Western Courier | November 16th, 2020

Sports: Women's Basketball schedule released

Opinions: It's okay to celebrate the holiday season early

UNIVERSITY.

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Monday, November 16, 2020 - Vol. 121 Issue 18

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RockyTHON 5K in a day exceeds expectations

PHOTO BY: MELANIE HIGGINS

PHOTO BY: MELANIE HIGGINS

RockyTHON President Justin Brown cooks spaghetti in the Knoblauch kitchen.

By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief

The first ever RockyTHON Spaghetti Dinner was an overwhelming success in terms of attendance and fundraising.

When the RockyTHON leadership team grappled with how to plan events during a semester of strict event rules and guidelines, events with food seemed almost impossible. After careful consideration and gaining permission from the University, the planning process began.

The leadership team is made up of Advisors Nick Katz, Ashley Katz, Dawn Tonkinson as well as President Justin Brown, Vice President of

Internal Libby Petersen, Vice President of External Marisa Santore and Vice President of Communications Rachel Greene. This group of individuals worked tirelessly to ensure that the event would be successful, but still did not know how it would play out until the actual event.

The only indicator of the impending success of the event were the presale tickets sold by members of the leadership team, executive board and morale team. Just under 400 tickets were sold in advance of the event, producing a profit of around $2,000.

Newly appointed RockyTHON President Justin Brown said, “Going into this

Students picking up their spaghetti in the drive-thru line.

event, we tried to be as proactive as physically possible.

We had never held a drive-thru event before and had also never worked in the Knoblauch kitchen. Usually, we are able to serve people as they come through a line and keep items such as salad dressing and cheese on the tables. This year, that would have been impossible. We had to put salad dressing and cheese into smaller cups and add them to our packaged meals which consisted of spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.”

The real struggle the event posed was knowing how much food to bring downstairs to the cars at one time, as there is no clear view of the

parking lot from the second floor of Knoblauch where the kitchen is located. The event began with much uncertainty and none of the students running the food knew what to expect. The dinner rush began around 5 p.m. and the team was sending plates of spaghetti down nonstop until around 7:30 p.m. when the crowd began to slow down.

Brown said, “The event itself was a whirlwind. None of us stopped working and running around until the very end. When we finally got to calculate our profit for the day, we were all amazed to see that we had hit the goal we set for ourselves to raise $5,000 in a day. This event

brought us all together and showed us that even in times of extreme adversity, we can come together to make miracles happen.”

The total raised during the entire day from the spaghetti dinner and the social media push initiated by the executive board was $5,192.50. The organization met and exceeded their goal, even when the annual $1,000 match fell through at the last minute.

It is unclear what the future of events on campus will look like, but RockyTHON has evidenced that they are prepared to tackle whatever obstacles come their way to raise funds and awareness for their cause.

NOW HIRING: News Writers If interested contact

Rachel Greene R-Greene2@wiu.edu

Sports on Page 7: Preview of Men's Basketball season FOLLOW US ONLINE @WESTERNCOURIER

Opinions on Page 5: A farewell to Christopher Bean OPINIONS 4 | EDGE 6 | SPORTS BACK PAGE

NEWS 2

Monday, November 16, 2020

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International students reflect on 2020 Presidential Election

NEWS3WIU.COM

A Western Illinois University International student reflects on the election.

By Dylan Smith NEWS3 Reporter

MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — After a historic 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, much still lies ahead of what has been an unprecedented year.

From the COVID-19 pandemic to racial injustice, 2020 has been a unique time for not only American citizens but those who have come to the states to receive higher education.

“In our media, we talk a lot about Trump and what’s going on in America,” Irina Widmer, a WIU student from Switzerland, said. “In the media, the U.S. is very important, and I kind of got a good idea about who he is, and I’m not surprised that it ended up like this, and especially this year is so crazy anyways that I wasn’t surprised.”

“It’s a very unique experience for me in the case that

I can monitor every object and everything from my home,” WIU graduate student Bishnu Neupane said.

For international students experiencing a U.S election for the first, or maybe the second time, comparisons can be drawn between their home countries elections, and confusion can occur for many.

