V
NEWS 3
BLOOMINGTON CITY COUNCIL MIGHT END CREDIT CARD POLICY VIEWPOINT/LITTLE 4
WEINSTEIN SPARKS VITAL TALKS ON HARASSMENT
THE VIDETTE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
videtteonline.com
DeJong ready for a winner
After a standout rookie season, the chase is on to bring the St. Louis Cardinals back to glory
H
MIKE MARRA | Sports Editor | @MikeMarraILSTU
e energized a franchise slowly falling behind in the playoff race, giving hope to a fan base longing for another return to October baseball. The 2017 season may not have
been the year for champagne showers, but shortstop Paul DeJong represents hope for a brighter day for the St. Louis Cardinals. Illinois State alumnus DeJong began that hope with his first
at-bat as a Cardinal on May 28. “I was facing Greg Holland, the closer for the Rockies and he’s got some pretty good stuff,” DeJong said. “I stepped in the box and took the first pitch, it was a ball and I just felt like I was in
SPORTS 8
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ISU STRIVES FOR INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT ON CAMPUS Vol. 130 / No. 17 good position to look for a fastball in the zone that could handle and put a good swing on it. It’s just pretty amazing – and then to watch Paul DeJong it go out in the stands, I wasn’t sure off the bat.” From that point for ward, DeJong would become the leader of St. Louis, which included the likes of Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter. The rookie slashed .285/.325/.532, while leading the
Cardinals with 25 home runs, landing himself a spot on the Baseball America All-Rookie list. “[I’m] really happy about how the year went and to be recognized by Baseball America – that was pretty cool … I thought it was pretty cool to be the top shortstop,” DeJong said recently in a telephone interview with The Vidette. An Antioch native, he was drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft as the 131st pick. DeJong graduated from ISU with a degree in biochemistry/pre-medicine. see DEJONG page 7
A night of ‘Cyclones’ with ‘Beautiful Souls’ Hits from the 2000s filled Braden Auditorium during Thurday’s #FallThrowbackConcert PHOTOGRAPHS BY MONICA MENDOZA VIDETTE PHOTO EDITOR
TOP: Rapper T-Pain sang some of his 2000s hits such as “Cyclone” and “Buy U a Drank.” ABOVE: LOLO was the opening act for the #FallThrowbackConcert Thursday. LEFT: Singer Jesse McCartney invited sophomore exercise science major Erin Ray to join him on stage while he sang “She’s No You.”
Check out the gallery on videtteonline.com
ISU’s strategic plan seeks community input Educate, Connect, Elevate Illinois State will extend from 2018 to 2023
ANDREW DOUGHERTY Political Reporter | @addough
Illinois State University’s Educating Illinois Task Force is currently drafting a new strategic plan for 2018 and is looking for the local community’s input for the new draft. The current strategic plan is called Educating Illinois and it includes
the mission and core values of the institution. “The draft this year has a different title from what I understand from the planning committee,” Jan Murphy, interim vice president for academic affairs and provost, said. “Educating Illinois was a great title but as we move into the year 2018, it seems too constraining that we don’t
move beyond the state of Illinois and move towards ISU being a national institution.” The new strategic plan is a sixyear plan that extends from 2018 to 2023. ISU’s strategic plans typically span seven years with revisions made in the fifth or sixth year. see PLAN page 3
PAGE 2 | NEWS | THE VIDETTE
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Illinois State students can rumble, attend a carnival at this year’s events Homecoming Parade
MASON MCCOY Senior News Reporter | @Real_McCoy18
Beginning at the corner of College Avenue and University Street, the Homecoming Parade will march at 10 a.m. Saturday. The parade boasts “close to 10 different units including the Big Red Marching Machine, athletes, royalty, VIPs like President Dietz and the Board of Trustees,” Duquenne said. The parade will also include student RSOs and community groups. Come out and show Redbird pride among students, staff and administrators, along with other members of the community.
Illinois State University’s Homecoming Week kicks off Monday and offers all kinds of fun events for students to get involved in. Taking place from 3 – 5 p.m. on Monday in Schroeder Plaza, students can formally begin their Homecoming experience with entertainment and a sundae bar. “WZND will be DJing and there will be a variety of ISU student dance groups,” Alumni Relations Director Stephanie Duquenne said. Students will also have the opportunity to meet the 2017 Homecoming royalty before casting votes for king and queen.
Redbird Rumble
From 7 - 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Hancock Stadium, students can come out and see teams of their peers compete in a series of exciting challenges. The event is described by Duquenne as “whacky Olympics.” “In the past they’ve done things like tug of war and relay races. They always do a shoe flipping contest,” Duquenne said. “You kind of have to be there,” she added with a laugh. Registration for teams is currently closed, but interested teams of six to 12 members can contact drshrev@ilstu.edu to be placed on a waiting list. “Redbird Rumble is full, but everyone can come watch,” Duquenne said. “It’s fun.”
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Homecoming 2017: ’Birds soar with spirit
Homecoming Kickoff
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
Monica Mendoza | Vidette Photo Editor
ISU President Larry Dietz and his wife Marlene wave at people during last year’s Homecoming Parade.
Homecoming Carnival
Students are encouraged not to miss the Homecoming Carnival from 7 – 11 p.m. on Wednesday on the first floor of the Bone Student Center. Carnival games and food will be available, along with a magician, balloons, psychic readings and henna tattoo artists. “The carnival is always a big hit,” Duquenne said. Do not miss the chance to see a performance from ISU’s very own Gamma Phi Circus.
