The Alestle Volume 68 No. 12

ALESTLE

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Alton - East St. Louis - Edwardsville

November 19, 2015

Vol. 68 No. 12

Inside the Issue: SIUE students gather, discuss recent Mizzou controversy

Men’s soccer reflects on MVC championship loss vs. Drake

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15 minutes

Metro East Eats

Make your holiday dessert selection easy as pie | Photo by Brian Muñoz/Alestle

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NEWS

2 // The Alestle

Two students hit in campus crosswalk MADY O’REILLY Alestle Editor-in-Chief

On Monday, Nov. 16 two female students were hit by a pickup truck in a crosswalk on North University Drive at Circle Drive.

“It was a very minor accident,” SIUE Police Chief Kevin Schmoll said. “The pickup truck made slight contact with them.”

The driver of the vehicle was given a citation for failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

According to Schmoll, EMS was contacted and arrived on scene. Both students refused any type of medical treatment.

Mady O’Reilly can be reached at moreilly@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Hansen announces halt to retirement incentives KYLE STEPP Alestle Reporter

Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen recently announced the proposed retirement incentive plan was shelved.

The purpose of the incentive plan was to counteract the budget cuts, which resulted in 13 employees being laid off. Incentives were to be given to employees who chose to retire early in order to prevent more faculty contract terminations for those not yet ready to retire.

Hansen said this is not the right track for the university at this time.

“The general sense is that now is not the right time to move forward with such a plan,” Hansen said.

The Alestle will continue to cover this story as more information is available; visit alestlelive. com.

Kyle Stepp can be reached at kstepp@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Power outages scheduled for Saturday PUJA MEHTA Alestle Managing Editor

On Nov. 21 several 20 to 30 minute power outages are expected to take place.

Ameren Illinois has finished making the necessary repairs for the substation supporting the university.

In order to prevent extensive periods of time without power during the previous scheduled outage, campus buildings were switched on between electrical circuits while repairs were being made.

Now, certain buildings need to be switched back to their original circuits.

The scheduled outages are as follows: Peck Hall from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., Lovejoy Library from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., Founders hall from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., Science Lab West from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and Supporting Services and Museum Storage from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Puja Mehta can be reached at pmehta@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact the Managing Editor at 650-3527 or news@alestlelive.com.

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

SIUE faces technical difficulties Budget cuts take a toll on various departments KENDRA MARTIN Alestle Reporter

The proposed budget cuts have been in talks for the past few months, and although nothing is certain regarding the cuts, they have taken a toll on various departments.

Elza Ibroscheva, professor and chair of the Department of Mass Communications, said the budget cuts have not been officially declared yet, but there are precautions being made if the budget were to be cut.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty of what will happen and how it will happen because the budget has not been finalized,” Ibroscheva said. “So in no practicality, what SIUE is doing now, is preparing for the potential budget cuts and whatever they might be.”

According to Ibroscheva, the proposed budget cuts could affect what equipment will be available to the mass communications department.

“What we are asked to do is a 9 percent budget cut. So in our case, that actually affects [the way] that we support the students in terms of the sort of equipment and technology [we can provide], and that is critical in how we do business here,” Ibroscheva said.

Ibroscheva said with the proposed budget cuts, the mass communications department would have to deal with the equipment that they have now.

“We have been fortunate to receive support to do a lot of upgrades in the past that have taken us to a place that is quite admirable, so we are in a good place, but the media is not a stagnant world,” Ibroscheva said. “In our field, things happen faster than any other field in terms of the pressures of expecting us to respond to tech-

nological changes, and we want to be able to offer this to the students.”

Ibroscheva said the mass communications department is in a good place with the equipment the department has now, but also said she is unsure of how well it will work in the next few years once the budget cuts have officially been declared.

“Some of the ways in which we have seen again, potential losses and problems, we would have to solve as funds become less and less available to offer upgrades for software, which means we are not going to work with state of the art equipment,” Ibroscheva said.

“Funds are becoming depleted, and we don’t have the ability to buy what we need and offer the experience to students.”

Ibroscheva said she is unsure of the availability of funds in order to be able to maintain a level of comfort of having what the industry is working with as far as technology and also being able to offer students the right experience.

“We work in a world that is so dynamic as far as pressures and expectations that come to us that require financial intervention, and that potentially can lead us in a place where we’re just not wellequipped to deliver what we need to,” Ibroscheva said. “But we are creative and the faculty can find ways even with limited opportunities.

Wayne Mills, mass communications department broadcast engineering foreman, said things have been uncertain about the budget and therefore, there has barely been any spending.

“It’s had a chilling affect on our planning,” Mills said. “Without having a budget, you don’t know what you can go out and

procure; you don’t know how to plan. Spending tends to be put on hold because we don’t have a budget, so we’re not making equipment purchases at the present time.”

Mills said there will not be any major spending going on in the mass communications department until the budget has been officially declared.

“We’re in a holding pattern so obviously there is not going to be spending going on until we have an idea of what we are dealing with budget-wise,” Mills said.

The Department of Mass Communications is not the only department affected by the proposed budget cuts. The Department of Biological Sciences has been affected as well.

David Duvernell, professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, said the biology department has also been affected by some of the recent proposed budget cuts.

“Since I have been a chair, we had to do budget projections that could be implemented if the budget required it, and for a department, we basically have the same budget today that we had when I arrived here in 2000 as a new faculty member, so our budget has not changed in 15 years,” Duvernell said. “At the same time, the number of faculty members has increased, and we also added a number of instructors, so we have more people teaching more students with the same amount of resources, and now some of those resources are being cut.”

Duvernell said the Department of Biological Sciences does exercises that practice what the budget cuts could take away from the department. He also said resources have been taken away

from the department.

“When we do these budget cutting exercises, we try to preserve people over other budget lines to the extent possible so we have dramatically cut our commodities line in the science department,” Duvernell said. “The commodities are what pay for some of the resources that are necessary for the teaching labs that don’t get covered by student fees. Student fees don’t cover everything and we also cut travel lines [which allow] us to go to meetings and disseminate research and allows us to take students along to those meetings.”

Duvernell said because of the proposed budget cuts, the Department of Biological Sciences has also lost office staff.

“In biology, we have one fewer people taking care of the business of running the biology department than we did a year ago, so it has impacted us in those ways,” Duvernell said.

Duvernell said the Department of Biological Sciences’ budget has been cut in the past year.

“Our budget has decreased in the past year and a half so we have taken a cut,” Duvernell said.

