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Whose Live Anyway makes its way to Braden MICHAEL CRONIN Features Reporter | @mcronin94
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FROM LEFT: Seniors Riley Hale, Shannon Felde, Allison Spence and Ali Domkuski faced the Ramblers Sunday at Marian Kneer Stadium winning game two, 11-5.
Softball splits doubleheader with Loyola on Senior Day Illinois State softball concludes its home season with 2-6 record at Marian Kneer Stadium, finishes with 11-5 win BEN ADKINS Sports Reporter
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llinois State softball has lost 9 of its last 11 games heading into Sunday’s doubleheader with Loyola-Chicago. With just one series left in the season after this weekend, the Redbirds need a must-win mentality to gain momentum when they head into the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. After Saturday’s game was cancelled due to weather, the Redbirds faced the Ramblers in a doubleheader Sunday at Marian Kneer Stadium. The teams ended up splitting the series.
Game One | Loyola 9, Illinois State 4 In the first of their two games, it was the Ramblers to score first. The third inning ended with Loyola earning two runs and keeping the Redbirds quiet. To keep it 2-0, the Redbirds turned their seventeenth double play of the season in the top of the fourth. ISU sophomore pitcher Morgan Day kept the stout defense going with her sixth strikeout in the top of the fifth inning. In bottom of the inning, the Redbirds were able to take the lead by making it a 4-2 game. The lead wasn’t safe for long, as the Ramblers answered with 3 runs of their own, making it a 5-4 game. Dashing all hopes of a comeback, the Ramblers poured on another four runs. Loyola took the first game, 9-4.
Game Two | Illinois State 11, Loyola 5 Carrying their momentum from the previous game, the Ramblers made it a 2-0 game at the top of the first. ISU responded in the bottom with three runs of their own, 3-2 Redbirds. With an even bigger second inning, ISU made it a 7-2 game thanks to a two-run single from senior Allison Spence, then a two-run single from sophomore Brittni LaFountaine. The Ramblers, however, kept things interesting by coming back with two more runs in the third. The inning ended with the Redbirds extending their lead yet again, making it an 8-4 game on an RBI single from freshman Emme Olson. After plenty of scoring up to this point, both teams stepped up the defense. That was until the bottom of the sixth inning, when ISU junior Anni Borries hit her first career home run, making it 11-4. The Ramblers were unable to respond, allowing ISU to finish with an 11-5 win. Along with the win, the Redbirds also recorded a season-high 15 hits in this game, a perfect end to the team’s Senior Day as they look to carry this momentum with on the road to conclude the regular season. BEN ADKINS is a Sports Reporter for The Vidette. He can be contacted at badkin1@ilstu.edu
omedy takes place in many forms. Whether it’s the humorous banter of a standup comedian or maybe even a well put together sketch comedy act. However, when it comes to improv, it’s hard not to bust a gut from belting a hardy belly laugh. Improv is the form of comedy where the actors come up with everything off the top of their head with only a suggestion from the audience, and somehow, the act of knowing it’s all made up on the spot makes the experience even funnier. Luckily for the students at Illinois State University, the kings of comedy that put improv on the map are coming back. The Emmynominated TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway” is taking its wellknown comedy show from the silver screen to the big stage. The performance will take place at 8 p.m. October 5 in the Braden Auditorium. However, due to major popularity of this show, the earlier one grabs these tickets the better. Tickets are already on sale. Tickets can be purchased through the Braden box office or ticketmaster.com. Tickets are priced at $37 for the orchestra and front mezzanine, and $27 for the rear mezzanine. “I love whose line is it anyway,” mass media major Dan Blewitt said. “Those guys are true masters of improvisation. They successfully brought a nerdy college thing out for the world to see and appreciate.” Not only are the cast members sure to make the audience fill the room with laughter, but there’s a possibly to be on stage with the cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray. Don’t delay when buying these tickets, grab some family and friends and share the laughter of a lifetime. MICHAEL CRONIN is a Features Reporter for The Vidette. He can be contacted at mjcron1@ ilstu.edu Follow him on Twitter at @mcronin94.
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The annual Sweet Corn Festival in Uptown Normal has been newly renamed to ‘Sweet Corn Circus’ because Gamma Phi Circus is a large part of the celebration. The festival will take place on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25.
