Western Courier| November 15th, 2019

Opinions: Should we participate in winter activities before Thanksgiving?

Sports: Women's basketball picks up third straight win.

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

WesternCourier.com

Friday, November 15, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 37

@WesternCourier

prepares for a successful year

By Marc Ramirez

news editor

Western Illinois University Dance Marathon made a recent switch and rebranded the organization as RockyTHON. This change was made public on Nov. 7 at the organization’s Pancake Dinner event. However, it was made known that although there is a new name, the organization still holds the same mission.

The decision was long in the making according to RockyTHON President Julianna Kessler. The organization has grown from what it started as in 2014. They have added hundreds of dancers, fundraised thousands of more dollars and made so many more miracles happen.

The Leadership team spoke about the stigma behind Dance Marathon and the implications that you need to be a good dancer to be successful or have fun at the event.

This is, in fact, the opposite of what RockyTHON stands for. The group is comprised of students, staff and alumni to fundraise money for children living in or being treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, more specifically SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

RockyTHON will kick off at noon on Saturday, March 28, 2020, in the University Union Grand Ballroom, but

until then, RockyTHON has been working hard to put together an amazing event and has held many events in efforts to reach their goal of $175,000. They have organized and overseen Color Runs, Pancake Dinners, Spaghetti Dinners and Mini Dance Marathons, now MiniTHON’s.

With rebranding comes new merchandise for the organization. RockyTHON currently has two new apparel items on sale. They are selling white long sleeve “Western Illinois University ROCKATHON” shirts as well as a preorder for Carolina Blue hoodies.

At the main event, the University Grand Ballroom is full of activities for participants and families to enjoy. The Morale Team, a committee of dancers who learn and teach the dance to all in attendance perform, entertainment and activities are provided, miracle families tell their stories and so much more. Live and silent auctions will be held, exclusive merchandise will be for sale and the final goal reveal is held.

“People are highly encouraged to sign up and participate on the Morale Team,” Tate Dowell, Director of Morale said. “Morale isn’t only an amazing way to build an instant connection with the cause, but it gives you the opportunity to make sure people enjoy themselves at

the event. Morale serves as the ‘hype-men’ of the event, constantly dancing and engaging the crowd.”

If people are interested in joining the Morale Team, they are encouraged to email Dowell at

tn-dowell@wiu.edu.

To date, RockyTHON has raised over $500,000 for Dance Marathon and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The organization continues to strive to reach higher goals and constantly

give back to those in need of help and support from those around them.

If you are interested in being a part of this generation fighting for the next, you can sign up at tinyurl.com/ WIURockyTHON20.

COURTESY OF ROCKYTHON

RockyTHON encourages students, staff and community members to purchase some new merchandise to spread awareness about the recent rebranding.

2 NEWS

Friday, November 15, 2019

WesternCourier.com

CFCM supports local students organizations

By Aariani Allen courier staff

Christian Faith Campus Ministries, CFCM, have been a long term supporter of many Black Student Organizations on Western Illinois University’s campus. Each Sunday, organizations from join Christian Faith Campus Ministries for services and events. CFCM has supported Black Organizations like The Good Girl Movement, Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center Dance Troupe, The Preeminent Ladies Society and many more.

Christian Faith Church Campus Ministries actively hosts fundraisers and events where they invite black organizations to come out and help the church the same way they help their student organizations.

CFCM is teaming up with The Good Girls Movement organization to host Breaking Bread, a soup kitchen themed event for the homeless. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the two have decided to host the event on Nov. 17 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; however, the location is yet to be announced. The event is free but donations will be accepted throughout the duration of the event.

The church will also hosting a Roll Bounce roller skating event today at 6 p.m. at Skateland located at 201 Shady Lane. Admission to the event will be $5.

Christian Faith Church Campus Ministries teamed up with Gwendolyn Brooks Cul-

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

tural Center Dance Troupe to support their philanthropy week when the organization stopped by their church service and spoke about their week. The Preeminent Ladies Society was another organization that was able to come out to church service and talk about their philanthropy week as well.

The CFCM also hosted a Black Jeopardy event on Nov. 5 in the Multicultural Center at 6 p.m. The event was in honor of John Whiterspoon, a famous African American actor who left his mark in popular culture in roles such as Pops from “Friday” and Grandad from “The Boondocks.” One of his most famous lines from the movie Friday was, “You win some, you lose some, but you live to fight another day.” A cash prize was presented to the winners of the philanthropic event.

