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A time to be THURSDAY BIRD SPECIAL

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 Vol. 130 / No. 26

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Give Thanks campaign close to goal

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STORY BY TIFFANY MORRISON | News Reporter | @MorrisonTiffany

he Give Thanks Campaign has almost reached its goal in its efforts to give meal boxes to those in need this holiday season.

The campaign, which is a collaboration of efforts between Home Sweet Home Ministries and Midwest Food Bank, is just under 100 turkeys and 200 meal bags away from reaching their goal of 2,000 complete meal baskets.

“With a few more days left, we’re optimistic that we can reach our goal. We are so blessed to live in a community that cares so much about others,” Leslie Bunge, Home Sweet Home Min-

istries communications coordinator, said.

Once all the food items are collected, volunteers will help organize and pack meal boxes at Midwest Food Bank, at 2301 Warehouse Drive in Normal. These baskets will be distributed before Thanksgiving to families and ones in need so they will have access to a warm meal for the special Thanksgiving holiday.

Distribution days for families to pick up meal boxes are noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m. Monday. see GIVE THANKS page 3

Freshman fashion merchandising major Caitlan Meyer is looking forward to Thanksgiving break and spending time with her friends and family.

Photo illustration by ALI RASPER Vidette Photographer

PAGE 2 | NEWS | THE VIDETTE

STAFF LIST Editor in Chief

Ema Sasic

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

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Levy to help combat Normal’s budget deficit

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The Town of Normal will propose a tax levy close to seven percent to pay for rising pension costs for policemen and firefighters as the town faces a budget deficit next year.

The town will also propose spending cuts to offset the deficit.

The Normal Tow n Council signed off on a preliminary property tax increase that will affect home owners, valued at $165,000. This would mean an extra $44 per year to cover employee pension costs.

“The state passed a law that requires city municipalities to have 90 percent of their police and fire departments funded by 2040 and to meet that requirement the state would then take that particular towns municipalities sales tax revenue,” Richard Greenfield, secretary of governmental relations, said.

“So because of that, the Town of Normal is trying to be prepared to get their pensions at the 90 percent funding levels.”

Town staff have stated in documents that most of the $841,000 increase would go to the rising pension costs.

Illinois law requires that municipalities fund pensions at a specific level while also levying fees on those municipalities that cut into resources they may use to make the payments.

C ou nc i l memb er s h ave praised Normal’s police and firefighters and stated that a small tax increase for their pensions is worth the service they provide.

In an interview with The Pantagraph, City Manager Mark Peterson said “We’re obligated by the state to fund 90 percent of outstanding obligations by 2040. This council has decided to shoot higher and fund 100

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will be the featured speaker for Illinois State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Dinner on Jan. 26 in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.

Reser vations are required and tickets are $15 for students and $35 for non-students.

Student meal plan holders can use a meal swipe to Loretta make a reservaLynch tion in exchange for one meal. Reservations and meal choices can be made online.

Cocktails will begin at 5 p.m. and the dinner at 6 p.m.

Lynch was sworn in as the United States attorney general in April 2015 under former President Barack Obama.

Previously, she led the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn, New York, and served in private law practice.

As attorney general, Lynch focused on relationships between law enforcement and communities, transgender rights and criminal justice reform.

This event is presented by the Office of the President, University Housing Services, ISU Student Chapter of NAACP and the Association of Residence Halls.

Natalie Stuckslager | Vidette Photo Editor

Town of Normal City Manager said the council is obligated by the state to fund 90 percent of its outstanding obligations by the year 2040. percent.”

The town will not be raising taxes for other purposes, such as funding a $1.2 million budget deficit. Officials have given an early retirement buyout to five employees they hope not to replace and plan on cutting more spending as part of next year’s budget.

“It is my hope that a $44 average cost will not make realty companies make students pay for this by raising rent costs,” Greenfield said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think they won’t because the town is facing a deficit and there’s no extra money present to even do that.”

“I’m very sorry if this happens to students but the town has to comply with state law or there will be more consequences for the Town of Normal,” he added.

A memo from Normal’s Finance Director Andrew Huhn stated “The town has no control over the cost of police and fire pensions.

Pension plan funding levels are mandated by the state, and the town is obligated to provide the money.”

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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 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

Basic services such as public safety, garbage and water will not be touched by the service cuts.

The proposed spending cuts will be presented publicly when the City Council receives the town’s fiscal 2019 budget, which begins in April 2018.

Andrew Dougherty is a political reporter for The Vidette. Contact him at vidette_addough@ilstu. edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ addough.

THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Uptown Normal prepares for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday ALEX CAMPBELL News Reporter | @alex_campbell98

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he commercialization of Black Friday and its importance to American retail companies has grown year by year.

This means that Small Business Saturday is usually an afterthought around the holiday season. That is not necessarily the case everywhere. Uptown Normal has a strong track record of participation for their Small Business Saturdays.

According to Uptown Gifts and Accessories manager Lisa Hoff bauer, the store has participated in both Black Friday and Small Business Saturday for as long as the store has been open.

“Black Friday, I would say, is a little bit bigger of a deal at the mall, even though we do get a pretty good turnout,” Hoff bauer said. “Small Business Saturday is always the biggest day of the year for us, bar none.”