Uptown Sweet Corn Festival renamed ‘Sweet Corn Circus’ EVAN TAWZER Features Reporter | @EvanTawzer
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llinois State University students will be welcomed back to Normal this summer with a big change to the first big event to kick off the semester. The annual Sweet Corn Festival has been renamed the Sweet Corn Circus, as the Illinois State University Gamma Phi Circus takes a larger part in the celebration of local agriculture. The festival takes place on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Aug. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Uptown Normal. It is a chance to enjoy sweet corn served by volunteers and buy from merchant tents. The Sweet Corn Festival has been a Bloomington-Normal tradition for decades, and Gamma Phi has long opened the festival with a Saturday morning performance. The festival has changed their focus many times over the years, last year’s being the “Sweet Corn Blues Festival” that featured live blues music. “We received a broad, positive response from our 1-5-0
collaboration with Gamma Phi Circus when the Town celebrated its sesquicentennial,” said Civic Arts Manager Adam Fox. “It felt like a natural transition to expand the circus portion and keep the sweet corn tradition in the center ring.” Instead of concentrating the circus in one area, the festival will now be an immersive circus experience featuring street performers, performance areas and activities for all ages. Gamma Phi members are looking forward to taking a larger role in the event. “I’d encourage everyone to come out and see us,” said Gamma Phi Circus member John Rodack. The circus is still looking for vendors to participate. Applications are available at UptownNormal. com. The Gamma Phi Circus is celebrating its 90th anniversary as an organization this year. EVAN TAWZER is a Features Reporter for The Vidette. He can be contacted at ehtawze@ilstu. edu. Follow him on Twitter at @ EvanTawzer
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to me so much about Andrew’s design was the sense of mystery and playfulness,” Quinlan said. Quinlan said that the design gave the viewers the chance to dive into what they believe the image stood for and got them to question why it was all over the ISU quad in the first place. ISU freshman cyber security major Bianca Rivera mentioned that at first she didn’t understand why the bunny was all over the quad, but once she noticed the posters it all clicked. “I really enjoyed the show. It’s actually a pretty creative promo for the play,” Rivera said.
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any have been wondering why exactly they have been seeing a white bunny with a blue hat placed throughout the campus of Illinois State University. To answer this question, it has been a marketing tactic for the School of Theatre and Dance show, “Harvey.” “Harvey” is a show about a man with an imaginary bunny, and what better way to describe a show of imagination, than a mysterious chalk drawing of a bunny? Who is behind this creative, carrot-eating rabbit? ISU senior graphic design major Andrew Wooley is the creator of this idea that jumped out to faculty director Robert Quinlan, who has spent weeks searching for the right representation of the play. Quinlan assigned students to come up with a creative design and Wooley’s stuck out the most. “This was an exciting collaboration. All the students did wonderful work capturing the essence of “Harvey.” What appealed
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THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 3
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
Illinois State dancers twirl with grace, ‘Poise’
Illinois State University’s Poise Dance Team held their spring showcase Sunday afternoon at Braden Auditorium. The spring showcase consisted of more than 10 performances and there were more than 100 people in attendance. Poise Dance Team is a registered student organization that focuses on jazz/lyrical and hip hop performances. Photos by Ali Rasper | Photo Editor
Series explores how students read other religious cultures GABI GUERRERO News Reporter | @gabigue97
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he International Seminar Series at Illinois State has an upcoming series titled, “How Our Students Read Other Religious Cultures.” The International Seminar Series presents ISU and the Bloomington-Normal communities with weekly opportunities to learn about a number of different international topics. The seminars are held from noon to 1 p.m. every Wednesday in the Bone Student Center. The upcoming series will contribute to global religious literacy at ISU. “We argued that global religious literacy is more important now than ever before,” Instructional Assistant Professor Larissa Kennedy said. “We tried to showcase a range of scholarship about religion, highlighting the important ways in which study of the religious dimension remains indispensable for understanding our world today.” The plan was also to show the ISU community the Religious Studies Program at ISU because the
course has a new multi-faculty lecture and discussion format. The keynote speaker for “How Our Students Read Other Religious Cultures,” is professor Jan Neulieb, one of the faculty members on the team this semester. Guest speakers who are chosen to present at the seminars are usually experts in their fields. During their presentations, they often cover cultural, historical, political and social topics. The series events have become one of ISU’s most popular internationally-focused events that take place on campus. “I think the series this semester has gone very well. We’ve had a wide-range of speakers and topics, and have drawn a diverse audience. It’s so exciting to see students, faculty, staff and members of the community coming together,” Kennedy said. International Seminar Series events are free and open to the public. GABI GUERRERO is a News Reporter for The Vidette. She can be contacted at glguer1@ilstu.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @gabigue97
ANDREA RICKER News Reporter | @ricker_andrea
Finals Blitz to aid students during finals
Finals Blitz will take place from now until Sunday at Illinois State University’s Julia N. Visor Academic Center. Students can drop in at the Visor Center, located at Hewett and Manchester residence halls. Finals Blitz is free and open to all students. These drop-in sessions are taught by tutors at the Visor Center. “We usually run tutoring as weekly facilitated study session,” Associate Director at University
College Pamm Ambrose said. “However, during Finals Blitz we instead have drop-in times for the courses we tutor.” Students will be able to drop-in to a tutor and get questions answered. Those interested in knowing all the courses the center offers tutoring for can check out https://universitycollege.illinoisstate.edu/help/ tutoring/. “Come to Finals Blitz and take advantage of the service,” Ambrose said. “It’s a time to study and get last minute questions answered [and] to make sure you’re on track.”