“What that means for a department like ours is if we have a piece of equipment that needs to be repaired, our equipment repair budget has been cut substantially.

We don’t have service contracts on some of the equipment we might have had in the past. Service contracts are expensive, so we rely on our budget money, and if we don’t have enough budget money to cover that, then we have to ask assistance from the college.”

Kendra Martin can be reached at kmartin@alestlelive.com.

$4,000 of fundraiser money stolen School of Pharmacy left in the red JESSICA ORANIKA Alestle Reporter

The School of Pharmacy’s money from its Children’s Miracle Network cosmic bingo fundraiser, held at the American Legion, was stolen Friday, Oct. 30. Money was being raised for children’s hospitals and medical research for the non-profit organization Children’s Miracle Network. Pharmacy students were also raising money to leave a gift for the School of Pharmacy after they graduate.

Cathy Santanello, School of Pharmacy class advisor and associate professor, said she left the money in the care of one of the students before someone broke into his car.

“I had been taking care of the money box all night. We were getting ready to go and the class president had the money. He asked ‘Do you want to take it, or should I?’ Since I had [had] it all night I told him to go ahead and

take it. He had it wrapped up in a duffel bag, and he had his coat around it. He said he was putting it in his trunk, and I said ‘Make sure you go straight home, and we will deposit it tomorrow,’” Santanello said. “We don’t know what happened. He made one stop on the way home, and somebody broke into his car. My guess is that he was probably followed by somebody from American Legion.”

According to Santanello, about $4,000 was stolen.

“The only mistake he made was not going straight home, but if people had followed him, that could have been dangerous,” Santanello said.

Santanello said the loss of money is disappointing, but she is happy to witness the generosity of others during this time. Many people have donated money to help the School of Pharmacy replace the lost funds.

“The sad thing is we still owed the bingo company and

the hall, so it really put us in the red. The flip side is no one was hurt, and so many students now are rallying to find a way to make up the lost money. Joe’s Pizza was very kind. They are normally closed on Monday, but they let us do a rush fundraiser out of the kindness of their hearts, and we raised about $600. People have been really kind and sympathetic.

A couple of my girlfriends and administrators on campus have sent $100 checks, so I guess some good came out of it,” Santanello said.

Santanello said police have no suspects as the crime happened amid many other car break-ins.

“It could have been a patron [of the American Legion] or it could have been a random person. The police did say that there were a lot of car break-ins on Halloween weekend,” Santanello said.

Senior Spanish major Derek Drew, of Aurora, said he has been

a part of a fundraiser that had money stolen before. Fortunately, the police caught the person responsible for the crime in that case. Drew said he suggests that the School of Pharmacy does another fundraiser.

“I’m honestly not surprised that it happened. That’s life. People suck. It’s unfortunate,” Drew said. “They should explain what happened and definitely attempt to re-raise the money. That’s really the only thing you can do. If I heard about it, I would help.”

Freshman astronomy major Evan Billington, of Springfield, also said he would help donate if he heard about the situation.

“If they had another fundraiser, I would probably give money. I don’t think it would get stolen all the time. I would do whatever I could do to help,” Billington said.

Read more about the School of Pharmacy at alestlelive.com.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

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At the end of the day, we’re all African-Americans; we’re all human beings. We’re all students of this institution. If you’re here to better yourself, better the community [and] better the world, then we should all be able to come together no matter what [our] ethnicity or race is.

Derric Roberts Alpha Phi Alpha President

Protesters, students and media fill Traditions Plaza during a press conference following the Concerned Students 1950 protest on Monday, Nov. 9, in Columbia, Mo. | Michael Cali/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

SIUE students interpret Mizzou tensions, discuss outcome MADISON O’BRIEN MICHAEL ORANIKA Alestle Reporters

A meeting was held in the Morris University Center’s Illinois Room Wednesday, Nov. 11 to discuss growing racial tensions in response to University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe’s actions regarding racist incidents on Mizzou’s campus.

During the meeting, students discussed ways in which racial tensions — which are increasingly common to the Metro East area — can be prevented and how SIUE students can show support to the Mizzou community.

Protests broke out recently after Mizzou’s minority student population grew increasingly upset with Wolfe’s failure to properly address growing racial tensions on campus, including allegations of racial slurs and a swastika painted with human feces on a residence hall bathroom wall.

On Nov. 2, graduate student Jonathan Butler went on a hunger strike until Wolfe stepped down or until he died of malnutrition, revealing to CNN that he had updated his living will and signed a do-not-resuscitate order in case he collapsed.

The Mizzou football team also made headlines when both black and white players refused to play until their demands — which included the resignation of Wolfe — were met. The team was backed by Mizzou Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel, who tweeted a picture of every Mizzou football player and coach arm-inarm, saying “The Mizzou Family

stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players. #ConcernedStudent1950 GP.” On Monday, Nov. 9, a day after Pinkel’s tweet, Wolfe stepped down as university system president, along with Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin.

Although Wolfe was out of office, racial tensions escalated as threats were posted regarding Mizzou on the anonymous social media app Yik Yak a day after Wolfe’s resignation. Several threats read, “I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see,” “We’re waiting for you at the parking lots. We will kill you,” and “Some of you are alright. Don’t go to campus tomorrow.”

On Nov. 11, police arrested Missouri University of Science and Technology sophomore Hunter Park and Northwest Missouri State University freshman Connor Stottlemyre on allegations that these men used Yik Yak to threaten violence against black Mizzou students.

Even though SIUE was not directly affected, several SIUE students believe it is important to show Mizzou support and to learn how to prevent similar occurances in the future.

Alpha Phi Alpha President Derric Roberts said the meeting was organized last minute amid reports of the Yik Yak threats after Wolfe’s resignation.

“I’ve been talking with some fraternity brothers at Mizzou just to see what’s going on and different ways that we can come out and help support,” Roberts said.

“We’ve been talking through text

Interested in RESEARCH or C

message all day, so right now we’re just waiting to see how things will turn out, and [from then] we’ll move on and see if we need to go down to Mizzou and help out in any way that we can.”

The meeting mainly consisted of National Pan-Hellenic Council affiliates and Black Student Union members.

“We were just discussing the recent issues at Mizzou,” Roberts said. “We all came together and decided to have this meeting right now just to inform the campus on what’s going on and see what input they had, so if we did want to go to Mizzou to support our brothers and sisters, that we would be on the same page; we wouldn’t just be going down there just to be there.”