“This is a lot more extreme in it’s own way because there are two parties here, and everybody, well most

If the student decides to not come back on campus after the week-long break, they will receive a refund from the housing and dining services of two-weeks worth of housing. Their meal plan money will automatically roll over to the Spring semester.

“The refund is estimated by the rate the student pays,” WIU Director of Residence Michelle Oaks

said. “It all depends on the type of room they are living in and the student’s status if they’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior.”

Those who decide to come back and live in the residence halls for the remainder of the semester will have no additional cost and will be able to use their meal plan accordingly.

Students had to make their

people, vote for these two parties, so it’s very much divisive,” said Widmer.

“Back at home you have a lot more parties, there is a bigger spectrum, and the consensus that you should compromise. Compromise is very important.”

“I was very confused because there were states that I was expecting Trump to win, but went blue,” Jeremie Bokota, WIU freshman from the Congo, said.

“It was a very interesting

election. Some people are claiming voter fraud. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It was very interesting the way it turned out.”

By the end of election week, concerns about the future began to rise.

“It’s very important that the U.S. can find a way to get together again,” Widmer said. “It’s very important for the world that somebody is there that is a stable person that can really lead a country.”

Campus housing options as semester ends

By Yolotzin Franco

NEWS3 Reporter MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — Western Illinois University students have to make a decision on how they’re going to spend the remainder of the fall semester.

Students have the option of not returning to campus after the fall break, Nov. 23-27, or returning to campus for the remainder of the semester.

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

final decision by Nov. 13. If the students didn’t reply by the due date, they will be forfeiting their refund.

They are still able to decide what they’re doing for the remainder of the semester.

WIU students made their decision by logging into their STARS account. They must select the housing section and click “early semester check-out.”

“We are just asking them PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION

STAFF MEMBERS

proofreader Mary Kilbourne editor-in-chief Rachel Greene

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photo editor Sara Remar

assistant news editor Emma Garcia

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assistant photo editor Sara Remar

opinions editor Allison Young

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production manager Brandon Trost

sports editor Chris Bean

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business manager Janiya Haynes

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

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assistant business manager Nash Miller

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advertising manager Tyler Hoffman

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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 RegisterMail in Galesburg, Ill.

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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 Will Buss at 309-298-1876.

to follow safety measures and be respectful of social distancing and facial coverings as they travel about,” Oaks said.

For any questions, contact University Housing & Dining Services by calling 309-298-3000 or emailing UHDS@wiu.edu, Housing@wiu.edu or visit WIU’s COVID-19 guidance on traveling at wiu.edu/ policies/covid.

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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.

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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.

Monday, November 16, 2020

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NEWS

3

Angel Tree at WIU helps give back to the community

NEWS3WIU.COM

The Angel Tree is located in the University Union.

By Jenna Skarlupka NEWS3 reporter

MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — Wi t h C h r i s t m a s c o m ing, many people have a l re a d y s t a r t e d s h o p p i n g , a n d We s t e r n I l l i n o i s U n i versity has a way to get the community involved in gift-giving.

W I U h a s p a r t n e re d w i t h the Salvation Army to set u p a n a n g e l t re e o n t h e f i r s t f l o o r o f t h e U n i v e r-

sity Union. Anyone at WIU and in the Macomb community can take a tag f ro m t h e t re e , re g i s t e r i t at the service desk and b u y g i f t s f o r k i d s f ro m low-income families bef o re re t u r n i n g t h e m t o t h e U n i o n ’ s O ff i c e o f S t u dent Engagement. KiKi M a r s h a l l , a n O S E re p re s e n t a t i v e , s a i d i t ’ s a n e a s y p ro c e s s . “ Yo u p i c k u p t h e t o y s f ro m D o l l a r Tre e , Wa l -

M a r t o r Ta rg e t , ” M a r s h a l l said. “Then, you just bring it back, and you don’t have to wrap it… t h e y t a k e c a re o f i t a n d get it to the families.”

Marshall said students especially should help play Santa to give back to the community for its support of various WIU e v e n t s a n d p ro g r a m s , a s w e l l a s t h e l o c a l e c o n o m y.

