Edge: Riverdale brings out the dark side in comics.
Opinions: Campus Recreation should revise official's training.
Monday, October 23, 2017 - Vol. 118 Issue 26
Sports: Western unable to get past conference-leading NDSU
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
By Tabi Jozwick courier staff
To bridge communication between the Office of the President and the Western Illinois University community, President Jack Thomas hosted a brown bag discussion in the University Union Bratton Lounge on Thursday. “I think it’s a good dialogue and people brought their questions and concerns to the forefront,” Thomas said. “I think it gave people an opportunity to express themselves, it gave us an opportunity to respond
and so people can go out and be well-informed about situations and things that they have questions about.” Thomas, as well as present faculty, gave extensive feedback during the open dialogue. “It’s really good for everybody to communicate and finding out how people are feeling about things as opposed to reading about it on Facebook or what the media thinks too,” said Russell Morgan, Associate Provost for Budgeting, Planning and Personnel. “It’s good to hear that people out there working with students and we didn’t
know what they’re experiencing and how they feel about things, so as we move forward, we’re trying to figure out what kind of university we are, what kind of programs are important, what we want to reinvest in and we need to understand where the facility is and where the students are as well in terms of their feelings about these matters.” One issue discussed was HB4103, a bill introduced to the Illinois House of Representatives by Rep. Dan Brady (R-Normal) that creates a uniform admission process for all the Illinois public uni-
versities and to prioritize the majors being offered within the Illinois public schools. If HB4103 comes into effect, it would mean that certain majors would be offered only at certain universities. It would also affect the arts and sciences majors the most because the arts and sciences courses make up a majority of the general education requirements. “I think it’s a poor idea,” Morgan said. “This is not the first time we heard of this kind of thing or the first state that came up with the idea either. A lot of times, these ideas come up when there are shortages of
resources and people are concerned about the economics of the state.” Morgan said that Ohio tried the approach to have their public institutions specialized in different majors, but it didn’t work out for them. As for it working for Western, he said due to the location, it would not be a good idea for Western to only focus on certain majors, but for it to be a comprehensive public university within the state of Illinois.
Brown Bag page 2
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
By Emily Stieren assistant news editor
The interest meeting for the 45th annual International Bazaar is this Wednesday. Attendees will learn how they can showcase their individual cultures at the event next year. “People who come to the meeting will learn what the International Bazaar is,” said Assistant Director of International Student Services, Dana Sistko. “They will learn what it is, how they can participate, and how they can be a part of it by building a booth, presenting, bringing food or participating in the fashion show.” The International Bazaar will
be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 5 to 10 p.m. in the University Union Grand Ballroom. Those present will be able to experience different cultures, food and diversities. “When you walk in, the whole room will be decorated with booths that the students have decorated,” Sistko said. “For instance, there might be a booth about China, where the students have decorated it with colorful decorations, Chinese symbols, lanterns and things like that. Each country will have food that people can buy and try different food from all around the world. There is also a large stage where there is entertainment all night long and a fashion show. It’s just
kind of showcasing different cultures from all over the world in one event.” This large event is a way to represent other countries and to showcase everyone’s unique cultural lifestyle. The upcoming interest meeting is for those interested in participating. “The interest meeting is for those who want to get involved,” said graduate assistant Aimiee Jones. “If you want to volunteer, if you want to have your own booth or if you want to be in the fashion show, that is what this meeting is for.” Volunteers do not have to be from out of the country to contribute to International Bazaar.
Sistko says that everyone — students, faculty, and community members — are welcome. “We want to clarify that you do not have to be an international student to have a booth at Bazaar,” Sistko said. “Last year, we had a student who had a Swedish heritage and she represented Sweden at the Swedish booth. Also, even if you are the only person from your country or representing your country, you can still do that. You just need to have some great friends who are willing to help you build the booth. It’s definitely not a oneperson job.” According to Jones, It is crucial for American and international societies to collaborate
and share stories, recipes and their culture among each other. “At a time that unity is so important, it is a really great opportunity for American students to learn about the International Student Center on campus and also for the international students to have an opportunity to represent themselves when they are so easily hidden in the student population,” said Jones. Everyone is encouraged to attend the interest meeting on Wednesday for a chance to be a part of the event. For more information regarding International Bazaar contact the Center for International Studies via email at CISActivities@wiu.edu.
2
Monday, October 23, 2017
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
Tabi Jozwick courier staff
Assistant Professor of Sociology Beate Wilson’s Introduction to Sociology class tackled the body myth portrayed in advertising on Wednesday by teaming with the Multicultural Center to display collages, poetry and other work for Love Your Body Day. “We are talking about the consequences of the socialization,” Wilson said. “We were talking about developing an identity, so I came across a reading by Karen Sternheimer and she talked about the beauty myth.” Wilson noticed that her students read magazines and thought to incorporate the magazines in the lesson plan. She told her students to bring in their magazines to class to take a closer look in the magazines,
Brown Bag from front page
The current situation of the state will be on many people’s minds for months and years to come and it could affect how things will be like not only at Western, but also at the other Illinois public universities. “I think it’s beneficial to get the issues out,” Morgan said. “As someone mentioned at the end, that it’s always great to have a face-to-face conservation as opposed to doing things through the media or online or whatever because
WC
resulting in the collages being created in how magazines presented people in them and discussed about their collages. “We talked about culture before, so we talked about values and norms and symbols and language,” Wilson said. “What is it that your collage represents and they start listing it and we talked about it. We realized that the representation in magazines is narrow. It does not show all of the man and woman for who they are truly are, so that’s how this whole thing started.” Magazine and advertising executives select people who fit their ideal vision of what beauty should be and use that person to create an image or brand. They even go so far to manipulate photographs — such as editing and altering a model’s skin complexion or even making a model
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
photo manipulation. “There’s a lot of good research being done that shows how you take a beautiful woman, the beauty myth and then you construct them in this ideal type of beauty within the magazine world,” Wilson said. The beauty myth in the magazines aforementioned by Wilson portrayed emphasized gender stereotypes about women. “So when you are thinking of a female and you’re thinking of her being usually tall, they were skinny, they were blonde, they were light skin, they were well dressed, the makeup was perfect, they were flawless, so this is kind of the female beauty myth.” Women are not the only people affected by advertising and propaganda, men are also affected and subliminally influenced by
advertising as well. “For the dress is interesting because when you are talking about the consumption of culture before that, and what my students know is what you have consumed and how you dress and this this a big one, your clothes, your makeup, your jewelry that you buy, right, it’s really says something about your wealth,” Wilson said. “You might not be a wealthy person, but what you’re wearing is something that is a name brand or something or a fancy necklace that makes you appear to be a better social class than what you are truly are, so we talked about the fragmentation of identity of who you are truly are by what it is who you let the world to be known as, so kind of an authentic self versus the social self.”
PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION
ADVERTISING POLICY
there’s misunderstandings sometimes. We can sit face to face, have back and forth and good discussions.” There will be more discussions with Thomas in the future with these brown bag conservations. “We have a quite a few of these discussions the past few weeks with the two town hall meetings and this brown bag, I just feel like we understand a lot more and humanize things,” Morgan said. “I’m a psychologist by trade, so of course, I think that you have to have people talking to make progress.”
STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Nicholas Ebelhack NA-Ebelhack@wiu.edu news editor Isaiah Herard IA-Herard@wiu.edu assistant news editor Emily Stieren EN-Stieren@wiu.edu opinions editor Shannon Norris SA-Norris@wiu.edu
Located on the third floor of the Heating Plant Annex on the south end of campus across from Sherman Hall.
appear visibly thinner — via computer software to achieve an image that the magazines and advertising executives wanted to portray. “They never take an average person, because in the beauty industry, the average is not what the average is in the general population,” Wilson said. “They have an ideal image of what constitutes a beautiful person, for both men and women. So, their construction of what is beautiful is different from our construction of what is beautiful for the average population, so it is their average, but it is not our social average, so no, they are not taking an average person and turning them into a model that is presented in a magazine.” Professional models acknowledge the fact their images are artificially created through
sports editor Mat McClanahan MD-McClanahanw@wiu.edu assistant sports editor Devon Greene DJ-Greene@wiu.edu edge editor Alyssa Hohman AM-Hohman@wiu.edu copy editor Joshua Defibaugh JG-Defibaugh@wiu.edu proofreader Valerie Clemens VN-Clemens@wiu.edu
proofreader Alexis Lowe AL-Lowe@wiu.edu proofreader Tacuma Venzant T-Venzant@wiu.edu photo editor Angel Strack AE-Strack@wiu.edu assistant photo editor Pedro Avila PJ-Avila@wiu.edu production manager Jessie Matias JM-Garcia@wiu.edu business manager Faith Rucker F-Rucker@wiu.edu advertising manager Patryk Mazur P-Mazur@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu
The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.
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 Nicholas Ebelhack or Will Buss at 309-298-1876.
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@WesternCourier
Monday, October 23, 2017
NEWS 3
Laye overcomes discrimination in the workplace
Jessie Matias/production manager
By Matthew Armour courier staff
Shayd Laye, a freshman at Western Illinois University, faced a big obstacle in his career, which eventually led him to apply to college. “I did three months of training as a software engineer and I got hired on as a data analyst, and I worked there for about five weeks, and then we had a Christmas party where I wore a pencil skirt,” Laye said, “The next day, I was fired thirty minutes after the business day started.” There could be a lot of different ways to react to the discrimination against his
sexuality, but Laye chose not to be bitter. Instead, it motivated him to pursue college and work harder toward his dream job. “I had wanted to attend post-secondary education already," said Laye, "So I kind of saw this as a moment where I could take the loss and move towards that goal again." Despite a temporary setback in terms of employment, Laye was able to overcome his feelings of regret and use it as a motivating factor to push forward. “I took some time to be sad about it, because it was an upsetting thing, but there was a moment where I just
had to pick it up and say this is a moment where I am going to choose to sink or swim, and so I used the resources that I had to deal with it,” said Laye. Laye’s family and friends encouraged him to not be affected by the intolerance of his former coworkers and boss. He soon realized that he needed supportive people in his life to lean on through this troubling time of unemployment more than ever. “I had a lot of really good people. For a while, I was really committed to doing things on my own without help and I quickly learned that that wasn’t going to lead me to success,” Laye said, “I
played a video from Marsha P. Johnson, who is the icon of the gay rights movement, she was ‘Marsha Pay-it-no-mind Johnson’ and I said I am not going to pay it any mind, I’m going to pay attention to the people who are going to help me.” The support and new mindset inspired Laye to consider higher education and before long, he was accepted to Western. “I just decided to do as much as I could and make it as far as I could without the job and ended up working a few other minimum wage jobs to get to the point where I could apply to different universities and I eventually
found Western and applied at Western and got accepted,” said Laye. Laye learned that he must have a balance between his personal and professional life in order to get hired. However, he advises everyone in the workplace to remain true to their own lifestyles and beliefs. “As an LGBTQ person you have to balance how much authenticity you’re willing to give to an employer with the realistic aspect of actually being hired and so for me, I feel that is something that is very important not to sacrifice because being visible is how marginalized communities survive,” Laye said.
4 OPINIONS
Monday, October 23, 2017
WesternCourier.com
Hold our refs to higher standards
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
ANGEL STRACK/PHOTO EDITOR
Students participate in the annual Big Pink Volleyball officiated by Campus Recreation staff.