Christian Faith Church Campus Ministries are directly tied back to students who attend Western and regularly take part in church operations. For example Kyle Williams, a senior majoring in marketing, minoring in communication. Also sophomore Rolphie Mitchell majoring in psychology, minoring in law enforcement and justice administration serves as CFCM’s praise and worship leader. Students looking to get Christian Faith Church Ministries can attend the local church located at 121 W. Calhoun, across the street from Corbin Olson. Services are held Sundays at 1 p.m .

COURTESY OF AAIRANI ALLEN

Christian Faith Campus Ministries is pairing with student organizations to show support for their philanthropic efforts.

STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Devon Greene

proofreader Mary Kilbourne

DJ-Greene@wiu.edu

MC-Kilbourne@wiu.edu

news editor Marc Ramirez

photo editor Becca Langys

MA-Ramirez3@wiu.edu

RE-Langys@wiu.edu

opinions editor Allison Young

assistant photo editor Sara Remar

AN-Young@wiu.edu

SE-Remar@wiu.edu

sports editor Bradley Piros

production manager Jimmy Pierson

BJ-Piros@wiu.edu

JM-Pierson@wiu.edu

assistant sports editor Chris Bean

business manager Janiya Haynes

CR-Bean@wiu.edu

J-Haynes2@wiu.edu

edge editor Rachel Greene

assistant business manager Nash Miller

R-Greene2@wiu.edu

NK-Miller@wiu.edu

copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz

advertising manager Tyler Hoffman

A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu

TE-Hoffman@wiu.edu

proofreader Alexis Lowe

adviser Will Buss

AL-Lowe@wiu.edu

WJ-Buss@wiu.edu

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.

COPYRIGHT 2017

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, November 15, 2019

@WesternCourier

GLAM holds a fashion show

By Jelen Evans courier staff

Western Illinois University’s GLAM squad hosted a fashion show on Nov. 8, entitled “The Madhouse.” There were two emcees, Caleb Camp and Lasbat Odunsi, who made the audience feel welcomed and enabled different tactics to make the show more interesting while the models were getting ready.

At the start of the show, Camp and Odunsi enlightened the audience about the themes of the night. With the show being entitled “The Madhouse,” there were two sides to every category. The main point around the show was based on a skit that they incorporated. The skit was about a girl who was at a fair with her sister and her sister ended up getting lost and disappearing at the fair. The girl’s mission was to find her sister, but she had to overcome some obstacles as she went along trying to find her sister.

To start off the first scene, there was an intro scene to exhibit a few of the pieces that the models were going

to wear. The outfits were handmade by some of the students who were a part of the GLAM squad. After the intro scene, there was what the emcees called a “filler.”

There were quite a few fillers within the show as well.

The first filler was for the audience. Proceeding with this filler, the emcees engaged with the audience by playing some music that would get the crowd more excited. After a few songs, they hosted a model walk contest, opening the floor up to anyone in the audience who wanted to strut their stuff on the stage to see their modeling skills.

There were between seven to eight contestants who jumped on the stage to show the audience their catwalk. In the end, the audience voted on who they thought the best amateur participant to hit the stage.

Moving into the next scene, the GLAM squad showcased the happy versus mad category. The models wore different, exotic clothes with props included in the stitching of the outfits. The name of this theme was called ‘Into the Ballpark.’ Each model

showcased either the light and happy or dark and mad side which was either bright or dark-colored clothes, and they included balls from a ball pit stitched onto the clothing.

After the scene, there was another filler. This filler was brought to the audience as "Mind, Body and Soul. This was a dance group, who showcased one of their routines that was very upbeat to get the crowd excited once again and keep the energy up.

The final two scenes of the show were the same category. One of the scenes used a different prop, which were discs and the other was fluffy patterns and costumes. With the show coming to an end, the characters in the skit performed a dance number and concluded the show by setting the scene as the girl in a mental hospital who had been having the same recurring nightmare.

At the end of the show, the GLAM squad president thanked everyone for coming out. One of the male models, described the show as wonderful when asked how he

NEWS 3

HALF

Beginning Monday, Nov. 4, a section of University Drive (from Brophy Hall to Western Avenue) and a section of Western Avenue (to University Drive) will have one lane closed for street repair. Construction will last approximately two weeks weather permitting.

Good at graphic design? Understand page layout?

Know how to work the Abode Creative Suite?

YOU COULD BE THE NEXT WESTERN COURIER PRODUCTION MANaGER! The Western Courier is now hiring their next Production Manager for the Spring 2020 Semester.

Contact the editor-in-chief devon greene at dj-greene@wiu.edu

4

OPINIONS

Friday, November 15, 2019

WesternCourier.com

Can we have winter activities before Thanksgiving?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again!

