Western Courier| November 28th, 2018

Opinions: Better be safe than sorry in bad weather.

Sports: Possible trades for the Chicago Bulls.

Sports: Leathernecks set eyes on SIU-e.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - Vol. 119 Issue 39

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

Students get stuck in Sunday’s snow

Storm

By Marc Ramirez news editor

Western Illinois University residence halls were scheduled to reopen after Thanksgiving break on Sunday at 10 a.m. However, Western sent out a “Note to Returning Students: Winter Weather”, warning students to drive safe as a winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday.

Unfortunately, many students didn’t take precaution when traveling back to Western, causing them to be stranded in areas all across Illinois.

“According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a winter storm warning has been issued for McDonough and surrounding counties from 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 25 through midnight, Monday, Nov. 26,” the email from University Relations read. “The

NWS warning indicates that hazardous winter weather conditions are expected to impact the area beginning late tonight and continuing through Sunday evening.”

The email also highlighted that due to precipitation likely to change form as the storm traveled from north to south, students should expect very hazardous travel conditions with blizzard like conditions. This consisted of heavy and blowing

snow. Due to this many students decided to travel back Saturday in efforts to avoid any issues.

“I knew there was a bad storm coming in and I thought it would be a better idea to travel back the night before and only having to worry about finding a place to stay the night,” Devinn Wood, sophomore LEJA major said. “I knew I could count on one of my fraternity brothers to let me

stay with them. I decided to travel early to avoid the high winds and and horrible road conditions that could’ve possibly thrown my Jeep on it’s side.”

Kyle Ramlow, junior Political Science major, had similar thoughts when deciding not to postpone his travel arrangements.

Snow Storm

page 2

Macomb audit comes back clean

By Steven Barnum assistant news editor

devon greene/editor-in-chief

Western Illinois University students, faculty and staff gathered along University Drive, Q-Lot and Tanner Hall to host the first Rally for Love on Satiurday, Nov. 17.

A representative from a Joliet, Ill. accounting firm gave a financial overview of Macomb on Monday night.

Dave Meyes, manager of Wermer, Rogers, Doran and Ruzon, LLC., explained that his firm studied the town’s financial records from the last fiscal year. In this audit, Meyer says they made sure that Macomb officials recorded taxes, like property, sales and income, correctly in their documents. To complete the process, Meyer and the firm had to work with city staff, which he says were very cooperative.

“The staff did a great job.

You should be very proud of the job they did in handling all of the transactions, as well as providing us with all the documents we needed,” Meyer said.

Among the highlights in his report, Meyer shared that Macomb entered the fis-

cal year with a cash balance of $7 million. This amount would likely be a 6-month reserve, which Meyer says is a healthy balance.

“You don’t want to have too much of a cash balance because then property tax payers would wonder why you have so much of their money,” Meyer said. “But you certainly don’t want to be living paycheck-to-paycheck as a government either.”

Macomb had $3 million more in expenses than it had in revenue. Additionally, the city passed a budget that prepared for a $1.8 million deficit, but ended up with a loss of $2 million. Meyer says these particular numbers don’t point toward a major issue, referencing improvements the city made to Randolph Street and Wigwam Hollow Road.

City Council page 2

2

NEWS

Snow Storm

from front page

“Instead of trying to leave early Sunday to beat the storm, I decided to drive back Saturday to avoid getting stuck on the road or drifting into ditches, which has happened to me in the past,” Ramlow said.

However, some students aren't as fortunate as Wood and Ramlow and found themselves stuck in the middle of the road or stranded in a town they've never heard of. Three freshman heading back to Western found themselves experiencing something they’ve never had to endure.

“We were on our way from our hometown in Plainfield, Illinois, we left at about 2 p.m. and when we first got on the road it wasn’t bad,” Tyler Pradin, freshman LEJA major said. “Our GPS ETA just kept getting longer and longer.”