Uptown Gifts and Accessories will be open on Friday from 8 p.m. until 7 a.m. On Saturday, the store will be open from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m.

The store has not yet established what the deals will be.

“Some deals will be through the brands that we carry while others will be directly through our store,” Hoff bauer said.

Apricot Lane in Uptown is still considering their participation in Small Business Saturday, according to sales associate Carson Moline.

The store is under new management so there are some changes being made. In the past, the store would do a tier sale in which the store would be 40 percent off and would slowly drop every two or three hours.

Moline has never worked a Black Friday at Apricot Lane.

However, she has attended the shopping extravaganza in Uptown.

“There’s usually a line starting at 8 [p.m.] that would stretch to CVS,” Moline said. “This year we are opening a little later than normally so I am expecting a pretty big turnout.”

“We have been saving a few hot items and some new shipment and we have some of our online sellouts back in anticipation for Black Friday,” Moline added.

Photographs by Michelle Carrico | Vidette Photographer

TOP: Apricot Lane’s holiday specials are on display ABOVE: Products on sale at Apricot Lane LEFT: Uptown Gifts and Accessories sales associate Gabby Rivera gets ready for the holiday sales

Alex Campbell is a news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at ajcamp2@ilstu.edu Follow him on Twitter at @alex_campbell98

Run, turkey, run!

Annual Turkey Trot to offer raffles, food drive to help community Mason McCoy Senior News Reporter @Real_McCoy18

the coming together of the community, not on competition.

“There’s a clock at the finish line but we don’t do tabulations or prizes for first place or anything like,” Balagna said.

Many local sponsors are helping put together this community event. The frozen turkeys that are being raff led off have been donated by the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center. They will also be providing coffee and hot chocolate for participants.

The annual Turkey Trot, a community oriented event, will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday at Miller Park in Bloomington.

The event is free and open to the public, with no preregistration required. Sign up for the events begins at 8 a.m., in the Miller Park Pavilion, on Thursday.

“Everyone who signs in for the event gets a bid number for raff les,” Athletics Program Manager with Bloomington Parks and Recreation Denise Balagna said.

Raff le winners will be able to win event shirts for the Turkey Trot and take home a frozen turkey for the holiday season.

The first of the three events of fered includes a half-mile kids fun-run.

For all ages, a 3-mile run and a one-and-a-half-miles walk are also available. All events will take place on the grounds of Miller Park.

A clock will be available for runners to keep track of their times and to help them set their pace, but the event Graphic by Lee Walls | Vidette Art Director tries to focus more on

Fleet Street Sports will also be helping with the water stations for the event, as well as the management of the bids and raff le. The clock at the finish line has also been provided by Fleet Street Sports.

The event offers a fun experience for all ages.

“We have all ages come to participate in the annual Turkey Trot run,” Balagna said. “There’s a lot of families, parents, kids [and] grandparents.”

“A lot of college-age students come and participate because it’s free and a great opportunity to get some physical activity before that holiday feast.”

Balagna asks that participants try to bring something to share with the community.

“In the spirt of thankfulness, we are also doing a food collection,” she said.

All donations will be delivered to Home Sweet Home Ministries and Balagna said the collection is a great way to help them, help others.

Mason McCoy is a senior news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at mmcoy@ilstu.edu.

Follow him on Twitter @Real_McCoy18.

GIVE THANKS continued from page 1

“This campaign means a lot to others, especially for those who don’t think a Thanksgiving meal is a possibility for them,” Bunge said.

Those interested can shop at Hy-Vee or either Schnucks locations in town, purchase a $15 turkey card at the register and pick up prepackaged meal bags. Drop off locations for donations are also available at either Home Sweet Home Ministries or Midwest Food Bank.

“If someone would like to make a monetary donation, we encourage them to visit our website and mark their donation for Give Thanks,” Bunge said.

The Give Thanks Campaign has been formally titled that for four years now and is specialized to pertain to the partnership of Midwest Food Bank and Home Sweet Home Ministries. The idea created was to come together in order to give thanks during the holiday season and share the blessings given with others.

During the first campaign, the organizations distributed close to 1,000 turkeys and meal boxes. Since then, the goal has increased to 2,000. Last year, the team distributed close to 2,300 meal boxes and turkeys, impacting 11,000 individuals in the Bloomington-Normal area.

“We are really in need of the community’s support this year to provide turkeys and other meal items including canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions and cranberry sauce,” Midwest Food Bank Director Mike Hoffman said. “We all have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Please help us share the blessings this holiday season.”

“When you think of Thanksgiving, you think of sitting around the table, enjoying a great meal, and spending time with friends and family.

It’s about providing hope. We’re just so blessed to be able to help others,” Bunge said. “For me personally, it makes my heart smile knowing that so many people in our community enjoy helping our neighbors.”

Home Sweet Home Ministries provides more than just the campaign over the holiday season, as the organization itself was founded on Thanksgiving Day in 1917. The organization serves 150 in-house meals within its shelter on Thanksgiving Day, and with the help of over 150 volunteers from the community, delivers approximately 600 homedelivered meals to the elderly and disabled.

Turkey meal cards are available in the city of Bloomington and Bloomington Mission Mart.

“By working at Home Sweet Home, I see the difference our community makes firsthand,” Bunge said. “We’re all working together to instill hope and restore lives and it’s wonderful to be a part of that.”