Big Pink Volleyball, a signature Campus Recreation event that draws in extensive participation across campus, concluded last week. And aside from the winning teams, there was a common sentiment across the courts: the officiating, as usual, was terrible. Campus Recreation hires and trains its own referees for intramural sports and for organized events such as Big Pink Volleyball. But per my own experience and that of my Western Illinois University peers, the training for an intramural official is insufficient at its present state. I will concede that being a referee is stressful and thankless. I’ve seen people get excessively angry at referees who are just trying to do a job that nobody else would want to do, and there’s no reason to blame the person in black and white. The problem, in my view, lies within training. I’ve had a share of officiating
horror stories over the last three years, and the issue almost never is with whether the referee can see or identify a foul. Most campus referees from experience are competent enough to make a call on a play when they know the rule. Only when they know the rules, though, is where campus recreation is falling short. In two separate Big Pink Volleyball games that I played in last week, our ball collided with another ball from a different game. One game’s official called it interference and a redo was in order, and another called the ball too far out of play to matter. In another pair of games, the ball touched the Big Pink Volleyball banners in the recreation center (placing the banners over where the game is played was a terrible decision and needs to be addressed in future years). On day one, the referees called the ball dead when it touched the banner, but on day three I saw it
called fair. These inconsistencies aren’t just in Big Pink. They are in nearly every sport under the intramural umbrella. I’ve been in football games where the referees don’t know when a penalty results in a first down or for the play to be moved back. I’ve been in volleyball games where some call a block as a hit and some don’t. I’ve been in handball games where one ref called penalties for jumping over the line and in the next game a different ref didn’t. Whatever campus recreation is doing right now isn’t enough to train their officiating staff. While I admit I am unfamiliar with their current training procedures, what I have heard from friends of club teams is that new referees will officiate a mock game with the experienced players prior to officiating. But that isn’t enough. What I would suggest to Campus Recreation is a multiple-stage training program that consists of a written test that must be passed with a perfect score, officiating a mock game during which fouls are intentionally made to expose new referees to illegal play, and then officiating an exhibition where the game is played naturally to train referees to identify legal from illegal play. I love intramural sports, being on a team makes me commit to living an active lifestyle and to exercising on a schedule. But it’s disheartening to see inconsistencies in officiating. It’s impossible to be perfect, but Campus Recreation needs to be held to a standard of consistency when it comes to officiating.
Recently, I’ve noticed a growing trend on social media. From rappers to “experts,” many seem to be under the impression that our democracy is in dire trouble. I’ve seen many people comparing our nation to the Roman republic, citing how the Republic fell and the Caesars assumed control. Obscure news articles that quote so-called experts declaring our democracy has little time left. If you look at the state of affairs in our nation, in our world, you may agree. I’m here to tell you that democracy is still strong, and we will survive, no matter how bleak it may appear. Log into social media, any place where people share their worldviews, and you will see constant and vast disagreements. People may be disillusioned with our president, but it seems that we are mainly disillusioned with each other. People with differing worldviews have become strangers to us; we block them and unfriend them based on a status or a tweet. If you see this every day, you too may feel that democracy is dying. Our democracy is sick; we have trouble communicating with others about what we believe and what should be done. Many people are so tired of it all that they’d rather just live their lives and forget about the troubles of the world, let somebody else take care it. Our nation has its foundation in the principles of public action and voice. Discussion is the lifeblood of our nation. When these articles appear
on our newsfeed saying democracy is dying or we only have about 30 years until our nation becomes a monarchy, it’s somewhat easy to conceive. While our nation is toiling, while our nation is sick with civil unrest and disillusionment, we should not fear the end of democracy; we should recognize our nation’s hard strength to persevere. Not only has our nation been through worse, but we’ll go through worse again and come out stronger every time. We have survived many wars and many challenges only to grow closer as a people. Brothers fought against brothers in the great Civil War; people have destroyed each other based solely on the color of their skin; Nazis tried to take over the world, and here we stand together today. We are adapting to the effects of new technology, our children see a burning world every day, violence and turmoil and frosted flakes for breakfast, so it’s no wonder the world seems to be on fire. While “experts” may see a people so disillusioned that they will cease to vote and relinquish public sovereignty, I see a people who are not scared to speak, who are not scared to fight for what they believe in, but who are scared for their children’s future. Our unrest comes from the exposure to hatred we see every day, and while it may seem like democracy is falling apart, if we continue caring about our children’s future, our nation can never die.
October 23, 2017
Page 1
E2 EDGE
Monday, October 23, 2017
Riverdale
from E1
The first episode is basically a reintroduction of what ent down in that season one finale, but there are the beginnings of some very “deadly” plot points. The second episode of season two shows the outcome of Fred Andrews
and how it affected Archie. Archie has become increasingly paranoid about the shooter coming back for him or his dad. He stays up all night watching the doors in his house, waiting, with a bat, for the shooter. He even stoops to asking a friend for drugs to help him stay awake. Jughead and Betty try
to save Pop’s after it got a bad reputation from the shooting. They also find out that Jughead’s dad could be put in prison for 20 years, unless they get Cheryl and her mother to forgive him in court, for assisting in the murder of Jason Blossom. Betty even threatens Cheryl to make her agree to
WesternCourier.com forgive Jughead’s dad. Veronica and her father have a very strained relationship and it is causing a lot of tension, he wants them to be a family again and she does not trust him or her mother. Eventually, she realizes that she only has her family and wants to trust them again but it seems as though her
parents are not as innocent as they are leading her to believe. This new season seems to be picking up the pace and really making a name for itself right off the bat. There is still much to come and many new characters and plots to meet in this upcoming season.