No, I don’t mean Christmas season or even Thanksgiving.

This most wonderful time of the year is not wonderful at all.

In fact, it is full of arguments and disagreements over what can and can’t be celebrated.

It has always been that after a holiday, the general public begins to prepare for the next.

After Christmas, we prepare for New Years. After New Years, we prepare for Valentine’s Day and so on.

Though, in recent years, the gap of time between Hallow-

een and Thanksgiving has been heavily debated. Should this time be spent for Thanksgiving, or should it be added to the time allotted for Winter Holiday Festivities? There are two general sides for this debate, one of these being that Winter Festivities have no place anywhere before Thanksgiving is over. The other side of the debate is that Winter festivities can be celebrated in the time from Halloween to Thanksgiving, then there are a few days for Thanksgiving to be celebrated, and then it will be time for winter

festivities again.

It’s easy to understand the argument for why people want winter festivities held off until December. Winter holidays such as Christmas already have an entire month dedicated to them, even Halloween has the entire month of October. This said, why shouldn’t Thanksgiving get a whole entire month as well? It’s only fair. For adults, the winter festivities may cause more stress than holly-jolliness, as the winter holidays are times for spending too much money and stressing out over uncomfortable small-talk with relatives you may not have seen all year. Who would want to start talking about all that so early?

On the other side of the dispute, we have those who

argue based on their own happiness. They also have a pretty good point. The time of winter festivities is one of those times that makes some people feel warm and happy inside. Why not embrace that warm, happy, like-a-kid-themorning-of-Christmas feeling for even longer than a month?

When the weather is snowy, many young children just assume it’s time to celebrate winter festivities. Though something that comes more commonly with winter as we grow older is Seasonal Affective Disorder, better known as seasonal depression. Around this time of year as the weather begins to shift many suffer in silence. Though, some have spoken out about their early celebration of winter festivities and they have shared

that it is a means to combat their depression.

Personally, I think that whatever makes you happy is what you should do. If wearing a Christmas sweater in November is going to make someone happy, then who are we to tell them not to? Especially with it getting cold so fast in the more recent years, if celebrating winter festivities helps someone combat something like the cold or even seasonal affective disorder, then we should let them. On the flip side, if someone refuses to celebrate winter festivities until after Thanksgiving then we should respect that too. This whole argument has no right or wrong side, the only right thing to do when faced with this debate is to be kind and respectful of what others may choose to do.

lots are not the most convenient.

Receiving a parking ticket is just another way for the school to make a quick buck off of students running late to class or students that are too lazy to walk the extra two minutes from where they are permitted to park. Depending on where you park, the fines can range from $5 to $65. I am blessed to say that I personally have yet to be slapped with a $65 ticket.

However, I do know people that have received one, and if that were me, I would be making a scene in the Office of Public Safety. I understand that there needs to be some kind of regulations when it comes to parking, but I do think the system that is used now is entirely out of whack. For instance, faculty members getting preferential parking is absolutely trash. Why should they, professors who get paid by our tuition dollars, receive better parking than us? When I was hired at my job, we were told to park at the

furthest edge of the lot, because the paying customers should get the best spots. I do not understand why that same logic is not applied here. I understand that they are respected professors, but they are paid to be here, we are not. Taking into consideration the money that we pay to attend this university, one would think that we should get preferential parking lots.

A solution to this problem would be to offer a range of prices depending on the convenience of the parking area. This would allow students to choose their own parking preference, while simultaneously eliminating a decent amount of illegal parking offenders. Another option is to eliminate faculty parking in general; we should not be encouraging the notion that they are more deserving of special treatment. The students that attend school here ultimately pay their salaries and are just as deserving of the option to have a decent parking space.

While faculty members should not have to pay for a parking pass, they should not expect to have the most convenient parking either.

Parking lots fill up really fast when there is limited parking.

Campus parking is absurd

One of the worst feelings a college student that drives to class can face is walking to their car to find a parking ticket under the windshield wiper. I personally have experienced this more times than I would like to admit, and it absolutely ruins my three and a half minute drive home.

There was one instance in which I literally walked up to my car as the guy was writing the ticket, and he still gave it to me. Does the university really need $5 that desperately? I mean come on. The most irritating aspect to me is that we pay to go here.

We spend thousands of dollars to attend the university, and free parking is not included. In addition to free parking not being included, the passes purchased by the students limit you as to where you are allowed to park.

While there are many different lots that correlate to each parking pass throughout the campus, sometimes the location of the

FLICKR.COM

OPINIONS 5

Friday, November 15, 2019

@WesternCourier

Cleaning is the best way to stay sane Picture this: you are having one of those days where you just do not feel like doing anything. You are down in the dumps and nothing seems to be going your way.