Home Sweet Home Ministries will be celebrating its centennial this Thanksgiving.

“This is truly a special time for Home Sweet Home, it’s remarkable to be celebrating our 100th Thanksgiving,” Bunge said.

Viewpoint

PAGE 4 | THE VIDETTE

VIDETTE EDITORIAL

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Fall break is too late in the semester

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riday is the first day of fall break for a large portion of students on campus, but, it’s less of a vacationing break and more of a week of procrastination and stress before project deadlines and finals week.

Fall break is during the last few weeks of each fall semester — lining up with Thanksgiving break. During the spring semester, spring break is just right after midterms, like most universities.

It gives students the option to destress and relax after the first half of the semester, but the fall semester doesn’t offer that. Fall semester is a stressful runaway train that doesn’t come to a screeching halt until the maximum amount of stress has been reached at the culmination of the semester.

Metaphors aside, fall semester would be a better environment for learning if the break was earlier in the semester and mirrored spring semester with a midsemester break.

While it is slightly more difficult because there is a major holiday during the

last few weeks of the semester, other universities do implement an earlier fall break that is at the front half of the week. Then, later in the semester, Thanksgiving break is the second half of the week.

Take Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. It had fall break from Oct. 7 to 10 and then has its Thanksgiving break Nov. 22 to 26. Northeastern Illinois University follows similarly, and these are just some of the public institutions in the state.

Private institutions can, and do, also follow the half-week break. Brad-

ley University had the same earlier half-week fall break of Oct. 7 to 10 as Carbondale and Northeastern. Illinois College had a half-week fall break from Oct. 11 to 16, and Millikin University had its Oct. 12 to 15.

While getting more time to sleep and not stress over work may seem trivial, in 2014 a report entitled “Exploring the Impact of a Fall Break on Student Mental Health Outcomes” was submitted to Student Services at Brock University in Ontario. The results found that 51 percent of the 565 undergraduate students surveyed

stated fall break was useful in reducing school related stress, and 59 percent of those same students stated their stress levels were much higher during midterms.

Having an earlier break will allow students to process information they are learning from courses and not overwork themselves. Spring semester always seems less stressful and jampacked, and it’s probably due to the fact that the term is split in two, not just on paper but is chronologically — and physically — broken up.

Where fall break currently falls in the semester, there really is no break. Yes, no classes are held, but the deadlines and upcoming finals are still there when students return to campus. Students are still working on them over break and start studying to prepare for finals week.

An earlier fall break would be beneficial for students’ mental health and course performance during the fall semester.

Students would be less likely to hit that end of semester funk as harshly and be able to get work done with less breakdowns.

Editorial Cartoon by Lee Walls | Vidette Editorial Cartoonist

EDITORIAL POLICY Editorial written by KAYLA JANE JEFFERS, 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.

It’s time to do something about Greek life MY VIEW KEVIN SCHWALLER | Columnist

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eadlines throughout 2017 seem to revolve around travel bans, Fiona the hippo and trouble in Greek life.

With the rise of hazing and alcoholrelated deaths among college students in 2017, I can’t help but wonder if fraternities and sororities will be able to maintain a presence on campuses across the nation.

Most recently, Texas State University suspended its fraternities and sororities after the death of a fraternity pledge.

TSU joined Pennsylvania State University, Louisiana State University and Florida State University in fraternityrelated deaths this year. These schools

also saw numerous suspensions among the organizations.

FSU suspended fraternities and sororities after a pledge died at a party.

Penn State suspended Greek activity after a 19-year-old drunkenly fell down a flight of stairs and first response wasn’t called until almost 12 hours later.

LSU rolled out a temporary suspension when a freshman died after a hazing ritual, with his blood alcohol content hitting an absurd .495.

Needless to say, it has been a lethal year for the Greek system at several colleges and universities.

While Illinois State University’s Greek life does not have as much of a presence on campus as the other universities, there have still been instances where fraternities and sororities have been kicked off. Most recently, the Theta Rho Chapter of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity closed its doors due to numerous violations.

In a press conference after the incident at Florida, FSU president John Thrasher said, “For this suspension to

end, there will need to be a new normal for Greek life at the university.”

We cannot keep learning about new alcohol-related deaths among collegiate students.

I know the Greek experience isn’t what it’s like in the movies. There are a lot of negative stereotypes with fraternities and Greek life, but I understand why students so proudly wear the letters of a Greek house on their clothing and wish to form brotherhoods and sisterhoods. I know it doesn’t take Greek letters to do something stupid, to drink too much or treat someone unkindly.

However, it is hard to not make the comparisons every time I see another Greek suspension.

Drug use, excessive drinking, sexual assault and other reckless behavior has become normalized in the minds of too many students as part of “the college experience.”

According to collegiate rape statistics website One In Four, fraternity members are three times more likely to commit a sexual assault than other col-

REGGIE IN THE NEST by SAMANTHA MCINTYRE | Vidette Cartoonist

lege men, and 74 percent of women in sororities are more likely to experience rape than other college women.

Thrasher wants to “send a message that we’ve got a serious problem and we need to deal with it, and they’re part of the solution.”

Greek life needs a drastic change if it wishes to continue being part of the college experience. I’m not sure if a mass reform is entirely possible, but those involved with Greek life need to understand that a BAC of .495 is not fun – it’s deadly.