“Scandal” final season full of unexpected twists and turns
FLICKR.COM
ABC fan favorite, “Scandal” is back in action for its final season. Viewers are anxiously waiting to see how this thrilling television show ends. This most recent episode starts off by former President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) wanting to have a normal life out of office by doing regular things such as driving his own vehicle, making his own food and going out to stores and purchasing things himself.
Unfortunately, it is not at all that easy due to Grant being bombarded by paparazzi every step of the way. I think this is very realistic today because regardless of when you served public office, you will always have some sort of paparazzi folloing you and have certain people wathcing your each and every move. Throughout this episode, Grant’s assistant Marcus Walker (Cornelius Smith Jr.) is angry with Grant
because he feels that he is an insane narcissist and not a team player. Marcus and Grant get into a fistfight over rant calling Marcus a phony and a coward. Grant makes the initial contact of punching Marcus in the face, which then turns into Marcus storming out of the room. I was extremely shocked by this scene because it went from a small argument to an actual physical fight with the former President of the United States. It blows my mind that someone was willing to get into an altercation with Grant. The final 10 minutes of this episode revolve around Grant and Olivia
Pope’s father, Eli Pope (Joe Morton), discussing how Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is a problem. Olivia’s father warns Grant that she is the most powerful person in the world. Olivia has taken a dark turn and is now the new Command in charge of B613, a spy agency. B613 is a secret organization that does the dirty work; killing people and making them pay for their mistakes. I think something that always intrigues me back to watching this show is the never ending conflicts that have to be solved and seeing what the main characters end up doing. There are mul-
tiple storylines within this series and it is very interesting to see how all of them come together as one. This episode focused on Grant for almost the entire episode which is uncommon now due to Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) having been put into power as the President. I believe that Shonda Rhimes, who is both the producer and screenwriter of this show, chose to focus on Grant this episode due to a lack of screen time for his character since he left office. Check out the next dramatic episode that will air this Thursday on ABC at 8:00pm.
Want to write for EDGE? Contact am-hohman@wiu.edu
Edge 3
Monday, October 23, 2017
@WesternCourier
“Pentatonix”loses bass singer Avi Kaplan
FLICKR.COM
For those who have not heard of them, Pentatonix is a popular a cappella group originally from Texas. The group has sold millions of albums, won three Grammy Awards, has released many albums, and millions of followers on YouTube. Pentatonix has had the
same five members since their rise to fame; Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin K.O. Olusola and Avi Kaplan; until this past May, that is. In May the group announced that bass vocalist Avi Kaplan was leaving the group. The announcement was made in a
tearful video on their YouTube page. In the video, Kaplan explains that the group’s pace with music production was too fast and that he needed to take some time to be with his family and friends. Luckily, earlier this month, the group announced that they are adding a new member, Matt Sallee. Sallee will be the group’s new bass vocalist. Sallee will be joining Pentatonix for their annual Christmas album and will be around for at least
the holiday season for now. I hope that Sallee will fit as seamlessly into the group as Kaplan did and balance out the group once more. Kaplan stayed with the group for the remainder of their tour and then went off on his own. He is now doing some individual work as well as working with a local band; they are called Avriel and the Sequoias. Pentatonix released one of the singles on their upcoming album, their first
song/video without Kaplan. The group did a cover of “Away in a Manger.” While the cover was beautiful, that deep bass was missing. The rest of the group members have high voices and Kaplan’s deep base really balanced out the group. The group’s new album “A Pentatonix Christmas” was released Friday and can be downloaded or streamed on your favorite music platform — Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Sound Cloud — now.
JESSIE MATIAS PRODUCTION MANAGER
“No one leaves unless they’re willing to pay the price,” seems easy to say for any situation, but in the Netflix documentary “One of Us,” Hasidic Judaism defectors show that the price of freedom is a constant constraint that is a struggle to repay. The film, directed and produced by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (who directed others like “Jesus Camp,” “Detropia”) follows the lives of three adults who left the Hasidic community in pursuit of freedom, and demonstrates
how disagreeing with their previous way of life has led them to misery at the hands of their former families. Of the three, the two men tell a story very similar to that of TLC’s “Breaking Amish:” enough questioning leads them to pursue life in a secular society. Ari, a college aged man and recent defector, struggles with adapting to technology and realizes that he is not prepared to live in the world he wants and is constantly confronted by members of the com-
munity. In many scenes, Ari is seen on the outside, embracing his Judaism but shunned from the sense of belonging. In contrast, Luzer demonstrates the continued effects of defection from the Hasidic life. Pursuing a career as an actor in Los Angeles, he struggles with two different realities. The first is his current life making ends meet as an Uber driver living out of an RV, and the second, dealing with his former Hasidic life and the knowledge that he left his wife, children and other relatives. While Luzer still embraces his heritage in his acting, his conflict lies with whether or not he would have preferred one life or the other.
Etty, however, serves as the film’s centerpiece. While the men left to pursue a secular lifestyle, Etty left to protect herself and her seven children from the abuse, sexism and educational harm that is ingrained in the Hasidic lifestyle. Over three years, Etty is shown coping with constant harassment from the Hasidic community as it attempts to reclaim the children from secularism. The documentary emphasizes how the Hasidic community is hard to break, even when facing the law. In Brooklyn, they have created their own schools to teach traditional values, have their own volunteer police service and have developed an intricate support
network that defies modern societal perceptions. The Hasidic Jews draw influence by pooling together money for the best lawyers and electing Hasidic-supporting candidates with their aggressive voter turnout. “One of Us” demonstrates how that power can be used as aggression toward defectors with disregard to secular law. The film portrays how beautiful Judaism is in contrast with Hasidic influences. In between the three defector ’s stories, the film tries to show how the issue is with the Hasidic community and not with Hasidic Judaism.