“They come to our football games, our volleyball

games and our baseball games,” Marshall said.

“They put money into t h i s c o m m u n i t y, a n d t h e y bring businesses to this community that students w a n t h e re . ” W h i l e t h e C O V I D - 1 9 pandemic has impacted many people’s incomes, Marshall said you can still participate on a budget. “ T h a t ’ s t h e c o o l t h i n g a b o u t t h e a n g e l t re e , a l o t

of the items on the ang e l s a re re a l l y i n e x p e n sive,” Marshall said. “Diapers and wipes, Legos, a coloring book, or arts a n d c r a f t s . Yo u c o u l d g e t a l l o f t h a t s t u ff … f o r under $5.”

D o n a t i o n s w i l l b e a c c e p t e d u n t i l N o v. 2 0 , when WIU will close for T h a n k s g i v i n g b re a k a n d then move to all-online i n s t ru c t i o n f o r t h e re m a i n d e r o f t h e s e m e s t e r.

4

OPINIONS

Every year as Halloween ends, it seems that more and more people are already starting to celebrate the holiday season. And it seems that every year, more and more people are vocal about why you can’t just start celebrating the holiday season until after Thanksgiving. But I agree with the first group; once Halloween ends, it should be the Yuletide season.

Now, I know that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, etc.,

Monday, November 15, 2020

but that shouldn’t mean I have to wait to start celebrating these holidays. I have the right to start celebrating whatever holiday I want to, whenever. I mean, there are towns across the United States that are known for celebrating Christmas the entire year.

What’s the difference between an individual celebrating a specific holiday a month early, as opposed to an entire town celebrating a specific holiday the entire year?

Just because I want to start

celebrating the holiday season early, doesn’t mean that I don’t stop to celebrate Thanksgiving when it is upon us. I enjoy Thanksgiving and treat it with respect when it's time. But, Thanksgiving doesn’t have catchy and fun holiday music.

It is a holiday that we Americans, and Canadians, set aside each year to celebrate the past year and harvest. But, since we have industrialized since the first Thanksgiving, the only people who really sit down and talk about how thankful they are for the past harvest are the farmers. These farmers are important, but the majority of people just eat food and don’t really reflect on all the things that happened in the past year.

A reason that the celebration

WesternCourier.com

of the holiday season earlier should become more normalized is because the day right after Thanksgiving turns into a mad rush in stores. Black Friday started out as a term for people who would shop in Philadelphia between the Thursday of Thanksgiving and the Saturday right after Turkey Day, when the ArmyNavy football game would take place. Americans decided to take the term to a whole nother meaning, making it it’s own holiday across the country. People line up outside stores almost as soon as they’re done with their Thanksgiving dinner so that they can save some dollars on presents. If we are going to be at each other ’s throats, fighting over an iPhone XII,

while security is going to be trying to break us apart, then why don’t we just have Black Friday start the Friday after Halloween and have it last a month? This way deals stay around longer, there is less fighting and we can start to celebrate the holiday season earlier!

Ultimately, not everyone will want to celebrate the holiday season earlier. But, for those of us who love having some hot cocoa, baking Christmas cookies and decorating trees, I say we stand up for what we believe in. Let’s start celebrating Christmas, or whatever your holiday may be, sooner so that we can start to vibe with the season. We all know that the holiday season vibes hit differently.

Will Trump ever admit his loss?

You would think after more than a week since the election, we would be past the campaign and endless political ads. While most of that’s true, the fact is that Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States; unfortunately, the current president isn’t taking his defeat so easy and to him it's as if he didn’t even lose. Seriously.

Like most people on election night, I was anxious on how everything would turn out and whether or not there

would be more riots like people predicted, but precisely what people said would happen ended up happening. Due to a large amount of mail-in absentee ballots, on election night Trump seemed like he had a comfortable lead and was going to win, but as more votes started coming in days later, Biden became the clear winner. However, Trump did what he always does and that’s continue to ignite skepticism and doubt, and of course claim that the election

was being “stolen” from him.