Homecoming royalty and Hoopfest
After meeting the candidates during the Homecoming Kickoff, students will be able to vote for Homecoming king and queen. Votes will be tallied and the winners will be crowned at 6:45 p.m. on Friday
CORRECTION In a news story previewing the Daniel Biss campaign published in Thursday’s edition of The Vidette, it was reported that the primary election will be in the fall of 2018. Actually, the Illinois primary election will be March 20, 2018. The general election will be Nov. 6, 2018. In a sports column about Illinois State football appearing in Thursday’s newspaper, it was reported that the team advanced to the FCS national championship game during the 2015 season. It was actually the 2014 season that culminated in the national title game. The 2015 season ended in a second-round home loss to Richmond. The Vidette regrets the errors.
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before Hoopfest at Redbird Arena. Hoopfest is a fan favorite event that will showcase the 2017-2018 Redbird men’s and women’s basketball teams and include several other fan interactive promotions.
Town and Gown 5K
Celebrate Homecoming by breaking a sweat during the Homecoming 5K/ Fun Run at 8 a.m. on Saturday outside of the Student Fitness Center. The two events take participants around ISU’s campus, through Uptown, and finishes in the Quad. The events are open to all ages. For information about registration please visit Homecoming.IllinoisState.edu/5k.
Football game tailgating
Finish Homecoming 2017 by watching the Redbirds take on South Dakota at Hancock Stadium at 2 p.m. Tailgating lots open at 7 a.m., offering a fun environment where students, alumni and families can come together to practice Redbird pride before the big game. Those interested can visit Reggie’s Substance Free tailgate tent at 11:30 a.m. for a pregame experience with “live music and games with prizes,” Duquenne said. “It’s free for students with ID.” For more information about renting tailgating lots or buying tickets to the game visit ParkingIllinoisState.edu and goredbirds.com.
THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 3
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
Bloomington City Council considers new credit card policy ANDREW DOUGHERTY Political Reporter | @addough
T
he City of Bloomington’s aldermen are proposing a new ordinance which would strip away city government credit cards from all elected officials. The proposal comes after the Illinois State Police inquiry regarding Mayor Tari Renner’s purchase of airline tickets to Japan using a city credit card this summer. The vote on the new ordinance will take place Oct. 23. The two biggest proposal changes are that no elected officials will have a city credit card and no more food purchases during long council meetings will be made with taxpayer dollars. “We realized there were a lot of questions about how the credit card was used by Mayor Renner,” Ward 6 Alderwoman Karen Schmidt said. “We had scattered policies and realized that we needed to pull them together. We need to come into alignment with common business practices.” “If we start a meeting at 5 in the afternoon and the series goes till 8 or 8:30 we have a habit of getting pizza or sandwiches because we’re all hungry,” she added. “Knowing that it is not our money but the taxpayer’s money that we’re spending, I think that we can bring our own food if we are hungry.” Schmidt said she believes the proposal
will receive a unanimous vote of approval from all of the council’s members. She said it is just simply good practice. “I haven’t heard anyone say it’s a bad idea to do this,” Schmidt said. Ward 2 Alderman David Sage circulated a petition, which was signed by five other council members, for the proposal to be placed on the council’s agenda. “In terms of interpretation of the mayor’s credit card, if the aldermen don’t want to have them, it is okay and it’s okay the other way as well,” Finance Director Patti-Lynn Silva said. “It’s a matter of how they want to go about doing it.” “Aldermen don’t really have the need for city credit cards, unlike the mayor who has to go out and have lunch with business leaders and meet with residents,” Silva added. Silva said once a policy is enacted and designated to their department, they want to make sure those policies are followed so they put them under review. “Decisions happen every day and the council is in their right to do that,” Silva said. “I think it pleases the council and it pleases the Finance Department and we are happy to fulfill our responsibilities on that.” Schmidt said that the questions surrounding the use of the credit card makes the aldermen more cognizant of what procedures they had in place that needed to tighten up.
Photo illustration by Samantha Brinkman | Vidette Photographer
The City of Bloomington’s aldermen are proposing a new ordinance which would strip away city government credit cards from all elected officials. “Those questions were a good nudge to us in general and ask ‘are we actually engaged in the best practices?’” Schmidt said. The proposal will set guidelines as to how taxpayer money is reimbursed to elected officials conducting official business. In an interview with WJBC, Renner stated “I wanted to make sure that, as soon as possible, this was discussed in public,
because there’s so many falsehoods and so many rumors, we need to put it to rest what the current practices are for how we take care of taxpayer’s money in the City of Bloomington.” In addition, Mayor Renner has stated that he’s fine turning in his city credit card so that the council can work on “real” issues facing the City of Bloomington.
