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NEWS 3
SPORTS 8
SONIA MANZANO TELLS ISU HOW TO GET TO ‘SESAME STREET’
REDBIRDS PUMMEL PELINI’S PENGUINS ON YSU HOMECOMING
FEATURES 6
REVIEW: ‘JIGSAW’ DOESN’T BRING BIG SCARES FOR HALLOWEEN
THE VIDETTE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
videtteonline.com
Vol. 130 / No. 21
SPECIAL REPORT: COMING TO AMERICA AN ISU PERSPECTIVE
A year after Trump’s election, ISU international students share fears EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a multi-part series exploring the 2016 election and the Office of International Studies and Programs. EMA SASIC Editor in Chief | @ema_sasic
T
he United States experienced one of its most talked about presidential elections last year that impacted students at Illinois State University and those hoping to study in the U.S. from overseas. Among many issues discussed during the race to the White House was immigration. President Donald Trump said he wanted to implement a wall between the United States and Mexico, deport all illegal immigrants, voiced support for ending President Barack Obama’s executive orders on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States. As one international student said, “The people that pay the price are the ones that least deserve it.” Marches and rallies took place in the Bloomington-Normal community once Trump issued an executive order banning entry to the U.S. for 90 days by citizens from seven, later six, Muslim-majority countries in January and when his administration announced the end of DACA in September. Residents wanted those in their community who were affected by the decisions to feel welcomed despite decisions from Washington, D.C. ISU President Larry Dietz even issued campus-wide emails to show his support for students affected. News from the election also impacted students planning on studying at ISU from various countries around the world. Whether they arrived just when the race to the White House was in its final stretch, or once Trump’s changes were being made, international students said they experienced a mix of emotions and events leading up to their journey to the U.S. that made them fearful of what could happen to them.
Cosette Groisiller France Senior Communication sciences and disorders Senior communication sciences and disorders major Cosette Groisiller lived in France, Japan and China throughout her life, but has called the U.S. her home since 2010. She graduated from ISU in 2015 with degrees in Spanish and French education and worked at a school in Effingham. She is now back to complete a second bachelor’s degree. Groisiller said she felt like she was “part of an international community” when she arrived in the U.S. during Obama’s first term since he was a “third culture kid” like her. When Trump entered the Cosette 2016 election, she said she Groisiller noticed a “pivot and change” in the country.
Natalie Stuckslager | Vidette Photo Editor
(From left) Ivan Korkes, Helena Finamore Queiroz, Malin Quande Haugen, Vania Pereira and Cosette Groisiller sit in front of the “Hand of Friendship” Sunday on the Quad. “Suddenly foreigners weren’t as trustworthy and many international students felt demoralized,” she said. “We had discussions in International House about what was being talked about, and a lot of my Muslim friends were concerned if they would have to go home.” Some of Trump’s presidential decisions impacted Groisiller directly because of issues with her visa this past summer. She returned home to France to renew her visa, and she said the experience was “atrocious.” “My interview date was switched from the schedule I made, and I called 10 times and they would hang up on me every single time,” she said. “It just showed me they didn’t care.” At the time of her interview, Trump nominated former Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Jamie McCourt as the ambassador to France. McCourt was an early supporter of his and donated more than $50,000 to the Trump inauguration. Groisiller’s application was delayed for two weeks. During the waiting period, she said she imagined “options A to Z about what happens if I don’t get through.” “My family and friends left to go back to the U.S. and I was just by myself with my aunt not knowing if I could come back. If I got on
the plane with them, I would not be allowed through,” she said. “My thoughts were what about my major, schooling, family, boyfriend — all was going to be damaged.”
Ivan Korkes Iraq and Syria Senior international business and human resource management Ivan Korkes was born in Iraq and escaped with his family to Syria during the Iraq War. They lived in Syria for six years and eventually immigrated to the U.S. in November 2008. “I take pride in where I come from. I know a lot of people want to hide that because of what’s in the news, but I take pride,” Korkes said. “Having one perspective from living over there and coming from the war allows you to see things in a new way and see how misinformed a lot of people are, but I’m thankful for the life I have here.” Iraq and Syria were part of the original seven countries targeted in the travel ban, with Iraq later being removed. As an Iraqi Christian, which is considered one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, Korkes said he was disappointed when Trump enacted the travel ban, as the presdient had previously promised to protect people like
him. “When he ran for his campaign, he used the minority Christians in the Middle East and said he would do everything for them,” he explained. “Right after the ban, in Detroit, where a lot of Iraqi Christians live, they were [at risk for being] deported, and they voted for [him]. I saw it coming and I told my family to not fall for it.” Although the Trump administration is only the second Ivan Korkes one Korkes has lived under in the U.S., he said the difference between how people view issues now compared to eight years ago is substantial. “A couple of years ago, it would be, ‘You have your opinion, I have mine, we’re both Americans, let’s work together to build the country.’ Throughout his campaign, he played off people’s fears and reminded people why you’re divided,” Korkes said. “I’ve lived in a lot of places before, and I’ve never seen people put their views and political party before their country.” see INTERNATIONAL page 5
PAGE 2 | NEWS | THE VIDETTE
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Ema Sasic
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
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Illinois lawmakers consider gun control legislation
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he Illinois General Assembly is considering the passage of two bills, House Bill 4107 and Senate Bill 1657, the former of which would ban the sale of assault weapons, large-caliber rif les, large capacity magazines and bump stocks. State Rep. Martin Moylan (D-Des Plaines) introduced the bill Oct. 5. The Illinois Legislature will debate its passage during the fall veto session. State Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) filed SB 1657 in the senate. The senate bill would create state licensing for gun dealers. “Forty percent of guns used in crimes come from gun dealers in Illinois and they are regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) which is grossly understaffed and underfunded,” Colleen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Hand Gun Violence (ICHV), said. “Unfortunately, our data is only from the city of Chicago.” The ICHV was founded in 1975 and is the oldest and the largest statewide organization in the U.S. It works to educate, raise public awareness and build coalitions to enact changes in laws and behavior on gun violence prevention. The debate on gun control legislation comes in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting, in which a man killed 59 people at a concert using a modifier that made his gun into an assault-style weapon and is now the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. “The ATF is not necessarily capable of doing their job effectively given that in 2016