To this day there is no credible evidence of wrongdoing in any state. Unfortunately, the Trump campaign still continues to file lawsuits in states like Nevada and Pennsylvania, which have later been dismissed by a judge or dropped by their own legal team. For a man that constantly brags about being a winner, it’s understandable why this defeat is hard for him, but purposely trying to sabotage Biden’s transition to become president by pretending he doesn't even exist is completely ludicrous. Trump has refused to concede to Biden and hasn’t invited him or his wife to the White House, which is a customary gesture the president

does for his successor.

It’s not a surprise, though; Trump is not a conventional president and has always done things his own way, but the lack of respect and decency to your competitor who clearly beat you not only brings him down, but the Republican party as well.

Trump has denied Biden and his team from participating in any intelligence briefings and his own administration has blocked Biden the money he needs for his transition.

This is completely petty and ridiculous, but most importantly puts the next administration at risk of being illprepared because of Trump’s petty tactics.

Just as people thought the

Trump era was finally coming to an end, that now seems very unlikely. Reports have already come out that Trump's interested in a 2024 presidential run.

Grover Cleveland is the only president to have served two nonconsecutive terms. Along with this, Trump’s team has already begun a political action committee that will help fund and promote candidates in future elections. To top it all off, Trump has contemplated starting a media network to rival conservative network Fox News. Even though Trump will be leaving office, his ever-spreading presence on mainstream media and social media, will always keep him in the public eye.

@WesternCourier

OPINIONS 5

Monday, November 16, 2020

YouTube is changing the world Where do you go when you need to learn how to solve a quadratic equation, when you need to know how to change a flat tire or even bake a cake? You go on YouTube.

Every student in this classroom has grown up with this platform, including myself. It’s part of our daily lives and while we might not realize it, it’s our greatest source of information and entertainment. Ever since YouTube's inception and evolution, more access and control has been given to everyday people, which in

return has created stars, influencers and mass followings.

When talking about YouTube as a platform, it’s important to discuss how it came to be. The website was originally created on Valentine’s Day in 2005 as a dating website where people could upload videos introducing themselves to others. The creators of the website, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, eventually changed YouTube to a general video sharing website once the idea of it being a dating website failed.

In April 2005, Karim uploaded the first ever YouTube video, which consisted of 19 seconds of him at the San Diego Zoo entitled, “Me at the Zoo.” Later on that year, a Nike commercial which included Brazilain soccer player Ronaldinho became YouTube’s first ever video to reach one million views. Eventually, between the years of 2006 and 2010, YouTube sold its company to Google for $1.65 billion, teamed up with organizations such as CNN and NBC, started placing ads on its videos and even started its own music video service, called VEVO. In a matter of five years, YouTube had gone from a failed dating website to the most profitable video sharing website in the world. And it was only

still growing.

Throughout YouTube’s immediate rise, the website has been heavily responsible for providing a platform to many unknown individuals at the time who would eventually become household names. The most obvious person that benefited from YouTube was Justin Bieber.

Bieber’s mother was posting videos of him from as young as 12 years old just singing, whether that would be on stage or in his room. Bieber eventually gained a following and was discovered by music executives and later on signed with Usher.

Soulja Boy’s hit song, “Crank That Soulja Boy,” was originally released on YouTube and Myspace and gained a mass following reaching No. 1 on the

Billboard 100; this allowed him to be discovered and be offered a deal with Interscope Records.

And who can forget Psy; the unknown Korean artist who made a song and dance called Gangnam Style that amassed over 1.3 billion views in five months, becoming one of YouTube’s most viewed videos; and as a result, Psy has made $8 million on YouTube alone.

Before a platform like YouTube, many artists and creators relied on executives and organizations for validation and opportunities, but platforms like YouTube have allowed these artists and creators to cut out the middleman and reach directly to the consumer, and as a result, many unknowns are quickly becoming household names.

The thrills Macomb has to offer Now that October has begun, we are getting even closer to Halloween! Of course, this means that costumes and candy will be in season, but also haunted houses.

Now, most of us have been trick or treating, and even more of us have probably dressed up for Halloween. That being said, very few go out to experience a haunted house due to the fear of haunted houses, but the older we get, a lot of these

fears dwindle. Sometimes questions may arise whether the experience is worth it or not, and this is an inner battle to combat. Tackling it head-on is a great way to do something different this Halloween.