‘Prisoner pups’ to ‘do time’ on campus Indy-Pendence service dogs will raise money for canine necessities TIFFANY MORRISON News Reporter | @MorrisonTiffany
Faculty and students will be seeing puppies dressed up in prisoner costumes on the Quad Thursday, but not just in the spirit of Halloween. Puppies for Bail will take place on Schroeder Plaza for the nonprofit organization Indy-Pendence Service Dogs. Individuals will get the opportunity to pet these disguised pups for just $1. The event is to show off the dogs within the organization, tell the campus a little more about the organization and ,of course, bring people together with their favorite furry friends. The money made from this event will go to the dogs’ necessities, such as food, toys, grooming and more. Indy-Pendence Service Dogs is a RSO at Illinois State University that has been around since 2013. The organization was named after one of its first service dogs in training. Indy, raised by one of the
organization’s advisers, professor Kimberly Rhykerd, was eventually diagnosed with osteosarcoma and passed away due to the illness. The members decided to name the organization after the pup as a reminder of the impact it gave them and how far the organization has come since then. Fundraising Chair Katie Carranza first joined when she saw the booth with dogs at Festival ISU. Carranza knew from that moment that she wanted to be a part of the organization. “It’s just such an amazing program and I’ve had such a incredible time being a part of it,” Carranza said. “We work with Paws Giving Independence from Peoria and that is where we get our dogs from,” Carranza said. “Paws Giving Independence is also a nonprofit organization that rescues [dogs] to train [them] to be service dogs. “All our dogs come from rescues or breeder donations,” she continued. “Most of the training is for mobility dogs to help people w ith braces or
people who use wheelchairs. Other dogs are trained for medical alerts or PTSD.” To be involved with the organization, one must go through an application process, which includes interviews and skills training. This is because the individual applying will be a student trainer for the dogs. Each trainer is assigned to a dog or dogs to work with. Ideally, teaching skills to these dogs ends up becoming a part of trainer’s college routine, just like going to class or running errands. “We welcome anyone that wants to join in the beginning of the fall and spring semesters,” Carranza said. “People can also volunteer to help the Paws Giving Independence located in Peoria. The organization is all volunteer based, so they are always excited to have newcomers.” Indy-Pendence Ser v ice Dogs w ill also host an event for Family Weekend, which will be a new fundraiser that involves a guided painting session. More information will be announced on its Facebook page and website. Tiffany Morrison is a news reporter and photographer for The Vidette. She can be reached at tmorris@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter @MorrisonTiffany.
NEWS IN BRIEF State Farm to offer benefits for those laid off State Farm is offering severance benefits to those employees who offer to leave the company before it starts laying employees off, according to a State Farm Information Technology Realignment fact sheet by Media Specialist Missy Dundov. It is not specified what the benefit packages entail. “The overall State Farm local workforce will continue to fluctuate around 15,000 employees as hundreds of employees move in and out of the company’s Bloomington facilities every year,” the statement said. The statement also addresses the multiple estimations and percentages going around as to how many employees are going to be let go. Despite this, the numbers should not be taken seriously as layoffs are happening at various locations across the country. “As our business continues to grow, State Farm anticipates changes in the marketplace and continually evaluates all its operations,” the statement said. “Because technology continues to change our industry and the needs of our customers, it remains a key factor in our business.” The new strategy allows a more sophisticated online and mobile solution to their customers as it will accommodate for our fast-paced world.
PLAN continued from page 1
The new strategic plan’s name has also been changed to Educate, Connect, Elevate Illinois State. The task force has already gathered input from a variety of groups, such as students, the academic senate, each of the colleges at ISU, civil service groups and other members of the community. “Now that we have a draft, they’re going to go out there and get more feedback. We’re having several forums where people can come and give them their ideas, inputs, objections or clarifications,” Murphy said. “It should be these strategic directions that move us forward
so that everybody feels they have had an opportunity to give guidance to the task force,” she added. The current task force is comprised of 24 people appointed by ISU President Larry Dietz and includes faculty, students, Student Government Association representatives and both undergraduate and graduate representatives. “We want to be sure we’re hearing the ideas and requests from our citizens throughout the community,” Brian Beam, Executive Director of University Marketing and Communications, said. Some objectives listed in the draft plan are ensuring that ISU is affordable and accessible, strengthening the university’s
financial position, increasing graduation and retention rates and encouraging civic engagement and service learning. The new plan also expands the list of ISU’s core values by add i ng c ol lab or at ion and respect to learning and scholarship, diversity, civic engagement, integrity and individualized attention. “One thing I’ve always loved is that it has a mission statement as all university do, but we have always had values statements since 2001,” Murphy said. “To me, even if you look at all the goals set by a school, it is the values that should tell you about that institution,” Murphy said. Murphy said one of her
favorite values throughout the years is individualized attention and it should be in every decision people make. “This should be in all of our interactions whether it’s in the classroom or with peers. We want to create a supportive environment for our students,” she said. “I like it particularly because it sets us apart from other research-intensive universities such as U of I, and I believe that we provide that attention better than those other institutions,” Murphy added. “You should be able to see it in the classroom and those interactions should resonate with every member of the ISU community.”
MALLORY LOVINGS NEWS REPORTER
Theatre and Dance presents ‘Oedipus’ The Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance is presenting “Oedipus,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Oct. 21 and 25 and 2 p.m. Oc. 22 and 28 through Oct. 28 in the Westhoff Theatre. Performances will be in rotating repertory with “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Ellen McLaughlin’s “Oedipus” is adapted from the Sophocles original. The cast and crew are raising funds for nonprofit International Rescue Committee. Talkbacks will follow the Saturday performance, offering a chance to dialogue openly about the production. For tickets or more information, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office, located in the Illinois State Center for the Performing Arts at (309) 438-2535.
STAR JOHNSON NEWS REPORTER
Viewpoint
PAGE 4 | THE VIDETTE
VIDETTE EDITORIAL
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
Race for Democratic nomination is far from over
T
he 2018 gubernatorial race for the Democratic nomination is far from over at this point, but we have reached a point where we can see a pecking order of sorts. J.B. Pritzker, the heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and generous donator to several Democratic candidates over the years, has been the prohibitive favorite essentially since he announced. He’s secured endorsement from several prominent Illinois Democrats, including Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D–East Moline). It doesn’t seem like it will stop there; we can wager more nominations from establishment Dems will be on the way before the March primary. We had our first dropout from the Democratic side last week, as Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar called it quits, citing lack of funding as his reason for not pressing on. Pawar had a good deal of support among the Berniecrat wing of the party, as does State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston). With Pawar out of the race, Biss should pick up a decent amount of support from those that flipped to Pawar after the Rosa
fiasco last month. Other than that incident, Biss has run a solid campaign so far and is very popular in the Bloomington-Normal area among Democrats. He is running into the same problems that Pawar ran into, though, and that’s not something that will fly when running up against billionaire Pritzker and Chris Kennedy, who has enough money in his own right to go with a name that could attract people with money. That being said, Biss has run a campaign that is far superior to Kennedy’s. With Kennedy’s name alone, he should be
fundraising at a level that rivals Pritzker, but he simply isn’t getting the job done. Should Rauner even win the nomination of his own party, he faces a tough road ahead. There have been rumblings of someone from the GOP rising up to face Rauner in the aftermath of the HB 40 signing, something that did not go well with downstate Republicans. Rauner had promised to veto the bill, and then signed it for a reason that is still unclear. Rauner himself is prochoice, but one would think that facing a re-election campaign, he would have
done anything to stay in favor with his party. No matter who the nominee is on the Democratic side, Rauner is as vulnerable as he’s ever been. Though Pritzker is seen as the favorite, there is reason to ask if he is the right choice. Do the people of Illinois truly need another businessman with no policy experience to speak of? Pritzker’s generous donations to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama before are all well and good, but does that make one qualified to run the state? It’s more than fair to ask this in the era of Rauner and Donald Trump, two businessmen with zero policy experience. The Democrats should be careful when signing themselves up for another businessman governor, as it could backfire immensely, even if that businessman is on their side. No matter your affiliation, no experience in an elected office is a negative. Pritzker stands for social issues that get Democrats in an uproar, but so far there has been little, if any, talk of policy. But then again, this is campaign season. When is there ever talk of policy?
Editorial Cartoon by Phabian Clark | Vidette Editorial Cartoonist
EDITORIAL POLICY Editorial written by ALEX GOUGH, a member of The Vidette’s Editorial Board. Editorial policy is determined by the student editor, and views expressed in editorials are those of the majority of The Vidette’s Editorial Board. Columns that carry bylines are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Vidette or the university.
Sexual harassment without consequence must end today MY VIEW TAMIA LITTLE | Columnist
S
exual harassment, specifically in the workplace, is not new, but recent accusations of sexual misconduct at the hand of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein have brought this issue front stage. Although the recalled experiences of actresses being put in extremely uncomfortable situations while working with him makes my skin crawl, these brave women have sparked a vital conversation in our society. Much too often, women are forced to choose between morality or money, respect or recognition. Ultimatums of a sexual nature are totally unacceptable, and we can’t allow men to get away with abusing their power.
According to a 2016 report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, one in four American women say they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. Many of these cases go unreported due to the victim’s fear of retaliation, embarrassment and the belief that ignoring or avoiding the situation is easier than speaking up about it. Some employers have mandatory arbitration agreements in their employment contracts because they are the cheap way out and prevent sexual harassment cases from going to a judicial court. These agreements further cover up issues and keep them in the shadows. In many cases, the woman gets fired from her job while the perpetrator remains in the workplace, and no one else knows about it. Action needs to be taken to make women feel safer, not just at work, but in all environments so that we have the courage to trust our instincts, stand up for ourselves and command the respect that men
VIDETTE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Vidette welcomes letters to the editor, provided they are no longer than 250 words and are typed and double spaced. Letters that exceed the 250-word limit can be published at the editor’s discretion,but shorter letters take precedence. Letters containing name calling and insults will not be published. Letters must be signed and contain the major or official title of the writer, the year in school if presently enrolled, address and a daytime telephone number for verification. Letters without phone numbers will not be considered for publication. Names may be withheld upon request, but only after approval by the editor. Letters are subject to editing for style and space at the editor’s discretion. Letters sent via email to: vidette@ilstu.edu are accepted, provided they include a telephone number for verification.
don’t have to fight for. Let’s face it, we don’t find ourselves in these uncomfortable situations only at work. When a woman is walking down the street, at a bar or simply enjoying a night on the town with her friends, she can encounter a man who makes her feel as though she must suppress her feelings in order to protect herself. When a guy that we aren’t interested in approaches us and asks for our phone number, we feel obligated to smile, be friendly, lie and tell him that we are in a relationship or give him our number even if we don’t want to. Why do we feel compelled to hide our true feelings while coddling his? The harsh reality is that when women reject men, we run the risk of bruising their egos, which can result in discomfort, slander or straight up violence. We figure it’s easier to pretend that we’re interested and tiptoe around their feelings than speak our truth and potentially end up in a dangerous situation.
There have been plenty of instances where I have given annoyingly persistent guys my phone number so that they stop following me. I have practically sprinted away from groups of males who thought that catcalling would capture my interest when I should have called them out for their lack of manners and common decency. It’s time for us to stop protecting the pride of men who wouldn’t do the same for us. We must stop saying yes when we really want to say no. It’s clear that men can’t take a hint, so we must speak from our hearts and not out of fear or else they will never understand our true message. We deserve to be heard by lawmakers and our employers when we say that sexual harassment without consequence must end today. Tamia Little is a columnist for The Vidette. Any questions or comments concerning her article can be sent to vidette_tslittl1@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter @sungoddessmiaa.
THEY SAID IT
MORE OPINIONS ONLINE
That was definitely some meaningful baseball we played down the stretch, and I got a glimpse of what it’s going to take to get over that hump and get to the postseason.”
Editorial: Increase discourse on mental health within the black community
“
Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop and Illinois State University alumnus, about his team’s games that were played in late September. DeJong was selected for the Baseball America All-Rookie list.
Gough: We need more women like Jamele Hill Turner: All students should take advantage of college health centers Visit The Vidette’s website or mobile app for complete details on these web-only opinion pieces by Vidette Editorial Board
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EDITORIAL BOARD EMA SASIC Editor-in-Chief | @ema_sasic KEVIN SCHWALLER News Editor | @kevschwa KAYLA JANE JEFFERS Columnist | @KJJeffers TAMIA LITTLE Columnist | @sungoddessmiaa ALEX GOUGH Columnist | @jalexgough KAMARA TURNER Columnist | @kvmara
THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 5
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
Professor returns to Blo-No to discuss Title IX TIFFANY MORRISON News Reporter | @MorrisonTiffany
An upcoming speaker will discuss representation for women and the importance of Title IX, in celebration of its 45th anniversary in June. The School of Kinesiology and Recreation will present the 2017 Esther Larson McGinnis Scholar Lecture Oct. 25 in the Bone Student Center in the Prairie Room. The talk will be presented by Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota and professor in the School of Kinesiology, and is titled The Impact, Challenges and Opportunities Surrounding Title IX 45-years After Passage. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments and the lecture will begin shortly after at 7 p.m. Kane grew up in Bloomington on Fell Avenue near Illinois Wesleyan University. “I was the neighborhood tomboy growing up,” Kane said. “I had two brothers, so I would always play football, basketball and baseball with them and the other neighborhood boys.” As she reached high school, she shifted her focus from those sports to cheerleading and prom, as that was what every other girl her age did. “I was much more suited for the sports than I ever was for things like cheerleading and prom, let me tell you,” Kane said. “My favorite sport to actually play was whiffle ball, but I’ve always loved watching football,” Kane said. Growing up, she got to watch Doug Collins at Illinois State University, where he ended up playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Jack Sickma
main concern being on type and the amount of coverage. “Even though women of the college level receive 43 percent of scholarships given, they only receive about three-five percent of all sports media coverage, so they are extremely underrepresented compared to their actual representation and numbers,” Kane said. Kane says the reason for the smaller number of people watching women’s sports is due to the lack of coverage they get. “Media always says they don’t cover
Photo courtesy of Lavender Magazine
University of Minnesota professor Mary Jo Kane will come to ISU to talk about Title IX, as it turns 45 this year. at IWU, who also ended up playing for the NBA on the Seattle SuperSonics. “I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do when I graduated college, and then when I was in Champaign, I heard about this new academic major called sports sociology,” Kane said. “The idea of making a career that includes my passion with studying, writing and teaching about sports from a sociological perspective was like heaven to me.” She received her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and has been at Minnesota since 1989. “For decades, we were told girls didn’t want to play sports and if they did, they weren’t very good at sports, so, why invest in them?” Kane said. “Because of Title IX, for the first time ever, women came in overwhelming numbers from all over to participate and take advantage of this new and exciting piece of legislation.” Title IX is a piece of the Education Amendments of 1972 which states that, “No person in the United States
shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Kane will focus on what exactly Title IX is and why it is so important to women athletes everywhere. “Forty-five years later, we’ve gone from young girls hoping there is a team to young girls hoping they make the team,” Kane said. Kane teaches sports & society and sport in a diverse society at University of Minnesota, which looks at sports as one of the most important political, economic and social institutions of this country, as well as the reasons behind this through the examination of power with gender, race and more. She has also been internationally recognized for her scholarly work where she has done research on media coverage of women’s sports. Specifically, she focuses on how it is different from men’s sports coverage, with the
it because people aren’t as interested, but the point is if you don’t cover women’s sports than that suppresses the interest, and if you promoted women’s sports like they promote men’s sports, then they could gain more of an audience,” Kane said. The talk is part of the ISU Speaker Series. The mission of the series is to bring innovative speakers to campus with the aim of providing the community with a platform to foster dialogue. All talks are free and open to the public.
The Bahá'ís of Bloomington/Normal invite you to join us in commemorating the bicentenary of the birth of
Bahá'u'lláh
Founder of the Bahá'í Faith.
The program will include: A FILM
“Light to the World” AN ORAL HISTORY
“The Bahá'í Faith in Bloomington/Normal 1954 to 2017” RECEPTION TO FOLLOW
Saturday, October 21, 2017 1:30pm (Doors open at 1pm)
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PAGE 6 | THE VIDETTE
Features
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
All-inclusive ISU
Campus creates friendly environment in world of challenging viewpoints STUART STALTER Senior Features Reporter | @VidetteStuS
A
s society becomes more sensitive to the struggles and feelings of various communities, a push for political correctness has been made. Campus leaders must balance inclusion with maintaining an atmosphere that openly accepts challenging viewpoints. Illinois State University's leader President Larry Dietz weighs in on this issue. “A university should be a diverse community – diverse in academic subjects, opinions, cultures, people and world views," Dietz said. "That diversity enriches the intellectual and cultural life of all members of a campus community.” Dietz notes that diversity stands alongside integrity, compassion, creativity and relaLarry tionships as the five core values of ISU. In the Dietz immediate future, inclusion will join the list. “Quality cannot exist without diversity, and diversity will only thrive through inclusion,” Dietz explained. Though diversity and inclusion are pillars of ISU and the Blo-No community, Dietz recognizes the importance of allowing all voices to be heard in tough conversations. “As we strive to be an open and welcoming campus, we also value a campus atmosphere of learning, freedom of expression and a free exchange of ideas,” Dietz said. Campus policies protect the First Amendment. The “Campus Conduct” section of ISU Policies and Procedures states, “All members of the academic community have the right to freedom of speech.” Defending academic freedom is the first item ISU lists as a means of protecting values.
Samantha Brinkman | Vidette Photographer
Sarah Ford is a senior theatre major and the vice president of The Normal Humor. This RSO has to make sure it is sensitive to differing political views in its produced sketches. That said, Dietz asks everyone to remain respectful and peaceful when interacting with others. “We urge everyone to exercise civility in discourse or debate on issues,” Dietz said. “By doing do so we can foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning at Illinois State.” Though strong leadership support of both sides avoids many issues, political correctness influences many student endeavors. One example is The Normal Humor. Producing original sketches and supporting stand-up comedy, the registered student organization must heed sensitivity when writing material. Colleges’ growing sensitivity led many professional comedians, such as Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld, to stop performing
REVIEW
Incarceration to liberation: True ‘Mr. Davis’ revealed in Gucci Mane’s new album
feature the Weeknd and Migos and were released at an earlier date to elate impatient fans. While the two singles hold a high standing for the album’s Among the mass variety of anticipated release (“I Get the new artists to break out in 2017, Bag” peaked at 22 on Billboard’s the most unforeseen arrival is top 100), the rest of the record the revival of a cultural inwas a surprisingly safe letdown. novator. The rebranding of an Charismatic yet unmotivated, artist can simply come from two Gucci tackles the issues prevathings: diligence and devotion. lent in his past, dwelling on With hardship comes happiness prison life and losing friends to as rapper Gucci Mane exemplithe horrors of crime. fies the struggle of rising back to Sticking to his strengths, the top in his new album “Mr. the track-list does not fail to Davis.” get listeners moving to Gucci’s Transitioning from incarcerairresistible cadence and lyrical tion to liberation (along with a craftsmanship. Wonderfully shocking image change), Radric executive produced by Gucci Davis (a.k.a Gucci Mane) has himself, concise snares and mebeen on a relentless tear for hiplodic sub 808’s attribute to the hop immortality. Releasing five apparent Atlanta roots his music Paras Griffin projects since his discharge from Gucci Mane performs on stage at Gucci is grounded upon. prison in May 2016, the path to Overall, this album is an and Friends Homecoming Concert at solidifying himself as rap royalty Fox Theatre on July 22, 2016 in Atlanta, 8/10 because of the somewhat goes virtually unchallenged as apathetic tone projected. As exGeorgia. he announces new material so pected, a majority of the album but also seems to set the culture of frequently. is about driving fast cars and being today’s music. After delaying the album’s addicted to the madness of money, Recently, it seems as though release for almost a month after but what really resonates is the anything that Gucci touches turns the expected Sept. 15 date, Gucci reality he paints for his listeners. to gold. Featured on countless delivers an obligatory victory lap Not only frontlined by magnifiinstant hits such as “Slippery” for himself and his fans; adding cent production quality, the album and “Black Beatles,” his stature an unrestricted and unfiltered ele(at times) explains a tough time in attests to the versatile yet powerment on his 11th full-length album. Gucci’s life where listeners figure ful authority his presence bears on With the immediate success out who the real Gucci Mane is any track. of previous releases, such as and ultimately decide what makes “Mr. Davis” might be a victory the Metro Boomin collaborated up the man of Radric Davis. lap for the real Mr. Davis, but it is mixtape “Droptopwop” and “The Regardless of over-hype and noticeable that the album lacks the Return of the East Atlanta Santa,” ambition, Gucci produces a can’tmuscle for it to stand out on his Gucci is poised to become one of miss listen to continue the fall. ever so expanding catalog. the most influential rap artists of Seemingly stomping on the gas, The two monster singles headthis generation. Gucci shows no signs of slowlining the album “I Get the Bag” Pioneering the genre of trap ing down as he adds yet another and “Curve” provide context for its music, Gucci not only leads the worthy component to his musical theme. In addition, both singles pack for Atlanta’s finest trappers, arsenal. JONATHAN BARLAS Features and Sports Reporter | @janvesleybarlas
at campuses. However, Vice President of The Normal Humor and senior theatre major Sarah Ford respects the issue. “Personally, I applaud the comedians who take political correctness seriously,” Ford said. “I think it requires harder and smarter work, which only makes better comedians.” Theatre and film studies graduate Billy Blue feels political correctness is no laughing matter. Working as a patient access specialist at BroMenn Medical Center and a member of the LGBTQ community, he feels people need to adapt to inclusion. “I think the best way to stay politically correct is to educate yourself and remain relevant to the times we live in,” Blue said. “The old saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ is no longer relevant; education is bliss.”
Current students and alumni recognize their favorite professors Of countless words uttered in lecture halls, the sentence “we are out of time” often garners the best reception. However, with over 1,200 professors and 21,039 students, certain professors will captivate the minds and hearts of certain students. Current students and alumni recognize the professors that went beyond the classroom call of duty:
Kinesiology professor Skip Williams and health sciences assistant professor Adrian Lyde
Skip Williams
“Though I love so many, my top two are Dr. Adrian Lyde and Dr. Skip Williams. They both go above and beyond for their students. They are always there to help and listen to make sure that students are cared for and understand the material. They also help when looking for ways to build your résumé and have resources for if you want to get involved more on campus.” - Junior kinesiology major Cavey Drake
Political science Undergraduate Adviser and Assistant to the Chair Erik Rankin “I initially wanted to be an educator like my dad, but I switched my major due to Rankin. He is a really good overall professor.” - Freshman political science major Mar Davis
Music history professor Allison Alcorn “I want to recognize Dr. Allison Alcorn. Music history is typically a tough class, but she teaches the class in a way that makes the topic interesting and she offers so many resources including herself as help. She also got a German Sheppard who is being trained to be an emotional support/service dog for the students and faculty in the School of Music, which I think is pretty generous and cool.” - Junior music major Gina Celeste
Allison Alcorn
Agriculture professor Robert Rhykerd “Dr. Rhykerd always has a smile on his face and is always there when you need him. I don’t think that my experience at ISU could have been the same without him.” - alumna Amanda Diesburg Robert Rhykerd
Management and quantitative methods professor Doan Winkel
“Professor Winkel is a very caring man who taught us not just in the classroom, but about overall success in life” - Senior marketing major Bradley Surma Complied by Stuart Stalter Senior Features Reporter
Full story online.
videtteonline.com/article
THE VIDETTE | SPORTS | PAGE 7
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul DeJong (11) scores on a two-run double by Jose Martinez past Cincinnati Reds catcher Stuart Turner in the fourth inning on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Cards won, 13-4. Photograph by Chris Lee St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
DEJONG continued from page 1
DeJong climbed through the affiliated ranks of the St. Louis Cardinals, making stops with the Peoria Chiefs, Johnson City Cardinals, Springfield (Missouri) Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds on his way to the show. DeJong put up the numbers and type of campaign worthy of the Rookie of the Year award consideration, but the shortstop didn’t play the full season at the MLB level. That can hurt voters’ attraction; plus, he was competing with the likes of Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Cody Bellinger, who also had an impressive rookie campaign. Another honor DeJong received was the National League’s July Rookie of the Month, something that stands out to DeJong as he ref lects on his rookie season. “The way I remember those feelings going through a whole month on a good streak, just hitting the ball well for a whole month,” DeJong said. In the month of July, in 26 games DeJong hit .298 with an OBP of .347, hitting eight homers and driving in 16 runs. The 6-foot, 195-pound DeJong proved to be what a lot of teams long for: a shortstop with a dangerous bat. For the Cardinals and their fans, DeJong was a breath of fresh air from Aledmys Diaz. Despite not being picked to win the NL Central title, the Cardinals still found themselves playing games late into September that had significance, something DeJong can ref lect on as his career continues with aspirations of playing in the Fall Classic. “That was definitely some meaningful baseball we played down the stretch and I got a glimpse of what it’s going to take to get over that hump and get to the
postseason,” DeJong said. “[It was] a really great learning experience for me … I definitely thought I performed well enough in the scenario trying to get our team to the playoffs.” And so begins the offseason for a Cardinals team thriving to get into the postseason and compete for a world title. “I really don’t think we’re that far away. The games, maybe the record say that, but if you watched the games, it’s all little things,” DeJong said. “It’s base running, it’s moving a guy over, getting us an RBI, all those things. A hit here and there’s a difference in the games. So, really I just think we have to get back down to focusing in on the little details of the game.” One other thing that needs to be taken care of in the offseason is the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals have now watched the Cubs defeat them in the 2015 NLDS and win back-to-back NL Central Division titles throughout the last three seasons. The Cubs also dominated the season series from the Cardinals each of the last two seasons, going 9-10 versus the Cubs in 2016 and 5-14 in 2017, resulting in the feeling of the Cardinals and Cubs being less of a rivalry right now than some think. “We were playing our last series at home against the Cubs and it felt like there was more Cubs fans,” DeJong said. “Really, they’ve been kind of kicking our butts, I don’t think there’s much of a rivalry. But, we got to step it up and get that 50/50 type, back-and-forth action that we really need.” Nonetheless, DeJong is just getting started and he has rekindled Cardinals fans’ hope for more chilly October nights at Busch Stadium in the not-too-distant future.
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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong tosses the ball to second baseman Kolten Wong (16) for what was initially ruled an inning-ending groundout by Cincinnati Reds’ Zack Cozart in the fifth inning on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The initial call was overturned upon replay challenge and the Reds subsequently hit a grand slam in a 6-0 win. Photograph by Chris Lee St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
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Sports
PAGE 8 | THE VIDETTE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017
Time for ISU football to hit panic button
MY VIEW MIKE MARRA | Sports Editor
W
Tom Weber | Southern Illinois Athletics
Southern Illinois receiver Connor Iwema runs from Illinois State defenders Davontae Harris and Willie Edwards Saturday in Carbondale.
’Birds smacked by Salukis
ISU football handed first conference loss in Carbondale, 42-7 MIKE MARRA Sports Editor | @MikeMarraILSTU
No. 15 Illinois State’s woes continued into the road trip to Carbondale, as it was never close in Southern Illinois’ 42-7 rout of the Redbirds. “You name it, we got out coached and we got out played,” head coach Brock Spack said. “It’s that simple.” “These guys thought they were something special at 4-0, now you’re sitting 4-2 and now we don’t know who we are. So, that’s how fast it changes.” Southern Illinois used a steady mix of the ground game and passing game to pace themselves past Illinois State. “They played very well. They executed in all phases that they wanted to,” co-captain Brannon Barry said. “We’ve got to start executing better.” Saluki quarterback Sam Straub finished with four touchdown passes, accumulating 368 passing yards. On the ground, D.J. Davis ran for 60 yards and caught seven passes for another 78 yards and two touchdowns.
The offense for Illinois State once again struggled all afternoon, piecing together only one positive possession, arguably when the game was already out of reach. On said drive, quarterback Jake Kolbe found Spencer Schnell for a 19-yard touchdown for ISU’s lone score of the game. “We came out and we got a game plan we weren’t able to execute,” Schnell said. “They stopped us all day. We kept getting in the red zone again this week and not executing, so we need to go to practice on scoring the football and come back next week and bring fire and passion.” Kolbe finished 20-of-43, throwing three interceptions for the second week in a row. But, the turnovers didn’t end there as the offense also lost two fumbles. “I’ve been trying to hammer it home to these guys, if you don’t execute — at this level, this league is too good,” Spack said. Also, for the second week in a row, the defense failed to show up and allowed an SIU offense to waltz up and down the field at will. The second consecutive one-sided loss now
calls for Spack and company to do a little soulsearching before heading for next week’s duty. “Everything’s going great earlier in the year and now we got some adversity and we haven’t been able to fight through it,” Spack said. “Our teams in the past that have been very, very good have been able to reset your jaw and come back out and compete and get back in a game like this and we weren’t able to do that, so that’s concerning.” The schedule from here on out for Illinois State only gets tougher; mightily tougher starting next week as No. 4 South Dakota invades Hancock Stadium for Homecoming. “When situations like this arise, you got to realize that our team is what matters and each other and you got to lock the doors, you got to go backto-back ... There’s no one besides us that matters right now and we got to realize that, you got to cut all the outside factors out and we got to be better in practice, we got to be better on game day and we got to be better in all aspects,” Barry said. Illinois State will return to action at 2 p.m. Saturday for a Homecoming battle with South Dakota at Hancock Stadium.
ISU volleyball wins fourth straight Redbirds roll past Bradley, 3-1, to continue conference winning streak
MIKE MARRA AND NATE HEAD Sports Editors | @Mike MarraILSTU and @NateHead51
Illinois State continued its red-hot streak Friday, defeating Bradley, 3-1, at Redbird Arena in Normal. “We’re working to be steadier, creating more urgency to win points in a row, never backing down,” head coach Leah Johnson said. “I think that’s been what has propelled us over these four wins.” Jaelyn Keene led ISU with 14 kills, while Ella Francis and Sydney Holt both added 10 of
their own. ISU opened the first set on a tear, taking an 8-2 advantage a f ter s c or i ng seven consecut i ve p oi nt s . Leah Sophomore Ella Johnson Francis clinched the set with a kill. Freshman Stef Jankiewicz dished out 35 assists, while Courtney Pence led all players with 16 digs. The second set was similar in nature to the first, as the Redbirds ran away with a 7-1 run
and ended the set with another seven-point stretch to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Bradley didn’t go down easy, though, and responded from the intermission with a determined performance in the third set. ISU allowed an early 11-6 defecit and eventually lost the set 25-13. Erica Haslag tallied a gamehigh 17 kills for Bradley and was followed by teammates Ezri Edwards and Kathryn Graf with eight and six kills, respectively. The Redbirds turned the intensity back up in the fourth set, and put away Bradley, 25-19, in the narrowest set of the match
to secure their fourth straight conference victory. ISU rode a three-point streak to a 13-11 lead, which the Jaelyn team never surKeene rendered. Keene, Holt and Francis each recorded key kills down the stretch and Keene posted a service ace to end the contest. Illinois State returns to action to face the top of the MVC next Friday at Southern Illinois and Saturday at Missouri State.
ell, if everyone’s all watching the same football, it should be a unanimous decision. It’s time to hit the panic button. After back-to-back bad losses, it’s time for Illinois State to figure out what it is. Is it the nationally ranked, highly regarded Illinois State? Or is it just around a .500 football team who got off to a 4-0 start and deceivingly looked dominant? While it does that, let’s think about this. A loss to Northern Arizona at the Walkup Skydome looked bad, but you might be able to defend that loss. In foreign territory, ISU was playing against a quarterback who’s an NFL prospect and NAU had a great game plan and executed it very well. Now try to defend Saturday’s eyesore … you can’t, can you? In all facets of the game these last two weeks, Illinois State has been not just beat, but dominated. Well, let’s give the defense credit, because if it wasn’t for them, ISU would be 3-3 with a loss to Indiana State. So, what needs to change? Start with the offense. It begins with the quarterback. Jake Kolbe has a strong arm, and he’s a tough kid who will stand in the pocket and take a hit or tuck-andrun. He shows glimpses of being great and potentially one of the MVFC’s, even the FCS’s, best quarterbacks. But, then there’s the moments that leave you wonder “what was he thinking?” Brock Spack said, “the time to win is now,” just a week ago when talking about starting to play a few younger guys who haven’t seen the field much. One person comes to mind: Malachi Broadnax. He’s young, he’s got a strong arm and he creates something in the backfield Jake Kolbe does not. He’s a dual-threat quarterback. Given the small sample size, you can’t help but see a little of Tre Roberson in him. Now, that’s a stretch at the moment. He has a lot of work to do before the real comparisons to Roberson can be recognzied. The main reason he needs to play more, however, is that he gives the Redbirds a better chance to win. How long can you wait for Kolbe’s development? Not much longer. Not when the remaining schedule consists of nothing but the best in the Valley and top-25 opponents. Happy Homecoming, right? Not really. No. 4 South Dakota comes in after pummeling Indiana State, 56-6. After South Dakota? Trips to FCS runner-up from a year ago Youngstown State and South Dakota State and home games versus Western Illinois and North Dakota State. When the schedule came out, it seemed like going through this gauntlet and coming out with three or four wins would be considered a win. This team needs to do some soulsearching because if it doesn’t, this home stretch of games could become really ugly. Find yourselves fast, because here come the Coyotes.