Opinions: New talent continues to emerge in country music
Sports: Lakers earn a special win on Kobe Bryant Day
WesternCourier.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 - Vol. 121 Issue 2
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Student meal plan takes $1,140 cut By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief As of the Fall 2020 semester, the meal plan at Western Illinois University has drastically changed. The plan has transformed from retail pricing to residential pricing, meaning it is now geared towards the dining options in the residence halls as the primary component, with all other options as luxuries. In Fall 2019, the basic meal plan, which is the minimum plan required for all students living on campus, was a $1,900 plan. This year, the plan has been cut down by more than half to a mere $760. These changes have aeady been made on STARS and are reflected in student meal plan balances. When asked about changes to the meal plan, many students replied with answers along the lines of, “What changes?” but others, like sophomore student Caitlyn McClain, were aware of the new details of the plan. McClain, a current resident on campus, said, “This plan does
not make sense to me. Now, you are not going to be refunded a portion of the money you do not spend. In addition, the amount of money in the plan was drastically reduced, whereas the cost of the dining hall food is still not low enough. The plan allows for most of my meals to be around $7, while in reality, they are usually $10 if I get sides and a drink. I understand that the dining halls want more people to spend their money there, but this limits the options of students in general. Also, many students are not aware of the change and they may spend their money quickly without even knowing what they are doing.” Perhaps the most significant impact the meal plan alterations will have will be on students’ purchases in the University Union. While the cost of the food in the dining halls has gone down in accordance with the meal plan, the food in the Union remains the same as it was when the plan was much larger. A standard meal in the Union will now cost about four times as much as a Sodexo meal. This means if students opt to eat in the Union at Chick-fil-A or
Einstein’s Bros Bagels for more than a few meals a week, their meal plan will likely not last the semester. It is apparent by the lines in the Union over the past few days that this change is not yet deterring students from getting their fast food fix in between classes. While the change is available on the University website for anyone to view, there was also an email sent out directly to students living on campus this semester. The email from University Housing and Dining Services reads, “Western Illinois University Dining Services recently went through a dining contract update. You will notice some changes to the new meal plan and we have highlighted the most frequently asked questions on our website.” The question remains of whether or not these meal plan changes will remain in place or will be reverted for next semester, as well as if students have read their emails diligently enough to be aware of the alterations.
Sports on Page 7: Major League Baseball returns FOLLOW US ONLINE @WESTERNCOURIER
WIU.EDU The UHDS website provides a weekly breakdown for students.
Opinions on Page 5: Why is having a set schedule beneficial? OPINIONS 4 | SPORTS BACK PAGE
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
NEWS
WesternCourier.com
Panhellenic formal recruitment to be fully virtual this year
By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief The Panhellenic Council recently broke the news that formal recruitment, usually a three day elaborate in-person process, will fully shift to a virtual format in light of the risks surrounding in person events during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recruitment will take place using the Zoom platform. The overall structure of the weekend will remain the same, but instead of a potential new member (PNM) visiting the chapters in the union or at their facilities, all engagement will take place virtually. PNMs will have the opportunity to meet women from every chapter on the first day, view virtual house tours when applicable and participate in the mutual selection process just as they would during a “normal” recruitment season. The new Panhellenic Council Advisor Andie Kobrick, who is a first-year student in the College Student Personnel program, stated, "NPC sent national communication to all of its 800+ member campuses stating that
they would prefer institutions to proceed with a fully virtual recruitment process. This is for the health and safety of chapter members, staff, potential new members and the Western Illinois University community as a whole." NPC, as Kobrick called it, is the National Panhellenic Conference. This organization serves as the governing body of all Panhellenic communities at schools across the nation. They provide guidance for Panhellenics when it comes to recruitment, membership development, scholarship and various other areas. Essentially, they make decisions on a larger scale that impacts all collegiate branches of National Panhellenic. Kobrick said, “They have been very involved in the “return to campus” plan nationally and we have been in constant communication with them to make sound and fair decisions for the community. It was a difficult decision to go virtual, but the health and safety of the community is our utmost priority.” Marisa Santore, a senior student here at Western Illinois