As the snow continued to come down, they found themselves looking at their GPS to navigate where the road was. With the snow piling up, the three got stuck in the road while attempting to head uphill, as did several other cars behind them.

“After many attempts of trying to get the car unstuck, we called the police and they told us they would get a tow truck to our location,” Robby Lundgren, freshman LEJA major said. “After two hours of waiting and wondering where the tow truck was, we figured they were not coming to get us.”

The three knocked on a nearby house in attempt to

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

Wednesday, November 28, 2018 get help pulling them out of the ditch. With no success finding a hitch to pull the vehicle out, Galesburg resident Kurt Stewart opened up his house to the eight people who weren't going to make it to their destination during the storm.

“He offered for us to stay at his house overnight to stay warm and have somewhere to sleep,” Sergio Wilson, freshman supply-chain management major said. “He warmed us some pulled pork and gave us bread, chips and drinks. He was such a great person and we couldn’t have thanked him enough.”

The three made it safely back to Macomb the next day. Similarly, Dexter and Dakotah Baker didn’t make it back to school on Sunday like they had planned.

“It was about an hour and a half into our drive when it began to get really bad but at that point it was too late to turn around,” Dexter Baker, senior LEJA major. “As we were driving we decided to try and make it to Galesburg to stay in a hotel.”

The two stopped at a gas station in Altona. People present advised that they did not attempt to travel another 20 miles to Galesburg since they couldn’t know if they’d safely make it there.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church was opened to shelter people driving during the storm.

“The next morning it was still pretty bad, the roads were slightly plowed,” Dakotah Baker, senior LEJA major said. ”Driving back to Western we saw more than 75 cars in ditches.”

City Council

from front page

“I think part of it had to do with those road projects,” Meyer said. “The timing of those projects could throw you off a little bit on what you budgeted.”

Elsewhere, the city’s police pension is nearly 66 percent funded, while the fire pension is funded at just 51 percent. Meyer doesn’t find those numbers to be troublesome, but says the state of Illinois will require towns to fund those pensions at 90 percent in the distant future.

On the flip side, Macomb has overfunded the Illinois Municipality Retirement Fund (IMRF) by 3 percent.

The IMRF is the second largest public pension system in Illinois.

Meyer explained his role as an auditor.

“We can never say anything is good or okay, we can just say we didn’t see anything bad.” he said. “We need to have an understanding of your internal controls, but we’re not going to give an opinion on how well those controls are functioning.”

Mayor Mike Inman called attention to the corruption in Dixon, Ill., where a comptroller embezzled $53 million in a 22-year period. Inman explained that the strong level of communication displayed by Macomb’s city staff was “wholly lacking” in Dixon. City Administrator

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

WesternCourier.com Dean Torreson echoed Inman’s thoughts.

“We are in pretty good shape financially, and the mayor, city council and the staff should get credit for that,” Torreson said.

Looking forward to 2019, Macomb has until next month to make a decision on tax levies.

Torreson explained that there are two different ways to fund pensions: the statutory minimum amount and the recommended amount.

Approving the statutory minimum amount would bring the pension funds to the 90 percent mark, like Meyer mentioned, while the recommended amount would reach that goal sooner.

Macomb would hold onto $700,000 if they choose the statutory minimum amount.

Although the city typically chooses the recommended amount, Torreson worries about the long-term sustainability.

“We whittled it (the money) away in years past but we certainly cannot afford to do that again,” Torreson said. “If we continue with the recommended amounts, our general fund would be bankrupt within a few years.”

Under this consideration, the city could levy 5 percent from the fire pension fund and Macomb’s tax rate would increase from 1.21 percent to 1.23 percent. Torreson calculated that the bump would

mean that those who own a $100,000 home would pay just $5 more per year.

Leaders in Illinois may play a factor in the council’s decision. According to illinoispolicy.org, more than 400 downstate fire and police pension funds have less money than the Illinois Department of Insurance says is appropriate. This striking trend may lead to significant pension fund reform, like combining fire and police pension funds. Inman thinks this could benefit towns in downstate Illinois.

