Western Courier | October 4, 2019 by The Western Courier

Opinions: Western Illinois University needs more microwaves.

Sports: Football looks to win Homecoming game.

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

WesternCourier.com

Friday, October 4, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 20

@WesternCourier

Board of Trustees names Abraham Interim President

DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill Thompson (right) and Henry Oursler (left) speak to the Board of Trustees By Devon Greene editor-in-chief

The Western Illinois Board of Trustees met on Thursday afternoon in the University Union to discuss various issues around Western. After an almost three hour long closed session meeting, the Board of Trustees agreed to make Acting President Martin Abraham, the Interim President of Western Illinois University. The first item on the agenda was public comments, and the first to speak was Tom Blackford, a professor in the mathematics department. Blackford thanked the current Board of Trustees for their hard work but wanted to make sure that they did not fall back into their old ways. "My message to you will be very simple, I want to keep moving forward, I don't want to go back,” Blackford said. “I’ve been at WIU for 17 years and I can honestly say that the morale from the fall

of 2015 until past June had never been worse.” Blackford supported Abraham and commended the efforts he has brought to the table since taking over as acting president. Next up was Theresa North, who spoke of the “contentious” board meeting in June that she attended. North filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests that helped to uncover the illegal activities that the previous board was a part of. Union Leader Bill Thompson spoke next in support of Abraham. “Martin Abraham is trusted by the faculty and has helped raise faculty from the morass of the past for years,” Thompson said. Thompson commended Abraham on his intelligence and vision when it comes to running the university. He also said that Western deserves a president that has been thoroughly vetted by a large search committee and said that Abraham was sub-

ject to one of the most diverse and thorough search committees in recent history. “No one is destined to be president, even acting president, and no one has a right to that position. People must earn that responsibility, Martin Abraham has.” Following Thompson was Admissions Counselor Sarah Gibson. Gibson is a former study abroad advisor who wanted to advocate for the study abroad program and the students who wish to pursue their education outside of the United States. Gibson said that the student population in study abroad has increased by 40 percent but the staff has been reduced to only one worker. She also said that for the first time in the 20 year history of the Study Abroad program, they didn’t hold a fair this fall. Associate Professor Pat McGinty was up next and he voiced his support of Abraham as well. “It is my belief, that those gathered behind me today,

would agree that Martin Abraham has the full confidence and overwhelming support of the entire WIU faculty,” McGinty said. “Given the past few years we’ve experienced, that's actually saying a lot. In fact, that should be all we have to say. Not appointing Dr. Abraham would be appointing someone who potentially does not have the support of the academic staff, we’ve been there, we’ve tried that.” Next was Marjorie Allison, a professor in the english department. Allison has been at Western since 1994 and has been a part of various organizations on campus and was part of the faculty senate. Allison said she has been on sabbatical for this semester, and hasn’t had the chance to interact with Abraham as much as she would’ve liked to, but has only heard great things from her colleagues and members of the community. Allison then warned the Board of Trustees against making a huge mistake.

“What I truly hope does not happen, is you appoint someone inside Western to be the interim president,” Allison said. “The vote of no confidence by faculty just two years ago was not just a vote of no confidence in President Thomas, it was a vote of no confidence in the entire administrative team. That administration damaged WIU. Faculty, staff and students are all still reeling from the decisions that we can not understand.” A shift from the focus on Abraham came from Elaine Hopkins whose focus was on Tri States Public Radio. Hopkins has attended every Board of Trustees meeting for the past year and has advocated for TSPR ever since. She stressed the importance of the radio station to the Macomb community.

Board of Trustees page 3

Correction: In today's print edition, Christopher Pynes' name was misspelled in the story "Board of Trustees names Abraham Interim President.”

Students swarm Everly Park for annual Boat Regatta

Western Illinois University students participate in the Boat Regatta on Oct. 2 in Everly Park. Pictured are Greek Life students in both teams three and five.