Roberts said he takes these matters very seriously and wants to get people involved on SIUE’s campus.

“Myself and a few others discussed the issues going on at Mizzou and had a meeting discussing how we felt and what our next actions should be,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure that students here are supporting Mizzou. Even though we are not there physically, we want to make [an] impact from this campus.”

Roberts said his goal is to stand by the students at Mizzou and deal with systemic racism on a day-to-day basis.

“It hurts that in 2015 we are still seeing this much racism. Racism will always exist, but students should not be afraid to go to their own school,” Roberts said. “We should be going to school to get an education, and I hope Mizzou

students get what they are looking for.”

Junior speech pathology major Mynita Smith, of Chicago said she fails to see the relevance of racism in 2015.

“How can people be so mad at a color,” Smith said. “What does a color do to a person, and how does that define a person?

Color doesn’t define a person. We all color ourselves like we color with crayons, and that doesn’t make any sense; it irritates me.

That’s why I’m glad we’re having this discussion, because it irritates me. A color is a color.”

Smith said the university should take more steps in socially integrating its campus in order to prevent tensions like those at Mizzou and that university leaders should reach out to black students, as well as white students, to dispel any uncertainties each may have about the other and facilitate discussions relating to mutual cultural understanding.

“Before I started working at the job that I worked at, they didn’t understand me,” Smith said. “They didn’t understand my hair texture; they were never exposed to things like that. So if we befriend Caucasians, then we can inform them also.”

Roberts said despite the majority of members in attendance being black, the meeting was intended for anyone interested in joining.

“This meeting wasn’t about a specific race, gender, religious background or sexual affiliation.

Whatever, you want to do, you’re allowed to come to this meeting,” Roberts said. “At the end of the

day, we’re all African-Americans; we’re all human beings. We’re all students of this institution.

If you’re here to better yourself, better the community [and] better the world, then we should all be able to come together no matter what [our] race or ethnicity is.”

Earleen Patterson, director of Student Opportunities for Academic Results, said she knows most of the students at the meeting and is proud of their response to the situation.

“They responded so quickly, and their thoughts are so organized, and they’re thoughtful and very intentional and very positive,” Patterson said. “It makes me so proud of our student body.

This is an educational environment. Education is about change, and the excitement to see these young people making change is so inspiring. The fact that it might have taken a long time to get to where they are, it appears to be a quick change, but change takes time.”

Senior applied communications major Dylan DeFranco, of Caseyville, said there is a lot of misinformation being thrown around, making the situation worse.

“Social media is doing a horrible job informing people of what is going on there,” DeFranco said. “I don’t think anyone is exactly sure what is happening, but I do know that we should show our support as a school.”

Read more about Mizzou at alestlelive.com.

reative activities? Want to develop and work on your own project?

Check out the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Associate Program website at www.siue.edu/urca (see the red “URCA Associates Information” box on the left) for information regarding how to become one of up to ten URCA Associates for the 2016-2017 academic school year!

Interested? Attend an informational meeting by current Associates Brittany Mersman and Kyle Schafer on Wednesday December 2nd from 4-5 in AH 0333

What are the benefits?  $2400 award for the academic year  Up to $500 for materials related to the project  Up to $400 in travel to present your research or creative activity  Opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor  Opportunity to develop scholarly relationships with other URCA Associates  Development of leadership skills  Special Recognition at Commencement Note: This is separate from the URCA Assistant program.

Feel free to contact Dr. Laura Pawlow, URCA Coordinator, at lpawlow@siue.edu or 618-650-2608 with any questions!

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

SG hosts mattress decorating contest, illustrates severity of campus sexual assault KYLE STEPP Alestle Reporter

Student organizations gathered in the Stratton Quadrangle at noon Thursday, Nov. 12 to show their support against sexual assault and for Student Government’s “It’s On Us” campaign.

The weather caused the event to shut down early, but many students were still able to attend, ask questions and participate in the mattress-decorating event.

The Advertising Club won first place, the Veteran Students Association came in second and Alpha Phi came in third.

SG External Affairs Officer Jonathan Colyer helped organize the event and said it was a success despite the weather.

“I was really happy with the turnout. Like I said before, it’s a great way for student organizations to get involved and really

Decorated mattresses surround the rock. | Brian Muñoz/Alestle

take a stand to stop sexual assault.

We saw a lot of creative mattresses that caught the eye of everyone walking through the quad. Unfortunately, we had to cut the event short because of the weather, but we still had a great turnout, and I think a lot of students received our message,” Colyer said.

Colyer said the event’s location in the quad made it more accessible and effective to passing students.

“Because the event is [in] the quad, it is in the public eye. You have to see it, and it draws you in when you walk by,” Colyer said.

Sophomore mass communications major and Advertising Club member Ashley Mitchell, of St. Louis, also agreed that having the event in the quad attracts people and lets them learn about sexual assault.

“People walk up wondering what this event is about. It’s hard to miss and hard not to wonder what these groups are doing in the quad with a bunch of mattresses. We’ve had a lot of people ask what we are doing, and they learned about sexual [assault] just by walking by,” Mitchell said.

Junior business administration major and Alpha Phi member Kylie Smutzer, of Orion, said her organization supports the campaign because it is essential that everyone knows how to take an effective stand against sexual assault.

“This campaign is important

AD Club stands by its winning mattress for the ‘It’s On Us’ campaign mattress decorating contest hosted by Student Government at 12 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, on the Stratton Quadrangle | Brian Muñoz/Alestle

to Alpha Phi because we are an organization that is constantly working to empower and educate its members. This is just another way that we want to show all students on campus that sexual assault is not, and never will be, acceptable.

We want to increase bystander efficacy so that we know how to intervene when consent isn’t or can’t be given,” Smutzer said.

Mitchell also said she finds events like this more effective and lasting than sitting through a lec-

ture on sexual assault.

“I think people are happy with the stance the campus is taking against sexual assault, and this gave them another chance to show it. If you see support from your fellow students rather than going to a meeting or a workshop, it makes you more confident in confiding [in] someone,” Mitchell said.

Smutzer said she agrees events like this actively get students involved and can touch all

students at the university.

“I think that events like this are extremely effective. Sending out newsletters and being lectured can help a little bit, but when you see something like this, it makes it more real. Sexual assault is happening on campuses everywhere, and it’s on us to stop it,” Smutzer said.

Kyle Stepp can be reached at kstepp@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Higher performance with an even lower budget:

ITS reacts by budget cut crisis KYLE STEPP Alestle Reporter

Information Technology Services, as with most university departments, has been affected by the recent Illinois budget cuts.

