The Alestle Vol. 77, No. 18

THE

alestle

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

THE student voice since 1960

Thursday, February 1, 2024 Vol. 77 No. 18

Men’s basketball leaves Tennessee Tech 17 points behind P A G E

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insidE: Armed standoff at Parc at 720 results in three detainments PAGE 3

Explore The Cage: Campus’s hidden art supplies store PAGE 4

Women’s tennis players earn accolades on the court PAGE 8

SIUE junior guard Damarco Minor (No. 0) evades the Tennessee Tech defense (No. 1) as he scores a layup in a 74-57 win on Jan. 27. | Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle

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What to expect for the new Health Science building MATTHEW WOLDEN copy editor

The new Health Science Building will allow new space for future nursing and pharmacy majors.

With the new building comes new space and new perks for the people in health science fields.

Judy Liesveld, dean of the School of Nursing, said it will be easier to have nursing students focused in one area of the campus.

“Right now, our students go to lots of different areas. They are in Peck Hall. They are in Founders. They go to the Vadalabene for courses, and even a couple of the dorms have a classroom where they go,” Liesveld said.

“It’s been OK, but it would be so much better if our students could be housed in one area.”

Liesveld also said they are hoping to get some new technologies for their simulation labs.

“We have a really wonderful simulation lab here, but it is getting a little outdated. So, the new building will house a beautiful simulation suite. We are hoping to get it equipped with brandnew equipment. So, we launched a major capital campaign to raise money for all the new outfitting of the building and new equipment,” Liesveld said.

She said the faculty is excited and hopes the department will gain new students with the new addition.

“We are really excited to move into a new building. I think it will help with recruitment and I think it will offer faculty and students a lot of opportunity for not only course work but research and collaboration with the [School of] Pharmacy as well.”

Program Director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program and Assistant Professor Leah Baecht said she is hopeful for some of the new features in the building.

“We are looking forward to

having more space in the new structure.” Baecht said. “We will be able to become more of a leader in health science education by leveraging technology for experiential learning and just expanding and showcasing the current research and discovery grants and projects that are currently being conducted. The new building will provide an opportunity to showcase all of that.”

Mark Luer, dean of the School of Pharmacy, discussed some of the perks that would help out the School of Pharmacy, such as extra space.

“Most faculty don’t have private offices — they have halfwalls, temporary facilities,” Luer said. “The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has a cohort of faculty there still over in University Park because their labs are still there. Their offices are still there. They come to [Science Lab East] to teach.”

Luer said the state of Illinois got the school money to create

the Health Science Building.

“We are not paying for this — the university is not. Students aren’t being charged anything extra for this building, this is the state of Illinois. Governor Pritzker and the legislators have come through with the funding,” Luer said.

Luer also said some of the newer things that will be added for the students in the School of Pharmacy include new space for students and faculty.

“We are going to be doubling our research space in the facility from what we had prior to the construction. We will be expanding from a technology standpoint, the support and research, classrooms will largely be duplicating,” Luer said. “We will expand our office spaces.”

The Health Science Building is expected to be finished by fall 2025.

“We are slated to move in sometime in 2025 — that is the goal,” Liesveld said.

01.25.24 An officer did a welfare check on a person sitting in the rain. The person said they were enjoying the weather.

01.25.24 An officer responded to a report of a suspicious person walking around the Prairie Hall parking lot with a flashlight, but they were just an SIUE employee.

01.28.24 The SIUE police department assisted the South Roxana police department with a traffic stop at the Parc at 720 apartment complex.

Fuller Dome Worship Night was peaceful worship experience MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN online editor

On Jan. 26, the Local Christian Community hosted a worship night at the Fuller Dome.

The worship night brought students, local churches and campus ministries together for worship and prayer.

The organizer of the event, Dee Ann Billings, is part of Copper Creek Church in Vandalia, Illinois. Billings said this is the second worship night the Local Christian Community hosted at the Fuller Dome.

Billings had heard from her friend that the Fuller Dome used to have Christian church services, but the church had stopped meeting after the Dome presented rental fees for those wanting to use it.

Billings decided she wanted to host a worship night, and met with the Fuller Dome to arrange the event.

“I had a vision from God about five years ago telling me something was going to happen at SIUE,” Billings said. “I didn’t know what it was.”

Once approved to host the event, Billings said she posted on her social media asking for volunteers, donations for the rental fee, as well as donations for “college bags” with supplies for those attending.

Billings said that within eight hours of releasing the post, everything she needed for the event was covered.

“Thirty-five volunteers stood up, and the rental money was covered. We put an Amazon list out for 100 bags, which was [about $1,500]. Done,” Billings said. “God provided every single thing.”

Billings said worship teams and consisted of people from different churches and ministries.

“We built four different worship teams, so different churches had to work together [with] different people,” Billings said. “They all practiced independently, turned their songs in and we put their songs on slides.”

Billings said the first wor-

ship night only had about 20 students in attendance, but this year, the event had over 100 students register to attend, with the possibility of more unregistered attendees coming in.

Billings said one of the goals the organizers had was to bring together the various campus ministries and to connect students who are interested in a campus ministry to an organization.