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

MARC RAMIREZ/ NEWS EDITOR

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

proofreader Mary Kilbourne

news editor Marc Ramirez

MC-Kilbourne@wiu.edu

MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu

photo editor Becca Langys

opinions editor Allison Young

RE-Langys@wiu.edu

AN-Young@wiu.edu

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

sports editor Bradley Piros

SE-Remar@wiu.edu

BJ-Piros@wiu.edu

production manager Jimmy Pierson

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

JM-Pierson@wiu.edu

CR-Bean@wiu.edu

business manager Janiya Haynes

edge editor Rachel Greene

J-Haynes2@wiu.edu

R-Greene2@wiu.edu

assistant business manager Nash Miller

copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz

NK-Miller@wiu.edu

A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

advertising manager Tyler Hoffman

proofreader Alexis Lowe

TE-Hoffman@wiu.edu

AL-Lowe@wiu.edu

adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.

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.

ADVERTISING POLICY

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

One copy of the Western Courier is free. Additional copies $1.

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

Friday, October 4, 2019

@WesternCourier

BOT from page 1

“This is a part of the infrastructure of news in this area which is already pretty thin, to lose that would be tragic.” Hopkins said. Next up was Christopher Pynes who is the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Pynes ran the search for provost last year and supported Abraham being named as interim president. Following Pynes was professor Merrill Cole. Cole also voiced his support for Abraham and said that he did not want anyone who was involved in the closed meeting scandals to be named president, acting president or interim president. Mark Bernards, an agriculture professor, spoke out against the hiring practices that were taking place in

the past. “The hiring processes for senior administrative positions over the past nine years has been as predictable as clockwork. It made me wonder if the ‘I’ in ‘WIU’ stood for ‘Internal’ or ‘Interim’.” Bernards said. “When an administrator would retire or leave for another position, an interim administrator would be appointed from among current administrators or faculty. During the interim’s second year, a search committee would be formed and conduct a ‘national’ search but in nearly every situation, the internal, interim candidate would be hired.” Bernards voiced his support for Abraham and praised his bringing of new perspective and openness. Last to speak was Henry “Duke” Oursler, who is an associate professor on campus. Oursler thanked the Board for their efforts during troubling

times. He voiced his support of Abraham and his leadership since taking the helm. “Acting President Abraham has provided the leadership that we so desperately need at this time,” Oursler said. “He has brought forward plans to bring the community and university together to heal wounds, find common ground and lead us toward a future of honest, open, good faith collaboration that will ensure mutual success. There has been a shift in optimism for our beloved Western and there has been positive changes in morale of faculty, staff and the community of Macomb.” Oursler attended the Town and Gown last week and began to tear up remembering the participation that he saw from the community. Following public comments, the Board of Trustees went into an executive session.

NEWS 3 They left the Heritage Room at around 3:40 p.m. and didn’t return until approximately 6:20 p.m. The Board came back and proposed a new salary for the acting/interim president. The Board was presented with three options and unanimously voted to approve the salary of $269,500 for an acting president. The second discussion the Board brought back to the table were plans to form a search committee to look for a permanent president. Chairperson of the Board, Polly Radosh said that they hope to start taking steps into forming a committee by the December meeting and said they need to find the pulse of the Macomb community. The final resolution was the status of Abraham. The Board unanimously voted to make Abraham interim president, effective until June 30, 2020 or

Homecoming Scores ptt

RTF

PTP br

ctc vs

YLH sPg HPA RH

until a permanent president was found. They also agreed on a salary for Abraham, stating that he would make $24,500 per month. After a nerve-wracking day for Abraham, he expressed content when it comes to his new position. “I was very pleased to get unanimous support from the Board,” Abraham said. “That’s a huge vote of confidence.” Abraham also found some thanks in the comments made from the public speakers who began the day. “I was gratified to hear the positive comments coming forth from the speakers,” Abraham said. “It makes me feel like I’ve done a decent job up through here. It encourages me that we can move forward effectively together.” The Board of Trustees will be meeting again today in the University Union.

as of 10/03

at 4:00 P.M.

