showcase star goalkeeper Tim Trilk who had eight saves, putting him only three saves away from reaching No. 10 in all-time saves.

Similarly in KC’s match versus Drake, the Roos were limited to four shots against Drake’s 15, only one of which was capitalized on.

This forced KC’s senior goalkeeper Filippo Errico to put up a personal season high of five saves.

For this match on the side of the Fighting Leathernecks, goal leader Mitchell Moynihan will be looking for his third goal of the season to add to the team’s six total goals they have accumulated this season. Nationallyranked goalkeeper Trilk (111th in NCAA Div. I) will also be seeking to make some saves to boost his strong .714 save rate and keep his goals allowed at 16.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mitchell Moynihan passes the ball by a defender.

Men's Soccer to page 6

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Paul Kirdorf jogs back to his defensive position.

Tim Trilk takes a goal kick.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Christian Junna runs back into the play.

Volleyball to take part in final nonconference tournament of the season

By David Koier courier staff

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mackenzie Steckler prepares for the serve.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mariah Mitchell goes up for a block.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

JoJo Kruize gets ready to serve the ball.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Cassie Hunt sets the ball to a teammate.

The Western Illinois Leatherneck Volleyball team (3-7) travels to Cookeville, TN this weekend to face off in their final tournament where they face non-league opponents. This Friday and Saturday, the Leathernecks face off against host team Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (2-8), the Southern Illinois Salukis (6-5) and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-7).

Western head volleyball coach Ben Staupe is very confident in his team’s ability to win this weekend. Staupe told Athletic Communications, “Again, we match up differently with all three of our opponents. If we continue doing what we have been doing, as far as, serving aggressively, continue to stop balls at the net and executing when we need to, we have a great chance with each of these teams.”

Staupe’s comment about stopping balls at the net refers to how strongly the

team has been at the net.

The Purple and Gold have recorded 66 blocks so far this season, which is 20 more than the 46 that their opponents have. In four of their nine matchups this season, the Leathernecks have out blocked their opponents.

Leading Western’s defensive wall is redshirt junior Mackenzie Steckler. Steckler not only leads her team, but she also tops The Summit League with her 48 total blocks. Steckler also sits atop the Summit with her nine solo blocks.

The Leathernecks have proven that they can keep up with the best when they took Mississippi State of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to five sets earlier this season. Western recorded their season-high 28 blocks against the Bulldogs with Steckler recording 12 of her own.

Volleyball to page 6