“Having the scale of those funds combined would be a plus,” Inman said. “This should put us in a much better position to make sure those funds are taken care of going forward.”

In other developments, the council may reach a compromise regarding the loading and unloading zones outside of Lamoine Senior Living Center in downtown Macomb.

A proposal to allow designated parking around the facility has been squashed, but a new proposal would still accommodate ambulances, buses and vehicles dropping off residents. The loading and unloading zones would be on Randolph and Carroll Streets, and if the council approves the proposal, those zones would have time limits of 20 to 30 minutes.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

NEWS 3

Mayor Mike Inman visits SGA to hold an open forum

felicia selmon/courier staff

Western Illinois University students, faculty and staff gathered along University Drive, Q-Lot and Tanner Hall to host the first Rally for Love on Satiurday, Nov. 17.

By Marc Ramirez news editor

Mayor Mike Inman joined the members of the Student Government Association Tuesday evening to field an open discussion and show community support for Western Illinois University.

Inman opened up the floor by discussing Macomb’s annual Town and Gown event where members of the Macomb community typically gather to discuss accomplishments that have taken place over the past year. Inman described the 12th annual event as a suc-

cess with around 180 people in attendance at The Macomb Dining Company; however, there was more than just celebrating happening on Nov. 15. Western also announced the cut of $5 million.

According to a letter written by President Jack Thomas addressed to the University Community, the $5 million expenditure reduction was made to address immediate needs. It was also announced that the University’s FY20 annual budget would be cut by $21 million.

Among other discussion Mayor Inman opened the

floor for questions from Senators in the room about things ranging from the development of downtown Macomb to gaining help from students to help run the next census.

After being asked about downtown development, Inman brought up that Kristin Terry, Downtown Development Director was working to hopefully revamp the old Hardee’s location and creating a new franchise which they have not yet publicly announced.

Vice President of the Student Government Association Madison Lynn

brought up that the Mayor ’s Roundtable would be meeting at the Go West Transit facility located at 701 E Pierce Street. With this being brought up discussion consisted of how Go West gets its funding from student fees and grants from the state in addition grants by the federal government.

This is a prime example of rural mass transit. Inman also discussed that Go West will be receiving new busses that would be more fuel efficient and won't be as harmful to the roads with starting and stopping as people get on or off.

Enrollment and the worries of it declining affecting local sales as much as anticipated was also discussed and Inman said it won't be as significant as everyone feels. It's not a good thing that enrollment is on a steady decline, but it won’t be detrimental to the surrounding community.

To help combat this, it is also a thought that that bringing wind farms north of Macomb would help generate revenue surrounding the University community. This is also a factor in attracting new businesses to settle in Macomb.

4 OPINIONS

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

SNOW! This week has been crazy considering the fact that the university was closed on Monday due to weather.

Luckily, I made it back early enough to miss the storm, but others were not as fortunate.

Several people I am friends with were stuck in ditches overnight, lost, or stranded at truck stops. It was dangerous for anyone to be out in these conditions and I am glad that everyone made it back to

Macomb safely. But in case another situation like this arises, I think that it is best to give people some pointers on how to be prepared in case this occasion occurs again First, you should always be checking the weather before you start your road trip. If you know that there is a storm on the way then plan to leave ahead of time. There are several items that could be stored in your trunk to

WesternCourier.com

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

help out in the occurrence of a winter storm. Gloves, blankets, water, snacks, and hand warmers are essentials in the winter months that I always keep with me somewhere in my vehicle. In the case of any issues these are things that will help keep you warm, hydrated, and somewhat fed for at least 24 hours.

There are other things like salt or even sand that can help get your car moving if it is stuck. Putting sand under your tires will help give it traction and might save you from just having your tires spin continuously.

