Opinions: What's next for Spider-man outside of the MCU?
Sports: Andrew Luck announces his retirement.
WesternCourier.com
Monday, August 26, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 4
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Community gathers to 'Neck Up the Square By Marc Ramirez news editor The Macomb community proudly swarmed around the town square Friday to experience the first ever ‘Neck Up the Square. The event hosted by the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce, Western Illinois University, Western’s Student Government Association, the City of Macomb and Downtown Development kicked ran from 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. Students and community members were encouraged to come to get to know the heart and soul of Macomb. The event was targeted to give people a chance to get familiarized with the people, businesses and organizations that make Macomb really feel like home. The proud town gathering consisted of many different activities. For starters, The Crafty Coop had Chicken Poop Bingo that took place on the courthouse lawn. Hy-Vee sponsored a Jello Prize Pool, and Buffalo Wild Wings presented Lawn Dice and Bags. These events gave people the opportunity to do fun things like pet chickens, wear a poncho and jump into a pool of jello and test their aim in “bags” or “cornhole,” whichever you prefer. In addition, there was a Macomb Business Walk Around the Square, BubblePALOOZA brought to you by Schertz FACEBOOK.COM
Students as well as community members gathered around the Macomb square to expereince all the unique and fun activities the town has to offer.
Services and The Gauntlet sponsored by Tom Conklin State Farm. An amusing aspect of the night was the Horseshoe Eating Contest featuring both Chubby’s and Sports Corner. The first round featuring food from Chubby’s kicked off at 5 p.m., and the second round consisting of food from Sports Corner started at 6 p.m. This contest was advertised not for the faint of heart. “Win bragging rights for the whole year and walk away a champ thanks to the deliciousness of Chubby's and Sports Corner at 124,” Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce posted on the official event Facebook page. Another popular interest to the public was the appearance of Cordell From The Guitar Shop who played from 6 p.m. to close. The local guitarist was the main advertisement of live music at the event and he played at the northwest end of the courthouse lawn. For more live music after the event, people were encouraged to come out at watch local band Broseph at a separate event. “When 'Neck Up comes to an end, head on over to Veterans Park for Flatland Summer Jam and keep the good times going,” Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce posted on the event's Facebook page. “See comments for the special Go West bus route to Veterans Park that weekend.”
Opinions: The weather affects your mood.
2
NEWS
WC Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall. Mail: 1 University Circle, WIU, Macomb, IL 61455 Phone: 309-298-1876 Fax: 309-298-2309 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays E-mail: micour@wiu.edu Member: Illinois College Press Association, National Association College Press
Monday, August 26, 2019
STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu
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PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.
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NEWS 3 •On Aug. 16 at 7:52 p.m. a student was judicially referred for behavior after he falsely activated an emergency call box near Thompson Hall. •On Aug. 17 at 10:52 a.m. a student reported that two shirts and a Braille note tablet reader had been stolen from his Corbin Hall room. Estimated value of the items is $10,000. The incident is under investigation. •On Aug. 17 at 9:44 p.m. Krystal Thomas, 18, of Thompson Hall, was issued a notice to appear Sept. 17 for a Macomb city ordinance violation for possession of cannabis (less than 10 grams) in Thompson. Another student was judicially referred for suspicion of cannabis. •On Aug. 18 at 8:52 p.m. Jared Tabor, 20, of Olson Hall, was arrested in Olson on a McDonough County warrant. He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 9:01 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond. •On Aug. 19 at 8:15 p.m. a student in Thompson Hall reported the theft of laundry, valued at $300, from a second floor laundry room. Several of the items were found in the laundry room the following morning. The incident is under investigation. •On Aug. 19 at 8:47 p.m. a student in Corbin Hall was judicially referred for cannabis possession. •On Aug. 20 at 8:51 a.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in the University Art Gallery. No smoke or fire was found and no injuries were reported. •On Aug. 20 at 10:16 a.m. the Western Illinois Credit Union reported a fraudulent $4,500 check was cashed Aug. 16. The incident is under investigation. •On Aug. 20 at 8:51 p.m. a student in Thompson Hall was judicially referred for cannabis possession. •On Aug. 21 at 5:03 p.m. Zion Young, 19, of Olson Hall, was arrested in Corbin Hall for domestic violence, interfering with a report of domestic violence and criminal damage to government property (less than $500). He was transported to the McDonough County Jail at 5:12 p.m. where he was lodged pending bond. •On Aug. 22 a Macomb city employee reported criminal damage to government property, damage valued at $200, at the bus stop at the corner of Charles and Adams streets. •On Aug. 22 at 10:06 a.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Olson Hall. No fire was found and no injuries were reported. •On Aug. 22 at 4:17 p.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Bayliss Hall. No smoke or fire was found and no injuries were reported. •On Aug. 23 at 2:44 a.m. OPS and the Macomb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm in Washington Hall. No smoke or fire was found and no injuries were reported.