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College of Arts and Sciences professor Jan Neulieb will give the last International Seminar Series presentation of spring 2019. Students do not need to be signed up for a weekly tutoring session to attend Finals Blitz. However, students currently participating in tutoring are also encouraged to attend. Drop-in writing assistance will also be available at Milner Library from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 1 through May 7 in room 531. “The goal is to help students feel confident about their finals,” Ambrose said. The Visor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 on Fridays and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
on Sundays. The Visor Center is a resource at ISU that offers tutoring for many general education courses. The tutoring sessions are facilitated by undergraduate students. The center also offers writing assistance, academic coaching, transitional and developmental courses and study skill workshops. ANDREA RICKER is a News Reporter for The Vidette. She can be contacted at arricke@ilstu. edu Follower her on Twitter at @ ricker_andrea
PAGE 4 | THE VIDETTE
Features
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
Put on a happy face After an evolution of characters, the Clown Prince of Crime gets a new look in DC’s upcoming ‘Joker’ film STORY BY GARRETT KARSTEN | FEATURES REPORTER | @GARRETTKARSTEN ILLUSTRATION BY FLYNN GERAGHTY | ART DIRECTOR
REVIEW
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et another adaptation to the Dark Knight’s psychotic thorn-in-the-side, a standalone Joker film, previewed early this month. The Ace of Knaves. The Jester of Genocide. The Clown Prince of Crime. Batman’s nemesis has had many personas on the screen as actors continue to pass the purple suit, adding a bit of personal madness each time. The evolution of Joker’s character testifies to the beauty of method acting, as each actor’s adaptation gives a taste unique in and of itself. And this is the perfect character to keep ‘revisualizing,’ as one comic book storyline turns even Bruce Wayne’s mother into the clown. Cesar Romero’s first attempt in 1966 was comical, not in the intended way, but set a necessary pace for great things to come. But who could blame him? Adam West’s Batman carried shark repellent in his utility belt. Then along came Jack Nicholson, just short of 10 years after fitting the mold for psychopathic killer Jack Torrance in “The Shining,” who seemed destined to try on the cheap purple suit. “Batman” in 1989 also slightly touched on the origin of the Joker, something the creators never wanted audiences to fully understand, even though Nicholson’s Joker had a name prior to his transformation, along with a background in the life of crime. Evident in 2008 with Heath Ledger’s “The Dark Knight” performance, a Joker role was performed in a way that made the clown much more sinister. The classic scenes where he would approach potential victims with his switchblade involved chilling words regarding abuse, he received from loved ones in the past. Batman never fully understood the villain, and that was the point. That made him stick.
Nicholson even warned Ledger prior to the film’s shooting to be careful, as just playing that role took him to some dark places. However, as Ledger indulged in method acting, he took the role head on, locking himself in a hotel room and keeping a diary. Director Christopher Nolan let him apply his own makeup for a more authentic touch. It is speculated that the role played a part in Ledger’s overdose from five prescription medications before the film’s release. Despite following in the beloved Ledger’s shadow, Jared Leto made history performing the Joker along with the clown’s swoon psychopathic girlfriend, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie. However, Leto’s impression also involved isolation through method acting, but turned the role into an underwhelming “bad-boy.” From fan speculation, the “Bonnie and Clyde” aesthetic lacked the eeriness and mystery that the Joker should always protrude. Other reviews said Leto did a good job despite limited screen time. The cornerstone of classic Joker animation should also be mentioned, as Mark Hamill’s voice performance for “Batman: The Animated Series”, animated movies and the “Batman: Arkham” video games set high expectations for other voice actors. Yes, Luke Skywalker voiced the Joker. Now, Joaquin Phoenix will step into the shoes of the maniacal clown for the first-ever, full-length Joker film. But with so many predecessors, what fresh perspectives can Phoenix bring to the table? The “Joker” trailer seems to show the glum side of the killer clown’s life, as an origin story would finally convey the reasoning behind all the madness. Phoenix’s natural disposittion seems to fit the dark role well, as famous roles in the past include many villainous char-
acters, such as murderous son Commodus in “Gladiator.” DC fans should know by now not to expect continuity. The new Joker character will see a change in face paint, adding several colors on top of the white face and red lips as well as a change in costume. Breaking away from the infamous purple suit from the original comics, the new suit will be primarily red. Phoenix’s Joker is to be named Arthur Fleck prior to transformation, encountering violent thugs in Gotham City while dressed as a clown. Neither fit with past Joker storylines considering Nicholson’s character was named Jack Napier, for example. Fans of the Joker love a bit of anarchy, so what’s the harm in shaking things up a bit? “Joker” is set to premiere on October 4, 2019. GARRETT KARSTEN is a news reporter reporter for The Vidette. He can be reached at gtkarst@ilstu.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @GarrettKarsten
FAST FACTS Movies to watch before “Joker” to learn more about the character and backstory: · The Dark Knight (2008) · Suicide Squad (2016) · Batman (1989) Antimated Films: · Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) · Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) · Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2012) · Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
Sundays don’t have to be so scary KOURTNEY CUNNINGHAM Features Reporter| @kourtcunningham
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he beginning of a weekend can make one feel very ambitious, but come Sunday night is when the scrambling and rushing to get things done begins. Procrastination can easily lead to some tough situations and feelings of anxiousness, which college students often call “Sunday Scaries.” It’s the end of the weekend, popular Sunday night shows are on television which gives a sense of comfort, but if there is a big project waiting to be finished still on your agenda, just the thought has the potential to ruin the whole day. The easiest way to avoid Sunday Scaries is to get school work done early, even possibly during the week so there is nothing to worry about. Weekends are supposed to be for relaxing or on the other hand, some extra time to be productive aside from the school and work week. “I prefer to get my homework done before Sunday, so I can have at least one day of the week to just chill and not think
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Sophomore elementary eduation Victoria Alper puts on a face mask as a way to relax.