Now, many haunted houses leave a lasting impact in Illinois, but everyone does not want to travel that far. Western brings the thrills to campus by hosting their own haunted houses. Western has

a haunted themed corn maze as well as a haunted house in Thompson hall.

Western also has a trick or treating event for kids between the ages of 2-12. Kids and family members are welcome to enjoy a safe trick or treating experience. All of these events are great ways to experience the spirit of Halloween without the hassle of traveling exceptionally far.

If traveling is not a problem, then the possibilities are almost endless. Haunted houses like the Basement of the Dead in Aurora which is one of the best-haunted houses in America. The experience is terrifc, from traveling

up to Aurora to being in the haunted house.

Now, if haunted houses are still not appearing around Halloween, organizations hold parties that are sure not to disappoint. Most of the time, going to a party is a viable option because many people are guaranteed to attend the party, and for most people, parties are familiar territory compared to a haunted house.

Parties can also be cheaper and closer than haunted houses, so people without transportation benefit as well. Not to mention, parties bring a lot of familiar faces.

All of these options are not about just doing something for

the sake of not being bored, although that is a valid reason. The journey to get to the event or the experience during the event are memories that are cherished. While we are in college, we have to remember that school and education come first.

Enjoying the time in college and making connections or experiences will allow for the hard tests or teachers to not bother you as much. Having a stress reliever is essential and what better way to relieve that stress than on Halloween. Halloween is a time of nostalgia and fun, and that should not change just because we are at a university.

OPINIONS 5

Monday, November 16, 2020

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Goodbye Chris, it's "Bean" real Christopher bean sports editor @cre_bean

My name is Christopher Bean and I’m a first semester senior here at Western Illinois. I am finishing up my last semester as an editor here at the Courier. This is my fourth semester as an editor, three as Assis-

tant Sports Editor and one as Sports Editor.

First off, I would like to thank Brad Piros who was the last Sports Editor before me. You taught me the ins and outs of this job and I can’t thank you

enough. Also a special thanks to Dayne McElwee. You took over my Assistant role and quickly became the new Sports Editor. Thank you for learning on the fly, and I know you’ll make the sports section more entertaining than I did.

It has been a pleasure working here for almost two years in the office with all the coworkers I had the honor of putting together our school's newspaper. Also, a special thanks goes

to our advisor Will Buss, who always makes sure we have the tools to be successful.

Lastly, I would like to thank the two Editor-In-Chief’s I had the pleasure to look up to. Devon Greene and Rachel Greene.

I can’t thank you enough for what both of you did for the office and this newspaper. You guys made it a fun work environment to be around, and I’ll never forget the fun times I’ve shared with you.

Write for Opinions

My time as a writer and editor has taught me a lot about myself. I never thought I would work for a newspaper, but writing for the sports section turned me into a better writer and even grew my passion for sports.

If you are looking to get more involved on campus or looking for a job, I would highly suggest the Western Courier because it changed my college experience for the better.

Contact Allison Young

AN-Young@wiu.edu

E4 EDGE

Monday, November 16, 2020

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CMA award show amid a pandemic The 54th Annual Country Music Association Awards were held this past Wednesday, at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. and were hosted by CMA Award winners Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire.

Unlike many televised awards shows during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CMA Awards were held with an audience. CMA chief executive officer Sarah Trahern stated, “although the show will feel a bit more intimate this year, we look forward to hosting our nominated artists and their guests as we celebrate the best of country music in a fully safe and physically distant environment. It will be an honor to bring the biggest country stars in the world together – in one room – for the first time this year. You won’t want to miss it!”

On Nov. 9, following the announcement that two of the artists

originally scheduled to perform on the CMA Awards had tested positive for Coronavirus, the CMA released a statement to Entertainment Tonight explaining, "We have been extremely diligent with our testing process in advance of anyone entering our footprint. Every single person has been tested, and many will be tested repeatedly throughout the week. This is in addition to wearing PPE and of course practicing social and physical distancing. We have an incredible show planned and look forward to bringing the country music community together. However, our number one priority has been and will continue to be the safety of our artists, our crew and our staff.”