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OPINIONS
Monday, August 26, 2019
WesternCourier.com
What happens to Spiderman now? JIMMY PIERSON/PRODUCTION MANAGER
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, it was announced that the SpiderMan franchise would be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe after both Disney and Sony failed to reach an agreement to still be a part of it. Many fans were, and still are, disappointed that the SpiderMan franchise appears to not be involved with Marvel anymore, especially with everything that has happened since Tom Holland was cast as Spider-Man. Even actor Jeremy Renner, who plays Hawkeye in the MCU, pleaded for both sides to come to a resolution. I, for one, have loved Spider-
Man ever since I was a child., I’ve watched the versions that have included Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield to now Tom Holland, but for it to completely leaving the MCU now only leaves countless questions to the franchise that are not being answered. For starters, once Spider-Man is only exclusive to Sony, does that mean that they can never mention any Marvel characters in future installments? If that were the case, it wouldn’t make sense to even continue another movie. Spider-Man has been surrounded and very much influenced by
the Avengers, having critical roles in both Avengers movies. It would also be unthinkable to abandon the relationship Peter Parker has developed with Tony Stark; Stark has, in many cases, filled the role of Uncle Ben by being a mentor and helping him through the struggles of being a superhero until his very end. This Spider-Man franchise just doesn’t work without Marvel’s involvement, and just abandoning the MCU storyline, to me, just washes away everything the franchise has created so far. Unfortunately, the reason why many fans won’t get to see Spider-Man in the MCU anymore is because Sony and Disney failed to reach a new agreement and it all stems from the aspect of the money. Even though Disney has been able to use the Spider-Man
character in the new franchise, Sony still has complete control over the character. In the first agreement, Disney was given creative control and 5 percent of profits, while Sony attained the rest. New reports have claimed that Disney asked for 25 percent stake which Sony had flat out denied, wanting to keep the original agreement the way it was. Now, while many people are putting the blame on Sony, I understand why Sony is so hesitant to make such an agreement; the Spider-Man franchise is their most profitable franchise. Spider-Man: Far From Home was Sony’s highest grossing film, making over $1 billion at the box office this year alone, and with the major success of the animated movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Sony is in a position where they
don’t have to rely on Disney, and from a financial standpoint, that does make sense. Disney is already a juggernaut company which has endless amounts of content at its disposal. Think about it, they have the Simpsons now. THE SIMPSONS. Wanting 25 percent of stake does seem logical when you see how successful Spider-Man has become; honestly, Sony’s unwillingness to agree to Disney’s terms just shows that Disney’s power isn’t as big as I thought it was. As this story comes out, Disney and Sony still seem to be at a stalemate and if that’s the case, I still hope the Spider-Man franchise moving forward is as exciting and action packed as the previous ones. Remember Sony, with great power comes great responsibility.
Has the weather been affecting your mood? Picture this, you are laying in your bed right after your alarm goes off and you happen to notice that it is storming outside. You can hear the rain drops hitting the window, there is very little light shining in and you can hear soft cracks of thunder every few minutes. I don’t know about you, but on days like this I have absolutely zero energy to do anything.