about school,” junior communication sciences and disorders major Kathryn Judy said. Sunday Scaries can also be the anxiety that sets in before
the upcoming school or work week and sometimes can just be inevitable regardless of how prepared one is. One thing to cure the Sunday blues, dread or whatever one may call it, is to surround oneself with company. Having people around can give a sense of comfort and excitement for upcoming events and plans. Yet, being around people might not sound like the most relaxing thing to some people on a day off. Having some much needed alone time can be beneficial, too. Take a hot shower, do a face mask and drink a nice cup of tea to feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the upcoming workload. A long week of sitting in a desk and staring at a screen can easily be cured with some time outdoors and getting active. A long walk or bike ride in the fresh air can be just the thing to get out some extra energy built up inside. Exercising can be looked at the same way as well. No matter what it takes to reach the relaxing or ambitious mood needed for the week, there are many ways to avoid the Sunday Scaries. It is dependent on one’s attitude and mindset.
THE VIDETTE | NEWS | PAGE 5
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
ISU’s Amy Wood edits new book examining Jim Crow era GABI GUERRERO News Reporter | @gabigue97
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Illinois State University Professor Amy Wood edited a new book titled “Crime and Punishment in the Jim Crow South.” The book is a collection of essays about the history of policing in the United States. criminal justice system operated as a tool of racial power, alongside segregation and disenfranchisement, in the Jim Crow era. The essays in the book show that the power during the era was unsteady in some ways. At the time, southern states and cities were modernizing. These states and cities shifted from sheriffs holding much of the power to the states seizing that power. “States and cities were grappling with these new forms of power and new criminal justice institutions at the same time that they were instituting Jim Crow laws. That led to a lot of instability. In fact, African
Americans were able to use these new forms of state power to resist or protest their treatment in the criminal justice system,” Wood said. Wood says it is important for readers to educate themselves on Jim Crow law in order to understand why things are the way they are. “To understand the roots of our current criminal justice system in the Jim Crow South is to understand how illusory the ideal of ‘color-blind’ justice is,” Wood said. This book looks to help readers recognize historical change and how change happens.
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The sixth annual #BloNoKiteFest will be from 11 to 4 p.m. on May 19 at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium. #BloNoKiteFest is free and open to the public. The event will feature kite flying, live music by local band Conversation Over, a talent show, a climbing wall, face painting and other activities. Kites will be available for sale and
all proceeds will benefit local and global nonprofits. The event is organized by For a Better Tomorrow, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting national and international nonprofits in need. “I love that this event brings the community together around the simple activity of flying a kite,” CoDirector of Kite Fest Steve Grady said. Free parking will be available for Kite Fest attendees in the surrounding parking lots of Hancock Stadium.