You look around and your house is a disaster. You really do not feel like cleaning, but what else is there to do? Sit around and be bummed out?

I have found that clean-

ing is one thing I can do to bring my spirits up. When I am having a bum day, cleaning is the last thing I want to do, but it always gets me in the mood to be productive after I am done. I live on my own, so my place is not ever really that dirty, but what college student’s living area couldn’t use a deep clean here and there? I would say

that I probably deep clean my apartment once a week just because I am always on the run and do not have time.

I’m not the best at picking up after myself, so after about a week of me not picking up, I normally need to deep clean.

It takes a lot of effort for me to get up and start, but once I do, it becomes the highlight of my day.

My favorite part about cleaning is that I get to turn my music up as loud as I want and just have fun. I have my own concert while I am walking around my house vacuuming, dusting and

picking up. And of course, when doesn’t listening to music bring up your mood?

For me, I listen to music that I grew up listening to on Saturday mornings while my mom was cleaning, which is typically country, but, I know that everyone has their own cup of tea and whatever music motivates you the most is what you should listen to.

Once my house is all clean, candles are lit and there is nothing left to do, I have found that having a clean space makes me feel so much more accomplished and ready to conquer anything.

Write for Opinions Add us on Snapchat:

westerncourier

Having an atmosphere that is clean and smells good is worth spending the time that it takes. After I clean, I am more willing to put time into things like homework. It gets me motivated and I feel so accomplished afterward. I also feel so much better about myself. It is such an amazing feeling to come home to a clean and tidy space after a long day of chaos. I think that if I was able to keep my space more picked up then I would have more motivating days, but it’s also okay to live in a little mess every now and then.

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.

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 grammer, and we do not guarantee publication of all letters.

2019 Fall Semester Editorial Board

Edge Editor - Marc Ramirez Editor-in-Chief - Devon Greene Opinions Editor - Allison Young

6

Friday, November 15, 2019

SPORTS

WesternCourier.com

Men’s soccer lose heartbreaker to Omaha in overtime

By Bradley Piros sports editor

DENVER, – The Western Illinois University men’s soccer team overachieved coming down the stretch.

After starting the season 0-11, they managed to turn it around by winning five of their next seven, posting a 4-1-conference record along the way. That record was good enough to win a share of The Summit League regular season title and more importantly clinch the No. 1 seed in The Summit League Tournament, which pitted them against the Omaha Mavericks.

The Leathernecks lost to the Mavericks back on Oct. 5 by a score of 3-1 so they were looking to bounce back. Coming into the tournament, Western was the favorite to win after winning decisive games against Denver and Oral Roberts, but that’s not what happened.

Around 4 p.m. yesterday, the Leathernecks’ season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion.

Western wasn’t able to get revenge and lost again to the Mavericks, this time by a score of 3-2 in The Summit League Tournament Semifinal.

The stakes were high and it seemed Western was up to the task, until the 29th minute when Omaha took the lead. Junior midfielder Mitch Hammer netted his first goal of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Things began getting more physical as the first half continued on with four yellow cards getting handed out, two for each side, but, the turning point of the half was when junior defender Paul Kirdorf was given a straight red card. He came in with a tackle from behind to try and regain the ball but got tripped up with the opposing player. While getting up after the tackle, the sideline referee halted play and said that Kirdorf stepped on the Omaha player while getting up, leading to his sending off. From the

40th minute on the Leathernecks played a man down.

Western didn’t let that call slow them down, though. Instead, in the 55th minute, Western was awarded a penalty kick after a play inside the 18-yard box was deemed a handball. It was a lucky break for the Leathernecks and they seized the opportunity.

Junior midfielder Daisuke Otsuka stepped up to the spot with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He kicked the ball right as the keeper dove left to tie the game up at 1-1, scoring his fifth goal of the season.

Omaha went back on the attack and had most of the momentum for the next 20 minutes, and then the Leathernecks did the seemingly impossible.

In the 74th minute, it was a mad scramble inside the box after a free kick. The ball bounced off the ground and Otsuka scored off of a diving header. It was 2-1 Western with 16 minutes left.

The Leathernecks only held that lead for four minutes though after the senior midfielder Marcos Bautista evened the game back up at 2-2.

After a hectic back and forth final 12 minutes the game was still level, which meant sudden death overtime. The first team to score would win the game, and if it remained scoreless after two 10-minute periods of play the game would go to penalty kicks.

None of that happened either.