I would so much rather just stay in my bed and avoid all responsibilities. I personally believe that the weather has an impact on your motivation, attitude and willingness to do things. I started school here in 2017 and since then, I feel like every first day of school I have had here, it’s rained. And to be honest, it has really put a damper on my
first days. I never want to leave or get ready and it just is not ever an enjoyable first day. This is a prime example of how the weather can affect you. Not to mention, who wants to walk across campus when it is pouring and then you go sit soaking wet in a classroom makes it even worse. But when the sun is not shining and there are clouds in the sky, I start to feel really lazy and it is no fun. I’m sure that you have heard of winter time blues and, here in the great state of Illinois, it is a real thing. There comes a point where
we all feel sick, gross or irritable and the simple solution could be because of the weather. On days where it is rainy, snowy, cloudy or just gross outside there are a few things you can do to help alter your attitude back to a positive one. First things first, take your vitamins. Sometimes when you do not get enough vitamin D, your body is super exhausted. In case people did not know, you get vitamin D from the sunshine, so obviously, when the sun is not out as much, it can make you feel just as gloomy as the day itself. Another thing you can do is to
drink some natural caffeine. I have found that drinking soda makes you crash way faster than drinking tea or coffee without all of the sugar. It can be a fast solution on those days where the weather is just not your best friend. Ultimately, we are all going to have those days where we feel like being lazy, and that is perfectly okay. But some days we have to suck it up, even when the weather is nasty. So, try those few easy things that were mentioned and when those yucky weather days come along, you will not have to worry about feeling down.
E2 EDGE
Monday, August 26 2019
WesternCourier.com
Taylor Swift releases her seventh album
Taylor Swift’s newly released Album, “Lover,” was released on Friday. Swift’s new album completely rewrites her own history, as she rises, unbroken, from her much darker times that were projected in the album “Reputation.” Aside from the personal success of “Lover,” it has also reached a record high for albums in 2019. According to Billboard, “Lover” landed the “Biggest sales week” for an album in the first day it was released, not to mention the remaining six days that were still to follow. “Lover” consists of eighteen emotional and complex songs of a wide variety. The five singles that were released before the album included “ME” “You Need to Calm Down,” “The Archer,” “Lover,” and “Soon You’ll Get Better.” These early released songs were a strong representation of what the entire album had in store for listeners. Songs such as “You Need to Calm Down” and “ME!” were fast favorites with listeners and
fans across the country, as they jumped to No. 1 on Spotify’s “Todays Top Hits” playlist. Not all of the songs on “Lover” are like these two notable tracks, though. The song “Soon You’ll be Better” is a heartfelt and emotional ode to Swift’s experiences with her mother’s battle with cancer. As a listener, this track was particularly striking due to its vulnerability. The wide array of sounds and variations in song lyrical content makes this album quite intriguing as a listener. Just a day after the album’s release, Swift’s songs “Lover” and “The Man” are sitting on the Spotify “Today's Top Hits” playlist. “Lover” sits high in first place on the list, while “The Man” comes in at 15. “Lover,” the title track, embodies the true feelings of romantic love for another. The song is obviously about a great love that Swift has had, whom she wants to stay with “forever and ever”. The lyrics, both heartfelt and cute, make this an amazing song for anyone
who may currently be in a happy and healthy relationship. “The Man,” a song pushing for female empowerment, emphasizes how differently women are viewed from men. In the song, Swift highlights things that she has done that are seen in a negative light, and emphasizes that if she was a man, those things would be viewed differently. The chorus states: “If I were a man, I’d be the man.” This song is perfect for anyone who understands what the lyrics are getting at, globally. All in all, though, it is a fantastic hype-song for those women who (like Swift) get way too much backlash for just being who they are, when in fact, if they were the man- they’d be the man. All the songs on this album are well constructed and written, though some do stand out more than others. As someone who has listened to Taylor Swift for the entirety of their musical years, this album strikes me as one of the more complex and mature albums that Swift has created. (Let’s be honest I listened to the entire album twice the day it was released). If you haven’t had the time to listen to “Lover” yet, I would highly suggest tuning in on YouTube or Spotify, where consumers can listen for free.