University, said, “As a member of Delta Zeta, I am extremely sad to see recruitment go to a virtual format, but I am intrigued and excited to see all of what is to come. Meeting virtually is the safest way to bring women into our community during this time. Although it will be a completely different experience from what we are used to, I am open and willing to do whatever it takes to safely welcome new women into our Panhellenic community here at Western.” While recruitment will look different than usual on this campus, with less of the pomp and circumstance of girls dressed up walking into the University Union, running home on “Bid Day” or filming recruitment videos, Kobrick, along with Vice President of Recruitment Brittany Eads, hope to maintain a sense of normalcy, along with the values of the Panhellenic Council, throughout the entire process. Their primary goal is to unite PNMs with chapters that are their home away from home for the remainder of their years here at Western Illinois. INSTAGRAM @PHCWIU
WIU and UPI reach tentative Memorandum of Agreement By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief Western Illinois University and the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 (UPI) are pleased to report that the two groups have reached a tentative Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding COVID-19 and University operations for 2020-2021 academic year, subject only to legal review. "I am pleased we've reached an agreement with the UPI leadership. The agreement upholds the health and safety of our employees, while
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
maintaining educational quality for our students. While our modifications to provide a safe work environment for all employees require added costs, these are essential commitments in our efforts for a successful academic semester" said Western Illinois University Interim President Martin Abraham. "I would like to thank the members of the bargaining teams for the many hours they have invested in this effort since the middle of July in bringing this to a successful conclusion." The MOA must be approved and signed by Abraham and UPI leadership.
"UPI is pleased that we have reached an agreement with the Western Illinois University leadership that addresses the health and safety of the University community," said UPI Western Illinois University Chapter President Bill Thompson. "UPI supports extending similar benefits to all employees on campus. Our members will provide, as they always do, a rich and challenging educational experience for our students. The union also thanks the members of both teams for coming to an agreement." Consistent with the MOA, the University has begun COVID-19 testing procedures for faculty, staff and stu-
STAFF MEMBERS editor-in-chief Rachel Greene
proofreader Mary Kilbourne
R-Greene2@wiu.edu
MC-Kilbourne@wiu.edu
news editor Rachel Greene
photo editor Sara Remar
R-Greene2@wiu.edu
SE-Remar@wiu.edu
opinions editor Allison Young
assistant photo editor Sara Remar
AN-Young@wiu.edu
SE-Remar@wiu.edu
sports editor Chris Bean
production manager Brandon Trost
CR-Bean@wiu.edu
BL-Trost@wiu.edu
assistant sports editor Chris Bean
business manager Janiya Haynes
CR-Bean@wiu.edu
J-Haynes2@wiu.edu
edge editor Peyton Finnegan
assistant business manager Nash Miller
PM-Finnegan@wiu.edu
NK-Miller@wiu.edu
copy editor Amanda Wandachowicz
advertising manager Tyler Hoffman
A-Wandachowicz@wiu.edu
TE-Hoffman@wiu.edu adviser Will Buss WJ-Buss@wiu.edu
dents, has plans to install more than 300 HEPA air purifiers in classrooms on the Macomb and Moline campuses and has further enhanced cleaning and other protocols. In addition, the MOA further accommodates faculty who wish to teach remotely, and provides additional compensation for teaching increased class sections due to reduced classroom capacities. The full MOA will be available at wiu.edu/provost. Courtesy of University Relations
PUBLISHING AND CIRCULATION The Western Courier is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the regular school year, excluding holidays, finals week and semester breaks. The WC updates the website weekly during the summer. All content reflects the editorial discretion of the students operating the newspaper and must be interpreted as unofficial university communication. While every attempt is made to determine the validity of advertising contained herein, the advertising in the WC is not to be construed as endorsements of any specific products or services. The WC assumes no responsibility or liability resulting from the content of paid advertisements. Subscription price is $36 per year mailed third-class bulk rate from Macomb. The WC is printed by The Galesburg Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
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NEWS