Instead, Omaha scored the gamewinning goal in the 93rd minute after Western just couldn’t clear the ball from their backfield. The goal came from senior defender Pep Mateu and it sent his team into The Summit League Championship game tomorrow afternoon.

Omaha outshot Western 14-7 and 10-3 shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Tim Trilk made seven saves on the day, some of the best of his collegiate career, to try and keep his

team afloat after going a man down, but the numbers game was just too much for Western to handle.

The Leathernecks can still hold their heads high. They turned heads after picking up their first win of the season against the Denver Pioneers.

Not only was it the first win of the season, but it was also the first win over Denver in program history. It was a dramatic seven-goal thriller that saw Western go out on top 4-3.

Western started Summit League play with the 3-1 loss to Omaha, but turned themselves around to beat Fort Wayne 2-0 and Eastern Illinois 2-1. Suddenly Western was 3-1 in the conference and had something to believe in.

Back on Nov. 9, they beat the No. 20 team in the nation Oral Roberts 2-1 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the tournament. It’s a tragic way to end the season, but Western still had some achievements to be proud of.

During the annual end of season Summit League banquet, multiple players received honors. Kirdorf won Defensive Player of the Year while three players were named to the First Team All-Conference.

Those players being Kirdorf, Trilk and junior forward Ryan Debois.

Sophomore midfielder Cesar Cosio was the lone player on the Second Team All-Conference, but three players made the AllNewcomer Team: Otsuka as well as freshman defenders Kyle Owen and Cameron Territo.

The good thing is they only have three players leaving, Trilk, midfielder Gimale Essacu and defender Christian Junna. The three played key roles on the team and they will surely be missed.

The 5-13-1 record doesn’t exactly show it, but it was a successful season for the program and one they can build off of. It will be a long offseason but expect the men’s soccer program to come back stronger and hungrier to get back to where they started this year, and hopefully even farther.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Tim Trilk catches the ball during practice.

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Daisuke Otsuka celebrates after scoring a goal.

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Paul Kirdorf chases down the opposition.

CLASSIFIEDS

WC

For Rent

For Rent

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.

KSI/Logan Paul bout to create more mainstream fights Sebastian gamboa courier staff

With the continuing growth of social media and the creators that social media runs off of, the permeation of online creators into mainstream culture is inevitable.

One current of the mainstream ripe for the picking is the world of sports and more specifically, boxing.

Just this week, an over a year long Internet/sports crossover phenomenon found its conclusion. This event was the Logan Paul vs.

KSI fight. In February of 2018 right after defeating fellow YouTuber Joe Weller, Internet creator KSI called on creator Logan Paul and challenged him to a fight, which took place on Aug. 25, 2018 in Manchester, England.

The fight was heavily promoted and was a subject of huge interest online with both competitors being huge on the YouTube platform.

Additionally, Deji and Jake Paul, the brothers of KSI and

Logan Paul, respectively as well as also being large creators, fought on the undercard. Along with other more minor undercard fighters, a huge spotlight was shined onto the fights. Prior to the fight, there was debate as to whether or not Internet celebrities should be entering the world of sports. One opposed individual was former UFC champion Michael Bisping who called the KSI-Paul fight a “mockery” of boxing. He received plenty of backlash and ended up deleting the podcast episode where he made that statement.

In terms of viewership and revenue, the first fight generated over 22 million views including official pay-perview streams and illegal streams. With YouTube views, sponsorships, merchandise and the live fight itself, it is estimated that each Paul and KSI received ~$96 million, not taking into account

costs. There was an additional ~$12 million lost from pirated streams. All of this came from a fight that ended up in a draw, which was the perfect setup to this last week’s rematch.

In this match, things changed. It was no longer a YouTube event and was instead a sanctioned professional boxing match with no headgear and an undercard with only accredited professional boxers. Additionally, both fighters trained under professional boxers. Even though the fight had all of the makings of a professional match, it still drew heavy criticism from parts of the boxing community. Many saw it as a blatant cash-grab from the two YouTube stars and as a sacrilege of the sport. These opinions were drowned out in favor of a more positive view. Many argued that the two stars battling it out draws in new fans to a sport that is falling by the wayside.

It was also pointed out that ignoring the background of the athletes, every aspect of the fight hit the criteria of a professional match, meaning those with dissenting opin-

ions were objectively wrong to question its legitimacy.

In an effort to bolster its image of legitimacy, the rematch also stayed clear from YouTube, opting to instead stream on the sports streaming platform “DAZN.” While total viewership is widely unknown, the stream had almost 900k viewers at its peak with 21,000 attending in-person. This, however, pales in comparison to the other over 1 million views that pirated streams brought in. It is also too early to know revenue figures but both fighters were guaranteed $900k by the California State Athletic Commission plus extra from pay-per-view viewership, merchandise, sponsorships, etc., which promise to be very large.