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Taylor Swift performs on stage during a concert.
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E3 EDGE
Monday, August 26, 2019
WesternCourier.com
“The Lion King” garners mixed reviews
One of America’s favorite childhood movies was rebooted this past summer. No, not Peter Pan! Disney’s The Lion King roared back to life this past June, awakening the kid inside multiple generations. The plot of this new live-action movie has the same overall plot as the previous animated film with a few differences here and there. Simba, the next in line to take over Pride Rock, looks up to his father Mufasa and hopes to be like him someday. Simba likes to get in over his head by
first venturing into the “badlands,” otherwise known as an elephant graveyard, and later on getting caught in a wild wildebeest stampede. This later act ends up killing his father due to a trap that his Uncle Scar set. Simba is then tricked into thinking he killed his father and runs away due to guilt. This causes the young lion to meet Timon and Pumbaa, who help him view the world in a completely different light than he once did. Simba grows up with his newfound friends and
grows into a spitting image of his father. However, while Simba thrives, Pride Rock doesn’t. His childhood friend, Nala, sets out from Pride Rock in hopes of finding some help. After finding Simba, she tries to convince him to come back with her. Teaming up with Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu and Nala, it is up to Simba to try and reclaim his place back home and restore Pride Rock. The cast of this remake is an all-star cast that caused this film to have high hopes when it was first announced. With Donald Glover voicing Simba and Beyoncé voicing Nala, fans were excited to hear the duo sing together. James Earl Jones is the only cast member to reprise their role from the animated film as Mufasa. Seth
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Rogen and Billy Eichner voice Pumbaa and Timon, respectively. Jon Favreau, who might be better known for playing Tony Stark, head of security Happy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed the film. A lot of people were also drawing a lot of comparisons between the actors and the characters they voice, both physically and vocally. Over the last couple of years, Disney has been remaking their classic films and turning them into live action and CGI animated works. Starting off with the Jungle Book, which was followed by Dumbo, then Aladdin, The Lion King is following right in its counterparts’ footsteps, drawing in crowds looking to relive their childhood. Earn-
ing $185 million in its opening weekend, fans clamored to get a seat. However, there have been mixed reviews of the film with some critics saying, “The great circle of life has thrown up a gorgeous, star-studded story, but trading feeling for realism means that we lose something of the original film’s excellence” (Helen O’Hara, Empire). The film received a 53 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes and received a 7.1/10 from IMDb. I personally recommend going to see this remake. While it leaves not a whole lot of surprises from the original, it is still as heart-warming as before. Go see it with friends, family or both, but no matter what, make sure to bring your inner child along, too!