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Virtual Activities Fair happening this week By Rachel Greene editor-in-chief
The first-ever Virtual Activities Fair began yesterday and will continue through Thursday. Usually, the fair takes place on campus, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made that impossible. In an effort to promote involvement in a safe and healthy manner, organizations will be engaging with students through the virtual platform GoogleMeets. Over 250 student organiza-
tions exist on this campus and will be attempting to recruit in a new way this semester. The fair has been divided into three sections that each occur from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Yesterday featured academic groups, professional and business fraternities, special interest groups and organizations related to resident life. Today will feature fraternity and sorority life, multicultural groups, social justice groups and advocacy groups. The fair will conclude tomor-
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row with spiritual and faith-based organizations, arts, media, literature, recreational and service -based organizations. Markeysha “KiKi” Marshall, a first year graduate student in the College Student Personnel program, said, “This year it's really important to get students connected and involved (virtually) since they are limited in what they can do. They want to be here and they want fun things to do but they also have fears which are valid. We want
students to have a community to be a part of in the midst of a pandemic which is why we are continuing with having an activities fair even though it'll be virtual. The way it'll work is we have three separate days separated into categories. Every registered organization's president has received a Google Calendar invite with their organization's designated Google Meets link. This link is how students and prospective new members will be able to meet with
you! New students will be able connect via PurplePost with these organizations through the virtual fair events set by the Office of Student Engagement.” For more information regarding the Virtual Activities Fair, students can go to http://www.wiu.edu/student_services/ose/ or contact either Markeysha Marshall at ml-marshall2@wiu. edu or Meyani Montano at ma-montano@wiu.edu.
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OPINIONS
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
WesternCourier.com
The top three upcoming country music artists
WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.COM
Luke Combs has 6 songs that have hit the number 1 spot.
I grew up in a small town where I was raised on country music. As I got older, I learned to have an appreciation for almost all genres of music, but I would still consider country music to be my go to. I know that many people don’t have a liking for country, but those who do typically love it. I know from being in Macomb that there is a wide variety of people with different tastes in music because we all come from different backgrounds, but I want to take this opportunity to discuss who I think the top upcoming country music artists are currently. When I say upcoming I mean people who have songs on the charts and people who have a big future ahead of them in the country music industry. The first artist I would like
TWITTER.COM
Morgan Wallen has done several tours with different artists.
to discuss is Luke Combs. Combs is a North Carolina native who grew up loving the classic country. His first single was released in 2014, only six years ago. Since then he has released several albums and had multiple songs at the top of the charts. In 2017 his single “Hurricane,” sat at the top of the charts for two straight weeks. He has recently announced that he will be releasing five new songs in a “deluxe” version of his most recent album this coming October. I consider Combs to be an upcoming artist because he became popular extremely fast, with six of his released songs hitting No.1 on the charts. Combs has also already been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and for those who don’t know, it is a great honor to be
inducted. He sits as the newest and youngest member in the Grand Ole Opry lineup. It is safe to say that with only a few albums out, Combs has a big future ahead of him in the country music world. Another artist that deserves to be considered upcoming in the country music industry is Morgan Wallen. Wallen started his music career by auditioning for the show The Voice as a pop artist. He did not win, but he still made a name for himself within the last few years. He has a history of working with other country artists such as Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean. He actually toured with FGL and partnered with them for the hit song “Up Down.” He had a few songs hit the charts, but his song “Whiskey Glasses” hit No.1 in 2019. I personally believe that this is the song that really made him stand out in the country music world. Within the last few weeks, Wallen released his song “7 Summers” as a single because of
FACEBOOK.COM
Priscialla Block became known from the app TikTok.
the growing popularity people were showing on TikTok. When he released it, he broke a record for the most streams in one day, this helped him reach his first top 10 on the billboard charts, putting him at No. 6 on the list. He has gained quite the following for someone who does not have much music released yet. Wallen has more than enough potential to continue to grow as a country artist and I can’t wait to see what he can do in the future. The final artist I want to talk about actually became recognized through TikTok; her name is Priscilla Block. Her fame started when she released a song she wrote on TikTok called “Just About Over You.” Her 330,000 followers encouraged her to release the song on Apple Music and Spotify. When she finally got the courage to do it, she reached the No. 1 spot on the iTunes all genre chart in less than 12 hours. This shows that there is so much potential in this upcoming
artist and songwriter. In the next few weeks, Block has been busy writing songs and posting them to her TikTok account to try and get other musicians to sing her music. I consider her to be upcoming in the country world because she can sing and write music that has potential. She has been able to write music for different country artists and I can only hope that she gets recognition because I enjoy her and her songwriting. Keep an eye out for Block because I have faith that she will be making big steps in the country music industry. Overall, I am sure that there are other artists that people see fit for the top three upcoming country artists, but in my opinion there is so much room for growth in each individual I have talked about. They all have a place in the country music industry and I recognize how talented each artist is. I am excited to see what the future of country music holds for Combs, Wallen and Block.
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OPINIONS 5
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Why is having a set schedule beneficial? Life has a way of sneaking up on you or throwing you for a turn if you don’t prepare properly. Having a schedule can help you significantly when it comes to planning out your week because it is inevitable that you will get busy at some point. If you want to avoid that chaos, then it will benefit you to have a schedule in place to foresee the tasks and events that you have already committed yourself to. The worst thing that you can do is make yourself so busy that you do not have time for yourself or you accidently overbook yourself. When you have obligations, whatever they may be, it is important to have balance and structure to what tasks you may have and how you are going to complete them. Doing things last minute should not be the solution, it should be an alternative used as a last resort. Most of us, however, have bad habits of doing things at the last minute and most of
the time it works out for us. As tasks get more difficult, longer and consistent waiting to the last minute can hurt your credibility, performance and the amount you are able to complete. Creating a schedule is simple and if you are making one for the first time it is important to have breaks between your obligations throughout the day. Creating breaks for yourself allows you to relax and also decide how to create or update your schedule. Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to production, whether it is in your work life or relationships. No one wants to be around the person or affiliate with someone that always has an excuse or needs help because it was obvious they did not take the time to prepare. Preparation by itself will create ease and consistency in your daily life. Once you become prepared for things to occur, you will be less likely to
stress out about deadlines and assignments because you have planned for them. You will also find that making a schedule will make you less anxious because you have prepared and don’t have to anticipate the next “impromptu” assignment to pop up. Another great reason to make a schedule for yourself is for when little or big things happen. That is where the breaks come in and you can reschedule your assignments and projects to a plan that fits you best. Mastering this will take time, especially if you are used to procrastination like most of us are. Time is fine and as long as you start trying to make a difference today instead of putting it off or thinking negative things, it will change. Even if you have tried making a schedule before and it didn’t work out, try it again because the next time you will have information that you got from your failure. It is imperative that you continue to try to make schedules and plan for things in your life. It may not always look exactly how you planned it out, but an idea is all you need to set your goals in motion. Having a personal calendar can help you stay organized.
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MLB continues chaos season This summer was a rough one: COVID-19 was running rampant and cancelling sporting events left and right, including baseball. But, now that America’s pastime is back, you can’t help but wonder if the game will revert back to the way it was pre-COVID. Obviously, baseball lovers and purists aren’t the biggest fans of the changes that the MLB has put into place for this season, like the man on second in extra innings, but these types of changes and rules will help baseball in
the long run. The game was already dying and losing fans left and right; these rules help to draw in 50/50 fans, the ones that wouldn’t usually watch a game that didn’t have their team in it. Seeing that two teams are tied going into the 10th inning knowing that each team will have a runner on second to start the inning, helps to take that 50/50 fan and get them to tune into the sport. Honestly, I’m not sure that the MLB should change this back. It draws in more fans and makes for some pretty dramatic endings.