While there was a smaller turnout for the fight, there was finally a conclusion.

KSI won the match in a split decision after Paul faced a two-point deduction for hitting KSI while he was down.

Because of the closeness of the outcome, there are many critics who say the fight was rigged in favor of KSI. Besides the money and

viewership, this match is poised to have huge implications in the world of boxing and the sports world in general. Crossover between what is popular on the Internet and what is popular outside of the Internet is very rare.

However, this set of fights sparked interest from individuals in the online community in boxing. Since the second fight, a new trend on the Internet has popped up.

Felix Kjelberg, also known as PewDiePie, who is the most subscribed individual creator on YouTube released a video titled “Which YouTubers Could I Beat in a Fight??” inspired by the KSI/Logan Paul Fights. Because of these fights, there is more opportunity from those in the online community to crossover to boxing and maybe in the future sports in general. In an age where online content is sapping conventional media of its viewership, crossover between the online world and professional sports may be just the mutually-beneficial relationship that professional sports and conventional media need to regain popularity and prominence.

Bears should trade for former MVP Cam Newton josh purnell courier staff

Carolina Panthers place quarterback Cam Newton on the injury reserve list. The way it’s looking, this might be Newton’s last rodeo in Carolina.

After the 2019 season, Newton has one year left on his contract for $21.1 million. Carolina can save $19 million if they either cut or trade Newton. If the Panthers decide to deal him away, Newton expressed that he would be open to options and one of his options is the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have been struggling so far this season. The Bears stand third in the NFC North division with a 4-5 record. The Bears’ chances of making the playoffs don’t

FRIDAY NOV. 15 10 AM CROSS COUNTRY AT NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL

look too good. Truth be told, they could use a new quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky is the laughing stock of the NFL. So far this season, Trubisky has played in eight games. In those eight games, Trubisky has thrown for 1,390 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Bears’ offense is currently ranked 27th in the league and Trubisky's ability to play the quarterback position has not been a big help. There are many areas you can point out: overthrowing his receiver, not moving in the pocket, not knowing how to read the defense, not knowing how to move the ball down the field. There is blame to be put on others like the

FRIDAY NOV. 15 7 PM VOLLEYBALL VS SOUTH DAKOTA

head coach Matt Nagy, but Trubisky is the quarterback.

It is Trubisky’s job to go out there and execute the play calls and score, and he has not been able to do that.

With that being said, the Bears need to move in a different direction. It is unfortunate that the Bears have one of the best defenses in the league and the only reason they are going to be held back from going to the playoffs, let alone a Super Bowl, is because of the most important position on the team.

Trubisky has one year left on his contract and it has not yet been confirmed if the Bears are going to resign Trubisky.

Sadly for Trubisky, Bears fans are over him. According to Beach Report, a Bears fan started a “GoFundMe” to buy out Trubisky’s contract.

Bears fans are upset with Trubisky’s performance this year and they should be.

Last season, the Bears were

a kick away from making it to the Divisional Round.

This year, Bears fans were excited for the 2019 season, believing this year was the year the Bears were going to go to the Super Bowl, and the reality is that they might not even go to the playoffs.

The Bears do not have a firstround pick for the 2020 NFL Draft. So, the only option they have is to sign a free agent quarterback or make some sort of trade. Newton has already expressed his willingness to play for the Bears. Newton is a threetime Pro Bowler, 2015 Most Valuable Player and 2015 Offensive Player of the Year.

Newton has led the Panthers to playoffs four times in his nine-year career with the Carolina Panthers. Although he has had many injuries in the past and is currently injured right now, Newton is still valuable in this league.

Also, Nagy could be the

SATURDAY NOV. 16 1 PM FOOTBALL VS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

SUNDAY NOV. 17 7 PM VOLLEYBALL VS DENVER

coach that can turn Newton’s career around. A fresh start for Newton is what he needs and a fresh start in Chicago could be a good idea for Newton. With his playing ability and Chicago defense, this team has the chance to not only make it to the playoffs, but also make a run to the Super Bowl.

Bears fans have suffered too long because the quarterback position has never been solidified. The Bears haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman. Sure enough, no one knows who Luckman is unless you know your NFL history. Bears fans are hoping for a franchise quarterback someday; players like Brady, Rodger, Wilson or Roethlisberger being the possibilities. They may not find that franchise quarterback now, but Newton could be the answer to a struggling offense. Will the Bears trade for Newton?