Steven Huffstutler, interim associate vice chancellor and chief information officer for Information Technology Services, said the budget cuts will not hinder the success or plans of ITS. “Even though we will have fewer resources and less flexibility, we will still continue to grow and continue to move forward. For example, one of our current goals is to expand our wireless reach on campus. We have this growing demand for wireless Internet, and we were able to expand wireless coverage to the [Stratton Quadrangle] area. We still plan on expanding that coverage to the soccer and baseball fields in the near future. So even though we have fewer resources, we are still moving forward and doing the best we can to provide the greatest service we can,” Huffstutler said.

Huffstutler also said ITS will do its best to maintain services and introduce substitutes to programs and equipment they may have to cut.

“The budget cuts have effected ITS just like it has everyone else on campus. Of course we wish there were no budget cuts, but we were forced to make some cuts in certain areas. For example, we have to make cuts in equipment funding, software funding [and] travel funding. Rather than just cutting the services and hav-

ing nothing, we will try to propose alternatives so departments can run as smooth as they always have,” Huffstutler said.

Huffstutler said he credits much of the university’s success against these budget cuts to Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen.

“I have to applaud [Interim] Chancellor Hansen’s leadership in wanting to move forward and creating a plan so that we are able to move forward this year instead of just standing still. Moving forward as a university is important — especially after setbacks like budget cuts,” Huffstutler said.

Sophomore mass communications major James Moss, of Belleville, said he believes ITS and SIUE as a whole are taking the right path by choosing to combat the budget cuts.

“I think it’s important for the university to continue moving forward and finding ways to make more money, especially when the state keeps giving [the university] less funding. It would be foolish for SIUE to just accept the decline that accompanies budget cuts,” Moss said.

Jill Yates, Business Administration Information Technology Services director, said the budget cuts do not require any filled positions to be cut, but ITS will not fill positions previously vacant.

“We will not have to cut any occupied positions. We have open positions that we won’t be able to fill, but we are still going to focus on doing as much as we can on campus with the resources that we do have,” Yates said.

Student employees are prev-

alent on SIUE’s campus, and Huffstutler said ITS will keep all their student employees, but will be forced to cut student employee hours.

“We have to make some cuts to student worker hours. Of course we’ll be keeping all of our student employees, but we will have to cut student wage funding.

We are really happy to know we didn’t have to cut any current employees. This is just a tough time that we are working through as a campus,” Huffstutler said.

Moss also said he agrees with cutting student worker hours from a practical business standpoint.

“I think it’s a classic utilitarian approach. It’s the greatest good for the greatest number of people, which is fine. It’s better for all of the student employees to have a little money than to have some employees with none,” Moss said.

Yates also said she agreed with Huffstutler’s praise for Hansen for taking the initiative to make a plan that allows the university to continue moving forward.

“I also applaud [Interim] Chancellor Hansen’s proactive plan. We are going to continue moving forward and make sure the quality of the institution is retained despite the cuts. As for ITS, business will continue as usual, but we will have to approach problems from a new perspective,” Yates said.

Kyle Stepp can be reached at kstepp@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Express your opinion 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Polls, message boards and more at www.alestlelive.com

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Opinion

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Be proactive, not reactive; stop victim shaming Student Government recently launched the “It’s On Us” campaign to educate students, faculty and staff about sexual assault.

Alestle Staff Editorial One of the main ideas of the “It’s On Us” campaign encourages all participants to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable, and survivors are supported — a fantastic initiative to apply to SIUE’s campus.

Up until this point in time, potential rape victims — young women, specifically — on SIUE’s campus were always being given “helpful hints” or “safety precautions” to lessen their chances of being sexually assaulted.

We’ve all heard them: “Don’t dress provocatively,” “Stay with a buddy,” “Don’t go out at night,” “Watch your alcoholic beverages at all times,” etc. However beneficial, these so-called “tips,” imply something much, much larger than just the possibility of being sexually assaulted on SIUE’s campus.

Informing potential rape

victims — not only women, but men as well — of the different tactics they can use to “prevent rape” implies rape is unavoidable. This frame of mind suggests that rape is always going to occur, that rape is impossible to escape; but is it really?

People discuss rape like it’s a natural disaster or a disease; something nobody wishes to experience, but is bound to happen, eventually. But sexual assault isn’t a natural disaster, and it’s not a disease.

Rape is a disgusting crime, a violation of sexual privacy and an unnecessary intrusion to a human being’s most intimate self.

Most importantly, rape is 100 percent avoidable. SG did a great job putting this campaign together, and we hope it educates and enlightens students on the realities of sexual assault.

Believe it or not, most rapists are not random, masked strangers, jumping out of bushes and abandoned parking lots. According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 82 percent of rapists are a friend, acquaintance or

somebody their victim has previously met.

If four out of five sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, why are potential rape victims constantly force-fed safety precautions that only apply to one out of every five sexual assault cases?

By telling rape and sexual assault victims they should’ve dressed more modestly or stayed with a buddy, we are shifting the blame from the attacker to the victim.

As stated by the “It’s On Us” campaign, rape victims need to be supported and cared for, not chastised for not preventing the attack from occurring in the first place.

Students are not being taught how to prevent being murdered or how to prevent being robbed, so why are students being taught how to prevent being raped?

In these terms, it sounds extremely silly, but in all seriousness, instead of teaching potential sexual assault victims how to prevent rape, everybody needs to be educated on the exact

definition of sexual assault, how to properly give and recognize consent, how to identify sexual assault, how to intervene if witnessing a sexual assault, etc.

Essentially, students need to be learning how to be proactive in the fight against sexual assault, which obviously includes not being an attacker.

Thankfully, sexual assault hasn’t been a huge issue on SIUE’s campus. However, sexual assault still occurs — it just goes undocumented — and one sexual assault case is enough to make a student feel uncomfortable on our campus.

Instead of victim shaming, let’s focus on the main point of this entire issue: it’s on us, the SIUE community, to end sexual assault on this campus.

Stay educated, stay alert, and don’t be a passive bystander when it comes to any inappropriate situation.

Let’s always create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable, and survivors are supported, not blamed.

punished if there is an ongoing police presence throughout the sexual assault case.

If the Safe Campus Act were enacted, universities would not be allowed to ensure victims avoid their abusers at all costs.

This means universities could not take the victim out of shared classes with their abusers until a criminal investigation on the case was closed. This did not sit well with Alpha Phi, knowing its members across the nation who were victims of sexual assault would not be protected.