One of Us
page E4
E4 EDGE
One of Us from E3
Most of the film is shot well, with the last 20 or so minutes featuring some strong artistic choices, such as when Luzer goes through old photos and letters and his emotions flow through each flip, or in Etty’s final scene, which I will not mention to avoid spoiling
Monday, October 23, 2017 her outcome. The issue I do have with the film though is in the interviews. In order to get a hiddencamera feel, the editor occasionally blurs a large portion of the side of the frame, and it’s distracting once you notice it. Additionally, there are some interviews where jump cuts are used excessively to cut down on pauses, even though a pause in speech would be
helpful at times. Most times the shots are framed well, but in a lot of shots that are set up in a controlled environment, the camera is overly shaky and sometimes half of the subject’s head is even cut out on wider shots. Overall though, it’s shot well, and the directors balance the three stories evenly while jumping between them. Most of all though, the doc-
WesternCourier.com umentarians really worked Etty’s story well. Between her court struggles, calls to 911 and the interaction that she has with her support group, her story is one of the best told on Netflix. The whole 90 minutes could have easily been about Etty and her experience, and it might have been better if they did, but Luzer and Ari’s stories are just as evident to their claims about the Hasidic community.
“One of Us” is not revolutionary by any means, but it is a strong production centered around strong storytelling. The camerawork is a small blemish for an intriguing tale, and it’s interesting to see just how influential a relatively small group of people without internet access can be. If you are in the market for something short but powerful, it should be your next pick.
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” has audiences laughing out loud.
VIIMEO.COM
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is a sequel just as funny as the original “Kingsman”. The combination of the writing, the cast and outrageous stunts make for a hysterical comedy. Returning to their roles include Taron Egerton as Eggsy, Mark Strong as Merlin, Edward Holcroft as Charlie, and a surprise comeback character, that I will not spoil. There were also a number of big names joining the cast including Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Elton John, Jeff Bridges and Pedro Pascal. The movie starts off with a bang, well a car chase.
The action is intense for the first few minutes of the film as Eggsy fights off Charlie, the rejected Kingsman applicant, and his backup, during an epic car chase through London. The fight ends with big explosions and a quick escape to a secret hideaway. Once Eggsy has gotten out of immediate danger he tries to figure out how he can get to a very important dinner without getting caught by the police. Merlin clues Eggsy in on a way out without getting caught but it is not pleasant. Eggsy makes his way through the sewers and re-
turns home, to his lovely girlfriend, Tilde (Hanna Alstrom). The two make their way to a friend’s birthday dinner, where we find out Eggsy is meeting Tilde’s parents for the first time the next day. They convince one of the guys to watch their dog for the dinner and the evening festivities continue. The following day Eggsy meets Tilde’s parents, the King and Queen of Sweden. He is understandable nervous and wears his glasses and earpiece so that he can be coached by his friend and colleague, Roxy (Sophie Cookson), to impress the in-laws. While at the dinner, tragedy strikes as missiles are launched and destroying all of the Kingsman agents and their headquarters. Merlin and Eggsy are the only two surviving Kings-
man and are required to activate the doomsday protocol. After getting wasted on some American Whisky, Merlin and Eggsy discover a clue that leads them to a whisky distillery in Kentucky. The two find themselves in a different secret organization called Statesman, the American equivalent to England’s Kingsman agency. Merlin and Eggsy join the Statesman to fight off this films evil power, Poppy (Julianna Moore) the world’s largest drug dealer. The rest of the film is gross, funny and even heartwarming at times. The acting is often overdone but to a degree that works with the absurdity of the film. “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is as unique as the first film, the two are definitely stand apart from other action comedies. The
vulgar and violent nature of these films is unmatched; with only the superhero movie “Deadpool” coming to mind as somewhat similar. I was pleasantly surprised that Channing Tatum’s role was not overpowering. It was also very strange seeing him play such a country boy, missing teeth, chew and all. His character was that of the young, cocky, wild agent who has a lot of learning to do and wound up getting himself into quite a bit of trouble. Halle Berry was a background character, who was a little sheepish, which seemed off. The rest of the casting choices seemed more natural though. Of course you will have to watch and see for yourself. If you are looking for a good laugh, “Kingsman” is definitely a film to consider.
OPINIONS 5
Monday, October 23, 2017
@WesternCourier
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
With healthcare reform in the news again last week, a Republican bill authored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy — which would have turned healthcare into a state’s issue rather than a federal one, and including block grants rather than federal subsidies — failed in the Senate after Democrats were unwilling to come to the table, as usual, a couple of RINO (Republican in Name Only) holdouts refused to vote for it and Senator Rand Paul withdrew his support. With premiums shooting up again, and getting worse and
worse depending on which state you are in and Congress unable to craft a suitable remedy, President Donald Trump turned to his “pen and phone,” as former President Barack Obama put it, to force change in the healthcare marketplace. With premiums rising by 25 percent between 2016 and 2017, 116 percent in Arizona, 69 percent in Oklahoma and 43 percent according to Politifact in the great state of Illinois, something clearly needed to be done to address this issue, one that affects millions of families every single day.