Father of the dead Penn State student Jim Piazza expressed his thoughts on his son’s death.

“Again, this did not have to happen.”

Yet it continues to happen.

Kevin Schwaller is a senior journalism major and news editor and columnist for The Vidette. He can be reached at vidette_kschwal@ilstu.edu. Follow him on Twitter @kevschwa.

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Editorial: Red Cross under flames for dishonesty Jeffers: The world is obsessed with naked pictures of celebrities Turner: Save as much money this holiday season as possible 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 ALEX GOUGH Columnist | @jalexgough KAMARA TURNER Columnist | @kvmara

THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Ex-child slave talks women’s rights, life in sweatshop ANDREW DOUGHERTY Political Reporter | @addough

On Monday, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Illinois State University hosted Nasreen Sheikh, a former child laborer turned labor activist.

Sheikh gave a presentation in Turner Hall in which she shared her life experiences as a child laborer and how people can make a difference and bring awareness to the violations of women’s rights in villages both in India and Nepal.

The presentation, titled “What Happens When You Say Yes To Your Intuition” discussed Sheikh’s personal experiences with child labor and the difference that people can make when they give a voice to others who may not have one.

Sheikh began the presentation by giving her background story about the village she grew up in and the dire situation the women live in.

“My village is a completely male-dominated society. I do not know my birthday because neither birth dates nor death dates are recorded,” Sheikh said.

“In my village, I witnessed atrocities happening against women, one of my aunts being murdered by her husband because he felt she was too outspoken. I also witnessed a lot of women committing suicide instead of living under the circumstances in their lives.”

Sheikh arrived in the United States for the first time in 2015, where she understood that she had been a victim of child labor.

For the last ten years, Sheikh’s uncle educated her on subjects such as philosophy, math, writing and other subjects while she

Ali Rasper | Vidette Photographer

Nasreen Sheikh spent her childhood as a slave in a sweatshop making clothes and it was not until she came to the United States in 2015 that she realized she was a victim of child labor worked in a sweatshop.

“I would always think, who would wear [clothes]. I forgot about quality, I became like a machine.”

“That sweatshop gave me such awkward experiences but also a set of skills. When looking back on life, there are always negative and positive aspects in what you do,” she said.

Sheikh continued by saying that one of the hardest things for her was witnessing the forced marriage of her 16-year-old sister,

who wanted to go to school, saying her sister’s dreams were crushed.

She said when she moved out of her village to the city, it literally felt like she was coming out of a cave because she was taught all her life that women should not work outside of the home.

“All this time I thought I was coming out of the village nightmare and then I found myself working in a textile factory, working 16 hours a day,” Sheikh said.

Sheikh is the founder of Local Organizations

Comprised of Women Offering Mentorship, a nonprofit organization that helps with women’s health, education, hygiene and teaching occupational skills such as embroidery and sewing.

“In 2013, we started building a safe place for women. In our education center, women get trained for 6 to 12 months. But when people are so traumatized, they need so much more love and understanding, which is why we made this center,” Sheikh said.

Her learning center uses only clean and sustainable energy, unlike the sweatshops that plague Nepal and India.

“It’s so hard to change people’s hearts and minds. Sometimes we think we’re alone and our problems are only ours, and that is not true and you are not alone,” Sheikh said. “I became one of the first women to escape an arranged marriage from my village.”

Sheikh told the women in the audience that they have every opportunity at their disposal to help empower other women across the world.

She ended the presentation by asking the audience a question.

“Who made your clothes, who made your phone, the things that you’re using every day? How might you bring harmony to the world by saying yes to your intuition and how many of you trust your tuition?” Sheikh asked.

“You can at least ask questions to the places where you buy those products, and if thousands of people start asking those questions, they’ll have to go back and start finding people like me.”

For further information on Sheikh’s organization, visit localwomenshandicrafts.com or www.locwom.org.

Thanksgiving Farmers Market provides fresh food for holidays PORCHIA WHITE News Reporter | @porchia_white

The Bloomington Farmers Market is ringing in the holidays with their 11th annual Thanksgiving Farmers Market, taking place at the Grossinger Motors Arena Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the farmers market invites all residents to stock up on holiday goods.

They have over 25 local vendors offering fresh locally grown farm products and gifts. According to the Farmers Market Coordinator Catherine Dunlap, there will be a mixture of new and returning vendors this year.

Produce sold at the event will include organic tomatoes, carrots, squash and much more. They will have baked goods from Central Illinois Bakehouse, including pies, butter cake, rolls, bread and others.

“This is an opportunity to get all of your Thanksgiving and gift shopping done. We’ll have a wide variety of fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses. We will also have two jewelry designers, glass blowers, pet treats and skin care,” Dunlap said.

The farmers market strives to only sell Illinois-grown

farm products. They also seek to improve the variety, freshness, taste and nutritional value of produce that is made available to the McLean County area.

The primary purpose of the farmers market is to help energize downtown Bloomington by providing a foundation where local residents can deal directly with farmers who grow their products.

“There are so many benefits to shopping at a producer-only market. Consumers can talk directly to the people that grow their products and ask questions about the food, animals and even recipes,” Dunlap said.