So, if you get stuck there are things you should and

should not do. Always try to make sure that your car has a decent amount of gas in it.

A full tank of gas can run in a stopped car for almost 20 hours. The next thing you should do is to make sure you have a device to call for help.

The other night the roads ended up being so covered that it was hard for police, tow-trucks and other rescue vehicles to make it to people, but letting them know your location will allow them to help the best they can.

It is also important that you try to stay in your vehicle if possible. Getting out of your car will start to make you cold and it can often be hard

for you to warm back up if the right supplies are not available. Stay in your vehicles and stay as warm as possible.

With winter being my least favorite season, I think it is very important that everyone stay as safe as they possibly can. Obviously things happen, and you cannot prevent yourself from hitting black ice or not being able to see the road ahead of you. But if you do get caught in a storm and it really is that bad, then please be safe and pull over.

You may not be able to afford a hotel but you can get gas and sleep in a parking lot in your car. It is always better to be safe than sorry!

Are unions still beneficial for teachers?

Unions have helped improve worker conditions and wages for over a century, yet there is growing concern over the continuing need of this bureaucracy.

For example, the teacher's union in Chicago has, for some decades now, seen little to no improvement in teachers wages and or improvement of the student's overall performance, hence giving rise to the question of why they are still in use and why they have not benefited their members like other unions have in their respected

fields. Many proponents of the Chicago teacher's union blame city and state government officials for the failing districts woes. Opponents of the teacher's unions blame the bureaucracy itself for its woes, citing the tenure policy that shields many teachers (in many cases bad teachers) from discipline and ultimate termination, while simultaneously hindering awarding good teachers for their excellent work that they do.

Overall, it is a debate on whether the Chicago teacher's union has over-lived

its usefulness.

The Chicago teacher's union is currently involved in a political war with city and state government officials, they fight for higher teachers wages and in protection of the highly controversial tenure system while the government fights for accountability and the overall improvement of student's education while maintaining affordability. At the end of the day, both the union and city officials want the same thing, teachers who are well-paid, and respected while also ensuring that children are receiving a quality education. The problem is that the city doesn’t want to continue paying the union’s bloated budget and the union doesn’t want to compromise.

This is what the fighting is

all about, a cities eagerness to award good performing school districts and teachers and punish bad performing ones, while the union wants to have the power to govern its own members as they see fit, indeed it is at an impasse.

When I think of the teachers union I think of the hard working men and women who have dedicated their lives to teaching others, yet I must admit that if I had to choose between teachers rights, teachers' pay and teachers tenure over children's rights, children's education and children's future, I do not believe I would be able to. In other words, I believe the students come first, teachers can always find another job or retire but children’s future depends directly on

whether a teacher can motivate them and convince them of their worth and intelligence and so I must declare that in this instance, labor is not as important as the future of the student. Overall, if I had the power, I would reform the union’s bylaws to allow a more feasible system that discourages and disciplines bad teachers while promoting and rewarding good teachers.

For example, I would start by eliminating raises based on seniority and have it based on an evaluation system that takes into consideration creativity, motivation, patience, and whether that specific instructor has had complaints filed against them in the past.

Overall, the purpose would be to better the education of the student.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Is America winning the trade dispute with China?

 The current administration has taken a protectionist stance on trade against China and its own allies across Europe and even Canada.

Tariffs have been issued on all sides, from aluminum and steel tariffs to America against China and Europe; whiskey and cheese tariffs from Russia and Europe against America, not to mention a tariff against American farm goods like soybeans imposed by China as retaliation for the tariffs on

billions of dollars of Chinese goods placed by America. The mainstream media has almost daily declared these events as a trade war, yet the truth is that at this moment, its much closer to a trade dispute than an actual trade war. This is because not all tariffs that can be applied on all sides have actually been applied. So, the question arises of how the trade dispute is going and how is it benefiting Americans.