And while we’re feeling thankful, we can all appreciate the ideological stoutness of Paul. This is a senator who voted against Graham-Cassidy not because it was too critical and threatening to the Affordable Care Act, as John McCain did earlier this year, but because his campaign promises to his constituents included a full repeal of ObamaCare, which Graham-Cassidy certainly didn’t do. Now, we have some actual action being performed by Trump that, among other things, allows consumers to go to exchanges across state lines, increasing competition and lowering costs, but most important, stops the direct subsidies to insurance companies. These subsidies, disguised as a way for insurance companies to lower premiums for consumers, actually allow them to line
their pockets and continue raising prices for everyday Americans, which they have continued to do following the passage of ObamaCare. The fact that liberals, so-called champions of the poor and middle class, not only accept this practice but explicitly condone it, is absolutely mind boggling. And for those still laughably claiming that “ObamaCare increased the number of people with health insurance by twenty million,” they are committing a very basic mistake in judging incentive structures. When someone is told they must buy something just for being alive, or be fined for not doing so, it makes a great deal of sense why the numbers of people enrolled has increased so dramatically. With skyrock-
eting premiums, high deductibles and less and less money in the average American’s pocket as a result of these two things, I honestly would not call ObamaCare a success in any real sense, but rather just another hindrance to middle and working class families who are forced to subsidize, via their insurance premiums and tax dollars, the health care of the very boomers who got us into this mess in the first place. The President’s executive order on healthcare, in the wake of a piece of legislation — the “Affordable” Care Act — that defied the laws of supply and demand and lost, certainly is not a permanent solution to the absolute debacle that is our current healthcare system. But it is a good start.
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
JESSIE MATIAS/PRODUCTION MANAGER
The health care issue in Washington has been going on for years but is no closer to a resolution. It seems at least weekly we now get updates about President Donald Trump’s or congress’ activities with healthcare, a healthcare bill or healthcare reform. It also isn’t news that Trump is doing everything in his power to deconstruct and pick apart the Affordable Care Act, which he denotes as ObamaCare, while Republicans still have control of congress and he still sits in the Oval Office. He has even gone as far as to bash members of his own party if they disagree with what proposals either he or Republican leaders put out, most notably Senator John McCain who has come to the floor to shut down bill proposals even when ill. Recent healthcare news from the end of last week has left many upset and understandably so. In an attempt to break up aspects of ObamaCare, the Trump administration stated that it would stop paying out subsidies to insurance companies that were meant
to help cover medical costs for low-income families. The reason behind the move was because Trump believes that the subsidies are for the insurance companies themselves. The stocks of the insurance companies affected dropped the next day by at least three percent according to the New York Times. Some health care providers also saw their stocks take a hit of at least 3 percent. To add insult to injury, Trump posted a tweet celebrating the falling stocks as a victory over the Democrats. Thankfully, there are still some people in government positions who listen to reason. Attorney Generals from 18 states and D.C. Washington filed a lawsuit against the decision to stop the subsidy payments. Stating that it would force people to choose between health care and basic necessities like food and rent. The fact that this lawsuit is even needed is a little concerning. The consequences of this decision were pretty obvious before the attorney generals needed to remind
the president. If you take away money that is supposed to help lower-income families pay for medical bills, those families probably won’t be able to pay it anymore. Which will lead to unpaid bills and higher premiums. The Congressional Budget Office even warned that taking away the subsidies would raise insurance premiums, as well as affect the government run health insurance markets and overall increase the federal deficit. Those warnings though fell on deaf ears. Trump is so invested on undoing everything that former President Barack Obama did that I’m starting to think that may be the whole purpose of why Trump ran for present. Trump’s distaste for Obama is very well documented, including accusations that Obama was not born in the U.S. and demanded his birth certificate. Obama finally gave in and ended up roasting Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. Trump was very clearly not happy at the completely expected and deserving mockery of him and could possibly be the motivation of why he ran for president and why he’s willing to hurt the people he swore he would help during his campaign. Only time will tell.
Monday, October 23, 2017
6 SPORTS
Football
from back page
Western forced another Bison punt that was shanked, then Western’s offense started the drive at mid-field with eight minutes left in the game. On the first play of the drive, McGuire threw a jump ball to the MVFC receiving leader, Acklin, are gave the Leathernecks first and goal from the five yard line. Western was unable to convert and turned the ball over on downs, NDSU took over at their own three yard line. The Leatherneck defense forced an NDSU punt and McGuire connected with Acklin to put Acklin over 100 yards on the day. Later that drive, McGuire missed Gaston and threw his first interception of the day to give the Bison the ball back with two minutes to play. NDSU got the ball back and got into victory formation and let the clock expire. “That one hurt, because we had to get that one in. We had to score the touchdown there and not settle for three because it still would have been a two-
WesternCourier.com
score game,” Fisher said. "They are a team that knows how to bleed the clock, so we had to go for it there. Obviously our guys competed and we knew we had a great challenge. We played a heck of a football team.” Western will host South Dakota State University next weekend at home to try and get their sixth win of the season. Western was in this same position last year, sitting at 5-2 after a loss to NDSU, but a second half melt down took Western’s chance of making the playoffs. Last year, the Leathernecks finished the year 6-5 losing three of their last four games. “We had a lot of opportunities to take control of the game and we didn’t. You can’t fault our effort for anything, but at the end of the day we just didn’t get the job done,” said Western senior linebacker Brett Taylor. “We aren’t thinking about last year, that was 2016 this is 2017. We have a completely different team and we are moved on, we are not thinking about last year at all.” Twitter:@MacIsland13
CLASSIFIEDS
WC
For Rent
For Rent
For Rent
1 & 2 bedroom apartments, new $250 signing bonus on 10 and 12 month leases. Two blocks from campus. Bus stops nearby. Free water, garbage and parking. Laundry onsite. Clean, well maintained and secure. Call Ted 309-837-5600 or visit markertrental.com.