E4 EDGE
Monday, August 26, 2019
WesternCourier.com
“Aladdin” remake retains the spirit of the original Let's face it, remakes of movies and TV shows are either a hit or miss (usually a miss). There are a lot of factors that cause this, so I thought we could look at one of this summer’s Disney remakes. In my opinion, the producers did very well at being different yet true to the original. Everyone remembers the Disney classic Aladdin featuring Robin Williams as Genie, filled with comedy, action, drama, great songs and probably the first time you learned anything about Arabic culture (some of which may have been a little insensitive). With a classic like this, it would be nearly impossible for Disney to remake it as well as the original, but somehow they found the right formula to create the near-perfect remake. The big question that people were asking was, how do you replace Williams? The answer is you don’t. The way he portrayed Genie with his improvisation and impression skills cannot be matched
(though Dan Castellaneta did pretty good in the sequel, TV series and video games). No one can replace him, so why even try? That's where Will Smith comes in. People were skeptical about him playing Genie at first, fearing he would attempt to be Smith as Williams playing Genie, but he went a whole different direction with the character. By basing his role on a combination of his famous 90s roles, he essentially became the “Fresh Prince of Agrabah.” When remaking a beloved classic, it’s important to keep a lot of things the same while also making a few changes. Some of the changes included Iago being played by Alan Tudyk instead of Gilbert Gottfried, which was somewhat upsetting because Iago wasn't as important to the story this time around and less funny, but I guess that made it more realistic. The Sultan wasn't portrayed as an idiot (which is fine), and they also took a few of the guards from the original and made a hybrid character to be
the captain of the guards. They also did the right thing and added another female character to the story named Dalia. She plays Jasmine's handmaiden who adds to some of the comedy that was taken away and was an interesting change to the main story. There were also a few cosmetic changes to clothing and some of the more controversial lines to songs were rewritten as well, too. A line from the song “Prince Ali” was changed from Sunday to Friday (Friday is the Islam holy day like Sunday is to Christians). But other than the change of flow in the story and just little things here and there, the spirit of the original Aladdin was there. The new film included a brandnew song sung by Naomi Scott (Jasmine) called “Speechless,” and wow is it a powerful song. If it doesn't win a Grammy or an Oscar for best song, it will be a travesty. I encourage you to look it up. The visuals, music and characters made this remake probably the best out of all the remakes Disney has released. I saw it twice in theaters and I'm looking forward to it being released on Blu-Ray Sept. 10. If Disney wants to make good remakes, this is the formula they should use.
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OPINIONS 5
Monday, August 26, 2019
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The impacts that social media has made Social media is something that has taken over completely. Nowadays, people can’t live without it. It’s scary to think how impactful social media will be in the years to come. There are all forms of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest etc. All of these platforms of social media are free to access, for the most part. Even YouTube has taken over, which is understandable, because you can get paid for
having good content. But the thing that all these have in common is that they're not real. Material is rehearsed and practiced to make it look like it is real, and that is what the problem is with social media today. The past generations had it easy. Kids would go outside, play and scrape their knees once in a while, maybe take a picture with a disposable camera and that was it for them. They did not have to worry
about taking the best photo or looking the skinniest or most tan. They didn’t have to worry about how many likes or views they got. They were just having fun without a care in the world. Social media is not all bad; it is a great way to market, be an influencer and inspire people. But there comes a point where you have to figure out what’s true and what’s not. No one is perfect and no one has a perfect day. The definition of a perfect day can be different for everyone, but it is not as perfect as a picture would say. A picture is worth a 1000 words because behind that picture that is uploaded on Instagram, that probably wasn’t the first shot.
People post about having the time of their lives when in actuality, they are miserable. Looks are deceiving and so is social media. People act like they are really having fun but thats that's the only time they upload their pictures. Some people really could be having fun and they just like to update their viewers, but this creates a false sense of reality for some. The false sense being that they are not living their best life if they don’t upload it. Social media can be so toxic, people can get jealous over things that they shouldn’t. Someone can have a good day and then they go onto Snapchat and look at all the stories of other people
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having fun, and they feel left out. This can cause them to be sad and they might not think that they’re living their best life. What you see on social media is not always what is true. People are always looking for approval and to look as if their life is together in simple stories, posts, boomerangs etc. The funny thing about social media is that everyone knows that it is usually rehearsed, yet we still try to act like it’s not. Social media is so heavily used for many things and that’s not always a bad thing. It can be good, but sometimes it is very dark. It’s only going to get worse from here on out and the past generations were lucky to not be a part of it.
Contact Allison Young
AN-Young@wiu.edu Editorial Policy
The editorial views of the Western Courier shall be confined to this editorial and are to be separate from news coverage otherwise noted. The editorial presented is based on the ideas and views of the WC editorial board.Columns are the opinions of the columnists alone and should not be construed as the opinions and beliefs of the WC staff as a whole.