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Illinois State University Professor Amy Wood helped to edit a new book, “Crime and Punishment in the Jim Crow South.” “Crime and Punishment in the Jim Crow South” is a collection of essays about the history of policing, incarceration and capital during the Jim Crow era, specifically from the 1880’s up until the 1940’s. “I wanted to publish this book because people often make comparisons between present-day criminal justice practices and the Jim Crow era,” Wood said. Wood added that mass incarceration today has been referred to as “The New Jim Crow”. She explained that people believe this to be true because of the way that incarceration today disenfranchises large segments of the black population and black communities. “Capital punishment has been called ‘legal lynching’ because African Americans are disproportionately executed in this country, especially if the victims of their crimes are white; and police brutality has been likened to a statesanctioned form of lynching as well,” Wood said. According to Wood, however, little information is actually known about the history of prisons, capital punishment or policing during the Jim Crow era. One tends to think that historians studied more about incarceration in the Jim Crow South, but that is not the case. Wood says she hopes the book sheds light on how and why the
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VIDETTE EDITORIAL
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
Check in with yourself before finals
I
n farming, there is a practice called crop rotation, which entails switching the type of plant grown on a specific plot of land over a period of time. Farmers do this because planting the same exact thing in the same exact space over and over again will eventually lead to unsuccessful results. Switching things up allows the soil and the plant to thrive on being introduced to something different. There is a lot that we can take from this idea of crop rotation and apply to our lives as college students. The first being that if you’re feeling burnt out and stressed from everything academic life entails, you’re not alone. According to reports, one in five college students struggle from anxiety or depression. Most mental health disorders occur in individuals between adolescence and the age of 24. A study from Harvard medical school stated that “researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital that looked at more than 67,000 college students
from across more than 100 institutions found that while racial or ethnic and sexual or gender minorities are especially vulnerable, high rates for stress events, mental health diagnoses and the risk of suicide or suicidal thoughts were reported among all students surveyed.” Many of us in college have been fulltime students all our lives, from the time we are in elementary school to
graduating 12th grade and moving on to higher education immediately after. Having the mindset of a student for so long, with the same type of routine, can feel monotonous and defeating, and take the fun out of learning. There is a famous quote that says that “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” While college can be a great period of personal
growth, it can also be a time when you feel stuck in the routine of it all. If you’re feeling like this applies to you, try rotating your crops. Start a new positive activity that makes you happy, like art or exercise. Work on building a new friendship with someone that you recently met and felt like you clicked with. Spend time learning a new language or exercising your mind in a way that you haven’t before and seems fun for you. These aren’t new or revolutionary ideas, but doing them while focusing on a new beginning can feel revitalizing in a whole new way. As we all head into that crunch time before finals, remember that if you feel stuck now, it’s only because you’re working towards a period that will bring change, which can seem scary, but is necessary for us to thrive and grow. Focus on what you want to become, and remember that switching things up from time to time can be essential in helping you grow to what you want to be.
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EDITORIAL POLICY Editorial written by KIM LARSEN, 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.
Yes, your degree is actually worth it MY VIEW BECKY FLETCHER | Editor-in-Chief
T
he class of 2019 is about two weeks from graduating and a lot of us are beginning to stare the realities of the “real world” right in the eyes. When you’re in school for almost your whole life, you become extremely comfortable with the world of academia. Of course, you grow around it by getting a job, receiving internships and paying for life’s expenses on your own. It gets close to being the real world in college, but there’s a comfort in knowing it’s not official yet. Once the diploma’s handed out, real life begins.
I’ve had two close friends of mine openly express concern for their post-graduation future. One questioning the importance of a diploma, the other just all around concern for what life has in store for her. There was nothing I could do to ease the concern with academia still holding me for graduate school. But it got me wondering what the purpose of a diploma is — is it worth the stress? There’s no single answer, but it’s a question worth asking to better understand conversations about various credentials and the value of a college degree. Blogger Bernard Bull wrote that he has a plethora of credentials, but that it has little to say about his current competence. “Without persistent practice, time has a way of eroding knowledge and skill in many of these areas. Yet, that original credential is what goes on the résumé. I could have permanent memory loss and I still get to own
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those credentials, post them on my wall (or store them in my closet…my location of choice at the moment), and use them as evidence of my competence for current and future work,” Bull wrote. Of course, some credentials expire and its renewal is a true testament to the fact that you still have what it takes to be competent in whatever field needs a certificate renewal. But how many people look at credentials and diplomas with a measure of scrutiny in what you have? Mostly employers do — it serves as a signal that a person belongs to an intellectually qualified class of people to get the necessary job done. The Washington Post writer Jeffrey J. Selingo wrote that bachelor’s degrees are becoming the new “high school diploma.” However, that’s not to say that young adults should skip college. Higher education yields positive earnings for people over a lifetime, but salaries vary by college and
major. Selingo writes that “college graduates are healthier, more engaged in civic affairs and more likely to have health insurance and retirement benefits than peers with just a high school diploma.” It’s terrifying to think about the future, but the weight of a bachelor’s degree outweighs any puzzling notions of its worth. We don’t have the answers to it all, but with our degrees, we yield the power to change the way things are run. A professor of mine once called us the “academic elites,” and I don’t know about you, but I’m going to prove that when I walk across the stage to earn my degree towards an uncertain “real world” future that I’m ready to navigate. BECKY FLETCHER is Editor in Chief for The Vidette. Contact her at rlflet1@ilstu.edu. Follow on Twitter at @becky__fletcher.