TP Current Standings

residence halls Corbin-Olson

50 100

245 2nd place

LIC-WASH-GROTE

200 3rd Place

25 100

100

325 1st Place

Team One

25 100

100

Team two

Team three

75 100

100

Team four

100 25

Team five

25 100

345 2nd Place

Team six

175

THOMPSON

Greek Teams

285 3rd place 175

415 1st Place 215

Team four - AΣA, ΣΠ, ΘΞ events KEY ptt - Paint the Town RTF - Rock The Flag Team One - ΔZ , ΘX, ΣΧ, ΔΨ Team five - ΦΣΣ, TKE, ΠKΦ br - boat regatta PTP - Paint the PAws RH - Rocky Hunt Team two - ΣAB, ΛΘA, ΧΩ Team six - ΔTΔ, ΑΣT, ΛΘΦ ctc - Chalk the campus sPg - spirit game vs - Variety show HPA - homecoming parade TP - total points YLH - yell like hell Team three - ΣΣΣ, ΣΑΕ, ΑΓP

Greek Teams KEY

OPINIONS

Friday, October 4, 2019

WesternCourier.com

JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER

After finishing my first full month as a graduate student at Western Illinois University, I can honestly say that I am very satisfied with the amenities the university has to offer. The recreational facilities are spacious and inviting, the Malpass Library is serene and elegant, (I love plants) and the campus itself provides ample greenery. The one issue that has surfaced thus far during my time here stems from the Union; specifically, the lack of a student microwave at the Union. Now, I know that the lack of a microwave in the Union is a really minute detail to focus on, but as a graduate commuter student, I often have to come to campus early and stay until late at night. Thus, I am often eating meals while here at Western. So, imagine my shock when I first brought my packed lunch to the Union only to discover that there was no way to heat my food. Having no available microwave places an inconvenience on my ability to achieve proper nutritional intake. The lack of a microwave forces me to either eat out for lunch (harming my health and wallet) or to pack the same cold sandwich every day. No longer would I be able to enjoy my mom’s leftover meatloaf, vegetable stir fry or soup. Indeed, one of the best benefits for

living at home is completely lost. Now I’m sure many of you are thinking, “Can’t you just use a friend’s microwave or find an alternative spot on campus to use one?” To the first notion I would say that it is unfair to assume that I have any friends around campus. As a first-year graduate student, maybe I haven’t found time in my busy schedule to make friends, or maybe I simply don’t like people. The exact reason really doesn’t matter. Perhaps if there was a microwave in the Union where I could heat my lunch, I could eat with potential friends in the food court. Or, at the very least, I could eat in a social atmosphere. To the second notion, I would say that I have tried to look up alternative places on campus to heat my lunch. The only spot I could find was within the Multicultural Center. Now, I don’t have a problem with utilizing the Multicultural Center in a way it was designed for; a place to learn about, engage with and appreciate the different cultures at Western and beyond. However, the idea of a white gentleman venturing into another culture’s space simply to make use of their physical resources seems a little cliché to me. I suppose that this dilemma may give me an in-

This would be a great spot in the student union for a microwave.

creased incentive to get involved with the Multicultural Center, which would be beneficial for me in the long run. Regardless, I still think Western would be even better with an available microwave in the Union food court. So, if any university officials happen to be reading this little suggestion, I hope you take the issue seriously. If you are having doubts about the feasibility of this proposal (I know funds and open spaces are limited), I have already completed some preliminary research to ease your work. A quick search of microwaves at Wal-Mart indicates we could get a cheap microwave for only $40. If that still sounds too high, I am confident we could get a cheaper option using buy-sell-trade sites. Heck, I would donate the money needed if that’s what it will take to get a student microwave at the Union (maybe then they would name it after me; the “A. Ourth Commuter Microwave”). As far as where it could be placed, there is a perfect open countertop in the little printing alcove across from Chick-FilA. This location is practically begging to have a microwave sitting where students can heat up their lunch while lounging in one of the chairs. In concluding this little rant, I hope that the issue has been appropriately brought to light and that it ultimately brings relief to the hungry commuter students of Western Illinois University. Until then, I will continue to suffer with endless PB and J.