“There is no single church doing this — it is all a group of believers in different denominations,” Billings said. “There’s no single name on this event, other than just a community of Christians.

No one’s taking any of the glory.”

Billings said this particular event had two campus ministries, InterVarsity and Cru, in attendance. She said she eventually sees SIUE’s college ministries coming together to form one larger church.

“Now that we have these ministries here and they can connect, the hope is that if we do another one, we can get even more ministries involved and be able to continue that process,” Billings said. “Hopefully [we can] get more students involved in leading it and so this can continue even when we step away, and these students can have a peaceful, loving ministry.”

Savannah De Fini is a sophomore business administration major who attended the worship night. De Fini said she is a member of InterVarsity.

“I think it’s cool that there’s people from different churches and communities serving and worshiping the same God,” De Fini said. “I think it’s really powerful when you get a bunch of people together for one purpose.”

Megan Sikes is part of the campus staff for InterVarsity. She said she thinks that an event like worship night brings people together.

“A community I want to be

ISRAEL A raid in the West Bank hospital Ibn Sina in Jenin left three dead. The Israeli military alleged that one was connected to a planned attack in Israel, the others were his family.

a part of is a community that’s always open for other people to come into, and that’s what tonight is,” Sikes said. “It’s not Christians only — it’s open to anyone who wants to participate and is spiritually open.”

Sikes said she loves that the event was held on campus so people who may not want to drive to a church can have comfortable access to a worship night.

Billings said she heard about ministries on campus that were unpleasant, such as preachers with loud microphones preaching hell and damnation. Billings said these experiences had made people weary of the worship night.

“For some students, that’s what they’re hearing and that’s their experience with Christianity — someone yelling at them and telling them that they are going to hell as they’re walking to class — it’s not who Jesus is,” Billing said.

Billings said she wanted the worship night to be a safe place for people to worship and for the event to help people experience a genuine representation of who Jesus is, instead of what others say about him.

Emily Monroe is a freshman early childhood education major who participated in the event. Monroe played the cajon,

which is a box-shaped percussion instrument, during the worship night. Monroe is a member of Bethel Church in Troy, Illinois.

“I came to the event not only to play, but also to minister to other people. It’s also a good place to meet people and talk and share your experiences,” Monroe said. “It’s nice to have people you can relate to.”

Monroe said for Christians, worship is an important part of communication with God. Monroe said she views worship as prayer, as worship songs often seem to be a spiritual conversation between herself and God. Monroe said worship can also be a form of praising God. “Praising God is important to Christians,” Monroe said.

“We believe that it’s a necessary form of communication with God because we’re grateful for what he’s given us, even if we have struggles.”

Kayla Doerr is a junior English literature major and economics minor, as well as a member of InterVarsity. Doerr said she attended the event because she loves worshiping and listening to worship music.

“Tonight, I am living with a renewed sense of awe of just how great God is and what he did for us on the cross,” Doerr said.

PACIFIC OCEAN An explorer believes he may have found the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s plane. He believes the plane is near Howland Island, between Australia and Hawaii.

BELGIUM Belgian farmers have begun a protest where they are blocking access to Belgium’s second largest port, Zeebrugge. The protest is in response to EU agriculture policies.

VENEZUELA The U.S. has started sanctioning Venezuelan oil after they removed the sanctions in October. The U.S. says the sanctioning is to ensure the country has fair elections.

JORDAN Three U.S. soldiers were killed, and 34 were wounded by a drone strike at a Jordan military base.

The soldiers believed the drone to be their own returning to base.

Information courtesy of Reuters / AP

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Three armed people detained in Parc at 720 parking lot BRUCE DARNELL managing editor MATTHEW WOLDEN copy editor

A person alleged to have taken part in a chase with police is being put in the back of a police car at the Parc at 720 apartment complex. | Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle

A car containing three armed people was surrounded by units from multiple local police departments at 11 p.m., Sunday at the Parc at 720 apartments near SIUE’s campus.

The car was alleged to be involved in a chase starting in South Roxana, Illinois — about 10 minutes away from Parc at 720 — according to the Madison County Illinois Scanner Page on Facebook.

After it pulled into the parking lot, police surrounded the car. The car was parked near apartment 727.

Onlookers said officers approached the vehicle with a ballistic shield and flashlight-mounted guns. The officers pulled the occupants out of their car and placed the occupants’ guns on

top of the car’s roof.

Onlookers in windows were told to get down and close their blinds according to Alex Krull, a freshman history major. Krull was visiting an apartment in the 727 block and saw the incident from the apartment’s window.

Krull, along with others in the apartment, said the police cars encircled the building.

Krull also said he saw cars from the South Roxana, Edwardsville and SIUE police departments, as well as undercover cars. Krull said he saw at least two cars from each department at the scene.

The detained people’s car was towed from the parking lot around 15 minutes after the police arrived.

SIUE police declined to comment at the scene. When called, they said to reach out to the South Roxana Police Department who said the only available officer was “handling subjects” and could not comment at the time of publication.