Taking a closer look, it appears

that as of right now, America does seem to be benefiting from the trade dispute with China.

For example, there has always been a trade deficit in favor on China; from the beginning of the trade dispute that trade deficit has dropped by 17 percent in favor of America. So, if things continue at this rate and if things don’t escalade into a full out trade war, America does appear to be winning. The reason is that the trade tariffs placed on Chinese goods are aimed at specific products that America can attain from other countries if need be. This forces China to lower their prices in order to avoid further losses; this has benefited America and has forced Chinese com-

panies to take the overwhelming blunt of the tariffs. For example, from the 25 percent tariffs on aluminum and steel, China has absorbed an estimate of 20.6 percent of tariffs versus the United States only absorbing 4.4 percent. So, as of right now, China is losing the trade dispute.

Yet, there is growing concern for the global market on the prospects of the trade dispute escalating into an all-out trade war which will disrupt the global economy and send the majority; if not the entirety, of it into disarray and into the recession/depression levels seen during the 2008 housing market crash. This is bad for obvious reasons, for it is true

Contact Allison Young

AN-Young@wiu.edu

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that the current trade dispute has benefitted America, a trade war will not only hinder Chinese markets but will harm American ones as well. For the benefits to be seen in America; the current administration must show restraint and not allow it to be pushed into escalating the trade dispute with China. China has shown restraint up until this point, mostly because their prime minister has been in power for over a decade and intents by all means to remain in power and an economic collapse will put his personal ambition in the crosshairs.

Overall, it is unlikely (albeit possible) that the current trade dispute will escalate.

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2018 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Jonathan Lynch Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

6 SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Basketball from back page

Edwardsville is not short on scorers either, they too have four players averaging double digits this season.

The top scorer being a fiery point guard from my alumni high school, junior Tyresse Williford. Williford paces the Cougars with 15.8 points per game, he and the Cougars are coming into this game after capturing their first win of the season. Williford had 20 points, six assists and six rebounds in that game but the Necks defense will be tougher to score on because they are anchored by the number one shot blocker in the country, Brandon Gilbeck. Gilbeck who averages four blocks and BECCA LANGYS/PHOTO EDITOR

Quentin Moon tracks down the ball carrier

Football from back page

Knowing what situation they were in, the Leathernecks knew that the final stretch would be full of must-win games.

A 31-14 routing of Missouri State saw Western travel back to Macomb to face off against a strong Northern Iowa team that was ranked number 17 in the nation.

Behind a strong offense which saw McGuire pass for 300 yards and two TDs and the dual running back threat of McShane and Max Norris, who combined for 45 yards and three touchdowns, the Leathernecks

put up a strong 37 points.

The defense, behind two Pete Swenson sacks and a defense total 8 tackles for loss, held Northern Iowa to just 17 points in a win that created some positive momentum for the Purple and Gold.

The Leathernecks traveled to Southern Illinois where a last second field goal brought Western up 34-31 and a 5-4 record on the season. The next week in South Dakota saw the three-game win streak end as the Purple and Gold fell to the Coyotes 17-12, a loss that brought the Leathernecks their fifth loss and their path to the playoffs almost obsolete.

Traveling back to Macomb for

senior day, Western knew they had to beat No. 24 Indiana state if they wanted any shot at the playoffs. Steve McShane led the offense with 132 rushing yards and one touchdown while Swenson and Moon combined for one and a half sacks and 20 total tackles.

The seniors gave it all this season. They fought until the final seconds ran off the clock and they couldn’t give any more. The season may not have ended the way the team wanted, but each senior gave all they could for this team over the past four years.

Finishing the season at 5-6, the Leathernecks did not make the playoffs.

CLASSIFIEDS

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For Rent

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Submit a classifieds ad to JD-Day@wiu.edu

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.

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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.

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eight rebounds a game, keeps opponents out of the paint which is where SIU-e loves to attack, mainly because they’re only shooting 26 percent from behind the arc this year.