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there were only 24 agents who had to inspect 2,400 licensed firearm dealers in Illinois and over 1,700 in Indiana,” Daley said. “That’s a lot of work for a few people.” “It’s not a lack of them doing their job, the problem is that there is not enough man power to do it,” she added. Onoriode Dugbo | Vidette Photographer Support for the Lawmakers are going over bills that may increase gun control in the state. legislation among central Illinois law makers has Vegas shooting but bump stocks are a conbeen rocky thus far. cern,” Brady said. “From what I have seen in State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Blooming- Springfield is bills that overreach the Second ton) has stated the critical question is whether Amendment but right now, I am reviewing the resolution will have its intended result. the House Bill 4120 that appears to respect “There are lots of law-abiding individu- the Second Amendment and also deals with als who are not the source of the problems bump stocks.” caused by those bearing weapons throughout “Gun dealers in Illinois are inspected every the country,” Barickman said. “It’s a delicate five years or so,” Daley said. “We want to fix balance. I have not seen the bill but we will the system and the State of Illinois is powerlook at any and all legislation.” less to inspect them. We know that one dealer State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) that in a four-year time period had over 1,500 said in an interview with The Pantagraph guns traced back to that store, while the averhe does not want to see the Second Amend- age gun store had three.” ment “watered down” and that he is a strong She said the mass majority of gun store supporter of it. Yet it appears Brady is contem- owners are good business owners but there plating on support of the legislation. a few out there who are not, which is why the “I have been waiting to see the federal ICHV wants to make sure they are good correports on the weapons used in the Las porate citizens.
KEVIN SCHWALLER News Editor | @kevschwa
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported Bloomington-Normal’s unemployment rate fell in September and remains the lowest among all metro areas in the state Thursday. Unemployment rates fell in all 102 counties in Illinois. The jobless rate sunk to 3.6 percent last month in the Twin Cities, down from 5 percent in September 2016.
The Vidette The Vidette is published Monday and Thursday every week, except for final examinations, holidays and semester breaks. The Summer Vidette is published in June and July. Students are responsible for the content of the Vidette. The views presented do not necessarily represent, in whole or part, those of the Illinois State University administration, faculty and
“Seeing the rates drop across the board in all 102 counties is certainly encouraging.” IDES Director Jeff Mays said in a statement. “But the job growth in the Chicago Metro Area, while it has carried the state during this past year, still lags behind the growth in neighboring states.” Data also show non-farm jobs increased in six of the metropolitan areas and decreased in eight. The local economy added 1,400 nonfarm jobs in the past year, bringing total employment up to 95,100.
students. The Vidette is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Illinois College Press Association. Subscriptions are available by mail to anywhere in the United States for $150 per calendar year. © The Vidette 2017 University & Locust / Campus Box 0890 / Normal, IL 61761–0890
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
From Sesame to University Street Sonia Manzano spent 44 years waiting for Oscar the Grouch to propose, fixing the same toaster STEPHANIE RODRIGUEZ News Editor | @StephanieRoddd
Maria Figueroa-Rodriguez, Sonia Manzano or both? According to 15 time day-time Emmy award-winning writer/actress Manzano, the pair’s lives have always run parallel, never intertwining. “The real life that I have led for 45 years as Maria — wife, mother, fix-it shop owner, toaster fixer — has kind of run in-neck with my life Sonia Manzano: same person, wife, mother, author, actress,” Manzano said. “They’ve run neck-in-neck and I’m surprised they haven’t intersected and I’m not schizophrenic. Even though I have fixed the same toaster on Sesame Street for 44 years.” The actress visited Illinois State University on Thursday for the annual Latino Cultural Dinner. Juliet Lynd, interim program director for latino/a studies, introduced Manzano and said the event is a celebration of Latino heritage at ISU. “Every year the Office of Residential Life puts on this event that celebrates diversity and educates our community offering food, live music, a lecture and last, but certainly not least, a time for us to come together and be a community,” Lynd said. A self-proclaimed ‘Sesame kid’ Lynd said she has fond memories of watching Manzano play Maria on the show. “When I was a kid, my parents limited my TV to only what was brought to you by the children’s television workshop on PBS,” Lynd said. “Sesame Street came on twice a day back then and I loved Maria, she was so beautiful and so nice, she spoke Spanish and she was so good to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. As a parent, I have a whole new
THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 3
QUEERtalk to focus on sexual politics in Haiti MASON MCCOY Senior News Reporter | @Real_McCoy18
Photo courtesy of Sesame Workshop
Sonia Manzano spent over 40 years as ‘Maria’ on Sesame Street, teaching monsters and children alike educational and life lessons. appreciation for Sesame Street for the human and monster diversity it portrays and understands.” Before Manzano took the stage, a reel of her time of Sesame Street gave the audience a glimpse of Maria’s life. Manzano joked that the editor at Sesame Workshop tackled the challenge of condensing 44 years into three minutes. “My life and Maria’s life has run neck-in-neck for many years, long enough for me to get married and have a baby on the show, as you saw, my daughter is now 29 years old,” Manzano said. “I’ve met my closet friends on Sesame Street and mourned the death of two of them. I sometimes
think that Maria’s life was presented in such detail that we were the first reality show, without the whining.” Born in the South Bronx, Manzano is a first-generation mainland Puerto Rican who found herself cast in the role of Maria during her junior year of college. “In 1969, and you might find this hard to believe, you never saw a person of color on television. You certainly never saw a Latino on television,” Manzano said. Before she joined the show, Sesame Street had an inner-city African-American couple portrayed to appeal to its first target audience — African-American children — until Latinos became one too.