‘I love Illinois,’ former president Trump responds

Illinois elections board keeps Trump on GOP primary ballot RICK PEARSON OLIVIA STEVENS Chicago Tribune (TNS)

In a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the Illinois State Board of Elections on Tuesday dismissed a challenge to former President Donald Trump’s place on the state’s March 19 GOP primary ballot, saying it lacked the authority to decide whether he was disqualified from holding office under the U.S. Constitution’s “insurrection clause.”

Guided by past Illinois Supreme Court rulings that prevent it from deciding complex constitutional issues, the board in an 8-0 vote rejected an objection that Trump “knowingly” filed a false statement of candidacy saying he was qualified to hold the office of the presidency.

The decision by the board, made up of four Democrats and four Republicans, is expected to be appealed in Cook County circuit court by the group of five voters who filed the objection to Trump’s name appearing on the ballot over his role in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The objectors cited provisions of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, a post-Civil War measure that says those who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution “as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state,” shall not be able to serve in Congress or “hold any office, civil or military” if they have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution.

The challenge was backed

by Free Speech for People, a group that has mounted similar 14th Amendment challenges in states around the country.

In a post on his Truth Social media site, Trump thanked the state elections board for its

Adam Merrill argues to keep former President Donald Trump’s name on the ballot, at a meeting of the Illinois State Board of Elections on Jan. 30, 2024, in Chicago. | Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune vote “in protecting the Citizens of our Country from the Radical Left Lunatics who are trying to destroy it.”

“The VOTE was 8-0 in favor of keeping your favorite President (ME!) on the ballot. I love Illinois. Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote.

Trump lost Illinois by 17 percentage points in both the 2016 and 2020 general elections.

The election board’s decision followed the recommendation of a hearing officer, former Republican Kankakee County Circuit Judge Clark Erickson, who said that while he agreed with objectors that Trump had engaged in “insurrection,” the board could not use constitutional analysis to make a ruling on the former president’s access to the ballot.

GOP board member Catherine McRory voted to allow Trump’s name on the ballot but said she “wanted to be clear that this Republican views that there was an insurrection on Jan. 6.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he manipulated, instigated, aided and abetted an in-

surrection on Jan. 6,” she said of Trump. “However, having said that, it is not my place to rule on that today” because of the board’s lack of jurisdiction “to rule on that fact.”

Republican board member Jack Vrett warned of a “floodgate” of ballot objections if the board went beyond its statutory review of candidacy petitions and papers to consider “underlying issues.”

“I think that we do not have jurisdiction to weigh in to the constitutional issue to decide the question of whether the candidate engaged in insurrection,” Vrett said.

Matt Piers, an attorney for the group objecting to Trump’s place on the ballot, argued that the elections board has the power to decide if the former president should be disqualified from the Illinois ballot and contended that the board wrongly interpreted state Supreme Court rulings on the limitations of its power.

“There is no question that this board not only has the authority to determine objections

based on the United States Constitution, but indeed you have the clear mandatory duty to do so,” he said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “You signed up for this job. This burden came with you signing up for this job. You may not have anticipated a case of this complexity or of this degree of controversy, but that does not change your statutory and constitutional authority.”

Piers argued that the board’s ultimate decision — to keep Trump on the ballot because he did not “knowingly” file a false statement of candidacy attesting to being qualified to be president — was creating new election law and was inconsistent with the facts.

“The evidence clearly establishes that the certification that he made at the time he made it was false. He certainly was well aware that ... seeking to prevent the certification of the results of the presidential election was unlawful, was illegal,” Piers said.

Piers said there was a “fairly fulsome record on which to presume he knew that trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of

power was illegal.”

Trump campaign attorney Adam Merrill countered that Trump “did not engage in insurrection,” calling it a “complicated legal term that has been rarely interpreted.”

“Mr. Trump has denied ever participating in an insurrection,” Merrill told the board. “He never advocated violence. There’s nothing in the record that suggests that he did and he always said all of his public statements and Tweets on Jan. 6, were to be peaceful.”

Merrill contended the “insurrection clause” was meant to be enforced by Congress and that it does not apply to the office of president. He said Trump’s statement of candidacy cannot be deemed false “without actual evidence that” the former president knew it was false when he signed it.

Illinois was among more than a dozen states where objections to Trump’s ballot qualifications were pending.

Two states have barred Trump from their primary ballots, although both of those cases are under appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral arguments on Feb. 8 in an appeal of a December ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of the presidency under the “insurrection clause.”

A late December ruling from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, the state’s top election official, who found Trump ineligible for that state’s ballot, is under appeal in state court.

The Illinois elections board on Tuesday also quickly dismissed three objections to President Joe Biden appearing on the Democratic primary ballot. The objections included contending Biden violated a provision of the “insurrection clause” for providing “aid and comfort” to the nation’s enemies because of his border and immigration policies.

NEXT WEEK: SIUE’S GREENHOUSE DOES NOT JUST GROW PLANTS, IT WILL SOON GROW ITSELF PAGE 4

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contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3528

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The Cage offers professional-grade art supplies for students nor can you see much beyond the window in the wall.

“Occasionally… They’ll let you in and go see, but generally, you go Located in Art and Design East, to the window, you tell them what The Cage is “dedicated to serv- you need,” Ackman said. “[So,] ing the needs of artists within the kind of go with a plan in mind…

SIUE community.” there’s really no way to browse.”