LARGE STUDENT RENTALS 5 and 6 Bedroom Homes are still available!! Ask for our $1000.00 Discount program! Firsrt 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
Spacious 2-5 bedroom homes for rent. 10 month lease available. Great locations, close to bus stops, plenty off street parking, all new windows, AC, energy efficient furnace, hardwood and ceramic tile floors, free washer/dryer. Well maintained (24 hrs.) by local landlord. Call 309-255-1233. Houses for Rent 2016/2017: A&D Real Estate has several 3, 4 and 5 bedroom houses for rent, all with at least 2 bathrooms, recently rennovated and located close to campus. Call for a tour or visit our website at www.wiucollegerentals.com. Local landlord with a focus on clean and updated housing with personal service for your college housing needs. 309-313-1122. FALL INTO SAVINGS with Charleston Boulevard Apartments! Now offering SPECIAL RATES through Dec. 2017! Call for specific details 309-833-4545!. NICE, CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED 1 TO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES FOR 2016-2017 Our houses have hard wood floors, ceramic tile, central air, washer and dryer and are close to campus with plenty of parking. We offer a ten month lease so you don’t pay for the months you aren’t here. Please call 309-255-1959 for a showing. Now showing for 2017 & 2018 year 2, 3, and 5 bedrooms homes all close to campus. Call 309-331-4565. Westen Investments 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! 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.
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. CLEAN, REMODELED, AND WELL MAINTAINED HOUSES AND APTS FOR RENT IN GREAT LOCATIONS. UTILITIES PAID FOR APARTMENTS. RENTING NOW FOR FALL 2017. ALSO RENTING TWO APTS FOR SPRING 2016. CALL JASON AT 309-221-3985. 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.
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. Westen Investments still has affordable 1-4 Bedroom Apartment/Houses available. Be sure to check out our website (www.westeninvest.com) to see our available listings, and call our office at 309-833-5995 to schedule a showing. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to win prize giveaways! APARTMENT FOR RENT: FOR QUIET PERSON. ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT LOCATED AT 314 West Carroll ST Macomb, Ill 61455. Available end of August 2017-new carpeting yearly lease SMALEST FURNISHED IN MACOMB $345.00/month - HEAT & AC INCLUDED private entrance, off-street parking included call for appointment309-837-4748 or 255-5075 woodburning fireplace, ask for Paul. Bartender Wanted. Looking for a fun, outgoing person to bartend in a small town atmosphere. No experience necessary, will train. Flexible hours, nights and weekends. Only 20 minutes from Macomb in Blandinsville, IL. Contact 2 Doors Down at 309-652-3611, or Anne at 309-221-3945, or stop in during business hours for an application.
Sports 7
Monday, October 23, 2017
@WesternCourier
Leathernecks fall prey to Coyotes
By Bradley Piros courier staff
VERMILLION, S.D.- The Leathernecks went to the University of South Dakota Coyotes in need of some league points, however, they were not able to do so. Either way, the Coyotes got the win, boosting them to 4-11, while the Leathernecks sink to 2-13, both teams with two games left. USD was able to get the close 1-0 victory to put them at 2-3 in Summit League action, as they sit at fifth in the league, while Western sits at seventh. The game was pretty even statistically, as the Coyotes only outshot the Leathernecks 16-11, and 7-5 on goal. The game started out a little slow in the first 20 minutes as both teams showed little offense, but it was primarily Western in the early moments. In the first 25 minutes of the game, Western took three shots, two of them going wide, and the other being saved by senior goalkeeper Sydney Hardin. USD took an early pair of shots as well both went high and over the net, not a problem for the Leathernecks.
The rest of the first half was in favor of Western, as they out-shot the Coyotes 8-3 heading into half time. Western was doing everything right, but they were just unable to put one in the back of the net past Hardin made three saves that half. The score would stay even at zero heading into halftime. The Leathernecks were looking to keep their momentum heading into the second half, but quickly realized that they weren’t able to do so. The Coyotes came right out of the gate with pressure to keep the Leathernecks on their heels, as they to outshot Western 13-3, completely changing the momentum of the game. The Leathernecks were able to get one early shot off in the 48th minute, but it was blocked, leading to a counter attack where a shot from sophomore forward Taryn Labree was also blocked. The ball went out of bounds leading to a USD corner kick, their first of the day. This was their first out of seven in a row, as possession at that time was all to the Coyotes. This surge of offense led to three
shots as well, two of them going wide left and the other being blocked. All of these opportunities for the Coyotes eventually led to their first goal, the only goal in the game. It came in the 68th minute from sophomore midfielder Kellee Willer, as the ball was loose inside the sixyard box Sophomore forward Amanda Carpio passed it over to Willer as she tapped it into the bottom left corner; giving the Coyotes a 1-0 lead. The final 20 minutes of the match were all USD as they went on to take seven more shots on goal to Western’s two. The Coyotes looked as if they were going to score in the 78th minute, as they were awarded a corner kick which led to a shot that had to be saved by sophomore goalie Ines Palmiero. The game finished 1-0, as USD now has a two-game win streak, while Western is on a three-game losing streak. The Leathernecks are looking to finish strong as they see their last competiton of the season in a touch matchup this Thursday against the University of Omaha. Twitter: bradjp08
pedro avila/ assistant photo editor
Ines Palmiero handles the ball in a home matchup.