In order to decrease the likelihood of spreading Coronavirus during the ceremony, only the nominees, their staff, guests and the crew were allowed into the venue and

Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire hosted the 2020 CMA's.

the traditional red carpet did not take place. Longtime CMA producer Roger Deaton confirmed to The Tennessean, the daily newspaper in Nashville, that the show would incorporate both live and pre-recorded performances, with around 60 percent being performed live. Multiple stages throughout the venue would be utilized in order to account for how each stage must be fully cleaned and sanitized by crew members after each performance. Seating arrangements for the attendees were designed to strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines, with a banquet-style layout; an artist and their guests each have their own table which is spaced eight meters apart from the other tables.

Miranda Lambert led nominations going into the event with seven, followed by Luke Combs with six.

The show also featured performances by Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, Keith Urban and Ashley McBryde. The coveted Album of the Year award went to Luke Combs and Entertainer of the Year was awarded to Eric Church.

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Justin Bieber and Dan+Shay performed their hit song "10,000 Hours".

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Men's Basketball Season Preview

By Bradley Piros Courier Staff Well, it’s certainly going to be a season to remember when all is said and done. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was doubtful that college sports would get to be played.

Some conferences have begun to allow interconference play in some sports including football and basketball this winter.

With that being said, the Western Illinois University men’s basketball team released their Summit League schedule and will later on release any non-conference matchups.

As of now, they will play a 16-game schedule, playing each team in The Summit twice. The matchups will be set up back-to-back days in a single-cite format.

Western has arguably the toughest start to the season as they’ll kick things off against the North Dakota State University Bison on Jan. 2. NDSU were expected to come in third in this year’s league preseason poll. The Leathernecks, on the other hand, are expected to finish last.

After NDSU, they’ll hit the road to take on the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits with both games

being played in Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits, like many years past, are expected to win the league. The last time the two teams met was in Macomb when SDSU beat the Leathernecks by a score of 71-61. The last time Western beat SDSU was the iconic upset two years ago in The Summit League Tournament when Western came out on top and beat the No. 1 seed 79-76 in an absolute nail biter.

When Western returns from probably their two toughest games of the season, they’ll open up a four-game homestand against The Summit’s newest addition University Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos and then the South Dakota University Coyotes.

Both these teams were picked preseason to finish middle of the pack, so they should all be a good test for the Leathernecks.

They’ll go into this homestand looking to take at least three of the four games.

History isn’t on the Leathernecks’ side in their next two matchups. They’ll first take on the North Dakota University Fighting Hawks who they’ve played four times and never beat. Last time out, Western took the Hawks to overtime but came up short 86-83 back

on Feb. 15. After these two games, the Leathernecks will head to Nebraska to take on the University of Omaha Mavericks. These teams have played 18 times since 2012, Western only winning seven of those matchups. Even worse, Omaha is currently holding an eight-game winning streak in the all-time series with the last Leatherneck win coming back in 2016.

Western will come home for their final home games against the University of Denver Pioneers. Last season, each team won a game with Western winning 86-80 on Jan. 11 and Denver besting the Leathernecks 69-63. Each team won their home game.

This time, both games will be played in Macomb. It’ll be interesting to see how that one shakes out.

Finally, Western will conclude their regular season on the road against the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles. The last matchup between these two saw Western get blown out 113-70, their worst defeat of the season.

Last season, the Leathernecks went 5-21 but more importantly 2-14 in conference action.

This was at the time head coach Billy Wright’s last hoorah. He

was let go from the program after that abysmal season.

Things are looking on the up and up, though, as he was shortly replaced by new head coach Rob Jeter. Jeter’s been in the coaching game for 25 years now and can boast his seven NCAA Tournament appearances on his resume. He’s won coach-of-the-year three times and has five seasons with at least 20 wins. He knows what he’s doing, so what about the players?

With the departure of Wright came the departure of some key players. Arguably Western’s best player in a decade, guard Kobe Webster transferred to the University of Indiana. Zion Young, Ben Pyle and Roderick Smith are no longer part of the program. CJ Duff, James Claar, Jeremiah Usiosefe and Keshon Montague have all graduated.