Alpha Phi stated in a press release that it believes its members who are victims of sexual assault, “should have their own voice and the support and encouragement they need to move forward, including reporting as they choose to,” while still keeping universities accountable for the actions of their students.

Shortly after Alpha Phi initially raised concern over this legislation, three sororities, including Phi Mu, Alpha Gamma Delta and Delta Phi Epsilon, fol-

lowed after taking a closer look and stated they also opposed the controversial bill.

Eventually, a total of nine out of the 26 member organizations operating under the umbrella organization NPC opposed the bill it had spent about $200,000 lobbying for, causing NPC to revoke its support entirely, and head back to square one.

Sororities across the nation have raised their voices to speak for members and students who may not have the ability to speak for themselves in cases of sexual assault on campuses. Silly, right?

Frivolous and irresponsible, right? Wrong.

Sure, I attend social events and have fun bonding with my Alpha Phi sisters in ways that may seem frivolous from an outside perspective, but being a part of a Greek organization has given me countless leadership and social skills I might not have gained without the support of my organization.

Alpha Phi has shown me

how to be an active ally in my community and how to advocate for causes I believe in and support. I am proud to be a member of an organization that doesn’t simply allow legislation — which would endanger students nationwide — to pass.

Sexual assault on campus is too often underreported and swept under the rug, and these organizations have taken a stand and caused a movement to fight for victims of sexual assault on campuses nationwide, whether or not these victims are members of a sorority or fraternity.

Taking all of this into consideration, I charge you to take a look at the good these organizations you see as a waste of time and money are doing. I charge you to read the fine print and speak up for what you believe in.

But most importantly, I charge you to report sexual assault and be an active bystander. Be a voice for those who think they don’t have one.

Read more staff editorials at alestlelive.com.

Believe in Alpha Phi, oppose Safe Campus Act More often than not, my peers who are not in Greek life lecture me and tell me my being in a sorority is a waste of time and money.

Mady O’Reilly Alestle Editor in Chief Recently, however, the organization I am a proud member of has made national headlines for advocating for fair treatment of sexual assault victims on college campuses.

Alpha Phi, the third largest sorority in the country, spoke up in opposition, stating it did not support the entirety of the Safe Campus Act bill, becoming the first national sorority within the National Panhellenic Conference to publicly withdraw its support.

Without the Safe Campus Act, universities have the ability to punish students who are believed to have committed sexual assault; therefore violating any code of conduct a university may have in place. If the bill is passed, however, students may only be

The Alestle // 5

Mady O’Reilly can be reached at moreilly@alestlelive.com.

Brian Muñoz

Photographers Michael Oranika Jessica Oranika Kendra Martin Madison O’Brien Kyle Stepp Briana Stewart Chloe Rice

Reporters

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Lifestyles 6 // The Alestle

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Eyes on the Pies

#METROEASTEATS

The Alestle staff visited five bakeries in the Metro East offering specialty pies. We scored each pie on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, in categories including appearance, taste, price-to-portion ratio and originality. Also taken into consideration were the service and atmosphere of the bakery. Represented by the number of whole or half pie graphics is the average score for each pie and location.

Mrs. Ledbetter’s Pie

31 E. Broadway, Alton about 30 minutes from campus justmydesserts.org

With Thanksgiving on the way, the search is on for the perfect slice of pie. Not only is society craving comfort food with the holiday season approaching, families everywhere are searching for recipes to serve their family and friends. This presents an opportunity for a small restaurant with an excellent dessert selection to make its way into the limelight; My Just Desserts will provide a perfect transition into the holiday season.

Walking into My Just Desserts on a weekday afternoon is like retreating to a lakeside cottage where the perfect lunch is waiting — not only will customers enjoy good soup, salads and sandwiches, but also their meals will be accompanied by drinks in Mason jars served with pleasant and amiable service.

The atmosphere at My Just Desserts is perfectly homey, with old art and handmade crafts lining the walls and adorable wooden tables. It also represents the town of Alton extremely well. Aside from the fact that the restaurant overlooks the Mississippi River, all of the art is local, the produce is locally

grown and the meals are homemade as opposed to frozen and reheated. The service follows wonderfully with the rest of the atmosphere. Our server was friendly, paid good attention to us and helped us choose our desserts.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about My Just Desserts is that — the desserts! The menu changes almost every day and features homemade creations that complement the meals beautifully.

The selection when we visited My Just Desserts included peach crumb, Tollhouse and pumpkin pecan pies, New York cheesecake served with cherries, apple crisp, Boston Cream pie and blackberry cobbler among others. Also featured on the menu was a favorite among My Just Desserts customers — Mrs. Ledbetter’s pie. This was our selection, and it was delicious.

Mrs. Ledbetter’s pie has a normal pie crust and a gooey chocolate and coconut filling with a pecan and coconut crust covering the top. The texture of the pie was just right. The crunch of the top and bottom of the pie complemented the warm, gooey

Dani Wilson/Alestle

center. It is a well-known recipe that is almost a trademark of My Just Desserts, and for good reason.

Overall, our experience at My Just Desserts was a quality one. As Thanksgiving approaches and the weather gets colder, comfort food becomes a craving for many people, and My Just Desserts provides that to every individual that walks through the door. As a signature item for the restaurant, Mrs. Ledbetter’s pie offers a great beginning to the holiday season for anyone yearning something sweet.

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Pie Oh My! is a bakery with such a variety, it’s sure to keep you coming back for more. It is a quaint little shop in the suburbs of St. Louis that prides itself on its selection that changes based on the availability of ingredients. Each week offers something different, so it’s a surprise each time you visit.

It is the perfect pie shop for those who struggle to decide; they not only make regular-sized pies, but they also make individual pies.

So if have a sweet tooth and are overwhelmed by the options, do what we do, and grab one of each. The best pie so far for the season is its Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie.

We are used to the classic pecan pie, but this one had chocolate and bourbon, which added a little twist. The pie was the perfect balance between sweetness, bourbon and nuttiness, accompanied by a flaky crust baked to perfection. Pie Oh My! is definitely one to put on the list to visit again. The price is right, and the pies are to die for.

Lauren Lowe/Alestle

2719 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, Mo. more than 30 minutes from campus pieohmystl.com

Tippin’s Pecan Pie 6671 Edwardsvil e Crossing Drive, Edwardsvil e less than 10 minutes from campus tippins.net

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Cherry Pie

Brian Muñoz/Alestle

Wood Bakery has been a staple of downtown O’Fallon for years, providing donuts, coffee and baked goods to students on their way to school, adults fighting the workweek grind, dessert eaters and people who love frequenting bakeries for no reason other than the fact that they smell wonderful.