The Cage is a full service faciliSenior art major Addison ty that supports the Art and Design Drone said that experience aids with program by providing convenient knowledge of supplies. access to essential, profession“Coming into art school, I al-grade art supplies for students. didn’t know a lot of these materials “Michaels carries more hob- existed, so I wouldn’t have even reby craft supally known to ask plies, and they for them if I went don’t have a “In the end, I always there,” Drone very high stock just go throught said. “It’s kind of of high-qualiThe Cage... I would something that ty materials,” you find over time; Ella Ackman, a say it’s pretty rea- you kind of get junior art major, sonable if not a some experience said. “So, it’s of what you’re better option.” what makes The looking for.”

Addison Drone Cage nice.”

Drone said Senior The Cage The Cage offers Art major isn’t set up like these professiona typical hobal-grade products by craft store, for the same price which may cause problems for those or even cheaper. In addition to these who aren’t sure what they are look- already reasonable prices, The Cage ing for. The Cage consists of a large, often offers discounts on frequentwarehouse-like room behind the ly-bought products such as pencils. walls with a single service window at “I have done a lot of price comthe front. You cannot actually go in, parisons on paper,” Drone said.

AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor

“Our paper is about the same as a big art store, like Blick. And if you’re going just for paper, think of gas and all that stuff.

So, in the end, I always just go through The Cage… I would say it’s pretty reasonable if not a better option.”

The Cage is currently accepting card-only payments, which includes Cougar Bucks.

Although The Cage is geared towards art students who may already have prior knowledge of art supplies, Drone said that the art department is welcoming and willing to help any students who may need it.

“Going in the art department and going in the building is a super awesome, accepting safe space,” Drone said. “If you had some questions, pop into a classroom, catch a student while you’re walking through the hall, and someone can point you in the right direction.”

For more information on The Cage, visit during store hours from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. For further assistance, stop by the Art and Design Admin Office in ADE 1202.

Students buy art supplies through the small window in the Art and Design East building. | Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle

What a long, strange trip it’s been: The story of SIUE’s forgotten Mississippi River Festival GRACE GENTEMANN reporter In the fields of campus once laid an unforgettable music experience. The Mississippi River Festival welcomed various well-known artists, such as the Eagles, The Who and more.

Beginning in the summer of 1969, the Mississippi River Festival, or Mississippi River Festival, was held on the SIUE campus and welcomed over a million patrons in its 12-year run.

Some of the most famous appearances were by performers such as Dolly Parton, B.B. King, Grateful Dead, Chicago and others.

The Who makes its only appearance at MRF in 1971. A popular performance, the band brought in one of the largest paid crowds to the Edwardsville festival. | Photo Courtesy of John Neiman and SIUE archives

Working in conjunction with the St. Louis Symphony, the Mississippi River Festival was created to give those in the orchestra a longer season. However, as the festival progressed, it continued to expand beyond the symphony into various other genres.

Archivist and Unique Collections Librarian Steven Kerber said Mississippi River Festival was intended to be a permanent fixture of SIUE. “After they established the partnership with the symphony, they felt they wanted to come up with programming for the university community. The underlying idea was that this would be a permanent activity and they would build a permanent facility.” Kerber said.

Performing in 1971, The Who garnered the largest crowd of any shows at the festival with 31,756 attendees.

Kerber also wrote a book on the Mississippi River Festival, working in collaboration with Amanda Bahr-Evola, titled “Images of America: The Mississippi River Festival,” which is an in-depth overview of the festival with photos.

According to Kerber and Bahr-Evola’s book, the attendance of the Mississippi River Festival exceeded all outdoor music events in the St. Louis area, even The Beatles.

The festival commissioned a company in Florida to hand-create a large tent placed in a natural grassland amphitheater

at which the festival was held each year.

The MRF explored more than just music performances by embracing different cultures, most notably in 1970 when it hosted the National Dance Troupe of Zambia.

Starting in 1973, another avenue the festival expanded on was an annual craft show, expanding to feature more than 50 artisans.

The festival also featured university food services employing student workers, which allowed patrons to buy snacks or even box lunches.

SIUE President John S. Rendleman was a very large part of funding for MRF. His death in 1976 took a toll on the festival, whose organizers now had to look for options to outsource.

Issues arose when technological advances surpassed the scope of the festival, causing funding constraints to emerge.

In 1978, the tent was lowered, never to be raised again. With the absence of the tent, the event was changed forever, no longer holding the appeal it once did for concertgoers and performers alike. The final concert was performed by ZZ Top in August 1980.

A historical marker, put up by the Alumni Association, was erected in memory of the spectacle that was the Mississippi River Festival.

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GRACE GENTEMANN reporter Libraries both in Edwardsville and on campus offer a variety of amenities that students have access to.

At the entrance of the first floor of Lovejoy Library, you are greeted with the newly opened Starbucks that offers refreshers, lattes and an array of seasonal pastries.

Then, a few paces straight ahead and you’re at the help desk. Students can get help checking out and locating certain items and getting answers to any questions they may have. There are also various printers on the first floor as well.