“All of a sudden, Latino groups on the West Coast decided that if Sesame Street is going to have wonderful role models for African-American children, then they needed wonderful role models for Latinos as well,” Manzano said. As an author, Manzano has written fiction and nonfiction, including her memoir “Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx” in which she details her life starting from her domestic abuse filled childhood to her many years teaching the Muppets lessons. Manzano retired the character of Maria in 2015 after joking that 44 years is long enough for her to wait for Oscar the Grouch to propose.
Bloomington Planned Parenthood now offers ‘abortion pill’ PORCHIA WHITE News Reporter | @porchia_white
The Planned Parenthood Bloomington Health Center has begun offering a medication abortion, or abortion pill, which the clinic has described as an effective and safe process. The medication abortion consists of two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol. The first pill is taken at the health center and the second pill is taken at home, six to 48 hours after the first. Follow-up appointments are a mandatory part of the process, said clinic medical assistant Brittany, who preferred not to give her last name. Most women complete the abortion within the first four to 24 hours of the process. The effects of the pill are similar to those of an early miscarriage and include heavy bleeding and cramping.
“The first dose is what stops the pregnancy and the second dose help the body expel tissue,” Brittany said. The abortion pill may not be taken if the patient is past 10 weeks in their pregnancy. The Bloomington Planned Parenthood does not offer surgical abortions performed up to 18 weeks of pregnancy. For this service, women must go to Urbana, Chicago, Decatur or another city offering the procedure. “The price of the abortion pill is $470 for women who are five to 10 weeks pregnant,” Brittany said. The abortion pill may be free or lower in cost with health insurance that covers the medication. “The reason for starting any service is to ensure our patients are getting all of the options and care that they need. That was the reason for bringing medication abortion services to Bloomington,”
Manager of External Affairs Julie Lynn said. The abortion pill is 98 percent effective for people who are less than eight weeks pregnant, 96 percent effective for those eight to nine weeks pregnant and 93 percent effective for those who are 10 weeks. During the follow-up visit, patients get an ultrasound or blood test to make sure the abortion is complete and the patient is healthy. Although the pill is usually effective, in the event it does not work, the patient can return to take more medication or look into having an in-clinic abortion. Side effects of the pill, including dizziness, tiredness, cramping and other symptoms can last a few days after completion of the abortion. The abortion pill is considered to be the safest method of abortion and serious health problems are rare.
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Former Illinois State University faculty member Erin L. Durban-Albrecht will be presenting a seminar, part of the QUEERTalk series, from 12:30–1:30 p.m., on Thursday at the LGBT/Queer Studies and Services Institute located at 205 S. Main Street. The seminar, titled Religious Sexual Politics in Haiti: Vodou, Catholicism, and Protestantism, will be led by Durban-Albrecht who is now an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota. Durban-Albrecht won the National Women’s Studies Association-UIP First Book Prize in 2015 for their manuscript “The Sexual Politics of Empire: An Ethnography of Postcolonial Homophobia in Haiti.” The manuscript is set to be published by University of Illinois Press. The seminar will pull heavily from this work and try to give attendees an overview of the history of homophobia and the politics of sex in Haiti, before and after European colonial intervention. “We’re hoping that students will realize the possibility for study in the queer studies area and, in some ways, they might engage in their own research for classroom work and projects,” assistant professor Eric Willey said. This presentation was originally organized by the LGBT/Queer Studies and Service Institute and ISU’s Women and Gender Studies program, but has been taken up by Willey and ISU’s Pride, which serves to create a safe social and educational environment for members of the LGTBQ+ community here at Illinois State. This event is free and open to the public. Pizza and beverages will be provided to those in attendance. This year’s QUEERTalks series focuses on bringing in speakers doing new and innovative research in the field of Women and Gender Studies and related areas of scholarship. Sponsors for this year’s QUEERTalks include Pride, The League of Extraordinary Genders, Latin American and Latino/a Studies, as well as the politics and government, sociology and anthropology, English, history and philosophy departments. For more information about this and other QUEERTalks contact Eric Willey or Pride.
Viewpoint
PAGE 4 | THE VIDETTE
VIDETTE EDITORIAL
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
Common ground in campus politics is possible
S
ome argue that within the last two years we have lost the ability to talk to one another, and that civil discourse is a thing of the past. Illinois State University students showed otherwise last week. On Monday, there was a debate between College Democrats and the ISU chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative nonprofit organization that centers its focus on specific issues such as free speech. The topics that were given the most focus were the state of the economy, free speech and health care, as these are the most contested issues of our time. Who won the debate is not important. What is important is that the two wings of ideology in American politics came together and had a civil conversation without making the other side feel as if its views were marginalized or somehow less relevant than the other’s. Both sides made their points in ways that were respectful and clear, something that does not always happen when debating politics in a professional setting, and it most certainly doesn’t happen in debate on the
Internet. There were moments that were tense, but that is natural with debate. While these two groups obviously do not agree on much, Andy Byars, the vice president of Turning Point USA at ISU, conceded in his closing statement that there are still certain things the groups do agree on. If these two groups can work together on campus, they can be a model for the McLean County Democrats and Republicans going forward. Thinking the other side is evil is not the way to approach issues and conversa-
tions. Listening to one another is the only way out of the mess we are currently in, and these two groups showed they were, at the very least, willing to hear the other side out on Monday. This is a small step toward progress on campus, and is a far cry from what we see on the national level between conservatives and liberals. This is not the first time TPUSA and the College Democrats have been able to come together in solidarity. Earlier this year, TPUSA had posters defaced and torn down all over campus. Some of the
vandals went as far as calling them Nazis, which they most certainly are not. This displays that those on the far left can be just as ignorant as those on the far right. When this happened, College Democrats spoke out against this form of extremism and ignorance on campus. Calling those on the right Nazis displays a special kind of ignorance from some students on campus who have remained anonymous cowards. If that person truly believes that TPUSA is a group of Nazis, then own it. No one should ever take anonymous trolls seriously. These two groups have demonstrated all semester that civil discourse is as vital to our nation as it has ever been, and it is refreshing to see students being able to converse in a respectful manner, even if the audience was not respectful at times. Common ground is necessary, and the two sides of the aisles must be able to find that common ground going forward and work on the issues they can even somewhat agree with one another on. It may be hyperbole, but the fate of our nation depends on this level of civil discourse being practiced throughout our society.