SUNDAY NOV. 17 2 PM WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT PURDUE

Men's basketball begins season 0-3

By Christopher Gibson courier staff MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks (0-3) took on the University of TennesseeMartin Skyhawks at Western Hall on Wednesday. It was another hardfought and gritty performance on the Leathernecks' part, but ultimately they wound up on the losing side of the battle. This was the second of four straight home games for the Leathernecks.

The Skyhawks came into the game with an even record of one win and one loss. Their most recent game was a loss to Eastern Tennessee State, which saw a loss by a score of 75-92. The Skyhawks were led by senior Quintin Dove who is averaging 23 points per game for the team. Led by an impressive backcourt, the Skyhawks were looking to get above the .500 mark on the season.

Coming off two straight losses, the Leathernecks were hoping that the third time would be the charm.

They were looking for good solid play from their backcourt and some imposing defense from big man James Claar. Claar looked to keep his momentum going on the defensive side of the ball from the last game against Stetson. The Leathernecks were also looking to junior guard Kobe Webster, who went into the game with 999 points, just one shy of joining the 1,000 point club here at Western and he showed that he wanted that last point.

After sinking a three pointer to get him over the hump early on in the first half, Webster kept the momentum going for the Leathernecks.

The first half saw a lot of back

and forth action between the two squads that led to a high scoring first half. After Western was down by as much as 11 points with a little over seven minutes left in the first half, the team went on a 10-2 run to take back the lead, with under a minute left in the half. Webster paced the Leathernecks in the first half with 15 points and Dove led the way for the Skyhawks with 14. The half ended with a three point lead in favor of the Leathernecks by a score of 46-43.

The second half saw a slump from the Leathernecks, but not from Webster. He would add another 13 to his scoring total. However, the tables were flipped in the second half when the Leathernecks were up by as much as 15 with 13 minutes left, when the Skyhawks turned on the jets and didn’t look back. The Purple and Gold tried to stay close, closing the gap to two points with a minute left, but allowed a 7-0 run by the Skyhawks in that final minute, who were able to extend their lead to seven points.

While they might have lost the game, there were some bright sides for the Leathernecks. Webster not only earned his way into the 1,000 point club, but also set a career high for points with 28. Four other players joined Webster with double digits for the game, and Jaeden King was able to provide 13 points off the bench.

There will be some growing pains as the season goes on for the Leathernecks, but there is still plenty of the season still remaining for them to find their footing. They play again next Wednesday when they host the Northern Illinois Huskies at Western Hall.

Women's basketball picks up third straight win against Indiana State

By Devon Greene editor in cheif

BECCA LANGYS / PHOTO EDITOR

Annabel defense.

Graettinger

plays

GOLEATHERNECKS.COM

Olivia Kaufmann drives to the basket.

Football looks to win final home game

By Brendan Reidy courier staff

The Western Illinois football team (1-9) will host the Southern Illinois Salukis (6-4) at Hanson field this Saturday.

The Leathernecks are coming off a tough loss to the No. 1 ranked team in the country, North Dakota State, and will look to rebound with a win against the rolling Salukis. These two teams have had completely different seasons. The Leathernecks have struggled greatly to pump out victories this season, whereas the Salukis have had no problem cruising to victories with their high-powered offense.

This weekend, Western Illinois will have the opportunity to put a damper on Southern Illinois’ playoff hopes. With a loss, the Salukis would fall to 6-5 and that puts them on the playoff bubble going into the final week of conference play. Western Illinois may not have any more playoff hope left to play for, but they will be giving their all as they take the field

for senior night.

This will be the Leathernecks’ last home game of the season, and all eyes will be on the starting quarterback who has yet to be named. Conor Sampson has been the number one guy all season but has been banged up at times throughout the year, and that has given some playing time to senior transfer Kevin Johnson.

Last week against the Bison, Sampson went down with an undisclosed injury, and no one is quite sure who will be under center come Saturday. Coach Elliott is hopeful Sampson will be ready but said earlier this week on Leatherneck Insider that he and his staff have all the confidence in Johnson if Sampson is not cleared.

Regardless of who is under center, the Leathernecks are going to need to come ready to play on both sides of the ball. The Salukis possess a very high-powered offense and Western Illinois has to be ready to match the scoring output of SIU. The Salukis have a handful of

weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but the name to keep an eye out for is wide receiver, Landon Lenoir. Lenoir is the brother of former Western Illinois wide receiver Lance Lenoir who starred at Hanson field only a few seasons ago. Just like his brother, he is the number one receiver on his team and will likely have extra incentive to play well at his brother’s Alma Mater.