ALEX OURTH

OPINIONS 5

Friday, October 4, 2019

@WesternCourier

What are the affects C-PTSD? Most people are familiar with PTSD, which is defined as dealing with trauma after a significant event. Trauma is different for every individual. What one person might define as traumatizing may be an ordinary event for another. Trauma may last for several months or even a lifetime. A significant event or series of events, may cause someone to relive their trauma over and over again. CPTSD is a lesser-known mental disorder that affects a vast

amount of people. C-PTSD stands for complex post traumatic stress disorder. It is similar to PTSD, but it is different because PTSD is defined by a singular event, while C-PTSD is caused by a series of traumas over a long period of time. It is a response to stress that they have encountered which they cannot control that is affecting their ability to function. This causes emotional dysregulation, which is having irregular responses to situa-

tions. The individual could not escape their environment, being in a lose-lose situation. With C-PTSD, it is normal to have emotional flashbacks, which is an abnormal response to normal behaviors. For example, hearing a phone ring and becoming jumpy is an abnormal response to a normal situation. It is often the case that a series of childhood incidents caused trauma that their child could not process, so the memory was stored in the back of their minds and later sprang up in life such as in behavioral problems, such as in interpersonal relationships and handling finances. Another common case is that CPTSD stems from abusive re-

lationships, where the person felt like they were trapped in the relationship and could not leave. They formed a bond with the abuser called a trauma bond. They feel sympathy for the abuser while simultaneously wanting to escape, creating a dichotomy in their head which stresses the individual out. Most people who have CPTSD do not realize that they have it because they either gets misdiagnosed as having borderline personality disorder (characterized by having unstable relationships and moods), bipolar disorder (having extreme mood swings that swing from low to high) or do not get diagnosed at all.

C-PTSD, BPD and BD all overlap in their symptoms, which is why it is easy to misdiagnose people who have mental illness. Most people who work in the mental health profession do not usually diagnose people who have C-PTSD as C-PTSD because it is not in the latest DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual). The CDM is used to list and explain all the mental disorders that are made aware of at the moment. C-PTSD is a serious undiagnosed mental disorder that is treatable and should be added to the next addition of the DSM to help mental health professionals and their patients.

Family is the foundation we need in life ANDRE WHITLEY courier staff

Family is one of the most important support systems for a college student. When you’re struggling to keep it together at school, your family is always going to be a phone call away. Coming from a close-knit family, I rely heavily on my parents to get me through my tough days. When I went to school I realized that family doesn’t have to be blood. When you get to college, you realize that family is the people that are there for you all of the time. Going to college is a change for all. You have to make the transition from being around people that you have known your whole life and you’re comfortable around, to becoming a nobody. Even the more popular people in high school, become a “nobody” in

college. While making that transition, you tend to rely on your parents and friends back home. Your family is always going to be there for you, no matter what. When you have a big test coming up, calling your parents can make you less stressed and more confident going into the test. However, with me being on the football team, I consider them some of my family as well. We eat, play, bleed, sweat and cry with each other. When times get hard and we don’t want to workout that day, one of our teammates is there to push us along. We spend so much time with each other that even if we just met a month ago, it feels like we’ve known each other since elementary school. As a team, just like a family, we look out for

each other. If we have a workout at 6 a.m. and one of use isn’t there, we are on the phones calling. We are giving each other rides and helping the ones that don’t have any form of transportation. That is what being a family is all about. That is also the same with the coaches on staff. They make it so we can go to them if we need anything. Whether it’s advice, help with school or whatever the case may be, they are there to help. Family is pretty much everything, because without them, we really would be nothing at all. Lastly, family drives us to give our all in everything that we do. When we are thinking of taking a shortcut to doing something, we think about them and that’s what drives us to do, giving 100 percent. Also, when we are in our sport and times get tough, we feel like we want to quit. We think about them and how they drove three or four hours to come see us play. Family drives us to be great and without them there is nothing.