Western is hoping playing at home puts an end to their three game losing streak.

They are 2-0 at home this year averaging 89.5 points per game. To win this game Western has to convert from the three point arc where they been mediocre so far this season, they also have to keep the cougars out the lane, forcing them to take jump shots which is SIU-e’s weakness.

The game is set for tomorrow at 7pm inside of Western Hall.

It can also be seen on ESPN+ or listened to on WRMS radio station (94.3).

Brandon Gilbeck plays defense inside Western Hall.

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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.

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The nicer apartments are going fast, excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. Reasonable prices. Studio, 1-3 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.

FILE PHOTO

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.

Spacious 3 Bedroom Upper in Duplex close to campus and Jackson St. All utilities furnished and appliances Includes cable and internet 18/19 school year $375.00 per Br Ph 309 255 8086 Please leave message Still have some nice large locations available at reasonable prices. Excellent service- 24 hour emergency maintenance. 1-8 bedrooms, locations on/off campus available ‘18-’19 school year. Pets at some locations. Check us out at rentcollegepads.com. If interested, please call F & H Rentals 309/837-1705.

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.

@WesternCourier

Sports 7

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Chicago Bulls need to start trading Currently sitting as the No. 13 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of just 5-16, the Bulls have sputtered out of the gates.

In year two of the rebuilding process, there have been plenty of positive takeaways to go along with the bad. To start, shooting guard Zach LaVine has been an absolute menace for the Windy City, posting career-highs in points (25.7), blocks (0.6), steals (1.0), rebounds (5.4) and free throw percentage (86.1 percent) thus far. Rookie center Wendell Carter Jr. has been impressive, averaging a respectable 11 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. After a hot start to the season, he’s cooled off a bit, showing that there’s no way around the evident rookie growing pains he’ll experience throughout his first pro campaign.

Although these players will likely be key cogs of the organization’s future plans, there’s really no doubt that the Bulls are going to have to get better on both sides of the ball if they plan on contend-

ing in the future.

When it comes to defense, Chicago has given up an average of 112.7 points per game to opposing teams, ranking in the bottom-10 of the league. It can be argued that perimeter defense has been the main source of their struggles, as they’ve allowed eighth-most three-pointersper-game (12.0) in all of basketball. Offensively, they’ve managed to score just 103.6 points per game, just one spot above the dead-last Grizzlies.

While the return of Lauri Markkanen could do wonders for this young squad, perhaps they could turn to the trade market to add some much-needed firepower. Who exactly might they target if they decide to go that route?

Maybe the biggest impediment on this roster is the players who don’t quite fit head coach Fred Hoiberg’s playing scheme. A glaring need for Chicago is players that are willing to play pesky defense, play at a high pace, and can shoot the three efficiently. If they are willing to make a move, they could go

the “cheap” route and find players that are in a contractyear and/or buried on their team’s depth chart. In order to do so, they’ll almost certainly have to adjust their payroll by waiving or trading veterans like Robin Lopez and Justin Holliday.

One player the Bulls could opt to target is the Celtics’ Marcus Smart. Boston’s backcourt remains amongst the most crowded in all of basketball. With so many mouths to feed, Chicago could lure Smart away cheaper than some may think. After cashing-in with a 4-year, $52 million extension, Smart hasn’t been nearly as involved as he figured, largely due to the emergence of Terry Rozier.

The Celtics could choose to keep Rozier over Smart due to his offensive capabilities, but the Bulls should be glad to take Smart off their hands. As an elite on-ball defender who can also be a streaky shooter, Smart would make a monster impact on defense and help youngsters like Carter Jr. and Kris Dunn quickly develop a defensive identity of their own.

Another cheap target that would help shoreup Chicago’s defense is Oklahoma City’s Andre Roberson.