Wood’s selection is pretty incredible considering the small size of the shop. We stopped in to try one of Wood’s more unique pies, the custard pie. The pie has the look of a pumpkin pie, but cutting into it reveals something reminiscent of a cheesecake.

Custard pie was a new experience for us. It tasted pretty good; it’s essentially a vanilla pie in a standard crust. People picky about their food’s texture will have a tough time with this pie, which has the consistency of the layer that forms on the top of pudding. We normally enjoy a minimal amount of piecrust, but found ourselves wishing this crust was thicker to give the pie a little something more.

The inside of the bakery is nothing fancy. The floors are linoleum and baked goods are set out on folding tables. The owner

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300 St. Louis Road, Collinsvil e about 15 minutes from campus krutabakery.com

Kruta’s Bakery is a Collinsville favorite with its early beginnings dating back to 1919. The bakery originated in East St. Louis, but moved in the late 1970s. Once you walk into the bakery, you get a glimpse into the Kruta family’s craft.

Be sure to get there early; every morning there is a line almost out of the door of customers waiting to get their morning donut and Cup of Joe. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming – the smell of donuts, pies and pastries flooded the bakery.

After arriving at the bakery at 6:45 a.m., we were greeted by the expected line of customers, which was somewhat annoying, but definitely

Custard Pie

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worth what we would experience.

We picked up our freshly-made cherry pie and headed out. The tantalizing pie sat looking ravishingly delicious in the seat of our car as we headed to school.

The crust was very traditional with a sweet twist; larger chunks of sugar were embedded in it. The pie had a perfect balance between the crust and the filling, although we did not believe the pie had enough cherries in it, and the cherry syrup was somewhat overpowering.

In all, we highly recommend the cherry pie from Kruta’s Bakery — a local favorite sure to satisfy the sweetest sweet tooth.

1 5 W. 1st St., O’Fallon, Ill. about 30 minutes from campus woodbakery.com

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begins baking at 2 a.m., meaning everything is fresh by the time customers rush in each morning.

The people who run the shop during business hours are friendly and helpful, which makes the shop somewhere people want to get out of their car and go into when more convenient drive-thru options are available.

Wood also attracts a respectable business because of its large selection of baked goods for a relatively low cost, especially a fairly large day-old section.

Pies run $9, which is cheaper than making anything else for a holiday gathering. They also have a more signature feel than simply stopping by Wal-Mart to buy a pie that left the factory two weeks ago.

More than anything, Wood Bakery is a charming, local pastry shop. It offers a wide selection of pies, from classics like apple to more bold flavors such as lemon. Wood seasonally features pumpkin, pecan and custard pies until Thanksgiving.

www.alestlelive.com

Thursday, November 19, 2015

| Photo Illustration by Christian K. Lee, Lauren Lowe, Brian Muñoz and Dani Wilson

The Alestle // 8

sports

Questions or concerns regarding this section?

Contact the Sports Editor at 650-3527 or sports@alestlelive.com

Cougars take second in Missouri Valley Conference following 1-0 loss to Drake DANI WILSON Alestle Sports Editor

The Cougars fought for a spot in the NCAA tournament in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this weekend against Loyola University and Drake University. Although they were able to edge past Loyola in penalty kicks, they lost the championship 1-0 to Drake.

Head Coach Mario Sanchez said the team played well during the first half. He went on to say halftime was the turning point of the game.

“I thought we started out very positive. We created some very good opportunities. I think halftime gave them an opportunity to take a deep breath and get a little more energy,” Sanchez said. “Unfortunately for us, as much as we tried to talk to them about it at halftime, I thought we absolutely took our foot off the pedal and did not do well in the second half.”

Drake scored the game’s only goal with 12 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game.

Sanchez said the Cougars played with urgency following the goal, but that the final minutes of battling for a tie could have been more of a challenge for SIUE. “At that point, you’re hoping — so much of it goes out the window. In soccer sometimes, it’s even more difficult when you’re playing like that out of desperation — now you’re not making good decisions, and they’re going to sit in even more,” Sanchez said. “We had our opportunities, — especially in the first half — to put one or two away, and we didn’t do that.”

Sophomore goalie Kyle Dal Santo said the weekend’s tournament, despite the loss to Drake, was a forward movement for SIUE men’s soccer.

“It was a great thing for SIUE to host it. We always talk about this program

building a legacy, and having [the MVC tournament] here, regardless of whether we won or not, was a huge step for the program,” Dal Santo said.

Redshirt freshman midfielder Keegan McHugh said it was extremely helpful to see the fans attend the games this weekend.

“It’s nice to have all the fans there, cheering us on. It actually really helps,” McHugh said.

Junior defender Austin Ledbetter said the team’s losses determined the loss of their place in the NCAA tournament, but that the Cougars will persist to improve on their performance for next season.

“We’re happy, but disappointed at the same time. The games that we lost decided our fate in the NCAA tournament. It hurt us,” Ledbetter said. “But you let it go, you grow, you keep working, you come back next season and hopefully don’t do it again.”

McHugh said he agreed with Ledbetter, adding that their losses were against teams that, theoretically, the Cougars could have beat.

“We played some tougher teams, and we played some weaker teams — all of our losses were against weaker teams. They come back to hurt you in the end. If we would have won one of those four losses, then we would be in the tournament,” McHugh said.

According to Ledbetter, the experience provides some positive perspective in that it gives the team a learning experience to apply to next year.

“It’s a good thing — we know what we need to do next season and how to approach every game, even if the opponent isn’t to our standard. Overall, it’s learning experience for us,” McHugh said.

Dani Wilson can be reached at dwilson@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Director of Operations Billy Berger and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Joe Smith look on during SIUE’s men’s soccer’s MVC championship Sunday, Nov. 15.

| Christian K. Lee/Alestle

Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Alestle // 9

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The Cougars line up before the penalty kicks at MVC semifinals Friday, Nov. 13. The team tied Loyola in regular play and, after two overtime periods, edged out Loyola in penalty kicks.

| Brian Muñoz/Alestle

Cougar reflections: Men’s soccer ends season with 12-4-3 record DANI WILSON Alestle Sports Editor

The men’s soccer team saw many bright moments this season. With an impressive overall record for Head Coach Mario Sanchez’s first season with the Cougars and the team’s historical victory over the Missouri Valley Regular season, the men’s soccer program has made progress and improvements from last year.