On Western’s current roster, only two players are returning for Jeter’s debut season and they are senior guard Anthony Jones and senior forward Jake Weyhrich.

That means in Jeter’s first season at the helm, he’s taking on the task of rebuilding an entire program. There are currently six freshmen on the team and only the two seniors previously mentioned. It’s definitely

going to be a younger team this season.

The NCAA declared that basketball games could be played starting the day before Thanksgiving, but The Summit is going to wait until 2021.

Teams reported back in the middle of October to begin practices but can only have a maximum of 30 practices before the first tip-off.

Some states will be allowing a small number of fans into their arenas as long as they are wearing masks and social distancing. Illinois is not one of those states, however, meaning the Leathernecks will be playing their games inside Western Hall with the doors closed. No fans will be permitted to attend the games as of now because of state guidelines and if things change, the program will notify fans on ticket eligibility.

Because of this, fans are encouraged to follow both teams’ Twitter pages for ingame updates, listen on the radio and tune in to the ESPN3 productions that will air all home games on ESPN+. Games will also be free to watch on Leatherneck All-Access and to listen on MixIr. It’s going to be an extraordinary season, but at least there’s going to be a season.

Women's Basketball Schedule Released

By David Koier Courier Staff

The Western Illinois Leathernecks women’s basketball team released their official schedule for the 2020-2021 season on Nov. 4. Women’s basketball kicks off their season with a non-conference matchup with Division I newcomer Bellarmine on Nov. 29.

Summit League play for the Leathernecks begins in January with the team hosting North Dakota State here in Macomb at Western Hall. Structure for Summit League games will consist of teams playing the same opponent twice at the same location on back-to-back days, with each team receiving a bye week.

The rest of the non-conference

schedule is highlighted with some familiar faces. Western is set to compete in the Compass Challenge with the other cardinal direction schools in Illinois (Southern, Eastern and Northern) on Dec. 4 and 5.

Western’s home opener for the season will take place on Dec. 13 when the Leathernecks host in-state rivals Illinois State.

With a full slate of non-conference games set for this season, it still doesn’t compare to last season’s schedule. Due to COVID-19, Western is down to no exhibition games and only eight non-Summit League matchups compared to two exhibition and 13 non-conference games last year.

Head coach JD Gravina thinks that with the shortened nonconference schedule, it may take his team a little longer to get comfortable.

“I think that the last two years we’ve gotten a lot better as the year ’s gone on and it’s taken us a good part of that non-conference schedule to become the team that we’ve been that competes. And in our non-conference, we have the most struggles early. That is a little scary because we won’t have as many of those nonconference games to prepare.

You know the couple of years before that I think with our system, we were ready to play.

I think we’ll be somewhere in between that this year.”

Western finished last season tied for third in The Summit with a 9-7 conference record after dropping their last two games of the regular season to Oral Roberts and Denver – the two teams whom Western tied within the standings. With the fifth seed in The Summit

League Tournament, Western saw an early exit as they lost to Oral Roberts 74-66 in the first round.

Despite losing some top-tier talent in Olivia Kaufmann (16.9 points per game, third in The Summit) and Annabel Graettinger (13.1 points per game, missed the second half of the season due to injury), the Leathernecks are returning some all-star talent.

Sophomore Carla Flores returns after stepping up big last season. Coming off the bench at the start of the season, Flores was transitioned into a starting role after Graettinger was sidelined due to injury. She finished conference play averaging 8.1 points per game (fourth on the team) and 30 assists (tied for second). Accompanying Flores and Zars this season is

returning starter junior, Danni Nichols. The junior guard proved to be a dual threat with Kaufmann in her sophomore season, averaging 14.4 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Nichols also led Western Illinois in conference play, shooting 52 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three point range.

Last season, the Leathernecks had a very young squad. Out of their five starters – those who started 14 or more of the 16 conference games – two were sophomores and one (Flores) was a redshirt freshman. Four of the five starters are returning for the 2020-2021 season.

The Leathernecks proved last season that even with the lack of experience in Summit League play, Gravina’s young squad could hold their own in the competitive Summit.