If the Leathernecks will want to walk away with a W on Senior Day, they will have to look towards their depth. The team got pretty banged up against the Bison, and will be without lockdown corner Marquis Smith and potentially their starting QB in Sampson. Each position will have to work as a group to limit the impact of those losses.

Be sure to catch the Leathernecks one last time before the season ends this weekend. The Salukis and Leathernecks will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Hanson Field, and if they cannot make the game catch all the action on ESPN+ or 88.3 The Dog. Twitter: @breidytv

MACOMB, Ill. — The Western Illinois University women's basketball team took on the Indiana State University Sycamores yesterday and they pulled out their third straight win with a 83-72 victory over the Sycamores.

The Leathernecks came out strong early with a 15-2 run. The Western Illinois defense came out firing on all cylinders as well as they didn't give up a point until the 7:46 mark in the first quarter when junior guard Marie Hunter converted on a free throw. Redshirt senior guard Annable Graettinger looked back to practice as a reason for the early onslaught.

“I think that we performed well.

One of the things that we have been focusing on in practice is bringing that mental intensity to every game, no matter who we’re playing,” Graettinger said.

The Sycamores began to find their footing at the end of the first quarter as they shrunk the lead to 19-15 .

Indiana State currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference in steals with 31 through their first three games. Graettinger said the game was one of the most chippy games they’ve played this season and they can learn from this challenge going forward in the season.

“It was really physical,” Graettinger said. “We kind of knew going in, that they were going to play an aggressive style of defense and really try to pressure us and bother us.”

It was a back and forth battle in the second quarter but Western’s three point prowess helped them bring a 36-27 lead into halftime.

The Sycamores came out in the second half firing and they took their first lead of the game with 6:35 remaining in the quarter when junior guard LeAndra Echi converted on two free throws and gave Indiana State a 41-40 lead. Senior guard Olivia Kaufmann commended Indiana State on their fight that kept the Leathernecks on their heels all night.

“It was a super competitive game.

I mean, we’d be up nine points and it felt like we were up by one point,” Kaufmann said. “No deficit was comfortable so we knew we had to get back against a team like that.”

The Leathernecks responded quickly and firmly, putting together a 21-5 run to end the third quarter, taking a 61-45 lead into the final quarter of play.

The Sycamores didn’t go down easy though. They began the fourth quarter converting on two straight three pointers and ended up hitting four in the quarter, more than they hit in the previous three quarters combined. Head coach J.D. Gravina was happy with the way his team handled the run.

“We did a good job keeping it together,” Gravina said. “Especially when they started hitting shots in the third quarter and fourth quarter. That’s tough to guard when they can attack the way they can.

They can score in the post and we knew they could hit threes so we knew that was a tough battle.”

The Leathernecks were able to hold the Sycamores off and secure a 83-72 victory, their third straight of the season.

It was not all good for the Leathernecks, though. Sophomore forward Evan Zars took a beating in the post all night. Fans held their breath when Zars hit the deck after a hard foul from sophomore center Jamyra McChristine sent Zars’ head straight onto the hardwood.

It wasn't until the fourth quarter when Zars was forced to leave the game with a head injury when a similar foul occurred and left the sophomore dazed. Zars has made a big impact in the first three games for the Leathernecks and her presence will be needed in their big upcoming games against teams like Purdue and Drake.

“She’s a tough kid and she gets beat up down there,” Gravina said.

“When you’re playing around the basket defensively, there’s a lot of contact and then when she got fouled on the rebound on the offensive end, too. It’s a hard world down there and she is a very strong kid. I think she looks strong and she’s even stronger than she looks.

I’m a little concerned about her health. I don’t think it’s anything serious but when it comes down to concussion-like symptoms, it gets scary fast. Obviously, we need her in these upcoming games, so hopefully she bounces back.”

Zars’ teammates notice the effort she puts in and are grateful for the work she puts together in the trenches.

“She has a huge impact,” Graettinger said. “And not even just statistically. She’s already had a couple huge games already but her ability to challenge shots around the rim that used to just be easy layups for other teams and she really brings an intensity and energy every game.”

Zars recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Kaufmann led the team in scoring with 25 points, followed by Graettinger with 13.

Freshman guard Jasmine Elder led the way for the Sycamores, recording 20 points. She was followed by the 6-foot-3 sophomore center, Pearl Dean, who scored 14.

The Leathernecks suit up next in a matchup against Purdue on Sunday, a game that they see much like the season opener against the University of Missouri.

“I think just coming out with that same mentality that we did against Mizzou,” Kaufmann said. “We got nothing to lose.”

Twitter: @starewaytodevon