Anyone feeling crafty can visit the MakerLab. Patrons can use sewing and embroidery machines, 3D printers, T-shirt heat presses, laminators and several other machines. Anyone who wants to use the MakerLab can reserve a time during the open hours of the library.

This first floor is what is referred to as the “loudest floor,” offering alternative seating for group or individual work. This floor also hosts a large array of events.

Information Technology Services is held in the basement of the library, providing user assistance and helping with an array of different online problems that may be encountered.

Aly Abou-Zaid, a junior computer science major, said there are many different reasons why he loves the library.

“I love the library because it is a cozy, welcoming environment where I feel the

most productive,” Abou-Zaid said. “I come in here and I see familiar faces — I study hard.”

If students find that they are struggling in an area, they can find the Writing Center, which allows students to schedule one-on-one appointments to enhance their writing skills.

However, the library on campus is not the only place that students have access to for free. People who live on campus or in Edwardsville have access to all the amenities offered at the Edwardsville Public Library as well.

Cary Harvengt, librarian of development and outreach at the Edwardsville Public Library, said libraries are very important to the community.

“One of the reasons we are so important [is that] anyone can walk in this door and get what they need. We like to think of ourselves as a bridge to information,” said Harvengt.

The Edwardsville Public Library also has amenities similar to the campus library, such as printers that charge by the page, 3D printers and quiet study rooms.

People have access to not only all the physical texts provided by the library, but also a large audio book collection through Hoopla that students can access at no additional cost.

In the summer, the Edwardsville Public Library hosts an outdoor book festival, a celebration with crafts and other book-related activities.

There are very unique items that the Edwardsville Public Library offers to people, such as hotspots to rent, puzzles

Any day the Blues get a victory is a perfect day, especially on a Saturday SAM MUREN reporter Almost every weekend, I return to my home in Columbia, Illinois, to spend time with my family. This weekend was no different.

It’s really nice after a long week of work and school to go back home and spend some time with my family, especially on the weekend.

My Saturday started amazingly. I got to sleep in my own bed and slept in until 8:30. I woke up to some coffee my dad had made and simply enjoyed the morning.

I did my normal morning routine of watching the news, showering and checking all the recent National Hockey League standings and statistics.

Around noon, my family and I met up with my grandparents at Papa Vito’s Pizza in Millstadt, Illinois. It is a small pizza and bar food-type restaurant where we ordered tons of food.

I ordered the buffalo chicken cheese bread and my grandpa ordered Papa chicken’s wings. My grandpa and I were both so indecisive on what to

order, so we decided to split our meals.

He shared half of his wings and I split my buffalo chicken bread.

After lunch, my family went home and I got to enjoy the St. Louis Blues matinee game. The Blues played against the Los Angeles Kings.

It was such a fun game to watch, especially since the Blues came out with the 4-3 overtime victory.

Thanks to the early game, I had plenty of time to work on all of my articles for The Alestle. Today, I had three stories to write, including this one.

Unfortunately, I also had some assignments for school to work on. Most of my evening was spent writing, which is one of my favorite things to do even if the writing was work-related.

When finished with all my work I spent the rest of my night watching YouTube and listening to ‘Louder With Crowder’ or ‘The Alestle After Hours’ podcasts.

Saturdays are usually everyone’s fun days, but mine are usually just for catching up and relaxing. To me that is just perfect; especially when the Blues give me a victory to fall asleep with.

Things To Do At The Library Lovejoy Library

Edwardsville Public Library

• Embroider something

• Study in a quiet room

• Screenprint a T-Shirt

• Attend an outdoor book festival

• 3D print something

• 3D print something

• Get some work done in a private room

• Check out a wi-fi hotspot

• Laminate something

• Attend a gaming event or e-sports tournament

• Get ITS to help you with online issues

• Join the Vinyl Club

• Check out home renovation tools

• Get help at the Writing Center • Listen to an audio book through Hoopla* • Watch a movie on Kanopy* You can do that through the public You can do that through the Lovejoy website anywhere you have wi-fi.

and house renovation items, such as a stud finder.

In collaboration with different organizations, the Edwardsville Public Library hosts clubs such as Vinyl Club, which

library’s website anywhere you have wi-fi.

meets once a month to listen to records.

The library works with Heroic Adventures in Edwardsville to hold different gaming events, sometimes even hosting e-sports tournaments.

OPINION

NEXT WEEK: DON’T LOSE YOURSELF IN ACADEMIA

Thursday, 02.01.24

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Share your thoughts: opinion@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3527

DYLAN HEMBROUGH Editor-in-Chief

BRUCE DARNELL Managing Editor

CHLOE WOLFE Lifestyles Editor

AUDREY O’RENIC Sports Editor MICHAL KATE CASTLEMAN Online Editor

BRANDI SPANN Opinion Editor

HANNAH LEDFORD Podcast Producer

T. WELTZIN Multimedia Editor Grace Gentemann Sam Muren Reporters

Matthew Wolden

Rameshwar Gundem

Circulation Manager Meghan Fosnock Damon Fowler

Olivia Whitlock

Front Desk Clerks

Maximilian Lenhart

Shoba Swar Advertising Manager

Copy Editors

Pedro Henrique G-M Tammy Merrett Photographers

Program Director Angie Trout

Office Manager

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Placement tests pose an unnecessary hurdle for students THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board

Beginner classes should have no prerequisites — not even a placement test.