Offensively, Roberson has almost noth-

ing to offer. However, as one of the league’s premiere lockdown wing defenders, he remains a huge reason why the Thunders’ defense is well-respected. Currently dealing with a patella injury dating back to last season, a move like this would have to wait until closer to the February 7 trade deadline when he’s finally healthy.

Regardless, if the Bulls’ front office could swing a deal like this, it could pay dividends to this developing team and help strengthen their defensive mindset.

While the Bulls certainly have the pieces to make these moves, one looming question remains: can they make a big-splash trade for a disgruntled superstar?

We see it happen in today’s league far too often. LeBron James may be the person to thank for superstars switching teams as an NBA norm, and Chicago should capitalize on this trend if presented an opportunity. As a matter of fact, an incident like this just occurred with superstar shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who was moved from the Timberwolves to the 76ers on Nov. 10.

A dream scenario for the Bulls would be landing Chicago-native Anthony Davis. Prior to the start of

the season, Davis said to the media that he is open to the idea of a trade if New Orleans were to fall out of contention this year. Currently sitting at 10-11, there’s plenty of time to turn their season around, but this is something that fans should keep a close eye on. A hefty return package would be in store for the Pelicans if Chicago were able to pull this off. It’s likely that multiple first-round picks would be headed their way along with either Markkanen or Carter Jr. Giving up some of the team’s top young talent may scare some fans, but if the Bulls have opportunity to acquire a player of Davis’s caliber, they should pull the trigger without hesitation.

Chicago should begin to turn the corner sooner rather than later with both Markkanen and Dunn on the brink of a return, but it remains evident that this roster could use one, if not multiple additions.

The Bulls’ front office will presumably keep an open mind as the trade deadline inches closer and could be more aggressive that some may think.

They might not be competing for a title in 2018, but the right acquisitions over the course of the season could have them in playoff conversation for years to come.

Swimming improves at House of Champions

By Brie Coder copy editor

INDIANAPOLIS — The Western Illinois University men's and women’s swim and diving teams once again prevailed at the House of Champions competition on Nov. 16-18.

Once the results were posted on Nov. 19, it was clear that head coach Greg Naumann has done an impressive job with working out the kinks and increasing the strengths on both teams.

On the men’s side a strong eighth place finish came through with 430 points, and the women’s team came in ninth with 332 points.

When asked how the midterm final meet went, Naumann’s response was nothing but positive feedback.

“Overall, I felt like we had an awesome meet,” Naumann said. “This may have been one of the best midseason meets that we have had in my 10 years at Western. We had a lot of energy around our swims, feeding off of our teammates' swims, and then adding our own energy to the group.”

The Purple and Gold men’s team had two big highlights.

The first came from junior Brennan Bladel in the 100back. Bladel swam his way to 1:50.75, which was .01 second less than his previous best mark. This time is currently the second-best time in Western Illinois history, and it was enough to earn him a win in the C-final.

Next to Bladel was freshman Adam Peterson who sprinted for a 46.35 time, and the ninth-best mark in school history in the 100-free.

Another ninth-place best swim in Western Illinois history came from the women’s side, as freshman Laramie Reed clocked in with a strong finish in the 200-breast with 2:27.62.

Continuing on with the women’s teams, two top-10 marks came from the 200-fly as freshmen Caitlin Dassow and Shannon O'Malley both came in a few seconds apart from each other. Dassow registered in at 2:09.94 and the seventh-best swim record for Western. O’Malley came in at 2:10.33 placing eighth in the Leatherneck history book.

With all this excitement, it was apparent to Naumann that his freshmen teams will remain dominate, and will take the reins once the upper-

classmen graduate.

“The number of changes to our top 10 list goes to show how strong our freshman class is, and the potential for what they will do while competing for the Purple and Gold,” Naumann said.

At House of Champions the host Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis Jaguars walked away with some impressive times and a new individual record. The new record that was broken came from freshman Nick Hanas, who crushed his school record in the men’s 200 backstroke 1:47.30. This time was two seconds better than the school record that was set in 2014, which was also the longest -standing men’s record.