SIUE fans watched as the Cougar season ended with a 1-0 loss to Drake University in the MVC tournament championship Sunday, Nov. 15, giving the Cougars a bittersweet finish.

Reflecting on his first season with the Cougars, Sanchez said although the season went positively, he feels the team could have accomplished more.

“I thought it went very well. I still think we underachieved based on the four games that we lost. They were four games that we honestly should have won,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said despite the four losses in the Cougars’ season, the team had many victories that showed the true grit and determination of each athlete.

“On the flip side, there [were games] like Butler, USD, San Diego State [and] even [the away game against Drake] that I thought the guys showed a lot of character to get wins in those games,” Sanchez said.

The Cougars’ 12-4-3 overall record gave them the Missouri Valley regular season victory, a feat never before accomplished by the SIUE men’s soccer program.

Sanchez said the Cougars’ ability to persist through the regular season earned them the regular season title.

“When you look back and truly reflect on it, getting 12 wins, winning the regular season championship — which is honestly harder than the conference tournament because it’s not a knockout thing, it’s over a series of games,” Sanchez said. “Ironically, I thought we were the best team in the Missouri Valley, and I thought we deserved the achievement of winning the regular season.”

Despite the Cougars’ success in the regular season and victory against Loyola in the MVC semifinals, Sanchez said he believes the team had more to give to the 2015 season.

“Overall, I’m very happy, but very disappointed because I thought we had more

to offer,” Sanchez said.

A notable characteristic of the Cougars, according to Sanchez, was the team’s performance during away games.

“We were fantastic on the road. We really came together and showed a lot of character. That, for me, was a huge highlight,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said another strong positive point to the season was the team’s consistency throughout the regular season.

“Over the length of the Missouri Valley regular season, to be as consistent as we were was a definite highlight,” Sanchez said.

According to Sanchez, three standout performances throughout the season were senior defenders Brett Lane, Jacob Wieser and Paul Scheipeter. Lane scored two of the Cougars’ goals this season and recorded a total of 14 shots, including eight on goal. Wieser received the MVC Elite 18 award for the highest performance in the conference — academically and athletically — throughout the season. His record for the season includes three recorded shots.

Scheipeter netted his first career goal this season and also recorded two assists.

“I thought what those guys did was pretty special. To come in and be as consistent as they were — I give those guys a lot of credit,” Sanchez said.

Three Cougars were selected for the MVC All-Tournament team this season — senior defender Justin Bilyeu, junior defender Austin Ledbetter and sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Dal Santo.

SIUE’s men’s soccer coaching staff was also recognized for their efforts this season. On the night before the MVC semifinals, Sanchez, Associate Head Coach David Korn, Assistant Coach Scott Gyllenborg and Goalkeeper Coach Tim Boruff were awarded MVC Men’s Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year.

Ledbetter said Sanchez’s influence on the program has built a better record than last season’s.

“We’ve come a long way. With Mario [Sanchez] coming in, he started to change our program around. We went from [an 8-7 record] this year to [the 12-4-3 record] that we are now; I would say it’s a big jump,” Ledbetter said.

Dal Santo said an important moment of the season was the team’s regular season MVC victory.

“Winning the regular season, I think,

was the best highlight of the season. Not only is it the first time in our program’s history that we won the regular season, but we did it at home, in overtime; the crowd was fantastic. I thought it was the best moment of the season,” Dal Santo said.

Another bright point in the season for Dal Santo was the Cougars’ 2-1 win against Butler University in early October.

“It was our opportunity to prove to the country and to ourselves that we can play with any team,” Dal Santo said.

Dal Santo said the Cougars will use their losses this season to push them into next season and help them maintain their focus in every game they play.

“If we take our eye off the prize for one second, we can lose. As a program and individually, we have to be able to compete at the highest level all the time, no matter who it is,” Dal Santo said.

Redshirt freshman midfielder Keegan McHugh said the Cougars’ mindset was a major cause of the team’s four losses, and the athletes will need to work on consistency individually and as a team throughout the next season.

“Our losses didn’t come from being outplayed. They came from us playing to the other team’s level or coming into the game with the wrong mindset. Keeping that consistency throughout the season is what’s going to create more success than we had this season,” McHugh said.

According to McHugh, working to be consistent in every moment as an athlete is a challenge, but the Cougars are very capable of putting in the work to improve the next season.

“The hardest part is doing it every day.

In a sense, it’s a short season, but it’s also very long. It’s not easy to do. I definitely think we have the players and the staff to get it done,” McHugh said.

Ledbetter said the Cougars should use the hurt from their loss this weekend to propel them into a better performance in the 2016 season.

“We started it this year, but we didn’t get to our full potential. Next season, we need to focus on this feeling — knowing that we should be in the tournament, but we’re not, and it hurts — to continue the legacy we have to remember this and use it in a positive way and come back into next season stronger,” Ledbetter said.

Dani Wilson can be reached at dwilson@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

“

I thought what those guys did was pretty special. To come in and be as consistent as they were — I give those guys a lot of credit.

Mario Sanchez

SIUE Men’s Soccer Head Coach

10 // The Alestle

Thursday, November 19, 2015

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Freshman guard Carlos Anderson carries the ball down the court in the men’s basketball home opener Friday, Nov. 13.

| Brian Muñoz/Alestle

Cougars open regular season with 79-70 victory against Arkansas State KYLE STEPP Alestle Reporter

The men’s basketball team opened its regular season with a 79-70 win against the Arkansas State University Red Wolves Friday, Nov. 13 at the Vadalabene Center.

The opening tip also began Head Coach Jon Harris’ coaching career in his hometown of Edwardsville. The two teams had never met prior to the game, and SIUE now leads the series 1-0.

Harris said it was a great feeling to get his first at home.

“It was a special experience for me.

Not only a win, but to see the way the guys came together and grew. We really played like a veteran ball club tonight,” Harris said.

The Cougars had a tough matchup against the Red Wolves. SIUE was forced to play a fast-paced offense game and rely on perimeter shots to offset the height and strong three-point play of the Red Wolves.

The Cougars’ starting lineup consisted of junior guard Burak Eslik, sophomore guard C.J. Carr, freshman guard Carlos Anderson, graduate student center Yemi Makanjuola and sophomore forward Jalen Henry.