SIUE has three placement tests in math, chemistry and physics to gauge students’ comprehension of these topics.

According to College Board, the idea is to help place students who are comprehensively ahead of the lower-level classes in the correct level that SIUE offers.

When accepted to SIUE, the university will suggest the necessary placement tests based on the student’s intended major.

SIUE uses the tests to assist students in finding the proper placement and simplify steps for students who are academically ahead.

However, there is just one issue — these tests can become a roadblock for some students.

At SIUE, numerous classes have prerequisites that must be fulfilled before taking a class.

Usually, prerequisites are applied to upper-level classes to prevent students from jumping to levels that they are not prepared for. Exceptions to this are classes in math and chemistry.

Uniquely, these two departments require students to take placement tests as prerequisites for the lowest-level classes in the departments.

The classes are MATH 120: College Algebra and CHEM 113: Introduction to Chemistry.

This can be frustrating for SIUE students. The process can benefit certain students who are looking to get a jump in the

math and chemistry departments if they score well enough on the placement tests.

However, for students who need specific classes for their degree, it can just be an extra step.

Even though students may need the introductory course to progress for a specific degree, they are required to take a placement test to qualify for the basic classes.

This is where the process can hinder and irritate students. Is it really necessary for students to take a placement test to get into the lowest-level course?

There are students who struggle with testing and are set up to fail. A test should not be a measuring tool for a student’s ability to take an entry class. It is overall a major headache for students who are willing to take the

building block classes to advance up from the bottom.

If students are qualified to be accepted to the university, then students should be qualified to take the basic level classes that the university offers without needing another qualifier.

This process is just overall redundant. It seems arbitrary to have students take a test to try and qualify for the lowest course available. There is not a very good explanation for the purpose either.

Does SIUE expect students to score a specific minimum to be able to take an entry class?

SIUE should look into changing the prerequisites for their intro-level courses. It should not be necessary to take a placement test for the basic classes.

food is to me, many other people have different diets for different reasons such as religion or dietary restrictions. I think Dining Services does a good job of addressing this by having several different options of different cuisines available.

In the past, a qualm I’ve had with Dining Services is the hours that they are open. Last year I had a class that lasted until 7:15 p.m., and most, if not all the dining options, would be closed by the time I could get from my class to the MUC. But this year, Dining Services has changed its hours to ensure that there are different food options open until the MUC closes at 8 p.m., which is nice.

Later hours give students who have vastly different schedules

time to grab something to eat, which is important when freshman dorms do not have kitchens.

The staff is incredibly helpful if you ever have an issue. If the food is not what you ordered, or if it is messed up in any way, they are always kind about it.

They will ask what’s wrong and how they can fix the issue, even if it was not their fault.

Another factor with the food found on campus is the price. I have the Residence Meal Plan, commonly known as “res.”

It is nice to have different options for a cheaper price with the 60/40 plan.

Even for those without res, almost every option is cheaper than going out anywhere off-campus for food. It is also important to have cheap and available options for students

who do not have forms of transportation to leave campus. At Entrees, an entree costs on average $5 and a side option costs usually $1.49, which I think is a reasonable price for a hot meal.

Being able to get as many meals as you want a day is also a good factor about SIUE. Other Illinois colleges do a swipe system, meaning people with meal plans can only buy food a certain amount of times. As someone who will periodically stop by the Grab N’ Go for a quick snack, not having a limit on how many times a day I can buy food is very important.

Despite the general consensus on college cafeteria food being subpar, SIUE actually holds its own in the dining department with its meal and payment options.

As far as college cuisine goes, we have it good

CHLOE WOLFE lifestyles editor

Colleges across the U.S. are known for their barely edible food, unless you spend upwards of $50,000 a year on tuition.

But, as far as most college meals go, SIUE actually offers some pretty good food.

SIUE has a wide selection of foods. From burgers to knock-off Taco Bell Crunchwraps and salads, if you are craving almost anything, Dining Services probably serves it.

Entrees offers vastly different meals daily. With a few staples such as mashed potatoes or batter bites, they provide a balanced meal. One of my favorites is their grilled cheese sandwich.

No matter how good the

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SIUE Hockey splits series with SLU, takes a hit on senior night SAM MUREN reporter The Cougars took on the St. Louis University Billikens for their last home game and senior night recognition Jan. 27 at East Alton Ice Arena.

SIUE came into their final home game of the regular season with a 4-2 win from the previous night over SLU. Senior forward Connor Hinterser, senior forward Terrance Puribhat, senior forward Drew Parres, senior goalie Brendan Rasch and senior defenseman Cole Quattlander were all recognized before the game for their commitment to the club and hockey as a sport. “[Tonight] is really special because everybody is playing hockey like it could be your last game on the ice,” Rasch said.

The Cougars got right to work after the puck drop and picked up right where they left off from the previous game. SIUE maintained solid pressure in SLU’s zone for the first few minutes of the game.

The sustained pressure forced the Billikens to take the first penalty and give the Cougars a power play.