FLICKR.COM Most people rely on their family to get them through hard times.

Editorial Policy

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

Letters & Local Forum Policies

E-mail letters to the Editor and Local Forum messages to micour@wiu.edu. Letters should not be more than 350 words in length. The author’s name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Failure to include such information will lead to the letter being discarded. The WC staff will edit letters in cases of timeliness, obscenity length and grammar, and we do not guarantee publication of all letters.

2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Rachel Greene Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

Friday, October 4, 2019

SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Volleyball continues conference play with double header in North Dakota By David Koier courier staff The Western Illinois University Volleyball team (4-11, 1-1) will not be at home for Homecoming weekend. Instead, the team travels throughout the state of North Dakota to face both the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota (8-8, 0-2) and the Bison of North Dakota State (5-9, 0-2). The Leathernecks have yet to face a conference foe at their home court so far this season. They only have one home matchup for that matter which came in the form of a 3-0 loss to the Drake Bulldogs back on September 10th. The Summit League play is still fresh with the Leathernecks sitting tied for third with an even 1-1 record. The Purple and Gold’s loss came in their Summit League opener against the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne in which the Mastodons were able to get the clean 3-0 sweep. Western’s win came this past Sunday when the Leathernecks traveled to Brookings, S.D. to face off against the Jackrabbits of SDSU. Western quickly fell behind to the Jackrabbits after a 25-19 loss in set one. Set two looked to be in favor of the Jackrabbits once again, but a seven point rally by the Leathernecks gave the team an 11-10 lead. Back and forth for the rest of the set, SDSU up by three almost saw the Purple and Gold take the set when Western scored four straight bringing the score to 24-23. Western couldn’t hold on though, and the Jackrabbits took set two 26-24. Western has been down 2-0 in multiple situations this season with many of them ending in a clean 3-0

sweep. Sunday, however, was not the same. A hard fought back and forth third set put the Leathernecks on the board with a 25-22 victory. Western rode that momentum wave straight to the fifth set with a 25-11 routing of the Jackrabbits in set four. Western completed the comeback in dramatic fashion with a 15-13 fifth set victory. Western’s defense had a nice showing in Brookings, as they have all season. The front line duo of Mackenzie Steckler and Mariah Mitchell led the defense to an astounding 15 team blocks with both of them recording seven total blocks each. Western’s blocking has been a key to their success all season. They lead the Summit League in blocks in conference play with 24 against Summit opponents. Overall, they are tied for second with 124 total this season. Individually, the duo doesn’t rank too bad in the Summit. Steckler leads the conference (and also happens to be eighth in the country) with 81 total and also ranks 14th in the nation in blocks per set with 1.50. Mitchell sits tied for 12th with 41 total blocks. Mitchell is not only a force to be reckoned with on defense, she forms quite the duo on offense with senior JoJo Kruize. The duo not only lead the team in kills with 130 for Mitchell and 119 for Kruize, but they rank 11th and 18th in the Summit League, respectively. The Purple and Gold will travel to North Dakota this weekend to hopefully build off of their comeback victory over SDSU. The Leathernecks face off against the Fighting Hawks this afternoon at 4 p.m. They finish their weekend trip on Sunday at NDSU at 1 p.m. Twitter: thefluffy66

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mackenzie Steckler goes up to spike the ball.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Mariah Mitchell gets ready to return the serve.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

JoJo Kruize serves the ball inside Western Hall.

CLASSIFIEDS

For Rent

Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord. Call 309-255-1233.

LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! First come first serve for the last large homes that are open for the fall.

Available now: Close to campus, clean studio apartments, excellent condition, reasonable rent, and partly furnished. Ceiling fans and a/c. Professionally maintained. No pets. Semester leases offered. Call 309 837 4369 and leave your phone number if not there. Email: MandKhousing@gmail.com

Submit a classifieds ad to Micour@wiu.edu

Westen Investments has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well!

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.

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!

Westen Investments has just one 3-Bedroom ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED (Water, Sewer, Trash, Gas, Electric, and Internet) Apartment left! That’s right you just pay for rent, and the rest of it is on us! Call our office at 309-833-5995 to check it out. 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.

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

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.

Khalil Mack excited to play former team in London josh purnell courier staff

Khalil Mack was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Mack had immediate impact on the team and his accomplishments showed that. Mack started all 64 games over four seasons. He had 40.5 sacks, went to three Pro Bowls, and was awarded 2015 Defensive Player of the Year. You would think a player with a resume like thatwould get resigned, well, not quite. Mack was looking forward to a new contract with the Raiders, but it seemed as if Oakland was stalling to pay him. If Oakland did not come up with a deal, Mack was

potentially thinking about sitting out for the 2018 season. All of that changed on Sept. 1, 2018. The Chicago Bears traded two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixthround pick to the Oakland Raiders for Mack, a 2020 second-round pick, and conditional fifth-round pick. The Bears signed Mack to a sixyear deal worth $140 million, $90 million guaranteed. That’s the richest contract in NFL history for a defensive player. Believe it or not, a player of that caliber is worth every single penny. The first game of the season, the Bears played their division rivals, the Green Bay

Packers and Mack put on an outstanding performance. In the second quarter, he sacked Green Bay backup QB Deshone Kizer and stripped and recovered the ball. Later, in the second quarter, he intercepted a pass from Kizer and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. He was the first player since 1982 to record a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception, and touchdown in one half. Mack finished the 2018 season with 12 sacks and six forced fumbles. The Bears were ranked the third best defense in the league, leading the league in sacks, interceptions, and stopping the run. It seemed like Mack picked up where he left off last season. In four games, Mack has 10 tackles, four sacks, and four forced fumbles. Oakland's 21st ranked offense

will have to use everything in their power to contain Mack and make sure he doesn't get anywhere near their quarterback. Speaking of Oakland QB Derek Carr, when Mack was asked by the press about his close relationship with Carr, he had this to say: “That’s my brother. I love him, but it’s going to be fun to compete against him this week. When we were there trying to change the culture, just going through that process together, it was real special.” Mack said. Mack had nothing but great things to say about his former QB and former team. But, make no mistake about it, Mack wants revenge. He thought he was spending his entire career in Oakland never expecting to be traded. The football world was shocked when the news got out that he was traded to the Bears.

Now that he has one season under his belt with Chicago, Mack prepares for Oakland just like he would for any other team. When asked by the press about his emotions playing against his former team, he said, “You can’t play this game with too much emotion. Ultimately, I try to stay focused on the task at hand and understanding the situation and understanding what they’re going to be thinking that I feel. But ultimately I’m going to go out there and do what I do and that's to play football and love the game that I play.” This is going to be one exciting game to watch. It’s the first game of the season in London and everyone's eyes will be glued to the television to see how Mack will perform against his former Oakland Raiders.