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2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board
Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young
6
Monday, August 26, 2019
SPORTS
WesternCourier.com
Leathernecks show resilience in comeback win
By Bradley Piros sports editor
MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois women’s soccer team kicked their season off right at home with a come-frombehind 2-1 victory over the Missouri State University Bears. Western lost their previous two matches to MSU, but it seems like the third time's the charm. It didn’t take long for the Bears to gain the lead when Ashley Coonfield put one in the back of the net only two minutes in. After that early slip up though, Western dominated the next 20 minutes. The onslaught of attack began with a couple shots by sophomore defender Zoe Clarke, but the first went wide and goalkeeper Kaitlin Maxwell saved the second. Clarke’s second shot awarded Western a corner kick, however they couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity. After a couple of fouls on Western, Clarke would once again unleash a shot that initially got blocked. It once again led to a corner kick for the Leathernecks. The free kick was once again unsuccessful, but Western stayed on the front foot. Sophomore Cassidy Grunewald let go of another shot, but Maxwell saved it. After a long spell of possession for the Leathernecks, sophomore Amy Andrews was finally able to tie the game up at 1-1. Grunewald and junior midfielder Natalie Nagle with their couple of quick passes assisted the goal. After the goal, MSU made
a couple of substitutions, which led to a little spark of offense toward the end of the first half. The Leathernecks’ defense stayed strong to keep the game tied heading into halftime. Coming out of halftime, the Leathernecks struck first from senior forward Emily Bollman, but her shot sailed wide. It was back and forth play until the 61st minute when Western won yet another corner kick. The bouncing ball fell perfectly at the feet of junior midfielder Bridget Schuler, who smashed it with a beautiful one-time shot into the upper corner of the net to take the lead 2-1. MSU tried to bounce back but were unable to find a way around Western’s defense. It was a lackluster start, but a win’s a win. Director of soccer, Eric Johnson, was pleased with his side’s resilience. “We escaped a poor start today,” Johnson said. “But we recovered enough to be in the game in the second half. Two good goals from our side and a better second half got us a home win. Proud of our effort.” In the end, Western outshot their opposition 9-5 and 5-3 SOG and were able to pick up a comeback win. Full of confidence riding a three-game winning streak, Western will move on to play Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis on the road this Friday. The game will be on ESPN+ for watching and begins at 7 p.m. under the lights.
BRANDON RINGO / PHOTO STAFF
Amy Andrews prepares for a pass.
BRANDON RINGO / PHOTO STAFF
Bridget Schuler goes up for a header.
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Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122. 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 has only two 4-Bedroom brich houses available. Call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing! We will show to 2-3 person groups as well! STC Investments now leasing for the 18/19 school year. We have 1-6 bedroom apartments/houses ready for you to call home! Check out our selection at www.stcinvestments.com. You can also find us on Facebook to see daily posts!
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 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. 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)
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.
Sports 7
Monday, August 26, 2019
@WesternCourier
Andrew Luck prepares for life after the NFL Christopher bean assistant sports editor @cre_bean
Yes, you read Adam Schefter ’s tweet right on Saturday night, quarterback Andrew Luck has retired from the NFL. Shocking is an understatement on what happened in the Colts organization. The news broke out during the middle of a week three preseason game against the Chicago Bears. “It’s been unceasing and unrelenting both in season and off season,” Luck said describing the injuries he’s suffered the last four years. The franchise quarterback “made a vow” to never again experience what he went through in 2016. Unfortunately, Luck has never fully recovered since his injuries dating back to 2015. He led the Colts to the playoffs in his first three seasons and won consecutive division titles in 2013-14. After staying healthy in his first three years, 2015 began the downside of playing in the NFL, injuries. In week three of the 2015 season, Luck got his first two
injuries of the year against the Houston Texans. He suffered a sprained shoulder that kept him out for two weeks. He also suffered torn cartilage in his ribs, however, that news wasn’t reported until after the season. Later in the year, Luck again suffered two different injuries in the same game against the Denver Broncos. He suffered a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle that ended his season for good. He only played seven games, and the Colts missed the playoffs at 8-8. In 2016, Luck played through most of the pain and only missed one game due to a concussion he suffered against the Tennessee Titans. However, it was the second year in-a-row the Colts missed the playoffs at 8-8. Luck finally had shoulder surgery after the season. After the surgery, Luck had some setbacks and was unable to start the 2017 season. After a slow start for the Colts and
Andrew Luck celebrates a successful drive.