A pivotal moment came in the closing minutes of the first half after Henry split a pair of free throws. As the Red Wolves came up the floor and shot the ball, a key block by sophomore forward Keenan Simmons set up a twisting layup by Carr to tie the game. Henry had a chance to take the lead for the Cougars at the free-throw line, but missed both shots, and the Cougars headed to the locker room with the game at a 37-37 tie. The first half consisted of 10 ties and seven lead changes.

In the first half, the Cougars traded perimeter shots with the Red Wolves.

SIUE made four three-pointers on the 15 shots attempted. The Red Wolves shot 5-9 from behind the arc. The Cougars ended the half with four turnovers, as many as they had their entire exhibition game against Fontbonne University.

Eslik was 2-4 from the three-point line, and perfect from the charity stripe, giving him eight points in the half. Henry scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds as he led SIUE in scoring through a half of play. Makanjuola was limited to

10 minutes due to foul trouble, but was able to score seven points and grab five rebounds for the Cougars.

Harris said the beginning of the first period was tough, but he was proud of the way the team finished.

“We did a great job executing the game plan from start to finish outside of about the first six minutes of the game. We gave up some easy baskets, but the guys responded,” Harris said.

Halfway through the second half, the Cougars found themselves with one of their largest leads of the game at 53-47.

After two controversial no-calls, the Red Wolves cut the deficit to just two points.

The pace slowed immensely after a Cougar time-out. Both teams racked up fouls, and the later part of the second half was full of free throws for both teams.

Henry said free throws in the second half were vital to the Cougar’s victory.

“Free throws are really important to us as a team. We do it every day in practice. They [were important] down the stretch, and we executed really well today,” Henry said.

The men’s season opener came down to the wire. With three minutes left in the game, it seemed the Cougars had the win locked down, but the Red Wolves cut the Cougars’ nine-point lead to four with a quick jumper and long three-pointer. The Cougars quickly shut Arkansas State down with a pair of free throws by Henry followed by a mid-range jumper from senior forward Grant Fiorentinos with less than 90 seconds left in the game. The Red Wolves were forced to foul, and a strong free-throw performance from the Cougars secured the 79-70 victory.

Henry said the whole team came away with the win, not just the starting five.

“We found a good groove as a team, and we want to give each other energy and pick each other up. Because sometimes, someone might not come to play, and our bench is able to pick us up and we can come together as a team,” Henry said.

The Cougars take on the St. Louis University Billikens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the Vadalabene Center.

Kyle Stepp can be reached at kstepp@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

SIUE men’s basketball Head Coach Jon Harris reacts during the Cougars’ home opener Friday, Nov. 13.

| Brian Muñoz/Alestle

For more photos and coverage, check us out at www.alestlelive.com!

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Alestle // 11

Women’s basketball storms past NIU KYLE STEPP Alestle Reporter

The women’s basketball team opened its regular season with a 93-67 victory against the Northern Illinois University Huskies on Friday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the Vadalabene Center. Head Coach Paula Buscher and the Cougars looked to avenge their 2014-15 regular season loss against the Huskies, in which they were beat by 22 points.

The Cougars have three players who are on the active roster for the first time in their SIUE careers. Guard Lauren White is a redshirt sophomore transfer from Northern Kentucky with three years of eligibility. Guard Amri Wilder and center Sydney Bauman are true freshmen for the Cougars.

The Cougars’ starting lineup consisted of senior guards Shronda Butts and Coco Moore, sophomore guards White and Donshel Beck and sophomore forward Gwen Adams.

After the first period, Butts had 12 points, and the Cougars had a 25-20 lead. Fifteen of SIUE’s opening period points came from a strong three-point performance in which the Cougars went five for seven from behind the arc.

Buscher said freshman guard Sidney Smith’s performance helped the rest of the team gain confidence and up the level of play. “[Smith] hit back-to-back threes that opened it up for us and let us make the runs we did,” Buscher said.

Midway through the second period, the Cougars showed why they are projected to win the Ohio Valley Conference for the 201516 season. Beck broke away from the defense for two quick layups and hit a jump shot to extend the Cougars’ lead. Butts assisted White, who found the back of the net on a long three-pointer that extended the Cougars’ 9-0 run.

The teams traded baskets for rest of the period, and SIUE headed into the locker room with a comfortable 47-31 lead.

After a half of play, Butts had 14 points and shot 2-3 from the three-point range. Beck was flirting with a double-double, having 11 points and seven rebounds.

Smith contributed two of the Cougars’ six first-half threepointers, giving her six points on the half.

Beck said she came out with

a determination to shut down Huskies guard Kelly Smith.

“Coach Buscher and I had a talk about me really boxing out [Kelly Smith]. During the game, all I thought about was shutting her down. That game was all about the match-up for me,” Beck said.

A quiet third period ended with a Cougar lead of 69-47.

Three Cougars found themselves in double digits after three periods of play. Smith with 15, Butts with 14 and Beck with 13.

With the help of their bench, the Cougars were able to extend their lead and finish the game with a 93-67 win. Every active player on SIUE’s roster scored throughout the game.

The Cougars shot 50 percent from the three-point line, 82 percent from the charity stripe and nearly 48 percent from the field.

Butts finished the game with 17 points and eight assists. White scored 16 points in her 37 minutes of play. Beck racked up 13 points and 14 rebounds. Smith scored 15 and led the Cougars in three-point shots, going 5-7 from the three-point range.

Beck said she played this game, and will play the rest of the games for her recently injured teammate junior forward Micah Jones.

“Micah is my best friend.

When she went out, we had a conversation, and she told me it was time to step up. So that’s what I do. I step up, and I tell myself I am playing for Micah,” Beck said.

Buscher said the team will work on their defense before their long stretch of away games.

“I think our players sometimes get caught on the offensive side, and I am always caught up on the defensive side. At the beginning of the game, everyone was scoring, and everyone was happy, except the coaches, because we wanted to see some defense. And once we started getting some stops and rebounds, I thought that was when we started to make a defensive stand. We have to focus on that same consistent defense,” Buscher said.

After their home opener, the Cougars hit the road for seven consecutive away games, which starts with a game at Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.

Kyle Stepp can be reached at kstepp@alestlelive.com or 650-3525.

Senior guard Shronda Butts pushes past Northern Illinois University defense during the Cougars’ season opener Friday, Nov. 13.

| Christian K. Lee/Alestle

Sophomore guard Lauren White drives toward the hoop during a home game against Northern Illinois University Friday, Nov. 13.

| Christian K. Lee/Alestle

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