I also believe that knowing that each and every game matters in a 60 game season is another main attraction. While I wouldn’t want to only have 60 game seasons from here on out, I do think that it helps this season more than it hurts. It makes each and every division, cross-town and rivalry series, more special. Fans know that when the Cubs and Cardinals battle each other this season that each and every game could shake up the division standings and then move back to how it was after the next game. This again helps to draw fans back into the game and help to make sure that baseball doesn’t completely die. All of these things help to make this season an offensive season. Teams that can hit will go further than teams
that tend to rely on their pitching and defense. Take a look at the Cubs. Their bullpen is not helping them whatsoever, but they’ve been able to win a lot of games so far this season because of the offense that their guys can put up. Look for them to make it out of the division and deep into the playoffs. The same thing can be said for the Twins. However, there is really only one team that is hitting on all cylinders and that is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are sitting with the best record overall in baseball at 22-8. When you take a look at their run differential you can tell why: they have a +79. This means that they have 79 more runs scored than allowed. This isn’t too surprising when you look at their lineup. Mookie Betts is pacing
the team with 11 homers on the season, and Cody Bellinger is too far behind with eight. These two are in the top 16 in the league and with those two carrying the offensive load, they should be in a good position to stay ahead of the rest of the league. I’d look for them to make it far in the playoffs, maybe even the World Series Whoever ends up in the World Series, I’m just glad that sports are back. People took them for granted and even watching baseball games is something that excites the fans. I hope that the viewing numbers for MLB continue to rise. So, make sure that while you are getting settled back into the swing of classes, you make the time to watch some baseball. Every game matters, making the game even more exciting.
jerseys with a heart shaped No. 2 patch on the jersey to honor Bryant's daughter. James told the media during a press conference, “To be able to continue his legacy is something that hits home for me, and it’s easy for me because I put in the work.” James and the Lakers most certainly put in work, coming out hot. Just five minutes into the first quarter, the Lakers were up 15-0. By halftime the score was 80-51. The 2020 Lakers is the fourth team in Lakers history to score 80 at half in a playoff game. On the other hand, two Trail Blazers star players in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum did not have a good game. Lillard scored 11 points in 27 min-
utes and McCollum scored 18 points in 33 minutes. To be fair, they are both suffering due to injury. Lillard dislocated his left index finger in game two and McCollum has been playing with a fractured vertebra in his lower back. Credit to them for staying in this series and continuing to play despite their injuries. Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told the media that their team is not in a good position. “You’re down 1-3, it’s a tough position against a good team. We’ll regroup, it’s one game at a time. You can break out all the cliches, but we know what we’re up against when you’re down to a good team 3-1, so we’ve got to battle.” No question Stotts is abso-
lutely right. The Lakers are a good team and it’s going to be a tough trail for the Blazers to crawl their way back into this series and force a game seven, no pun intended. The way it’s looking, the Lakers know they’re only one game away from heading to the next round and they are currently on a roll. The road to the Finals is the Lakers number one mission and even when it seemed like they didn't have a chance, they put on an outstanding performance like they did Monday night. So, when it looks like the Lakers are done, don't count them out. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trailblazers will be back at it tonight for Game 5 at 8 p.m., live on TNT.
Lakers win on Kobe Bryant Day josh purnell courier staff
The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night, winning 135115 to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. Lebron James had 30 points and 10 assists in 28 minutes before resting for the entire fourth quarter. The other players gave valuable minutes and points as well. Five players scored 10 points or more; Anthony Davis (18), Danny Green (14), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (12), Dwight Howard (13) and Kyle
Kuzma (18). The main reason James and the other players had a great game was because it was a special day. Aug. 24 is Kobe Bryant Day. Monday was 8/24 which are the two numbers Bryant wore during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gigi Bryant in January, would have celebrated his 42nd birthday on Sunday. Lakers wore “Black Mamba”
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Damian Lillard looks to pass the ball.
CJ
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LeBron James cheering his teammates during a timeout.
Anthony Davis on the ground after contact.
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