more uncertainty of Luck’s return, Luck was placed on Injury Reserve in November and missed the entire 2017 season. The Colts went 4-12 and Chuck Pagano was fired. Frank Reich became the new head coach, and Andrew Luck came back healthy in the 2018 season. The Colts got off to a dreadful 1-5 season, but ended the regular season winning 10 of their last 11 games. They defeated the Tennessee Titans 33-17 on the road in week 17 to earn the second Wild Card spot in the AFC. They defeated the Texans 21-7 in the Wild Card round. Their run ended against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-13 in the Divisional round, and what would be Luck’s last NFL game. Luck suffered a calf strain in March that has sidelined him for most of this year’s offseason workouts and all of training camp. After all of that, Luck finally said Saturday enough was enough. Luck retired at age 29 and spent seven seasons in the league. You hate to see a player of his caliber retire in the middle of his prime, but you can understand why he made the decision. When you play in the NFL, you put your body
on the line every Sunday, and you can only do it for so long. For example, consider Calvin Johnson and more recently, Rob Gronkowski. Arguably two of the best players to play their position, however, Johnson only played eight seasons, while Gronk played nine. Now you may understand why sometimes NFL is referred to as “Not For Long.” Luck’s timing was obviously what shocked people the most about Saturday night’s retirement. The Colts were one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year and no doubt had the best roster since Luck has been there. To make matters worse for the fans, when the news came out, Andrew Luck was on the sideline. If I was a fan in that moment, I would applaud him for all the great memories, and then leave and not come back for a long time. When Andrew Luck went to the locker rooms, his fans booed him off the field. Luck said, “Yeah, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I heard the reaction. Yeah it hurt.” Obviously you can feel his pain after sacrificing so much for the Colts franchise.
Before Luck arrived, Peyton Manning was the man in town, then was traded to the Broncos after missing the 2011 season due to a neck injury. In the 2012 NFL Draft the Colts drafted Luck number one overall from Stanford. Since then, Luck led them to four playoff appearances in the six years he started at QB, and was a Pro Bowler every year they made the Playoffs. They won the AFC South twice and went to the AFC Championship in 2014. Luck had a record of 53-33, throwing for 23,671 yards with 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. Luck never got a chance to play in a Super Bowl or win MVP, which makes it even harder to swallow. What could have been? There is no doubt in my mind the Colts could’ve been in a Super Bowl in the next three years with Luck under center, and potentially an MVP for him. However, injuries plagued him into a short career. Now, he’ll get to enjoy his life outside of football, and won’t have to worry about getting beat up on Sunday’s. And now we’re stuck thinking, what could have been?