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This is a tough place to play. The way the park plays, you are never out of a game. Our guys stayed tough and confident even when it looked like DBU had the momentum.”
Editorial: Sri Lankan bombings pose larger threat
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Baseball head coach Steve Holm on facing a powerful Patriot team in Dallas at this point in the season.
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EDITORIAL BOARD BECKY FLETCHER Editor-in-Chief | @becky__ fletcher ANDREW DOUGHERTY News Editor and Columnist | @addough CINDY HERNANDEZ News Editor and Columnist | @cindylu_7 KIM LARSEN Night Editor and Columnist | @Kimla_11
THE VIDETTE | SPORTS | PAGE 7
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
Illinois State junior Luke Nelson raises bar for ISU track & field, thrives in outdoor season KEVIN KOSKI Sports Reporter | @_koski_
Luke Nelson past polevaulting results
O
n a team full of successful athletes, Illinois State’s track star Luke Nelson is raising the bar. Nelson, a junior from Oak Park, Illinois majoring in exercise science, recently set the school record in the pole vault earlier in the year and helped the men’s team win its second indoor conference title. Nelson cleared a vault of 5.29 meters or 17 feet 4 inches back in January and has his sights set high again this outdoor season. “I’d love to PR [Personal-Record] again,” Nelson said chuckling. “I want to attempt eighteen … eighteen has always been a life goal.” Eighteen is a lofty goal, but one that is now within reach for Nelson, who has come a long way from when he first started pole vaulting back in middle school. “I started because my friend asked my lunch table if we wanted to do a pole-vault camp,” Nelson remembered. “I was the only one who wanted to do the camp, so I did the camp with him, it was fun. By the end of the camp I jumped 7-foot-6.” Nelson was hooked and decided to go out for track during high school. It wasn’t until improving to 12 feet his sophomore year that he even considered vaulting at the collegiate level. In his junior and senior years of high school he went on to become a two-time indoor and outdoor conference champion, two-time sectional champion, and two-time 3A state finalist, finishing his high school career with a jump of 15-feet, 6 inches. Through the recruiting process, Nelson was in contact with multiple different Luke coaches but said that he chose ISU because Nelson of its coaching. “Coach [Mary] Wood was the only person who like really took a liking to me. She did a good job recruiting,” Nelson said. “So, I went here and it all worked out.” Nelson’s recruiting class included another freshman vaulter. The two of them were the only two pole-vaulters on the men’s team, so as underclassman had to start a new generation of ISU pole-vaulters. The early success of Nelson helped draw in a large group of recruits for the next year. “People who came on recruiting visits liked how our practices looked,” Nelson said. “It made people want to come here so we had a huge recruiting class that next year.” The pole-vault group has since become a major key to the Redbird’s success, scoring the most points as a group in any one event during the past two Indoor conference victories. Apart from Nelson, three other athletes in this new generation of Redbird vaulters made the top ten all time for ISU. “We work as a unit, which really seems to work when we jump at conference,” Nelson said. “If I mess up…because the other guys are right there we still get all of the points we need.” With less than two weeks left until the Missouri Valley
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For Rent: Fall/Spring ‘19-‘20 Three-bedroom house $1350/mo. Fenced in yard, five min. from ISU. Contact 309-827-6264
April 26-27 Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite: 5.08 m/16-feet-8 inches
April 13 Tennessee Relays: 5.05 m/16-feet,
6.75 inches
March 30 Ole Miss Classic: 5 m/16-feet,
4.75 inches
Feb. 23-24 MVC Indoor Championship: 5
m/16-feet, 4.75 inches
Feb. 15 Badger Red & White Classic: 5.15
m/16-feet, 10 inches
Feb. 8-9 Music City Challenge: 5.10 m/16-
feet, 8.75 inches
Courtesy ISU Athletics
Illinois State junior Luke Nelson sets his personal-best pole vault jump at the Illini Classic in January. Conference Championships, Nelson and the rest of the Redbirds have their sights set high for the remainder of the outdoor season. Nelson said that the team’s goal is to repeat their indoor feat and win the outdoor championships, and he hopes that he, and the rest of the pole-vaulters, can help accomplish it. “It will be hard but if we get top five [in the pole vault] that’s the most points we can possibly get for the team. That’s what we want to do.” Nelson said. “Individually, I always say I just want to jump the best I can.” Nelson set an outdoor season-best in this past weekend’s Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite in Louisville, Kentucky with a 16-foot, eight inch jump. He has just one more opportunity to chase that 18-foot bar before the MVC meet May 10-12, as the Redbirds will travel to Madison, Wisconsin Friday. KEVIN KOSKI is a Sports Reporter for The Vidette. He can be contacted at vidette_ckoski@ilstu.edu. Follow him on Twitter at @_Koski_.
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301 S Walnut - Furnished 2 bedrooms. Balcony. Covered Parking. Laundry. Quiet building. Start at only $295. Class Act Realty. 309-454-2960 HOUSES: 3-6 Bedrooms. Start at $320 each. Class Act Realty. 309-454-2960 Three four bedroom HOUSES, up to three bathrooms, $450-$500 per student per month. Call Elton at (309) 825-5435 Unique apartments. Very large 1 and 3 bedroom in uptown Normal. Available summer/winter/spring. Heat and water, furnished. For more information, call or text 3098255001
Prime location above Jimmy Johns & Coffee Hound in Uptown Normal. Two/ Three bedroom w/ 2 baths. Very nice, light, bright apartment. Available May with 12-month lease. For more information: 309-825-5001 Available May 2019, year lease available. 718 Dale St. Normal. Furnished 4 bdrm 2 bath duplex, 5 min to COB. Washer/dryer/dishwasher. Off street parking. $500 + utilities. Call Brad @563-529-1805 Condo For Sale Rare 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath condo available near ISU in Lakeview. So many updates: Carpet March 2019, Freshly Painted Feb. 2019, Heat and A/C August 2018, Windows 2-3 years ago, Newer wood vinyl floors on main level. Separate Dining Area. Plenty of visitor
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Sports
PAGE 8 | THE VIDETTE
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2019
Women’s tennis wins MVC tournament title, men end in Iowa KEVIN KOSKI Sports Reporter | @_koski_
Women’s Tennis The Illinois State women’s tennis team won the Missouri Valley conference title over the Stony Brook Seawolves with a score of 4-3. The team battle was close as both teams were tied at 3 each, with the final singles match between Redbird Junior Natalia Bravo and Stony Brook’s Sash Bekirrova being forced into a third set. Bravo and Bekirrova were locked in a fierce duel, with Bravo taking the first set easily 6-1. Bekirrova then put up a fight in the second set, winning it 7-6 and forcing the third set. Bravo once again came out
on top taking the set 6-3, winning the match and securing the team victory. The Redbirds were helped along the way by individual match wins by redshirt senior Veronika Golanova, Freshman Tara Damnjonovic and sophomore Ivon Mihaleva. In doubles action, ISU was led by the pair of Golanova and Damnjanovic who won their match 6-2. The Redbirds will now receive an automatic qualifying bid for the NCAA tournament on May 16-25 in Orlando, Florida. The tournament consists of 64 schools, and 31 teams receive an automatic bid from winning their conference championships. The rest of the field, as well as seeding, will be announced at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
REDBIRD RE PORT ISU track wraps up succesful weekend
Men’s Tennis
ISU senior Igor Kolaric earned his second All-Summit Conference honor. The announcement came last Thursday, April 25. Kolaric was both the reigning Summit League Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year in the 2017-2018 season. He earned his selection this year by recording a 12-6 singles record this spring as well as a 7-3 Vidette Archive record in duos with sophomore Illinois State junior Natalia Bravo backpartner Diego Le Gal Perez. hands the ball during a fall meet. “I couldn’t be happier and it couldn’t go to anyone more coach and I congratulate him on an deserving,” head coach Mark Klysner told goredbirds.com. “Igor has award that is well-deserved!” The Redbirds, as a whole, finished been a tremendous asset for us these their season with an overall record last two years, and I wish I had him of 13-12, 1-4 MVC. for two more. He’s been a pleasure to
ISU traveled to the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite and made their mark in the Redbird history book. Five all-time Redbird records were broken during the two day event. Earlier in the week, ISU sent three runners to take part in the Drake Relays, Grace Beattie, Kyle Mattes and Kevin Koski each commpeted in the 5,000 meter race.
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Coach says This was easily the best meet of the season for us so far, and it couldn’t have come at a better time with the Valley Championships just two weeks away. We had outstanding performances both in the field and on the track, and I couldn’t be happier with how this weekend unfolded. ISU Director of Track and Field Jeff Bovee
BY THE NUMBERS
32
Years since Angie Taylor set the last long jump record of 6.24 m. On Friday, Charde Golliday put herself on top of the leader board with a jump of 6.30 m.
MVC BB SCORES Jennifer Haiden | Vidette Photographer
FROM LEFT: Illinois State freshman Gunner Peterson, assistant coach Ross Learnard, head coach Steve Holm, sophomore Aidan Huggins look on at the field during ISU’s 10-2 win over Northern Illinois last Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field. ISU then lost two of three games at Dallas Baptist.