Volleyball drops fourth straight By Brie Coder courier staff
Shiah Sanders serves in a home game
victoria ketterer/ courier staff
The Western Illinois University Leathernecks (6-16) volleyball team fell short for the second time against the University of South Dakota Coyotes (12-8) last Friday. The Purple and Gold found early momentum in the first set, but didn’t gain any traction in sets two and three. The Leathernecks wore pink jerseys during the game in support of Pinktober, a campaign centered on breast cancer awareness. Western started fast in the first set by gaining a quick 4-0 lead. Junior right side hitter Shiah Sanders and freshman outside hitter Emma Norris recorded two early kills in the first set. Red shirt freshman outside hitter Mackenzie Steckler added two aces to the 4-0 lead. The Coyotes quickly rebounded and went up to 19-8, and won the set 25-11. South Dakota maintained the momentum in the second set with a 9-2 run. Down 17-11, the purple and gold won five of six
points to pull within three at 18-15. The Coyotes were able to make a comeback and win the set, 25-17. Down 3-0, the Leathernecks put together four-straight points to take the lead in the third set. In the middle of the set, South Dakota gained six of the eight points to take the lead 19-12. This did not stop Western as they scored four points to pull within three, at 19-16. The Coyotes would strike back against the purple and gold to win the set 25-18, and the overall game 3-0. There were several game status leaders on behalf of Western. Senior outside hitter Shalyn Greenhaw led the team with seven kills. Junior middle/right side hitter Emilee Dechant had five kills, and two blocks. Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Claire Grove recorded 12 digs. Sanders had three kills, and one ace. Steckler also had three kills, three aces and one block. Steckler also placed fourth in the league with a hitting percentage of .332 during Friday’s game. For South Dakota, junior
outside hitter Hayley Dotseth led the Coyotes with her tenth double-double of the season, with 13 kills and 13 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Anne Rasmussen led the defense with 26 digs. Junior outside hitter Kristina Susak added eight kills. Along with Susak, junior middle block Taylor Wilson also had eight kills. Sophomore outside hitter Elizabeth Loschen added nine digs. Senior setter Brittany Jessen concluded the highlights with eight digs, five kills and 29 assists. Western hosted their next game against Oral Roberts University yesterday at Western Hall. The purple and gold are now heading on the road for two straight games. The first on the road game will be against The University of Nebraska on Friday. The second will be against South Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 4. After Nov. 4, the Leathernecks will have three home games, and finish the season at the Summit League Championships Nov. 17-19 in Denver, Colo.
Thundering Herd roll past Necks
GOLEATHERNECKS.COM
Brett Taylor stares into the heart of the NDSU offense on his way to a game high 16 tackles.
By Mat McClanahan sports editor
FARGO, N.D. — More than 18,000 fans filed into the Fargo Dome to see the top ten matchup between Western Illinois University (No. 10) and the North Dakota State Bison (No. 2). A back and forth first half gave Leatherneck fans hope, but the Bison ultimately took down the Leathernecks 24-12. Western moves to 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in conference play, while the Bison remain undefeated after a seventh consecutive victory. “I told our players that we were going to spill it out, not play with any regrets and move forward,” said Western’s head coach Charlie Fisher. “We were right there and had a chance, but couldn't make a few plays. I tip my hat to North Dakota State. They came out in the second half and they made more plays than we did.” Western won the coin toss and took the ball, but promptly took a sack to start the game that led to a three and out.
On the Bison’s first drive, a quarterback scramble on third down kept their offense on the field. The next play, a 50 yard hook up from NDSU junior quarterback Easton Stick to junior wide receiver Darrius Sheppard, brought the Bison to a quick 0-3 lead. On Western’s next drive, the offense turned it around. The Leathernecks drove down the field as junior quarterback Sean McGuire converted a pair of third downs with his legs and gave Western their first red-zone appearance of the day. The drive ended with a 32 yard field goal from sophomore placekicker Sam Crosa to tie the game at three a piece with five minutes left in the first quarter. The first touchdown of the game came just two plays after the Leatherneck field goal. On second down, Western’s junior linebacker Quentin Moon picked off a pass and returned it 42 yards to give Western their first lead of the game. The extra point was blocked, but Western went up six points with two minutes left in the first quarter, 9-3.
The Western defense was not finished, as junior safety Justin Fitzpatrick baited Stick and helped Western get their second turnover on the day. However, Western could not capitalize and was forced to punt on the first play of the second quarter. The Bison took advantage on offense and burned through the clock. Western did not shed a point on the long drive, the stout Leatherneck defense forced NDSU to turn the ball over on downs. On the following first down, sophomore running back Max Norris rushed for eight yards, but the Leathernecks could not convert a first down and went three and out for the second time of the game. The Bison were able to reclaim the lead when junior cornerback Xavier Rowe fell down, leaving senior wide receiver RJ Urzendowski wide open for a 55 yard touchdown to bring the score 10-9. The Leathernecks got the ball back with just two-minutes left in the half and the Leathernecks marched down the field. A pair of tough
catches from junior running back Steve McShane helped the Leathernecks find the red zone. Back-to-back sacks took the Leathernecks out to the 35 yard line. Western was still able to fight back and reclaim the lead with a 52 yard field goal from sophomore kicker Nathan Erickson, 12-10. The kick was the first 50 yard field goal since 2008, it was also Erickson’s first field goal attempt of the season. The Bison got the ball to start off the second half, Western did what they could, but the Bison found their way into the end zone for the second time of the day. Stick rolled out for a one yard run on an 11 play drive for the score to give NDSU a 17-12 lead. On Western’s first drive of the half they came up empty handed and went three and out for the second straight possession. After the Western punt, Stick used his legs to get into Leatherneck territory. Stick then found Urzendowski to put the Bison at the Western eight yard line for first and goal. The very next play, Stick used his legs to give the Bison
a double digit lead, 24-12. Western would not give up, on their next possession they got their first first down of the half. A catch from McShane, followed by a 14 yard catch from senior wide receiver Jaelon Acklin helped Western get into Bison territory. However, the NDSU defense found their footing and forced the Leathernecks to punt. NDSU had the ball to start the fourth quarter, but the Leatherneck defense stopped the Bison offense for the first time since the pick six in the first quarter. NDSU punted the ball for the first time of the game. Western’s offense took the field, and McGuire found sophomore receiver Brandon Gaston for a first down that got Western into Bison territory. The NDSU defense stopped the Leathernecks after the Gaston catch, Western’s punt team was forced onto the field for the sixth time with 12 minutes to play.
Football page 6