Chicago Cubs depart with Maddon after 5 Seasons

It was seemingly inevitable, but it became official before Sunday’s season finale. The Chicago Cubs and manager Joe Maddon have mutually agreed to part ways. This comes after much speculation of why the franchise wasn’t succeeding like it had in the past, despite all of the talent present in the clubhouse. Maddon did not have a simple path to the Cubs organization. Back in October of 2014, when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays as their manager, the Rays’ General Manager, Andrew Friedman, left the organization to take a front office position with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This led to an opt-out in Joe Maddon’s contract, meaning that if Friedman left, Maddon had the option to as well. Despite aggressive attempts at getting their manager back, Maddon opted out, 754 wins and a World Series appearance later. Around the time that this was all going on, Rick Renteria was fired by the Cubs. That almost instantly led to the hiring of Joe Maddon. Ironically enough, these two, up until Maddon’s Cubs departure, were opposing managers on each side of town, with Renteria still serving as the White Sox manager following being hired in 2017. The lack of simplicity in

Maddon’s northside arrival continued when the Tampa Bay Rays filed for tampering charges. They believed that Maddon only wound up as the Cubs manager because he had heard of what they were planning to offer him prior to his opting-out in Tampa Bay. It ended up not amounting to much, as it was determined there was no tampering. After all that had gotten through, it was time for Maddon to take over the franchise’s managerial chair. It was on April 5, 2015 – the first game with Joe Maddon as the manager. The Cubs would go on to lose 3-0 to their rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, but that was just the beginning. The Cubs got off and running, going (128) in April 2015. That was their first winning April in seven years. It wasn’t too long into the month that the major league club was introduced to someone you may have heard of before – Kris Bryant. Bryant made his major league debut with the Cubs on April 17th, 2015, and we all know what has come of the all-star since then. A month later, Maddon accomplished a historical feat with his 800th career managerial victory. That was followed by an August no-hitter thrown by Jake

Arrieta in Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Yet, despite all the accolades that had already accumulated in the inaugural season of the Maddon era, one more regular season accomplishment still remained. On Sept. 25, the Chicago Cubs clinched a postseason berth for the first time since the 2008 season. After that successful 2015 campaign, there was certainly a lot of optimism in the room heading into the 2016 season. That optimism quickly flipped to concern on April 7th. When outfielders Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwarber were both after a fly ball in Arizona’s Chase Field, the two collided. Fowler was fine, but Schwarber was not. In the collision, Schwarber had suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. What the Cubs did with that was embrace that ‘next man up’ mentality, starting the season with a league-best (175) record after April 2016. In fact, it wouldn’t come until May 17th that the Cubs even lost their 10th game, going (26-9) prior to that 10th loss. So clearly, something special was brewing at Wrigley Field. A solid start can often translate into the All-Star game. In the earliest returns, the Cubs were the holders of five starting slots. Flash forward a few months, and with September in the books, the Cubs still held the best record in baseball, now at (102-57). What eventually became 103 regular season

wins is certainly something to be pleased with, but that doesn’t always equal a World Series crown, and when you haven’t won a championship in 108 seasons, you tread lightly when that “C” word is mentioned. The rest is history. A fourgame win over the Giants in the NLDS, six-game NLCS win over the Dodgers, and just like that, although easier said than done, the Cubs were in the World Series. The series did not get off to a good start, with the Cubs getting shut out in both Games 1 and 3, slipping a 5-1 win in Game 2. More skepticism took over the World Series when a 7-2 Indians win in Game 4 put Cleveland ahead by three games to one. Would the magic go to rest or would the Indians be part of a rarity, blowing a 3-1 lead. The lead was blown, as many know by now. The Cubs rattled off three straight victories to win the World Series, the franchise’s first in over 100 years. Everyone knows about the famous rain delay in Game 7, where players such as Dexter Fowler rallied the team in the clubhouse, and numerous sources say that made a big difference in the Cubs’ efforts the rest of the game. In the end, it was an 8-7 victory in 10 innings to take the crown. Now, where have they been since then? Despite an exciting fivegame NLDS win over the Washington Nationals, the