SIUE was quick to make them pay for it. Hinterser scored off a deflected shot by junior forward Kaleb Harrop to give SIUE an early 1-0 lead.

The Cougars continued their solid play, but eventually, the Billikens started to find their game. Rasch was forced to make some big stops to maintain the one-goal lead.

Later in the period, Harrop tripped a SLU player, which brought SIUE to their first penalty kill. They managed to kill it off, but SLU built off the momentum and was able to capitalize with just 16.4 seconds left in the first period.

SIUE fans express their disagreement with a referee’s call during s game during their fall 2023 season. Plenty of students came to Alton to support their hockey team. | Maximilian Lenhart / The Alestle The first period ended in a 1-1 tie, with both teams having 18 shots each.

SLU continued right where they left off, scoring just two minutes into the second period for a 2-1 lead.

The game was backand-forth from then on out.

Both sides would trade rush plays and pressure in each other’s zones. The Billikens secured the upperhand, as they scored again near the halfway mark to go up 3-1.

Soon after, both teams took penalties which led to a 4-on4. Neither team scored during the 4-on-4, but the Cougars struck soon after on a goal by senior forward Jakob Schreiber.

Redshirt freshman Bradley Gillum celebrates his victory against Central Michigan in the 165 lb division on Sunday, Jan. 28.

| Pedro Henrique G-M / The Alestle

SIUE was short just one goal of a tie game at the end of the second period.

Going into the third period, SIUE outshot SLU 40-30 and the goaltending battle storyline was starting to reveal. Both Rasch and SLU graduate student goalie Denisa Jandova made big saves for their teams.

Emotions were heightened in the third period. The game went back and forth for both sides and had big hits, big saves and some close calls for both sides.

SLU then took another penalty; the Cougars couldn’t score on the power play, but scored shortly after. Harrop tied the

game, and it was an even playing field once again.

The goal gave SIUE some life and they began to look for a lead, but SLU also played with desperation. The battle raged on until SLU took another penalty. SIUE called a timeout, but couldn’t execute the plan to score.

After killing the penalty, SLU pulled their goalie and called a timeout looking for a late lead. The Billikens ended up taking two penalties in the final moments of the period to give SIUE a 5-on-3 powerplay heading into overtime.

In overtime, Jandova made some impeccable saves, and the

Billikens held the Cougars off to kill the near two-minute 5-on-3 penalty kill.

Not long after, Schreiber was called for a tripping penalty and SLU went to the power play. Forward graduate student Patrick Sweeney sealed the deal for SLU with the power play marker to win the game 4-3 in overtime.

“Obviously the game tonight is a hard one to swallow,” Head Coach Tyler Elbrecht said.

“We took [SLU] to overtime the second game. We came close to a win there a few times,” Hinterser said. “They’re a good team over there. They got some good players and a very talented goaltender.”

Redshirt freshman Eric Almarinez (right) takes on Central Michigan opponent Jimmy Nugen (left) in the 141 lbs division. | Pedro Henrique G-M / The Alestle

sports

contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com (618) 650-3528

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NEXT WEEK: BASKETBALL PLAYS LITTLE ROCK IN DOUBLEHEADER Thursday, 02.01.24

Men’s basketball takes a win against Tennessee Tech, women’s basketball falls short in neck and neck game

BRUCE DARNELL managing editor

While the men’s team was able to walk away with a high 20-point differential for most of their match against Tennessee Tech University, the women’s team fought a much closer match for most of the night.

Neck and neck

The women’s team started with a few good plays, even scoring a 3-pointer just minutes into the first quarter. However, halfway through, they began to hit a wall as Tennessee Tech approached a near-10-point lead.

The score was 5-13, and it stayed at that score for a few minutes. Neither team was able to score, and the Cougars had a moment where they rebounded the ball four times before finally scoring on their fifth layup attempt.

Slowly, the Cougars were able to climb up to 10 points, but Tennessee Tech was able to close out the first quarter with 15 points.

In the first three minutes of the second quarter, the Cougars were only able to go up one point from a free throw, while Tennessee Tech had gone up six points.

The Cougars were able to score a few layups and get bonus points from fouls, but for nearly every shot they made, Tennessee Tech would respond with a shot of their own.

The Cougars were able to close the gap to just four points after a few 3-pointers within the last few minutes of the second quarter.

Sophomore guard Macy Silvey scored the most threes on the team that night, with a total of 12 points on 3-point shots.

Silvey also had a career-high of nine rebounds.

“I was trying to pursue as much as I could,” Silvey said. “It was definitely physical, but I was just trying my best for my teammates to get the ball and get it out fast.”

Head Coach Sam Smith said 20 of their 22 3-point shot attempts were good attempts.

“I think these [shots] are decent looks for us,” Smith said.

“As a group that’s shooting well from three, I think we’ve got to find opportunities for us to get a few more of them up … You got to get some inside presence.

If we have that then it will open some opportunities for shots on the perimeter.”

The score at halftime was 30-34.

Once the third quarter began, the Cougars had another unfortunate start when Tennessee Tech stole the ball and scored a 2-pointer.

Tennessee Tech would often attempt to overwhelm the ball carrier while they were still dribbling in the other court.