The market hopes to increase their knowledge and appreciation of the quality and benefits of their locally grown products.

The Thanksgiving Market is also accepting volunteers to help organize the venue for the event.

Admission into this event is free and the market supports Link card purchases of fruits and vegetables.

Porchia White is a senior journalism major and can be reached at pmwhite@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter @porchia_white.

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Features Student overcomes adversity to make America better

PAGE 6 | THE VIDETTE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

STUART STALTER Senior Features Reporter @VidetteStuS

Freshman finance major Joseph Palomares from the Philippines has accomplished more than most freshmen. Living in Chicago the past 11 years, Palomares makes the American dream his reality.

“I chose ISU because ISU was the only one that truly believed in me,” Palomares said.

Palomares’ road to ISU was not a pleasurable STUDENT cruise.

PROFILE Palomares’ parents, both nurses, struggled with cultural assimilation when immigrating to the United States in 2005.

“They spoke little to no English and had no previous background on the culture of America,” Palomares said.

While his father worked as a nurse in Chicago, Palomares lived with his adopted grandparents in Bolingbrook for his first year in the United States.

That year provided tough adjustments for Palomares. He experienced bullying due to his skin color and accent.

“I got beaten up and pushed around from time to time. No one bothered to be friends with me,” Palomares said. “As a young kid, the only thing that I had gravitated towards was the public library.”

Books became Palomares' source of comfort. While his mother worked 80 hours a week, Palomares grinded academically to make his parents proud.

“They worked hard to get the rice on the table and my job

was to get A’s in school,” Palomares said. “Their smile meant more to me than eating for one or two nights.”

Hard work paid off. In Chicago public high school, Palomares captained the academic team, was conference champion of public policy and student body president for two consecutive years.

Additionally, Palomares won countless awards researching ultraviolet light sterilization on water.

“I was exposing a series of water samples to some bacterial strains and watching the effects of UV light radiation on them over the course of hours,” Palomares explained. “I was researching the microbial DNA strands for inconsistencies.”

This research, combined with the extracurriculars and working for a nonprofit organization, rendered Palomares a “D student” his junior year. Additionally, the rigorous International Baccalaureate program caused migraines and Palomares' grandmother passed away.

“I was both miserable in my personal life and excelling in my extracurricular life,” Palomares said.

Samatha Brinkman | Vidette Photographer

Freshman finance major Joseph Palomares works to make the American dream his reality. While at ISU, Palomares hopes to keep grades high and network with financial professionals.

Full story online. Videtteonline.com

Gobble Gobble Up Nontraditional, holiday dishes are sure to stuff stomachs this Thanksgiving

T

hinking of the big glazed turkey, grandma’s sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie can get one’s mouth watering. Many would argue Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays due to having an excuse to stuff your face with delicious food.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away and with these recipes, students will be wanting to make them for dinner every night, even after the holiday passes.

It can sometimes be difficult to find recipes the whole family likes, aside from the traditional side dishes like stuffing, but one cannot go wrong with mac-n-cheese.

Baked mac-n-cheese Students will need one pound of elbow macaroni, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of flour, 4 cups of milk, 6 cups of shredded sharp cheddar, 1 tablespoon of garlic salt, a separate 2 tablespoons of butter — aside from the previous half-cup — 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs and salt and pepper.

First, boil the pasta. Next comes the cream sauce. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, while whisking in the flour. Then, let the sauce cook for two to three minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, slowly pour in the milk, whisking until Leslie Brenner | TNS smooth. Let the sauce thicken Liberation from the blue box: it’s much easier than you while boiling on low heat and might think to make rich, gooey, classic baked mac-nremove when finished. cheese from scratch.

For best results, add the cooked pasta to a 9x13” greased baking dish. Next, sprinkle the 6 cups of cheese over the pasta until fully covered and then pour the cream sauce on top of it.

Once the cheese has melted, stir the ingredients together. In a separate pan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and add the breadcrumbs. Let the breadcrumbs cook until golden brown, stirring constantly for about five minutes. Finally, pour over the pasta and pop it in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes at 325 F.

After stuffing one’s face during the feast, there is always room for desserts. Pies seem like the go-to for holidays, but one should try a nontraditional dessert such as Pumpkin spice cookies.

Pumpkin spice cookies For this tasty treat, students will need 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, 3/4 teaspoons of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoons of ground cloves, 3/4 cups of softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cups of packed brown sugar, 1/2 granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin. Make sure the canned pumpkin is not pie filling. Finally, for the cookie coating, students will need 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon.

First, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Then, with the mixer on low, slowly beat in the egg, vanilla and pumpkin. Next, slowly add in the flour mixture as stated before.

This will be the dough. It will be very sticky, so students will want to leave it in the fridge for at least two hours, but it can take up to two days.

When the dough is ready to bake, set the oven to 350 F and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons Photo courtesy of Just So Tasty Blog of cinnamon for the coating. Next, roll the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon sized balls, roll them in the coating and place them on the baking sheet, flattening the cookies slightly. Finally, bake the cookies for eight to 10 minutes for soft and chewy goodness.

Both of these scrumptious recipes and more can be found on Pinterest. Although these two recipes are nontraditional holiday dishes, they are sure to be a success at students’ Thanksgiving dinners.

Compiled by Kourtney Cunningham Features Reporter

Students feast their eyes on upcoming Thanksgiving meals REBEKAH CARTLIDGE Features Reporter | @bekahcartlidge

In college, food choices can seem repetitive and boring. Nothing beats the feeling of a home cooked meal, besides Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving is when homes are showered with tons of different foods, with friends and families expressing their thankfulness. As college students, the thought of delicious food covering a kitchen table makes the mouth water.

Turkey is usually the main course. If it is cooked the traditional way, it takes multiple hours and ends up filling the house with a beautiful smell. While turkey is the main

course in most situations, that is not what the students look forward to.

All the side dishes are usually what get students really excited about Thanksgiving.

That said, mashed potatoes are a huge hit for a favorite side dish.

Freshman history education major Olivia Hartshorn is always looking forward to the mashed potatoes.

“I love mashed potatoes, especially when they’re creamy,” Hartshorn said. “Even when they are a little chunky, they’re still my favorite.”

Bread is also a huge part of Thanksgiving. Bread goes with basically anything and everything, along with being perfect by itself. It is one of the first sides that is

Ali Rasper | Vidette Photographer

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, bread, turkey, chicken and vegetables all scream traditional Thanksgiving dinners.

put on the table and the perfect snack to nibble on while waiting for the full dinner to be served.

In addition, cheesy potatoes and stuffing compliments the turkey in the most perfect way. However, some students’ favorite part about Thanksgiving is dessert. No matter how full one may be after plates full of food, there is always room for pumpkin pie.

Freshman marketing major Haley Allen looks forward to cutting into the pumpkin pie every year.

“Pumpkin pie has a special place in my heart,” Allen said. “I look forward to it all year.”

While this was nowhere even close to touching on every single food served during Thanksgiving, it touched on some of students’ favorites. From snacking on bread before dinner, to ending the meal with pumpkin pie, it is safe to say students are excited.

In under a week Thanksgiving dinner will be served, and it will be nothing short of the home-cooked meal students have been waiting for.

THE VIDETTE | SPORTS | PAGE 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Tinsley poised for big year with Redbirds JON BARLAS Sports Reporter | @janvesleybarlas

As he walked through the tunnel, butterflies began to fill his stomach. He has felt this before, but not at this magnitude. A wave of adrenaline washes over him as he hears distant cheers from swarming sections full of Redbird faithful. The court is stained with sweat, pressed with the footprints of legends before him. Fans cheering, his heart races faster than the speed of the shot clock as William Tinsley lives out a childhood dream: playing basketball for the Illinois State Redbirds.

William Tinsley is an ordinary student with extraordinary talent. At 6-foot-6, Illinois State’s newest addition seems to have taken the court by storm in his short tenure wearing the red and white.

Growing up in Colfax, Illinois, a small town about 30 minutes away from Normal, Tinsley has always held ISU close to his heart. Rooting on the Redbirds from a very young age, he has always imagined himself running underneath the bright lights of Redbird Arena, playing for his childhood team.

“It’s a funny story actually,” Tinsley explained. “My high school basketball coach actually graduated from ISU and when I was younger, he used to be my mentor. Every lunch break I would go down to his room and we used to just write down goals every day. One of my goals has always been to be a Redbird. He still has the note we wrote down that day. I always wanted to be a Redbird growing up.”

Tinsley graduated from Ridgeview High School, where he led the Mustangs to a 2015 state playoff run as a senior, unknowingly playing at his eventual home of Redbird Arena.

Tinsley reminisces how he felt stepping onto Doug Collins Court for the very first time.

“Aw man, honestly I just wanted to see the

fan base,” he said. “We played a team about 20 minutes away from us that we actually lost to in the first game of my senior year, so it was a big game for us. It was packed and I just wanted to make my first three, play with no nerves and we ended up winning that game.”

Arriving to ISU from Land Lake College in Matoon, Tinsley averaged 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his twoyear career as a Laker. Now further developing his game at Illinois State, Tinsley lines up to be a dominant scoring force for the ’Birds this upcoming season.

As he seamlessly transitions from a junior college scorer to a well-rounded Division 1 athlete, Tinsley compares the organization of an esteemed D1 program like ISU to others he has been involved with in the past.

“Land Lake wasn’t as structured as ISU,” Tinsley said. “As soon as I got here in the summer, all we did was work out. We ate together, we lifted together, we did everything together as team. It’s definitely more structured than any other program I’ve been a part of.”

Along with that transition comes the evolution of his role as a player, quickly changing from offseason orientation to a valued and dependable asset. Perfecting his craft under coach Dan Muller’s guidance, Tinsley looks to develop and translate his defensive reps in practice directly on the court.

“My role [initially] was just to get used to the program,” he said. “But now, [my role is] to score, to defend and be a good teammate.

Coach Muller is a big defensive coach, he really emphasizes defense, so we’ve been working on defense ever since. I know I’ve gotten way better but there’s always a lot of work left to do.”

As Tinsley continues to live out his dream, he makes sure he does not take this opportunity lightly. Crediting Muller, he simply remains grateful for what his hard work has

Monica Mendoza

William Tinsley celebrates after scoring one of his buckets in ISU’s exhibition victory over Lewis. allowed him to achieve on his life-long basketball journey.

“I love it,” Tinsley said. “I’d rather play basketball than anything. I’m not taking anything for granted. Coach Muller is probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever had and I’m not just saying that, I actually mean it. He gets the best out of you in practice and even though he might yell at you, he loves you to death.”

In his first exhibition game as a Redbird, Tinsley poured in 17 points and made five 3-pointers to combine with Milik Yarbrough’s 25-point outburst, sending Lewis University flying back home in defeat. The ’Birds capped their first showing with a 79-52 final in front of over 4,000 fans and students.

With both junior transfers controlling the court, the season already looks promising for these two to be the scoring power duo of Muller’s current roster. While Tinsley’s masterful ability to shoot from the field complements Yarbrough’s powerful driving presence, their

talents already show that they will be heavily relied on during the season.

“Honestly, when our defense is on, we can match up with anybody in the country,” Tinsley said. “Our practices are hard. We go through at least two hours of defensive drills: nonstop.

Our defense really opens up our offense and when Milik Yarbrough is going off, he’s just like our Michael Jordan. We’re going to have a good year this year, I believe it.”

Although he was not a part of the ’Birds NIT tournament knock-out against UCF last spring, Tinsley embodies the team’s mindset fully, constantly stressing the meaning of teamwork.

“One of our mottos is to ‘do your job,’” he said. “If everybody does their own assignment and does their own job, we’re going to be very successful this year.”

Full story online. Videtteonline.com

Redbird hoops flock to Myrtle Beach for Puerto Rico Tip-Off MIKE MARRA Sports Editor | @MikeMarraILSTU

After dropping their season opener on the road at Florida Gulf Coast, the schedule does not get any easier for the defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Illinois State men’s basketball team.

The Redbirds (0-1) will participate in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off starting Thursday morning. However, due to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the tournament has been moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

In the tournament’s opening game, Illinois State will face-off with Final Four qualifier from a year ago South Carolina.

“Honestly, because of our performance on Saturday, we haven’t talked a lot about South Carolina yet,” coach Dan Muller said on Tuesday. “I know we’re going to play an elite, competing

team in South Carolina. They lost a lot of pieces from last year, but they play hard. Period. We’re going to have to go out there and match their intensity.”

To beat the Gamecocks, Muller knows his team can’t afford a defensive performance like they had versus FGCU, nor will it be acceptable.

South Carolina is coached by Frank Martin, a coach who is among some of the elite college basketball coaches.

In Muller’s time at Illinois State he has had the opportunity to stand opposite many elite college basketball coaches, including John Calipari of Kentucky and Mark Turgeon of Maryland.

“Frank’s done a terrific job at South Carolina and Kansas State. Anybody in the country will tell you if you watch their team play, they’re going to compete,” Muller said. “That’s something we’re all trying to do as coaches. So, it’ll just be another really good coach

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to face and learn from and hopefully we’ll play well and get a win.”

South Carolina (2-0) is coming off two victories by double-digits.

The Gamecocks have defeated Wofford and Western Michigan by 21 and 18 points, respectively.

Since the tournament moved to Myrtle Beach, playing South Carolina no longer feels as if the game is being played on a neutral site as Gamecock fans no longer have to travel very far to see this team play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. And that is something Muller has prepared his team for come Thursday’s tip.

“We’ve talked, it’s going to be loud.

We haven’t talked too much about the specifics of the game, we’ll get those tonight and tomorrow,” Muller said on Tuesday. “It’s an early game, we’re going to have to adjust to that. It will be, I assume, like a home crowd … I’m

not trying to make it any simpler than it is here, but we really focused on ourselves right now and the way we play.”

Muller’s focus on his team this week is zeroed in on how the team competes.

How his team competes might leave some surprised, even if the Redbirds find themselves on the winning end.

“Obviously, we’re trying to win, but if we win and don’t compete, I’m not going to be happy,” Muller said. “If we compete and lose a close game, I can live with that. But what we did on Saturday, that’s not okay for a team that wears an Illinois State jersey.”

After the game with South Carolina, the Redbirds will face either Boise State or UTEP on Friday, depending on the outcomes of Illinois State’s game and the match-up between Boise State and UTEP. Illinois State will have a third and final game against an opponent to be determined later in the week on

Sunday.

The Redbirds are no stranger to the in-season tournament schedule as last season the team traveled to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic and the Cancun Challenge the year before that.

“We’ve been lucky [and] blessed. We work very hard at this, we’ve played in very good tournaments after my second year,” Muller said. “I work very hard on trying to get some of the better ones around the country, so that we can play quality opponents … This is just another tournament where we’re going against quality opponents. We want our players to experience nice places … When we’re recruiting, we want players to understand we want to play against the best. And it’ll show us where we’re at again. It’s an honor to be able to play in this one.”

Illinois State and South Carolina will tip-off at 10:30 a.m. Thursday from the HTC Center.

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Sports

PAGE 8 | THE VIDETTE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Do or die time for Redbird football NATE HEAD Sports Editor | @NateHead51

Vidette Archive Photo

Brock Spack is 2-5 versus North Dakota State in his time as head coach of Illinois State.

Playoff football has arrived to Hancock Stadium a week early.

The No. 25 Illinois State football team (6-4, Missouri Valley Football Conference 4-3) will host No. 4 North Dakota State (9-1, MVFC 6-1) in a noon matchup unlike any other of this 2017 campaign.