NYTIMES.COM
Men's soccer wins both exhibtion matchups By Christopher Gibson couier staff
MAOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois Men’s Soccer team won its last exhibition game against Quincy on Saturday by a narrow margin of 2-1 in overtime. The match was scoreless until the 52nd minute when Quincy took the lead. The Leathernecks were unable to respond until later in the second half when junior Paul Kirdorf one-timed it to tie the game up. Going into the 90th minute, both teams were tied at 1-1, bringing about two 10 minute overtime peri-
ods. It wasn’t long, however, into the first overtime period that senior Gimale Essacu scored the game winning goal for the Leathernecks- just five minutes. This was the second time that the teams’ exhibition game went into overtime. The first game against IllinoisSpringfield was scoreless after 90 minutes of play, prompting the two overtime periods. Once again, Essacu was a key contributor in the game, assisting junior Daisuke Otsuka, who scored the winning goal. This win also helped to start the team on a winning streak, winning both of their exhibi-
tion games before the regular season begins. Hopefully, the team can keep this together heading into Friday, where they will look to defeat Milwaukee on the road. Milwaukee went 2-1 in their three exhibition games, only losing to Loyola Chicago on the road. This will be a tough matchup out of the gate for the Leathernecks, with the Panthers being undefeated so far through exhibition at home. The Leathernecks won’t play at home until Sept. 6 against Oakland. Moving forward, the team will be looking for good team chemistry to keep up. In an interview with Athletic
Communications, director of soccer Dr. Eric Johnson said, “Good comeback win for us. Quincy was a handful and really put us under pressure. Our second goal was a great piece of teamwork and combination play. We need to have a good week of training in order to be ready to play on the road next weekend.” As with any team sport, having good teamwork is key to success, and soccer is no different. After going 3-1-2 last season, the team will be looking to beat that mark. The team will also be looking to quiet some of the critics. In a preseason poll of The Summit
League, the Leathernecks are expected to come in fifth in league only above Eastern Illinois. While they look to do a lot better than that, they will have their hands full with Denver. Denver is ranked 18th in the nation before the season officially begins, making them the top team in The Summit League. In order to prove some of the naysayers wrong, the Leathernecks will be looking to Kirdorf to lead the way. Last season, he managed to earn a team high seven points off of two goals and three assists. With a few more games on the schedule this season, Kirdorf will be looking to do better.
New faces look to lead Leathernecks to big season
By Brendan Reidy courier staff
MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks had a solid season a year ago under first year head coach, Jared Elliott. The team went 5-6 overall, and 4-4 in the very tough Missouri Valley Conference. Their season came to a heartbreaking end when Indiana State defeated the Leathernecks on a game-winning field goal that crushed any FCS Playoff hopes. This year, the team will look to rebound as they begin the second year of Elliott’s Tenure. The Purple and Gold will face a tough challenge replacing key cogs in their lineup after losing seniors Sean McGuire, Khalen Saunders, Zeke Lesure and Pete Swenson. With lots of holes to fill, the team will be led by a variety of new faces. Players we should expect to step up for the Leathernecks are QB Conor Sampson, DB Andre Whitley, WR Tony Tate and WR George Wahee. Sampson looks to be the apparent heir to McGuire. Even though he has not been announced as the week one starter yet, all signs are pointing him to be the man under center week one. He was recently selected as one of the five captains for the upcoming season and has the most experience out of any quarterbacks in camp. Even though he has yet to start a game during his time at Western, he has been the backup to McGuire the last three seasons. He has shown signs that he can be “the guy” for the Leathernecks, and more notably shown that against the best team in the country a season ago. Against No. 1 ranked North Dakota State, he completed a career high four passes, including the longest pass
of his career at 39 yards. He has big shoes to fill being McGuire’s heir, but he is the right man for the job. On the defense, Whitley is a name to keep an eye on. He played plenty of minutes a season ago, but expect him to take on a big role after the departure of Xavier Rowe. Whitley should have no problem sliding into the top corner spot this season. What makes Whitley so intriguing is that he can play anywhere in the secondary and can be put wherever you like. His versatility is something that is valued at every level of the sport, and expect him to have a big season being one of the top dogs in the secondary. Two other players to lookout for this season are Tate and Wahee. Both played big roles in the offense last season, but unfortunate injuries kept them sidelined periodically throughout the season. Wahee is an exceptional route runner and good possession receiver that was missed greatly last season. As for Tate, he can do just about anything for this offense. He is a literal human joystick and can make you miss all over the field. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses because he is the deep threat on the team, and requires the attention of every opposing defensive back. Despite another rigorous schedule, the team has a lot of potential to do damage in the FCS. Their toughest matchups this year will be on the road against FBS opponent Colorado State University, and North Dakota State at the Fargo Dome. Coach Elliott and Co. have their hands full this season, but they have an exciting roster that can make a playoff run this season. Leathernecks open up on the road this Thursday at North Alabama.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
Conor Sampson warms up before a game.
Tony Tate dodges a defensive tackle.
BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR
BECA LANGYS/ PHOTO EDITOR
Andre Whitley points to the bench.