Illinois State loses two of three at Dallas Baptist, fails to secure first-ever series win over Patriots JONATHAN BARLAS & KADE HEATHER Sports Editors | @Vidette_Sports
O
n the back of breaking its six-game winning streak to Dallas Baptist Saturday, Illinois State shifted its focus to claiming its first series win against the Patriots in program history. Defeating DBU in a close one-run victory Friday, the Redbirds failed to repeat their success Saturday as the Patriots overtook ISU in mercy rule fashion, winning game two of its three-game set, 13-3. As ISU remains atop the Missouri Valley Conference at 9-3, Dallas Baptist’s track record stems from its previous Valley glory, as it currently holds an 18-3 all-time series record while boasting the ’Birds’ final blow in MVC Baseball Tournament last season. ISU head coach Steve Holm feels the competitiveness between both clubs, knowing what is at stake facing a powerful Patriot team in Dallas at this point in the season. “This is a tough place to play,” Holm said. “The way the park plays, you are never out of a game. Our guys stayed tough and confident even when it looked like DBU had the momentum.” Striving to bounce back in Sunday’s series finale, the Redbirds were bounced, 11-4, continuing its struggles with the MVC powerhouse.
Sunday | Dallas Baptist 11, Illinois State 4 The Redbirds continued their offensive surge right off the bat in game three. Junior outfielder John Rave led off the game with a single, but was caught stealing. However, ISU started the inning over in the next at-bat as senior infielder Derek
Parola walked, then junior outfielder smacked a tw0-run home run. The Patriots responded immediately with a double and from Patriot junior infielder Bryce Ball, then he later scored on a sacrifice flyout. The Patriots took the lead with a four-run third inning highlighted with back-to-back home runs. After a leadoff single, Ball sent a home run against the wind into right field, tying the score at three after the Redbirds had picked up one run in the top half of the inning. DBU sophomore infielder Jimmy Glowenke took a first-pitch ball from ISU starter Matt Walker, then launched a home run to left field, as the Patriots jumped ahead to a 4-3 lead. A single later in the inning followed by a wild pitch and a double extended the Patriots’ lead t0 5-3 after just three innings. Walker lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while raising his earned run average to 10.71 on the season. DBU added one run in the sixth inning, then each team swapped runs in the seventh. The Patriots poured on four runs in the eighth, proving to be too much for ISU to surmount a comeback.
Saturday | Dallas Baptist 13, Illinois State 3 Off the bat of Parola’s three-run blast in the top of the third inning, it was all Patriot baseball from there on out. DBU scored 13 unanswered runs, responding to Parola’s three-run homer with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the third. Scoring four more runs in the home half of the fourth, Dallas Baptist extended its 6-3 lead with
three more runs in the fifth inning. Continuing to assert its commanding 9-3 lead, DBU scored four more runs in the bottom of the sixth, slaughtering the Redbirds to stop their bleeding in seven innings.
Friday | Illinois State 9, Dallas Baptist 8
Dallas Baptist 11, Illinois State 4 Indiana St. 7, S. Illinios 4 Valparaiso 6, Evansville 2 Evansville 4, Valparaiso 2 Bradley 6, Missouri St. 5
MVC SB SCORES Loyola 9, Illinois State 4 Illinois State 11, Loyola 5 Evansville 4, Valpo 3 Bradley 8, Indiana St. 7 Drake 9, Missouri St. 5 S. Illinois 7, N. Illinois 5
As game two disparagingly broke the Redbirds’ winning streak, game one extended it to six games as ISU defeated Dallas Baptist to open this crucial conference series, 9-8. Three Redbirds collected multi-RBI games as Parola (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 1 Run), Rave (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 1 Run) and junior infielder Joe Butler (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 Runs) contributed to ISU’s scoring effort bringing home seven of its nine runs. Leading 8-2 in the fifth inning, DBU proved that they would not go down easy, chipping away at ISU’s lead with three runs in the fifth and seventh inning. Padding its lead with another run in the top half of the eighth, the Redbirds 9-5 lead did not last for long as DBU sliced three more runs in the ninth inning, closing the gap to 9-8. With the game on the line, ISU closer and recent NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list add Jacob Gilmore once again thwarted any hope for a Patriot walk-off, as the ’Birds hung on to win after Gilmore’s final punch-out.
MVC BB STANDINGS
UP NEXT
The Redbirds travel to Madison for the Wisconsin Invitational
The Redbirds will head north for a midweek matchup at Northwestern (18-22, 6-9) starting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcats have lost seven of their last 10 games while ISU has won seven of its last 10 games.
Conf Ovrl
Indiana St. Illinois State Dallas Baptist Evansville Bradley Missouri St. Valparaiso Southern Illinois
9-3 9-3 8-4 8-4 7-5 4-8 2-10 1-11
32-9 27-17 30-13 21-19 27-13 13-30 9-29 17-22
UPCOMING Softball ISU wraps its season on the road in a threegame series at Valparaiso starting with a Friday doubleheader at noon.
Track & Field
Complied by JAKE SERMERSHEIM Vidette Sports