The Redbirds must win to potentially clinch a fourth-consecutive playoff berth, as a loss likely puts an abrupt end to an up-and-down season while closing the curtains on the collegiate careers of 20 ISU seniors.

ISU head coach Brock Spack acknowledged the importance of the matinee matchup.

“It’s just how you approach it,” Spack said. “In November games, you are playing for a lot … this is a playoff game for us.”

The Bison come to Normal tied for first place in the MVFC after dominating their schedule, as the seven-time conference champions have only played one game this season decided by single digits.

The Illinois State defense, which ranks second in the conference, will have its hands full with a dynamic North Dakota State unit that averages 40.9 points a game. The group is led by the reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Week,

junior quarterback Easton Stick, who completed 11-of-12 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown in last week’s lopsided 49-14 win over South Dakota.

“Stick is an excellent athlete, has a great arm and hurt us with the deep ball last year and he can run,” Spack said. “Mostly their physicality [is impressive], which is kind of like a broken record when we play them.”

On the scoring side for the Redbirds, all eyes will be under center, as it remains unclear who will start at quarterback.

Jake Kolbe started the first nine games for ISU before redshirt freshman Malachi Broadnax earned the nod last week against South Dakota State. While Broadnax performed at a level nearly high enough to propel the ’Birds over the Jackrabbits, Spack is not yet ready to officially reveal his Saturday starter.

“You’re going to have to wait until Saturday to find out,” Spack said. “Both players have very good attributes, and sometimes one is a little bit better at something.”

North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman said his team will be prepared for Broadnax and his ability to run efficiently.

“With the quarterback run game, it creates another level that makes it difficult for a defense,” Klieman said. “That is why we have to do a great job of making sure we are gameplan-ready for that.”

ISU will undoubtedly look to establish the running game, a two-horse unit comprised of James Robinson and Markel Smith. Robinson ranks among the conference’s top-5 in several major rushing categories, including third in yards (837), second in touchdowns (11) and fourth in yards per game (83.7).

Smith, on the other hand, joins Robinson in the top-10 of rushing yards per contest with 58.6 yards, which ranks ninth. North Dakota State is the lone team in the conference with a better rush defense than ISU, as the Bison only allow 88.4 yards a game.

Illinois State and North Dakota State are set to kick off at noon Saturday from Hancock Stadium on Senior Day.

Prediction: Brock Spack will have his

team ready to go Saturday in a do-or-die battle for a playoff spot. The Redbirds, as usual, will rely on a skilled running back core to complement the unique skill set of quarterback Malachi Broadnax, who is likely to make his consecutive start under center for ISU. Illinois State will also present a challenge on defense, as it will stifle the rushing game and force quarterback Easton Stick to beat them through the air.

Illinois State 28, North Dakota State 24

Gillespie picks up first win at ISU Redbirds pick up victory over Northern Kentucky in low-scoring affair at Redbird Arena NICK LANDI Sports Reporter | @nlandi1033

With pressure being put on by f i r st ye a r head coach Kriste n G i l le s pie , Illinois S t at e women’s basketball answered the call on Wednesday n i g h t ’s home opener Kristen against Northern Gillespie Kentucky.

“I think these guys will tell you not only did we say that it was a must-win, but I think the language that was used is we will w in,” Gillespie said. “And that’s just kind of the mindset we are trying to take.”

ISU got its first win with Gillespie after beating the Megan Norse 49-37 at Talbot Redbird Arena.

Sophomore Megan Ta lbot scored a career-high 17 points on 7-9 shooting with eight rebounds, while junior transfer Simone Goods almost got her second consecutive double-double, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds.

Talbot had nine points off 3-6 shooting in Saturday’s 64-43 loss at Oakland. Considered to be the most improved player on the team

by Gillespie, Talbot’s dedication over the offseason is starting to show on the court.

“I think getting in a lot over the summer and working hard and coming in for extra shots and coming before practice to shoot has really just raised my confidence,” Talbot said.

“She has put in a tremendous amount of time and as a coach, it’s always neat to see when the fruits of the labor for your players pay off,” Gillespie added.

ISU’s (1-1) defense forced 27 turnovers from Northern Kentucky (0-2), with junior Katrina Beck and freshman Paige Saylor getting a game-high three steals each. The Redbirds also outrebounded the Norse 33-31.

“It’s just great to see the 27 in someone else’s category and not ours, I’ll tell you that for free,” Gillespie said.

The Redbirds did struggle in some aspects of the game, such as only going 16-26 from the free throw line while also committing 18 t u r no v e r s .

They returned the favor, however, when they held Nor t her n Kentucky to 14 points Simone in the second half, Goods w ith only f ive coming in the fourth quarter.

Northern Kentucky was ultimately shutout in the last 2:09 of the game.

With her first win with the Redbirds out of the way, Gillespie now looks to find a way to make this a more common occurrence for the program.

“I just said we want this to become the expectation,” Gillespie said. “Not just something that happens every now and then.

And it’s just a mindset of every day, we come together to try to get a little bit better individually and as a team.”

Illinois State gets a week off before its next game at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at George Mason.

Natalie Stuckslager | Photo Editor First year head coach Kristen Gillespie picked up her first win at the helm of Illinois State, improving to 1-1 early in the season.