This tactic only worked to slow the Cougars down, as there weren’t many times when they could pull off a steal.

The Cougars didn’t allow the poor start nor the intense defense to stop them, however.

Within three minutes, they had closed the gap to a tie.

This was the closest the Cougars came to overtaking Tennessee Tech that night, with the score being tied three minutes into the third quarter.

Tennessee Tech was able to crawl their way back into the lead, and by the end of the third quarter, the score was 47-53.

Going into the last quarter, there was a sliver of hope for the Cougars as they came back onto the court with a newfound energy. They closed the gap yet again, this time to one point.

But the energy soon faded, and misfortune found the Cougars yet again. Tennessee Tech began scoring again, and at one point, senior forward Olivia Clayton got her fifth foul and was disqualified from the game.

From here on, the Cougars weren’t able to match up with Tennessee Tech, eventually ending the night with a final score of 58-67.

Strong victory

The men’s team had a far better game against Tennessee Tech that night. Once they got a lead, they were able to maintain it for the rest of the night, with a few hiccups early on.

Off the cuff, senior forward Lamar Wright was able to score a 2-pointer, followed immediately by his twin brother, senior guard Shamar Wright, scoring

Women’s tennis serves 4-1 win against Valparaiso University AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor SIUE women’s tennis dominated their first home game of the season with a 4 to 1 overall record against Valparaiso University Sunday at the Edwardsville YMCA Meyer Center.

The Cougars had a strong opening with an early advantage in doubles.

Freshman Stefaniya Anikina and sophomore Amelia Gorman finished their doubles match first with a score of 6-2. Graduate student Jill Lambrechts and senior Jordan Schifano remained unfinished as sophomore Margaux Guibal Britt and sophomore Cydney Rogers finished their match, also 6-2.

These two out of three wins gained the Cougars the doubles point, bringing the overall score to 1-0.

This advantage brought momentum for singles.

Schifano grabbed the first point in No. 3 singles for the Cou-

gars, defeating her opponent 6-1, 6-0.

Anikina then strengthened the lead in No. 5 singles with a 6-0, 6-3 victory.

Despite aggressive plays from Guibal Britt, she fell short to Valparaiso’s Moira Silva in No. 2 singles, 2-6, 6-7.

Gorman secured the Cougars’ 4-1 victory with her 6-2, 7-6 win in No. 4 singles.

The Cougars earned the Ohio Valley Conference weekly awards for the second week in a row.

Schifano was recognized as Player of the Week following her nearly clean sweep in singles, and Anikina and Gorman were honored as Doubles Team of the Week.

SIUE continues their winning streak after opening the season with a 7-0 record against competitors from the University of Illinois Springfield.

The Cougars will attempt their third consecutive win of the spring season against Bradley University at 2:30 p.m., Feb. 10, at the Edwardsville YMCA Meyer Center.

another 2-pointer.

Tennessee Tech attempted a 3-pointer but the shot swirled out of the basket — a grim indicator of how the rest of their night was going to turn out.

The score was 10-2 just three minutes into the match.

At this point, each player in the Cougars’ starting lineup had scored two points.

This is when the Cougars’ only hiccup of the night happened, as Tennessee Tech was able to get up to seven points while the Cougars remained at 10. However, redshirt junior guard Ray’Sean Taylor was able to shove off Tennessee Tech with a 3-pointer.

Taylor scored 18 points for the Cougars that night. He said he tried to focus on pace.

“What that does is it gets other people involved, getting me going towards the rim where I could have certain spins, like Shamar [Wright] was able to hit a three … I had one where I threw it to him, and that set the tone for the whole game,” Taylor said.

Head Coach Brian Barone said a strength of the team was being able to make baskets and go for big plays.

“Sometimes we go that direction, not because of selfishness but because of an ability that they have; that they want it so badly,” Barone said. “That’s one of the things we’ve got to continue … It’s hard to light the fire.”

After junior guard Damar-

co Minor assisted junior center Adeola Seun with a dunk, the score was 20-9 around 10 minutes into the first half.

The Cougars were able to push up to 27 points in just another minute, after which a timeout was called.

Tennessee Tech struggled for another four minutes, as the Cougars went up to 32 points while they remained at just nine.

Slowly, they regained some ground, but never enough to truly threaten the Cougars’ lead. The clock wound down and the halftime score was 45 to 19.

Tennessee Tech started with some momentum, scoring a 2-pointer off the first possession.

The Cougars seemed to know the eventual outcome, as they attempted a few risky, stylish shots that didn’t pan out, such as a few alley-oop attempts.

The game carried on like this for the rest of the night, as Tennessee Tech would make shots fairly consistently, but the Cougars always managed to break even with their scoring.

The Cougars kept their 20-point advantage from the beginning of the second half to the end of the match, only having it drop to 17 at the end. The final score was 74-57.

The Cougars’ next match is against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at 7:30 p.m. for the men’s game and at 5 p.m. for the women’s on Thursday, Feb. 1 at the Vadalabene Center.

Sophomore Marguax Guibal Britt celebrates a win of a set in No. 2 singles against Valparaiso University on Jan. 28. | Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle