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Opinions: Ways to fix our broken political system
Friday, March 29, 2019 - Vol. 119 Issue 70
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Write-in Mayoral Candidate Kristen-Diane Pollock By Steven Barnum news editor
Unconvinced of the city’s urgency, write-in candidate Kristen-Diane Pollock is challenging Mayor Mike Inman in Tuesday’s election. Not long after becoming a Macomb resident, Pollock approached city hall about the conditions of the sidewalks. The city’s lack of action in this instance cemented Pollock’s feeling that local leaders aren’t truly taking public concerns seriously. “I know what real leadership is and we don’t have a lot of it in Macomb,” Pollock said. “All I see out of our elected officials is that they only talk about the stuff that matters around election time.” Previously, Pollock lived in Georgia and Washington, but she found comfort in Macomb, where she’s lived since 2015. The mayor-hopeful is hoping that a background in transportation, retail and health care will entice voters to look in her direction. She is also proud of her work ethic and supervisory experience. “Civil service is in my blood,” Pollock said. “I’m willing to go as far as I can to save this town. It will be a challenge but I’m up for it.” One of the primary components of Pollock’s campaign platform is to fix the town’s infrastructure.Pollock makes
it clear that she sees the city’s recent attempts to repair roads as temporary and cheap fixes. If elected, she plans to give the city engineer and public works department a 90-day period to assess each of the town’s roads. After the assessment, they would have to come up with a repair plan that fits within the budget. “I’m talking about real repair, not band aids,” Pollock said. “It’s 2019 and our roads look like this? That’s ridiculous. I’d like to know where our tax dollars are going.” Reviving Western Illinois University in the midst of a sharp enrollment decline and massive layoffs is also on Pollock’s agenda. From Pollock’s perspective, Western President Jack Thomas has led the University down a dismal path. “Western lacks leadership. I don’t think Jack Thomas gives two damns about the city of Macomb or Western. He just likes the money,” Pollock said. “He is responsible for the decisions that put Western to hell and he needs to be fired.” Earlier in March, Western announced the dismissal of more than 130 employees. Pollock said that it’s not just the layoffs that makes her question the University’s problems, but it’s also about their decisions to cut programs like women’s studies and the Board of Trustees’
violation of the Open Meetings Act in 2018. Western announced the members of the new board on Thursday. “The BOT really screwed up,” she said. “That’s criminally illegal what they did so I think that they should be brought up on criminal charges.” Pollock recognizes Western’s impact on the Macomb community and doesn’t think local leaders, nor Representative Norine Hammond or State Senator Jil Tracy care enough about its future. As mayor, she would assign her staff to contact Governor J.B. Pritzker until he agrees to provide additional funding for the university. “Macomb is Western and Western is Macomb,” she said. “You can’t have one without the other.” Another priority on Pollock’s plan is to attract new businesses to Macomb. She recalls businesses like The Red Ox, K-Mart and Little Caesar ’s that have all departed in recent years. She also finds the absence of a 24-hour restaurant like Steak ‘n Shake or Denny’s as well as a year-round Dairy Queen to be frustrating. Many of Macomb’s restaurants adjust their schedule around Western’s schedule, which Pollock finds inconvenient. She wants to go to bat for the nurses, doctors, techs, as well as EMTs and those in law enforcement, who may
work night shifts. “We need places that stay open whether Western is in session or not,” she said. Pollock will encourage business owners to take advantage of the empty buildings that are available throughout town. She would also try to entice more Internet-based companies to offer employment in Macomb in order to encourage more Western graduates to stay in the area. Financially, Pollock speculates that the city gave Wal-Mart a tax break and that she would be in favor of making the store pay taxes. She sees an opportunity to utilize the city’s bus services more effectively by offering more routes for seniors, as well as ensuring that there is at least one EMT on the police department. Additionally, she would fight for an independent truck stop since Macomb is connected to towns like Quincy and Peoria. The city could then use the funds from the gas tax that the truck stop would collect. After finding a lack of clarity from city hall regarding how many signatures a candidate needs to run as an independent, Pollock said that she was discouraged by the city’s voting process. Feeling that the city did not want her to win, she became motivated to run as a writein candidate.
“How can you have an election with just one person? I may not have been born here and my name may not have the recognition, but that does not mean I’m not qualified,” she said. When Inman replaced Mellie Gilbert’s aldermanic seat with Annette Carper, Pollock wasn’t pleased. “He had an opportunity to nominate me for that position but he put Annette Carper in that position because her last name’s Carper,” Pollock said. “They’re not a damn bit honest. I think we need a clean sweep of the entire city council. They’re the reason this town’s on life support.” Pollock said that she doesn’t plan on stopping until the proverbial whistle blows, even if it means speaking the truth during difficult times. She’s politically moderate but takes an extreme position on bringing change to Macomb. “My opponent had eight years to try to do something and he hasn’t done a blessed thing,” Pollock said. “If you want to keep going down this path, you’re going to kill Macomb. Macomb’s on life support and I’m the health care provider to bring it back.” Those who vote for Pollock in Tuesday’s election must write “Kristen Pollock” in the space designated for write-ins.
2
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
Friday, March 29, 2019
Guest Speaker addresses SGA concerns about University direction
JOSH PURNELL/COURIER STAFF
Ron Williams, Vice President of Student Services (left) fielded questions by concerned student leaders like SGA Vice President Madison Lynn about the current state of Western Illinois University.
By Marc Ramirez
edge editor Ron Williams, Vice President of Student Services and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs opened up the Student Government Association meeting Tuesday evening to answer questions about the situation we are facing here at the University. “Obviously you already know that we are in a dire situation at the University and I want you to know that all of the decisions that were made were certainly made with the fiscal implications in mind,” Williams said. “I believe in being transparent and open with what we are facing which is to keep the University viable during a time where we do not have enough money to operate in the same fashion in which we typically operate.” Williams continued by addressing that faculty layoffs have been hard for everyone,especially those who have been laid off. He said that University officials tried to do such actions with dignity and respect, honoring those employees in terms of the service that they have given to the University. To his knowledge, no layoffs occured due to subpar performance and had nothing to do with the kind of service they were provid-
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ing, but simply fiscal decisions only to ensure that Western Illinois University had enough money to keep the institution moving forward. Williams also addressed the enrollment crisis that Western has been and is currently facing for a number of years now. He ensures that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is doing all that they can to correct the downward trend. However, he did address that other state institutions are facing the same issue with enrollment with the exception of maybe one or two. “As students who are studying, learning, growing and developing here at this University, you know that we have great educational opportunities and student activities and social programming,” Williams said. “We are just trying to share that message and market the University and put the University on new ports. Again on my perspective, I don’t believe that the enrollment or budget challenges are the fault of anyone here at the University but it’s the hand that we have been dealt.” He references the budget impasse and expressed that it is a couple years old and that it’s the main factor in why the University
did not have the financial resources to operate without making hard decisions. He explained that it is crushing and very difficult to see colleagues, friends and faculty go through these layoffs. “I am happy to field questions from you that you may have, if you have general questions I will certainly try my best to answer those,” Williams said. “If there is something specific, particularly about a person that you know of, I will not be able to answer it and if you feel like I should answer it and you think it is not about an individual, I will try my best. If it is about an individual I cannot answer it but if it’s about you personally and how you might be impacted and care to share that narrative with SGA, I have no issue with that. In terms of what my thoughts might be in order to support you, I would just appreciate an email from you.” He continued by explaining that he wouldn't necessarily answer back in email, but he will try to meet with those around campus or in a meeting to help find support for specific grievances. “When it comes to admission counselors who’ve been laid off and when new people take those positions through the bumping pro-
STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu news editor Steven Barnum
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opinions editor Allison Young
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cess, what will be done to get them acclimated and up to speed especially in an area as crucial as admissions?” Michael Harmon, Director of Finance for SGA asked. Williams responded that whoever takes that place will have to undergo the same training process that someone who applied for the job would have that the University has particular procedures and strategies for the ways in which they function. He also explained that each of these are specific to the area in which they are recruiting, depending on the competition in the region. Madison Lynn, Vice President of SGA asked a question in regards to questions many students asked during last weeks SGA Special Session about what would happen to specific counselors in the Counseling Center. She asked what would the remaining counselors do for students who don’t have their original counselor who they’ve had emotional connections to. “In my opinion, that is one of the most challenging things that we face because I do know that while we will have counselors available like stated last week,” Williams said. “Counseling is a lot more complex
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because people actually develop relationships with individuals with people who happen to be counselors, so with that being said, I have been working with the director of the Counseling Center.” He continued by stating that it would be on a case by case basis, depending on how comfortable the student is with their regular counselor sharing information about the individual to a new counselor, as long as it doesn’t conflict with any confidentiality agreements in place. He also added that if it didn’t violate counseling principles, the outgoing and new counselor could have a conversation with the specific student to introduce the new pair to one another in order to ease tension and nervousness. Lynn asked a follow up question about how admission counselors who go on school visits address questions in regards to the University’s financial state. Williams said that they were instructed to be transparent with potential new students. He said that they are instructed to let students know about the fiscal crisis and program eliminations, by talking to them about programs that are or aren’t still available for students to enroll in.
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Friday, March 29, 2019
NEWS 3
Gov. Pritzker appoints new Board of Trustees MACOMB/MOLINE, IL -Greg Aguilar of East Moline, Erik Dolieslager of Quincy, Kisha Lang of Maywood, Nick Padgett of Chicago, Polly Radosh of Good Hope, Doug Shaw of Peoria and Jackie Thompson of Macomb have been appointed as members of the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The Illinois Senate must confirm the new appointments. Greg Aguilar currently serves as of the Q2030 Regional Action Plan at the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, where he collaborates with community leaders, educators, businesses, nonprofits and grassroots organizations to build up the reputation of the QuadCities. He previously served as the director of talent attraction and retention for the Quad Cities Chamber where he led the Young Professionals of the Quad Cities, as well as diversity initiatives for the Chamber. Prior to working at the Chamber, he served as the Northwest Regional Manager for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity where he covered 10 counties working with community stakeholders on workforce solutions, business retention, attraction and growth. Aguilar is a founding board member of the Greater Quad-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. His regional work in economic development, higher education, as well as diversity and inclusion has received various national recognitions including by the National Hispanic Institute and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, Aguilar's work in diversity outreach at Ascentra Credit Union earned the credit union a Diamond Award from Credit Union National Association. The East Moline resident received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Latin American studies from the University of Iowa. Erik Dolieslager brings a 19-year background in business, operations, regional marketing, public affairs and
communications to the board. Since 2000, Dolieslager as served multiple regional management, sales and leadership roles within the Central States Coca-Cola Bottling Division, including district sales manager, business development manager and account manager. The former redshirt freshman Leatherneck linebacker began his career at WIU playing for the eventual alltime winningest Head Coach Randy Ball. As a WIU studentathlete his focus on academics was paramount earning top tier semester GPA's and All Conference Football Academic Honor Roll. Dolieslager brings experiences from both public and private university settings. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Medicine from North Park University in Chicago, where he was voted two-year football team captain and earned All College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Honors while becoming a small school NFL prospect. The Quincy resident is an active supporter in the multiple communities in which he serves, including the Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, Business Exchange Club and Community Business Association. WIU Alumna Kisha Lang has served as the principal of Bridgescape Learning Academy's Humboldt Park campus since 2014. Under her leadership, the academy has increased reading and math test scores, attendance rate and graduation rate. She previously served as assistant principal at Proviso East High School from 2011 to 2014. Lang also taught and served as dean of students, director of operations and turnaround administrator at three Chicago Public Schools - Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Harper High School and Orr Academy High School - for the prior 17 years. The Maywood resident is completing her doctorate in educational leadership and management from Capella University in May 2019 and received her
Master of Arts from Concordia University and her Bachelor of Science from Western Illinois University. WIU Alumnus Nick Padgett is the managing director of Frontaura Capital, which he co-founded to invest in stocks in frontier countries, such as Vietnam, Nigeria and Sri Lanka that are not yet classified as emerging markets. Previously, he served as the chief financial officer with Inforte Corp, a global technology consulting firm that he helped grow from its inception through its NASDAQ IPO in 2000. Before this, he was a sell-side technology research analyst with investment bank William Blair & Co. in the mid-1990s, after beginning his career with technology consultancy Accenture. Padgett received WIU's Alumni Achievement Award in 2014 and the College of Business and Technology's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. He has served on Western's Presidential Advisory Board since 2014 and its College of Business and Technology Dean's Advisory Board since 2008. The Macomb native who now lives in Chicago received his Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and his Bachelor of Science in computer science from Western Illinois University. WIU Professor and Chair Emerita Polly Radosh retired from Western Illinois University in 2008 after 24 years on the faculty, where she was a professor of sociology and the founding chair of the Department of Women's Studies. Radosh was the recipient of multiple awards and honors at WIU, including four faculty excellence awards, three College of Arts and Sciences awards for excellence, the Provost's award for excellence in multicultural teaching, and she was named the 2007 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. After retiring from WIU, Radosh was the dean of the College at the State University of New York at Geneseo from 2008 to 2011.
In that position, she oversaw significant campus changes to address fiscal and enrollment challenges and established review procedures for program cuts and staff reductions. The Good Hope, Ill., resident received her Ph.D. and Master of Arts in sociology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Geneseo. WIU Alumnus Douglas Shaw spent 22 years as an IT professional for Caterpillar, beginning his career as a program analyst in 1997 and rising up the ranks to a global support team lead. Since 1999, Shaw has also taught management information systems as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois at Springfield-Peoria Center. He also currently serves as vice president of the Board of Education for Peoria Public Schools and has previously served on the boards of Leaders Change Illinois, Illinois Valley Fuller Center for Housing, the Illinois Central College Scholarship Selection Committee, and the Planning Committee for the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce's Community Leadership School. A veteran of the United States Army, the Peoria resident received his Master of Arts in management information system from the University of Illinois at Springfield and his Bachelor of Science in computer science from Western Illinois University. WIU Alumna and Vice President of Administrative Services Emerita Jackie Thompson has 41 years of broad experience at Western Illinois University, Thompson began her career at WIU in 1970 in a clerical role and held several positions with increasing responsibilities throughout her career. Thompson was named vice president for Administrative Services in 1997 and served in that role until her retirement in June 2011. She served as president of the WIU Alumni Council from 1999 to 2001 and is currently
serving as president of the WIU Foundation Board. She received the WIU Community Service Award, Alumni Achievement Award and the Affirmative Action Director's Award. She and her husband, Dave, established two scholarships for their respective high schools, sponsor the Fallen Soldiers 5K walk/ run, provided funding for the WIU Wellness Program, funded the Ray "Rock" Hanson statue and provide support to the WIU Alumni Association, Athletics, Performing Arts Society and many others. The Macomb resident received her associate of science from Robert Morris College and her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in education leadership from Western Illinois University. "We are pleased that Gov. Pritzker has appointed these outstanding individuals to the WIU Board of Trustees," said WIU President Jack Thomas. "They, along with Student Trustee Justin Brown, will continue to move the University forward." Brown, a junior political science major from Rantoul, IL, was elected by the student body to serve as the Student Representative to the WIU Board of Trustees from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. Brown previously served as the Chief of Staff for the WIU-Macomb Student Government Association, and has also been involved with the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, the University Union Board and served as an Undergraduate Intern for the National Association for Campus Activities. The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees originally was appointed in October 1995 by then-Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, after the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation creating the individual board, effective Jan. 1, 1996. Previously, WIU had been governed by the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities. Courtesy of WIU News.
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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board
Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young
4
OPINIONS
Friday, March 29, 2019
WesternCourier.com
The long road to fixing politics Steven barnum News editor
If you’re like me, you’re repulsed by how our political process works. The road to fixing it is a long journey, but I have several possible solutions. Firstly, the 2020 Presidential Election is 20 months in the future, but the race is already well underway. This creates a never-ending cycle that puts too much emphasis on elections and not enough on coming up with ideas to solve current problems. Scheduling primaries and debates this far in advance distracts poli-
ticians from the already-thin chance they have of working together to accomplish something. Drastically slashing the timeline of elections would eliminate months of pointless news coverage. Secondly, voter turnout in the United States is embarrassingly low. I’d be in favor of making Election Day a national holiday. I don’t just say this because I’m about to join the workforce and I’d appreciate another holiday, but that doesn’t hurt either. If it could be done securely and safely,
I’d also be in favor of allowing citizens to vote online. One or both of these changes would hopefully drive up interest and give people fewer excuses to abstain from voting. Thirdly, countless politicians remain in power for too long. They get complacent and lose motivation to push for change since their name recognition carries them to multiple reelections. Term limits would force them to focus on making decisions to benefit the voters as opposed to their donors and their career in politics. This would greatly reduce the number of New England Patriots-like dynasties that exist today in the Senate or Congress and give new candidates a chance. Next, politics are too divi-
sive with party labels. Many local candidates choose whatever party label isn’t taken or even change their party affiliation to whichever one they think will help them the most, which shows that they are often irrelevant. Stripping party labels would encourage candidates to be more authentic and worry less about catering to a certain voter base. As voters, we may hear more of their ideas and be less inclined to choose one side over the other, like we often feel pressured to do. Lastly, politicians can essentially buy their way into office. We saw this with Bruce Rauner and J.B. Pritzker, who each broke spending records to become the latest two governors of Illinois. Even if candidates
use their own money, this still shows the wealth privilege in politics. An amendment to get money out of politics would create a more level playing field and introduce us to a crop of candidates who truly represent our interests. Elections should not come down to just the wealthiest people or their fundraising capabilities. These ideas are intended to make our political system more fair and tolerable, while also giving power to more ordinary and overlooked voices. I find it unlikely that any of these will ever happen considering that they don’t benefit the status quo, but maybe the Illuminati will read this article and grant my wishes. Until then, we can continue to endure our lackluster system.
Jussie Smollett cleared of charges On Tuesday, all 16 felony charges were dropped by the Cook County State Attorney’s office against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett in his alleged involvement in staging a hate crime against himself. For several weeks, preparations seemed to indicate Smollett would be able to face a jury of his peers as the judge granted cameras to be allowed in the courtroom; Smollett's defense team wanted this in efforts project his firm innocence by allowing the entire public to see. Well, that obviously will not be happening now as the case has pretty much been wiped clean and sealed, preventing the public from ever knowing the truth. This whole case involving Smollett had its twist and turns, but to have it just abruptly end like this honestly makes no sense; I’m confused and want answers. In order to see how this whole story has transcended, it only makes sense to reflect on how we got here. On Jan. 29, Smollett had claimed to be the victim of a racial and homophobic hate crime, claim-
ing to have had bleached poured on him and a noose placed out around his neck by two white men who also claimed to have said, “We’re in MAGA country.” Immediately, an outpour of support from actors to even presidential candidates like Cory Booker and Kamala Harris came out proclaiming it to be a “modern day lynching.” Smollett saw universal sympathy, and then things started to change. The suspects who Smollett claimed to have been white were actually two Nigerian Americans, who later confessed to knowing Smollett and conspiring to stage the entire incident, as well. Furthermore, Smollett began to stop working with authorities by not responding to further interview requests and releasing redacted phone records, instead of just releasing his phone altogether. Even with that, Smollett publicly slammed those for accusing him of faking a hate crime and vociferously proclaimed his innocence. Then, Smollett turned from victim to suspect.
On Feb. 21, Smollett was arrested and charged for falsifying a police report. Police were furious and people were taken aback; why would anyone purposely fake a hate crime? No matter how you felt about Smollett, being innocent or guilty, we simply didn't have the information and it appeared as if it was going to be presented in the court of law, and now that’s not even going to happen. Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx who recused herself admits that prosecutors had the evidence to prove that Smollett did in fact lie, but defended her decision to drop the charges by comparing it to other cases of the same caliber. Yet, the police and the mayor ’s office was blindsided by this news, as well. This whole debacle feels like a bad episode of Law and Order because the story keeps changing and with the case sealed from the public, it is still left in utter confusion. On Thursday March 28, President Donald Trump announced that the F.B.I. and Justice Department would be reviewing the conduct of this investigation. All I want are answers because I, like so many others, don't know what or who to believe anymore.
WIKIMEDIA.ORG
Actor Jussie Smollet has faced constant criticism since being charged.
@WesternCourier
Friday, March 29, 2019
OPINIONS 5
The effects of munchausen by proxy Munchausen by proxy is a mental health problem, in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care, such as a child, an elderly adult or a person who has a disability. Dee Dee Blanchard is the mother of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy, stricken by cancer, muscular dystrophy and a host of other diseases always managed to have a positive outlook, which was attributed to her devoted mother who was willing to do anything to put a smile on her face. A wave of shock hit on June 14, 2015, when Dee Dee was found bludgeoned to death in her own home with her sickly daughter nowhere to be found.
A manhunt was ordered for Gypsy Rose and she was found just one day later, hardly the same girl who had gone missing. Rather than a bald, thin, wheelchair-bound cancer patient, the police found a strong young woman, walking and eating on her own. This ignited an investigation into the medical history of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Her medical history began when Gypsy was an infant. Dee Dee brought her to the hospital, convinced she was suffering from sleep apnea. Despite no sign of the disease, Dee Dee remained convinced, eventually determining on her own that Gypsy had an unspecified chromosomal disorder. When Gypsy was about 8-year-old, she fell
off of her grandfather’s motorcycle and injured her knee. Dee Dee rushed her to the hospital where they treated the minor abrasion to her knee, however Dee Dee was unconvinced, saying that there was clearly something much worse going on, so she determined that Gypsy should remain in a wheelchair to avoid further damage to her knee. Dee Dee moved out of her parents’ house as soon as they began to question Gypsy's condition, finding a run-down apartment and living on disability checks she collected from Gypsy’s illness. She then proceeded to take her daughter to a hospital in New Orleans where she claimed her daughter suffered from vision and hearing loss as well as seizures. After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the two moved to Aurora, Mo. where Habitat for Humanity had built a house for them. After the move, Dee Dee’s lies began to unravel. Dee Dee had
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor of the Western Courier, I was deeply concerned after reading the article “Administrators address student concerns at SGA meeting,” published in the Western Courier on March 22, 2019. If Mr. Ramirez’s reporting was accurate, there were a number of misleading statements made by administrators. 1. Interim Provost Clow was reported as explaining “that programs that were decided to be eliminated (March 7, 2019) were proposed by the Academic Program Elimination Review (APER) Committee. That is false. The APER committee provided recommendations (http://wiu.edu/provost/ pdfs_and_docs/2019-APER-Report.pdf) to Interim Provost Clow on February 18, 2019 on programs that Interim Provost Neumann previously charged the committee with reviewing. The APER committee recommended retaining Dietetics, Geography and Geographic Information Science, Hospitality Management, and Nutrition (but all are slated for elimination and most of the faculty teaching in those programs were laid off March 1). The committee recommended that Public Health and Emergency Management be merged into one major with Health Sciences and include 4 options. They also recognized the importance of Bilingual/Bicultural Education French Teacher Ed, and Spanish Teacher Ed in meeting regional needs and recommended making them options within larger majors.
The truth is that the elimination of these programs was predetermined by former Interim Provost Neumann and the President. In the June 28, 2018 closed session audio (http://www.wiu.edu/general_ counsel/notices/2018-11-05/statement.pdf), President Thomas emphasized that they had a plan and Interim Provost Neumann told the Board of Trustees that she would ask the APER committee to review 18 low-enrolled programs but that the review would not influence their decision on which programs to eliminate. 2. In the article senior administrators emphasized that “Chairs and Deans were responsible for deciding what needed to be cut within their department.” That is false. Interim Provost Neumann told the Board of Trustees on June 1, 2018 (http://www. wiu.edu/general_counsel/notices/2019-03-01/statement.pdf) that she had provided the Deans with a prescriptive list of what would be cut. While Deans may have had some input, department Chairs learned of faculty and staff layoffs at the same time affected employees received layoff notices on March 1, 2019. There was NOT a deliberative review process that included department chairs or deans. 3. President Thomas was quoted as saying, “We went two years without a budget here in the state of Illinois. That meant we didn’t get any funding for two years.” THAT IS FALSE. While the state
did not have a budget, WIU did receive appropriations from the state government. What is true is that the funding received by WIU over two years was roughly equal to what had historically been provided for one year (about $50 million). 4. President Thomas justified the cuts by saying, “It is not our fault, no one did this.” THAT IS FALSE. First, the administration did make the decisions on the cuts – they should own it. Second, the lack of state appropriations for two years can be blamed on the intransigence of Bruce Rauner and Mike Madigan. Third, WIU has chosen to become a victim of the lack of a state budget for two years. That is only half the equation. WIU largely controls its own destiny with regard to recruitment and retention, and WIU’s leadership failed to act on information they commissioned from an outside consulting firm almost a decade ago regarding changes in student demographics. Because they failed to implement creative changes in how WIU approaches recruiting and retention, enrollment has declined more precipitously at WIU than at some of her sister institutions. I appreciate that the administration was willing to speak to the SGA. I find it unfortunate that they failed to be forthright regarding what has happened at WIU. Sincerely, Mark Bernards Associate Professor of Agronomy
told everyone that Gypsy was 14 years old when, in fact, Gypsy was actually 19. When Gypsy found out, she began to try to escape. However, every time she tried to escape, her mother would claim it was due to the fact she had the mind of a sick child. Gypsy began using the Internet after Dee Dee went to bed to meet men in online chat rooms. Though her mother chained her to her bed and threatened to smash her fingers with a hammer when she found out, Gypsy Rose continued to chat with the men, hoping one of them could save her. Finally, in 2012, she met Nicholas Godejohn, a 23-year-old from Wisconsin. A few months after meeting, Godejohn came to visit Gypsy Rose (24 at the time) while Dee Dee was on a rare solo outing. They then began to plan the murder of Dee Dee. Godejohn would wait until Dee Dee had gone to bed, and then Gypsy would let him in
and he would kill her. After she was dead, the two fled, separating at a Greyhound station. Those who had expressed sadness over Dee Dee’s death were now enraged that she could treat a child like that for so many years. Eventually, psychiatrists labeled Gypsy Rose Blanchard a victim of child abuse, citing Munchausen b proxy as the root of Dee Dee’s behavior. However, though public opinion had all but shifted against her, the issue of her murder still stood. As for Gypsy Rose herself, the 24-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison for seconddegree murder while Godejohn was been sentenced to life in prison. In my opinion, Gypsy should have been exonerated. She basically lived her entire life as a prisoner to her psychopathic mother. Although violence is never the answer, she had tried to escape peacefully but her mother would not allow it. So really, what were her options?
6
Friday, March 29, 2019
SPORTS
WesternCourier.com
Tennis takes on weekend double-header By Bradley Piros sports editor
The last time the Western Illinois University women’s tennis team was on the court was back on St. Patrick’s Day. After having their first home match cancelled last Wednesday against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the Leathernecks have been off for 12 days. Western opened up their Summit League slate back on March 15 when they took on the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles. ORU took the match 5-2. They then took on the University of North Dakota on St. Patty’s Day but were shutout 7-0. The Leathernecks could have used that match against UMSL to figure some things out, but instead they had nearly two weeks off to take to the practice courts. They will start a three-game roadtrip starting this afternoon when the Leathernecks take on the University of South Dakota Coyotes. USD are currently riding a three-game winning streak and open a two-game home stand. The Coyotes were scheduled to play Denver University and Air
Force Academy, but both matches were postponed. USD posts a 5-7 record and hasn’t yet played at home. This match will take place in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the Huether Family Match Pointe indoor tennis complex. The University of Omaha Mavericks have struggled as of late, currently sitting on a 3-14 record and a ninegame losing streak. This will be a good opportunity for Western to turn themselves around. They’ll need to turn themselves around because next weekend the Leathernecks will take on the Missouri University Tigers. Mizzou competes in the extremely tough Southeastern Conference with the likes of No. 6 in the country Vanderbilt. Western will be part of Mizzou’s senior day before the Tigers close their season at Auburn and Alabama. Both of these upcoming opponents are on the skid and so is Western; hopefully they can bounce back and pick up their first conference win of the year this weekend. First serve is at 1 p.m. today against the Coyotes. Twitter: bradjp08
Ana Bjelica follows through on her return.
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF
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Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord. Call 309-255-1233. Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122. FALL INTO SAVINGS with Charleston Boulevard Apartments! Now offering SPECIAL RATES through Dec. 2017! Call for specific details 309-833-4545!. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2016-2017 Our houses have hard wood floors, ceramic tile, central air, washer and dryer and are close to campus with plenty of parking. We offer a ten month lease so you don’t pay for the months you aren’t here. Please call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Now showing for 2017 & 2018 year 2, 3, and 5 bedrooms homes all close to campus. Call 309-331-4565. Westen Investments: Leasing season has officailly begun, and we’re showing properties now! 1-5 bedroom houses close to campus are ready to be leased for this upcoming school year! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule an appointment! Stay updated with us on Twitter @Western_Invest 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!
LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! First come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2017-2018 Our houses have wood floors, ceramic tile, W/D, central air, and are close to campus with plentry of parking. We offer low rent and a 10 month lease to save you money! Call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Small 1BR apt near campus and downtown. All utilities included. (Electric, Water, DISH, Garbage) $500/month, $300 deposit. Available immediately. Also have 2BR, you pay electric. $600/month, $350 deposit available September 1st. Please contact 309-255-4367 for a showing. 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. Westen Investments: Are you looking for an apartment? We are now showing our beautiful 1-3 bedroom apartments for this upcoming school year! Don’t like paying for utilities? Ask about our ALL UTILITIES options, and be sure to check out our website (westerninvest.com) to see our listings! Schedule an appointment with us today at 309-833-5995. 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.
RATES $5.50 per issue (open rate) $4.00 per issue (campus rate)
For Rent Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished. 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 ALL APARTMENTS - ALL INCLUSIVE Get control of your budget. Know exactly what you are spending each month. Each apartment includes free a/c, free heat, free electricity, free water, free cable tv, free hi speed internet, and free off street parking. Laundry on site. No noise policy. Bus stop across the street. Close to campus. Well maintained. Studios are $460/mo, One bedrooms are $620/mo. Call Doug at 309-255-8179 for an appointment. For Rent: Little Swan Lake, 30 min from campus. 2br, 2bth, heated double car garage with work area. $600 per mo. (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.
Sports 7
Friday, March 29, 2019
@WesternCourier
Track to particapate in Joey Haines Invitational
By KeJuan Rucker courier staff
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.—Our Western Illinois track and field teams find themselves back on the road this weekend as they travel to the campus of Southeast Missouri for the Joey Haines Invite. After an impressive outing in the opening of the outdoor season, assistant coach Nick Maas understands that the second meet of the season is bound to go better than the the first, because the team has to get adjusted to traveling and become comfortable with participating in events. “Last week, we put a lot of people in different events… This week we are going to get people dialed in to their main event areas, so there should be some good performances this weekend,” said Maas. Last weekend, the Leathernecks were able to leave the Southern Illinois Invitational with two event wins
in the men and women’s long lump competition, along with 12 top-five spots and two all time markers, showing that their confidence levels are high especially towards this weekend’s competition. The Leathernecks will face off against nine other Division I teams such as: Marquette, Middle Tennessee, Lipscomb, Murray State, Southern IllinoisEdwardsville, Memphis, Austin Peay, UT Martin and the host, Southeast Missouri. Maas is not too worried about the team because of the conditioning and training that took place prior to the start of the outdoor season. Despite letting the team enjoy their spring break, he sees the hard work and improvement of the Leathernecks. “We have a very good group of hardworking people, so it shows some good things for our team," Maas said. Indeed, there will be high expectations for the Leathernecks to earn one of the top three spots in the
invite. Last year, the Leathernecks were able to dominate the competition, as the men placed sixth out of the 10 participating teams, while the women earned a third place spot in the Invitational. Maas explained that every event will be competitive this weekend, so he cannot predict which event will turn out better for the team; however, they are excited to go down to Southeast Missouri and prove that Western Illinois did not come to play around. “I think our biggest issue is the weather… Thunderstorms and rain are predicted to cause a delay in the meet, so it’ll be a bit of an adjustment for us… Competitive-wise, there should be a good turn out for us like it was at the SIU invite,” Maas. The Joey Haines Invitational will begin on Friday at 3:30 p.m., beginning with the hammer throw. Let’s give our best wishes to the Western Illinois track and field teams and hope that they come back with a first place victory!
Predicting who will be drated in the NBA Lottery The NCAA tournament has entered its second weekend with only 16 teams remaining. A lot of players around the nation have turned their attention to the next season. Most of them are preparing for their next collegiate season and are hoping to get further in the NCAA tournament next year. The top players from this year have their eyes set on the next level. The NBA Draft is just two months away; there is not much time to be wasted for prospects hoping to increase their draft stock. Players like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett know they will be within the top-five picks in this year’s draft, regardless of how well they work out for teams in the pre-draft process. Others looking to crack that top-five or jump into the lottery portion of the draft should be doing everything they can to get different teams' attention and improve their draft stock. Here are the players I think will rise up the draft boards over the next two months and join Williamson, Morant and Barrett in the lottery. Williamson, for me and every other sports writer around the nation, is locked in the number one spot. Despite who ends up with this pick, they will take him because he is a superstar talent that can instantly elevate a
team. I’m not sure if I have ever seen a college prospect this well with the transferable skills that will allow him to do the same at the NBA level. Whoever gets him will be lucky and might make the playoffs as a low seed next year. Staying healthy and in shape is my biggest concern for Williamson. I think the second pick will come down to team need. Barrett and Morant are great talents, but neither is better than the other regardless of their needs. In addition to their individual talents, it also comes down to the team, and how the drafting procedure will work. Based on teams projected to pick in the lottery, a point guard here is the most likely needed. Therefore, Morant will go two and Barrett will follow at three. After the top-three are chosen, the draft will continue to remain exciting since there are at least five players vying for this spot. Team need could come into play here, but the players worthy of going this high are all wings, and because of that I believe Jarrett Culver from Texas Tech University might be the selection here. He saw his former teammate, Zhaire Smith, rise into the lottery last year. He should rise into the top-five this year. He’s a deadly scorer who can guard three positions.
Don’t be entirely surprised if he goes higher then Morant and Barrett. While they have the hype, Culver has the advance skills so if a team is sitting at two looking for a wing they could take Culver or Barrett. Rounding out the top-five, many would think that Cam Reddish from the University of Duke has the potential to be in that top spot. However, I’m not high on him or his production this season. I understand he has been playing with two other superstars, but that should’ve made his job easier. He always matched up one-and-one, and yet has shot the ball poorly from every level this season. I would advise him to go back to school, but when a player is considered a top-10 pick that is almost always ruled out. With that, I see a team taking a flyer on the very talented Darius Garland from the University of Vanderbilt. He’s been hurt all season, but has already proved his skills in high school and the first four games of the year in college. He’s a floor leader and a new age point guard who is looking to score first and pass later. Team need, like always, can play a part in the pick but with only one point guard taking thus far, Garland would likely be the need of that team picking at five. Outside of the top-five, the rest of the event will still be exciting to watch to say the least. I think it is during this section of the draft where we will see many trades and rumors, including the Anthony Davis trade. This draft has the potential to be the
most fun in years because of the lack of depth and drama surrounding superstars coming into the draft. Among the top players that will be drafted outside the topfive, Reddish might be one of them. Though I am not high on him, his tools and potential will not allow him to slip lower. Keep an eye on De’Andre Hunter from the University of Virginia. He’s likely to be in the discussion as well. Malcolm Brogdon, a former second round pick and now with the Milwaukee Bucks played at UVA and had some of the same skills as Hunter. He somehow slipped to the second round, but is now a starter for the Bucks, averaging over 15 points per game. NBA teams won’t make that mistake again, so expect Hunter to go into the top-10. Brandon Clarke, who transferred to the University of Gonzaga, was an afterthought to start the year; many were focused on his teammate Rui Hachimura, but now it is Clarke who’s the projected top-10 pick. His Draymond Green-type playing style has caught the attention of NBA scouts, which will land him in the top-10 as well. Sleeper players that might rise during the draft process are: Coby White, Markus Howard, Nassir Little and Kevin Porter Jr. Howard is a small 5’10" college point guard but plays like a shooting guard. If he decides to enter the draft, I think teams will love his scoring ability and end up taking him early second round. He is not on draft boards
right now because of his size, but working out for NBA teams may change that. Little was the second overall rated recruit coming into this college season. He played the six-man role for the University of North Carolina this year and because of that, he never really got to showcase all that he has. He’s built like an NBA player and I think NBA teams will fall in love with his tools during workouts. He’s projected late first round, but I think with good pre-draft workouts, he can rise into the lottery. His teammate, White, was not as coveted coming into the season but he has proven he is one of the best point guards in the nation. If he enters this year's draft, he will be my third ranked point guard, going top-10 is not out of the question for White. He shouldn’t go any lower than the lottery. Porter Jr. has had an up and down year. He’s been unproductive but has great flashes of next-level scoring ability. I think he picked the wrong school going to University of Southern California. They never let him display his total skill package and even demoted him to the bench after he was suspended for a few games. In workouts, teams will see his scoring ability as very James Harden-like and fall in love with him. The lottery is a likely landing spot if he can prove he is disciplined and shows he is focused on basketball. The skill will show itself. Don’t rule out Porter Jr. going to the top-10.
SI.COM
Softball hands Iowa 10-1 loss in Hawkeye's home opener By Taylor Jordan courier staff
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Western Illinois softball team (8-14) came out strong with a 10-1 victory on Wednesday over Iowa. The last time WIU defeated a Power Five school was on April 17, 2018. The Leathernecks last three Power Five wins have been against the Hawkeyes. The Purple and Gold offense clutched season highs of 10 runs and 12 hits as a team to blemish Iowa’s home opener. “We really started talking about game plans and making sure we’re on the same page after South Dakota on Sunday,” head coach Beth Golitko said. “We came into this knowing that they are Iowa from the Big Ten but we wanted to rip that off the front of their jersey and just play another team.” Iowa City native Emily Ira started the game off in the second inning with a single up the middle for the Leathernecks first hit of the game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Payton Abbott smashed a
grand slam over the wall in left centerfield for her fourth home run of the season. WIU was not finished as Hailey Duwa lined a double down the left field line to score Sydney Hollings from first after her two-out walk. The Hawkeyes starting pitcher Erin Riding left the game after 1.2 innings. Riding was revived by the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 11, Allison Doocy. The nod is Doocy’s second Pitcher of the Week award of her career and third conference award. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 17, 2017. “Our players trusted the person behind them,” Golitko said. “We focused on what pitch we wanted to hit and we passed the bat to extend the inning as long as we could.” Down 5-0, Lea Thompson started some momentum for the Hawkeyes with a stand-up triple in the second, scoring freshman Sydney Owens, who reached on a hit by pitch. With runners at the corners and two outs in the top of
the fourth, Hallie Hollatz drove the ball over the head of Hawkeye centerfield to plate two more runs for a 7-1 advantage. Doocy threw 3.1 innings striking out four, as sophomore Sarah Lehman entered the circle in the sixth to finish the game. With one out, Danielle Olson walked followed by back-to-back singles from Hollatz and Ira to lead the bases again. Aly Compton hit a single through the left side of the inning to extend the lead to 8-1. Top of the seventh, Duwa hit an opposite-field home run over the left field fence with a runner on, making the score 10-1. That was Duwa’s third homer of the season. Ira (5-5) achieved her eighth complete game of the season allowing just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts. Western Illinois softball team will return to Summit League play at home this Saturday with a doubleheader against North Dakota State. First game will start at noon at Mary Ellen McKee stadium.
Hailey Duwa gets instructions from her first base coach.
FILE PHOTO
Baseball dominates St. Ambrose in 13-3 rout By Michael Harms courier staff
MY"ANNA PERDUE / PHOTO STAFF
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF
After only winning one game against NDSU, the Western Illinois Leathernecks (8-14) dominated a one-game break from Summit League play. They put up 13 runs to St. Ambrose’s three to finish their five-game home stand in style. This game startled all Leathernecks as their first two batters were hit by pitches to advance to the bases. Then, senior Bailey Montgomery singled up the middle to score the first run. The Leathernecks scored two in the first and never looked back. Jordan Cheek started at the mound for the Leathernecks and it was his strong start that allowed for the Leathernecks to build up a lead. In the first two innings, he only gave up one hit and struck out two batters. It was the third inning that St. Ambrose tried to make a comeback. After Cheek made his first mistake hitting the leadoff runner to get him on base, junior Andrew Rodriguez homered to right center to score St. Ambrose only three runs of the game. That ended Cheek’s strong start, but he ended the day with a win. A combined effort with Kyle Rosenfield, Jack Carberry and Parker Heirdorf finished the day at the mound for Western, allowing only two more hits and no more runs. Meanwhile, Montgomery was not done picking apart the Fighting Bees' pitching staff. He homered to left field to increase his total RBI’s to three for the day. Not to be outdone, but Steve
McShane went three for four at the plate with one RBI. Kevin Raisbeck went four for two with one RBI. This was a hot day for the Leathernecks’ bats in a time when it was most needed, sitting fourth in The Summit League standings. The Leathernecks will travel to Omaha, Neb. to take on the top-contented in conference, the Omaha Mavericks. In fact, this opponent is so good they had the nation’s longest winning streak at 10, losing to Wichita State Tuesday night. They have started the season off hot, sweeping their first two Summit League matchups against SDSU and Oral Roberts. The Mavericks outscored Purdue Fort Wayne 43-5 behind the offense of Parker Smejkal (6-for-9; seven runs, eight RBI) and Ben Palensky (8-for-12; five runs, two 2Bs and two RBI). The Mavericks are hitting .350 as a team as Keil Krumwiede leads the team and The Summit League with 33 hits. The Mavericks will bring in star pitcher Payton Kinney who has earned Summit League Pitcher of the Week two times this year already. He leads The Summit League in ERA with 0.69 and wins at five. As the Mavericks dominate behind the plate, it will be up to Western’s star pitcher to get the job done early. Javin Drake sits ninth on the list for ERA for Summit League pitching and leads the league in batters struck out. It is not an easy task for the Leathernecks, but their spirit is in the right mindset. These players seem eager to win and dominate on the field and now they will get their chance up against the best on Friday at 4 p.m.
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF
JOSH PURNELL / PHOTO STAFF