Photo courtesy ISU Turning Point USA Twitter
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.
Provide a Thanksgiving meal to residents in need MY VIEW TAMIA LITTLE | Columnist
’T
is the season to give back to your community. According to the United States Census Bureau, 14.4 percent of McLean County residents are below the poverty level, which is why Home Sweet Home Ministries and Midwest Food Bank carry out an annual Give Thanks campaign to help families in need. Midwest Food Bank’s mission is “to alleviate hunger and poverty by gathering and distributing food donations to not-for-profits and disaster sites without cost to the recipients.” Home Sweet Home Ministries provides the homeless with shelter, hot meals, clothing and toiletries, as well as children’s
programming. Its goal is “to help people find independence, restore their hope and share the love of Jesus Christ with them.” Last year, this dynamic duo went above and beyond expectations and distributed over 2,000 donated meals that served more than 11,000 people during the holiday season. At the campaign kickoff Tuesday, Midwest Food Bank Director of Operations Mike Hoffman stated, “The biggest increase [of those in need] is [among] people working two jobs who still can’t make ends meet. The kids need new sneakers, but you still need to buy groceries. Those are the people visiting the food pantries today.” Those who wish to participate can purchase turkey cards (one turkey donated for each card bought) and prepackaged meal bags at Hy-Vee and Schnucks locations for under $30. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for this campaign. Food boxes will be packed on Nov. 14 and 16. From noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 18 and 2 to
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.
6 p.m. Nov. 20 at Midwest Food Bank’s new Normal facility, volunteers will handle the traffic and give away boxes filled with full-blown prepackaged meals that can be warmed up for Thanksgiving. Donations are being accepted at both Midwest Food Bank and Home Sweet Home in Bloomington or online through their websites. As I celebrate with my family this holiday season, I will remain mindful of how fortunate I am to have loved ones who support me, the means to keep my stomach full and a big, comfy bed to sleep in each night. Much too often we take luxuries as such for granted and fail to realize the impact that homelessness and hunger has on our community. Children who live in poverty can face academic achievement struggles (especially during early childhood), greater risks of behavioral and emotional issues, as well as physical health problems such as malnutrition, failure to reach major developmental milestones and motor skill reduction.
Their parents must deal with the stress of not being able to provide for their family, causing them to hyper focus on their immediate financial crisis, which leaves little mental bandwidth to deal with other day-to-day tasks like helping their children with their homework or taking medicine on time. Many people share the view that those living in poverty are poor because they are less capable, but data suggests that the opposite is true. It’s poverty that makes individuals less capable. It is vital for those in the position to help others to do just that. Whether you are donating money or time, you can help make a huge difference in someone else’s life. Volunteering is more than just a notch on your résumé; it is a means to foster hope, restore lives and build community. 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
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They’ve run neck-in-neck and I’m surprised they haven’t intersected and I’m not schizophrenic. Even though I have fixed the same toaster on Sesame Street for 44 years.”
Editorial: The buzz about Bumblebizz
“
Sonia Manzano, 44-year “Sesame Street” veteran said about her life and character Maria Figueroa-Rodriguez’s life. Manzano attended the Latino Cultural Dinner Thursday in the Bone Student Center.
Gough: ESPN should have known better
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THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 5
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
Project Oz receives large grant
Organization dedicated to helping homeless youth given nearly $200,000 SARAH ATEN News Reporter | @sarahmaten
A local organization focused on providing housing and other resources for homeless youth has received a grant of nearly $200,000. “Project Oz had been in our community since 1973,” Vice President Lisa Thompson said. “Our mission is to make a positive difference for young people. We’ve been helping homeless runaway youth since about 1985.” Project Oz offers different resources, including transitional
living and outreach. “But what we noticed in our housing program was that there was a number of young people who were coming to us who were either being exploited or who were at very high risk for being exploited,” Thompson said. There were 18 available beds last year, with 180 people applying for them, Thompson said. “It’s about an 85 percent turn away rate, so we’re really only able to take about 15 percent in housing that come to us,” Thompson said. In order to provide resources to those who need it most, Thompson refers to a “triage” effect when
INTERNATIONAL continued from page 1
Malin Quande Haugen Norway Sophomore international business major After studying in Metamora for a year in high school, Malin Quande Haugen knew she wanted to spend her undergraduate years abroad. Now in her sophomore year as an international business major, she said she made the right decision coming to ISU. Norway is not a country that attracts much attention from others, Quande Haugen said. However, when Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) discussed socialism and Nordic countries on the campaign trail, she thought “the United States could look to Norway as an example.” After Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were the declared candidates for the Democrat and Republican parties, respectively, she said she Malin and others in Norway were “very confused.” Quande “When we heard about him running for Haugen president, a lot of people thought it was a joke,” Quande Haugen said. “After, people were shocked he won because of the way he says things.” “He has said specific things about our prime minister which are very rude. She’s overweight, and he made a lot of comments about her appearance. Also she’s female, which I don’t think is good in his book,” she added. Her time at ISU during the 2016 election allowed her to see “more aggression” than she thought she would. However, she said it was good to see protests and people voicing their opinions around the community. “Growing up, you hear people say Americans are not very educated or interested in politics, so seeing people actually care, no matter their opinion, it was nice to see them talking and sharing their thoughts,” she said. “With Brexit, a lot of people didn’t know what they were voting for and they were stunned with the results. With the American election, despite the outcome, it was good to see people talking and educating themselves.”
Kamya Monga India Sophomore marketing major Seeking to take a leap outside her life in India, sophomore marketing major Kamya Monga came to the U.S. to study abroad to get more exposure in school and life.
making the difficult decision of who they can afford to fund. Thompson said a person who is sleeping on the street will have a greater priority than someone staying on someone else’s couch, although neither is a good situation. “But once a young person is enrolled in our transitional living program, they enroll in an entire packaged program,” Thompson said. “It’s just not about giving them a place to stay, it’s about wrapping them with services that are going to help them transition into independence after our program pulls out, which is
Before making her trip to Normal, Monga consulted with an education agency in India and took part in a workshop focused on racism and how to react in situations if other are hostile. “It’s scary, but you have to be away of your surroundings,” she said. “If it does happen, I won’t be scared. I’ll know how Kamya to deal with those situations.” Monga Though she has not experienced resentment from others on campus, she is selected to go through additional screenings “all the time” when she travels. In the beginning of the year, there were shootings that targeted Indian people, including Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Harnish Patel, who were shot and killed Feb. 22 in Olathe, Kansas, and March 6 in Lancester, South Carolina, respectively. With the news making its way back to India, her parents advised her to be careful when going out. “I think the people that do support Trump and didn’t voice it before the election feel like they can talk more about their views now,” she said. India was not a country targeted by immigration travel bans, but Monga said resentment around refugees does bother her. “When they say, ‘Immigrants are taking our jobs,’ if there is a white candidate, they will have preference. Unless you go to a country and experience what’s happening, you won’t understand,” she said.
Helena Finamore Queiroz and Vania Pereira Brazil Food, nutrition and dietetics master’s candidate and agriculture master’s candidate Master’s degree students Helena Finamore Queiroz and Vania Pereira studied abroad at ISU during their undergraduate years in Brazil. Both wanted to pursue master’s degrees outside their native country, and after positive experiences in the U.S., returned to ISU. For their first exchange program, it was more certain they would be granted visas since they were coming to the U.S. Helena through a government-sponsored trip. Finamore Applying for a student visa and having it Queiroz
Student Apartments
Sarah Aten is a news reporter for The Vidette. Any questions or comments concerning her article can be sent to vidette_smaten1@ilstu.edu.
accepted was a point of anxiety this time. According to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, the refusal rate for a B visa, a category of non-immigrant visas issued to foreign citizens coming into the country for a temporary period, increased in the past few years. For fiscal years 2014, 2015 and 2016, the rate was 3.2 percent, 5.3 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively. “When you hear the speeches [about immigration], it got me insecure if I would be able to pursue what I want, and it wasn’t under my control,” Finamore Queiroz said. “I do understand that you cannot be here illegally and that it’s bad for the system as a whole, but I don’t understand if you’re granted to be here as a legal immigrant, what’s so bad about that?” Though their visas were granted, they still were worried about what could happen to them once they were in the country. “When you think he got elected by people that have the same feelings as him, you get scared,” Pereira said. “I don’t discriminate against people with different skin colors, sexual orientations, religion. It makes me sad that people have feelings against those people.” Many have said the American election was “crazy,” especially since many protests took place following the results, but Finamore Queiroz and Pereira said they Vania Pereira are used to those events since Brazilian politics has issues with corruption. The country’s former president, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached Aug. 31, 2016, on charges of manipulating the federal budget, and impeachment attempts were made with new President Michel Temer. Despite trouble in their country, the U.S. election was “a big thing” and it painted the country in a different light for many people. “We saw the United States as a place of opportunities, place of friendly people. After he got elected, it changed everything,” Pereira said. “He is against everything the United States tried to build up. He’s breaking down a lot of progress with immigrants, gender equality, etc.”
Look for part two of the international series in Thursday’s issue, where we explore international students’ feelings now and for the future.
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typically around the 18 month mark.” Project Oz took part in a national grant competition in order to fund its program. “We wrote for a sub population of homeless youth that just had a focus on commercially sexual exploitation,” Thompson said. Every year for five years, Project Oz will receive roughly $197,000. Out of 600 applicants, 97 received grant funding from the United States, according to Thompson. “It’s never a guarantee for continued funding. But we’ve solidified this for another five years,” Thompson said.
Rental housing and support services are two areas of Project Oz that will be funded through the grant. Providing the necessary resources for a young person’s success can be expensive, Thompson said. Due to the confidentially of working with young, often vulnerable people, Thompson said that it is preferable for members of the community who want to get involved look on its website for wish lists. “They’re coming to us with literally their clothes on their backs and so we have to furnish an entire apartment 18 times a year,” Thompson said.