The men and women Jaguars fought their way to the top and managed to make it within the top five marks for both teams. The men came in at fifth and the women finished off with a strong fourth place win.

With one more competition left before the new year begins, it’s up the Leathernecks to maintain their strengths as the go up against Truman State in Kirksville, Mo. this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Brennan Bladel swims freestyle inside Brophy Hall.

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Football fails to make MVF playoffs

By David Koier courier staff

BECCA LANGYS/PHOTO EDITOR

Sean McGuire runs the ball on Hanson Field.

MACOMB Ill. — The snow wasn’t the only thing falling on the cold Saturday Nov. 17th afternoon. After a heartbreaking loss to the Sycamores of Indiana State on a last second field goal by Sycamore kicker Jerry Nunez, tears were falling all over the Leathernecks sideline.

The Leatherneck season was one that all the 21 seniors on the team wanted to end differently. A hard-fought battle by the Leathernecks ended with 3 and a half minute 71-yard drive which culminated in the game winning field goal.

After shaking hands with the Indiana State players, seniors like quarterback Sean McGuire and long snapper Hunter Varga somberly jogged to the sideline into the arms of their parents. It was a very emotional ending to an emotional season.

The Leathernecks returned 21 seniors to the team this year, each of them hoping to have more success than their previous season which ended with a loss in the first round of

the FCS playoffs.

The season started off with a struggle with an 0-2 start after a 26-23 loss at Montana State and a 34-14 loss to the Big Ten’s University of Illinois. McGuire looked solid throughout the first two games tossing four touchdowns and 440 yards.

Linebacker Quentin Moon led the defense with 21 total tackles during the first two contests while also recording half a sack against the U of I. The Leathernecks then traveled home to Hanson Field where they defeated the No. 15 Grizzlies of the University of Montana 31-27. Newcomer John Brunner had a day as he pulled in 7 catches for 180 yards and touchdowns.

The next two games, against No. 14 Illinois State and No. 1 North Dakota State, weren’t what the Leathernecks wanted as they lost both of them, bringing their season record to 2-4; a record that would make it very difficult to make the FCS playoff again.

Football page 6

Basketball looks to get back on track

By Titus Perez courier staff MACOMB. Ill. — The Western Illinois University Leathernecks (2-4, 0-0 Summit) are happy to return home after three straight losses on the road.

The first two losses were only by a basket each, but the final game of the road stretch ended in a 73-49 beat down given out by the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten). The Leathernecks record may fool most fans who haven’t been watching closely this year. The loss to Nebraska is the only game the ‘Necks haven’t competed in this season. This includes a matchup against the University of Creighton Blue Jays (5-1, 0-0) of the Big East. The Blue Jays had to sweat it out until the final minutes before they finally beat Western 78-67.

Playing on the road has been Western's downfall dating back to last season. Their last road win came on November 22, 2017 against the Cougars of Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville (1-3, 0-0 OVC), who happens to be their upcoming opponent. Western comes

into the game with confidence because they lead the all-time series 7-2, and they beat SIU-e last year in Edwardsville on a game winning three. A lot of the main pieces from that Western team is still intact this year including last year leading scorer, Sophomore Kobe Webster. Webster is leading the team in scoring again this year averaging 16.3 points per game. He’s struggled to shoot the three so far this year, but based on his freshman season, it’s likely he’ll turn that around, especially against the Cougars who allow opponents to shot 38 percent from three.

The Leathernecks have three other scorers averaging double figures this year, most notably starting shooting guard Issac Johnson. Like Webster, Johnson is also a sophomore, his 13.7 points a game so far this year is an uptick from the seven points he averaged last year. Juniors Jeremiah Usiosefe and CJ Duff are also averaging double figures this year.

Basketball page 6

Isaac Johnson lines up a free throw inside Western Hall.

FILE PHOTO