North Siders were tabbed with a very tough Los Angeles Dodgers team in the NLCS, in which they were nearly swept, with Los Angeles winning in five. As for 2018, they slipped into the playoffs as a wild card after losing a tie-breaking 163rd game to the Milwaukee Brewers. That run didn’t last long, as the Cubs were defeated by the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card game. Well, there’s 2019. Actually, there wasn’t. It was an up and down season for the Cubs. Whether it be injuries, offthe-field speculations, etc., it just wasn’t good. In the end, the Cubs couldn’t win the division, falling to both the Brewers and the Cardinals by seasons’ end and completely missing the playoffs. Then came the metaphorical hammer. On Sept. 29, 2019, just before the Cubs concluded the dismal season against their rival St. Louis Cardinals, it was announced that Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon had “mutually agreed to part ways,” ending the Maddon era in Chicago. Is it Maddon’s fault? The front office’s fault? Will we ever know? Either way, Joe Maddon should pick up another managerial job very soon and the Cubs ought to find an adequate replacement, but it’s nothing to rush. Come April, it’ll be time for a new Major League Baseball season, and Cubs fans will have a new skipper to support and hopefully restore the Cubs’ postseason success on a larger scale.

Football looks for first win aganist Missouri State at Homecoming game By Christopher Gibson courier staff The Western Illinois University football team (0-4) will be looking for their first win of the season on Saturday when they take on the Missouri State University Bears (0-3). Western is coming off their bye week, looking to be refreshed and rejuvenated. Their last game back on Sept. 21 saw the Leathernecks suffer a home loss to Tennessee Tech (38-24). After being down nearly 21 points, the Leathernecks were able to pull within a one score game, in large part due to the efforts of senior Kevin Johnson, who made his Leatherneck debut. Johnson threw for 159 yards and three touchdowns after replacing junior Connor Sampson, hooking up with three different receivers in the process. After being down 24-3 in third quarter, Johnson started to heat things up by first connecting with his redshirt freshman tight end, Jack Whyte for a 23 yard touchdown, and trimming the lead down to a two-score game. When the Leathernecks got the ball back after another Tennessee Tech touchdown, Johnson again drove down the field and threw for another touchdown, this time on an 18-yard strike with graduate senior George Wahee. This again cut the lead down to a two-possession game. The defense managed to force an interception, setting the offense up for another scoring opportunity that they didn’t let slip through their fingers. Johnson threw his last touchdown of the game on a 31 yard dime to junior Dennis Houston, bringing the score to 31-24. Missouri State is coming into this game also

fresh off a bye week. They were defeated in their last game by Kennesaw State by a score of 35-24. However, just because they are winless doesn’t mean that the Leathernecks should go into this game thinking it’ll be an easy win. Led by senior QB Peyton Huslig, the Bears have put up some good numbers. Huslig has thrown for 709 yards and five touchdowns, while only throwing three interceptions. Their top two wide receivers have caught for 189 and 129 yards, respectively through three games, bringing their yards per game to 63 and 43. These are some good numbers, meaning that Western's defense will have to keep an eye on them. While the season hasn’t gone the way that Coach Elliot and the team would have liked, the game this weekend is the opening of league play in the Missouri Valley Conference. This game could be the one that gets the Leathernecks into their groove and over the hump of that first win. This might be the team’s best shot at getting a win, as four of their eight remaining games will be against top 25 ranked teams. No win comes easy in the Missouri Valley, but the Leathernecks need this one if they want to gain some momentum going into conference play. Since it’s also Homecoming, this will be a game that the team won’t want to lose. Fans should focus on giving them extra motivation to go out there Saturday and get a win. Word of caution to all of you who will be going to the game: expect some wet weather around game time. This will be something that might challenge the Leathernecks, but this team has a relentless attitude about them and we will see what they can do tomorrow. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon at Hanson Field.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Kevin Johnson throws a pass during warmups.

BECCA LANGS / PHOTO EDITOR

George Wahee keeps his eyes locked on a defender.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Austin Hopp blocks his oppenent.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Kyle Sanft gets set to snap the ball.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Connor Sampson eyes one of his recievers.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Kyle Williams tackles a player on the run.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Dennis Houston makes a run and tries to get open.