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Features
PAGE 6 | THE VIDETTE
STUDENT PROFILE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
Sea of change
Hernandez transitions from Navy waterways to flying among Redbirds STUART STALTER Senior Features Reporter | @VidetteStuS
S
enior biology major and Navy veteran Lizbeth Hernandez, 24, of Chicago, lives a unique life. Formerly serving in interior vommunications for Combat Systems and Security Reaction Force, Hernandez now aims for success at Illinois State University. Hernandez started her military career in June 2012. In 2015, she was deployed while stationed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. She also served on the USS George Washington when it arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, from Yokosuka, Japan. Both aircraft carriers were nuclear powered. The military taught Hernandez self-discipline, confidence and gratitude. “I learned the most about myself throughout my military career. I cannot say I was never afraid of what I had gotten myself into the day I signed that contract at age 19,” Hernandez said. “The military gave me the guidance I was looking for and I definitely grew up fast during those years.” As a female veteran, Hernandez advocates letting abilities, not gender, dictate service in the front lines. “If a woman is qualified and meets the physical standards to fight in combat, she deserves that right just as any man,” Hernandez said. Hernandez has always had a passion for science. After being honorably discharged in June 2016, she participated in the Warrior Scholar Project at the University of Oklahoma. The program gives veterans the tools to successfully pursue a STEM degree. “In the Warrior Scholar Project, I learned how to maximize my educational benefits,” Hernandez said. “It made me realize that anything is possible.” Prior to joining the Navy, Hernandez completed a year at College of DuPage. While at sea, she took classes with onboard professors. When choosing a university post-deployment, California love flowed through her veins. Hernandez loved the beauty of the west coast while briefly stationed in Coronado. That said, home was where Herandez’s heart was, so she ultimately chose ISU. “I chose ISU because it is a highly ranked, military-friendly school with great academics and location,” Hernandez said. “Family is very important to me and I felt like I had already missed out on a lot of time with my family and friends back home during my time away.” Hernandez has not experienced enroller's remorse. She enjoys her time at ISU. Her goals are to keep meeting great professors and mentors while seizing every opportunity. Adjusting to college life is another complicated matter that
Lizbeth Hernandez, senior biology major, is a Navy veteran who now aims for success at ISU. Hernandez dealt with. She experiences difficulty making friends who are not veterans due to having such different life experiences. At 24 years old, with her experiences, she sometimes feels like Billy Madison, a character played by Adam Sandler. Regardless, Hernandez enjoys college and offers her advice for transitioning from the military to university life. “As a veteran, you have to put yourself out there and realize that, even though you are different, those are the experiences
REVIEW
‘Jigsaw’ dulls once cutting-edge franchise STUART STALTER Senior Features Reporter | @VidetteStuS
Senior citizens shuffling into “Jigsaw,” expecting to see the latest puzzle boards are in for a surprise. Indeed, the wicked games invented by moralistic serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) have returned. Though the rules are the same (“Live or die, the choice is yours,”) the players have changed. Five murder victims precisely match Jigsaw’s modus operandi 10 years after he died of cancer. A police investigation reveals that the only certainty about Jigsaw is uncertainty. Unfortunately, directors Peter and Michael Spierig morph the eighth “Saw” installment into “CSI: Jigsaw.” The brothers authenticate the transition with eye-rolling forensic jokes, forced relationship drama and silly coincidences. Though viewers should not expect Oscar-worthy writing, “Saw” films never have genre ambiguity. Any fan knows that this series' signature is written in blood. Famous for brutal traps and gore, “Jigsaw” fails to satisfy the appetite for decapitation. Only one innovative effect exists — a head splitting six ways in slow motion. Overall, “Jigsaw” is the tamest “Saw” entry. The horror that the Spierig brothers serve here is not very palatable: trap quality quickly deteriorates and a cast of unknown actors portray the tortured criminals. “Jigsaw” had a $10 million budget. Conversely, “Sharknado” surfaces at 3:30 a.m. on SyFy and gets buried in $1 bargain bins. In fairness, these actors are likely better than “Jigsaw” performances indicate. The script tries too hard to be clever. Character development suffers as a result. Viewers learn who characters are, but only in brief, forgettable spurts. Quick pacing ruins any chance for cast chemistry. The one actor providing a decent performance is Bell. Though he appears sporadically, Bell’s smooth yet shiverinducing voice is a welcome detour from dullness. As the
Brooke Palmer | TNS
Matthew Passmore as Logan in the film, “Jigsaw.”
most recognizable man in modern horror, Bell has become this generation’s Vincent Price. Another enjoyable aspect was the score. Though cheesy aspects detracted from atmospherics, a sensible score added proper tension when used. Though most would end their praises there, this reviewer enjoyed subtle camera foreshadowing. For one second, the camera captured an item at the start of every scene that would be crucial later on. Perhaps a corny attempt at insulting audiences, the tactic still drew chuckles. Laughter is the prevailing reaction. “Jigsaw” wears the “so bad it is good” badge bestowed upon most tired horror sequels. By film eight: “Friday the 13th” jumped the shark with “Jason Takes Manhattan,” Freddy Krueger was dead and Michael Myers returned in what many consider the Halloween franchise's worst film “Halloween: Resurrection,” starring rapper Busta Rhymes. “Jigsaw” felt like a Halloween blitz for box office treats. Regardless, this review should not trick anyone into thinking “Jigsaw” is the worst horror film out there.
Rating: 2/5
Alex Harrison | Vidette Photographer
you bring to the table,” Hernandez said. “People truly appreciate that.” Hernandez’s dream job serves civilians in a different capacity. She desires to be a successful dentist with her own practice. Additionally, she wants to use those skills to travel to underdeveloped countries to provide dental care. Before those dreams can be realized, Hernandez jokes that she must first survive organic chemistry.
‘Birds learn from past struggles to serve for growth
JONATHAN BARLAS Features Reporter | @janvesleybarlas
After the loss to foil the Illinois State University’s volleyball team’s five game win-streak against Missouri State, the team looks to not only capitalize on the mistakes it has previously made, but to continue the momentum it has deservingly secured. With only five games remaining, 20 wins is more than enough to create a defined presence in the MVC tournament in these upcoming weeks. With that said, what is the mindset of ISU’s volleyball team as they head into the home stretch of their season? Freshman Sydney Holt embodies the team’s candid spirit by crediting growth and prosperity Sydney not only as an Holt individual player, but as a team. “Pretty much the whole season [our motto] has been to grow every week,” Holt said. “Coach talks about how we ‘peak’ every week. Each team is just as important as the next; just getting better and taking each opponent one by one is what we need to do to be prepared.”
Along with preparation comes the dilemma of availability. Holt added that travel schedules and practice consume most of her time when it comes to being a student-athlete. Although struggle provides strength, Holt remains humble and appreciative, considering her recruitment to when she knew she wanted to be a Redbird. “Every time I would come to ISU on recruiting visits, I would think to myself ‘wow that is going to be [me] one day,’” she added. “To finally be here and play in front of the big crowd with the huge amount of support our school gets is just Juma Armando awesome.” Senior Juma Armando insists gratefulness is the key to managing a demanding workload, looking to her faith and the comradery of her teammates to stay focused on her game “I like to pray before I play. I always say a prayer,” Armando confided. “With my team, we always listen to music to hype each other up to really get us going and ready to play.”
Full story online.
videtteonline.com/article
THE VIDETTE | SPORTS | PAGE 7
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
Volleyball nets historic weekend win NICK DAMIANI Sports Reporter | @nGdamiani
Illinois State volleyball split this weekend’s home matches, knocking off No. 25 Northern Iowa Friday before falling to Drake Saturday. The Redbirds (15-11, 8-5 MVC) avenged their Sept. 30 loss to the Panthers (21-6, 10-2 MVC) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with a thrilling five-set upset victory Friday at Redbird Arena in Normal. The victory over Northern Iowa is the first time since Nov. 12, 2003, an Illinois State squad upset a ranked opponent, which also happened to be against then- No. 8 Northern Iowa in five sets at Redbird Arena. “I’m just so excited, so proud of the team,” said ISU head coach Leah Johnson. “I was thrilled with their performance. They followed the game plan. They took risks. We executed at such a high level for five sets and I’m just so proud of them.” ISU was led by a balanced attack that saw four different players reach double figures in kills, highlighted by Ella Francis’ career-high 16 kills and Juma Armando’s 14. Jaelyn Keene added 11 kills of her own in the victory, including the game-clinching kill in the decisive fifth set. The Redbirds got off to a slow start in the contest, dropping the first to the Panthers but then took control in sets two and three. Northern Iowa regained some lost momentum, forcing a fifth set with a 25-21 set victory in the fourth set. The tiebreaking fifth set began the Panthers way as they opened with a 5-0 lead. The Redbirds, however, clawed back to tie the game, 9-9. A 3-0 run that was capped with a Stef Jankiewicz ace put ISU on top for good as it won the set 15-12. “I told our coaches that it’s our time, we have been handling the matches we’re supposed to handle, doesn’t mean that it was always easy,” said Johnson. “It’s now time for us to move above that line and I thought we did a great job with our mindset tonight.” Ultimately, though, the big win Friday did not translate into success for Saturday as the Redbirds lost to Drake in three sets. The Bulldogs (21-6, 10-3 MVC) out-hit the Redbirds .221 to .122 in what Johnson considered an ugly game for her team. “If we have to win in an ugly style, then that has to be our goal,”
ABOVE: The Illinois State volleyball teams celebrates after clinching the decisive fifth set over No. 25 Northern Iowa for its first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since 2003 at Redbird Arena Friday. The Redbirds are now 15-11 overall and sit in fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a league record of 8-5. LEFT: ISU’s Stef Jankiewicz (left) and Ali Line (right) attempt to block a spike effort from Northern Iowa’s Karlie Taylor. Jankiewicz finished the contest with a double-double effort of 58 assists and 11 digs while Line recorded six kills. Natalie Stuckslager | Vidette Photo Editor
Johnson said. “We tried to fight through a tough performance, but I think Drake put us in a lot of tough situations, so credit goes to them.”
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29 digs to tie her season-high three match total. Ali Line and Holt also recorded three blocks apiece in the loss
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Keene had 12 kills for ISU and Sydney Holt chipped in nine of her own. Courtney Pence came away with
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Sports
PAGE 8 | THE VIDETTE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017
ISU football: that’s more like it
MY VIEW MICHAEL MARRA | Sports Editor
B
Youngstown State Athletics
ISU running back James Robinson braces for impact with a Youngstown State defender in Saturday’s 35-0 victory in Youngstown, Ohio.
Redbirds pin the Penguins
Illinois State blasts Youngstown State, 35-0, in shutout victory NATE HEAD Sports Editor | @NateHead51
The 2017 Illinois State football season has primarily been dominated by storylines surrounding the team’s relentless defensive unit and dynamic rushing attack. Both aspects were on full display Saturday in Youngstown, Ohio, as No. 21 ISU (6-2, MVFC 4-1) secured its second-consecutive victory over a higher-ranked opponent with a blowout 35-0 win over No. 19 Youngstown State (3-5, MVFC 1-4). ISU head coach Brock Spack called the game one of his favorites during his nineyear tenure and said the 35-point margin was unanticipated, as the two teams have played tight-knit contests in recent years. “It was a really big win for us,” Spack said. “We did not expect this at all … we expected it to come down to a one possession game but it didn’t and that is great.” ISU smothered Youngstown’s offense throughout the cold, rainy afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium, allowing just 147 total yards, a season-low for the Penguins.
Redbird senior defensive lineman Matt McCown caught a fumble from Youngstown quarterback Ricky Davis and returned it 26 yards for his first-career touchdown to put ISU ahead 14-0 early in the first quarter. The Casey native said the ISU defense, which forced two interceptions and recorded five sacks, is starting to gain back some of the momentum lost during a solemn two-game losing streak earlier this month. “We got our confidence back,” McCown said. “We brought a lot more energy … we looked past what happened [in the losses] and moved on to getting back to ourselves, and I think we are getting there.” On the other side of the ball, ISU’s game plan was certainly clearer than the Ohio skies, as quarterback Jake Kolbe only threw 11 passes and a f lurry of Redbird rushers combined for 51 carries. Sophomores Markel Smith and James Robinson carried the load for ISU’s ground attack, as the duo ran for 124 and 117 yards, respectively, to mark the first time since December 2015 that two ISU running backs eclipsed 100 rushing yards. Robinson also scored three
touchdowns and Smith added one of his own. Robinson, who ranked third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing yards prior to the game, quickly credited the Redbird front for his success. “It feels pretty good, but our offensive line did a really good job of blocking,” Robinson said. “We let our line get to their blocks and that’s how we broke open runs.” Illinois State opened a 14-0 lead in the first quarter to silence a Homecoming crowd of 12,723, and the Penguins never found a rhythm on either side of the ball. Youngstown State head coach Bo Pelini said the team was overmatched in every facet of the game and called the team’s performance an embarrassment to both the program and the city. “I have never been more disgusted in my whole life,” Pelini said. “We didn’t show up today … that was the worst football team I’ve ever seen to play the game across the board.” Illinois State will return to Normal Saturday for Family Weekend, hosting Western Illinois at noon at Hancock Stadium.
Soccer season ends with 1-0 loss to Northern Iowa NICK LANDI Sports Reporter | @nlandi1033
Illinois State soccer’s Missouri Valley Conference championship defense is over. The Redbirds (9-9-2) fell to Northern Iowa (13-4-1) 1-0 Sunday in the opening round of the MVC tournament in Waterloo, Iowa. With the loss, ISU’s season ends with the team losing four of its last five games. “All credit to UNI,” ISU head coach Brad Silvey said. “They showed up and they had a nice game plan in place and we had a hard time countering it. But, like I said, [I’m] extremely proud of the team and what we were able to accomplish this year and it’s not too soon to start thinking about next year and how we’re going
to prepare and plan to do better moving forward.” Northern Iowa, who also beat ISU 1-0 in overtime back on Sept. 23, jumped ahead 1-0 early when junior Kelsey Yarrow scored on a fast break at 13:41, just after the Redbirds turned the ball over in their own end. Illinois State fought back throughout the remainder of the match, creating multiple scoring opportunities. One of the closest came nearly 13.5 minutes into the second half when freshman Alix McArthur’s header off a pass from senior Kelli Zickert went wide of the net. Ultimately, the Redbirds could not tie the match up as they finished the game with four shots on goal, two of which came from freshman Jessica Denney.
Sophomore goalkeeper Haley Smith made two saves in the loss. “We played super-narrow against a team that also plays very narrow and we turned the game into something that wasn’t really us,” Silvey said. “It wasn’t really a characteristic of who we are as a team and that was hard.” After winning both the 2016 MVC regular season and tournament championship, Silvey now must figure out how to get the Redbirds back to the top of the conference. One of his biggest challenges will be filling the holes on his roster left from graduating seniors like Zickert, Emily Dickman and Abby Joyce.
Full story online.
videtteonline.com/article
Alex Harrison | Vidette Photographer
Illinois State’s Emily Dickman tied for the team lead this season with four goals.
y now, everyone knows I pressed the panic button for Redbird football two weeks ago after a loss in Carbondale. Let me reiterate how wrong I was. Simply put, Illinois State’s loss at Southern Illinois appears to be nothing more than a fluke. When the Redbirds needed to answer the bell, they came out swinging. Twice, in fact. Following up a stellar showing against South Dakota just over a week ago, the Redbirds put on a performance that left Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini the most disgusted he has ever been with a football team. This disgust was especially strong, considering the Redbirds entered a typically hostile Stambaugh Stadium and took on the nationally ranked Penguins, who came into Saturday winners in 11 of their last 12 home games and 24-11 in Homecoming games. The 35-0 walloping of YSU now has Illinois State ranked at number two in the Missouri Valley Football Conference as it enters the final three weeks. This team has made a believer out of me. It’s shut me up and established itself as not only deserving of a FCS playoff spot, but the national recognition it’s received in past seasons. When ISU was down, it rose up and took flight. Just as a championship caliber team would do. If these last two games are any indication, Illinois State could be in a title fight Nov. 18 when North Dakota State comes to town. Just when the season looked gloom and ready to hit rock bottom, Illinois State did not flinch. During the two losses, the Redbird offense struggled mightily. Since then? How’s 37 points versus then ranked No. 4 South Dakota and 35 points on the road at YSU, who hadn’t allowed more than 28 points this season and that was against FBS opponent Pittsburgh in OT on the road. The one big takeaway from the last two weeks? Illinois State showed ‘it.’ For the first time and for an entire game, the Redbirds had ‘it.’ Especially in Saturday’s pounding of the Penguins, Brock Spack’s group showed a killer instinct right off the bat. That killer instinct was something missing early in the season, most notably when looking at Illinois State’s victory over Indiana State, when ISU did not put away the Sycamores after leading 24-0 at halftime. That’s the past. And you know what they say about the past. Leave the past in the past. Illinois State is riding high right now, as it should be. Give credit where credit is due and ISU deserves some right now. But, the road does not get any easier and the Redbirds know that. They’re hungry and they’re ready. As for me? The hand is well away from the panic button.